Max Science Adventures Book Series Review

I was sent the Max Science Adventure Series to read and review. There are currently four books in this series: Max Goes To The Moon, Max Goes To Mars, Max Goes To Jupiter and Max’s Ice Age Adventure. The Moon, Mars and Jupiter books are written by Jeffrey Bennett, and the Ice Age Adventure is written by Logan Weinman with Jeffrey Bennett.

Logan Weinman is a third grader from Colorado. He wrote and illustrated Max’s Ice Age Adventure, while Jeffrey Bennett wrote the science questions and answers. Max is a dog that has great adventures. I enjoyed reading about him traveling to different planets and into the past.

I also found these books to be educational. While your child is enjoying the story itself, you can sit and help him/her read the boxed text for educational information. These books will teach your child about our Moon, Mars and Jupiter. They give you information about space travel and the possible existence of life on other planets.

Your child will be entertained by the antics of Max, the lead character in the book. My daughter enjoyed reading these books with me. It amazed me what facts she was able to understand and retain. This series of books is recommended for grades K-8. My daughter is almost 7 and needs help reading them. They are available for purchase at Amazon and in bookstores.

Interview With A Wonderful Nonverbal Autistic Adult

I had the opportunity to interview Jenna Lumbard by email. Jenna is 21 years old, autistic and nonverbal. As a mom on an autistic, nonverbal child, I was honored for this opportunity. Here are the questions and answers for the interview. It's short, but revealing. Thank you, Jenna.


1. Hi Jenna. Can you introduce yourself to my readers and tell us a little about yourself?

I would be happy to introduce myself to your readers. My name is Jenna Lumbard. I’m 21 years old and I live in Camas, Washington with my mom and dad. I have lived in Camas my whole life. I went to school here and I graduated from Camas High School in June of 2006. I enjoy watching videos and spending time in the water. I also like to surf the internet whenever possible.

I am nonverbal and I have autism, but that didn’t stop me from following my dreams of being a writer. I have written one book and have had it published. It is called “Worried Wendy Goes to School” and I have a second book in the process of being published right now and it should come out in June of this year. I have always enjoyed writing and I find I have an abundance of words and pictures in my head that I want to share with the world. I’m happy, funny and at peace with who I am.

I hope this has given you a little insight into who I am.



2. As a mom of an extremely intelligent, nonverbal child, I am always irritated (to put it nicely) by people that assume that a child that doesn't talk is intellectually low functioning. What I don't know, (because my son has difficulties expressing his feelings) is how it affects him. Did you face this growing up, and if so, how did it affect you?

I’m glad you asked this question, because that has always been a concern of mine. I have a wonderful friend and mentor that has been my aide for the last seventeen years and whenever I met someone that I didn’t know I always ask Janet to be sure that they knew that I was not retarded and I was not deaf. For some reason people always assumed that just because I couldn’t talk it meant that I also couldn’t hear so they would yell at me and then they would talk about me like I wasn’t in the room or they talked down to me like I was a small child. I found that to be very frustrating and demeaning. If I was able to talk to them for a while they learned very quickly that I was smart and able to communicate via my computer, but if I was not around my computer I was always irritated by their behavior. It’s important that people don’t make assumptions about someone’s intelligence by their appearance or by the label of a handicap placed on them by the medical community.

3. Do you have any advice for other non-verbal children and their parents that you wish someone had told you growing up or told your parents?

There is one thing that I think is of the utmost importance and a piece of advice that would have served me well growing up. The advice is, it’s okay to be autistic. You don’t have to strive to be something else or wait for a miracle cure to go on living your life. As I mentioned before I had a wonderful aide who always told me the only thing she expected of me was the best I had to offer. She didn’t care if I was autistic or not she expected me to always try my hardest and never give up just because I had some obstacles to overcome. My family is very supportive and they have loved me through a lot of challenges, but they never expected less from me just because I have autism. I love them for that.

Three Times The Love Giveaway Closed

Last year, I did a review and giveaway for the book "Three Times The Love," a story about raising triplet boys with autism. I loved this book and am happy to have another givaway on my blog for it. This time, the giveaway will be for the paperback version of the book and there will be three winners. Each winner will get one copy. You must live in the US to enter. This giveaway begins March 9, 2010 and ends March 26, 2010.

Main Entry: Leave a comment telling me who you would give this to and why. (If this rule isn’t followed, no additional entries will count).

You can get extra entries by doing any or all of the below. Each entry needs to be a separate comment.

1 Extra Entry - Follow @taless on Twitter and leave your twitter id in a separate comment
* 1 Extra Entry - Twitter this giveaway and leave your twitter name in a separate comment (You can get up to one extra entry by tweeting each day and leaving a comment here each day.)
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Books to Lift the Spirit

As my children were growing up, we did a lot of reading.  I began, of course, by reading to them at bedtime.  I would imitate different voices for the characters in the story.  My children loved this and seemed to follow the story better because of my silliness which added interest for them and helped them separate the characters.
Books have always lifted my spirits.  I can get lost in a good story anytime and enjoy myself.  It was also one of the reasons I did better in English class and in spelling bees.  The love of reading and using the imagination in faraway places got me a long way in school and in play.
Books are great for lonely children, great for a group of children, great to share or to use alone.  Children can even read to their stuffed animals or to their pets, or to a younger sibling or grandparent.  They can also make their own books and use them for a family show and tell or to make their own plays with at a special family function.
If you or your children are having a down day, pull out a good book to share, and it's sure to lift your spirits!

Practical Valentine's Day Gifts

A few freat Valentine's Day gift ideas for the practical lady in your life.

Luscious Chocolate Smoothies - An Irresistible Collection of Healthy Cocoa Delights (Libertary) is a delicious collection of recipes that combines the rich, intoxicating taste and benefits of dark chocolate, with a tantalizing balance of fruits, nuts, tofu, juices and other unique combinations to create cool, refreshing, mouth watering drinks for all ages.

The best family Valentine’s gift this year is the gift of family bonding and stress relief achieved by enjoying TOT YOGA: Yoga for You and Your Toddler from 10 months to 3 years old, http://totyoga.com/. This DVD is a fun filled workout for moms, dads and kids that helps improve children’s focus, sleep, and strength. Tot Yoga was released in December 2009 and has been recommended by The Kids Yoga Resource.

Every Valentine, young and old, will love “Your Present: A Half-Hour of Peace.” This exquisitely soothing, award-winning stress-relief CD instantly carries listeners into the soothing relaxation and comfort of a spa vacation ...for just $14.95! http://www.relaxintuit.com

When you and your partner or your child are having a stand-off where no one is hearing anybody and everyone feels upset, Talk To Me Like I'm Someone You Love: Relationship Repair in a Flash is remarkable first-aid. A collection of 101 user-friendly written Flash Cards provide immediate calm and connection. Who could resist: "I can see that I've missed the point. Can I have another chance?" "I love you. I hate fighting. And can't we just hug?" or "I feel like a complete and total idiot"? $16.95 at bookstores and on amazon...so much less expensive and often more effective than months of therapy. http://www.nancydreyfus.com/

Whether you're at the beginning of your marriage or you've spent years trying to make peace with
your mother-in-law, The Daughter-in-Law Rules provides a revolutionary set of strategies, making copasetic coexistence possible at last!

Calmer Parenting
Calmer, Easier, Happier Parenting’s area of focus is teaching practical and effective parenting skills.
We produce quality parent education products—CDs, DVDs and Books that teach parents a specific set of simple skills that result in children becoming more cooperative, confident, motivated, self-reliant and considerate and parents becoming less stressed.

This is a gift guide, put together to give you ideas for Valentine's Day. All descriptions are from the companies of the products listed. No compensation was given or received for inclusion on this list.

Treasure Bound Book Review

I was given the opportunity to review and keep a great children’s book. It isn’t just a book. It is also a game. The book is titled Treasure Kai and the Lost Gold of Shark Island. It was written by Karen Guinn Robertson and illustrated by Victor Guiza. The author came up with the concept of combining a book with a game in order to interest her children in reading. “In early 2007, Karen was struggling to find ways to inspire her sons, 6 & 9, to read for fun. Both were having difficulties with reading. She knew how critical literacy was to education and had seen the impact of poor literacy on a child’s self esteem. So she created a new kind of book that combines the fun of miniature toys with the magic of stories to keep kids turning the page!”

I love this concept. I love the idea of using this with autistic children. My son responds to learning tasks better when there is an incentive involved. The toy clues that you place in the chests are items that will capture a little boy’s attention. In the last chest, you can put the coins that come with the book/game or you can use a special treat that your child will love. If you use a special treat, you may find that the next time you use the book, your child will respond better. With my son, once he knows what the end incentive is, he works harder the next time to get it.

The bad news about this, is that this is the only one she has come out with. I would love to have a whole series of these books/games. Using the same one over and over again may get boring to my son. To be able to switch up stories would be more interesting.

There is also a website that you can access with this book. In the back of the book is a code for the secret section on the site. The secret section allows you to access printable games and coloring pages. It is a great way to continue teaching your child based on the Treasure Kai story. For more information and to view a video about the book, you can visit the Treasure Bound Books website.

Reporting for Duty: A day at the White House Book Review

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to read. I enjoy losing myself in a good book. You can visit new places and learn about all kinds of things when you take time read. I have tried to instill a love for books in my children. We read together everyday. I love to take my kids to the library and let them pick out books to check out.

Any time I am given the opportunity to review a children’s book, I do so. I was offered the opportunity to review and keep the book “Reporting for Duty, A Day at the White House,” written by H.K. Gilbert. This is a story told from the perspective of Barkley, a secret service dog. The dog takes you on a tour of the White House, and provides a unique take on what goes on in this grand house. He also provides bits of historical facts through out the story.

This book is more than a story. It is also a learning tool. It is a coloring and activity book. You can use it to help teach colors to your child. It helps with object recognition, following directions, and reading comprehension and retention.

The pictures in the book are simple drawings. I would have liked to see more detail in the drawings. The story itself is engaging. The author makes learning about the White House fun. I think it is a nice learning tool for teaching children that are visual and hands on learners. If you copy the pages, you can use them over and over again to teach your child.

I am constantly doing the same activity repetitively with my son to improve his fine motor skills. Coloring and writing are very difficult for him. The improvement that I have seen in this area is due to repetitive work. It also helps to present work in different ways. I like that this is an activity book that will work on his coloring skills, while addressing an academic need. I think it is important that he learns about the White House. It is a very important part of all American citizens.

I think this book would make a nice Christmas present for any young child. The MSR price on the back is $9.95. I checked around and you can get it online at Barnes & Noble for $8.95.

Book: Reporting for Duty: A day at the White House
H.K. Gilbert
Author & Illustrator
Price: $9.95
Ages: 5-9 yrs.

PR Pitches and VIP Forum

I have been getting a lot of pitches from companies that are looking for autism and special needs bloggers to review their products. I thought that it would be a good idea to set up a special VIP section in our AutismLearningFelt forum.

Before I do this, I would like to know who would be interested in joining. The VIP membership fee would be $5 a month in order to get bloggers that are serious and dedicated bloggers. I would list my pitches and I encourage other members to list theirs. I would appreciate it if you would leave a comment if you are interested. If I see that there is enough interest in this, I will set it up.

As the membership rises, I will invite PR companies to join us and pitch directly to you and you can pitch directly to them. If you are a PR rep., and would be interested in participating, please leave a comment letting me know.


Update: I am getting a little interest in this, so I am setting it up. If you wish to join, go ahead and register for the AutismLearningFelt Forum. I am not going to charge for this at this time. I was reminded how difficult things are for us all, and wish my forum to be about helping others. If you have already paid, you should be seeing a refund show up any day now. I've refunded it on my end. I have started entering pitches and will continue to do so over the next couple of days. I have been getting slammed in the last couple of days with review requests for Christmas.

I'm Really Not Tired Book Review

I was sent the book “ I’m Really Not Tired“, written by Lori Sunshine and illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler, to review and keep. First, doesn’t the title sound familiar? I mean, if you have a child, it has to sound just a little bit familiar. I know that my daughter has says those words to me more times than I can count. It’s a phrase that all parents get used to hearing from their young child.

Children can be very creative when it comes to getting out of going to sleep at night. My daughter uses all of tricks in the book. “I’m hungry,” “ I’m thirsty,” and of course, when all else fails, “I’m not tired.” The main character in this book is a little boy named Sam and he insists that he is not tired. He is also convinced that when he goes to sleep, his parents are having all kinds of fun. He grabs his teddy bear, Petey Bear, and the two of them sneak downstairs, determined to catch his parents having fun without him.

I really enjoy sitting with my daughter and reading this book. She loves the silly scenarios the little boy in the book comes up with. We both love the illustrations. This will be a book that we will enjoy and treasure for a long time. It is fun to read and the words and pictures capture my little girl’s imagination. It is so easy to imagine that it is my little girl this book is written about.

How many times have you thought that your child doesn’t want to go to sleep because he or she is afraid of missing out on fun? I am always saying that to my husband about our daughter. This reasoning in the character Sam’s thinking is just one of the things that I love about the book. Holding my daughter in my arms while we are reading this book, is a memory I will always treasure. I love listening to her giggle at the funny parts. We keep this book within easy reach for bedtime. It is fast becoming a bedtime ritual for us. If you are looking for a really good book to buy for your child this Christmas, I recommend this one. “I’m Really Not Tired” will captivate your child and give you many nights of wonderful memories.

Cowboy and Wills Book Giveaway Closed

I am happy to be able to give away two copies of the book Cowboy and Wills, written by Monica Holloway. Two winners will each get one autographed copy of the book. This is a mother’s story of her young son and how pets have made an important impact on her child’s life. Since it is getting close to Christmas, I thought it was only fitting to ask her what her son’s favorite Christmas present was. This was her reply:

“When my son, Wills, who has high functioning autism, was six years old, he received a golden retriever puppy named Cowboy for Christmas. “Cowboy Carol Lawrence” to be precise. He named her himself.
What I say in my new book, Cowboy & Wills, is that when Wills saw Cowboy for the first time, there was an immediate shift in the way he approached the world.
As Wills stood in the store holding Cowboy close to his chest, a complete stranger walked up and touched him on the shoulder to ask, “Is that your new Christmas puppy?”
“Yes,” he answered, turning toward her so that she could see Cowboy’s fuzzy face. “She’s a cutie.”
It was extraordinary. This woman, a complete stranger, patted Wills’s shoulder—and he didn’t bristle or bolt out of the front door in an absolute panic. He actually spoke to her. Off our jubilant expressions, Wills gave us a shy “What do you know?” smile.
Somehow, with this tiny heart beating next to his, Wills had stepped a little further into the world.
It was going to be an exceptional Christmas! And it was!” - Monica Holloway

This giveaway is for two autographed copies of Cowboy and Wills. There will be two winners and each will get one copy. This giveaway will run from November 20, 2009 to December 4, 2009. The winner will be announced on December 5, 2009. This giveaway is for USA only. Below are rules for entering this giveaway. Good luck.

MAIN RULE – Leave a comment telling me why you would like to win this book.

You can get extra entries by doing one or more of the following.


1 Extra Entry - Stumble this post and leave your Stumble name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
1 Extra Entry - Subscribe to the Cowboy and Wills email list

leave a seperate comment here letting me know you did
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Books For Homeschooling Your Child

Today I would like to review several books together. These are some really good books for home schooling your child. They are also good for expanding your child’s understanding of the world around him or her. I found these books to be entertaining and fun for both of my kids.

The first book is from Nomad Press. Explore Transportation! Was written by Marylou Morano Kjelle and illustrated by Bryan Stone. This book is from the same series as the Explore Winter! book that I recently reviewed. It contains projects, activities and experiments. This book covers just about every form of transportation you can think of. From rollers kating, walking, boating and driving, to planes, trains and camels, you will find them all in here.

This book is for ages 6 - 9 and most of the activities require only a small amount of supervision. It depends on your child’s abilities. My son requires more help than my daughter because of his lower level fine motor skills. When we are reading the book, his understanding is more advanced than my daughter. She is 6 and he is 10. My son is also an advanced reader. Surprisingly, I also learned some new things from this book. I am not mechanically inclined. When my husband starts to talk about cars, my eyes kinda glaze over. When he starts getting into what is under the hood, well, let’s just say I start thinking about anything else that will block it out. This book actually provides definitions of some common parts found under the hood in a way that I could easily understand.

The next book I want to mention is Living Planet, Uncovering the Wonders of the Natural World, from Tick Tock books and written by Paul Bennet and Barbara Taylor. This book is geared for children 9 - 12 years of age. It covers life in the oceans, deserts, rainforest, and polar regions. The photographs are beautiful. They really help hold a child’s attention while reading and helps them connect what they are reading to life.

Next is a series of books from Tick Tock Books. They are from the Little Science Stars collection: Backyard Bugs, Solar System, and Electricity. Backyard Bugs (written by Jenny Vaughan) and Solar System (Helen Orme) are for ages 5 - 7, while Electricity Clint Twist) is geared for ages 9 - 12. I enjoyed that these three books were easy to understand. The pictures helped illustrate what was being read and the questions at the end of the book were a great way to encourage critical thinking and reinforce the new concepts learned in the book.

All of these books were sent to me compliments or their publisher to consider for review on my site. I loved them all and am happy to have them to use while home schooling my son. My daughter and I have also enjoyed reading them together.

Heading West Book Review

Heading West, Life with the Pioneers, written by Pat McCarthy and published by Chicago Review Press. This book is for ages nine and up. I was sent this book for free to review and keep. Have you been looking for a way to make teaching your child history fun? I was. When I saw this book listed as available for review, I requested it.

This book concentrates on the old west and is filled with historical information about people, places and things that are related to that time period. The book is written to be easily understood by a child that is at least nine years old. I also love the pictures in the book. From the photographs of historical figures like Daniel Boone to a picture of an Alaskan homestead, they are a great way to inspire an interest in history.

I think the time line in the front of the book is a great way to keep the events you are teaching in chronological order. I haven’t done it yet, but I am going to copy it and tape it to the wall. What I really think makes this book special are the activities that are listed in it. There are 21 activities throughout the book that you can do with your child.

The activities have detailed instructions and are easy to follow. The author tried to use materials you already have around the house or outside. The first activity in the book is how to make a tipi. It is really easy to follow and a fun way to reiterate what you and your child have just read. Other activities include churning your own butter and tracking animals.

Now that we are home schooling, I think that it is important to incorporate fun into our day. Teaching my son is a challenge. He has a short attention span and bores easily. By switching back and forth from book learning to a learning craft/activity, I am hoping to have an easier time keeping him focused and involved. I think that this book is a great fit for home schooling families. It’s not designated for use with autistic children. That’s good, because it doesn’t carry the higher price tag that we usually associate to materials that have been labeled especially for our children. I checked Amazon, and you can get this book now for $13.22. You can also find it in the book stores for $16.95USA & $18.95CAN.

Books By Tara Help Autistic Children

Introducing…..Books By Tara!


Since you are reading this, your life has probably been touched (or more likely “profoundly changed”) by a child diagnosed with autism. Mine too! My introduction to autism came first as an Early Childhood/Special Ed. teacher before my youngest son, Jake, was even born. Shortly after Jake’s first birthday, he began showing all the tell-tale signs of autism. Eventually he was diagnosed on the severe end of the spectrum, and my journey which began with my students continued at an even deeper level with my son. Through this journey of connecting, learning, and celebrating; Books By Tara were created. Here’s how it happened in a nutshell.

The deceptively simple skills of being able to attend, learn, communicate, and function even at the most basic level can be very challenging for kids on the spectrum to acquire. Through the Son-Rise® Program I learned to stop fighting for my son’s attention and instead pay attention to it. What does he attend to? He frequently finds everyday details, ones that used to escape my attention, absolutely fascinating! Looking together at photos, illustrations, objects, etc. without pressuring Jake to interact often results in more interaction! Sometimes during these relaxed, connecting moments he breaks through his communication barriers and new words pop out! I feel like I’m winning the lottery!!! One of the first times this happened was looking at a photo of a child with a box on his head in Tana Hoban’s Is it Red? Is it Yellow? Is it Blue? Time after time we had studied this photo together silently, and I really had no idea exactly why Jake found it so interesting. Sometimes I’d comment briefly, “He has a box on his head, that’s so silly!” Jake would occasionally comment back in his usual simplistic, echolalic style “head” or “box”. Excited to have him say anything, I’d celebrate, “Exactly! There’s the box on his head!” and point to it telling him how great he was doing talking to me. Then I’d wait silently for his turn in the interaction. Imagine my surprise when he said super clearly, “Can’t see.” WOAH! He did it! He told me what he’d been thinking about!!! “You’re RIGHT, you brilliant boy! Way to tell me that! He can’t see with a box on his head!” Wow. An interesting photo can be a powerful interactive tool and language promoter if used in a fun, relaxed way. I wanted more.

After years of spending hours and hours scanning old magazines and calendars for just the right photos to make interactive books and games to use with Jake, I received a camera for my birthday. The first book by Tara was born - HOLES. Now I can get pictures to highlight those concepts and activities that most kids find fascinating such as WATER, going through the automatic Car Wash, and making a Jack-O-Lantern. Each book has 19 or more pages of interesting objects and scenes. Big 8X10 photos freeze-frame our fast-paced world to allow as much time and repetition needed to support those non-verbal connections as well as communication breakthroughs. The real life images make these books appropriate for any aged individual to enjoy them, hopefully with an adult who cares deeply and wants to connect at whatever level he/she is able. Interaction is a gift in which we can all learn from each other.

Currently there are 7 titles available, and many more are in the works. Please visit http://www.booksbytara.com/ to find out more. Here you will find testimonials and even more extensive reviews from both parents and professionals. You can also look inside some pages of an actual book. Articles regarding how to invite interaction in positive, effective ways are available to support those who are blessed to interact daily with someone on the autism spectrum. Don’t forget to sign up for the FUN, free eNewsletter for on-going information and updates!

I sincerely appreciate Tammy for this opportunity to introduce the books to you. Our children can be the most amazing teachers and sources of inspiration. Let www.BooksByTara.com bless you on your journey towards connecting, learning, and celebrating life with that special child. By supporting each other, we all learn and grow together. ~ Tara


Language development is more than words;
It starts with connections that can not be heard.
http://www.booksbytara.com/

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: There's a Party In My City

Much to my daughter's surprise (and joy), I was sent the following to review and keep: YO GABBA GABBA! Meet My Family DVD, YO GABBA GABBA! MUSIC IS AWESOME! CD, and YO GABBA GABBA! Christmas in Gabba Land children's book.

I liked them all. YO GABBA GABBA! is one of the few children's shows that teach important life lessons that children can immitate. The DVD helps children understand that it is okay to be shy around new people. It also illustrates how your child can try to overcome this. My daughter has difficulties in social situations, so I like that this addresses this issue.

The CD is great for listening to in the car when your children are driving you crazy. It may get annoying for the adult in the car, but we all make sacrifices. My kids like it and it gives me a little peace and quiet.

The book is neat. I have not showed it to my daughter. I intend to give it to her closer to Christmas. My favorite feature of this hard page book is the two places it has to insert your child's picture. I also like that the characters make each others Christmas presents at the end. This is something we are going to be doing this year and I look forward to it. I also like the fact that I can use this book to explain that Christmas isn't about buying things at the store.

Below is information about the Yo Gabba Gabba! show on Nick Jr. Below that, you will find information about their upcoming Live shows, as well as a link to their site for more information on how to obtain tickets. They are still adding locations for the shows, so if you don't see a location near you, keep checking back.

Yo Gabba Gabba! on Nick Jr. Information

Andy Samberg, The Roots and MGMT were among the celeb guests who appeared with the Yo Gabba Gabba! gang during a week of new episodes, which aired Monday, Oct. 12 – Friday, Oct. 16 on *Nick Jr (*formerly named NOGGIN). Additional guest stars appearing throughout the premiere week included hip-hop legend Biz Markie, teaching preschoolers how to beat box in the recurring “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment, singer/illustrator/composer Mark Mothersbaugh (DEVO) in the recurring “Mark’s Magic Pictures” drawing segment, skateboarder Ray Barbee and musical guests Reeve Oliver, Lady Tigra and Little Ones. Yo Gabba Gabba!, currently shooting its third season, is created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz and is produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN. The series airs daily at 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nick Jr. These episodes will be replayed so you can still catch them if you missed!

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: There's a Party In My City

Hey, Everybody!

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live: There's a Party In My City is coming your way! Come see DJ Lance, Muno, Foofa, Brobee, Toodee and Plex live on stage.

Tickets are on sale now!! Visit: GabbaTix and Ticketmaster.com.

Monday, 10/19 4:18pm ET: New tickets just released in LA!!
Tickets that were previously held for production reasons have just been released for sale on Ticketmaster.com.

Date, City, Venue,
Saturday, Nov. 14, Los Angeles, The Shrine Expo Hall

Sunday, Nov. 15, Los Angeles, The Shrine Expo Hall

Saturday, Nov. 21, New York, Beacon Theatre

Saturday, Dec. 5, Chicago, Rosemont Theatre

Children under one year of age will be admitted free to sit on a parent’s lap. One child per lap please.

iKnow and Marvelous Toy Review

I was sent Tom Paxton’s children’s book “The Marvelous Toy” and Take Pride Learning’s iKnow Animals, Letters & Sounds Beginning Reading System to review. I enjoy reviewing children’s educational items. Things have changed a lot since I was a child. There are a lot of really great educational products available now that I would have loved as a kid.


Let’s start with The Marvelous Toy, words and music by Tom Paxton and illustrated by Steve Cox. The book comes with a CD that is stored inside the back cover. There are four very nice children’s songs on the CD. The book is a cute story about how one special toy is handed down from father to son for two generations.

I enjoyed the illustrations. They are bright and engaging depictions of the story. I also liked that the author and illustrator both leave what the toy is to the child’s imagination. The words and pictures hint at what it is, but they don’t tell or show you. This gives you, the parent, the opportunity to engage your child’s imagination. This book captures the wonder a child feels when he discovers a very special toy.



The other item I reviewed was iKnow Animals, Letters & Sounds Beginning Reading System. This took me a while to review. It comes with one CD with music and three DVD’s. The DVD’s are approximately 80 minutes in length and are titled, Rain Forest, Africa and San Diego Zoo. They also sent me the iKnow Animals, Letters & Sounds card set.

I thought that the beginning of each DVD was good. I liked the way they started them off with a song and had the words of it on the screen. I enjoyed the combination of real photography and animation. I felt that these were a great way to teach children their Alphabet and animals. I also think that it is great for beginning readers.

The DVD’s cover a lot of animals and provide a lot of information about them. I did think that they could improve a little with the presentation. After the opening song, the rest of each DVD is very low key. I think that children would have a difficult time sitting through one DVD. I would recommend showing them to your child in 15 minute increments. My children liked the videos, but would lose interest quickly. They responded better with me only showing parts of them at a time.

I think this is a good learning system. The cards that come with them come in a box the size of regular playing cards. The pictures are really nice and I loved the raised letter feature on each card. The company has an area on their website that parents can go to for additional resources. It is called Parent Place and you can easily register for it by using your code on the booklet that comes with the DVD set.

Things you can find on the Parent Place include games and instructions to use with the cards, interactive play, and printables. Watching part of a DVD and then going online and doing an activity is a great way to reinforce what your child is learning. I recommend this for parents of children just learning their alphabet, beginning readers, and to teach about animals.

Board Book Albums

Today, we have a guest writer, Laura Miranti. She is sharing her business and how her Board Book Albums can help with communication. - Tammy, Administrator of AutismLearningFelt

















My name is Laura Miranti and I recently started my own business offering a new product that I created. I am sharing the information with you because I believe that it may help your child’s learning and development. Here's our story:

A few years ago, when my daughter Lucia was a year old, we realized that she was somewhat behind her peers in meeting certain developmental milestones. We began working with a physical therapist and an early learning specialist. It’s amazing to see how much progress Lucia has made! At age 2, she started walking and trying to say lots of words,although most of them we still could not quite make out. The early learning specialist (who is like a speech therapist, but works with children before they begin to talk) suggested that I find Lucia a photo album to put photos of her family, toys, and other familiar objects in her world. When I was unable to find a kid-friendly photo album, I came up with the idea to create a board book photo album. The Take Your Pix (TM) photo album was born! This album has been a wonderful learning tool for Lucia. She loves to turn the pages and look at photos of her family, toys, and other familiar objects in her world. Studies have shown that until the age of two, young children only have object recognition with photos. This means that before the age of two, they can not relate a drawing of an object with the actual object, but they can relate a photo of the object with the actual object.

My hope is that many children will enjoy our Take Your Pix (TM) board book style photo albums (patent pending). Kids with autism, speech delay, or other special needs may find it particularly beneficial as a learning tool, or just something fun to create with their own favorite photos. Our albums encourage speech development as well as fine motor skills. They can also be used with the PECS communication system used by some autistic children. Our albums are also ideal for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients who may find the thick pages easier to handle than the thinner pages of traditional photo albums. Take Your Pix (TM) albums are great for scrapbooking, kids crafts, baby and wedding shower gifts, and grandparents' gifts. The possibilities are endless!

Board Book Albums offers a chunky board book style photo album that can be used by small children, big kids, and adults alike. The "Take Your Pix" photo album has sturdy pages, into which photos can be inserted from an opening in the top of the pages. Unlike other albums, our albums have thick sturdy pages that are perfect for little kids to handle (like the kids chunky board books). We have also added notches on the page edges to facilitate page turning. We hope that you and your children enjoy them as much as we have. Please visit our website at www.boardbookalbums.com for additional information or to place an order. Call or email us for wholesale pricing.