Super-Safe Color Viewers

Title: Super-Safe Color Viewers
Author: N/A
Publish Date: N/A
Publisher: N/A
Pages: N/A
Item Number: DD657 (Lakeshore Learning)

Price: $19.95
Classification: Toy
Age Range: infant - kindergarten / 6 mos. - 5 yrs.

Annotation: This exploratory fun toy that is safe and durable allows baby to grip and view the world in a variety of colors.

Evaluation: Super easy to hold, shatterproof and safe, this toy is a wonderful tool for education, developmentally appropriate play and exploration for baby and parent!

Link to Product: http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/seo/ca|searchResults~~p|DD657~~.jsp

Planting A Rainbow (Lap Sized Board Book)

Title: Planting a Rainbow
Author: Lois Elhert
Publish Date: March 1, 2008
Publisher: HMH Books
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0152063048

Price: $11.99
Classification: Board Book
Genre: Nursery/Picture Book

Annotation: Enter a rainbow of color as you learn to plant a garden and watch how it grows.

Evaluation: This book is a wonderful (dare I say instant classic...), introduction to non-fiction and concepts stylized in a way that is bright and vivid and developmentally appropriate. It encourages both a relationship and awareness of nature, as well as, a family bond. This is also a wonderful book to tie in with exploratory art and color play!

Colorpillar Sorting Mat

Title: Colorpillar Sorting Mat

Author: Lakeshore Learning

Price: $39.99

Product Number: JJ766

Age Range: Infant to age 3

Annotation: Matching colors is fun with this sorting mat shaped like a caterpillar!

Evaluation: The pieces included in this sorting mat are not only fun and colorful but they are safe for baby. Simple yet, unique, babies and parents alike will love to get down on the floor and play!

Then after play, move the pieces aside and read The Very Hungary Caterpillar! The ideas are endless, although the toy itself is kind of pricey.

Link to Product: Click Here

Giant Soft Building Blocks

Title: Giant Soft Building Blocks

Author: Lakeshore Learning

Product Number: GB619

Price: $129.00

Age Range for Toy: 9 Months-6 Years

Annotation: Building "sky high" soft mounds of fun with these super safe, giant building blocks.

Evaluation: It never fails, building blocks are always a hit with kids. But, with younger kids jumbo size blocks are better for motor skills but they are still hard and sometimes dangerous. These blocks are developmentally appropriate in more then one way. The Largest block is just over 11 inches. The only draw back is they are extremely expensive. A great reason to find a library and join their "Family Place" program. There are sure to be some soft giant blocks in that workshop!

Link to Product: Here

Find a Family Place Library: http://www.familyplacelibraries.org/

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See + CD

Title: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See + CD

Author: Bill Martin and Eric Carle

Price: $9.99

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners; Pap/Com edition

Publisher Date: August 4, 2009

ISBN: 1427207267

Classification: Picture Book and AudioBook

Annotation: Brown Bear...what do you see? A book full of colors and rhythm and animals...see?

Evaluation: Enthusiastically colored pictures side by side with children's favorite animals make this story about looking and learning colors also a calming pulse of rhythm that will soothe as well as entertain. Sure to be a favorite. And with the CD to listen too, children will be able to get lost in the colors!

Author Website: http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html

Shapes Discovery Boxes

Title: Shapes Discovery Boxes

Product Number: GG487

Price: $49.95

Age Group: Infant - Preschool / 9 mos. - 3 yrs.

Annotation: Concepts like shapes and colors are prettily packaged in a fun toy that encourage family play as well as independent play.

Evaluation: The colorful boxes are about five inches tall and packed with color coordinated items (and some familiar one too-like faux crayons, waffles, or wheels). Developmentally, babies and toddlers explore everything from color and shaped recognition, to putting things in and out of boxes, opening and shutting, and much much more. Creativity and exploration take over in this wonderful (and safe) learning toy! The outside is a washable vinyl and all together there are 16 pieces.

Link to Item on Lakeshore Learning: Here

Alice and Greta

Title: Alice and Greta

Author: Steven J. Simmons and Cyd Moore

Pages: 32

Price: $7.95 (Paperback)

Publisher: Charlesbridge+ Publishing

Publisher Date: July 1999

ISBN: 0881069760

Classification: Picture Books

Annotation: Whatever you do comes back to you?

While good witch Alice uses her powers for good, Greta, bad witch and sister to Alice, uses her powers for quite the opposite. In this colorful and cool fairy tale of good witch bad witch, Greta must learn "the brewmerang principle": that whatever you "brew" comes back to you.

Evaluation: I absolutely love this book. It is one of my all time favorites. I love to read it aloud (it's best for 3, 4, or above in age). A wonderful tale about doing good in a classic good witch bad witch genre. Kids are mesmerized by the vidiv colors and root for the witches and their antics. This book and it's series of titles are all ripe to be re-found as a special title in children's literature. The illustrations are phenomenal.

Illustrator Website: http://www.cydmoore.com/books_colormagic.html

Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Stories - DVD

• Title: Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Stories
• Author: Eric Carle
• Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Disney
• Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• • Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• DVD Release Date: January 3, 2006
• Run Time: 32 minutes
• ASIN: B000BMGEJI
• 
  
• Annotation: Join The Hungry Caterpillar and other amazing eric Carle stories as they are animated and brought to life by Disney DVD.
• Evaluation: This is one of my favorite children's DVDs. I get so much use out of it and love the stories that are included in it! Included are THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR, THE MIXED-UP CHAMELEON, THE VERY QUIET CRICKET, and my personal favorite PAPA, PLEASE GET THE MOON FOR ME (although for this one I recommend picking up the board book and reading it too, because it is a special little chubby book with lift up surprises). The sepcial thing about Eric Carle is his artwork and seeing it come to life is a cool thing. This video manages to maintain the artwork's integrity which is not always easy to do. Watches more like a read aloud book then a TV show.

Eric Carle Website: http://www.eric-carle.com/home.html

First Art: Art explorations for Toddlers and Twos

Title: First Art: Art explorations for Toddlers and Twos

Author: MaryAnn F. Kohl

Price: $14.95

ISBN: 0876592221

Publisher: Gryphon House

Publishing Date: 2002

Genre: Parenting and Activities

Subject: Art

Annotation: An easy to use guide for parents in first art activities and exploration for toddlers and two year olds. It's the process not the product!

Evaluation: Many parents think of art as a talent, special for those older children that show an interest. With this book, directed to the early years, redefines that notion. “It’s the process not the product” say this book of art explorations perfect for the little one. It explains the idea behind art for little ones, as well as how to use the book and how to set up for projects. It also illustrates how to do the projects and has some color picture examples. A fun and inspirational book for parents with great activities anyone can do with their little ones!