Picture Books We Love: “Little Bird” and “The Night Riders”

Two magnificent new picture books (one in release; the other soon to be released) tell their stories with pictures in a way that can coax the storyteller out of your child. As both books tell their stories almost entirely in visuals, they offer a perfect opportunity to encourage your child to narrate the stories.

“SQUIDS Wild West” Really Grabbed Me!

Mobile Games We Love
I have to confess right up front, I haven’t really been into the elaborate gaming end of apps, but after playing SQUIDS Wild West by The Game Bakers, I understand why games have bested motion pictures when it comes to grabbing people’s attention and time.

A New Definition of “Brave”

Pixar's Thirteenth Animated Feature - 2012
If you’re alive in the United States right now, you’re aware that Disney/Pixar has released a new film called Brave and it’s already a hit. I saw my first promo for this film last fall. Sometimes my 3 ½ year old’s speech is difficult to understand, but she could say (and demand) Brave clear as a bell. Why were we not first in line on opening day? Well, just so happens the opening coincides with my family vacation. We were driving to the beach on Friday. A tepid review in The New York Times pulled me up short. Would Brave be worth the wait?

Apps We Love: Marble Math and Marble Math Jr. by Artgig

I haven’t seen an app that makes better use of the tilting function of iPhone and iPad than Marble Math by Artgig Apps. The app turns your device into a maze. The object of the game is to navigate a marble through the maze by tilting your device. And it works great!

Spend More Time With Rubbish Books!

You heard me right. You owe it to yourself to take a good long look at (more precisely) RubbishBooks. It’s the one-year-old brain-child of Matt Ryan, self-described writer/illustrator/animator/developer/and “whatever else.” RubbishBooks is a series of short stories for children featuring his monster characters Patrick, Kevin, and Arty, as well as a host of supporting characters like Dr. Toast (a slice of toast with a medical degree, naturally).

TV Series We Love: “Timmy Time” by Aardman Animations

Timmy’s a little lamb with (according to his creators) a lot to learn. Good thing he’s in preschool. This clay-animated marvel may be the most adorable depiction of a preschool to date. Timmy Time is a spin off from Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep series, itself a spin off from the short film, Wallace and Gromit: A Close Shave.

Learning Toys We Love: Switch & Go Dinos by VTech

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of VTechKids for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sliver the T-Rex and Horns the Triceratops
The moment you turn on one of VTech’s Switch & Go Dinos, the toy demands respect—literally. These are talking toys and Sliver the T-Rex shouted, “Obey your king,” and “Fear me!” as Horns the Triceratops told us to “Stay strong!” There’s a bit of good-natured, even hilarious junior “trash talk” with the Switch and Go Dinos that adds to the fun.