Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The Top Books for Babies and Toddlers

You're headed to a baby shower that requests:

"Help build baby's library! Please bring a book instead of a card!"

SUCH a cute idea! But if you don't yet have kids of your own, or are a little behind the times on the best books for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, choosing the perfect book might be a daunting task.
 
Yes, you can always fall back on the good old classics like Margaret Wise Brown's "Goodnight Moon" or Eric Carle's "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" that have been loved for generations. But chances are, you won't be the only one to pick those tried and true reads.
 
Reading 8-10 books each day for the last 4 years (3 at nap time, 4 at bedtime), I consider myself a baby book aficionado of sorts. I've read them all - the good, the bad, and the even worse. So here it is... 
 
Sweet Leigh Mama's 1st Annual List of the Best Books for Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




 
 
 
 
 
 


Monday, April 14, 2014

A New Animated Movie the Kids (and Mamas) Will Love! Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return

Calling all Wizard of Oz fans! The newest animated movie your kids will fall in LOVE with is almost here - Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return. Dorothy lands in a theater near you on May 9th. And guess who is the voice of little Miss Dorothy? LEA MICHELE! Are you as excited for the soundtrack as I am? Maybe something that can hold a flame to the Frozen soundtrack that plays on repeat in 9 out of 10 minivans nation wide? We can dream...

This new spin on an old classic is based on the beloved Wizard of Oz books by L. Frank Baum."Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return" begins when Dorothy (Lea Michele) wakes up in Kansas to find that it has been devastated by the tornado that whisked her to Oz. But soon after, she is magically transported back to Oz by her old friends Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man (Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi and Kelsey Grammer, respectively). She must work with a new cast of characters to save Oz from an evil Jester (Martin Short) who wants all of Oz under his control. The film also stars the voices of Patrick Stewart, Oliver Platt, Hugh Dancy, Megan Hilty and Bernadette Peters.

Click below to watch an exclusive trailer of Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return: