Lindsay Shaw, the Children’s Librarian at The Providence Athenaeum shares her love and knowledge of books with Kidoinfo. You do not have to be a member of the Athenaeum to visit, although once you see their collection you may want to join. And when you stop by the Children’s room, say hello to Lindsay.

Too young for Harry Potter? Too old for…? Well, in my line of work (children’s librarian), no one is too old for any book. Let’s just say the book I’ve chosen to review here has enjoyed a fan base of young and old and older for many years, and though not nearly as famous as L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, it is in the same league.

The book is Tal: His Marvelous Adventures with Noom-Zor-Noom by Paul Fenimore Cooper, illustrated in bold black and white by Ruth Reeves. Originally published in 1929, Tal is a treasure waiting to be rediscovered.

First we meet Tal, an orphan boy who appeared in a small sea side village called Martoona, when he was just past a year old. The villagers have been raising him collectively for about eight years and all admire his bright and thoughtful manner. Here we also meet Noom-Zor–Noom, a story-teller who has traveled the world with his assistant Millitinkle, a snow white donkey (so named for the bells at the tips of her ears), collecting stories.

I should add at this point that Ms. Millitinkle can talk and is ever ready with a dry comment. Like her male counterpart Eeyore, from Winnie the Pooh, she is not bubbly or silly, which adds a gentle sophistication to the story that won’t be lost on young readers.
(more…)

Great Cookbooks for Families
Reviewed by Katy Killilea

The title of Kitchen Playdates is misleading—it sounds like it’s going to be cute ideas for cooking and playing with kids in the kitchen. No. This smart book acknowledges that adults like to get together to eat great food, have some drinks, and that they like to do this (gasp) even in the presence of children.

These are recipes for adults that take kids into account. Each is purportedly simple enough to make with kids underfoot and includes notes on how to put interested kids to work. But what makes this book really different from the gazillion other simple, stylish, beautifully photographed cookbooks is the ingenious ideas for kid-oriented activities. They will delight children and could even keep them out of earshot while the adults discuss important matters of the world today, or how Mr. X is recovering from his vasectomy.

The activities are loosely related to the recipes, but they can be done anytime. For example, the “Spice Treasure Playdate” has kids “paint” using inexpensive bulk spices and glue (the author warns readers, “Just avoid cayenne”). She also suggests providing kids with small jars and letting them make spice blends in the style of sand art (wherein layers of different colors are visible through the glass). Fun, pretty, and an olfactory education as well. And much easier to clean up than glitter.

Details:
Kitchen Playdates
By Lauren Bank Deen
2007 Chronicle Books
$24.95

Technorati Tags: cookbooks

The 2008 FirstWorks Festival once again brings an array of global talent to Providence, creating a cultural crossroads of international talent. World premieres and first performances will span theater, dance, music, new media, and family as FirstWorks champions cultural firsts while highlighting Providence as a “First City of the Arts”. The festival runs from October 2 – November 9, 2008. The 2008 FirstWorks Festival now combines events for kids and families since ending the annual FirtsWorksKids festival last year. Although many of us with kids loved (and will miss) the one-day June festival, FirstWorks is still committed to introducing the arts to children—now all year long—with events like the Dan Zanes show, the puppet film festival curated by Heather Henson at Providence Children’s Museum last April, and performers working directly with schools.

Grammy Award winner Dan Zanes is rockin’ into town on Saturday October 11 and will perform at Providence Performing Arts Center as part of this year’s festival. If you have seen Dan and his band perform their lively blend of folk-rock world music, you know this is a must-see music dance party for kids and adults. If his music is new to you, listen to his music and hear for yourself why he is on the Kidoinfo A-List. Dan always brings along a group of friends to jam with, and this year he and his friends will be playing music from his new Spanish CD, ¡Nueva York! along with many familiar tunes. And as an added bonus, if you join the FirstWorks Friends membership** by Friday, October 4, you and your children will be invited to meet Dan and friends at a members-only ice cream social. How cool is that?

Here is the complete Kidoinfo guide to 2008 FirstWorks Festival and what’s in it for kids.
(more…)

By Maura Keating

The Kicky Pants product lines grew out of Erin Cloke’s prescribed bed rest before the birth of her second child. The company was founded with her husband, Nick Cloke, and has enabled the couple to spend more time with their family while creating products that make life better and a little cuter for other families.

Products from the Kicky Pants Bamboo Basics line are made out of bamboo—a sort of wonder crop that can be grown without the use of pesticides or fertilizers. Bamboo is sustainable, good for the environment, and good for your baby. Bamboo fabric is also antibacterial and antifungal, ideal for little ones whose paths might cross with who knows what. It’s anti-static so it won’t cling as baby rolls, crawls, or walks about. It absorbs water better than cotton, a huge boon if you’ve got a sweaty baby like mine, or a drooler. Bamboo stays cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Truly a wonder fabric, it’s no wonder that Kicky Pants chose bamboo for its line of adorable children’s clothing and maternity tees.

The Kicky Pants Bamboo Basics line includes simple, classic designs with an edge. Each item is an essential building block for any child’s wardrobe—starting with onesies, tees, pants, dresses, and pajamas. I love the coveralls that snap for quick changes. They feature a drop-down flap in the back that has a classic appeal, yet is totally functional for diaper checks. A simple smocked dress has a ruffled bottom for instant oomph. If you’re buying for a girl, you’ll want the ruffle onesie. I don’t have a girl, but I wish I did. There’s just something charming about ruffles on a baby’s bottom. The Bamboo Basic items come in an array of solid colors that range from soft pastel tones with names like “pond” and “spring grass” to bolder colors that will make Baby stand out like “orchid” and “moss.”

(more…)

This months Free-for-All Saturday at RISD Museum celebrates the grand opening of The Chace Center. Saturday, September 26 is an all-day (and evening) admission-free party to welcome visitors of every age. Opportunities abound to view new exhibitions (including Chihuly at RISD and Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay), watch family-friendly performances, participate in hands-on activities, and enjoy live music. Visit the museum website for a complete schedule. Contributing writer Laurel McLaughlin reviews the Chihuly at RISD show for Kidoinfo. She will review Building Books: The Art of David Macaulay show in a future post.

I’ll admit it, when I first thought about visiting the Dale Chihuly show at the new Chace Center at the RISD Museum, all I could envision was my two-year-old tearing through the gallery space while I followed, horror-stricken. It played out like one of those Curious George stories where the little monkey has brought about some sort of hideous and expensive devastation and the whole town ends up chasing after him. So, when I recently attended the media preview of the show (without kids) I was thinking of this; Is it possible to enjoy these exquisite and highly fragile masterpieces with children in tow? The answer is yes (see tips below)—this show is pure magic and none of us should miss this opportunity to enjoy great art.

The first thing that awaits you is the Persian Chandelier. Like most of Chihuly’s work, this was created specifically for the RISD venue. You move beneath a profusion of multihued glass forms illuminated meticulously to allow gentle, colored light to filter onto the wall. An intriguing aspect of his work is how Chihuly succeeds in defying the properties of his medium. The liveliness of the color and form suggests movement and growth, which we usually don’t associate with glass. Also, the scale of the installation merges the art with the viewer’s physical space.

Chihuly’s drawings form a grid across the next wall. As with the glass objects, the artist uses heat, color and a bit of serendipity to create these lively compositions. They seem almost to have formed themselves. He uses paintbrushes, brooms and squirt bottles to apply the paint and there is an amazing sense of joy and vigorous energy to them. I might ask my girls how they think the artist feels as he’s making these works. I know they’ll be thrilled to learn that all of his shoes are covered with paint.

Beyond the drawings to your left is the Mille Fiori installation. The gallery walls (specially designed for this exhibit) were built in a circular form around a garden of swirling and rounded shapes. The darker palette lends a quieter, meditative feeling to the work. Chihuly often says that he’s never met a color he doesn’t like, and each one of the installations at the museum invokes a slightly different mood as a result of this variety. I’m curious to hear how my kids might respond to each color palette and how they will choose to describe them.
(more…)

My friend Wendy and I ran an art club for kindergarten kids at the Vartan Gregorian Elementary School last year. Since art is a passion for both of us and we both have young children, it made sense for us to combine the two. We created a curriculum inspired by the book The Art of Teaching Art to Children: In School and at Home by Nancy Beal and Gloria Bley Miller. For two six-week sessions, we gathered twelve kids each week for just over an hour to explore a variety of mediums such as clay, collage, and weaving.

Oftentimes young kids (age 5-6) enjoy the creative process itself or become more fascinated with the materials themselves than the finished piece, so we planned a different project each week that introduced the kids to a variety of materials and techniques (many recycled) — all based around a central theme. We created a space and format that is familiar to them yet also exposed them to new things and time to explore their creativity.

The theme of our program was Creatures and their Habitat (animals, bugs, and spiders are a popular subject with kids), and each week we read a story related to the project or material of the day to set the mood. We focused on using recycled materials and thanks to the Recycling Center for Rhode Island Education (a fabulous source for discarded supplies, parts, and odds ’n ends from local businesses), we were able to purchase most of our materials at bargain prices and keep unused stuff out of our landfills. Many schools and nonprofits may already be a member of the RRIE, but individuals can also purchase individual memberships for only $60—well worth it if you like to make projects, like our planet, and want to help keep this place in business. We purchased other supplies like glue and scissors at Michaels Craft Store.

Many of the following projects can be easily done at home.

Me and My Pet: Getting to know ourselves and learning to collage
Materials: Cardboard and scraps of fabric, tacky glue
Books: The Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle and I Want a Pet by Lauren Child

(more…)

I know where my kids and I will be after the Dan Zanes show. Me and some of the Kidoinfo crew will be hanging out eating ice cream (make mine mint chocolate chip) and getting some hang time with Dan and his friends. We would love you to join us for this special event at PPAC, from 3:15 to 4:00 pm.

Support FirstWorks by becoming a FirstWorks Friend with a minimum donation of $50 by Friday Oct. 4th. The first 30 new members are invited to meet Dan and Friends at a members-only Ice Cream Social. Each invitation admits 4 (adults/children).

Your help, through a cash or in-kind gift, makes it possible for FirstWorks to create extraordinary Firsts in the Arts that celebrate new ideas, embrace diverse cultures, and enrich our community. Get more membership details and join here or mail in your tax-deductible contribution to FirstWorks, 270 Westminster St., Providence, RI 02903. Tell them you heard about the offer on Kidoinfo and we will enter you to win a Kidoinfo T-shirt!

Stay tuned for the Kidoinfo Guide to the 2008 FirstWorks festival that runs from October 2 - November 9.

By Katy Killilea

Commons Lunch in Little Compton, right on the town commons, is an adorable place to stop for a quick bite to eat with your kids. It’s open daily until 8:00 pm, so it’s not just for lunch. But no matter the time of day, it feels like lunchtime there.

A spinning glass dessert case and L-shaped counter with twirly faux leather stools make it the Platonic ideal of a luncheonette. Most of the customers appear to be regulars, sitting down and nodding curtly yet respectfully when the waitress guesses their order. (”Turkey club, extra mayo?” Nod.) The food is typical lunch stuff, and the children’s menu has everything you would expect: hot dog, grilled cheese, hamburger (most kids’ lunches cost $2.95, including fries). The regular menu is more comprehensive, with all kinds of sandwiches, fried oysters, lobster rolls, chowder, and something called shaved steak, served with baked beans.

We loved sitting at the counter with our grilled cheese sandwiches and icy cold cans of soda. We had to hustle along before we could dive into a slice of the twelve-inch-high layer cakes and assorted cream pies on the spinning display. When we go back, I’ll make sure we have time for dessert!

Details: Commons Lunch - 48 Commons Little Compton, RI
Open 6:00 am - 8:00 pm daily
Phone: (401) 635-4388

Photo Credit: Katy Killilea

Great Cookbooks for Families:
Reviewed by Katy Killilea

Rhode Islanders used to be divided into two groups: those who commute to Massachusetts regularly and can easily stop for provisions at one of the state’s gazillion (sixteen) branches of Trader Joe’s, and those who bitterly envied them. But starting this fall, we can all go to Trader Joe’s. Rhode Island’s very own TJ’s—as you have surely heard by now—is opening on Bald Hill Road in Warwick. (The company predicts the store will open in October.)

Serendipitously for us, the new Cooking with All Things Trader Joe’s will also be available this fall. This is a cookbook of eclectic recipes that make Trader Joe’s your prep cook. In some ways, the recipes remind me of the old “Mix one can of this with a packet of that.” The difference, of course, is that the ingredients are yummy treats from Trader Joe’s, free of added chemicals, instead of spooky glop.

This book will make it easier to shop at TJ’s and acclimate yourself to the store’s fine jarred and refrigerated sauces, condiments, and chopped vegetables. You could translate the recipes into traditional grocery store foods if you wanted, but this book has a very specific audience in mind: the busy Trader Joe’s enthusiast. Breakfast, dessert, salads, main courses, and even “Bachelor Quickies” (i.e., barely cooking) are all included. Most of the recipes are for wholesome meals. The recipe I’ve included below may not fall under that category, but isn’t it ingenious?

Honey, I Ate the Chocolate Bread Pudding

(more…)

By Martha Iachetta

The end of summer brings many college students back to Rhode Island, but it can be a time of moves and transitions for families as well. Shuffling to a new community for a school system that feels like a better match, taking advantage of dropping real estate prices, saying “see you” to a less than ideal living situation when your lease runs out…whatever the reasons, droves of people are on the go once summer winds down and shifts into fall. Packing up and moving were certainly the primary themes of my past few months. In fact, my husband, Bob, and I put our house on the market, sold it, packed it up, bought a new one, moved in, and made it livable all within eight weeks. If that doesn’t make me sound insane, perhaps the experience lends me credibility for sharing some tips I learned for making a move easier when children are involved.

Do:

Invest in A-rated movers, even if it costs a little more. Get referrals from friends, your realtor, or Angie’s list. If you have the money, hire packers, too. Trust me, I learned this one the hard way. And, yes, you’re too old to do-it-yourself.

Involve your children in packing a few boxes, particularly loading up some of the less used items from their room.

Have fun labeling and/or decorating some of their boxes with paints, markers, or stickers. For pre-writers, give them a thick marker to trace over your lightly penciled words.

Make sure your children are otherwise occupied outside the home on major packing and moving days—preferably with a familiar, kind, and fun friend/relative/child care provider.

Make a family outing to a paint store so your children can have input on the color of their new bedroom(s).

Visit your new house together while it is still empty to help children visualize where their toys will be kept and what rooms will be for playing, sleeping, watching television, etc.

Have friends over for a visit as soon as possible, both yours and your child’s. Being the new kid on the block is hard for everyone.

Budget lots of extra money for days and days of restaurants and take out. Even if your kitchen gets set up quickly, you will not feel like cooking.

During heavy packing days, this tip includes gentle nudges to your friends to feed your family (or, at least your child) at regular intervals.

Arrange for some private time with your partner to christen your new house ASAP. While total privacy may not be feasible, even some quality time together makes everything seem much more bearable afterward.

Keep your perspective and sense of humor. Murphy’s Law may reign supreme.

(more…)