Innovative Kids sent us a couple of titles from a great series of science books called "Little Pirate: Science Made Simple" to review. We've been reading them to Z and they've had quite an impact. One of the things that I really like is that although the main characters and background images are illustrated, the object of the story (the trash in the bookWhy Do We Recycle? or the animals in the book Is That a Bat?) are photographs.

Each book features three main characters: Little Pirate - the curious explorer, Parrot - the bird with the answers, and Mystic - a mermaid/girl character who makes keen observations and is always ready for adventure.

The books state that they are for ages 3-6 and I think young kids could engage with this book somewhat due to the bright, interesting illustrations, but the books are really best for kids ages 4-7 or so. There is enough information in the books to last for several years of readings - the younger kids will get the superficial, surface level information and the older kids will really enjoy relating the books to real world topics.

At the end of the book Why Do We Recycle, there are a couple of pirate craft suggestions. We read the book as a bedtime story - just glossing over the crafts since it was bedtime - and were so confused when Z woke up the next morning asking to make a pirate ship out of a plastic bottle. (She finally showed us the project in the back of the book.)

We highly recommend this series! At under $10 on Amazon.com and with their buy three, get the fourth for free deal, these are a great buy. Other titles in the series include: What's in the Egg?, Is a Shark a Fish?, and Why Does the Wind Blow?.

In accordance with our Keep No Stuff policy, we'll be donating these books to charity. - Jennifer

Z has recently been interested in different things about how the human body works so we've spent some time looking at children's books about the functions of the human body. The Usborne Flap Book See Inside Your Body by Katie Daynes and Colin King, shown above, has quickly become a favorite. There are 14 different two-page spreads that each address a different function of the body - from eating and excreting to breathing air and pumping blood. Each spread is printed on thick, board book type pages and feature flaps that offer magnified views of the topic at hand or . The information is accessible even for children as young as five but the book offers enough detail for older children to use as a starting point for further investigation.

Other children's books on the human body we've enjoyed include:

• The Children's Book of the Body by Anna Sandeman: Includes more topics about a wider variety (like the genetics of hair color, how you learn, and how the senses work) but for an older audience.


• Your Skin and Mine by Paul Showers: This Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science book focuses on the largest organ in the body - the skin - covering topics such as sweating, how the hair grows, fingerprints and melanin.


• Your Insides by Joanna Cole, Illustrated by Paul Meisel Basic body reference book but includes 4 overlay prints that layer from the skin to the muscles and bones, to the heart and lungs, stomach and intestines, and brain and nerves. (Much like the fabulous Beleduc Body Puzzle we reviewed.)


• Skeletons! Skeletons! All About Bones by Katy Hall, illustrated by Paige Billin-Frye. This book covers not just the human skeletal system but that of different animals as well.


• The Skeleton Inside You by Philip Balestrino: Another Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science book, this one about skeletons, focusing on the human skeletal system. This book had Z and another five-year-old sprawled out on the floor of the bookstore poring over its illustrations for a good 20 minutes.

- Jeremiah

Of four new kids' album we've been spinning in our house this month, we'd highly recommend three of them, and the fourth is sure to be of interest to some.

Enter Sandbox

StarFish

Sarina and I are in love with StarFish's second album. Enter Sandbox is a tongue-in-cheek look at childhood, as sung to rock music. "My Name is No" is about a child who hears the word "No" so often ("No, don't do that!") that he thinks it's his name; "Time Out" is the anthem for kids who are mad about being punished for their naughty deeds; "Spread Your Wings" is about leaving the video games and going outside to play. But our favorite is "Elephant," a silly song with a great chorus ("And if I can't tell right from wrong/My family's there to learn from/And if I can't tell what to do/My friends are there to lean on").

Sometimes, when music is done right, you can just feel the fun the band had when they were working on it - like in this case. My only beef is the rip-off of Shel Silverstein's poem "Sick," which has the same punch line as StarFish's song "Sick Day." Aside from that, these New Jersey dads really know how to rock the kiddie tunes. | $10 on CD from Amazon.com

Be Nice

Leeny and Steve

Be Nice is an infectious album. My favorite track, a rockin' tune called "What Have You Done With All The Penguins?!," is about a family trip to the aquarium, whereupon they find that the penguin exhibit is mysteriously closed. It's the kind of song that gets stuck in your head - but you don't even mind, because it's that cool. You'll catch yourself bopping along to it out in public and grinning.

The album is a combination of silly songs ("Stinky Diaper") and songs that have lessons ("Ain't Ain't a Word"). Overall, it's good-hearted and spirited music that should be a hit with the preschool crowd and parents. | $9 MP3 Download / $16 CD on Amazon.com

Tiny Cool

Princess Katie and Racer Steve

It normally takes me a few listens to really catch on to a CD and figure out if I like it or not, but Tiny Cool is one of those special ones that immediately became a hit in our house.

With subjects such as parties, sand in a sandwich at the beach, being shy, being honest about what happened at school, and individuality, this one is geared more toward the kindergarten and early grade school audience. It’s high-energy kiddie rock, and it shows serious musicianship. There’s even a horn section featuring members of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Tiny Cool is the third release by this Manhattan-based husband-and-wife team, who are now touring nationally. | $9 as an MP3 Download from Amazon.com

Green Golly and Her Golden Flute

Flute Sweet and Tickletoon

Green Golly is an album with a mission, designed to introduce kids to classical music on the flute in an entertaining way. The bulk of this CD is the reimagined tale of Rapunzel, now known as "Green Golly." Green Golly's hungry parents trade her to a witch for a salad. The witch is concerned that Green Golly is getting very attractive and boys are paying too much attention to her, so she locks the girl in a tower. Green Golly has nothing much to do in her tower except grow hair and play her new flute. Luckily, it turns out that she really likes her flute, and she uses it to play Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, and others.

For us, this CD straddles the line between being entertaining and being just plain too weird and over-the-top. I wouldn't listen to it again. I have a feeling it works better in a live performance. However, my opinion may be against the grain; I've now read several reviews of this CD from people who found it creative and funny. | $9 MP3 Download from Amazon.com

Jenna Glatzer (www.jennaglatzer.com) is the author of 19 books. Her most recent collaboration is Unthinkable with Scott Rigsby, the first double-amputee to finish the world-famous Hawaiian Ironman triathlon. Jenna lives with her two-year-old daughter in New York. - Jenna Glatzer

Funny stuff from Toy Story 3, out in theaters this weekend.





Love that elevator! - Jeremiah

Flickr user St3f4n's photos of storm trooper action figures kicking around and stirring up trouble are hilarious and really well-done, and thanks to his Creative Commons licensing, we can share a few of our favorites here. The photos combine a purposeless behavior, getting in over your head, and seeking outlets to express powerless rage in a way that reminds me of being a teenager, and St3fan's careful figure positioning expresses so much more than you'd think these little guys could.

















There are 365 in all - check out the full series if these make you laugh. - Jeremiah

Three CDs that we love this month, and one that… well, I vaguely abhor, but you might not. Hope you enjoy!

Why Does Gray Matter? and other brainy songs for kids

Roger Day (2010)

Must admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw Roger Day's album sleeve. Brainy songs for kids? Didn't sound like much fun. Especially since nearly every song had the word "brain" in the title.

Turns out Why Does Gray Matter? is, in fact, a ridiculously fun collection of songs. It's a tribute to intelligence that hip nerdster parents like me will adore. One of my favorite tracks compares the left brain and the right brain, declaring that the left brain loves to do taxes and the right brain wants to rock the house. It's one of my favorites because it's so unexpected: the left brain parts are sung to a string quartet, while the right brain parts are sung as British punk rock. And I am positive that I've never heard the words "deep basal ganglia" in a children's song before. Or any other type of song, for that matter.

If you liked Schoolhouse Rock, chances are good that this will be up your alley. [$15 CD]

Pickin' & Grinnin': Great Songs for Kids

Assorted Artists (2010)

Every family needs to have at least one CD like Pickin' & Grinnin'. It's a folk CD that's calming and simple, with mostly well-known songs by well-known artists, like Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Doc Watson, and Dan Zanes.

Pickin' & Grinnin' is the antithesis of today's fast-paced, PS3 society; it harkens back to simpler times, when people sat around their living rooms singing and making up songs together because that's just what families did to entertain themselves. This is the kind of CD that makes for great singalongs, and during a break in one of the songs, the singer even encourages kids to make up their own lyrics like he did when he was younger. The 25 tracks represent 25 years of music by this company, Music for Little People. [$10 CD]

We Are The Not-Its

The Not-Its (2009)

We Are The Not-Its is a solid debut by this five-piece band, fronted by Sarah Shannon (formerly of the 90s band Velocity Girl). It’s alternative pop, mostly, and it’s danceable. The title track (“We Are The Not-Its”) is one of those songs that’ll stick in your head and you’ll catch yourself humming it in the dairy aisle at the grocery store until someone stares at you.

Lyrics are mostly innocent and kid-oriented, with just a couple of lines here and there that would go over their heads. I was disappointed by the lack of lyric sheets with this CD. Topics include birthdays, camping, going to kindergarten, inviting kids over to play, baths, sharing, and helicopters.
When they perform, the guys wear black shirts with pink ties, and the gals wear long pink tutus. It’s a fun look for a fun band. This is a good pick for preschool to grade-school-age kids. [$19 CD, $9 MP3]

Silly Short Songs for Silly Short People

Rock Daddy Rock (2008)

On the back of this CD, it says, "FAMILIES with a sense of HUMOR will love these silly songs about EVERYDAY LIFE." At the risk of being thought humorless, I will tell you that I had to force myself to finish listening, and I definitely don't want my daughter hearing it. The first song is "Boogers." Other topics include dirty nails, passing gas, spitting, and warts, along with more benign topics like bedtime and eating healthy food.

To me? Gross and kind of obnoxious-sounding music. But I know there's an audience for this that will disagree, so I'm giving it a spot here anyway. This father was inspired by the "funny, gross, and wonderful" behavior of his four sons, who also provide backup vocals on this CD. [$14 CD]

Jenna Glatzer (www.jennaglatzer.com) is the author of 19 books. Her most recent collaboration is Unthinkable with Scott Rigsby, the first double-amputee to finish the world-famous Hawaiian Ironman triathlon. Jenna lives with her two-year-old daughter in New York. - Jenna Glatzer