You have probably seen the Good Night Our World series in all kinds of places from libraries to airports. Each board book celebrates a certain area or topic such as Denver, Montreal, California, the Beach or the Farm.  But Good Night World, the latest book in the series allows toddlers and preschoolers to travel the planet just before they’re tucked into their own cozy beds for the night.  As if mountains, dinosaur digs, and volcanoes aren’t enough to stimulate the curiosity of any child, this board book introduces children to camel rides in the desert, kayaking on the Arctic and a quick tour of the Great Wall of China.

New and exciting vocabulary words are just a page away, and new concepts like protecting wetlands, cleaning up beaches, and conserving water and electricity are presented in rhyming words and colorful illustrations little kids can understand. The book ends with that wonder of all wonders, gazing at the stars above.

This Spanish program has won awards galore!  And it’s no wonder.  Whistlefritz, which produces The Spanish for Beginners series is irresistible.  I watched Adentro y Afuera (Inside & Out) with my daughter and twenty-two-month-old grandson.  He had a one word response, “more” which I’m sure he will be saying in Spanish soon!  And my daughter wanted to borrow the video until she could purchase it.

The DVD features a proven Spanish immersion technique.  It engages children immediately with teacher Maria, an adorable group of children, and Fritzi the mouse.   We learn all around the house and if that’s not enough fun, we go outside for picnics, playground adventures, and hide and seek!  While children watch, they are learning Spanish in a hands-on way that is meaningful in their world.   Whistlefritz is a great Spanish immersion program for individual families, but it’s also perfect for preschools, schools, and other child care programs.   Check out the website: whistlefritz.com to order and to learn more about their other products.

I think the internet has reinvented the world of philanthropy.  I like hands-on volunteering in organizations around town, but that’s limited because of that pesky 24-hours-in-a-day universal truth.  This book, How To Be An Everyday Philanthropist, by Nicole Bouchard Boles is so packed with ideas of how you can make a difference that you’ll want to share it with everyone you know!  You don’t have to add hours to your busy day or be wealthy.

A few examples:  By simply clicking through on websites like HungryChildren.com, The ChildHealthSite.com, or Care2.com, advertisers donate money.  There, I just did it!  It was easy, I helped someone, and I haven’t even finished my cup of tea.

Or how about sending an old pair of eyeglases to neweyesfortheneedy.org or sending a card to our troops overseas at ourmilitary.mil.  Want to get your hands dirty?  Check out guerillagardening.org.  Provide free reading service for the blind and visually impaired through Read This to Me (readthistome.org).

After looking through this book, one review will simply not do.  I’ve decided to feature it in an upcoming issue of Parent Pages newsletter.  That way I’ll have room for more examples, and maybe thousands will find out about the book, read it, and pass it on!

Mother Teresa once said, “We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”  Now that’s empowering!  Happy New Year!

Parents have a real desire to introduce their children to different cultures and this CD from the Baby Einstein Company ties us all together with music from Africa to Australia.  And, of course, it’s not just for babies––older children and parents are sure to appreciate the global sounds from seven continents.  You’ll be glad you added Baby Einstein:  World Music to your collection.

A preview of songs:  African Savanna Morning(references melody Are You Sleeping/), Eagle Song (Hopi Tribe)/Billy Boy–A North American Medley, Contradance 9, Beethoven, Alouette (vocal in French), Kogame, Kogame (vocal in Japanese, Shoo Fly (vocal in English), Rainstick Joe–Australia, Trepak, Tchaikovsky, Jasmine Flower, China. There are twenty selection in all on this CD.

Every once in a while I want to own a preschool and kindergarten again just so I can buy neat toys and stuff.  There were over one thousand exhibitors at the latest National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)  conference in Washington D.C.  I walked for hours up and down the aisles.  And just as I was going into a trance-like state because I was overloaded, I saw a tree house made of pieces of wood that looked like tree trunks and branches.  I stopped dead in my tracks.  This exhibit was amazing and there were lots of people hanging around too!  Besides block sets there are little wooden cars with the bark still on them and playground sets, tables and chairs, and adorable little fairy like creatures (Branch Family) that apparently abide in the tree houses, drive the cars and sit on the furniture.

The company is called Tree Blocks, www.treeblocks.com and their  e-mail is  elves@treeblocks.com. They were one of the first US companies to offer toys made almost entirely from reclaimed, recycled and sustainably harvested wood.  I no longer have a preschool,  but I have a grandson.  He’s going to be very lucky when Christmas rolls around!   By the way, if you check out this web site, I would really appreciate it if you told them you saw this blog @parentpagesnews.com.  Thanks so much!

During this holiday season, you can buy a gift (very affordable) and help the planet at the same time!

• You can join a brigade and suggest uses for products such as Cliff Bar wrappers and a wide variety of other things.
•  You can collect items and get money donated to charities.  Terracycle sends you the bags for collecting, and they pay the postage!
•  You can buy things made from the recycled materials such as pencil bags, clocks, flowerpots, coasters, kites,  pencils, and many other items.

You and your children can collect on your own or child care programs, schools, and other organizations can get in on the act.  This win-win activity feels like a treasure hunt to children, gives families something to do together, and makes everyone realize they can make a difference!

Oh no, B.B. King’s shoe is missing!   And almost everyone can relate to that! Sandra Boynton’s new book, song, and short movie is a rockin’ good time starring the legendary B.B. King, his guitar, Lucille, and a talented cast of sock puppets.  While everyone is busy belting out the blues about the lost shoe, Momsock is busy trying to help the King of Blues think where he left it.  In the closet, under the bed?  Of course, he finally spots it, but we knew where it was all along, and that’s what tickles our funny bones!  I reviewed this book and CD with my grandson, Coen, (he’s 21 months old) and he couldn’t take his eyes off this soulful group.

I just finished reading My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus:  Raising Children Who Love to Eat EVERYTHING, by Nancy Tringali Piho.   I’ve written my share of articles on good nutrition and picky eaters so I wasn’t so keen on opening this book, but I’m very glad I did.  The book is informative not preachy, and Piho ends every section with “What I’ve Learned.”  She covers lots of topics from parental attitudes to the battle-of-wills encountered in many families over food issues.  She says “The concept of ‘flavor’ can be taught.”  And she believes that many “kid friendly” foods “dumb-down” childrens abilities to appreciate flavorful food.  The book compares jarred baby food with homemade, and she talks about recent studies that recommend presenting a new food to children numerous times, not just once or twice.  Piho also presents suggestions from top chefs, who are also parents,  on how to get children to become adventuresome eaters.  Now that I’ve finished the book, I’m hoping to pass on “What I’ve Learned.”

This book by Kevin Henkes has been around for a while, but I still laugh out loud when I read it.  Lilly loves school, fish sticks at lunch, and pointy pencils.  And she really loves Mr. Slinger, her cool teacher. But she has a bit of difficulty waiting for the appropriate time to share all of the things stashed in her purple plastic purse, like movie star sunglasses, and shiny quarters.  Lilly breaks a rule, finds herself in trouble, does a couple of mean things, and ends up putting herself in “the uncooperative chair” when she gets home from school.

This is a great read anytime, but at the beginning of school, it’s powerful.  Lilly is the child in all of us, and we all have difficult days.   But despite her faults, I’d love to have a classroom full of Lillys.

Book Review: Becoming The Parent You Want To Be, by Laura Davis  & Janis Keyser.
I keep trying to find a book I like better than this one for parents, but it never happens, and it’s been a number of years, now.  What a combination of authors––Laura Davis, a parent and stepparent and the author of best-selling books on healing, and Jane Keyser a mother and stepmother and (wonder of wonders) an early childhood teacher.
The book is developmentally appropriate throughout––a major consideration that often trips up the best and brightest authors.  Parents and professionals will find this book very helpful as they step forward on the incredible developmental journey with children!