Take a look at the new book by David Macaulay (my son’s favorite author for the “how things work” type books). As Core77 blog puts it: “David Macaulay is good at showing how things work (Cathedral, Ship, Mosque, Mill). For his newest book, The Way We Work, he wanted to show how our bodies were constructed, so it was natural for him to think of the human body as a gigantic “machine.” So the body is presented like a series of rides at Six Flags. No joke! It’s a universe of bodily landscapes and blueprints for life where a duodenum is two stories tall. Protein chains are stacked like Campbell soup cans. Cells are assembled like a social network diagram. Tissue making is organized into a dirty laundry room. Oxygen enters red blood cells on an assembly-line roller coaster, organs get trucked in on semis, and liquids course through the body as irrigation ditches then whitewater rafting courses.”

I’m not quite sure who this little girl is? I’m told that its Pippi Longstocking - but I refuse to believe that. I think its unfortunate that we have great characters, who’re for some inexplicable reason, remodeled and redesigned. I’m certain that along with different adaptations via different platforms, that eventually, somebody is going ignite a trend of rewriting original stories -as if the original needs to be updated, because people won’t understand it for lack of cell phones and hip hop. Pippi is a little girl who doesn’t need school, who posses super human strength, whose mother lives with the angel’s, and father who is the king of the cannibals - her best friends consist of neighborhood kids, a monkey and a horse. I forgot to mention that Pippi carries a gun, a cutlass, and wears clothes too big - Pippi is a swedish cosmic literary outlaw. The new Pippi looks as if she likes to shop, which is fitting for todays children, rather than inspiring adventure via esoteric children’s playing, the new Pippi is fashionable because fashion is what sells.

I’ve got a few children’s book suggestions (i’ll blog about something else soon - I promise).

Ring Of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell, quite possibly the best book ever written about living with a sea otter. The book is sad (as is the great film version from the early 60’s) along the lines Watership Down. This is a “chapters book”, so it’ll need to be read to younger readers.

My second book suggestion is Nothing Ever Happens Around Here by Ellen Raskin. This book is about a “bored” little boy who is so busy being bored that he doesn’t notice everything going on around him. Page after page, burglers run around, a cat has kittens, a house burns down and is rebuilt - all while the boy is sitting on the sidewalk unaware.

My final book suggestion is Robert Francis Weatherbee by Munro Leaf. Munro Leaf is best known for his story Ferdinand the Bull (remember the bull who would rather smell flowers than participate at the bull fight). Robert Francis Weatherbee is the story of a little boy who refuses to learn how to read or write, until he grows up and realizes just what he has missed.

I know there are million’s of children’s book out there, and with that …millions of different of choices. whether its these books or something else, enjoy that time together.

Hello everyone, my name is Skot and I’m the Associate Content Producer here at lilipip. The other day I came across this fantastic little gem at the local Kinokuniya Bookstore in Seattle. Its called: children’s rooms “Stockholm” and its published by SHUFUNOTOMOSHA.This book showcases the bedrooms of 27 Swedish children. With rooms that’re packed with color, children’s artwork, Pipi Longstockings, Moomin (Ksenia’s favorite), and ample amounts of lived in charm and character, is it any wonder that there is a book devoted to such a subject. This book is a wonderful addition to any parents library (especially those who’re into cute Japanese style, fabric creations, and homemade critter crafts).

From now on i’ll be blogging about all the cool Kids related stuff that comes my way (and trust me,there is a lot, because I’m the parent of a 9 yr. old). As most of us know, in this day and age kids are increasingly targeted with advertising - as well as adults. We’re trying to take a stand against “consumer” mindlessness, by being as thoughtful as possible about our choices (whether it be the food we eat, or the cartoons we watch).

I didn’t know that there is actually a website for my favorite character, back from my childhood in Russia. It’s Moomin Troll, created by the Finnish author Tove Jansson. Moomin is a friendly creature living with his peculiar family in the Moominvalley and venturing off to adventures with his friends. Izilla Toys, our favorite local toy store, is currently selling books about Moomin - they are fantastic, check them out!

This is a great article on how the boring instructional children’s books from past centuries turned into funny and engaging story-books in our century. Check out the slide-show too!

Can you find it? is an amazing book that we have looked through with my son while at the new SAM opening. It is brilliantly designed to get kids to look at different art and at the same time to play a iSpy type of game. Each spread of the book has a painting by one of the world famous painters, and each of them invites the kids to look for specific objects. I must say, I had as much fun as Peter. You can buy it at Amazon, or you can explore it for free at the SAM.

The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey is coming to the big screen! If you have never seen his work, and never picked up this book - now is the time. It is fantastic, eccentric, a little bit dark, and yet fascinating - as much for kids as it is for adults. Here is the Amazon link to it - you can look inside. But better yet, on a weekend, stop by the Barnes&Noble and check out a copy. You can also read and see more art from Edward Gorey here. I don’t know how I have forgotten to buy all of his books - I think I will do just that this coming weekend.

Fable game by Enzo Mari. How would you like to play a game of fable with your toddler? This is a Fable game created by one of my favorite Italian designers, Enzo Mari. Here is the description from the website. What’s even better, you can buy it at one of my favorite book stores in Seattle - Peter Miller books. I have spent my days there while being a design student. You can find all kinds of great stuff in there, including things for kids like this book.

The book is made up of 6 color plates, almost like a magic pack of cards with forty-five animals pictured on them, plus the sun, the moon, an umbrella, a big boot, a cage, a hedgehog, eight trees, a tree trunk, nine bamboo canes, five stones, an apple, a pile of earth, a nest and two eggs - all things that appear in classic fairy tales. Each page has a central scene and one either side. Children (or adults) can make up stories by mixing the plates to create countless variations. The impression of being inside one of these scenes leads to new and individual ideas. Children can either tell their own story to themselves or to other children or adults, or adults can tell them to children, in a continuous game of fascinating and ever-changing tales.

Zoom. A fascinating book by Istvan Banyai, a Hungarian born American illustrator with a perception of the world similar to the one of Esher - this is me saying it, so I might be wrong. But open his book and judge for yourself. Where Esher has been playing with our perception by bending the rules of perscpective, Istvan zoom into his subjects and plays with the concept of scale. You thought it was this? No, look closer - every time you tiurn the page, it uncovers a new world. A fascinating book for both young and old.