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By: Jane Massey,
on 1/31/2012
By: Jane Massey,
on 1/23/2012
By: Erica Olsen,
on 8/25/2011
My young daughter is eating solid food. She has two lower teeth, which she uses to great effect, scraping away like a reverse-squirrel. This is an exciting time for my husband and I, since we get to share some of our favorite foods with her. We also get to see these favorite foods converted into sneeze-splatter and spread across the front of our work shirts. Know this: Bibs are not just for infants.
After a few weeks of experimenting with toddler-cuisine, I’ve changed the way I shop for groceries. Instead of perusing the shelves of my local organic butcher, thinking “hmm would this hanger steak would be good pan-seared with truffle salt?”, I now think things like: “I wonder what other tube-shaped food this Safeway carries?” and, “Oh wow, you could really get a grip on those cheese sticks.”
As a freshly-minted Bay Area foodie, Elizabeth is more pencil sharpener than connoisseur.
As a freshly-minted Bay Area foodie, Elizabeth is more pencil sharpener than connoisseur. We hand her a Morningstar Farms veggie sausage when she wakes up, and listen for the high pitched buzzing sound as she fragments it into a light rain of sausage-shavings which patter to the floor. We then lift our soy-sawdust covered child out of the highchair, shake her up and down, and deposit her back in the living room where she carries out her daily experiments.
Bagels are her favorite. Despite its mammoth size, a cinnamon-raisin bagel is easy to grip in both hands and wave around. After a few minutes eating the proportional equivalent of a telephone pole, she holds the bagel over her head and shrieks in delight, praising her sky-gods for the gift of carbohydrates.
she holds the bagel over her head and shrieks in delight, praising her sky-gods
At the end of a long day’s eating, it has been my distinct pleasure to discover bagel parts at the bottom of my bra, where they have been covertly deposited by Elizabeth during one of her periods of arm-waving and violent twisting. I believe she has come to view my cleavage as some sort of pantry for the deposit and withdrawal of delicious food items. Rather than admitting defeat and covering my lingerie with contact paper, I’ve decided to try and interest her in vegetables, which I hope will be gentler and more refreshing in the knockers-region.
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By: Jane Massey,
on 7/11/2011
Title: Benny the Cat
Author: Tamar Hak
Publisher: Touchoo
Format: iPad, iPhone
Rated: 4+
Current Price: $2.99
Synopsis: A day in the life of a kitty named Benny.
Features:
The Greasy Screen says: Curly loves cats, while I have a slight feline fear. That, in combination with my husband’s allergies, is why we will never own a pet cat. But, with the introduction of Benny the Cat, Curly can now go through the motions of a real cat owner!
In this ebook, the reader is encouraged to help take care of Benny, a plump little kitty, by doing things like picking out his favorite toys and helping him find his litter box. The interactivity is really great; I especially liked throwing a pile of pillows around in attempt to find a hiding Benny, and Curly liked hearing him purr as she petted him. When asked to choose the best meal for Benny, Curly immediately wanted to feed him the plate of lollipops– she is her mother’s daughter, after all. The story itself was a little thin, with the text focused more on giving the reader instructions rather than telling a tale, but the main focus of this ebook seemed to be walking through the steps of pet maintenance, and we enjoyed taking care of Benny.
My favorite part of Benny the Cat was the hand-drawn illustrations; so often, ebooks are accompanied by more stark, computer graphics. This is a fun ebook for cat lovers and cat cowards alike.
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Title: Big Red Barn
Author/Illustrator: Jon Higham
Publisher: Dipali Vaidya
Format: iPad, iPhone
Rated: 4+
Current Price: $0.99
Synopsis: A counting story set in a farmyard.
Features:
The Greasy Screen says: Jon Highman, author of the charming Elly the Reindeer series, really has a knack for knowing what little ones are drawn to. Big Red Barn combines children’s natural curiosity toward animals and desire to learn numbers into one adorable ebook.
Every page features fun, candy-colored illustrations that are so cute you just want to squeeze them, and sound effects of the farm animals. Curly and I both really enjoyed the last few pages, which allow you to hear multiple animal sounds at the same time. Once you start pressing all those buttons, it sounds like a real live farm! If farms were has happy looking and odor free as they are in this story, I would be more inclined to head out to the country more often.
Older kids will not find much for them here, as the text revolves mainly on counting, but Big Red Barn is perfect for the toddler set.
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By: Jane Massey,
on 3/15/2011
Title: Roy the Little Rabbit
Publisher: LaLafish
Format: iPad
Rated: 4+
Current Price: $3.99
Synopsis: A little rabbit explores and meets new friends.
Features:
The Greasy Screen says: Roy the Little Rabbit is geared for the toddler set, with uncomplicated words and basic plot line. Roy hops around, meeting new friends, and gets caught in a rain storm. It is a simple story, so little ones looking for more oomph (like my Curly) will quickly lose interest.
Roy’s graphics were a bit too stark for my taste, and some of the sound effects were a bit over the top: when Roy’s new friend Lyn the bluebird needs to fly away, a random chorus of children’s voices chimes in with a loud “BOO!” I did like the repeat text button on each screen, available for little ones looking to hear the words again, but in our case, Curly was itching to get through the story and was not looking for a repeat performance.
If Roy continues to have more eBook adventures, I hope he gets more to do the next time around!
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By: Jane Massey,
on 3/1/2011
Title: One Rainy Day
Author: Tammi Salzano
Illustrator: Hannah Wood
Publisher: mytales digital
Format: iPad
Rated: 4+
Current Price: $3.99
Synopsis: A little duck discovers colors as he walks through the rain.
Features:
The Greasy Screen says: I enjoy rainy days, but not as much as the cuddly yellow duck who stars in One Rainy Day. This duck likes to really splash it up, playing in puddles and wiggling in mud. As he romps outside in his watery wonderland, he learns about all the colors of the rainbow. When different colors are touched, their names are read aloud, and the duck himself provides extra commentary when pressed. There are not a lot of animations; the interactivity is mainly expressed through additional sound effects. Still, Curly was engaged throughout the rainy journey, and really enjoyed the painting pages provided through the menu.
One Rainy Day is perfect for toddlers who are just becoming familiar with digital mediums. The story is short and sweet, and there is enough interactivity to keep them engaged without being overwhelmed.
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Title: The Little Snail
Publisher: Rye Studio
Format: iPad, iPhone
Rated: 4+
Current Price: Free
Synopsis: A little snail takes a stroll with his mother and asks about the world around him.
Features:
The Greasy Screen says: The Little Snail opens with what has to be the most asked question in the history of childhood: “Why?” In the snail’s case, he can’t help but wonder why he has to carry a giant shell around all day, when other soft-bodied critters, such as earthworms and caterpillars, don’t. His mother explains that while the other creatures have to rely on external forms of protection, snails are self-reliant and can take care of themselves.
While I always appreciate a message of independence, this eBook ended a bit too abruptly, and with no interactivity, animation, or extras, it fell a little short. I would have liked to have seen the snail’s reaction to his mom’s wisdom revelation; instead, she tells him about how strong snails are, and then the story ends. Fleshing out the ending would have been more satisfying.
The Little Snail contained one interesting feature I’d never come across before, called, “sleep mode.” In this setting, the story would read aloud, except the pages would not play. I believe the intention is for children to listen to the story as they fall asleep, but as a parent, I feel like I’d rather be playing on my iPad once my kid is down for the night, rather than leaving it in her room. Maybe that’s just me, but Momma likes her quiet time!
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Title: A Present for Milo
Author: Mike Austin
Publisher: Ruckus Media Group
Format: iPad
Rated: 4+
Current Price: $2.99
Synopsis: Milo and his mousey friend engage in a topsy-turvy chase around the house, ending with a sweet surprise.
Features:
The Greasy Screen says: A Present for Milo wraps up all the wonderful bits you’d want in a picture book in one irresistible package. This story was immensely entertaining, not only for Curly, but for me! Milo the cat and his tiny mouse companion chase each other through all the obstacles of their house; they bounce up stairs, slide on rugs, and skid through groceries. The interactivity is top notch; every page contains tons of hidden animations, many of which made me giggle (my favorite being a little alien-colored mouse who floats inside a toy space ship). Curly danced around when a piece of poked sheet music burst into song, and she laughed at the mice hopping on a trampoline.
The story is perfect for the toddler set. Just when you think Milo is trying to catch his quick little co-star for an afternoon snack, we find out that the two are actually the best of friends, who just love running through their maze of a house! The illustrations are simply adorable, and finding all the animations was equally as fun as listening to the story.
Give yourself a gift and download A Present for Milo!
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Title: Bob Books #1 – Reading Magic
Publisher: Learning Touch
Format: iPad, iPhone
Rated: 4+
Current Price: $2.99
Synopsis: Based off the popular Bob Books learn-to-read series, Reading Magic is an interactive game to engage beginning readers.
Features:
The Greasy Screen says: Some of the best iPad apps for kids are ones that just beg for tiny fingers to touch, and Bob Books Reading Magic taps into that effect nicely. Each screen presents the reader with a new scene and short phrase. The black-and-white illustrations bounce on the screen until they are touched, and then the letters that spell the word appear as little blocks around the screen. Readers are encouraged to drag the letters to the bottom of the screen to spell out the word. Each letter is sounded out, as is the word when the letters are correctly assembled. When all the letters are in the right place, the illustration becomes full of color and animation.
When we sat down to play with this app, Curly was a bit confused, mostly because I think she was expecting a story rather than a game. But after a few minutes, she was into it. She laughed when the illustrations shook, and really enjoyed moving the letters around the screen. We’ve been working on learning the alphabet lately, and Curly was able to recognize many of the letters as she played.
What I like most about Bob Books Reading Magic as a reading tool is how it lets the reader go at her own pace. Curly was able to explore without pressure to move on, and every time she touched the screen she was engaged in the experience of reading, whether she was identifying letters or hearing their sounds pronounced. Also, there are no super annoying sounds that repeat indefinitely, as many other electronic kids’ games seem to feature. Learning + sanity = hooray!
This app keeps the needs of its audience in mind. Without a doubt, we will be spending more time with Reading Magic.
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You’d think being a teacher by profession would make you a natural for teaching your own kids. While it’s true those called to teach have a certain approach to the world inevitably shared with the children they’ve brought into a family, the complicated nature of formal teaching (and the complicated nature of parent-child relationships) can challenge even the most skilled educator when it comes to their own small people. Much like any part of parenting, each parent has to choose a method that works for them. Sometimes you can teach any kid anything--except your own kid. I tried to work in Keilana’s classroom from preschool all the way through sixth grade, and we never could quite make it work. There was something about my presence in her learning domain that just brought out the most frustrating aspects of our relationship. Connor, on the other hand, would completely revert to earlier days and spend the whole time being my “baby” instead of 
branching out and participating. Addison, my strict little fraulein, had/has such a need for control, that having another person telling her what to do during the learning process was one person too many. So, despite having taught over three thousand other peoples’ children, the first three of mine have been unimpressed with my academic credentials. And now there’s Scarlett. We’ve been working together a lot lately and I think it’s going pretty well. In Susan Hood’s The Schoolhouse, Elmo and the Sesame Street crew go to school…without their mommies.
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sesame_Street_School
http://www.jacketflap.com/persondetail.asp?person=148275
Language is tricky. As a speech person and avid big mouth, I have years of talking experience and research behind me, but the wonder of the whole thing still leaves me, well, speechless at times. The encoding and decoding process of verbal and written communication is so complex, it’s a miracle we ever learn to do it at all, let alone with some proficiency (provided you think there is any proficiency--and looking at my students’ papers, sometimes I wonder…). It’s even more bizarre that babies can do it. In fact, they come here with the tools for language already in place and start dipping their pudgy toes in the convoluted communication waters before they can barely focus one eye at a time. Beyond the technical skills needed to produce language, there is a whole cognitive obstacle course to navigate--context, interpretation, cultural influences--before the magic of meaning happens. Which is another aspect of communication that kids do in their own small-person way. Years ago we were 
visiting friends with a four year-old daughter who mixed up her shoes in the on-putting process. When her father told her that her shoes were on the wrong feet, she looked up at him, so innocent and sincere, and said, “But, Daddy, these are the only feet I have.” And that prankster called language scored again. In Tedd Arnold’s Even More Parts, the poor little narrator gets worked over by simile, metaphor, and symbolism. Words are crazy. It’s enough to make you lose your mind.
http://www.amazon.com/Even-More-Parts-Tedd-Arnold/dp/0803729383
http://www.patriciamnewman.com/arnold.html
When my brothers and I were growing up, there were only three television channels which constituted the sum total of viewing opportunities. And that was only when the antennae was in exactly the right spot after an hour of shouting adjustments to your dad on the roof. Given these factors, I never developed much of a relationship with TV and sometimes even felt a bit wary of it--cartoons were violent, soap operas mind-numbing and crime shows too scary for kids. But I am often not the only decision-maker in my house, so television has been more of a presence at some times than others. Until I get fed up again and throw it out again. I spent one evening almost twelve years ago flipping through the channels during “family viewing” time and could not find a single thing that did not offend me. So, I got rid of it all. 
No cable, VCR, antennae. Nothing. And that lasted quite a few years until I loved somebody with a TV habit again. Since then, the television has come creeping (sometimes bulldozing) back into our daily lives. Sadly, even reaching the toddler. The other day, Scarlett woke up and the first thing she said was, “I need to watch Dora.” Like TV was her coffee…or heroine. Which was the last straw and the TV is objecta non grata again. In the Berenstain Bears’ Too Much TV, Mama puts her paw down and turns off the tube. Oh, that’s what quiet sounds like…
http://www.amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Much-First-Books/dp/0394865707
http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-berenstain-jan-stan.asp
Lately my son has been spending quite a bit of his time scribbling at his toddler friendly art easel with wax crayons and too-short-pencil-stubs (left overs from sketching sprees). Maybe that means he will one day become an artist, like his mother, or maybe that just means he likes spending time in my studio because I'm in there too. Either way, it keeps him busy just long enough for me to catch up on my emails.
One recent email had an intriguing offer for my blog... a giveaway - just for my readers! And the kicker - I got to pick the prize! I wondered, do I give away something useful and beautiful like a Dutch oven (oh the ridiculously elegant meals I could attempt to create in one of those), or maybe something that might inspire other young children to be creative while giving their parents some time to themselves, like the Creativity Desk and Easel? Eureka!
Entering is so easy, you could even attempt to allow your toddler to do it for you. Leave a comment on this blog post before Friday, August 20th at 1pm MST. I'll contact the winner that day and we'll set up how to get this fabulous prize to you, even the shipping is free (*I'm so sorry but international readers - that is people not living in Canada and the USA will have to pay for their own shipping).
A great big thank you to CSN stores for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway.
Approaching a birthday this summer, and about to lose my vision coverage, I decided to go get my eyes checked just for the heck of it. I wasn’t having any problems seeing, but it seemed a waste to let any chance for healthcare slip away. So, I made an appointment and sat in the waiting area with all those poor people who aren’t blessed with great eyes like some of us. When I met the doctor, I confidently shook his hand, knowing that we wouldn’t be seeing anymore of each other after he checked my vision. After a couple of tests (which I breezed through with my super great eyes), I waited for the doctor to say he’s never seen such great vision in a forty-three year old and that I hav
e the eyes of a teenager. But he didn’t say that. Or anything like it. What he said was, “Which frames would you like?” I was devastated. Glasses? Worse, reading glasses like some porch-rocking old lady? It’s not enough that gravity has had its way with me? I have to go blind as well? I exaggerate, of course, but I still desperately begged the doctor to tell me what I did to bring this fate upon myself and his response was, “Kept having birthdays.” Which is preferable to the alternative, but it still really stinks. In Tedd Arnold’s More Parts, one little guy goes to great lengths to protect what he’s got. I really need to start doing that.
http://www.amazon.com/More-Parts-Tedd-Arnold/dp/0803714173
http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00002322.shtml
In the great glass half-empty or half-full debate, I am a hardcore half-emptier. I don’t understand pretending things are rosier than real life. And I really don’t see how my attitude toward the contents of any metaphorical glass are going to influence the sum total of those contents. The ones who call themselves optimists have a name for people like me: pessimist. But people on my side of the glass conundrum have a name for ourselves: realists. Because the real truth is that if half of what you had is gone, feeling good about what you have left, while pleasant, doesn’t bring it back. Having said all that, though, I do feel excited about 
reaching the halfway point in our book blogging year today. We made it! We’re finally here. We stuck to it, even on challenging days, and now half the year is behind us. But, and here’s where the existential angst comes into play, it’s also with great anticipation that I look forward to the reading moments ahead. I love that everyone in the house is on high-alert for reading every day. I like that the children’s librarian knows Scarlett’s name an
d Scarlett can recognize the “liberry” when we get close on our bikes. So, what book got the coveted halfway spot? Daddy and Scarlett picked Frank Asch’s Ziggy Piggy And The Three Little Pigs to find out how a new addition to the old fairy tale mixes things up. It’s been half a year and all’s well.
http://www.amazon.com/Ziggy-Piggy-Three-Little-Pigs/dp/1550745158
http://www.frankasch.com/splash.html
I am fascinated by the science of retrieving sound waves from wherever they go after they hit the air and dissipate. Since waves don’t end but keep spreading out, any sound ever made is technically still out there waiting to be rounded up and heard again. That’s incredible. It means, among other things, that if we could refine the science enough, we could literally hear epic moments like the Gettysburg Address or re-experience sweet, personal exchanges like a baby cooing. How eerie yet thrilling would it be to stand in a field in Pennsylvania and hear Abraham Lincoln’s actual voice brought back to life by modern technology corralling scattered sound waves? But, in some ways, I don’t think we need to wait for those advances. Have you ever been somewhere and heard the echoes of the past? Not specific words, maybe, but whispers of sound that seem to linger. In Chattanooga, Tennessee, there is a massive natural stronghold of 
great tactical benefit during the Civil War. The army that controlled Lookout Mountain, with its towering height and expansive view, was in a position of virtually impenetrable superiority, and as such it was the scene of fierce fighting. At the base of the mountain, if you stand very still and listen very carefully, the wind still carries the sounds of long ago. It is haunted. In Walt Disney Production’s The Haunted House, Mickey and friends are hearing things. I wonder if it would help to know it’s just trapped sound waves.
P.S. Enjoy your book, Little Rhys!
http://www.amazon.com/HAUNTED-HOUSE-Disneys-Wonderful-Reading/dp/039492570X
http://www.earlymoments.com/Our-Products/Disney-Book-Club/
Perspective. It’s easy to lose in the hassle of everythingness--particularly as a mother. But every once in awhile, something comes along to put things back into persp
ective. At a recent family gathering, Scarlett’s Auntie Liz, devoted first-time mom to our beloved cousin Baby Simon, remarked on how surprised she was at the morbid worry tendency of moms, while reeling off a litany of traumatic scenarios constantly looming in her imagination. And, instead of being able to allay her fears with the promise that it gets better as they get older, all the mothers in earshot had a moment of perspective. I realized, again, that, no matter how much time passes from when they show up earthside, each child in the world that belongs to you, by birth or by import, walks around their daily life with a fragile piece of your heart in their possession. And
it gets worse as they get more autonomous, when you can’t hold them every minute and oversee everything--which is accelerated when you have an independent one. I knew from the time Keilana got here that I had better learn to let her go. She’s the only child I know who cried when she got picked up from preschool and declared her day at kindergarten “private.” In Nancy Tafuri’s Have You Seen My Duckling?, Mama Duck has seven stay-at-home babies and one wanderer--who sparks a book-wide search. My duckling is now a beautiful swan…but I still wish I could tuck her under my wing sometimes.
http://www.amazon.com/Have-You-Seen-My-Duckling/dp/0688148999
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3676
By: Jane Massey,
on 6/29/2010
Isn’t it funny how much we associate some people in our lives with certain colors? Keilana was born at Easter time and whenever I see groupings of pastels, I think of my Bunny Baby. My mom loves all shades of blue, especially cobalt, so dusk and those fancy glass bottles of water remind me of her. And now anything red brings my Scarlett to mind. I can’t see any of these colors without thinking of the people entwined with them in my memory. Of course, people also gravitate to colors that speak to them for some reason. I love all things pink--cotton candy, ballerina tutus, bubblegum ice cream--and would wear it every day if I didn’t think my academic credibility would suffer. Keilana formed an early and intense bond with the color purple, once even dyeing her hair a vivid lavender that suited her perfectly and made her look like some exotic alien babe from Star Trek. One of my colleagues is really, really into frogs and this naturally makes green her default color of choice. Some people
decorate their baby nurseries or reception halls to match the colors of their favorite school or sports team. And what about those crazy people who paint themselves for football games and then dance around half-naked in the freezing cold?! Color not only brightens and enlivens our world, it becomes part of our identity as well. In Keith Kimberlin’s Colors, rainbow kittens share their multi-hued treasures. What color has your name on it?
http://www.amazon.com/Colors-Paw-Prints-Early-Learning/dp/1419401130
http://www.keithkimberlin.com/
As a teenager, I had a step-mother only ten years my senior. Which was like having a sister with the power of a mother. Not a good combination. Needless to say, we had a complicated, volatile relationship and one of the things I most remember about it was learning that I don’t really like anyone telling me what to do. Even if I am just about to do it myself, once someone else makes it a requirement, I lose all interest in doing it. Ever. When my step-mother, let’s call her “Batty,” was around, I would walk past a basket of laundry and think to myself, “I am going to fold those clothes.” It never failed that at that exact moment Batty would say something about me having to fold the clothes before I could do anything else and then someone would have had to break my arm to get me to do what I was walking across the room to do five seconds before I was told I had to. It’s not m
ature or healthy, but I have to own it. At the junior high, we have a rotating schedule for collecting recycling from the outside cans, but I am often happy to do it just because. Unless it is my week. Then I balk and chafe at having to do it. What is that?! In Julie Sykes’ I don’t want to take a bath, Little Tiger is my won’t-do-it-if-you-tell-me-to soulmate. Just don’t tell him he has to be.
http://www.amazon.com/I-Dont-Want-Take-Bath/dp/1888444207
http://www.juliesykes.co.uk/
Some guys were born to be dads. Despite all the complaints of men who can’t commit to having children or caring for the ones they already have, there are a select few who have daddyhood in their soul…and not just procreative ability in their, um, jeans. Long before Scarlett arrived, her daddy was learning how to care for her. When we started sitting for a friend’s new baby, Nick didn’t have any small people experience--never changed a diaper, never fixed a bottle, never gave a bath, never even held a really tiny one--but he stepped up admirably. I thought when we agreed to help that “we” actually meant “me,” but I forgot who I was dealing with. Nick took the same teachable, focused approach to childcare that he does to everything he considers important and knew most of wha
t I learned through years of parenting my own kids in no time. I felt comfortable long before I ever imagined I would leaving them to their own devices, knowing that the little guy was in good hands. That experience made Nick realize he had a Scarlett-shaped spot no one else could fill and he spoke of wanting to be a dad many times in the next year or so. And never has any little girl been more loved. In Laura Krauss Melmed’s The Rainbabies, a man and his wife have everything they could ever want but it isn’t enough until their magical, rain-dancing daughter comes along. Sometimes it happens that way.
http://www.amazon.com/Rainbabies-Laura-Krauss-Melmed/dp/0688107559
http://www.laurakraussmelmed.com/
so happy and cheerful! love the bright green
Happy and cute! Adorable!
I like your illustration
How sweet is this!Brilliant illo! :)
Super cute! I like the rolling wheels!
Too fun! Very breezy & carefree - Love it! :D
I love the pattern on her dress!
Just love her! Fantastic sketch.
Super cute illustration. It reminds me of the happy childhood moments.
healthy diet
An oldie but a goodie! Looking forward to seeing the secret project!
Es difícil expresar tanto con unas pocas líneas. Me encanta tu ilustración!