Happy Valentine's Day!

It's a cold day and the ground outside is covered in snow. The perfect day to stay inside and snuggle with my sweetie. Here are two books we have enjoyed to day to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Baby, I Love You by Karma Wilson; Illustrated by Sam Williams. The refrain "Oh my baby, I love you!" make snuggles and hugs irresistible. The adorable babies in it are hugging a little dog. (so cute.) The "baby" is both the baby being read to and the dog baby being loved.

Emily's Aunt J gave her Clifford, We Love You! by Norman Bridwell for Valentine's Day. Emily's eyes got really big when she saw it and sat mesmerized as I read it to her. Then she read it to herself for a long time after, turning the pages. No matter that it was often upside down at the time! This one is extra special because the little girl who "loved that pup...loved him so that he grew up" is named Emily. This is one for my Emily to "grow" with.

Do you have a Favorite Valentine book to share?

Tiger Storytime

Friday I had the pleasure of doing a storytime for the MOMS Club that I belong to. It was open to children of all ages, so I planned it for preschoolers. The theme was tigers, so the books either had a tiger or some of tiger's friends. Here are some of the books and songs I chose.

Starry Safari by Linda Ashman; illustrated by Jeff Mack.

Bold, fun pictures, and text in rhyme, this book follows the adventure of a child in a jeep. With lots of action and the chance to make animal noises, children will bump along on safari and learn a few new words along the way.This book is a fun choice to expose children to new vocabulary. The surprise ending encourages imagination and active play.

Magazines for Babies?

Anyone who has cared for babies knows they love to put things in their mouths. And they will grab everything in sight. So magazines and babies don't usually go together. Not when you want to be able to read the magazine after the baby!

But there actually are magazines for babies and toddlers. Here are two that I checked out from the library.

Babybug
According to the publisher's website www.cricketmag.com, it is meant for children 6 months - 3 years. The pages are thicker and hardier than regular paper. It is not as durable as a boardbook, but made for little hands. It's about 6 x 6 and a dozen pages. Just like a magazine for mom, there are several short stories in each issue. It includes rhymes, poetry, and counting. There are even recurring characters, Kim and her rabbit, Carrots. Parents can go to www.babybugmagkids.com for more ideas on reading with kids. Other than a pull-out to purchase their line of magazines, this is advertising-free.

Wild Animal Baby
Published by the National Wildlife Federation www.nwf.org, they intend it for ages 2-4. The pages are thicker than a typical magazine but not as durable as Babybug, so I would read this with my 6 month old only when she is in a quiet mood. It is the same size as Babybug and filled with photographs and other fun illustrations. It regularly features a simple I Spy, action rhymes, alphabet games and a simple craft. You can check out a sample issue online. The website has a section for parents for additional activities that go along with the current issue, including patterns, crafts and coloring pages. The mag is also an ad-free zone.  For screen-time conscious parents, there is a regular feature, "Wild Animal Baby Explorers," which is also a tv show on PBS. Wild Animal Baby is a 2011 Parent's Choice Award Winner.

Children want to do the same things we do, so having magazines just for them is a fun option. They will enjoy them for the same reason we do. Short stories, variety, and lots of eye-appeal.

Are there magazines you share with your little ones?