KidCrunch

Syd Hoff (1912-2004) the author and illustrator of a long list of classic children’s books, was born on this day in 1912.  On his birthday, it seems appropriate to celebrate the work of this prolific children’s book author.

Syd Hoff’s books are timeless classics with a place on almost every child’s bookshelf.  I remember reading them as a kid and–because so many have been republished as “I Can Read” books–my kids have had the chance to enjoy them as well.  Following is a list of our family’s favorite Syd Hoff books:

• Albert the Albatross
• Barney’s Horse
• Captain Cat
• Chester
• Danny and the Dinosaur
• Danny and the Dinosaur Go to Camp
• Grizzwold
• Happy Birthday, Danny and the Dinosaur!
• Mrs. Brice’s Mice
• Oliver
• Sammy the Seal
• Stanley
• The Horse in Harry’s Room
• The Littlest Leaguer
• Who Will Be My Friends?

Celebrate Syd Hoff’s birthday by reading a stack of Syd Hoff books with your kids.  If you are looking for easy-to-read books with engaging stories and superb illustrations, you and your kids will love Syd Hoff books.

Buy these Syd Hoff books and other great kids books through Amazon.

Related Posts:

• Kids Book List: Favorite Books by Dr. Seuss
• Caldecott Award-Winning Books (2000 to 2009)
• Kids Book Series: Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa

It’s official.  My daughter has started her Christmas list and the toy at the top of the list - Zhu Zhu Pets!  She saw a commercial while watching TV and was instantly captivated by these furry little creatures.  There are five different Zhu Zhu Pets characters:

• Zhu Zhu Pets Patches (brown & white) the flower-loving hamster
• Zhu Zhu Pets Chunk (white) the laid back surfer hamster
• Zhu Zhu Pets Pipsqueak (yellow) the petite powerhouse hamster
• Zhu Zhu Pets Mr. Squiggles (brown) the exploring hamster
• Zhu Zhu Pets Num Nums (gray) the yummy-food-loving hamster

There are lots of Zhu Zhu Pets accessories too (of course) including a Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster funhouse, wheel and tunnel, spiral slide, adventure ball and more.  According to the manufacturer Cepia, LLC:

The best alternatives to real live hamsters, Zhu Zhu Pets hamsters don’t poop, die, or stink, but they are still a riot of motion and sound.  They dart around in their hamster tubes and busily scurry from room to room.  Simply pet the hamster’s back, set him down, and watch him Zhu Zhu-oom!

Savings Alert!  It pays to shop around for the best price.  Zhu Zhu Pets are available for sale at Walmart and Toys R Us and will be sold at Target in October.  Although you can buy Zhu Zhu Pets and accessories through Amazon, the prices on Amazon are currently higher than the prices at Walmart and Toys R Us.  (For example, Zhu Zhu Pets Hamsters sell for $7.99 each at Walmart, while some independent toy sellers are charging more than $20 each on Amazon.)

Zhu Zhu Pets may be the hot new toy this holiday season, so if you see any on the shelves, grab them!

My daughter (who started first grade today!) has been reading Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa books by Erica Silverman.  When I spotted the first book at our library, I knew it would become a favorite because my daughter’s name is Kate and she looks a lot like the giggling cowgirl on the cover.

These books are great for girls starting to read chapter books.  The books are divided into four short chapters, each telling a different tale about Cowgirl Kate’s daily adventures with her horse pal Cocoa.  These are sweet stories about friendship in situations familiar to young girls - like starting a new school year (School Days), playing hide-and-seek (Partners) and doing chores (Rain or Shine.)

The stories remind me of Henry and Mudge books by Cynthia Rylant, which are among my favorite beginning chapter books for boys. 

The first Cowgirl Kate book, published in 2005, is a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book and was selected as an ALA Notable Children’s Book.  The books are illustrated by Betsy Lewin, a Caldecott Honor recipient for Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type.

Shop for Cowgirl Kate books and other beginning chapter books at the KidCrunch Store.

My kids are bugging me to see Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (PG, 93 minutes) which opened today.  I did a little legwork so I could share a sampling of the reviews from my favorite movie critics:

The best of the three Ice Age films, involving the best use of 3-D I’ve seen in an animated feature.  Roger Ebert 

What? Dawn of the dinosaurs? In the Ice Age? You’ve got to be kidding.  New York Times

With appreciably greater emphasis on action than its predecessors, and clever use of 3-D trickery to enhance storytelling as well as offer spectacle, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs could prove the third time really is the charm…  Variety

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs seems to be suffering from freezer burn.  Once fresh, the story is now buried under a hoary coating.  USA Today

There are many great dog books for kids of all ages and reading levels.  Following are some of our favorites.

1. Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli - Introduction to a golden puppy named Biscuit; first in the series of very simple and sweet books.
2. Henry & Mudge: The First Book by Cynthia Rylant - First book in a wonderful series of easy-to-read books about Henry and his dog Mudge. 
3. Tornado by Betsy Byars - Tales of an amazing dog named Tornado told during a tornado; excellent early chapter book.
4. Ribsy by Beverly Cleary - Funny adventures of Henry Huggins’ lost dog from a favorite author of books for children.
5. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor - An 11 year old boy finds a stray Beagle and discovers that the dog’s owner is abusive.
6. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo - A 10 year old girl finds a big, ugly dog in the Winn-Dixie supermarket.
7. Daughter of the Mountains by Louise S. Rankin - A 9 year old girl journeys through the Himalayas to find her stolen Tibetan Terrier.
8. Sounder by William H. Armstrong - Classic, bittersweet story of a sharecropper’s son and his dog in the South during the late 1800s.
9. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls - Exciting and dramatic story about the travels of a boy and his two hunting dogs.
10. Big Red by Jim Kjelgaard - The adventures of a boy and his dog, a champion Irish Setter, in the mountain wilderness of New York State in the 1940s.

Shop for these selections and other books about dogs at the KidCrunch Store.