Dreamy creamy
This new line of natural products for “babies, kids & sensitive adults” is a cut above — no harsh chemicals and easily absorbed into chapped little hands. Lovely, nursery-friendly
fragrances, too! The Lavanila Laboratories line features a baby butter, lotion, wash, sunscreen and diaper cream. $14–$20; available at Sephora.
Go there
Potty by Leslie Patricelli. One of the cutest bald babies in books these days takes that big baby step: potty training. Should baby go in the diaper? What does kitty do? Adorable! Preschool. Available Sept. 14. $6.99; Candlewick.
Word
It’s a Book by Lane Smith. Here’s a pitch-perfect send-up of the “digital” generation: A little donkey — apparently reared on a steady diet of screens — confronts a book and doesn’t know what to do with it! “Can you blog with it? How do you scroll down? Can you make the
characters fight?” he asks, to which the patient monkey replies, “It’s a book.” Donkey’s confusion and dawning understanding, and the book’s clever punch line, will make this a favorite. Ages 4–8. $12.99; Roaring Brook Press.
Sibling revelry
Flora’s Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall; illustrated by Matt Phelan. Sure, little brothers are a pain, but would you give yours away? That’s the dilemma at the heart of this charmer by the author of the beloved Penderwicks series. A sweet, whimsical story that ultimately reconciles into acceptance. Ages 4–8. $16; Clarion Books.
Sleuthiness
The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour by Michael D. Beil; audiobook, read by Tai Alexandra Ricci. Need a new way to keep your tween away from screens? The Nancy Drew set will love this promising debut, which kicks off a new series. Plenty o’ grrrl power — and some pretty tough math! — persist throughout, and the reading is engaging. Great for road trips or cozy evenings at home. Ages 8–12. $34; Listening Library.
Write stuff
Rip the Page! Adventures in Creative Writing by Karen Benke. Know a kid who loves to write? One who really hates it? This book is for both! A colorful patchwork of open-ended writing experiments, projects, mash-ups and stealth learning, Rip the Page! encourages kids to do just that to kick-start their creativity. Fun for young lovers of the written word; worth a try for kids who struggle. Ages 8–12. $14.95; Trumpeter.
Comic relief
Your Life in Comics: 100 Things for Guys to Write and Draw by Bill Zimmerman; illustrated by Tyler Page. Another great kick-start for reluctant writers, this make-your-own take on comic books will appeal to tweens — both boys and girls, and never mind the title. Kids fill in the thought bubbles and finish the pictures to create custom comics. With oh-so-right topics — such as music, texting and school lockers — the book offers lots of cool links for online exploration, too. Epic for ages 9–12. $9.99; Free Spirit.
Mommy manual
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide (revised, expanded edition) by Penny Simkin, April Bolding, Ann Keppler, Janelle Durham and Janet Whalley. The “bible” for childbirth educators for more than 20 years and one of the bestselling pregnancy books of all time is being rereleased. Written by local childbirth and parent educators, the 2010 version includes the most current information to help families get through their pregnancies, births and early days with their babies. And new this year, the book has a companion website, for author updates, notes on current research and more. $16; Meadowbrook.
In honor of the book’s rerelease, King County has proclaimed Sept. 16, 2010 to be “Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn Day”!
The sackness
You won’t forget your reusable bags in the car when they’re this cute! Seattle-based Saky Sacks makes water-resistant and machine-washable bags in hip patterns and three sizes, so you can make a fashion statement while doing your part for the planet! $19.95–$29.95;
Saky Sacks.
— Kristen Russell
GIVEAWAY
Sweetie legs
We love BabyLegs here at ParentMap, where the moms are known to sport them on their own arms as well as their tots. So when we heard BL has a new line just for newborns, we just had to get our hands on ’em. Check out these adorable baby leg warmers, designed for easy diaper changes while keeping baby’s legs toasty. And psst! Adorable Halloween designs are now available.
You could win a pair of newborn BabyLegs! Enter by Sept. 30 at ParentMap giveaway.
