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• Book of the Week: Daddy Hug

  The world is made up of all kinds of dads -- busy, strong, slimy, wobbly -- and the new book Daddy Hug celebrates all of them. With charming, vivid illustrations of animal dads and their children, Daddy Hug goes through a litany of daddies that makes for a fantastic read-aloud. To wit, here's the text of a double-page spread with an otter dad on one side and a moose dad on the other: Daddy squeak, Daddy chirp Daddy hiccup, Daddy burp! Yeah, it's not Proust, but it's much more fun at bedtime. Read More... Posted Jun 13 2008, 10:05 AM by editors with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children's books, books, dads, fathers, reading, animals, father's day, kids' books, book of the week, picture books, daddy hug

• Book of the Week: Dudley the Daydreamer

  It’s odd when a children’s book is adult-relatable. Kid lit usually takes you to another world, frequently animal, with the express goal of teaching your little ones valuable life lessons. But Dudley the Daydreamer by Anders Brundin, illustrated by Joanna Rubin Dranger and translated by Frank Perry is a little more sophisticated than your favorite mouse. When we join Dudley in his ordinary world we get a load of adult drudgery: getting rained on at the bus stop, burning sausages, writing supplementary draft reports . . . Read More... Posted May 30 2008, 10:43 AM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: kids, maisy, children's literature, teddy bears, sweden, dreams, book of the week, Dudley the Daydreamer, Joanna Rubin Dranger, Walter Mitty, Anders Brundin

• Book of the Week, with Video!: Me Hungry

  In The Happiest Toddler on the Block, parenting expert Harvey Karp compares toddlers to caveman. In Jeremy Tankard's new picture book, Me Hungry!, the toddler is literally a caveman. And a hilarious one, at that. Read More... Posted May 23 2008, 10:07 AM by editors with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: children's books, books, toddlers, kids' books, book of the week, cavemen, picture books, caveman, me hungry, harvey karp, jeremy tankard

• Book of the Week: Mary Had a Little Lamp

  Kids get attached to some weird things. When my brother was little, his favorite toy was a neon-green toothbrush holder: his "lightsaber." And our blogger Kori's daughter was once obsessed with a sweet potato she named Ryan. That unique kind of object love is the inspiration for the delightful new book Mary Had a Little Lamp (Bloomsbury, 2008).  Read More... Posted May 09 2008, 10:01 AM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: children, children's books, books, kids' books, book of the week, picture books, mary had a little lamp

• Book of the Week: Earth Day Roundup

  Happy Earth Day everyone! Hopefully you're outside planting a tree and kissing the mother herself. Earth Day may come but once a year, but we have some books to keep your kids earth-aware 365/24/7. - April Peveteaux And the Good Brown Earth by Kathy Henderson is a lovely agrarian tale about the cycle of life. What is especially touching is the relationship between Gram and her grandson as they dig, let the land lay fallow and ultimately plant and grow a bountiful harvest as "…the good brown earth got on with doing what the good brown earth does best." And the Good Brown Earth feels more 1970s than 21st Century, since the good old days of the family farm have been mostly replaced by corporate behemoths, but it is nice to get nostalgic. And it is a perfect tool to explain where that local/organic produce at the Greenmarket comes from.  It’s Earth Day! by Mercer Mayer follows Little Critter who, along with his class, is inspired by some film (I wonder which one?) Read More... Posted Apr 22 2008, 03:38 PM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: earth day, book of the week, green, recycle, environmental responsibility, reduce, My Bag and Me, books for kids, reuse, Little Critter, And The Good Brown Earth

• Book of the Week: A Princess, A Pirate, and One Wild Brother

  Cornelia Funke - or perhaps you know her as the German J.K. Rowling - packs a girl power punch into the storybook collection, A Princess, A Pirate, and One Wild Brother. Funke is known for her young adult novels, (two of which have been made into movies) which explains why the three tales inside A Princess, A Pirate, and One Wild Brother are so engaging you almost miss the illustrations. These three adventure tales are smart and sublime; from the princess who was raised to joust to the pirate girl who kicks some bad guy butt alongside her pirate mother, Barbarous Bertha. It is refreshing that this book isn’t screaming the message that “anything boys can do, girls can do better”. Funke simple creates the relatable characters of Violetta, Molly and Anna and plops them into extraordinary circumstances. All three tales within, “The Princess Knight”, “Pirate Girl” and “The Wildest Brother” will have you cheering when your tot asks for a third reading, rather than the usual, “Um, I think that book had to go night, night.” – April Peveteaux   A Princess, A Pirate, and One Wild Brother (Scholastic, 2008) is available on Amazon.  Book of the Week appears every other Friday. Sometimes every Friday. We’re fickle like that.   Posted Apr 11 2008, 02:36 PM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: j.k. rowling, book of the week, kids books, adventures, A Pirate, young adult novels, A Princess, and One Wild Brother, Scholastic, Cornelia Funke

• Book of the Week: Knut

  Life was rough at Zoo Berlin for the two polar bear cubs born on December 5, 2006. Little Knut (pronounced K’-noot) and his brother were rejected by their mother and tragically the other cub died on day four. Enter Thomas Dörflein, the zookeeper that stayed with Knut around the clock and just like any new parent, made sure feedings and cuddling were frequent.   Knut quickly captured the world’s attention as the cute and furry face of global warming and extinction, so naturally the precocious six-year-old author of New York Times bestseller, Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship jumped on the story. Isabella Hatkoff (now nine) and her older sister Juliana penned this tale of environmental responsibility with their father and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlich of Zoo Berlin.   Thanks to Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World and those tragic broadcasts of polar bears eternally swimming. . . Read More... Posted Mar 28 2008, 10:30 AM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: germany, global warming, book of the week, knut, environmental responsibility, extinct, Isabella Hatkoff, Zoo Berlin, polar bear

• Book of the Week: Don't Bump the Glump!

  I picked up this first book of Shel Silverstein's poetry (which has been out of print for over 30 years) and I felt like I was getting a chance to reconnect with an old friend. This re-release of his 'bestiary' collection from 1964 lives again to give another generation of children the thrill of imagining a Quick-Digesting Gink sneaking up from behind: "Oops!" We've been caught by a Quick-Digesting Gink  And now we are dodging his teeth And now we are restin' In his small intestine, And now we're back out on the street. . . Read More... Posted Mar 21 2008, 10:30 AM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: book of the week, shel silverstein, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Don't Bump the Glump!

• Book of the Week: Can You Guess the Twist Ending?

  Let’s play a guessing game – I’m thinking of something that is round like a ball. Your guess is “ball,” right? You’re totally wrong. Round Like a Ball is an expanded version of this game, with each family member making a guess in response to clues, until the round object is revealed to be . . . (spoiler alert!) . . .  Read More... Posted Mar 14 2008, 10:00 AM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: children's books, books, books for children, earth day, book of the week, green, round like a ball

• Book of the Week: More Quirky Ducks for Your Kid's Library

  What is it with children’s book writers and quirky ducks? In the last few years, we’ve seen gay ducks, assembly-line ducks, political ducks, unwelcome-houseguest ducks, and feuding ducks, to name just a few. I suppose this tradition goes back as far as duck-in-drag Jemima Puddle-Duck and outsider-duck The Ugly Duckling, so we’ll probably be seeing those wacky ducks in our kids’ books for decades to come. With that in mind, here’s a brand new one that’s worth a look: The Duck Who Played Kazoo. Read More... Posted Feb 29 2008, 10:05 AM by editors with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children's books, books, books for children, book of the week, quirky ducks, the duck who played the kazoo

• Book of the Week: Creepy in a Good Way

  The press materials for The Girl In the Castle Inside the Museum predictably describe the book as “whimsical.” But there’s a dark side to whimsy, a Roald Dahl/Neil Gaiman/Tim Burton side that kids and adults alike are drawn towards. That’s what The Girl Inside... so effectively captures, thanks to Nicole Ceccoli’s incredible illustrations. Ceccoli is an Italian painter whose work often depicts haunting, vaguely menacing childlike worlds. Read More... Posted Feb 15 2008, 12:16 PM by editors with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children's books, books, books for children, book of the week, the girl in the castle inside the museum, nicoletta ceccoli

• Book of the Week: The "Zen Shorts" Sequel

  Zen Ties is Jon J. Muth’s eagerly awaited follow-up to Zen Shorts, the 2005 book about a giant panda who imparts Buddhist lessons to neighborhood children. Reading Zen Ties, I was happy to spend more time with Stillwater and meet his little panda nephew Koo. But I did find myself wishing that this second book was a little more like the first. Read More... Posted Feb 01 2008, 10:05 AM by editors with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children's books, books, books for children, book of the week, zen shorts, zen ties

• Book of the Week: Now with Talking Fetus!

  Okay, generally I find children's books about pregnancy vaguely creepy, in a pro-life-propaganda sort of way. We've gotten a bunch in the office these past few months, most of which show frighteningly happy little fetuses doing adorable things in the womb and it just seems wrong. But then this week, Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! showed up on my desk and I totally fell for it. Read More... Posted Jan 25 2008, 10:15 AM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: pregnancy, children's books, books, books for children, book of the week

• Book of the Week: When Randolph Turned Rotten

  Randolph is the beaver protagonist in When Randolph Turned Rotten (Knopf, 2007) who enjoys sneakily gnawing on seesaws and spending every day with his best friend Ivy, the Canadian goose. These two buddies are roommates in a big city apartment who play together, read together and eat together. But when the mail comes one day with good news for Ivy and bad for Randolph, it dramatically changes their dynamic.   Randolph didn’t mean to have his insides turn rotten and develop mad hands and mad feet, but when he wasn’t invited to the ‘All-Girl Sleepover Birthday Party’ he just felt so alone. And that’s when he decided it would be best to ensure Ivy didn’t have any fun either. . . Read More... Posted Jan 18 2008, 10:00 AM by editors with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children's books, books, book of the week, book, when randolph turned rotten

• Book of the Week: To-Do List by Maya Waldman

  Babble gets a lot of submissions of independently published children's books. Sadly, most of them are — how shall we put this delicately? — lacking.  So we were delighted when we received To-Do List (4N Publishing), an indie children's book that turns the tedious to-do list into something inspiring. Maya Waldman's ink drawings and simple text offer a clever twist on the counting book: she lists tasks for the reader, numbered 1-20, ranging from "make friends" to "speak pineapple" and "dance like an octopus." It's a fun, imaginative read, but as Levar Burton used to say, don't take our word for it — you can preview the whole book on the 4n website before you pick up a copy on Amazon. — Gwynne Watkins Posted Jan 10 2008, 02:15 PM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: books for children, childrens books, book of the week, book, 4N, to-do list, indie books, indie

• Book of the Week: Battle of the Princess Books

  It's practically a standard developmental phase for little girls: suddenly, she won't leave the house without a tiara and she insists on being addressed by her royal title. So this week, we'll look at two new books for your little princess: The Silk Princess by Charles Santore and Princess Baby by Karen Katz. We'll start with Princess Baby (Schwartz and Wade Books). Aimed at younger children —officially 4-8, we'd say 3-6 — this is a pink, sparkly ode to princessdom. It starts out well: the rosy-cheeked protagonist complains that no one ever calls her by her real name, then runs through an illustrated list of the names she doesn't like: buttercup, giggly goose, cupcake, little lamb, sweet gumdrop.  (The drawing of a disgruntled toddler dressed as a gumdrop? Priceless.)   Read More... Posted Jan 03 2008, 01:25 PM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: books for children, childrens books, book of the week, book, paper bag princess, princess baby, princess, silk princess

• Book of the Week: Best Holiday Books

  How the Grinch Stole Christmas: A 50th Anniversary Retrospective by Dr. Seuss   A Christmas book the whole family can truly enjoy, and not only because of its delightful Seussiness. Within the spine of How the Grinch Stole Christmas: A 50th Anniversary Retrospective (Random House, 2007) you will find 32 pages of commentary and archival images following the tale of Christmas in Who-ville. The fun and fancy extras include early drawings of Max and book covers in eight languages. Did you know in Iceland, the Grinch is known as Trölli? And that Dr. Seuss looks a little bit like Sam Waterston? Well now you do.     All Ages.   Buy it from Amazon. Read More... Posted Dec 13 2007, 12:01 PM by editors with | with no comments Filed under: Dr. Seuss, book of the week, The Night Before Christmas, Lemony Snicket, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming

• Book of the Week Special: Books You Can Play With

  Yes, we skipped Book of the Week last week. (Although we do have lots of suggestions in the Holiday Guide -- check it out.)  But to make up for it, we're going to give you five this week. Here's a review round-up of new books your kid can play with, as played with by Babble editors.  My Mommy's Tote by P.H. Hanson (Workman) The gimmick: An 'interactive book' modeled after a suburban mom's totebag, it's full of two-dimensional objects that can be lifted, removed and played with, i.e. key rings, a flip phone, a hankerchief and a functional wipe board. Our verdict: We were hopeful when we discovered that the book contained a laptop, a phone and a day planner. Go multitasking mommy! But what website is the laptop open to? Perfectmom.com, featuring '10,000 great cookie recipes.' Baking cookies, in fact, is a recurring theme throughout My Mommy's Tote. And there's a joke about the mom having too many shoes. Sigh. We're holding out for My Mommy's Briefcase. Get it for: Kids ages 3 and up whose moms bake cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. Read More... Posted Dec 06 2007, 10:15 AM by Gwynne Watkins with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: books for children, book of the week, my penguin osbert, how to be a spy, sleeping beauty ballet theater, books you can play with, sam mcbratney, you're all my favorites, my mommy's tote, interactive books

• Book of the Week: How Many?

  Pop up books never stop being fun and when you have a paper engineer on the job, expect nothing less than a minor miracle in book architecture, or bookitecture as we like to call it here at Babble.  How Many? Spectacular Paper Sculptures (Random House, 2007) by Ron Van Der Meer is not only a visual delight, but the questions posed on each page are designed to challenge your youngster’s deductive skills as well. The circles are mirrored, the stars are transparent and the lines wave back and forth as if rustling in the wind. But what will occupy a good amount of the day (or plane trip to Grandma’s) come when the reader is asked: Read More... Posted Nov 15 2007, 10:12 AM by aprilpeveteaux with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: books for children, book of the week, How Many?, pop up books

• Book of the Week: "Goodnight, Me" by Andrew Daddo

  When I visited the zoo with a friend this spring, she was totally delighted by her newborn's resemblance to the baby monkeys. At the time, I thought this was a little weird. But now I have to admit that there's something endearing about babies' monkey-like traits -- and that something is totally captured by Goodnight, Me (Bloomsbury 2007). The book, written by Andrew Daddo and illustrated by Emma Quay, follows the bedtime ritual of the world's cutest baby orangutan. Read More... Posted Nov 08 2007, 10:15 AM by Gwynne Watkins with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: book of the week, monkeys, emma quay, goodnight me, andrew daddo

• Book of the Week: We Belong Together

  Todd Parr’s children’s books have always promoted a message of love and acceptance of the non-traditional among us, while celebrating the strange and wonderful things that make each child, animal and adult special. Parr’s newest book, We Belong Together: A Book About Adoption and Families (Little, Brown, 2007) exemplifies his mission.  Just in time for National Adoption Month, We Belong Together illustrates, in bold primary colors, the many different types of blended families that come about through adoption and celebrates the pursuit of creating a loving home. Reading We Belong Together with your children is designed to empower by showing the value of even the littlest family member:   We belong together because . . . you needed someone to read to you and we had stories to share. Now we all have someone to make us laugh. Read More... Posted Nov 01 2007, 10:15 AM by aprilpeveteaux with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: adoption, children's books, book of the week, Todd Parr, National Adoption Month, We Belong Together

• Book of the Week: Four Legs Bad, Two Legs Good!

  D.B. Johnson likes to sneak classic literature into your child’s diet like food processed broccoli, and his new tale, Four Legs Bad, Two Legs Good! (Houghton Mifflin, 2007) is an ambitious exploration of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Amazingly, Johnson’s depiction of No-Man Farm won’t make you look over your shoulder when visiting the petting zoo, like the original did. In this children’s tale, Johnson introduces Farmer Orvie, the pig who is in charge and (also like in the original) taking advantage of his position. Read More... Posted Oct 18 2007, 12:18 PM by aprilpeveteaux with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: children's books, book of the week, Two Legs Good, Animal Farm, Four Legs Bad, DB Johnson

• Book of the Week: "Do Unto Otters" by Laurie Keller

  "A Book About Manners" may sound like a preachy subtitle, but let's get one thing straight: kids love books about manners. Books like Jane Yolen's How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? and the Maurice Sendak-illustrated What Do You Say, Dear? allow readers to revel in the characters' outlandish, hilariously rude behavior, all under the guise of learning to say "excuse me." Now we can add a new book to the pantheon: Laurie Keller's silly, slightly grotesque Do Unto Otters. Read More... Posted Oct 11 2007, 01:08 PM by Gwynne Watkins with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: books for children, manners, book of the week, jane yolen, laurie keller, maurice sendak, do unto otters

• Book of the Week: George and Martha

  Like Bert and Ernie, George and Martha are close companions with an ambiguous relationship: are they friends? are they lovers? I remember being confused about this as a kid, but I also remember that it didn't much matter: I was so devoted to the George and Martha books that I can still picture exactly where they were shelved in my childhood library. James Marshall first created these characters in 1971, while the film Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? played in the background...   Read More... Posted Oct 04 2007, 05:10 PM by Gwynne Watkins with | with no comments Filed under: books for children, book of the week, george and martha, james marshall

• Frighteningly Topical Book of the Week: Ziba Came on a Boat

  After reading the first lines of Ziba Came on a Boat (Kane/Miller 2007):   Ziba came on a boat. A soggy old fishing boat That creaked and moaned as it rose and fell, Rose and fell, across an endless sea…   You realize that this is not going to be a feel-good Swiss Family Robinson tale. Based on a true story, author Liz Lofthouse goes for the authentic in telling the story of a family displaced by war. Read More... Posted Sep 27 2007, 12:26 PM by aprilpeveteaux with | with no comments Filed under: book of the week, refugee camps, liz lofthouse, Ziba Came on a Boat

• Book of the Week: The Hound from the Pound

  If you’re longing for some nostalgia but want to hear a fresh story,  Jessica Swain and illustrator, Jill McElmurry deliver with The Hound from the Pound (Candlewick, 2007). The vibrant illustrations coupled with lyrical rhymes conjure up Olde English tales that will delight your child while maintaining your attention through multiple reads. In a quaint village we meet Mary, a single woman with a lovely home who decides adopting a dog is the answer to her lonely existence. Clever wording and whimsical rhymes come right out of the box with The Hound: The bedroom was cozy, the kitchen was clean, But the days were too dreary, too doggone routine.   So off Mary goes to the dog pound, where she falls in love with Blue, a basset hound who is prone to shoe-peeing and bathrobe-chewing. Read More... Posted Sep 20 2007, 10:15 AM by aprilpeveteaux with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: dogs, book of the week, The Hound from the Pound

• Book of the Week: Father Knows Less, or: "Can I Cook My Sister?"

  Like all parents of small verbal children, New York Times editor Wendell Jamieson was at the receiving end of a constant stream of baffling questions ("What is die?""Is a rainbow hot or cold?"). But rather than replying "Go ask your mother" -- or snapping like Woody Allen's dad in Hannah and Her Sisters ("How the hell do I know why there were Nazis? I don't know how the can opener works!") -- he used his journalistic prowess to track down the answers. The result is Father Knows Less (Putnam, September 2007), a combination memoir/Q&A collection that explores the nature and meaning of children's questions.   Read More... Posted Sep 13 2007, 10:15 AM by Gwynne Watkins with | with no comments Filed under: book of the week, parenting books, father knows less

• Book of the Week: The Magic Rabbit

  Annette LeBlanc Cate’s, “The Magic Rabbit” is the tale of two friends and magic act partners Bunny and Ray, who seem to have it all; an apartment in the city, a standing gig at the downtown square and a mutual love for movies and popcorn. That is, until one performance day when the Juggler’s Pug freaks out and chases Bunny away from the square and away from Ray. What follows is a bunny’s eye view of the hustle and bustle of a progressive liberal arts town square as he struggles to get around the shoes and traffic and back to Ray. Of course magic plays a role in Bunny and Ray’s reunion as Bunny follows a trail of glittering stars all the way to a train platform where Ray is forlornly waiting for the last train home. Read More... Posted Sep 06 2007, 10:15 AM by aprilpeveteaux with | with no comments Filed under: books, book of the week, annette leblanc cate, The Magic Rabbit, lost pet

• Book of the Week: Maisy Big, Maisy Small

  Maisy is back! Lucy Cousins’ mouse of primary colors is not involved in any specific (some might say mundane) activity this go round. She’s just here to teach your little one about opposites. In “Maisy Big, Maisy Small”, Maisy illustrates contrary states of being on each side of the spread. On the left page Maisy gets dressed up in spots; then stripes on the right! She bangs on vibrant colorful musical instruments for ‘Maisy Loud’ and sits with a book in the bottom corner of a white page for ‘Maisy Quiet’. Cousins even has the inside covers greeting us with ‘Maisy Hello’ and ‘Maisy Good-bye’.  Listen, I know this isn’t stimulating for adults, especially on the fifth recital before bedtime, but since Maisy’s target audience can’t even read, much less review the new book, some adult has to stand up and express the enthusiasm the pre-school set has for this consistently friendly, bright and happy mouse. Well, except of course when she is ‘Maisy Sad’, which would be right across from ‘Maisy Happy’. Cousins has perfected the simple lines and bold colors that are eye-catching and thrilling for your toddler and that’s why the youngest ones keep by-passing wordier, more adult-friendly kid books and picking up their pal, Maisy.  If you or your offspring can’t get enough of Maisy and are looking for more interactive fun, join the Maisy Fun Club! There are games to play, stories to read, and art to be created.    - April Peveteaux Posted Aug 30 2007, 10:15 AM by aprilpeveteaux with | with no comments Filed under: maisy, books, book of the week, lucy cousins

• Book of the Week: Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?

  Even if you don’t recognize Eric Carle by name, you’d know his illustrations in a second. Carle’s distinct style of artwork – hand-painted sheets of tissue paper, cut and collaged into animals and objects – has graced dozens of children’s books over the last forty years, notably The Very Hungry Caterpillar (which he also wrote).  This week, we get treated to a new Carle picture book: Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?, a follow-up to Carle’s two previous collaborations with author Bill Martin, Jr.   Baby Bear is a simple and gently repetitive book; each page collages a North American animal against a stark white background, with text that follows this pattern: Read More... Posted Aug 23 2007, 10:15 AM by Gwynne Watkins with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: books, eric carle, baby bear, book of the week