Okay, so I'm on a cat bend right now, but for good reason. Cat, by Matthew Van Fleet with photography by Brian Stanton is fancatstic! The cover alone drew me in with its little grey cat pawing at an unsuspecting goldfish swimming contentedly in a bowl (push the arrow tab and watch what happens) and the in-your-face Siamese with the soft, touchable tail. And what's not to love about Mo, the Exotic Shorthair? I learned this big orange cat's name along with all the others from the back inside cover where all the felines featured are pictured in frames with…

My 16 year-old cat, Nikky, would love local author Steve Fisher's book The World Is Your Litter Box since it's actually a how-to manual written for cats, not humans, which she could have written had she opposable thumbs. But for those of you still getting to know me, allow me to digress. I wasn't always a cat person. I grew up devoted to my Standard Poodle, Bridgette, and vowed to have dogs my entire life. Back in 1969, an eventful year with the Moon Landing and such, my brother found a stray cat which our parents allowed us to keep…

This Thursday, February 19 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. join the friendly folks at Every Picture Tells a Story to celebrate the genius works of master folk artist Esau Andrade, who has come all the way from Mexico. Often celebrated amongst the company of famed Latino painters such as Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamay, Andrade's works are found hanging in respected museums and galleries. Get your own signed copy of his new best selling book, A Perfect Season For Dreaming and enjoy readings and refreshments at: Every Picture Tells A Story: 1311-C Montana Avenue, Santa Monica CA 90403 (310)…

Today's Guest Reviewer, Sean Burgess, is a professional drummer and music teacher originally from Massachusetts. He lives in Hollywood with Terresa, his wife of 8 years, their 17 month old daughter Teagan and two crazy dogs named Nigel and Sable. So, Yo! Check out what he has to say about some pretty popular new books. My family became instant fans of the hit children’s television show “Yo Gabba Gabba!” We are totally taken with the infectious, indie-new wave-electro songs with themes from brushing teeth to weather. The unique characters and personalities featured in each episode really catch your eye. With…

We all know it only takes a little to BE BIG... Join with Scholastic Media and Clifford The Big Red Dog's campaign today to raise awareness for how Clifford's BIG Ideas (Sharing, Helping Others, Being Kind, Being Responsible, Playing Fair, Being a Good Friend, Believing in Yourself, Respecting Others, Working Together and Being Truthful) can make the world a better place. The BE BIG campaign urges civic engagement and volunteerism and the BE BIG Fund will support local community engagement opportunities that will recognize and reward others for their BE BIG actions. So what can you do? Get involved! The…

Today I am celebrating the birthday of our nation's 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, with a roundup of several noteworthy children's books. It's definitely worth noting that February 12th is also the 100th anniversary of the NAACP as well as Charles Darwin's birthday. What Lincoln Said, by Sarah Thomson, illustrated by James E. Ransome is recommended for ages 6-9. From earning his first dollars to outlawing slavery, Honest Abe’s life was one of hard work and dedication. Along his journey, Lincoln’s quotes, such as “Leave nothing for tomorrow that can be done today,” and “If slavery is not wrong, nothing is…

When I picked up Michael Wright's two kids books, Jake Stays Awake and Jake Starts School, I didn't know what to expect, but was instantly wowed by the cover artwork. I first saw Wright's name on a flyer at my son's elementary school in La Canada where he was scheduled to be a guest reader. I ran home and flipped through the school phone book to no avail. He was not a school parent. After Googling him along with the Jake book titles, I ended up at his cool and colorful website and contacted him. Turns out he's what we…