It’s a Countdown to Ivy and Bean Day Blog-A-Bration!

October 13th is the 1st Annual International Ivy and Bean Day! That’s the day that bookstores and libraries around the world will be celebrating the launch of the 9th book in the New York Times bestselling series: Ivy and Bean Make the Rules. As part of the celebration, we’ll give away a paperback copy of each of the first eight books—one each week—beginning with the first book in the series, Ivy + Bean. But that’s not all!

London Calling: Gold Medal-Worthy British Media

I can hardly believe the Olympics are almost over. If you’ve been following the games, I’ll bet you’re yearning to visit (or revisit) the United Kingdom. I know I am! But with a tiny bit of effort, you can surround yourself with media that will transport you to the land of Dickens, Shakespeare, the Spice Girls, and Lily Rose Cooper; and you won’t have to wait in line at airport security.

Let the Games Begin: We're Part of the Ultimate Summer Giveaway

Welcome to the Ultimate Summer Giveaway! Like a Bump on a Blog and our wonderful sponsors have teamed up to bring you some amazing prizes for 2 lucky winners. $225 PayPal Cash is the grand prize awarded to the first winner.

Stick With This App: “Caillou Stickers!”

If you’ve visited this site before, you know I love media that invites kids to become storytellers. Whether it’s a wordless picture book or app based on popular classic games like Fuzzy Felt or Colorforms, this type of media can stimulate the imagination as it encourages children to “talk through” a narrative.

This Dog Can’t Hunt, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days”

The Wimpy Kid bunch is back for another go at milking the cash cow, er, I mean the bunch is back with another pre-tween/full-on tween “comedy.” David Bowers has got to be the laziest director on the planet. It’s not that this film is really bad. (Bad might be interesting.) It’s just so mediocre: the story, the acting, the shooting, the jokes—you name it. “Good enough” seems, well, good enough for Bowers.

Go For the Gold! And Silver.

For that matter, go for the “Recommended” and “Approved” as well. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to check out the “Fun Stuff.” We’re talking the Parents’ Choice Awards and those are the five honors they bestow. It may not sound like they’re gushing, but it takes a lot for a book to gain the distinction of being “Approved” by Parents’ Choice. In honor of the Olympics, the following is a round-up of the media that were honored with the Spring 2012 “Fun Stuff” award, because we’ve all been working very hard and have earned a bit of fun. Enjoy!

Talking to Your Child About the Aurora Tragedy

The unthinkable happened in Aurora, Colorado, in the early morning hours of July 20. This is a tragedy that may have hit closer to home for children, as it involved a movie (The Dark Knight Rises) that many of them planned to see. It’s a movie based on a beloved comic-book character, one devoted to stopping the sort of madness that took place in real life. (“No guns,” Batman says to Catwoman in the film. Indeed, the superhero swore off firearms in the comic books in 1939.)