Children's Books and DVD's

I just finished watching some wonderful interactive DVD's for kids.

The first one was Swimmy and more classic Leo Lionni Stories By Scholastic.
It consists of 5 stories, Swimmy, Frederick, Fish is Fish, It's mine and Cornelius. Watching the stories, you feel that you are reading a beautifully illustrated book. The images are not cartoonish, but gentle and calm and very soothing for a small baby. Most of the stories deal with animals like fish, mice, frogs and even a crocodile.

The other DVD was Baby Einstein, Meet the Orchestra. This DVD introduces children to musical instruments found in an orchestra and the different sounds they make. We saw string instruments, piano and guitar, wood wind and drums. It was entertaining since it included puppet shows, little babies playing the instruments, and familiar classical music by Beethoven, Joplin, Haydn, Mozart and Strauss. Mira loved to hear the different sounds each instrument made.
The Baby Einstein company definitely has a pulse on what children enjoy and how to make every moment a "teachable opportunity".

Two books that we enjoyed this week were Have you seen my duckling? by Nancy Tafuri. This book is mostly illustrations of a duck looking for her duckling. While looking she asks different birds, beavers, fish and a turtle. Wonderful illustrations and fewer words make it a visual delight for infants that don't understand words yet.

A beautiful book by Ed Young, tittled My Mei Mei is currently Mira's favourite book for it's gorgeous reproductions of textiles. The book is a large board book dealing with adoptions from China, sibling rivalry and eventually love and acceptance within an adopted family.