Mom and baby product reviews on The Mommy Insider

My Name Is Chicken Joe (Book/CD Set)

Madelyn turned 3 this weekend and her favorite gifts were books.  She loves books.  One of her favorite books right now is My Name is Chicken Joe.   We read it every night.  The story is about a cat named Chicken Joe and other animals whose names don't quite fit.  Featuring whimsical illustrations and an easy to remember 'chorus', it's nearly impossible for me to not to start singing the story.

My Name is Chicken Joe is a book/cd set and is a fun book for beginning readers and equally as fun for toddlers being read to.  Both of my kids love the 11-song CD which I consider to be a mashup of folk, rock, and country style music. This CD will be one that we listen to on our road trips this summer.  Trout Fishing in America has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, Parents Choice Gold, American Library Awards, and others.  Trout Fishing in America have earned widespread critical praise from USA Today, Billboard and The Los Angeles Times.

You can buy the My Name is Chicken Joe book/cd set on the Trout Fishing in America website here.

Enjoy!

Leslie Patricelli - super cute books

Leslie has such a fun personal story. She may not think so, she probably thinks she has a normal life.. don't we all?  The first line of her Bio on her web site is "I  live in the mountain town of Ketchum, Idaho".  There's something about me saying I live in Marietta, GA that doesn't sound quite as exciting as 'the mountain town of Ketchum, Idaho'.   She goes on to tell readers that her favorite food is Spaghetti and that she's had several jobs including being a ski instructor, a nanny, and an animator.  You can tell from her Bio that she is fun, silly, and loves to write for kids.

Leslie's books are fun and simple making them a top pick for Madelyn.  She wants to read Leslie's books over and over again. What I love about her books is that they leave room for imagination.  Like when Madelyn and I read "Higher! Higher!", there aren't many words on each page which makes it fun for Madelyn and I to make up our own mini-stories for each page.  For example, in Higher! Higher!, the little girl swings in the clouds.  Madelyn and I talk about who is on the airplane in the illustration, what they're doing and other silly stuff.  We have a lot of fun with Leslie's books.

You can see Leslie Patricelli's collection of books on her website and there are fun games to play and coloring sheets on her site too.  Enjoy!

 

YouTube: An Insider's Guide to Climbing the Charts (from a mom's point of view)

I usually don't feature technical books or books related to business or the Internet but I think you might enjoy this book if you read it from a mom's point of view and go into it knowing that you are reading the book from a different prespective than most other readers of this book. 
I know a lot of moms who upload videos of their kids to YouTube to share with their friends, family, and the world.  Moms are very proud of their kids and yes, we want to show the world that our two year old can do five cart wheels in ten seconds, or mow the lawn. (Just kidding)

You'll learn about:

• Storytelling and directing
• Shooting, editing, and rendering
• Creating your very own channel
• Cultivating a devoted audience (moms love watching cute baby videos!)
• Fitting into the YouTube community
• Becoming a success story - Who knows, your baby may become a star!

You can buy YouTube: An Insider's Guide to Climbing the Charts at Amazon.com.

Book & CD review: A Duck in New York City

This is one book that I have to read to Madelyn every night lately.   We even b ring it on trips because it's such a part of her bedtime routine. 
A Duck in New York City is about a little prairie duck who follows his dream to dance on Broadway.  His prairie duck friends think he's being unrealistic but he takes off for New York anyway.  He flies and flies all the while saying "Yes, you can" to motivate himself to get to N.Y.C. 
Luckily, a truck-driver named Big Betty comes along, offers him a ride , and gives him that extra little boost he needs to fulfill his dream!  The little prairie duck takes advantage of his time at rest stops to practice and show off his dancing skills which pays off in the end.  You'll have to read the book to learn what happens!

"Yes, you can" is repeated throughout the book and is a catchy line making it easy for preschoolers to remember and recite with you while reading the book.  Madelyn has become very good at saying this line right when we get to it every time.

A Duck in New York City comes with a CD and the second part of the book includes the lyrics for the songs on the CD.  Songs include Slug Opera, Alligator Waltz, and Seed in the Ground.  My kids love listening to this CD in the car.  There is also a PDF file on the CD with the lyrics in French and English.

Learn more and buy A Duck in New York City here. .

Danika's Totally Terrible Toss: The Legend of the Purple Flurp

This book is part of the Secret Keeper Girl book series.  If you have a tween girl or know one, this is the perfect book to add to her collection.  The Legend of the Purple Flurp is a book about a 12 year old girl, Danika who gets in trouble for accidentally tossing 'purple flurp' at the lunch lady.  Consequently Danika gets into trouble which puts a major kink in her plans of winning the title of Miss Teeny Pop at Marion, Ohio’s Annual Popcorn Festival. 
Although the incident is an unfortunate accident Danika is given detention and meets three girls who help her gain new insight into what life is about.  Before accidentally throwing purple flurp (you have to read the book to learn what it is!) at a lunch lady Danika had the mindset that life was about what she had rather than who she is.  You know... fancy clothes, a big house, nice cars, all that stuff.

Danika's Totally Terrible Toss: The Legend of the Purple Flurp is full of humor, real life situations, and activities for moms and daughters to do together.  The book is addictive.  I read it with my nine year old the first day I got it for review and he actually read it in bed that night!  Don't tell!!  We made sure to read the book in such a way that it didn't seem so girly and he wouldn't feel like he was reading a girly book.  I told him not to mind the pink cover. 

The Secret Keeper Girl series of books opens a door for moms and daughters to communicate about situations that tween girls go through.  There are currently three books in the Secret Keeper Girl series and are available individually or in bundles.

You will find Danika's Totally Terrible Toss (Secret Keeper Girl) at Amazon.com for about $10.

Precious Girls Club: Review and Giveaway

Looking for the giveaway? Enter to win a Precious Girls' Club goodie bag here!

Created by Precious Moments, the Precious Girls' A Little Bit of Faith (Precious Girls' Club) book and and club is for girls from about ages 9-12 and are fun stories and learning tools for young girls.

A Little Bit of Faith is a book about a girl who tries to start a club after she moves to a new town and a new school.  She has a hard time because she is the new girl in school and the kids don't know her yet.  Katie discovers that a little bit of faith can help her overcome big challenges.

A few things I really enjoyed about the book are:

• The short chapters make it easy to break into realistic segments whether daily, or before and then again after dinner.
• The many pictures which keep young reader's interest.
• The questions asked in the story are those that reader's want to answer.
• The fact that young girls that relate to the story.

About the Precious Girls' Club:

• The website is a safe, wholesome environment created for young girls.
• Precious Girls Club members create their own characters, decorate their rooms, explore the town, socialize, play games and even shop "virtually" using the points they earn on the site.
• The games reinforce virtues such as helpfulness, kindness, responsibility, loving and caring. In addition to points, many activities award "virtual" virtue charms.

We have two Precious Girls Club goodie bag sacks to give away! Each goodie bag sack includes bracelets, books, stickers and some other stuff, great for girls 6-12 years old.

Leave a comment below having something to do with the book, club website or a girls' club you or your daughter were/are a part of.

Nana Star books and poseable doll

Nana Star is a beautifully illustrated book for kids ages 3+. 
Madelyn, 2 years old, loves to read this book at bedtime and must have her Nana Star doll with her when we read the book.  I'm sorry to say that there have been times when I couldn't read the book because Nana Star was enjoying a  'hiding spot' somewhere else in the house and didn't want to come out.  Anyway..

Nana Star comes with a CD containing an enchantin g audio version of the story and the sing-a-long Nana Star Song.   The CD is great for long car rides.  It doesn't seem to get old no matter how many times it loops during a trip.

The poseable Nana Star doll is intricately crafted and comes with her own baby star to take care of.   Nana Star is not too tiny and not to big.  Just right for snuggling with and taking in the car.

Cost: Prices vary depending on book or doll purchased.

You can buy the Nana Star books and poseable doll at NanaStar.com.

First LEGO League book

I was into LEGO's when I was a kid.. big time.   My sister and I had the LEGO space station, lots of house making LEGO's, flowers, and tons of LEGO people.  When I saw the book FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide I was quickly drawn in.  I wanted to find out all about the first LEGO League competition, who started it, how to start a league and who participates.  I learned that are more.  Though it's a bit on the technical side, both parents and older kids will learn a lot and walk away inspired to build the best LEGO contraption ever.

This book is the go-to source for coaches, teachers, parents, and students participating in the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competition. Written for both rookie and experienced teams, the book covers a variety of topics, including team formation and organization, robot building and programming, and the basics of getting involved with FLL. Filled with practical advice and real building and programming examples, as well as candid commentary from veteran teams, this is the book that your team needs whether you're just starting out or have been competing (and winning) for years.

Price: $20

FIRST LEGO League: The Unofficial Guide is available to buy at Amazon.

Mo Smells Red - a scentsational journey

Did you ever think you could smell color with your nose?  I didn't but I've been given a new appreciation for smells since reading Mo Smells Red.  Mo Smells Red is a cute story about a dog, Mo, who goes on a scentsational journey and takes readers with him.  Throughout the book Mo enjoys the smell of red roses, juicy red strawberries, chocolate, and fire.  Readers can actually smell what Mo smells through the Press-2-Smell technology.  Embedded within the pages of the book are scent-dispensing packets good for thousands of “sniffs” containing safe, non-toxic scents that truly mimic real life smells.

Both you and your child will enjoy the story about Mo, an adorable little dog, and the real life smells are sure to leave you craving a juicy red strawberry, a walk through a rose garden, a piece of chocolate.. or maybe all three.  The book is short and sweet making it perfect for kids two years and older.  My daughter is two years old and wants to read Mo Smells Red every time she sees it.  The concept is fascinating.   I thought surely after reading the book a few times, the smell of the roses would combine with the smell of the strawberries and so on, but that's not the case.  Each smell stays true to what it is and will for thousands of sniffs.

The embedded scent pouches contain natural essential oils and the pages are printed on 10% post-consumer paper stock and printed with soy-based inks.  A portion of the proceeds will go to Best Friends Animal Society (www.BestFriends.org) and support their initiatives to work with humane groups across the country — to bring about a time when there are no more homeless pets.

You will also find baby tee's, tote bags, stickers, notebooks and more in the Mo's Nose store.  Mo Smells Red will make a gift for a child ages 2+.  Even tweens enjoy Mo Smells Red because cute story and fun scents.  Mo Smells Red is the first installment in the Mo's Nose series of books created by long time friends Margaret Hyde and Amanda Giacomini.  I can't wait to see what the next installment is!

Price: $17.95

Available at: Mo's Nose

Giveaway alert! We have two Mo Smells Red books and tee's to give away.  Join our newsletter to learn how and when you can enter to win.

The Busy Body Book personal family grid organizer

It took me about six years to realize that I needed to have one calendar where Tim and I could see each other's schedule for the month.  I had to ask Tim if he could take Sebastian to Cub Scouts or baseball and was disappointed when he said 'no' because he had to work.  Between Cub Scouts, doctor's appointments, dentist appointments, visits to Grandmother's house, and Tim's work schedule, we never knew who was able to attend what event, or appointment.  Then I was introduced to the Busy Body Book which has helped me tremendously.  With the Busy Body Book, Tim and I can see what everyone has planned, who is able to take the kids where, and where our schedules overlap, and plan accordingly.

I started using BBB about two years ago and won't going back to using 'traditional' calendar.  The Busy Body Book is a grid organizer that allows up to five different family members to have their own column in which their schedule can be writen.  In my case, I have a column for my personal appointments, one for work, one for Tim's work schedule, one for Sebastian, one for Madelyn, and one for family events and appointments.   Each page covers one week from Monday to Sunday. 

Adjacent to each weekly grid page is a To Doodles page.  Half of the page is blank and the other half is a checklist area.  There are two pockets, one in the inner front and one in the inner back of the organizer.  There are twenty one perforated To Do lists that are perfect for grocery lists and for listing questions you want to ask the pediatrician during your next visit.  You don't have to worry about something happening to your Busy Body Book when it is in your handbag or diaper bag because it has a plastic cover which helps keep the pages from tearing and getting wet, both of which are likely to happen to anything in your bag not covered in plastic.

I am so glad I have a Busy Body Book.  I hated having to ask Tim what his schedule for the week was and what appointments he could go to.  He gets a full month schedule at a time so I am able to fill in my Busy Body Book once a month and plan appointments accordingly which relieves a lot of stress.  If you have more than one school age child, I know you will love the Busy Body Book.  It will definitely help keep you organized.

Website: Busy Body Book