Sara Blakely has been fantastically successful helping us hide our post-baby bellies with her magical Spanx products, but now she's asking women to show off their bellies all in the name of charity. Her new book, The Belly Art Project , …
Two years ago, when I learned about Parents magazine lifestyle editor Amanda Kingloff's cool, modern crafts book Project Kid , I flipped. For joy. These were crafts my kids could easily make , and I'd actually want to keep. (Sorry, glitt…
We're all big fans of artful, creative pop-up books around here, but when I checked out a copy of Midnight Creatures: A Pop-up Shadow Search , it didn't cross my mind just how extraordinarily creative it would be -- and how much it would…
I'm always a sucker for books for toddlers and early readers that make use of modern art. We've covered Where's Warhol (a Where's Waldo parody) most recently, Henri Matisse and Alexander Calder pop-up books , and now there's a cool new o…
My absolute favorite feature on my iPhone isn't the smart to-do list that keeps my life sane or the ability to look up random facts on Google whenever I want -- it is, of course, the camera. I take thousands of pictures each year, and as…
As we turn the corner into All Things Pumpkin Spice, let us not forget that being up all night with a scary book can be truly delicious. These YA reads for teens (and adults!) who dig dark themes range from silly vampires to magical devi…
I love having a daughter. Her bright, energetic, and (yes) sometimes emotional personality is such a treat to have in our home. We've had a very open relationship so far, which I am very grateful for, and now she's creeping up on the age…
I have a soft spot for quirky children's books with captivating illustrations , which is why I keep picking up the brand new Pablo and His Chair by the French artist and author Delphine Perret to read to my kids. The story is simple -- a…
My youngest child started Kindergarten this week -- sniff -- and he's learning to read so quickly. I'm thrilled to find out he loves books, and I've been scouring our bookshelves and grilling our librarian for some great beginner chapter…
My younger kids usually need a little one-on-one time to decompress after school, and one of our favorite ways to do this is reading together. After a few minutes in my lap, they're ready to go play again. But, I have to admit, I'd much …
There's something so special about sharing our very favorite childhood books with our kids. When we see our kids falling in love with Anne of Green Gables , or imaging themselves racing through Narnia to defeat the White Witch, there's a…
Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind. ― Henry James You stocked up on school supplies, bought your kid a cool new lunch box and backpack , and purchased …
True fact: This book is so cool that I had to go steal it back from my fifth grade daughter to review it. It's called Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World , and it's geared toward celebrating the contributions wom…
One of my preschooler's very favorite books of last year was Beastly Babies by Ellen Jackson and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. An animal lover at heart, he couldn't get enough of its playful illustrations . So when we saw that Brendan W…
This election cycle has been pretty brutal, leaving a lot of us wondering how to talk to our kids about politics . Well, I just got a copy of Grover Cleveland, Again! by the celebrated documentarian Ken Burns and illustrator Gerald Kelle…
My kids and I have encountered some very memorable girls with very memorable experiences in their children's books over the years -- Madeline's midnight appendectomy, Freckleface Strawberry (a favorite among my brood of redheads) wearing…
When I was a kid, one of the most exciting things about going back to school was getting to pick out a new Lisa Frank notebook. What would it be this year? A unicorn with wings and a flowing, rainbow mane? A dolphin family swimming in an…
My kids love to read. But they also love to go to the movies. Luckily, that makes our summer reading easy this year, since I'm going to encourage them to pick up some of the great children's books that are being adapted into movies this …
Even though I've got a couple of avid readers in my house, I'm always looking for ways to continue to encourage them to pick up a book. Thankfully, there are no shortage of summer reading challenges that offer kids a little incentive for…
Now that my kids are old enough to play "real" games -- you know, the ones where I don't have to let them win -- I love finding new clever and fun options for when we all gather around the table to play. So I was really excited to learn …
We all know chewable, sturdy board books are a great choice for babies and toddlers who are still in the oral fixation phase of development, but these books aren't always known for being the most stimulating for adult minds. Especially w…
We could not be more excited that famed Japanese author-illustrator, Taro Gomi (you know him, the author behind the widely popular Everyone Poops ), recently released a new boxed set called Growing Together. We think it's the perfect gif…
As someone who grew up with her nose in a book, I sure spent a lot of time hearing my parents tell me to put down that book and go outside to play! So in honor of today's National Readathon Day , I've rounded up five wonderful new pictur…
Not too long ago, I realized my 8-year-old son was a reluctant reader. He's a perfectly good reader, but would rather do just about anything but read. And that's a particular sore spot for me, because there are few things I’d rather do m…