Review: A great resource idea book!
I get a TON of ideas from The Toddlers Busy Book by Trish Kuffner. I'm a home daycare provider and I'm always looking for ideas to do with my daycare kids. I don't know what I would do with out this book. It'a MUST have for home daycare providers and parents of small kids.

Review: Very Insipring and helpful to spend Quality time with your kids
This book is very helpful and inspiring to spend quality time with your kids. It is an excellent aid for baby-sitting too.

It has splendid ideas, that makes kids happy, and manageable.
It helps them be more creative, and sparks your imagination for several ideas to spend time and keep kids busy in various circumstances.

We had very nice time at the beach, at home, baby-sitting my sons' cousins, and made me become very popular for kids to spend time with me. It improved the time I spend with my toddler and made him happier staying with me on his days off from his nursery. When I tried the activities in it, I discovered more about what my son have learnt from his nursery, and enabled me to build on the experiences and explore more with him.

Thanks to the author, the publisher, to Amazon.com, and everybody who participated in giving us this book.

Review: If You've Got a Restless Toddler, You Need This Book,
Keeping a toddler entertained all day long can take a lot of energy and creativity on your part, which is why parents and childcare providers will both appreciate this pocket-sized guidebook containing 365 activities for toddlers.

Some of the activities found in the book will be ones you've heard before (e.g., sorting objects by color, making a shaker out of an old coffee can), but the author has done parents and caregivers a big favor by pulling a large number of ideas together in one book. And some of the ideas in this book are quite fresh and fun, like the bubble wrap printing activity, for example.

If you are looking for some additional activity ideas to choose from, you may also want to consider purchasing Sally Goldberg's Baby and Toddler Learning Fun and Ann Douglas' The Mother of All Toddler Books. For more about the "how" and "why" of toddler learning, see Richard C. Woolfson's Bright Toddler.

Review: love it
i just got this book and can't wait to start trying some of the suggestions! i love it!

Review: Nice ideas and a good understanding of toddlers
This book contains lots of cute and simple ideas of things to make for your toddler to play with. I found lots of ideas that also gave me an understanding of the level of play and interests I could expect from my toddler - and the all important suggestions of what he might like (from someone obviously quite experienced). All the suggestions seem to be geared to absoutely lowest cost for maximum immediate benefit.

The reason I didn't give it 5-stars is because the suggestions are really quite simplistic and most require time to make and set up. Some turned out to be impractical (i.e. food dye and paint stains clothes & tiles).

Review: Quick Read Idea Books Are Great!
I love this book! It is filled with so many easy to do fun activities with a toddler. I don't have much time to read books cover to cover, so I really appreciate this book which enables you to open it to almost any page to quickly get an activity to try. I also like the fact that you don't need too many special supplies.

Another quick read trouble shooting book that I refer to over and over is called "The Pocket Parent". It addresses all the challenging behaviors of 2's, 3's, 4's and 5's (like tantrums, sibling fights, whining, bedtime, lying, interrupting, the gimmes) with very practical bullets of advice.

These 2 books are great for busy parents. You do not need to read either book cover to cover. You simply can consult the handy references as you need them...both are small books that you can easily take with you to restore your sanity wherever.

Review: Wonderful
What a wonderful book! It is well written and filled with simple, creative ideas. Perfect for keeping a toddler entertained!

Review: My kids love this book!
Why? Because everytime I read it--and I do so very often--they know they are going to get to do something fun and creative. I turn to this book time and again for inspirational ideas for everything from outside play (jello in the kiddie pool?!) to fun snacks my little ones can make "all by myself." I highly recommend this book to anyone with small children. Her ideas about take along activity bags for doctor's appointments and other kid-unfriendly outings make the book worth every penny--and that is just the tip of the iceburg. Have a great time building memories with your children and this book!

Review: Good Ideas!
I've been very happy with this book, finding lots of ideas for activities that I can do with my two year old now, as well as activities we can do together when she is older. So far the activities we have done together have been a success. My daughter really enjoys them. Some are so simple they require minimal preperation. It's hard to think of new things to do all the time, that are stimulating and will help our children learn. I'm glad I have this book to help me.

Review: Fantastic
Simple, creative and inexpensive ideas on keeping your toddlers busy & learning. Emptying a box of tissues kept my daughter busy for 20 minutes while I checked my email in peace, and she had a ball. She also had fun putting them all back in the box!

Review: Bargain book purchase
I had this title saved in my shopping cart for weeks. I had read all the reviews for this book and all were encourging except maybe one or two. Thankfully I hadn't made my purchase because I caught a glimpse of "The Toddler Busy Book" under a stack of books at my local bargain store.I was going to purchase this book on amazon but I'm glad I didn't. I paid $1.98 and got my money's worth. Some of the activities are thoughtful and creative. But most are symplistic and unimaginative. -I wouldn't need some one to suggest giving my toddler a full kleenex box so they could pluck out every tissue for ammusement.

Review: Good Ideas!!
I have gotten alot of use out of this book! Suggests great learning oportunities, such as math, reading readiness, and more... in cheap inexpensive ways! They are simple, engaging, creative, and quick.

Review: More than a book of activity ideas
I have twins. They're one-and-a-half, and some days... well, some days they're difficult, let's say that. I bought this book because I know that they are far less likely to get into mischief and/or crabby fits when I have something for them to do (or, more commonly, something planned that we can do together). Having read the entire thing cover-to-cover and made a (very long) list of the activities that I think will work for my kids RIGHT NOW, here's what I want you to know about this book:

It includes something for everyone -- every ability level (child and adult), every area of intelligence (child and adult), and ages far beyond three (some adaptation may be needed with older children).
The author wisely recommends that adults who use the book take the time to do some advance preparation, for the greatest success and enjoyment. She also includes some ideas that take almost no time to set up and cost next to nothing.

There's a strong emphasis on letting a toddler be his or her own person -- on NOT doing the work for him/her, even when it's messy; on finding ways to let him/her "help" you with chores; on accepting and CELEBRATING the exuberant, loud, all-over-the-place energy that comes with toddlerhood.

I'm finding that it's a good resource for directing my shopping for "play stuff." I'm now officially on the lookout for cookie tins from yard sales, plastic scrubbies, and clear contact paper, as opposed to buying stuff that my kids may have no use for in the next two years.

In short, I'm finding this book to be helpful in structuring my life with toddlers, not just an idea book. I don't know that I'll use EVERY suggestion, but there are MANY that will be used over and over again. It's money well spent.

Review: This book was a BIG help to me
This book gave me some excellent ideas for activities with my two year old twins! I highly recommend this book for anyone who spends time with toddlers.

Review: Great book to stash in the glove compartment of the car,
We keep THE TODDLER'S BUSY BOOK in the glove compartment of our car in case we find ourselves running out of ideas of things to do when we are visiting out-of-town relatives. It's compact enough to fit in there, and because most of the craft projects in book involve items that people are likely to have on hand (e.g., string, crayons, other basic craft supplies) or that we can pick up really quickly at a convenience store, it's a good book to have with us on the road.
I also highly recommend PLAY AND LEARN by Parents Magazine for great "on the go" activities, as well as the terrific play chapter in THE MOTHER OF ALL TODDLER BOOKS by Ann Douglas for a range of different activities (arts and crafts, beginner science projects, music play, active play, and more). THINGS TO DO WITH TODDLERS AND TWOS by Karen Miller is another book that has also gotten a lot of use at our house, thanks to the fabulous activity ideas. You'll probably find that you want to have more than one activity book on hand. Toddlers are busy people, after all!

Review: Have fun with ordinary things around the house!
This is a great book for anyone on a budget or who just likes to re-use ordinary things from around your house. The activities are fun, yet simple. It includes a great list of things you should stock in your "craft cupboard", so, you'll always have needed items on hand. Don't throw away that toilet paper roll or those plastic milk caps! I will buy this book as a gift for the next time someone I know has an infant about to become a toddler!

Review: OK but you have to be "crafty" and have a big house
I got this book when my daughter was 1 yr in anticipation of toddlerhood. When I read it I was really excited about all of the good ideas in it, but many didn't work out, or required better craft skills/ supplies/ more setup time than I have. For example Kuffner suggests making nesting cups out of old tin cans--I have yet to find a tin can without a SHARP inside edge. She recommends making shakers out of old containers filled with beans or stones...my daughter got all the glued-on lids off,except the screw on ones, leadng to a big choking hazard. (you're supposed to use a glue gun,which I don't have) So you have to have your own good judgment on safety, and supervise closely. Also, lots of the ideas take up space, so if you live in a 2 bedroom apartment as I do they're tough. And, many kept my daughter's attention for about 30 seconds, after taking 10 times that to set up.

That being said, I'm still using it-alot of ideas work better now that my daughter is three. But I'm not buying Kuffner's preschooler book, I'm going to shop around and see if I can find something that better meets my needs.

The Pocket Parent (Paperback)

Book Description
It's instant relief for when your 2-year-old is on the floor of the toy store, pitching a fit. Or when brother and sister discover that they can't stand each other. Or when your son can't say no to video games.

The Pocket Parent is, literally, a pocket-size book of tried-and-true advice, common sense, parental wisdom, and sanity. Written by two professionals who've reared six children between them and made a career out of helping others with parenting issues, this handy book will be a lifesaver for every parent of a 2-to-5-year-old. It begins with an overall view of the Pocket Parent approach to discipline. Based on unconditional love but firm limits, and aimed at keeping the child's dignity and self-esteem intact, here are strategies that include "I" statements, modeling, family meetings, and "one word" requests. Once the ground rules are set, the guide moves to an A-to-Z compendium of common problems. Just look it up-Anger, Bad Words, Biting, Chores, Doctor Visits, Fears at Night, Lying, Separation Anxiety-and find the "Sanity Savers" list of suggestions, easy-to-follow bullets, anecdotes, and more.

For the bag, glove compartment, backpack, or shelf in the kitchen, it's there for you whenever you need it.

From the Back Cover
The Pocket Parent is a lifesaver of tried-and-true advice, common sense, parental wisdom, and sanity. Its philosophy of discipline marries unconditional love with firm limits; its strategies bring both immediate relief and long-term understanding to children's behavior problems.
"At last, a how-to book [on parenting] that has depth as well as offering excellent, practical advice." (Stanley Turecki, M.D., Author of The Difficult Child and Normal Kids Have Problems Too

"A superb handbook for parents: humane, reassuring, practical. Thirty years ago when I was a young mother, Dr. Spock was on my bedside table. If I were that mother today, The Pocket Parent would be there, as well as in my purse, my car, and anywhere else I could consult it at a moment's notice." (Carolyn Newberger, Ed,D., (Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School)

"Written in a positive compassionate tone and sprinkled with personal anecdotes, this invaluable compendium offers expert wisdom for positively shaping children's behavior while strengthening family bonds." (Marianne Neifert, M.D., "Dr Mom", Contributing Editor to Parenting Magazine)

Review: The Pocket Parent
Handy book with quick references to different problem areas on how to deal with your "strong willed" child.

Review: Handy, Comprehensive, Bulleted Insight & Suggestions--FAST!!
If you have a 2, 3, 4, or 5 year old, this book is the best quick reference we have discovered on the market. It is filled with hundreds of strategies to try for just about every behavior challenge you toddler/preschooler throws your way...Bad Words, Tantrums, Eating and Bedtime Refusals, the Gimees, Potty Training, Not Listening, Sibling Fights, Lying, Whining and many more. I like the way the authors say, "Each parent is the true expert of his/her child...no one knows that child better than his own parents." And, the author suggests that each parent choose the tips or plans that make good sense for their family and give them a try. We keep this book on our bedside table and consult it often for sanity saving suggestions on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. You will read very sensible, simple advice that you often forget is an option in the heat of the moment when you are feeling angry, tired, embarrassed, stressed or simply at the end of your rope on a very bad day with the children. We love the sense of humor from the authors who also share some of their own personal parenting trials and triumphs. Helpful, reasonable priced and fun to read!!

Review: Good reference for toddlers
THis book is bigger than i thought it would be-- it covers a large variety of issues-- and it is simple and quick. It's a great quick reference book.

Review: Good Bathroom Book!
Cute little book, although I can't say I've read it cover-to-cover (the only ones that I do read that way are novels). Some of the advice is not new or unique, but the authors sometimes offer a few alteratives, which is helpful since no one strategy works for every child. My one crtiticism is that the authors refer to themselves for most of the experiences they write about--it gets old reading the same names over & over--they should have made-up some names in order to cut down on the repetitiveness (and the impression that the book is about them rather than parenting tips). But my husband & I love to thumb through it during our time in "the office."

Review: Great Advice and Easy to Implement Tips !
I think this is a great book with many easy to use, quick reminders of ways to manage your kiddos! It's a good list of things you can try to get the behavior you're looking for. It gives tips for potty training, what to do if they're using bad words, fighting, etc.

If you look up 'power struggles' the book encourages you to try not to ask yes/no questions if "no" is an unacceptable answer - you've just set yourself up for a struggle if the kid says "no". Instead reply with "Yes, after you..." It also suggests that when you state your request in as few words as possible it is less likely to be tuned out.

Or a discipline technique reminds you to make the consequence of misbehavior immediate (e.g. timeout vs. moving bedtime earlier from 7:00 to 6:30). If the consequence is too far away, they don't associate it with the behavior.

It also helps reinforce good behavior. For example, if you look up 'self-esteem' it reminds you to praise your children for specific things (e.g. "Thank you for picking up all your toys and putting them away neatly" vs. "Good job"). It also suggests not using "best" and "greatest" as in "best swimmer" which can create difficult expectations to live up to. Instead, praise them for being "very creative" or "doing a smart thing", not "being the smartest kid".

It's easy to read and provides useful tips or scenarios from various individual's experiences.

In short, no two kids are alike and no one strategy works all the time. I recommend it as a resource to give you ideas about different things to try with your kids.

Review: Wise, Witty Workable Suggestions... NO Preaching!, ,
In December, the Chicago-based author of this book spoke to parents and teachers in our school district in San Jose, CA where she received a standing ovation. She totally WOWed us with her enlightening, encouraging and very entertaining style. Those same three words describe her easy reference very popular guidebook (with almost 100,000 copies in print).

"Pocket Parent" is quite unique and very well-priced--considering the wealth of information and friendly support offered between its 400 hundred pages...all targeted to moms AND dads with children in a most challenging 4-year age span...2's, 3's, 4's and 5's.

This book offers clearly organized, very specific information on a variety of behaviors with compassion, experience, and humor.

THE POCKET PARENT is designed for busy parents to refer to as needed--each chapter stands alone. It is written in quick bullets of information rather than paragraphs so you do not have to read the entire book cover to cover to get a couple of ideas to try immediately (or later as things calm down).

The practical information is combined with insight and long term understanding towards successfully changing behavior...both the child's and the parent's.

"Pocket Parent" is literally a pocket-sized (4" X 8") A-Z guide, addressing every challenging situation you can think of such as...Anger, Bad Words, Bedtime, Biting, "Gimmes", Hitting, Interrupting, Listening, Lying, Mealtime, Morning "Crazies", Potty Training, Power Struggles, Tantrums, Time-Outs that aren't working...and much more.

I keep this book handy on my bedside table--ready to give me some strategies to try for the next day... along with a much needed "verbal hug" when I'm feeling guilty that I've been a frazzled, failure of a mother earlier that day. "Pocket Parent" is definitely NOT preachy nor condescending from "holier than thou" experts. The authors include many humorous anecdotes (some personal regarding their own children) that truly hit home from beginning to end. Those are my favorite parts of this book.

I highly recommend this comprehensive, parent-friendly reference book that offers sanity saving advice and support from beginning to end.

Review: a whimsical stocking stuffer
True to the title the Pocket Parent does fit exactly there. However, I'm not sure how many parents will carry it around for those "quick fix" moments (a creative packaging concept?). The book does have some helpful hints for the little ones which we all need as parents from time to time. The tips, however, seem to be more of a witty compilation of tried and true tricks from a collective group of parents. This same group seemed to throw in the supportive comments to one another for good measure. All in all it seems to be on par with most of what's out there. As a parent, I was looking for more in-depth ideas from professionals and ways to develop my child for the long term - not just in the grocery store. Also, I could do without the peer-parent coddling of my worth as I try to manage the children.

Review: Great Little book
Easy to read, heavy on the tips - a lot like Behavior Coaching by Dr. Scott Hall and Matt Pasquinilli.

Review: A to Z Sanity Bible with Wit and Wisdom
This book is absolutely incredible!!

I have gotten so-o-o-o-o many ideas that work on my 3,4 and 7 year old. Just the simple suggestion of having objects "do the talking" instead of me nagging and threatening has gotten incredibly more cooperation in the nighttime bathroom routine as well as in the morning with my 4 year old. To my pleasant surprise, the silly talking toothbrush has helped get the job done the entire week.

The suggestion to say "No" by calmly saying "Yes, you can do that right after..." has really helped keep me in charge as a parent without screaming "No!" all the time to my sometimes "parent-deaf" 3 year old.

The best thing about this guide is that you don't have to read it cover to cover--Just flip to the behavior that is challenging you and get an idea to try within one minute. All the hundreds of suggestions are very brief. And the little stories are hysterically familiar....it is as if the authors had spied in my window and wrote specifically about my 3 son's misbehavior!

Everything that drives you crazy is covered...whining, picky eaters, sibling fights, tantrums, lying, biting, potty training, endless interrupting, separation anxiety, not picking up the toys, hints to keep child in bed, and many others.

If you are considering buying one book for trouble shooting common annoying behaviors of 2- to 6-year-olds (although many techniques work on all ages)...I recommend THE POCKET PARENT... I love the sense of humor throughout the book. And,I really liked all the anecdotes referring to dads and their kids because many parenting books only give examples with mommies. Many thanks to the sensative mothers who purposely wrote this book for Dads as well as Moms.

For a great video with specific strategies for busy parents who have no time to read parenting books I also highly recommend 1,2,3 MAGIC--Managing Difficult Behavior in Children 2-12.

Wishing you less frustration and more cooperation from your kids...

--A much calmer, more competent dad

Review: Nanna's Got Game
I am a step grandmother (nanna) to two different families. Both my daughter and son have been married twice with one or the other having stepchildren from the spouse. I keep my step-grandkids as much as possible. Since my other grandchildren are older, I needed a book that could provide answers quick to these kids ages 7 and down. Pocket Parent has been wonderful in providing me insightful quick answers. I really have enjoyed it. When I feel like giving up, I look up a problem, and there it is. Another book that goes hand in hand with this is Mommy CEO. If one book doesn't have a quirky disaster, the other book will. I keep both books handy right on the kitchen table. What a wonderful duo -- and I never leave home without them. Being a step-nanna has its challenges, but with these books, I feel pretty lucky each day. Both authors teach young, old and somewhere in between, how to stop nagging, yelling and screaming. Now, as my son says, "Nanna's Got Game."




Toddler: Real-life Stories of Those Fickle, Irrational, Urgent, Tiny People We Love (Paperback)

Book Description
These tales capture all the hilarity, magic, and chaos of raising the complex little people we call toddlers. Poised between the baby’s and the child’s world, toddlers teach us to take joy in the roundness and the texture of a ball, in the comfort of a blanket, in the beauty of a spider web. They help us see the world differently with their wacky interpretations of everyday objects. They exasperate, defy, and devastate us, yet they fill us with a profound sense of awe. Readers share in the joy a father feels when his daughter looks at him and exclaims "dada!" (and the disappointment that follows when she addresses her sippy cup by the same name); in the struggle of a blind mother in keeping track of her very mobile two-year-old; in the frustration a mother—a family doctor—feels when the potty-training advice she routinely gives to worried parents doesn’t work with her four-year-old triplets; and in the hilarious resignation of a father who comes to realize that even his bathroom time is now a family event. Toddler mirrors the commonality of raising toddlers and reflects the joy and wonder that define this vital time in a child and parent’s life.

Got Toddlers?, August 18, 2005
Reviewer: Jennifer Singer "Author, 14 Hours 'Til Bedtime" (Kinnelon, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

If you're living with those little irrational creatures who can switch on and off temper tantrums like a Rockin' Elmo doll, this book is for you. Frequently funny, at-times irreverent and always painfully true-to-life, "Toddler" is a classic that every parent of 1-3 year-olds should read... just as soon as the temper tantrum ends.

Review: A Good Read!
Fun and touching stories that any Mom can relate to. An easy and quick read that will make you smile and maybe even "mist" up. A recommended reading if you have Tot's or if you like reading "Motherhood" tales!

Review: Balanced and Right for Toddlers
At that certain time of night -- usually on a Sunday -- when everyone's tired and one or the other of my children is crumbling and crumbling loudly, I pull out this book. The essays are concise and well written and often out-and-out hilarious. At those moments when you feel that you must be the only person (OK, mother) in the world feeling what you feel, this book can be a lifesaver. And it does this without playing the political/gender role card. Kudos!

Review: Very honest and real
The stories in this collection do a great job of explaining what life with a toddler can really be like. This book is very honest and real. This would be a great gift to give to a friend whose baby is about to become a toddler.

Review: Funny, honest, and holding nothing back
This is an excellent collection. The voices included are diverse and wise. As a whole, the book overflows with humor, irreverence, awe and parental joy, love, and most of all, honesty. If you feel overwhelmed by how-to books and/or just the tiniest bit frustrated with your own toddler, this is the book for you. I laughed out loud several times and nodded in recognition over and over while reading TODDLER. Get this book--it will speak to you!

Faulkner Fox
author of DISPATCHES FROM A NOT-SO-PERFECT LIFE

Review: Every new parent should read this gem
My only regret after reading "Toddler" is that it wasn't in print when my son (now a teenager) was small. Reading a few of these short and wonderfully written essays every evening at bedtime, I got the warm fuzzies and was reminded of the growing pains of my own early motherhood. It's all here -- the joyful, in-your-scrapbook moments as well as the jaw-grinding frustrations of living with a tiny pre-school person.

Familiar voices in the book include the likes of Louise Erdrich ("Blue Jay's Dance") and Joyce Maynard, plus countless new writers whose contributions to "Mommy Lit" are worthy of anthologizing. Editor and author Jennifer Margulis has done a marvelous job of collecting stories that will appeal to all new parents, as well as older ones like me who live vicariously through the well-written chronicles of others. I've purchased additional copies of this book to give as shower gifts this spring.

Review: For anyone with a toddler in their lives!
A collection of stories about toddlers is bound to be an emotional rollercoaster - just like actually raising a toddler!

Some of the stories are funny, some sad, and just like toddlers, each is charming in its own way, so there's bound to be something there for anyone with a toddler (or an ex-toddler!) in their lives.

p.s. another good thing about short stories is that even parents of toddlers can read them without having to constantly catch up on the plot!

Review: Every parent needs this toddler!!!
Having perused countless parent-lit collections (and having three children under six) I like to think I've got a pretty good radar for the cloyingly sentimental or overly preachy or too narrow or too out-there anthologies in print. This collection is none of those things. It is SOOOO good. The stories span a wide gamut and have a range of tones--every one of which spoke to this dedicated and thinking and at-times beleaguered parent! There is some racy stuff, some endearing stuff--everything from the highly inspirational to the down-right edgy. This is one "toddler" you'll actually want by your bedside at night! Get a copy now and, like me, you'll be back for a dozen more for all the parents out there who really need to read this book. It's an absolute gem.

Review: Curl up with this one
A warm, cozy, sweet book. I read it almost cover to cover, which says so much for the selection and editing of the essays; nothing tripped me up or lost me along the way. I appreciated the inclusion of fathers and the variety of styles in general. The book managed to make me nostalgic for the toddler phase, which is hard to believe since my daughter is only four and I should still be panting with relief, but even more than that, it made me feel such tenderness for the parents, their earnestness, their candor, their ambivalence, their fierceness... what a compelling display of the capabilities of the personal essay.

The Halloween Handbook : 447 Costumes

The collaborative effort of Halloween costume experts and enthusiasts Bridie Clark and Ashley Dodd, The Halloween Handbook: Dress-Up For Grown-Ups showcases 447 imaginative, easy-to-make, do-it-yourself costume concepts. From traditional favorites such as Wonder Woman or Peter Pan, to more eyebrow-raising unique costumes like the One-Night Stand (the costumegoer appears as an actual stand with lampshade over the head, bra and pantyhouse dangling on the tablecloth) or the Green Card (wearing a large green sandwich board humorously displaying a parody what a real green card looks like). Black-and-white photographs illustrate fun, zany, sometimes edgy ideas with practical suggestions to efficiently and frugally make a Halloween guise to remember. Especially recommended not only for Halloween, but as a source of ideas for costume parties year round or even school and community theater apparel.





Dazzling Disguises and Clever Costumes

Reviews:

i love this book it is really cool my name is katie i am six years old with long brown hair and green eyes my friend sarah and i made a horse costume a month ago and we wear it everyday. i also made the insect and the bird costumes. i like putting bags and masks over my head cuz i think its funny LOL. i hope i can be a childrens entertainer one day and play catcherin softball. my mom says shell make the ghost costume for halloween. yay!

This book would be a really great book for kids.
It would be fantastic to use as inspiration for Halloween costumes.
There are some great ideas inside. The instructions seem easy for children to follow and most of the materials used to make the costumes are available around the house or at a craft store.






Dressed for Thrills : 100 Years of Halloween Costumes and Masquerade

From Publishers Weekly
From a 1930s waxed, painted buckram "Evil Bunny" and a mohair and cotton "Colonial Ladies Wig" from the 1940s to "Buddie Beatnik" and "Rubik's Cube" costumes, this colorful photographic survey by Galembo, a photographer and SUNY professor of art, shows vintage costumes worn by (sometimes rather unhappy looking) young models. Mark Alice Durant, a University of Maryland professor of Visual Arts, offers the accompanying essay, "Glowing Turnips, Pointy Black Hats, & Insomniac Aliens: The Hybrid History of Halloween," showing how we "shape rituals to fit the realities of the moment." The play versions of Groucho Marx, Olive Oyl, astronauts and Lady Liberty among the 123 full-color photos illustrate that principle whimsically and sometimes scarily.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description

A whimsical array of ghosts and goblins, spooks and skeletons, vamps and vampires parade through this unparalleled collection of more than 100 years of American Halloween attire. From Little Bo Peep with lamb in hand to beatniks and pirates, from monsters and witches to clowns and animals, this veritable "carnival" of costumes visually captures All Hallows' Eve like no other book before.

In her celebration of Halloween revelry, photographer Phyllis Galembo never settles for the ordinary; here instead are evocative scenes of dressed-to-scare young trick-or-treaters "modeling" their disguises, of undead spirits haunting their surroundings, and of costumes spanning over a century that take on an eerie new creepiness thanks to special lighting effects. Accompanying the costume shots is a history of this always-popular holiday and an essay placing the work in the wider context of fashion and costume. Of interest to enthusiasts, designers, and students alike, this devilishly diverting book is the perfect gift for all Halloween aficionados.

Review

If you have ANY feel for Halloween, BUY this book! It is THAT good! It will remind you of your childhood and the magic that flew through the air on Halloween. HIGHLY reccomended!








SpongeBob SquarePants - Halloween (1999)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com

Halloween boasts a full hour of deep-sea spooks featuring Nickelodeon's jolly sponge with the cubical trousers. In "Scaredy Pants" easy-to-scare SpongeBob attempts to come up with the scariest costume ever--and exceeds beyond his wildest dreams. "Imitation Krabs" concerns Plankton's evil robotic plan to trick SpongeBob into revealing Mr. Krab's secret krabby patty recipe. "Frankendoodle," a spoof on Frankenstein, has SpongeBob drawing a self-portrait with a magical pencil he found. It proceeds to come to life, wreaking havoc all over Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob turns into a "snailcat" in "I Was a Teenage Gary" when he's accidentally injected with pet Gary's medicine. And in "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost," SpongeBob and pal, Patrick the starfish, mistake his grumpy talcum powder-covered neighbor for a grown-up Casper. The educational value may be minimal, but the humor quotient is high in these five installments of the popular series. For ages 6 and up. --Kathleen C. Fennessy --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.

About the Actor
Michael Orlando is a veteran computer graphic and visual effects artist in the motion picture industry. He has worked for Walt Disney Feature Animation, Industrial Light & Magic, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Warner Brothers, and Paramount pictures. Some of his films and credits include: Star Wars Episode II, Dinosaur, Space Jam, The Mummy Returns, Men In Black II, and Starship Troopers.
Michael is currently directing the fully animated version of Pumpkin Season. Release date: Unknown.

Review: This is a HUGE guilty pleasure
Because I watch a two-year-old girl almost every single day, I'm practically forced to watch cartoons on an endless basis. And while most of them are tedious to bare through, I find Spongebob Squarepants to be very entertaining for BOTH kids and adults! Don't expect this to be an educational show but rather something to laugh to if you're down or just feel like chuckling at some stupid, mindless jokes... I've been addicted to this show for quite some time now but had never seen a halloween episode before, so the second that I saw this on video I snatched it up and bought it as quickly as I could. And while all of these episodes are great, I was rather disappointed at my realization of how the newer DVD version had 5 extra episodes and how only one of the episodes was an actual halloween one!

I absolutely love watching Spongebob Squarepants (especially when the evil Plankton is present) but I've honestly seen funnier ones than these before. And while I find this collection of shows to be a minor let-down, I do recommend this for "Squidward, the Unfriendly Ghost". --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition

Review: My kids LOVED this DVD!
Spongebob Squarepants is one of those rare shows (like Samurai Jack and Powerpuff Girls) that's as entertaining for me as it is for the kids. This DVD has become a favorite among the members of our family, and it has been a staple for car trips (we highly recommend those Toshiba TV/DVD sets for the car!).

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