A
Few of Our Favorite Things
By Amy Crelly
Listen Up!
Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child airs the best kindie rock around, from current
groups to 60s rock. Started in 2005 by father-and-daughter team Bill and
Ella Childs, the show has now been awarded a NAPPA
Gold! Check it out online
at SpareTheRock.com. It’s music to a hipster parent’s ears!
Eye Candy
Check out these cool and crafty locals representin' on Etsy:
- Marty
May Rad and whimsical screenprints on tees, bags and wallets
(patch form too).
- Laundry
Monster Delightful onesies, tees, burp cloths (really,
almost too adorable to use for that purpose), and more, hand-dyed and
super-cute.
- Christine's
Jewelry Box Stylish earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and pendents,
all handmade with sterling silver, lampwork beads, and other cool
materials.
- Punta
Bella Darling crocheted hats and booties for babies and
toddling ones.
- HKlinger When
local music writer Heather Klinger isn't tapping at her keyboard, she's
making hip little buttons, featuring her original, smile-inducing drawings,
and the perfect felt turntable christmas ornament to give with that iTunes
gift card.
Crazy
like a...
Fantastic Mr. Fox hit Sacramento theaters just in time for the
Turkey-Day vacation break. While I can't technically say just yet that
it's one of my "favorite" things, since it has yet to open as
of press time, I am so eagerly anticipating this stop-motion animation
adventure
(and I am such a super-fan of Wes Anderson's films) that I can almost-practically-virtually
recommend it with the utmost confidence! It's rated PG (with some sly witticisms
aimed over younger heads and targeted toward parents), and features the
voices of George Clooney (as Mr. Fox himself), Meryl Streep
(as his wife), Jason Schwartzman (as their out-of-sorts son),
Willem Dafoe (as a menacing rat with a fabulous theme song), Bill Murray
and other ticket-worthy talents. Enjoy!
What Do
You Do
When Your Little One's Blue?
“Are
You Sad, Little Bear?” (Lion Children’s, and imprint of
Lion UK, 2009) is a beautifully written children’s book about “learning
to say goodbye,” as the subtitle explains. Recommended for children
up to age 5, it follows the journey of a cub whose grandmother has gone away
forever (“as old bears do”). Rachel Rivett’s gentle, tender
tone and Tina Macnaughton’s soft, warm illustrations will offer support
to both children and parents coping with loss. Its simple, elegant metaphors,
drawn from nature, allow space for parents of any denomination or philosophy
to add
their
own
special comforts to story time. Local families will recognize the trees,
streams and forest creatures Little Bear encounters in the book, as well
as the solace
that can be found in a walk through the woods.
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