Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss: book promos and events for your baby or toddler

Are you ready to Read Across America ?!  It's time to Hop on Pop and check out that Wocket in your Pocket and take a walk down Mulberry Street and have some Green Eggs and Ham!

It's Dr. Seuss's birthday this weekend

Tomorrow, March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday! We love Dr. Seuss and are always reading Hop on Pop, The Foot Book and Cat in the Hat to Phoenix. We also recently downloaded the children's book app for The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss, which is awesome (Did you check out our interview with the founder of Oceanhouse Media, they create the Dr. Seuss children's book apps!)

In celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday there are a lot of promotions, events and book specials going on March 1-3. Incase you can't get out to the library or an event you can still celebrate with these awesome promos. Or just pick up a Dr.Seuss book and enjoy sharing the fun rhymes and characters with your little one.

Get a Dr. Seuss deal
Oceanhouse Media has a great promotion going on from March 1st through March 7th and there's More than 40 Dr. Seuss apps on sale ranging in price from 99 cents to $8.99 including classic books, short stories, book collections, cameras and game, check it out on the App Store, Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Barnes and Noble NOOK Store and Windows Store.

Early Moments is giving away free audio books, get 5 Dr. Seuss storybooks for $5.95 and this includes shipping!

A few storytime events in the NYC area
Check out Dr. Seuss storytime and Craft Program March 2nd at the East 23rd Library in Manhattan.
Check out Dr. Seuss storytime March 2nd at the Greenlight bookstore in Brooklyn.
Check out Dr. Seuss storytime March 2nd at the New York Public Library in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Check out the Dr. Seuss celebration March 2nd at the Jerome Park Library in the Bronx.


More Dr. Seuss events via TimeOutKids and check out http://www.seussville.com


Check out the Phoenix Baby Book Club Dr. Seuss book features here

~Isobella & Phoenix

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App Storytime: PBBC chats with Michel Kripalani, the President of Oceanhouse Media Inc, about creating children's book apps

 

 

 

The Phoenix Baby Book Club recently chatted about creating children's book apps with Michel Kripalani, the President of Oceanhouse Media, Inc.  Whether you're already sharing children's book apps with your baby, toddler or kids, or a newbie to discovering the great children's book apps out there, you'll enjoy this interview that shares the behind the scenes of creating educational worthy and interactive storybook apps for kids and how book apps can help kids learn to read.

PBBC: Your company’s mantra is “Creativity with Purpose,” and your apps fit that mantra perfectly, but what inspired you to create children’s book apps?

Michel Kripalani: As new parents, my wife and I recognized the opportunity to use mobile devices for storytelling and education. We saw how kids interact so easily with mobile devices and wanted to create children’s apps that were fun, engaging and educational that our own daughters could enjoy. Interactive storybook apps were a natural choice. We were given the chance to develop Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! into an interactive book app and this resulted in us partnering with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to bring all 44 Dr. Seuss titles to the app market. Soon thereafter, we partnered with other well-known brands, such as The Berenstain Bears and Little Critter, to develop apps for their classic children’s books. Today, we have more than 100 children’s book apps available.

As a veteran of the video gaming industry how has your background been an asset when publishing educational and exciting children’s book apps?

My background in the video game arena was key when it came to publishing apps for the children’s market. From the beginning, I assembled a great team of software engineers, many of whom I had previously worked with, and together we were able to enter the market early and connect with well-known brands. Without our strong knowledge of programming and running a business in the digital space, I imagine the early days of this business would have included much more guesswork.

 

What book has been your most memorable experience to translate it into the digital book market?

I have to say that one of my favorite Dr. Seuss titles, The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins, was a memorable experience since I remember my parents reading this title to me as a child. To now have the chance to create the digital version of this great book and share it with my own kids is terrific.

What benefits will a child get from reading with your apps? What skills or abilities will the child gain from the app whether when reading with their parent or by themselves?

All of our children’s book apps focus on helping kids learn to read. Features such as synchronized word highlighting and tappable words encourage the youngest of readers to expand their vocabulary and make reading fun, all at the touch of a screen. Furthermore, words and illustrations are enhanced with professional narration, custom sound effects and picture/word association. We consciously limit the level of interactivity in our book apps as to not distract from the overall reading experience.

I love that while using your apps we hear sound effects, like when Little Critter puts dishes in the sink we hear the clattering, we also love how when you click the illustrations the word of that object you touched appears. Also the voiceovers/storytellers when the app is read to you are all very fitting to the theme and style of the story. Can you share some insight on the behind the scenes of putting the pieces together to create educational worthy and interactive apps, are the authors involved?

Creating apps is indeed a collaborative process. Our team includes software developers, technical artists, professional voice actors, sound designers, music composers and graphic designers. We use a proprietary book engine that’s the backbone for all of our children’s book apps. Each app has its own custom features, such as original narration and background audio. My wife, Karen, overseas all the voice over talent and is herself the voice behind many of our children’s book apps. In some cases, authors do review their apps during the development process, for instance, Mercer Mayer (Little Critter) Mike Berenstain (The Berenstain Bears) and Eric Drachman (Kidwick Books).

Can you share the benefits of reading the app yourself or having the app read to you?

With simple navigation tools, children can easily read the app alone and at their own pace. Kids love to have that sense of control. If they stumble on a word or sentence, for instance, they can tap on the screen and have the text read back to them, adding to their vocabulary and understanding of the story. We have a variety of books apps aimed at different reading levels, from pre-readers all the way up to kids 10 years old so you can find the perfect title based on age or reading level. Of course, reading a story to a child is just as beneficial since it creates a wonderful bonding experience and a hands-on way to connect with your child, creating life-long memories.

In addition, our Record and Share feature allows readers to record themselves reading a story and then share the recording with family, friends and teachers who also own the digital book. For teachers, it’s a great way to evaluate, track and save a student’s reading ability throughout the school year.

What are some new children’s book apps you are working on or are excited about right now?

Currently, we’re finishing up the classic Dr. Seuss collection. All 44 books that Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated will be available by the end of summer on the app market. We’re also adding some fantastic new titles over the next few months in our The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library, Smithsonian and Little Critter series. Stay tuned!

 Follow Oceanhouse Media on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OceanhouseMedia) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/OceanhouseMedia) for regular app updates and announcements on new releases. 

Read on!

Isobella & Phoenix

#PBBC

Check out some of our features on Oceanhouse Media apps that we've explored and love.
http://phoenixbabybookclub.blogspot.com/2013/01/phoenix-reads-cat-in-hat-book-app-for.html
http://phoenixbabybookclub.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-little-critter-series-just-me-and.html
http://phoenixbabybookclub.blogspot.com/2013/01/phoenix-read-sneetches-by-drseuss.html
http://phoenixbabybookclub.blogspot.com/2013/02/phoenix-was-read-500-hats-of.html

Phoenix visits the Children's Museum of Manhattan to explore and hear a reading of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

We visited the Children's Museum of Manhattan yesterday. Someone in the elevator commented how the museum was too young for Phoenix, but we don't think so, experiences are what grow the mind. Okay, so Phoenix couldn't play yet like many of the kids were and maybe he was the youngest one at the museum but we still enjoyed it and Phoenix looked at everything and explored in his 9 weeks of age way.

 

He wasn't too young to meet actor Dominic Chianese who did a reading at the museum of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

There's still time to get Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! before Christmas!

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

Isobella & Phoenix

P.s.: after the museum we went to Jacob's Pickles for dinner, whoa! Loved that Honey Chicken and those spicy, sour and hot pickles!

#phoenixbabybookclub
 

Phoenix reads a There's a Wocket in my Pocket by Dr. Seuss

We read this one ALOT!! It's a fun one to read to your wee one because the rhymes are silly and fun to say. The illustrations are humorous too. We like the board book size so Phoenix can better hold the book as we read and turn pages. Reading this with enthusiasm is key because it's a high energy read.

My favorite rhyme is: Sometimes I am quite CERTAIN there's a JERTAIN in the CURTAIN.

I like how the ryhming words are in capital letters.

Phoenix's Dr. Seuss onesie! He wore it while we read Green Eggs and Ham.

 

 

Dr.Seuss ROCKS for babies and toddlers, make sure you have these books on your child's bookshelf

 

Read on!

~Isobella & Phoenix

 

#phoenixbabybookclub

Phoenix was read The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss

 

Celebrating the 75th anniversary The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss, Oceanhouse Media has a great app out right now and we are enjoying it. It's a long read, but a good one, so it might be best to break it up into a few seperate reads for little ones.

A good guy Bartholomew goes to the market to sell his cranberries when the King and his procession prance by and accuse Bartholomew of not taking off his red hat as the King passes, although he has taken off his hat. But another red hat has appeared on his head and after he gets (basically abducted I mean) "grabbed by his shirt" by the Captain of the Kings Guards on his horse and taken to the castle to be examined and punished most likely.

"He took off hat after hat after hat after hat until he was standing in the middle of a great pile of hats."

All these "hat professionals" and "wise men" to try to figure out Bartholomews hat problem but none of them can.

"Does this mean there is no one in my whole kingdom who can take off this boy's hat?" bellowed the King in a terrifying voice.

Then a "very proud little boy" with "a big lace collar," the nephew of the King is curious what all the commotion is and tries to fix Bartholomew's hat issue by shooting bows and arrows at his hat and one by one the hats soar off a balcony of the castle. Then they try a bigger bow and arrow but it only makes the hats fly further and further away it doesn't mean less hats. Then they call magicians, to see if the hats appearing again and again is black magic but the chant will take ten years to work!

A terrible proposal comes from Grand Duke Wilfred who suggests chopping off his head! And the King, although knowing its a "dreadful thought" decides there is no other solution and sends Bartholomew to the dungeon.

Desperate for his hat to come off, Bartholomew starts whipping his hats off faster and faster and but lucky for Bartholomew there is a rule that he can't be killed with a hat on! YAY!

Yes this book is okay for babies, hold on...there is a happy ending.

So the King decides to push Bartholomew off the "highest turret" and Bartholomew starts frantically pulling off his hats, his last chance...but once he passed hat 450 the hats began to change and appear more fancy and unique. 

At just the right moment, right as they reached the highest turret Bartholomew's hat turns into something extravagant and festive and has many many feathers streaming off of it.

The King is distracted by this flashy hat and now wants to buy it from Bartholomew, the 500th hat! For 500 gold coins!

I was sad all it took was the hat to become unordinary, and if I had been Bartholomew maybe from the start I would have decorated the hats with beads and feather with my glue gun like when making my Belmont Stakes hat.

Something terrible can become something grand, maybe it's hope, maybe it's fate, maybe things "just happen for a reason," it's about perspective but also I think Bartholomew is lucky that his hats became extravagant at just the right moment.

Warning, it is a long book, so be prepared to bring your tiredless animated and upbeat voice to the story, you can also skip some words if your baby is getting restless but keep your fun voice and make the word of the book 'HAT'. So maybe tickle your baby or say the word "Hat" in a silly way. ((My husband does the character voices, I'm still warming up to that, but I do some. ;) )) Or you could even get a hat, a red one, and keep putting the hat on your head over and over as if it's a new one each time and I bet the action of it would make your baby giggle, especially with a silly expression and eyebrows that are saying "what is going on!"

 

I think The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss can remind us not to jump to conclusions, since Bartholomew wasn't trying to offend the King but got accused of it anyways. It wasn't in Batholomew's control to stop the hats but still he got treated awfully...until the 500th hat. Although he never gave up trying to prove himself and the truth. Which is always a nice lesson to share.

 

 

500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins on BN.com

500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins on Amazon.com

 

Read on!

Isobella & Phoenix

P.s. We ordered this KaysCase KidBox Cover Case so Phoenix can throw the iPad around and chew on it. KaysCase KidBox Cover (Blue) going to try it out and I think it's cool how it sits up.

Phoenix reads Dr. Seuss's ABC's

Phoenix was read Dr. Seuss's ABC's right after he was born and we continue to read it to him often.

(Phoenix a little over a week old)

My favorite part is when we land on the page "Big P little p what begins with P?"

And I can say Phoenix!

(Although I will be teaching him the PH sound of course.)

The words just might make you laugh and surely will inspire smiles from your baby, the sound of Sammy sipping soda pop is a smile maker. The illustrations are cute and funny and show an action with Seuss-style characters that relates to the "letter."

 

It's a good book to cuddle up with and read before bedtime too.

~Isobella and Phoenix

#phoenixbabybookclub #pbbc

Phoenix gets his library card and sees Dr. Seuss exhibit

Phoenix got his own library card today, then we saw the Dr. Seuss hat exhibit at the 42nd st and Fifth Ave library in the children's center. We took out DVDs on animals, so that after we read we can watch videos that go over animals, letters and sounds, and turn the TV into an education tool with gilms on the seashore, mammals artic and anartoc animals. :)

Read on and learn something new every day no matter your age,
~Isobella & Phoenix

Phoenix read The Sneetches by Dr.Seuss

We are always reading Dr.Seuss books, they are just so fun to read.

How does that iPad taste honey? 

This is a great book about being not judgemental of others, as the Sneetches realize that fitting in shouldn't compromise who you really are and accepting each other creates a more exciting society.

If you read this from the iPad app enjoy touching the star-belly sneetches bellies and the word 'star' appears, which we thought was fun.

We love stars.

The Sneetches app is published by Oceanhouse Media, which I suggest downloading!

You can find this book for the iPad and the whole series of The Sneetches books on Amazon also in print here. Here is The Sneetches on Indie Bound and BN.com too.

Long live reading!

(Video) Phoenix read The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss

One of my best childhood friends gave this book to us.  It was fun to grab Phoenix's feet as we read The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss. Left foot right foot, left foot, right. I have a small sized book and it's great for the diaper bag too.


 #phoenixbabybookclub

A one fish two fish kind of day

Visiting Grandma and rocking Dr.Seuss onesie :) we read lots of Dr.Seuss and love the apps too!

Phoenix's first time reading on the iPad

Our first iPad book download was Dr. Seuss 1 Fish 2 Fish Red Fish Blue Fish and Yertle the Turtle by Oceanhouse Media, and I really LIKED how the words in the story were repetitive when you touched the illustration on each page. I'm not saying I like this more than print books but it is handy when you are traveling and on the go for reading sessions with your baby or child. Phoenix did like to touch the screen as you can see! 

Phoenix visits the Scholastic bookstore and HousingWorks bookstore cafe

Yes, we found a new story time in the city!

We stopped by story time at the Scholastic bookstore in SoHo and it's a REAL story time!! Singing and jumping is fun but I also like a real story time. No sing-a-longs, no jumping on mommy's knee, unless your baby wants to while he/she listens to the story. This place is a true story time, all about reading and 4-5 books were read by a very enthusastic reader! There were little babies, like Phoenix, and older toddlers like 3-4 years old. And the kids DO sit through the story time, of course there are some whines and cries and all that but the story time at the Scholastic bookstore also proved: babies can sit through story time and have the ability to listen and enjoy it. Although Phoenix was sleepy and slept through most of it, I was glad we came because it proved to be a great story time to tell you about! The store is huge and colorful and there LOTS and LOTS of books, the layout is fun and festive and it's a great experience to visit with your baby.

http://www.scholastic.com/sohostore/
Daily story time 11 a.m. Tuesday, Weds, Thurs.
557 Broadway (Between Prince & Spring Streets

Know someone having a baby? THIS IS A GREAT GIFT! The gift of reading with your baby with these adorable book packages. http://www.scholastic.com/sohostore/homelibrary.htm

We bought: Clifford The Big Red Dog and the Scholastic book Five Shiny Stars.

Then we went to the HousingWorks bookstore cafe over on Crosby street. I was happy to find out the store has a children's section and we picked up Waddle by Rufus Butler Seder and right on the table I saw Dr. Seuss's Foot Book too! It was cute to see a mother with her son right there in the Children's books area reading and discovering new books at a great price!

Check out HousingWorks Bookstore's storytime! Every Wednesday at 10:30AM, songs and stories for tots 0–3 & their caretakers, $5 per family

Go on a story time adventure, make a memory and discover great books!

~Isobella & Phoenix

 

 

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Does your child like to read the same book over and over? Is it driving you nuts?

It's cute the way your baby or toddler loves a certain book and wants to read it again and again and soon memorizes certain words and pages or the whole thing, but it may feel like it's an over cooked book to you and your book burnt out.

Well, here are some ways to make reading that book again and again more fun for you because you know tomorrow the story begins all over again. :)

Reading can be so much more!

Keep things interesting by keeping the story going after you've read it or during the story time pump it up with a song that relates to the story. Get on Youtube and search words that relate to the book to find a song, dance and sing together.

Get thematic, if in the book certain characters or words appeal to your little one, say the word "shark" makes him/ her giggle or smile well go enjoy a shark movie or documentary, whip out your kids shark shirt, or go to the bookstore or library and hunt for a shark picture book. By the way, this shark app is cool.

I enjoy finding apps that relate to the story, like when I found this NASA app to show Phoenix the planets when we read Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

If the book involves counting, shapes or the ABC's or a certain color, include items in your home that also involve that color, count the lamps in your own house or spoons or plates. What color shirt or pants or socks is your child wearing today? Mention that color when it shows up in the book you are reading. Do you have any stuffed animals that go with the animals mentioned in the book you are reading? If you're reading about a bear...grab a bear you have at home. It doesn't have to totally match the character but it's a relation, this is fun especially if it's a book with LOTS of animals like this one. See how many stuffed animals you have that are mentioned in the book. Or when you visit the zoo bring the book and try to find as many as you can!

Maybe your baby giggles or eyes get wide when you say a certain word, like the word star-belly in Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches.That word could also become a word of the day and you can use it throughout the day and tickle your baby's belly each time you say it. Maybe put a star sticker on his belly while you read the book the next time.

While reading be sure to notice EVERYTHING on the page. EVERYTHING easier gets missed when you read a story and the focus is on what's happening to the character but the illustration usually involves so much more. Don't miss it! The grass, the stars, the tree, the flower, the little spider in the corner. These are all a part of your reading time. Point out these out to your child while you read. Make the story come alive more and keep the reading experience interactive, ask your toddler, where is the sun, where is the tree, where is the hat?

After the story is done and during the story you can keep it interesting, and your baby will like it too!

Long live reading together!
Isobella

Two beautiful books to add to your baby's bookshelf

Need a warm place to relax with your baby, head right for the bookstore. Sit right on down and grab some books to check out with your baby, that's what we do! Use it as an opportunity to check out new books and decide which you want to buy. I always pick books that I think will last while my baby grows, we can enjoy it now but also it will be a story we can share in a year or two and my baby will get something else out of it then.Be careful to watch your baby's curious hands, they might want to grab the page and until you own the book you won't want to rip a page! While you're at the bookstore there grab a coffee pick me up and a snack too.

 

 

We recently enjoyed reading Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker-Ress at Barnes and Noble on Fifth Avenue yesterday, it's message is aboutdc   ax finding your own song and listening to your own inner voice to gain confidence in yourself (whether you can dance or not). You and your baby will love the bright colors of the illustrations and how detailed they are, there's a lot of extra details to bring to the story, notice the flowers, the leaves and point to them and share the nature found in these beautiful illustrations with your baby as you read.

 

  

We also read The Mitten 20th Anniversary Edition written and illustrated by Jan Brett. I love these illustrations look like a folktale style.  Phoenix just recieved a pair of crocheted mittens from his grandma, and I enjoyed reading this book to him about a boy who's grandma knits him a pair of mittens. When the boy loses one of the mittens in the snow like his Grandma worried about animals of the forest discover the mitten and make a temporary home inside, a mole, rabbit, a badger, fox, even a large bear and others!

 

It's cute how the mitten shape on the side of the page tells us which animal is coming up next!

The mitten is obviously stretched when the boy finds the mittens and I loved the last page of Grandma curiously looking at the larger mitten and wondering, "what happened?"  Every lost thing has a story.

 

Read on!

Isobella & Phoenix

 

#pbbc

Other posts you may like:
PBBC Valentine's Day book suggestions for Valentine's Day and every day of the year to celebrate family, friendship and love.

Phoenix reads Snowy Day

Phoenix reads There's a Wocket in My Pocket by Dr. Seuss


 

 

 

The Phoenix Baby Book Club launch!!

 

Phoenix was born on September 27th 2012 and we even brought books to the hospital with us, and only a few days after bringing him home we read him Dr. Seuss's ABC's.
 

 

I was already posting photos of Phoenix and the books we were reading on Facebook and the response of "likes" inspired me to start this blog. Although Phoenix is now just two months old it's never too early to read together. We read books every day in the morning and usually in the evenings each day too. We both enjoy it, Phoenix observes each page and my husband and I get some precious close time with our son and each reading session is a foundation to his learning and self-growth too. 

 

We're happy to share this great big beautiful world with him and share the great big exciting world of books with him.

 

The books we read are not just typical baby books, yes, we have the ABC's and 123's and animal, shapes and color books which we love but also thrown in are books beyond the basic baby book.

 

Phoenix hears our voices reading and we believe it will lead to a life long love of reading and the books aren't goo goo gaga because in real life we don't talk like that. We read books that involve lessons of kindness and compassion, independence, adventure and determination.

 

Phoenix may be little, but in his eyes we see how much he already loves books.

 

Having my first baby has let me travel back in time to my childhood memories of reading and revisit my favorite books but also I get to discover some great books for the first time. Like Ferdinand.

 

At Phoenix's Baby Book Club imagination soars and we hope our book features inspire your own reading sessions and that you enjoy the books we love to read!

 

~Isobella & Phoenix

 

P.s. Make sure you subscribe to enjoy baby book book features, exciting book giveaways, videos and more right to your email mailbox each time a new post is up!

 

 

Daddy reads to Phoenix Bear Snores On

Phoenix reads The Cat in the Hat book app for iPad

I love Oceanhouse Media book apps (love the books they create and we recently downloaded the OM Bookshelf) and this afternoon Phoenix and I read The Cat in the Hat on the iPad. I love the way the pages turn, I love that way the illustrations pan close up and then out, I love how I can touch the Cat's hat and the word "hat" appears on the screen. That extra element of learning, making the illustrations as an enhanced part of reading the app really excites me.

We also downloaded the Nook Kids app today.

Other apps we have recently downloaded for reading and learning laptime:

100 Words for Babies and Toddlers/ Codegent

The Sneetches, Dr. Seuss/ Oceanhouse Media

ABCMouse Grand Canyon/ ABCMouse.com Age of Learning Inc

My Alphabet Coloring book/ Gortz Media

Drawing Pad/ Darren Murtha Design

Sports Illustrated for Kids/ Time Inc

Geo Walk HD 3D World Fact Book (animals, plants, history, people and inventions)/ Vito Technology

23snaps ltd.

My Number Coloring Book/Jeff Pedersen

My First Book of Alphabets HD/ llmasoft

Arthur Turns Green by Marc Brown/ ScrollMotion

I Just Forgot. Little Critter/ OceanMedia

Bookster, Imagine Learning Inc.