Candlewick Press Scares Up Some Fun

There is nothing like fall in Virginia to me. That's saying something too, considering the fact that I am a born and raised New Englander. When Candlewick Press sent my family a trio of new Halloween children's books I could hardly wait to crack them open.

'Where's My Mummy' ($7.99) by Carolyn Crimi is a sweet, non-scary book that will delight your tiny ghost or goblin this season. My daughter is typically afraid of many things. Be it, Ursula the Sea Witch or a particularly hairy spider she hides under the covers and squeals. I thought this book would illicit some of the same results but I was wrong. She loves this book and it's creepy but cute illustrations. She wants it read to her over and over again each story time. Geared for ages 4-7 the story of Little Baby Mummy is friendly, gentle and beautifully illustrated by John Manders.

'And Then Comes Halloween' by Tom Brenner and illustrated by Holly Meade is another book for children ages four to seven. Filled with 32-pages of bright autumnal drawings it is a beautiful, glossy tribute to fall and Halloween. Kids will love the lyrical journey it takes them on as the children in the book get ready for a night of trick or treating. This book ($16.99) is all about the anticipation and excitement leading up to the big night and one that is familiar in our house and probably yours as well.

'Trick or Treat?' by Melanie Walsh ($6.99) makes is a great way to introduce Halloween and all its sweet elements to the preschool set. This novelty board book is page after page of peek-a-boo flaps that are only slightly scary. It's all about where the bat is, what the spider is doing and what is rattling in that closet. Both my girls love looking this book over and seeing what surprises are behind each flap. It makes a great gift for the little pumpkin in your life.

MPR Rating: Five Stars.

Leapfrog's Tag Junior

We are big fans of Leapfrog's Tag Reading System in our house so when we were asked to test out the new Tag Junior. we were very excited. Products that are geared towards literacy always score points in my book. The Tag Reading System has become a favorite toy in our house. There is nothing else that can make my daughter stay still for so long than a pile of books and her Tag Reader.

The Tag Junior ($34.99) is geared towards the 2-4 year old set and is even easier to use than the Tag with a pen. The chunky hand device is simple in concept and for tiny hands to operate. All a kid has to do is stamp the device onto a page and it works its magic. A section of text is read aloud along with songs and sound effects that are hidden in the pictures. The board books ($10.99 each) are another asset to this device as they are smaller, more durable and easier to hold on to or stand up versus the Tag's paper books.

Included with the Tag Junior (also comes in purple) is the beginner book, "If I Were..." which has 16 activities and over 70 audio responses. When I handed over the Junior to my three year-old she immediately grabbed the concept and got down to reading. The theme with the Junior is colors, letters, social play and numbers. Characters such as Dora, Curious George, Dr. Seuss and Winnie-the-Pooh feature prominently in the Tag Junior collection.

Like the original Tag the Leapfrog Learning Path, a free online resource, allows parents to see just what skills their children are learning. The books are easily downloadable as well. The price is affordable and the Leapfrog website is wonderful for kids and parents as well.

What I noticed is that while the Tag Junior is great for kids in the preschool set and I love the board books after having already become users of the original Tag my daughter just did not want to use the Tag Junior as much. She liked the books but prefers the pen. However, if you get the Tag Junior first it will be a welcome addition, helpful literacy resource and teaching device for you and your child.

MPR Rating: Four Stars.

Maisy Goes to Preschool

Maisy Goes to Preschool by Lucy Cousins is just one of the great books in the Maisy First Experiences book collection. This book ($12.99) arrived in our house at just the right moment. We were a few weeks shy of my preschooler going back into her second year of school. The big jump from two days a week to three days was looming large on our calender. We read this book it right away and immediately fell in love.



"Preschool for Maisy means a day filled with friends and things to do, from the time she hangs her coat on a special peg to the time she says good-bye." I love the simple illustrations and how perfectly it depicts my child's typical day at her preschool. From snack time to the classic activities like painting, story time and art class Maisy does it all, just like my daughter. She identified with Maisy and all her friends as they went through their day. Reading this book refreshed her memory on what a school day is like and opened up the idea of the new school year as a topic for discussion.

Cousins has created a wonderful character with Maisy. The bright illustrations and easy reading are a great way to introduce new topics to your kids and help explain them.

Available at online at Amazon.com and other fine book stores.

MPR Rating: Four Stars.

Mudpuppy Zoo Animal Block Puzzle

Winner of eleven Oppenheim Toy Portfolio awards just this year, Mudpuppy recently sent me one of their Zoo Animal Block puzzles ($14.00). Geared for children ages 3 and up this six-sided block toy (2"cubes, 9 total) is six times the fun!

Mudpuppy Block Puzzles make kids think in multiple dimensions. Each puzzle creates six pictures which keeps your child entertained as well as continuously thinking. Each set is printed with non-toxic ink and comes in its own storage box that is easy for the preschool set to use. This puzzle makes a great set of colorful building blocks too. My daughter and her friends amuse themselves quite often with this puzzle set and use it to help them build towers as well.

I love that it is a neat and compact set which makes a perfect and affordable present but also travels well. It's lightweight and with its own storage box that you can take anywhere. The pictures comprised of pandas, tigers, monkeys, giraffes and more are bright and pleasing to a child too. Other sets include works by Eric Carle and a variety of other kid friendly themes. Mudpuppy makes quality products that you can trust. I love having them in my home.

MPR Rating: Four Stars.

Bob the Builder DVD Lunch Box Set Giveaway!

Great for the new school season I'm giving away a Bob the Builder Lunch Box Gift Set-Includes one zippered lunch box with three DVDs ($19.98). This is perfect for a preschooler because the lunchbox is insulated and soft-sided. The DVDs (135 minutes) include the following titles: The Big Game, Celebrate with Bob and Can We Fix it?

Enter to win by following my blog, The Mummy Chronicles and then leaving a comment here. I will choose one winner at random on Friday, July 10. Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you! Good luck!

Fun Find- Bedtime for Frances

Do you remember Frances? I sure do. As a kid I loved the Frances series of books and I couldn't wait to begin reading them to my daughter. Hit Entertainment has created Frances: Bedtime for Frances book and DVD set ($14.98).

The DVD runs 46 minutes and is done in CGI by the Jim Henson group. The classic tale of Frances, an inquisitive little badger, has three episodes on it that will entertain your preschool age child many times over. Having the DVD accompanied with the book, Bedtime for Frances, is an excellent idea. I think it would make a wonderful gift for a small child. My daughter loves hearing this story over and over again and each time I read it I remember why I loved it so much as well.

Storybook Treasures DVD Giveaway!

Scholastic Storybook Treasures is releasing (March 31) a wonderful DVD series ($49.95) called, '50 Children's Storybook Classics- Preschool Stories' This 7 hour, 30 minute DVD collection features such classic stories as Harold and the Purple Crayon, Snowy Day, Is Your Mama a Llama and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel plus so many more!

Enter to win this DVD set today! I will pick a winner at random on Friday, March 27 (12 noon EST) and all you have to do is comment here with your favorite TMC post from this month. Don't forget your email address so I can contact you if you win.

Jooners! Planning for Everyone!

Jooners, it's the newest in 'Click & Go' planners and it is incredibly easy to use. I rely heavily on my paper calender for family stuff and my day planner book for work items, but I often miss the electronic planner I had when I was working outside the home. The one that effortlessly holds it all together and clearly shows times and dates and when things need to be done. The problem with those was that you couldn't see what anyone else needed to do. That is not the case with Jooners.

Jooners coordinates all the tasks that need to be completed for that carpool, after school activity, PTA meeting, book fair or whatever you may have going on in your life beyond the kids (think girls nights, parties, etc). It makes it easy to send out a list of what needs to be done to everyone involved. Your email contacts are uploaded lightening fast and you can see who is doing what and when. No more numerous emails and confusion when planning snack duty or a progressive dinner. That elimination of confusion is what I love most about Jooners.

The second thing I love about Jooners is that they are not even close to being finished. Sure, you can create lists (I used it for my weekend 'honey-do' list recently), use their Popular Planners, or sync up for events, but even more is on the way! Soon you will be able to help with family packing for trips by using Jooners, create invitations and so much more. Did I mention that all this is free as well? Yes, it's true.

So while I'm probably months away from actually volunteering for any preschool classroom duty for my child I have already found ways to use Jooners in my everyday life. It helps that I can be a bit of a list maven too. Want more proof? Watch this very helpful how-to video here.

To learn more about Jooners or to sign up for free, visit here and here. You can also find great tips, tricks and advice on the Jooners blog. ENJOY and SIGN UP TODAY!

*See what Tech Savvy Mama had to say about Jooners.

Meet the Sight Words 1

From Preschool Prep comes a great 40-minute DVD geared for children ages 15 months to 6 years aimed at getting your child interested in learning words. This animated series ($14.95) is a great tool for gearing up for preschool and teaching children words through visuals.

At first glance I was surprised to see that this first DVD in the series of three has over forty-five basic sight words to it. It all seemed a bit overwhelming for a 2 year old. 'Sight Words' are common, every day words that cannot be identified through pictures or from basic decoding rules. The series teaches the alphabet, colors, numbers and shapes in a simple format that children grasp quickly as proof with my daughter. It helped her in a very short time to recognize words by associating them with pictures and I was amazed. The bonus feature illustrates video flashcards and classroom/lesson use which teachers might find helpful too. At forty minutes this DVD kept my child engaged and wanting more.

My child starts preschool in the fall and I am confident that she will be more prepared than ever with the help of this DVD. It's a great tool for children and not just a fun show.

WIN a copy of this great DVD today!! Just email me and be the FIRST one to do so at veamason AT gmail DOT com and I'll ship one out to you.

PBN- The Savvy Quiz and Leapfrog Tag

Skeptics like me look at quizzes such as the Savvy Source Quiz (the widget to your right) and think, "Hmph! I bet that takes a long time and produces a bunch of results not relatable to my child." Or "I bet it is just a jumble of products I have no interest in buying." Well, sometimes skeptics are proved wrong. Such is the case with the Savvy Source Quiz. Go ahead, get started on that quiz to the right if you have a preschool (2+) age child. I'll wait.


The quiz is essentially this, "The Savvy Quiz consists of a series of questions in each of several categories (language development, science, music, math, and many more), with personalized results - recommended activities and games/toys for your child - based on their current developmental stage as assessed by the quiz."


While the Progress Portrait takes some time to go through it really is worth it. I am amazed at what I learned about my daughters abilities. Who knew that her lining things up is a normal stage and not just inherited anal-retentiveness. Not only did I learn about how she is advanced in some areas, spot on in others and a bit lagging as well, I came away from the quiz quite pleased with the wealth of information I was given for free by the Source and all the products, books and printouts. I could purchase the products right there or get for others for free to encourage all these areas within her. The quiz is easy to use, very intuitive and provides so much information that it can be a bit overwhelming but is a great source of guidance and fun. I go back to it often to find new ways to stimulate her and update her development. The best part? The Saavy quiz changes with each new developmental stride!


You'll also notice that the whole thing is sponsored by Leapfrog and its product TAG (try a demo here!). The TAG is a reading system that uses the 'TAG', which is more like an electronic pen to read books aloud to your child. I'm leery of this type of toy too because I remember all to well the electronic voices from toys like this when I was growing up. The TAG though is quite different. Both my husband and I were quite taken with how animated the narrator sounds and all the various character voices. While my two year-old is too young for the TAG (ages 4 yrs and up) she got a kick out of learning to use the TAG to hear a story and what the various pictures in the book had to say. I loved how if you put the Tag by a word it only states that word allowing your child to learn to read at their own pace. The only drawback I found was that the on/off button, which is at the top of the TAG pen, is quite sensitive to touch and was frequently turned off by accident. That being said, the Leapfrog TAG (free shipping!) is still one great product. Its touch reading system is easy to use and kept my childs attention much longer than I thought it would. She got the hang of using it quickly on a basic level so I am sure any 4-8 would love it.


PBN has lots of great reviewers talking about both the Savvy quiz and Leapfrog TAG this week so you really should visit them to hear all the different perspectives. If you have children ages two and up you have nothing to lose but so much to gain taking this free quiz. I learned so much about my child and her development and found it to be very personalized. I have since gone an purchased a few products (all in various price ranges), downloaded and printed the free activities such as coloring and number games and learned about a wealth of other activities I can do in the car, at home and all over the place with my daughter. The Savvy quiz has been more helpful than any book or other program I've ever used. I recommend it highly.

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