Although I couldn’t actually remember the full story I knew as soon as I started watching I would be reminded of the plot. I watched with my 4 year-old and 1.5 year-old and we are very cautious of movies because our oldest is very sensitive to material that could be perceived as “scary”.

For Miss A and Baby C the movie was appropriate. I was amazed at the quality of animation in The Gruffalo DVD. Seriously, from the little details to the perspective of the movie I was very impressed.

The story itself was a great one, and I won’t give everything away, but the storyline goes a little something like this: The mouse in all his tiny-ness, does his best not to get eaten by creatures of the forest. He makes up the existence of the Gruffalo {at least he thinks he makes it up}, but mouse’s creativity leads him to the one and only Gruffalo himself.

I would recommend, {as I always do with children’s DVDs}, for parents to watch the video without their children, because as parents we know our children’s tolerance of certain things best. I can understand where some children may be scared by the Gruffalo or other woodland creatures in this movie and want to make sure that you, my readers know that ahead of time.

Overall I think it’s a great movie, based on a classic book and definitely worth purchasing for the holidays or any reason really. I think the message behind the story is one that is valuable and the girls and I will definitely keep this movie in our collection.

I received a review copy of this dvd for the sole purpose of writing this post. The opinions expressed above are my own honest opinions, however yours may vary.

In this book, Sally, a Stinkpot turtle longs to be something other than stinky. One day she swims upon a berry necklace, but not just any berry necklace, and from that point on her thoughts become wishes and her thoughts and dreams become wishes upon wishes as we follow Sally through a variety of things she’d “rather be.”

It’s fun to follow Sally’s wishes throughout the story, see what animal she wants to be next and see why it’s just not the right fit for her. The illustrations are fun and even though Sally’s appearance changes there are running themes that will help your child recognize that each metamorphosis is the unhappy Stinkpot turtle.

Even though she’s a tad fickle, I like Sally, not only because she’s from Upstate New York {like me}, but she reminds me that sometimes in life the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

This story has a happy ending and a great lesson, but I won’t give that completely away, you’ll have to buy the book to check it out.

Head here: http://andyswebtools.com/cgi-bin/p/awtp-product.cgi?d=therochelleancom&item=30390 to check out more images from the book and purchase your own copy for $9.99

I was not compensated to write about this book, however I do know one of the authors and fully support her work in this book. 

If you peruse the website you’ll find old-school style lunch boxes, colorful storybooks, boys and girls style growth charts and so much more. My favorite item from Frecklebox are their place mats. Before I received the girls personalized placemats I assumed they would be nice, but I didn’t expect them to be as high quality as they were. The plastic material used is super thick and I’m not worried in the least that this placemat, (like some store bought placemats) will ever fall apart, even for the messiest eater.

Not only is the quality amazing, but the many choices of images for the place mat were great.  I was able to choose a skin color and hair color appropriate for each of the girls and of course get their names on the placemat. When Miss A saw hers she fell in love. She adored the princess and was so excited to see her name on it. The only down side to this placemat is that Miss A wants to use hers at every-single-meal so I’m constantly wiping it down and washing it, so for a busy mommy like me, I may just need to buy a few more different styles just to keep up with her. And at $9.95 this placemat is worth every penny (and more, if you ask me).

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to Frecklebox’s website: http://www.frecklebox.com and pick out your favorites. PS Not all of the items are for kids only, I love their journals and secretly their lunch boxes too, and I hear Mother’s Day is coming up too. Hint hint!!

Also wanted to note, for those of you looking for some parenting advice, Frecklebox is offering a free, “Positive Parenting Webinar,” with Amy McCready Postitive Parenting Solutions Founder and TODAY show contributor, at 9:00 EST tonight. Great for parents with children ages 2-16 years. Register/join in here: http://www.positiveparentingsolutions.com/frecklebox

Frecklebox is giving away a $40 gift certificate to one lucky MommyB Knows Best reader and with $40 you can get a lot of goodies on their site! Enter to win now:

Using the comment box directly below this post, submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry you are submitting one comment per entry. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be submitted you can qualify for additional entries.

Tell me what your favorite item is on Frecklebox from their website. (remember to comment with this entry first for additional entries to count.)

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Giveaway ends May 22nd @12:00 am. The winners will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winners will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

I received samples of Frecklebox products in order to complete my honest review for this post. The opinions expressed in this post are my own opinions, yours may vary.

From the fun, cartoon-y animations to the message of giving to those in need, Little Miss A and I LOVED this book from start to finish. I must say that I even cried because of the amazing kindness of the Princess and her Father, the King, and of course the meaning behind it all.

Even at 3.5 years old Miss A gathered a lot from this book’s message and asked questions throughout the entire story. I love talking to her about the people in need and am glad that it opened up conversation about how we can help people and give gifts to those in need and what God would want us to do in situations like these. 

We also like that the characters are diverse and that the author and illustrator thought the small things through and incorporated them into this great tale.

This book certainly has re-readability and is not something you will tire from easily. Plus, I really enjoy that the story is detailed, yet didn’t seem long or drawn out to me at all.

I would recommend this book to those trying to teach their children to be kind, share, help those in need, and even those families who’s children already have these great qualities. It’s definitely a “must have” in ever children’s collection and I’ve also thought of giving the gift as a graduation present because of the relevant message.

So glad I had the opportunity to check out The Rose Princess and the Special Gift, purchase your own copy at Amazon here: Buy The Rose Princess and the Special Gift Book now.

As I looked through their catalog I didn’t know where to start first. North American Bear Co. has an huge selection of quality products for both boys and girls. Not only that, but their products are affordable too, I didn’t feel like I was shopping in a super high-end boutique where the prices are expensive just because.

The B girls and I got to try out some very fun, stuffed toys. Miss A had her recital for Little Gym Dance and Gymnastics the same day we received the North American Bear Co. Rosy Cheeks™ Big Sister Ballerina Brunette. This doll is much larger in life that I had expected and Miss A fell in love with her. Check out this sweet pic of the two of them after Miss A’s recital.

Even Baby C got in on the ballerina action, when her Little Princess Ballerina Tan came to live with us. Isn’t she adorable, and I don’t worry about any of the pieces coming off, or strings coming loose, this doll is very well made, and just the right size for small hands….oh and we would like to apologize to the Little Princess Ballerina:

Dear Little Princess Ballerina, in all of your tan glory,

Baby C would like to apologize for constantly throwing you around like a rag-doll, and trying to pull your bows off unsuccessfully. Oh and most importantly, she’s sorry for drooling all over your beautiful tutu and using your limbs as chew toys. Thank you though for being a great friend, and hopefully someday she’ll learn how to treat you with more respect.

Apologetically, MommyB and Baby C

Let’s not forget, the last, but not least and newest member of the B family, a Bee, that’s right, in honor of our “B” name (and perhaps some new Bee theming on MommyBKnowsBest.com (you’ll have to check back on February 14th to see the changes)), he’s actually the Baby Bed Bugs™ Bee Chime and he’s secretly my husband’s favorite toy these days. DaddyB thinks Bee is so cool because of his low chimes, and his shape too. I really love that Baby C enjoys playing with him too, he’s super cute and I haven’t seen him in every household I walk into.

Having two little girls is challenging to find toys that are unique and not something that the other already has or a different version of the same thing, so North American Bear Co. has been a breath of fresh air. They have everything from simple stuffed toys to toys that turn into different characters when you flip them upside down, musical toys, and toys that make amazing lovies (security blankets), I recommend if you are going to buy a lovie make sure you purchase 2 or 3 of the same lovie for replacements! I know it may sound weird but you will thank me.

From the moment you hop on North American Bear Co.’s website to the day your package is delivered and their toys are in the arms of the gift recipient you should expect nothing less than amazing service from these great people. Here is their great website, make sure you have some time to spend peruse: http://nabear.com/

North American Bear Co. is giving one lucky MommyB Knows Best reader a chance to win your choice of prize valued up to $30.

Here’s how to win:

Using the ENTRY FORM directly below this post (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry/entries you are submitting all at the same time. There is no need to fill out separate entry forms for each item you complete. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be typed into the form BEFORE you can qualify for additional entries.

Giveaway ends February 24th @12:00 am. The winners will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winners will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

This year we got to read, The Last Ornament by Judith Vicary Swisher with illustrations by Molly Mann. The story is about a family who celebrates the same way my family and I do, they put up several fun and meaningful ornaments on their Christmas tree, I like to call it, “hodge-podge”.In the story the ornaments come to life, call me weird, but I love it when intimate objects take on lives of their own, but only in books, please don’t let that happen in real life! As the ornaments party and the family celebrates everyone get a little caught up in the fun time they are having and the Blue Engine is forgotten on the discarded tree. I don’t want to give away the ending completely,  but it’s a happy one.

All in all, I have to say though that I probably would not have chosen this book for my own collection. If I’m being honest the story is a little too long, and I feel that the author, Swisher could have gotten the point across without so many long sentences. Miss A, age 3.5 got very bored with the book and asked a lot of questions about it, but I also got a little bored reading the book to her.

Also, I’m not really sure what the message of the book is other than a pretty ornament getting lost and the children finding him. I prefer Christmas books that are either very fun and whimsical or have a great message behind them about the true meaning of Christmas, peace, or even learning to give.

Although this wasn’t my favorite book, I did like that the whole family cametogether to decorate the tree, which I’m a huge fan of; creating family traditions by celebrating with music and special ornaments. Another thing I really liked were the fun feel of the illustrations, there were drawings on ever single page us to enjoy.

In my opinion, if you are thinking about purchasing this book, I would consider checking the book out in a book store or local library first before buying it to see if it fits the recipient.

On another note, what’s your favorite Christmas/Holiday themed book??

Max and Ruby, Ruby and Max…if you’ve ever watched their videos or show on television you basically know all the words to the song. Little Miss A loves these two bunnies. I actually wrote about them forever ago wondering where their parents are, but that’s another topic.

We loved all 2.5 hours plus of Rosemary Wells stories, but our favorites are, “Max’s Chocolate Chicken,” where silly Max gobbles up the Easter chicken while hiding from his big sister Ruby…hopefully Baby C doesn’t get any ideas from mischievous little Max.

“Noisy Nora,” became one of our new loves as well, in fact we watched it three times in a row. It was hard not to laugh at little Nora, she sure would give Max a run for his money. Perhaps Rosemary Wells should write a book entitled, Noisy Nora meets Mischievous Max. If this ever becomes a book you know where the credit goes!

Bonus features include stories in Spanish, read along to music, interviews with Rosemary Wells herself and much more. If your child loves Max and Ruby in any medium this is a great set to pick up. Check out Scholastic’s website for more information: http://www.newkideo.com/

What’s your child(ren)s favorite story?

I love how the beginning pages in The Finger Prince explain each finger print character in detail, with fun and whimsy. Then, dum…dum..dum, enter the scariest cleaning utensil you’ve ever met.

The Finger Prince is recommended for children ages four to eight, and I certainly see why, with “Monster Sponge” on the loose. “Monster Sponge” actually scared me a little bit as I read the book, so I didn’t let my three year-old Miss A even see it, to be on the safe side.

“Monster Sponge” pops up on the unsuspecting Finger Print community, in a rage shouting that he will eat them, get them, and wipe the floor with them. Perhaps I’m a little uptight, but those aren’t words I even want my little ones to use even when they’re just playing.

It seems that the villain seems to get bigger and bigger throughout the book, even eating some of the Finger Prints, only to be defeated by Petey Peanut Butter and regurgitating the eaten Finger Prints…um, ewwww.

Now, although this is not a story for my family, I do like the underlying message that even the loner can be a hero and save the day. So the message is a decent one, and I like that the author Peter Begley used finger prints because I haven’t seen anything like that in children’s books, so I’ll give him points for creativity.

If I could do anything to change this book, I would either make some story line changes to create a more gentle way for Petey to fit in with the other Finger Prints or recommend this book for ages eight and up.

The last page in The Finger Prince says, “To Be Continued,” so I gather we should be expecting a sequel, I’m interested to see where Begley takes these characters, but not interested enough to purchase a copy of my own since I know we won’t be adding it to the B Family collection.

What fun “things” do you think you’d make a children’s book from?

Article first published as Book Review: The Finger Prince by Peter Begley on Blogcritics.

When I first became a mom, no amount of babysitting or nannying prepared me quite enough for the responsibility and blessings that motherhood would bring.  Just like all the other moms we were figuring it out as we went. That’s where this book comes in, if you want a little insight to motherhood, author Jen Klein has survived it all, changing diapers in not-so-quaint places to finding baby food in the most unlikely places.

The Mommy Files features quotes from both famous and real moms and adds some She Knows secrets from SheKnows.com, a site for women that covers many topics including parenting. This book reminds me a lot of what a girlfriend’s Cliff Notes for the book, What to Expect When You’re Expecting. From morning sickness to potty training and beyond The Mommy Files cover the details of having a baby, but it also covers the “nitty gritty,” that most books don’t touch on.

I love this quote from the book: “Think of stretch marks as pregnancy service stripes.” – Joyce Armor. It’s really funny because I often refer to my own stretch marks as my battle wounds. It’s a long and hard pregnancy but I survived. I also enjoy that this book has great information on Birth Plans and Birthing options if that’s something that you are interested, but I am a little put off to see that The Mommy Files does not really discuss C-section information, which I think is handy for every new mom to know. I think there are a lot of women out there who are scared of c-sections and don’t have the facts going into it, that would have helped ease my mind a little more.

I also noticed in this book Klein discusses breastfeeding mothers looking down on bottle feeding mothers, which I do see in the mother-world, but she doesn’t touch on those moms that choose not to nurse who criticize mothers who breastfeed in public or even in private, I know some of those mommies too.

In one of the chapters, I noticed that Klein kind of suggests to ignore advice that comes your way, personally I think if you’re like me, I wanted all the advice, the good, and the bad that way I had as much information, tips, and tricks I could have in my arsenal to choose from down the road. I guess that’s why this book interested me too.

I like the way this book is written in a whimsical, funny, yet realistic point of view. Love the sections on mommy groups and sleep and think overall it’s a great book for the collection. Motherhood is a huge topic to cover so I don’t fault Klein for not hitting every point, but you may not want to consider The Mommy Files your end all be all guide to pregnancy and childbirth.

What’s the best advice you can give a pregnant mom??

Get ready for an adventure with everyone’s favorite furry monkey, Curious George, in his latest movie, Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey. This fun-filled sequel will keep you entertained the entire time with the usual silly antics and some oh-so-sweet moments.

George and the man in the yellow hat, Ted Shackleford, visit the Piccadilly Circus and end up on the trip of a lifetime when Kayla, a zoo elephant turned magician’s assistant, decides that George should take her home to her family in California. Not to mention that Ted has been offered the opportunity to become the museum’s new director and should be preparing for a meeting with the board of directors.

Ted is focused on getting Kayla back to Piccadilly’s so he can focus on his speech, but George and Kayla have other plans. By foot, bus, train, and truck, this cross-country adventure takes many bends, turning into a fugitive chase to find “the missing elephant.” Of course it’s just a failure to communicate, but nonetheless Ted and George realize they are on the run and have to decide between turning themselves in or keeping their promise and taking Kayla back to her family at the zoo.

This movie is filled with some great characters. Of course the lovable Curious George, as always, intrigues us with his sweet, curious nature and big heart. The man in the yellow hat, Ted Shackleford, voiced by Jeff Bennett (known for many cartoon voice-overs), brings accidental sensibility to this elephant chase. Lastly, Jamie Kennedy voices “Danno” Wolfe, an overboard private investigator who brings many laughs to the movie because he’s just too much. You’ll find yourself wondering what move he’s going to make next. Other star voices in this film include Tim Curry, Matt Lauer, and Jerry Lewis.

Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey focuses on the importance of family and shows examples between George and Ted, Kayla and her family, and Kayla and Piccadilly. It is a movie that will warm your heart and bring family together. This movie is suitable for children of all ages.

I won’t give the full story away but Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey, directed by Norton Virgien, has a happy ending for everyone, and Ted realizes what is truly important in life — his best buddy, George. This movie is one you’ll want to add to your collection even if you haven’t seen the first Curious George movie or any of the television or book series.

What’s your favorite children’s book turned movie?