My boy is 7 months old, and already has around 200 books (some of them my old baby books). But recently, a cousin of mine had a horrible thing happen to her 2 year old – a bookcase (thankfully empty at the time), fell on him, and crushed his legs.

I have a book case in Aldens playroom that I am having secured to the wall this week – but bookcases and shelves can be boring – and I wondered what eco-friendly book keeping options were available.

How much cooler than shelves is this croc? I LOVE him! And when my son moves from crib to bed, I’ll have space for JUST such a creature. (Can’t you just hear the ticking of the clock in his belly?!)

For less menacing book storage, there is this peaceful little island…an oasis for any little one that just wants to get away from annoying siblings…

I wonder what Jeremy Clarkson would have to say about this Jalopy?  I wish I had known about these wheels before I had Aldens book cubbys built….

And this lovely little bench, is exactly what I would of wanted as a young bookish girl. The perfect place to sit and have a hundred stories within arms length.

All of the above are distributed via Gresso, and the materials meet the strictest EU safety standards.

Why these aren’t available at every children’s store is beyond me – they are, it seems exclusively, available via Library suppliers  - but here is a link to where you CAN buy them: HERE.

Key Learning: School and library supply companies have brilliant nursery items that are not available in traditional stores.

Happy reading!

I don’t generally post about recalls, as I hope that every mum is signed up to a recall list service, such as I am from Kids in Danger.

But this recall has to do with books – so I thought it was worth a mention.

Basically, the books above, by Gund, are a choking hazard.

If you have them – take them away from your under 3′s – and give to an older child.

Happy Friday!

Though my son already had the delightful Green Start recycled/eco friendly ink books above – he was getting frustrated that he couldn’t put them into his mouth. Which is where, of course, books belong.

But yesterday, I found the new Green Start “Book Towers” - that are perfect for little hands and mouths – and safe for literary nibbling.  I bought two towers with 10 books each – which should keep us both busy for ages.

One tower contains riveting adventure “Jungle Book” like stories of animals (no, not really), and the other page turning, nail biting, stay-up-all-night-with-a-flashlight titles such as “Shapes”, “Counting” and “On The Farm”.

Okay. The stories are slightly Hemingway feeling terse  - but they are perfectly bite sized for future readers. And you won’t have to worry about all that leaded and cadmium laden ink that most books have.

These are books safe enough for the old man to throw into the sea.

Bon Appetit!

By now, you most likely are familiar with Sprig Toys, as they make those lovely eco-friendly trucks that you can now buy at Whole Foods.  Well, the clever thinking folks over at Sprig have developed these story toys.  Basically, a book with eco-friendly toy bits built in to make the experience interactive (without rubbish batteries).

As I’d rather do Clorox shots than give my son books that talk, sing or otherwise show any relation to Chucky – these book toys are perfect for a busy lad just learning to read.

And worry not, all paints are free of soluble heavy metals, phthalates or endocrine disruptors.

I love Sprig, and wish them well as they eat into Mattel’s market share.

This delightful store Pi’lo, makes gorgeous eco gifts for the romantic, including an alphabet and numbers book for baby that are so much more beautiful than the loud primary colour ones, and are far safer for nibbling.

Neutral enough for any nursery, and cool enough for a pregnant art director – Pi’lo books and, well, pillows…will be truly adored and saved after other things have been handed down, given away and tossed.

(For Anglophiles, they also make reusable “crackers” – which make brilliant party favours, with a “u”.)

Happy reading!

I love Geminis.  Both of them.  And rest assured, they’re always two for the price of one.

The Gemini mum is a thinker.  She will know more about cognitive development and neural development than any of the other mums.  She’s the mum that will have one of those black & white mobile things – in a Chinese red baby room.  Gemini mums do things their own way, thank you very much.

“The Philosophical Baby” is a perfect gift for a cerebral Gemini, pair it up with a black & white mobile and tickets to the symphony and you’ll have yourself a fantastic gift.  A quick synopsis from 3QuarksDaily:

“Within developmental psychology, Gopnik is perhaps best known for promoting (with Henry Wellman, Andrew Meltzoff and others) the “theory theory”—the idea that children construct implicit causal models of the world (theories) using the same psychological mechanisms that scientists use to construct explicit scientific theories. In other words, children are like little scientists—or, as Gopnik prefers to put it, scientists are like big children. The focus in this book is broader. Gopnik argues that although young children’s thinking may seem illogical and their play functionless, their imagination and exploration actually reflect the operation of the same powerful causal learning mechanisms that enable our uniquely human achievements in areas such as science or art.”

The Gemini mum, and babe, are thinkers…so keep Rodin in mind when you are picking a gift for either.

Or, all four of them.

Though I have never understood the ”Horror” genre in books or film, I can’t seem to stop myself from reading books such as The Body Toxic.

If you haven’t already tossed that non-stick cookware,  stopped using plastic storage or given up canned food and drink – read this, and you will.  Cold turkey. 

From the reviews (I have only just ordered it today), it seems the perfect gift for eye rolling family who think you are indulging a “phase” as “we are perfectly fine”…(something no one can know without body burden testing. And unlikely looking at cancer rates…).

“From Publishers Weekly

This is a chilling look at the questionable safety of nearly everything we store food in, drink from, wear, walk on, rest on and drive. Chemicals used to make everything from water-repellant jackets and flame retardants to unbreakable plastics used for food storage are building up in our bodies and the environment with possible far-reaching consequences, says journalist Baker. She focuses on endocrine disruptors that alter hormone levels, even in fetuses. Individual chapters consider the weed killer atrazine; phthalates found in many cosmetics; and perfluorooctanoic acid, used in nonstick and stain-repellant coatings. Lab studies have linked these chemicals to cancer, diabetes, obesity and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, among other problems. Baker blasts both Democrats and Republicans in Congress for the toothless Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which leaves testing and reporting results to the manufacturer. But the companies rely on skilled public relations firms to attack scientists who raise safety concerns. The current pro-business administration also takes some licks from Baker. Although she offers suggestions for reducing exposure to these chemicals, No place—and no one—is immune. (Aug. 12)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”

Honestly.  Wouldn’t  you rather just find out now so that you aren’t ever in a Doctor’s office, years from today, shaking your head and muttering, “but, I didn’t realize…”.

It’s so much easier to change your life than you think.  A few better purchasing decisions – and voila!  You’ll be on your way.

For the baby.

Who knows your baby’s favourite things better than you?

I saw this lovely post on creating your child’s own books, and became inspired to make my own alphabet book from things around the house and neighborhood that my son will actually see and know. The possibilities are endless.

And I know what you are thinking – what on earth will she use for “Z”? Luckily, I live within walking distance to the Lincoln Park  Zoo where the zany zebras live.

More from the clever mom who made the above book, here.