The Zoo's Shoes and Giveaway

The Bear, age 4.7, can now tie her own shoes. This is mostly because she rules but her mastery of one of life's little challenges was definitely helped by the awfully clever new board book called The Zoo's Shoes. Within a 1/2 hour of opening the creative shoebox packaging the Bear was both reading the book and helping the Giraffe, Tiger and other zoo friends tie their shoelaces. Incredible.

The Zoo's Shoes book would make a wonderful gift for a preschooler itching to move away from Velcro and step up to big girl or boy footwear. The format of the book stresses repetition, with it's bold primary color-coordinated laces, yet does so without ever feeling like the action is a chore. There is also a snazzy You Did It! certificate included for when your child becomes an official shoelacer (completely made-up word by me...just go with it).


THE OWTK GIVEAWAY!

This giveaway marks the start of something I hope to continue throughout this holiday season. The economy sucks and so you may not have as much to spend on your kids as you did in previous years. That is why OWTK is going to be giving away fun stuff every few days.

Win and use the book/toy/video/CD as a gift (or not, whatever). Hell, even re-gift what you win...if you want!

To get started I have a very cool Potty Caddy to giveaway. This hip and funny "book" is ideal for anyone with a child who is about to begin potty training. Here is the official low-down on The Potty Caddy:

"Here's everything needed to say good-bye to diapers forever, including a 32-page full-color book, four toddler-size "magazines" for bathroom reading—including Vanity Fairy, BQ (Babies Quarterly), Rolling Stroller, and Sports Animated, 100 toilet targets, reward stickers, a potty chart, a helpful brochure for parents (written by a pediatrician), and, best of all, a child's very own roll of toilet paper on a refillable holder. With its happy illustrations of a proud and curious toddler (unlike most other potty training books, this one is gender-neutral), the Potty Caddy Book answers the questions little kids actually think about: Why does the toilet make such a loud noise when it flushes? Will I fall in? Why do I need to stop using diapers? Where does everything go? But it does it all from a toddler's perspective, with the help of far-fetched creatures (swamp elephants, space aliens, and the Poop Police), plus songs and tips."

Wanna chance to win this? Simply leave a comment here before 11:59 PM (ET) on Wednesday, December 3rd 2008. I will pick a winner at random the next day. Thanks for reading and good luck!

The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas

Many children are, at this exact moment, hard at work on the 1st or 2nd draft of their annual piece de resistance. Decisions of unquestioned importance are being weighed by bright-eyed youngsters everywhere - a blue or red scooter? or maybe, these days, the question is whether to request a lime green or violet iPod Nano? Meanwhile the jolly old elf himself is hastily visiting every strip mall in America (how does he do it?) all the while staying in constant contact with his toy-making team up North.

Inside a grand space on New York City's Upper West Side, a different gift-bearing creature is wrapping up his own Christmas preparations. Legend has it that each Christmas Eve night there's a dinosaur ball at the American Museum of Natural History. It's a prehistoric bash that climaxes with the appearance of Santasaurus and his dino-deer. Add to that tall tale a very lucky neighborhood boy and you have one of the finest Holiday books to be released in some time.

The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas, written by Anne Muecke and illustrated by Nathan Hale, takes the traditional and much more familiar T'was the Night Before Christmas theme and meter and overlays it with a fantastic original story of T-Rex's, Duckbills and their own sprig of mistletoe. The result is a superior, fun from start to finish volume perfect for the whole family, one that is destined to become a part of your family's holiday reading tradition. The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas will be appreciated by all but considered especially awesome by Dino-loving preschoolers and toddlers.

The book also comes with a 6-track CD featuring a warm-reading of the book by Al Roker and 5 hilarious dino-holiday songs (originally appearing on a Dinosaur Holiday, a 2005 disc released by Museum Music and available from AMNH). Lyrics to the songs serve as the appendix to the book itself, allowing you and your kids to sing along.

The dinosaurs here are as lovable, and dare I say cuddly, as cuddly as a two-ton giant lizard can be, as the dinosaurs in Jane Yolen's wildly popular, "How do Dinosaurs..." series. The Yolen books were the Bear's first introduction to dinos, and while she hasn't become attached to them the way some other kids her age have, she definitely enjoys them. This Christmas themed dinosaur story is a great addition and she took to it immediately. She can already belt out the refrain of "Hey Duckbills!" with ne'er a mistake, and found particular delight in using the word 'cranium'.

Check out video of The Dinosaurs' Night Before Christmas and hear Al Roker in action.

Randy Kaplan at World Cafe Live - A Preview

Fresh off his honorable mention for "Loquat Rooftop" in the 2008 Fids and Kamily Awards, Randy Kaplan is taking his show on the road. He will perform for Philadelphia area families at World Cafe Live this coming Saturday, November 29th before heading off to New England, Long Island, Brooklyn then swinging past Arizona (?).

His 2nd children's record has been playing constantly in our house since it arrived a couple weeks ago. If I had it in my hands and ears a bit earlier, "Loquat Rooftop" easily would have been in my top ten for 2008. The title track did land on my top ten songs of the year.

On Thursday, the Bear took the disc into school for "L" week's show and tell. Needless to say, OWTK is giddy about this Saturday's show.

Join us, won't you?

Macroeconomics for Kids

Over the past couple months it has become painfully clear that the U.S. economy is, at best, on shaky footing. With each passing day we are greeted with more gloomy details - unemployment rate rising, stock values tumbling, pending auto-industry failures and lay offs by the thousands.

How does one explain this recession/downturn/slowdown to kids? Do we bother at all, if we ourselves are still employed and the impact hasn't yet touched us?

A couple nights ago I broached the topic of macroeconomics with the Bear. She is turning 5 in March and while that might seem young to have such a conversation I felt it was important for her to understand what is going on in the world. She cheered for Obama alongside her Mom and Dad and to that extent she too has a vested interest in the fate of the free world, after all the future is hers not ours. What our elected leaders do today is going to play a major role in her adult life. If you don't believe that just think about what our government didn't do in Afghanistan in the 80's and follow the cause and effect trail...leading directly to the Taliban and some of our most difficult present day international dilemmas. Also factored in to the timing of me having this discussion is that my oldest brother just lost his very-well-paying job. So the downturn has touched home in more ways than just our shrinking 401(k) values. While her Uncle's new predicament opened the door I still needed a reasonable approach to the topic(s) at hand...I mean she is only 4.7 years old.

Here's the path I went down:

I told her that her uncle lost his job and that a lot of moms and dads are being sent home from work because there isn't a lot of work to be done. While there are numerous reasons, both national and international, for the rise in unemployment the example I went with is the decisions some families have to make to stop buying gourmet pita chips. Huh? The worst financial crisis since the great depression is because of fancy pita chips? Well, no, of course not but that is her favorite thing to snack on right now so I went with it. I explained that if her Uncle's family liked those same expensive chips they might have to cut them out of their shopping trips going forward as they will have less money now. That means the grocery store is making a bit less money. That means the pita chip company is selling less pita chips and may not need as many employees making pita chips. So the pita chip company sends some moms and dads home from their factories and those families have to make tough financial decisions themselves - not go out to eat and the same scenario happens as local restaurants, not go to the movies and the same things may happen at local theaters, not give as much to charity and so on and so forth...

I wanted to drive home the vicious cycle of it all and focus solely on the one aspect of the economic picture. While I kept it extremely narrow I didn't want to dumb it down or be over-silly about it. The Mrs. and I believe strongly that kids should be talked to seriously when necessary, that they are smarter than we as adults generally give them credit for and most times have a thirst for knowledge of all kinds.

It's doubtful that the Bear will be testifying in front of congress anytime soon or providing her opinion to the Wall Street Journal but at least she kinda gets how so many things in this world are interconnected. She gets, I think, that something happening somewhere else may eventually trickle down to our neighborhood/family/household.

Have you engaged in similar conversations? What did you say and how did your children take it?

OWTK's Best Kids and Family Songs of 2008

Last week I shared my top ten kids and family albums of 2008.
Here today is my list of top ten songs of the past 12 months, in no particular order.

• Randy Kaplan "Loquat Rooftop" from "Loquat Rooftop"
• Justin Roberts "Fruit Jar" from "Pop Fly"
• Justin Roberts "From Scratch" from "Pop Fly"
• Danielle Sansone "Two Flowers" from "Two Flowers"
• Hayes Greenfield "The Things We Throw Away" from "Music for a Green Planet"
  
• Brian Vogan "Happy Valentine's Day" from "Little Songs"
• David Tobocman "Home" from "Very Helpful Songs"
• Frances England "You and Me" from "Family Tree"
• Recess Monkey "S-L-Double E-P-Over" from "Tabby Road"
• Ellis Paul "Abiola" from "Dragonfly Races"

And one more..."You True You" from Brady Rymer:


Kiddie rock music makes a great holiday gift, much more so than some plastic piece of junk that will be broken or forgotten about by the new year. Buy directly from the premier online kid's music shop The Pokey Pup where you can access this year's Fids and Kamily top ten list (and all the honorable mentions) in one handy place right here.

Fids and Kamily 2008 Awards - My Ballot

Congrats to Justin Roberts for taking top prize in this year's Fids and Kamily Awards. His latest album "Pop Fly" is more than deserving of the honor of being considered 2008's best kids and family record. I called "Pop Fly" the best kid's music album ever, so the fact that it won best of the year doesn't surprise at all.

For the 2nd year in a row I was pleased and humbled to be a part of the F&K process as an official judge. Like last year, I was asked to write the Fids and Kamily review for one of the top 10 CDs. In 2007 I was privileged enough to pen the short review of the #1 album, Gustafer Yellowgold's "Have You Never Been Yellow". This time around I chipped in for the #10 disc Danielle Sansone's gorgeous "Two Flowers".

Here is how my personal ballot looked this year:

1) "Pop Fly" Justin Roberts
2) "Yes to Running" Bill Harley
3) "Family Tree" Frances England
4) "Dragonfly Races" Ellis Paul
5) "Music for a Green Planet" Hayes Greenfield
6) "Here Comes Brady Rymer and the Little Band That Could" Brady Rymer
7) "Two Flowers" Danielle Sansone
8) "Tabby Road" Recess Monkey
9) "I Count to Ten and Other Very Helpful Songs" David Tobocman
10) "Little Songs" Brian Vogan

A little disappointed that Ellis Paul didn't get more love from my fellow judges. "Dragonfly Races" is a terrific album that has held up all year long. Also a little surprised I only matched on 4 of the top ten this year. Guess that proves just how much quality kiddie music is being released year after year.

Next week I will post my top ten kids and family songs of 2008.

Readeez Volume One DVD Review

If you are wondering just what, exactly, is a Readee you're not alone. While the accompanying-words-on-a-screen concept during a kid's movie is hardly new, what The Readeez Company is doing, starting here on Volume One, is, as far as I know, completely original.

Volume One runs about 40 minutes but is relatively devoid of a cohesive narrative. What strings the 30 roughly-one-minute Readeez together is the idea behind them. Through a trademarked process called Simulsynchrotaneous creator Michael Rachap has crafted a new media tool that serves as an interactive aid for young readers and pre-readers alike. The short films are set against a crisp white backdrop and have the characters, namely Julian ("played" by Rachap) and his daughter Isabel, literally popping in and out of the frame - which is fun in and of itself - whilst taking and singing to you and your kids. The topics discussed and put to song range from cold weather to cows and as the images appear so do the words in a large, stylishly simple black font (looks like Goudy Old Style, one of my faves) in perfect syllable synchronization. Instead of just scrolling along the bottom and certainly without the bouncing ball, the Readeez script flashes in unpredictable places all about the screen.

The stylishly minimalist Readeez DVD art and on screen presentation is instantly appealing. The interaction between the characters is sharp and witty and the general concept here is a winner. The Readeez tagline is "giggle and grin while the knowledge sneaks in" and that is appropriate. The short films are cute and clever but nothing hysterically funny. Giggle is a perfect word to describe the general reaction you'll likely have to Readeez Volume One.

OWTK is certainly looking forward to future volumes but in he meantime we've subscribed to the Readeez channel on You Tube. Check out over a dozen Readeez on You Tube right now then buy the DVD for high quality viewing.

Randy Kaplan "Loquat Rooftop" CD Review

Some of the best music ever composed is often thought of as such because of it's ability to, either with it's rich lyrical content (i.e., "Bob Dylan") or passionate instrumentation (i.e., Miles Davis), conjure up vivid images in the listener's mind. While a kiddie rock songwriter may trade visions of Johanna for those of a cinnamon gum ladybug, this same measuring stick of quality is true of music written for the single digit crowd.

Much like the greats who can be referred to simply by one name (Woody, Seeger, Dylan, Cher - ha!) Randy Kaplan is a dude who knows how to use words as brushstrokes. The picturesque songs of "Loquat Rooftop" radiate warmth, thanks in large part to his uniquely familiar voice and his front porch style of music. His is the musical equivalent of comfort food. Kaplan's tunes are humorous yet sincere with characters who dance happily in your imagination. He is the John Prine of the children's music scene with lyrics as sharp as an aged cheddar, wit to spare and a delivery that's the perfect marriage of singing and speaking.

"Loquat Rooftop" is his second (not just for) kid's record, and is filled with an eclectic mix of traditional tunes, famous covers ("Charlie Brown", "Tomorrow" from Broadway's Annie, Hank Williams' "Move it on Over"), and fabulous folky-jazzy-bluesy originals yet remains centered around the terrific, sentimental title track. With it's gentle, finger-picked acoustic guitar, breezy harmonica and hot summer's day imagery, "Loquat Rooftop" is one of the best kid's songs released this year (I would've sworn Kaplan was singing about a fictitious fruit but it turns out that loquats are real!).

Mike West, Kaplan's producer, penned the 2nd best cut on the record in "Clothes Dryer". The track features street festival horns that pop and includes the best sing along chorus on the disc in "...Clothes Dryer, ain't we got a line, ain't we got a yard full of sunshine". Spot OWTK on the road this month and you'll likely see us all silently screaming out those words.

Kaplan is only two records into his kid's music career, yet I already feel comfortable placing him on the top shelf alongside Justin Roberts and Frances England. I'm stoked to hear what he has in store on future (not just for) kid's releases.

Kaplan has a few live shows coming up this month - check him out at Symphony Space in Manhattan on November 22nd or join OWTK at World Cafe Live in Philly a week later on the 29th.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Loquat Rooftop, either physically or digitally, right now. You can sample most all the "Loquat Rooftop" songs mentioned here...right here.

Extreme Makeover OWTK edition

The site will be transformed over the next couple days. What you see now may change...don't be alarmed!

My United States - Brady Rymer

Celebrate Election Day 2008 with this rockin' number from Brady Rymer.

Download "My United States" for free today.

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE

Get out and be heard.

No Excuses!

Vote today!

Our Moustaches Can Change the World

It's Movember!

Check out this funny, yet at the same time serious, charity that encourages the growth of upper lip facial hair as a way to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other men's health issues. Movember is an international movement that has raised more than 29 million dollars globally since it's inception 4 years ago. The Prostate Cancer Foundation is the primary beneficiary of U.S. based Movember fundraising.

The idea is to start November clean shaven (so you missed 1 day if you're just learning about Movember today) then grow it and style your moustache as you see fit. Talk about your lovely young stache throughout the month and encourage others to donate to this cool cause.

You can register as an individual or as a team. Get started and become a Mo Bro or Mo Sista today.

Bill Harley Live in Philly

One week from tonight, Saturday November 8th, the great Bill Harley will be live in Philadelphia, PA (now also known as The City of Champions!!!)

He is bringing his songs and stories to the Arch Street Friends Meeting House. The venue is located at 4th and Arch in Olde City Philly. The show is scheduled from 7:00-8:45pm and costs a mere $10! Seriously, that is a much better investment than whatever movie is showing at the multiplex on Delaware Avenue.

Sample some Bill Harley here:

a Song - "I Like to Sing"



and a Story - "The Ballad of Dirty Joe"




then buy tickets to see Bill's only area performance.

Still not sure? Go back and read OWTK's review of Bill Harley Live! This is sure to be the kiddie event of the rest-of-the-year in Philly. OWTK will be there and you won't want to miss it either!