*All reviews included on this page are strictly the opinions of the writer.*

Are you a company or marketing firm looking for parents to review your family products? Contact Lis Garrett by sending an email to LisGarrett@RootandSprout.com.

Are you a parent who would like to join our panel of parent reviewers? Click here for more details.

reviewed by Lis Garrett, with help from Bridget

When I was little, a friend of the family took me to a specialty toy store where she told me I could choose anything I wanted, and she’d buy it for me. Any kid might rightfully interpret the offer as a green light to select the most outlandish and expensive toy in the store, but I’ve always been a careful shopper. Even now, I like selecting gifts for my children, nieces, and nephews that might otherwise go unnoticed in most mainstream shops. I appreciate the obscure gift. What I selected was a cassette and accompanying picture book of Aesop’s Fables I had found tucked away in a particularly dark corner of the store.  

Who hasn’t heard the story of The Tortoise and the Hare or The Fox and the Grapes? And what parent hasn’t used the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf as a lesson in honesty? I know I have! I listened to that cassette until it wore out, or I got a CD player (I can’t remember which).  

Aesop Bops! is a DVD performance of three popular fables: The Lion and the Mouse, The Fisherman and His Wife, and The Turtle’s Shell. Performed on stage in front of a live audience, David Gonzalez , storyteller extraordinaire, breathes life into each character using nothing more than his expressive voice, guitar, and boundless energy. Providing instrumental accompaniment is The Yak Yak Band. Click here for a preview of Aesop Bops! *Remember to turn off the music at the top of the page.* 

Although watching Gonzalez on DVD is probably nothing compared to seeing a live performance, it’s a refreshing alternative to cartoons, movies, and (gasp!) storybooks. Nothing takes the place of you reading to your child each day, but unless you are an expert raconteur, such as Gonzalez, he or she will probably appreciate the change of pace.  

As a mom, I really enjoyed Aesop Bops!   

At 50 minutes running time, however, the DVD might be too long for the youngest listeners to handle all at once. My own three-year-old was getting restless after the first 10 minutes, but thankfully, unlike a live performance, you can pause a DVD. But don’t let my daughter’s lack of total rapture be indicative of the performance; she’s three and can’t sit still for anything. Even though the cameras never panned the audience, I could tell there were other preschoolers having a difficult time staying in their seats, too. My recommendation is for elementary-school aged kids; they’ll be entertained and hopefully walk away having learned a moral lesson. 

Enter to win a copy of Aesop Bops!

Lis Garrett is the senior editor and a contributing writer for Root & Sprout. You can connect with her on Root & Sprout's social networking site.

image courtesy V. Sexton

reviewed by Lis Garrett, with help from Bridget and Jacob

Any parent of a young child knows that “Barney” is a purple dinosaur and “Thomas” is a blue train who tries his best to be a really useful engine. No further elaboration is required, for those parents and kids in the preschool crowd have come to readily identify with these beloved characters on a first-name basis.   

My two youngest kids, Bridget and Jacob, were thrilled with the opportunity to review an early-release copy of The Best of Barney and Thomas & Friends™: The Great Discovery. Luckily for you, however, each movie is now available in stores. But f you haven’t yet picked up your own copy, read my review and then enter for a chance to win. 

From Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment comes an hour-long DVD filled with your preschooler’s favorite Barney moments. And if she’s anything like my daughter, she’ll want to watch it over and over again. Bridget, like most children, was first introduced to Barney on public television, and it didn’t take long for her to become totally captivated by the loveable dinosaur and his pals, Baby Bop, BJ, and Riff. Parents may scratch their heads and wonder exactly what it is about Barney that is so mesmerizing, but I’m convinced it has everything to do with all the singing and dancing going on. Plus, the tunes are just so catchy! What parent hasn’t taught her child the “I Love You” or “Clean Up” song? Each has practically become a staple in preschool academia. All I really care about, however, is that my child is watching a safe, non-violent program that promotes cooperation, friendship, and imaginative play.  

Another great release from Lionsgate and HIT is Thomas & Friends™: The Great Discovery. Admittedly, I was a little hesitant to watch and review this feature-length movie, but I happily obliged because my son, even at seven years old, still very much enjoys Thomas. That little blue engine has been a fixture in our home for the past five years, and it was during a trip to the library when he first discovered The Magic Railroad. Little did I know that the movie would remain a perennial favorite, so much so that I’d have to buy a replacement copy for the one worn from overuse! Unlike The Magic Railroad, which features live actors and its share of cheesy, ill-acted dialogue, The Great Discovery is a full-length movie done in the same format of your child’s other favorite Thomas programs - thankfully, not at all what I thought it would be. Pierce Brosnan narrates the hour-long story of Thomas’ discovery of a deserted mountain town, Great Waterton. But Thomas finds himself in trouble when he lets his jealousy of the newest engine in town cloud his better judgment. How does the story resolve? You’ll have to watch it to find out!

Enter to win a copy The Best of Barney or Thomas & Friends: The Great Discovery!

Lis Garrett is the senior editor and a contributing writer for Root & Sprout. You can connect with her on Root & Sprout's social networking site.

images distributed by Lionsgate and HIT

reviewed by Lis Garrett, with help from Hannah

Storytellers young and old will love The Dreamstarter Book (Cold Tree Press; 2008), by Jennifer Karin Sidford. Reminiscent of those popular create-an-ending stories from one’s childhood, The Dreamstarter Book provides “50 beginnings for creating adventurous bedtime stories, campfire tales, and dreams.”   

Even before I had a chance to open the book, my nine-year-old daughter, Hannah, swiped it from my inbox and holed herself up in her room, carefully perusing each page. Hannah enjoys writing creative stories, so I knew this book would be right up her alley. With 50 possible story beginnings, however, the only hard part was deciding which one to begin (or end!) first. It’s a little like opening a box of chocolates and having to make a choice; you know they’re all going to be good!  

Strictly speaking as a parent, I like how The Dreamstarter Book promotes so many of the things I think are important for children to learn and practice on an ongoing basis: creative storytelling, spelling, writing, and listening. Whether your child writes the stories in a journal or you make it an entertaining, family event, there is an emphasis on good, imaginative fun.  

Hannah says, “I really like the book and making silly endings to the stories.”  

Visit the Dreamstarter Community for Kids, where you can print out free Dreamstarters written by creative kids, such as Hannah, who wrote the beginning to The Last Branch. Awesome!

Enter to win a copy of The Dreamstarter Book!

Lis Garrett is the senior editor and a contributing writer for Root & Sprout. You can connect with her on Root & Sprout's social networking site.

image courtesy Cold Tree Press

reviewed by Lis Garrett

In September’s edition of Root & Sprout was included a review of the 2008-2009 BusyBodyBook organizer. And while my organizer has become an invaluable instrument in planning and organizing the intertwining of my family’s hectic schedules, sometimes it’s more convenient for me to quickly turn to a full-sized calendar, especially when it’s hanging on the wall right next to my telephone.   

In the intent of full disclosure, I love calendars. I don’t think I’ve ever used a calendar I didn’t like. However, I’ve caught myself thinking of ways in which each calendar could use some amount improvement in overall practicality. Never have I seen a wall calendar quite like what BusyBodyBook has to offer, however, and even though it lacks the beautiful landscape photography shot on and around Cornell University’s campus (as does my current calendar), it’s far superior in function.  

Open it up, and you are greeted with 2009-2010 at a glance, as well as a listing of 2009 holidays. Unlike traditional wall calendars, however, that feature one month per page, the BusyBodyBook calendar is sub-divided in two-week increments. Furthermore, the calendar features a seven-column grid to help keep track of every member of your family, so there’s no more trying to cram everyone’s activities in one little box. Also included on each page is space for writing notes, as well as a three-month calendar view; after all, it’s handy to be able to refer to the previous month, as well as see what’s in store for the future. 

What I like most about the 2009 BusyBodyBook wall calendar, however, is what’s included in the very back. On every previous calendar I’ve owned, I’ve been forced to write appointments in the margin for events that were to take place the following year. Many a trip to the dentist was almost missed, because I had accidentally overlooked my microscopic side notes. No more! The 2009 BusyBodyBook has an entire page dedicated to the next year with ample space for writing. In addition, there are pages to record birthdays and anniversaries and space to write emergency contact information, as well as numbers for friends and family.   

How to use the 2009 BusyBodyBook wall calendar:  

The seven-column grid makes scheduling a large family much easier. However, you can also use the columns to plan meals, keep track of projects, or to manage chores. Anything goes!

Enter to win a BusyBodyBook wall calendar!

Lis Garrett is the senior editor and a contributing writer for Root & Sprout. You can connect with her on Root & Sprout's social networking site.

image courtesy About Your Time, LLC

reviewed by Lis Garrett, with help from Bridget and Jacob

If you’re looking for a magazine geared for preschoolers and early readers, it would be worth your while to see what the Tessy & Tab Reading Club has to offer. These book-sized magazines arrive addressed to your child twice a month and are the perfect base for building early reading skills. Each colorful magazine tells a short story relative to your child’s life in a brief, easy-to-read format. Sample titles include, “Cool at the Pool” and “On an Airplane.” Each magazine also includes a featured letter and number, as well as follow-up story questions.  

Likes: 

My three-year-old daughter received a complimentary subscription to the Tessy & Tab Reading club, and she immediately fell in love with the magazine. Although she is too young to read the story by herself, she is able to recognize the featured letters and numbers, as well as answer the questions that pertain to each story. My son, on the other hand, who is learning how to read independently, finds the Tessy & Tab magazines challenging enough so that he feels a sense of accomplishment, but not overwhelming in length or difficulty.  

My daughter also enjoys receiving her own magazine in the mailbox twice each month. She knows exactly what those little brown envelopes hold inside and can’t wait to read her next edition of Tessy & Tab.  

I like that the magazines are durable and the pages are not easily torn or bent. In other words, whereas you may recycle traditional magazines after a few reads, Tessy & Tab are what I consider keepsake books.  

Dislikes:  

While this is not a dislike of mine, per se, some parents may be a little put off by the $48 annual subscription, which is essentially $2.00 a magazine. But parents really should consider what they get: an ad-free keepsake magazine that promotes early literacy and quality parent-child together time. Isn’t that worth $48 a year?  

Root & Sprout readers can receive one free month (that’s two free issues) if you subscribe to the Tessy & Tab Reading Club before 11-30-08. All you have to do is enter “ROOT” in the source code box at checkout.  

A subscription to the Tessy & Tab Reading Club would make an excellent gift-that-keeps-on-giving this holiday season for any preschooler in your life. How many plastic toys does he or she really need anyway?  

You can find out more about Tessy & Tab by visiting www.TessyandTab.com.

Lis Garrett is the senior editor and a contributing writer for Root & Sprout. You can connect with her on Root & Sprout's social networking site.

image courtesy Blue Lake Children's Publishing

reviewed by Tom Loiacono

Would you believe my children are not unlike smoke detectors? And no, not because they are loud and demand your attention. 

When my one-year-old daughter sees me, she exclaims, "Dada!" Upon seeing a photo of herself, she says, "Dada!" If she notices a lamp that is turned on, she yells, "Dada!" 

Contrast this ambiguity with the stark explicitness of my twin four-year-olds who will announce to the entire supermarket that they need to use the bathroom. 

So where is the connection to smoke detectors? My ambiguously verbal infant is like the smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors we bought for our house years ago, which beep and blink upon detecting either smoke or CO. 

My loquacious preschoolers are akin to the The Talking Alarm Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector™, made by Kidde, which I had the fortune to review. This alarm takes the guesswork out of decoding beeps by verbally warning you. Upon detecting smoke, three long beeps are sounded followed by a calm voice saying, "Fire... Fire..." If CO is detected, you hear four short beeps followed by the same friendly voice saying, "Warning... Carbon Monoxide..."  

Did I mention this alarm was like my kids? It even nags you when it needs to be changed; a dying battery will trigger the phrase "Low Battery" once per minute for 60 minutes, then every 15 minutes for seven days until you change its diaper, er, battery. 

This alarm essentially does what my current alarms do, but the voice is an added nice touch. Were my current alarms to go off, I have to physically walk to the alarm to see which light is flashing to know which hazard was detected. With Kidde's Talking Alarm, I know what the hazard is as soon as I hear the voice. For households with children, it is also reassuring that they know the hazard as clearly and as soon as you do. (And the tamper resistant feature will help thwart attempts by your little MacGyvers from easily removing it from the wall or ceiling.)

Three AA batteries are required. Kudos to Kidde for not only including these batteries, but for selecting Duracell batteries and not the usual low-grade generics included with other products. Aside from remembering to change them every six months, batteries are highly recommended for smoke and CO detectors because they are not affected in the event of a power outage.

Another great feature is the "Peak Level Memory." If a certain threshold of CO is detected while you are out of the house, a quick push of the Test/Reset button will confirm this by playing eight short beeps.

There is room for a couple of small improvements. While I do appreciate the verbal warnings, they could be louder and more explicit. Where there's smoke, there's fire? Not always. By alerting, "Fire... Fire...," the alarm is technically misleading you in cases where your toaster merely blackened your bagel. Such a warning is, ironically, incendiary.

As for the CO alarm, informing people that CO has been detected is helpful, but I wish it went further to say, "Move to fresh air now!" People underestimate this tasteless, odorless, invisible, deadly gas, and I feel that warning needs to be more exhortatory.

In summary:

Pros: Verbal alarm, brand name batteries included, tamper resistant, CO memory, reliable and trusted brand name

Cons: Verbal alarm could be louder, more explicit

Overall, this is an excellent alarm with a novel way of grabbing your attention. And it costs you way less money than your kids, too.

Enter to win The Talking Alarm Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector! 

Tom Loiacono is dad to four-year-old twins, Emma and Owen, and one-year-old Savannah.

image courtesy CableOrganizer.com