GeekDad

Seven Books American Kids Love (That This Brit Never Knew Existed)

May 20, 2013December 13, 2017Sarah Pinault2

A recent behind the scenes discussion at GeekMom about Childrens literature prompted fellow GeekMom Sophie to introduce many of our writers, and readers, to the children’s books that are invariably read by British children, and that British parents have memorized! On the flip side of this, having grown up in England only to be the mother of American children, GeekMom Sarah has been introduced to a whole host of adventures that she had never been exposed to before.

Ahmet Zappa’s New Picture Book Gives a Nice Nod to Dad

May 3, 2013Rachel Cericola

Ahmet Zappa’s “Because I’m Your Dad” is cute, cuddly, funny and kind of furry.

children's books, children's poetry, stuffed animals

Review: The Woolyhoodwinks vs. the Dark Patch

April 26, 2013December 13, 2017Sarah Pinault

Take a trip into The Great North Woods with The Woolyhoodwinks, a group of hand crafted friends who would be just as much home in the fictional worlds of Silverstein or Lear, as they are in their own story.

Actor Jason Segel to Become a Children’s Author?

April 24, 2013December 13, 2017Rachel Cericola

Random House has signed the writer and star of The Muppets to a three-book deal. He’ll be co-writing with Kirsten Miller, creator of the bestselling Kiki Strike books.

Introduce Your Young Inventor to Awesome Dawson

April 14, 2013James Floyd Kelly

If you’ve got a young budding inventor under your roof, you’re going to want to introduce him or her to Dawson. Dawson takes the Reduce-Reuse-Recycle mantra and has a lot of fun with it. His room is filled with a basketball lamp, a bookshelf made from an old truck bed, and surfboards for bed rails.

Cold Cereal: A Little Bit of Magic in Every Box

May 1, 2012December 13, 2017Jonathan H. Liu

I’d just started reading Adam Rex’s latest novel for kids (I finished the prologue and was a page into Chapter 1) when my wife Robyn snagged the book from me. Having watched the videos (here and here) for Chloe and …

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again

April 24, 2012December 13, 2017Jonathan H. Liu

Ian Fleming is best known, of course, as the creator of superspy James Bond. And while his gadgets are fantastic (and beloved by geeks), the Bond movies aren’t really family-friendly fare with the violence and innuendo. But Fleming also wrote …

A Wrinkle in Time 50th Anniversary Edition

February 22, 2012December 13, 2017Jonathan H. Liu

In honor of the 50th anniversary of A Wrinkle in Time, there is a special edition that was released this month, with the same artwork as the original hardcover release. The new covers have some metallic foil stamping, a Newbery …

An Accidental Adventure: Anthropology for Kids

February 11, 2012December 13, 2017Erik Wecks

The relationship I have with the Magic Tree House series of books can’t exactly be called love/hate, more like love/mildly irritated. First of all, they are fantastic for kids who read at about a third grade level. Mary Pope Osborne has …

Happy 50th Birthday to ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’!

December 19, 2011January 7, 2019Jonathan H. Liu

This year, the celebrated children’s book The Phantom Tollbooth turned 50. It’s a fantastic story about a boy named Milo “who didn’t know what to do with himself—not just sometimes, but always.”

Review: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

December 13, 2011December 13, 2017Jonathan H. Liu

Peter Nimble is a blind orphan who, under the tutelage of the beggarmonger Mr. Seamus, became trained in the art of thievery. But one day, while breaking into the carriage of a mysterious Haberdasher, he discovers a mysterious box that sets him on a fantastic journey. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is, naturally, the story of that journey, and it is filled with magic, adventure, colorful characters, and a riddle.

Geekly Reader: Pseudonymous Bosch’s Secret Series

November 27, 2011December 13, 2017Jonathan H. Liu

When the first book in the Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch was published in 2007, it was shortly after the final book in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, which I had followed from the beginning. It just seemed too familiar: the pseudonymous author who warns you not to read the book, a couple of kids who are up against a mysterious secret society and vast conspiracies … did I really want to start that again?

It turns out I should have.

14 Authors Reimagine The Chronicles of Harris Burdick

November 1, 2011December 13, 2017Jonathan H. Liu

There’s a pretty good chance that you’ve seen the cover image shown here before — though perhaps not on the cover of a book. Perhaps one of the other 13 images is more familiar to you: a bird-and-vine wallpaper, with …

2 Monstrously Educational Pop-Up Books

September 12, 2011December 13, 2017Jonathan H. Liu

Templar Books recently sent me two brand-new pop-up books which are both excellent, even though one deals with the imaginary and the other is non-fiction. Both books showcase some very nice tactile features, and are bound to entertain (and educate!) …

Toon Books: Comics for Wee Ones

July 7, 2011December 13, 2017Jonathan H. Liu

It’s funny thinking about how comics have evolved for different audiences. When comics first became widespread, they were kid-friendly (though not always targeted only at kids) and were just there to help sell newspapers. Then Superman came along and people …

Tag: children’s book