Come On, Mom! and Come On, Dad!

Thanks to two new books, Come on Mom! and Come on Dad!, written by Cynthia MacGregor and Ed Avis, respectively, you and your child will never again be bored on a Saturday, a rainy day, or any day in between. Each book contains 75 fun and creative suggestions for parents to do with their children, all of which are easy to plan and execute. From radio reporting and mock stained glass pictures (for daughters) to table hockey and building a mini-golf course (for sons) these activities will appeal to kids of different ages and with a variety of different interests.

Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World

The tile of Jill Rigby’s new book says it all. Amidst a society-wide preoccupation with consumerism, studies showing that today’s kids are more spoiled and less responsible than ever, and too many parents never taking the time to teach their children the word “no,” it has become difficult to raise kids who are caring, productive, and kind. Through her own experiences as a mom as well as her work with parents and children, Rigby created this guide that will help parents everywhere teach their kids what’s important while protecting them from becoming selfish.

Please Don't Label My Child

In the past, a number of experts have said that our society is one of over-diagnoses; that too many of our children are prescribed medication and given labels that they can never escape.  When one of these experts is a medical doctor specializing in child psychiatry, we should take notice. Dr. Scott M. Shannon, along with Emily Heckman, brings us this new book, Please Don’t Label My Child, to help parents understand how they should be dealing with a child who just doesn’t fit in.

Send Painelius Floating Away

This book, written and illustrated by Julie Nanos, presents an interesting take on teaching kids about illness and pain. Nanos turns pain into a speckled blue creature named Painelius, and uses him to help kids understand how pain actually helps their body heal. With a cutesy narrative and an ending that has kids blowing Painelius away with a bouquet of balloons, this book is meant really for the youngest children only, but can help parents explain to kids who might not otherwise understand why they’re hurting. Simple enough for young kids to grasp the concept and colorful enough to get their attention, this book just might get an upset child’s mind off their own pain for awhile. 

I Dare You…

Although practically every young girl today can program a DVD player, work a Blackberry, and download music to an mp3 player without hesitation, how many know the rules of tetherball, the ins and outs of espionage, or the science of snowballs? The answer, sadly, is not as many as in the old days.

But with any luck that’s about to change. After the release of the highly successful The Dangerous Book for Boys, my beloved friends Andi Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz decided boys shouldn’t get to have all of the fun. After all, the two women spent their own childhoods not behind computer screens or video games, but in bedroom forts, tree houses, and just scampering around the neighborhood for hours, letting their imaginations run wild. Thus comes The Daring Book for Girls , a book that will put the creativity back into a girl's childhood.

Whole World

One of the most interesting additions to the Barefoot Books collection is Whole World, a book that takes an old message to a new place. The book incorporates the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” with colorful illustrations, information for kids on conserving the environment, and a music CD for singing along. What’s more, the book takes its globally-conscious ideal seriously –it is printed on forest-friendly paper, provides 10% of net sales to conservation efforts, and brings the idea of going green to a new generation.