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Honor a heroic kid at St. Joe’s awards

Posted Nov 7, 2011 by Courtney Cairns Pastor

Updated Nov 4, 2011 at 02:18 PM

It’s amazing what kids can do.

One year, a child pulled an accident victim from a burning car. Another saved a sibling from a dog attack. One went the extra mile in befriending a special-needs student at school. Others have volunteered for charity, donated to the needy or cut their hair for cancer patients.

For 14 years, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital has made sure these kids and others got special recognition for their good deeds. The hospital’s “Kids are Heroes” program has spotlighted more than 1,300 children ages 5 to 18 from Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Hernando counties.

The hospital looks for kids who perform heroic tasks, act selflessly or demonstrate good citizenship. And it wants your help.

You have until Nov. 11 to nominate a young hero for the award.

You don’t want them to miss out.

“We encourage parents, teachers, loved ones and friends to brag a bit about the amazing kids in their lives,” Kimberly Guy, the hospital’s chief operating officer, said in a news release. “We want to hear about the wonderful things kids are doing to make a positive impact at home and in our community.”

Past and present pediatric patients – with help from Tampa Bay Lightning player Steven Stamkos —serve as judges to select the heroes.

All nominees and their families are honored in a special ceremony. The winners in each category get special gifts from the hospital, Lightning and other sponsors.

Make your nomination by calling (813) 870-KIDS or logging on to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital’s web site.

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Review week: Children’s books for parents

Posted Nov 4, 2011 by Courtney Cairns Pastor

Updated Nov 4, 2011 at 10:39 AM

There are children’s books you buy for children, and children’s books you buy for the parents.

You know the children’s classics – “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” “Goodnight Moon,” “Guess How Much I Love You” come to mind. You snuggle up in a comfy chair with your child and read these kinds of books, trailing your finger over the illustrations to point out little details. Nice books. Staples of the toddler library.

But sometimes mom and dad want subject matter that speaks to them, too. We read three or four books to my son every night, and I have to switch it up now and then (usually around the time I can recite the book without actually looking at the pages). It’s also fun to share your interests with your child through a framework designed for them.

We have a hockey alphabet book that enabled my son to identify a Zamboni (we glowed with pride) and a Notre Dame picture book that taught him the fight song (this is all my husband).

Two books published this summer fit the parent-friendly genre and would make great baby gifts for new parents who like to take a different approach.

“The Rock and Roll Alphabet,” by Jeffrey Schwartz ($14.95), puts a music lovers’ spin on the old ABC’s. In Schwartz’s telling, “A is for Aretha, oft referred to as the Queen, B is for The Beatles in their Yellow Submarine.”

I loved the writing and the cadence. Who knew you could rhyme “British blues invasion” (C is for Cream) with “sonic exploration” (D is for The Doors)?

But the real thing that sets this book apart from others is the photography. Each letter is paired with a photo from the archives of the Chuck Boyd Photo Collection. Schwartz is the director of the collection, which highlights the career of photojournalist Chuck Boyd, who shot thousands of images of bands in the 1960s and 1970s.

One thing that would have been nice: sturdier paper. Little hands can do a job on regular paper. This might be the kind of book that parents don’t want to share.

“Star Trek Book of Opposites,” published this September (Quirk, $9.95), is a tough, colorful board book that will withstand the toddlers. Some of the images, on the other hand, may be a little much for kids. Trekkie parents, though, will love it.

David Borgenicht writes from experience – he attended his first Star Trek convention at age 9. He’s also the author of the bestselling “Worst-Case Scenario” handbooks and a little gem called “How to Con Your Kid.” I like him already.

“Opposites” has a simple layout. Each facing page has a pair of contrasting words, illustrated by campy stills from the show. Spock is “calm.” On the opposite page, Captain Kirk is looking “surprised.” You can also explore “appear” and “disappear,” “happy” versus “angry” and “furry” or “scaly.”

Some of the creatures could be scary for young kids. I don’t know what the monster/zombie/alien is who illustrates “mean,” but I’d prefer to skip right over that page.

Mostly it’s good, fun kitsch that will add a little humor into your bedtime reading routine.

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Review week: What’s new in kids’ music

Posted Nov 3, 2011 by Courtney Cairns Pastor

Updated Nov 2, 2011 at 11:32 AM

I’m a Glee girl. My husband is an ’80s metalhead. We like a lot in between, too, but we both wanted to avoid raising a Barney baby.

I had no idea how many music choice were out there, though, for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. And some of it is actually quite clever and catchy. We like to mix the kiddie stuff in with songs from our collection – right now our son is in a Bosstones phase – but he really responds to the peppy rhythms, silly words or relatable subject matter of music made especially for children.

Here are a few CDs to check out that have crossed my desk recently:

Chicken Joe Forgets Something Important (The Secret Mountain, $16.95) is more of a soundtrack than a standalone album, which makes it a unique listening experience for families. It’s a hardcover book with a CD tucked into the back flap that tells the story of a farm cat awakened early by a rock-and-roll rooster. Chicken Joe, the cat, knows he was supposed to remember something about the day but can’t quite figure out what.

Musical duo Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet of Trout Fishing in America (who have played at Skipper’s Smokehouse) wrote, sang and narrated the story. The plot is easy enough for little kids to grasp, with a surprise at the end they’ll enjoy. The songs punctuate different scenes and vary in style, tone and twang.

I preferred the thoughtful “Where Did Everybody Go?” but the upbeat tempo and repetitive phrasing of “Rock and Roll Roosters” and “Hello, My Chicken Thinks He’s a Dog” had my son asking for a replay again and again. And again.

The CD is available by itself without the book, but they work best together. Without the book, you’d miss out on the colorful, detailed illustrations, and you may have a hard time making sense of some of the songs – “16 or 17 Hours of Sleep” becomes funnier and more relatable when you know it’s about a cat. Without the CD, the dialogue in the book can be clumsy in spots and the ending seems abrupt. The music pumps energy into the story that children will love.

The Merry Goes ’Round (Mood Entertainment, $12.99) is singer-songwriter Jewel’s follow-up to her bestselling children’s album “Lullaby” and part of the Fisher-Price music series.

I really enjoyed Jewel’s lilting, breathy voice on “Lullaby.” It has a sweet, cozy feel that makes you want to curl up and rock your child to sleep. Her new album is peppier but still sweet – sometimes too sweet for me to handle. Nothing wrong with that; I just like a little more bite to my children’s music.

On “Merry,” Jewel provides a mix of original tunes and old standards, such as “Oh! Susanna,” “My Favorite Things” and “And the Green Grass Grows All Around.” The traditional songs were my favorites, though there are some fun new additions.

My son and I both enjoyed “Play Day,” the perfect song to listen to together in the car. “Supermarket Song” has pep and lyrics that single out the items kids like to look for on grocery store trips. “Just Like Penguins Do” slows everything down with dreamy storytelling.

There are 16 tracks on the album. If you’re a Jewel fan, you’ll love sharing it with your children. And the musical styles vary so much throughout the CD (country, folk, Dixieland and more) that you’re likely to find a few songs you like, even if an entire album of them gives you a toothache.

Practically Ridiculous (Pluckypea Records, $13) from The Jimmies is my kind of kids’ music. The subject matter hops from birthday parties to minivans to hamsters, all major parts of the tot universe, set to music I want to hear.

The advantage with that is that I can play and enjoy it without worrying about inappropriate lyrics, especially now that my son is in the phase where he repeats everything he hears.

Band leader Ashley Albert gives a Gwen Stefani vibe to “Minivan Hotrod,” which will make you feel way cooler than the rest of the parents in the pickup line. “Wash Up” has a good message (wash your hands!) and the body parts lessons of a hip hop head-shoulders-knees-and-toes. Not your thing? There’s a little country, reggae and good old rock throughout the 13 tracks on the CD.

Albert has great credentials for the kindie music scene. Her father and uncle, Howard and Ron Albert, were producers and engineers for Crosby, Stills and Nash and The Allman Brothers. She taps into her kiddie side in much of her voiceover work, including commercials for Lucky Charms and Dunkin Donuts, as well as voice work for Nick Jr.’s cartoon “Bubble Guppies.”

I loved this CD. My son, at 2, hasn’t warmed up to it yet, but I think he will as he gets a little older. In the meantime, I’ll keep playing it. Because I want to.

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Review week: Burp cloth luxury

Posted Nov 2, 2011 by Courtney Cairns Pastor

Updated Nov 2, 2011 at 11:32 AM

For the first nine months of my son’s life, I kept a burp cloth within easy reach. I had them stashed in diaper bags and strategically located in the bedrooms and living room, and I was never without one slung over my shoulder.

Nate had reflux, which meant a lot of what went in came bubbling out.

Babies in general are messy creatures, and – reflux or not – new parents do a lot of wiping up dribbles, drool, burps and more. I used anything that was handy and clean, from organic cotton cloths to plain cloth diapers to washcloths. I even had a fancy one that a friend had personalized that I saved for public use. Ah, vanity.

BabbaCo’s BabbaBurpie is made to be seen. It’s a deluxe burp cloth that makes spitting up a much more fashionable experience. The French terry cloth comes in cream and chocolate brown, trimmed prettily in florals or swirls.

And it has a secret weapon. It’s sewn like a pocket, so when one side gets pukey and icky, you just turn it inside out, and there’s a fresh new side to use. The material is thick enough that the damp won’t seep through.

Actually, it’s so thick that it makes the cloth a little bulky, so it’s not as easy to cram into your diaper bag. On the other hand, it’s large and has four sides available to use, which means you wouldn’t need to carry multiple cloths with you. And did I mention the BabbaBurpie is really pretty?

Besides, the neat pocket design means that when the burping ceases, you can repurpose the BabbaBurpie to hold soiled clothes, tiny toys or other odds and ends. When something spills, you’ll be equipped – stylishly – too.

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Review week: Putumayo goes beyond music

Posted Nov 1, 2011 by Courtney Cairns Pastor

Updated Oct 28, 2011 at 03:48 PM

Even if you’ve never listened to the music, you’re bound to recognize the Putumayo CD line from the colorful, boldly outlined drawings. Now the music label is expanding on its distinctive art work with its World Culture Collection of coloring and sticker books.

The company sent me the Latin America Sticker Collection and the Europe Coloring Book, and my first thought was that they were way too gorgeous to hand over to actual children.

The coloring books (there’s also one for Africa and Latin America) are printed on oversized paper with eco-friendly soy ink and walk you through the culture, landmarks, animals and musical instruments of the regions. Glossaries give additional information about what the children are seeing.

The Europe book takes you to the Parthenon, the Eiffel Tower and – the scene I was dying to color – Neuschwanstein castle in Germany. One page shows European flags and has space to design your own flag as well.

Although I wanted to do it myself, I passed it along to my friend’s 5-year-old son, because I’m nice like that. He’s a conscientious colorer and works hard to stay in the lines. Zane also is a budding reader and enjoyed learning the words that accompanied the scenes, his mom reports. It’s a book with enough meat to interest older children, too.

My 2-year-old got the sticker book to play with, and like the coloring book, it skews to older kids. He still liked playing with it – the hardcover book folds out to a scene and you can arrange people, birds, trees, buses and instruments around the landscape. The stickers are reusable and peel off easily. My son was a little too rough with the delicate figures and a few arms got ripped off in the process.

For preschool or early elementary school, it would be wonderful. It includes a colorful map of the region’s countries as well.

The coloring books retail for $9.95 each and the sticker collection is $11.95. You’ll be begging for a turn to play, too.

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