Children’s Book and Product Reviews

 

Product Name: Zoo Tycoon
By: Winn, Sandra
Rating: 10+++++
Where to buy: Amazon.com
Description: Series of games put out by MicroSoft ™.  The child puts together zoos including the animals’ habitat and also has to be responsible for making sure that the animals needs and needs of guests are met.

Review: Our daughter is 8 years old and she has learned so much from this wonderful series of games put out by MicroSoft ™.  The child puts together zoos including the animals’ habitat and also has to be responsible for making sure that the animals needs and needs of guests are met.  Graphics are awesome especially in Zoo Tycoon 2 where you can get up close and personal. 

Not only does the child care for the animals but has to train zoo keepers, hire maintenance workers, add decor, put up stands (and make sure they are a profit and not a loss). 

Zoopedia gives an in-depth look at each animal as well as their classifications; genus, species, family, etc. She even takes the time to make sure that the zoo guests are satisfied and if not, she finds out what they want and gets it.

When we went to our local zoo our daughter was naming animals before we even got to the signs telling what they were and on top of that pointed out what was wrong or right with each habitat!

The Zoo Tycoon series is an awesome experience for any child but especially those who love animals. It also brought attention to endangered species, led to our daughter wanting individual books about endangered species, tigers, pandas and more.  She has also donated to a couple of places in order to help animals. 

Criticism: I have no criticism of these products.  In my opinion this series of games is a very well rounded and educational product that not only allows a child to have fun but gives “true” learning.  As a home schooling family, that is important.

Product Name: Monkey Bums Baby Sling
By: Mahoe, Stacie
Rating: 9
Where to buy: www.MonkeyBums.com
 

Description: Monkeybums offers a baby sling for carrying your infant or toddler.  It’s made of fabric and is very comfortable and easy to use.  There are many different cool fabric designs and colors to choose from.

Review: Unlike other infant carriers that may hurt your shoulders, the Monkeybums baby sling makes it easy to carry or wear your baby.  I found the sling to help ease the physical strain of carrying an infant for an extended period of time.  Even as beginning baby wearer, the sling was easy for me to use.  I loved the fact that you could switch baby from an upright position to a laying down position without waking baby up.  It’s also rather easy to get baby in and out of and is simple to adjust.  The adjustment may not be quite as easy as pulling on straps, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not that tough. 

Best of all, my son loved to be in the sling.  It always calms him down and helps him relax. 

Another thing I liked was the extra fabric (tail) - it’s long enough to use as a cover for nursing or to wrap baby up a bit more for cooler weather.  I use it to block the sun from my son’s head if it’s sunny outside. 

These fabric slings are also washable just in case you have a spill or other kind of accident.

Criticism: The only thing I don’t like about the sling is that after a wash, I couldn’t get it back to being as nicely folded as when I first got it.  So what happened after the first wash was that when I put the fabric back through the rings it was a little tangled which made adjusting it after baby was in more complicated.  So I just had to take the time to fold it back up like it was when it first arrived - then I had an easier time adjusting the size.

Product Name: Moby Wrap Baby Carrier
By: Lauth, Carrie
Rating: 9
Where to buy: http://mobywrap.com

Description: The Moby Wrap is a soft stretchy cloth baby carrier. It consists of a long length of cloth that must be tied around the mother’s body.

Review: If you love using a sling you might want to try the Moby also. I like the Moby Wrap for longer wearing…like if I’m taking the kids to a museum or walking. It’s more comfortable for long term wearing than  a sling since the fabric goes onto both shoulders and so baby’s weight is distributed evenly.

But since it can’t be adjusted as easily, I use it around the house (when I can lay baby down to tie the sling on) or for longer periods out of the house.

The Moby can be used for a child up to 35 pounds, and your baby can be held to your chest facing in or out, a “cradle” or nursing position, hip carry or even on your back.  Comes in a variety of colors.

Criticism: There is a tiny bit of a learning curve with this style carrier, but I found that I had it down by the 4th time by following the instructions, and could soon put the Moby on in seconds, even when I was out and about.

Product Name: Maya Wrap
By: Lauth, Carrie
Rating: 10
Where to buy: http://www.mayawrap.com

Description: Guatemalan cotton unpadded “ring” baby sling

Review: If you want a perfect all around baby sling, try the Maya Wrap. I’ve worn two threadbare thus far!

I’ve tried the padded sling styles (NoJo, Over the Shoulder Baby Holder) for awhile but found them too bulky, like wearing a pillow around my torso.

Comes in a variety of colors and especially beautiful fabrics and has a very soft feel after a few washings.

Plus these slings make it too hard to get baby really close to you because you can’t pull the tail far enough through the rings to get a hands free breastfeeding hold or a snug hold with a newborn if you’re petite. Plus it’s hot!

Summary:  The Maya Wrap is in my opinion the best all around baby sling. It’s super easy and fast to just slip on. It’s cool and breathable. It’s almost infinitely adjustable. You can adjust the top and bottom “rails” of the sling independently which is great when your child falls asleep and you need to pull their head in close to your body so it doesn’t flop around (impossible to do with the padded styles).

Product Name: Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers
Reveiw by: Lauth, Carrie
Rating: 9
Where to buy: http://fuzzibunzstore.com
Description: Fuzzi Bunz are a “pocket” diaper which means they consist of a waterproof outer and have a pocket which holds a highly absorbent removable liner (usually microfiber, which is very thin but super absorbent).  They close with plastic snaps which means no messy velcro that picks up lint in the dryer.

Review: Fuzzi Bunz are by far my very favorite cloth diapers. After several years of trying different cloth diaper systems, and liking most of them, I discovered Fuzzi Bunz and got rid of all my other cloth diapers.

I found that FBs are trimmer than most cloth diapers and also more absorbent. Because the absorbent inner is located inside the pocket, the wetness goes through the liner and gets absorbed by the microfiber, meaning that baby doesn’t feel wet against her skin. Yet because they consist of two parts, they wash and dry more quickly than other all in one diapers.

When I took my daughter to the Pediatrician for the first time, he admired her Fuzzi Bunz and made the comment that he wished more parents used them. He  referred to the research on the link between asthma and disposable diapers and noted that her skin was totally rash free.

Fuzzi Bunz are available in a variety of cute colors.
I only give them a 9 because they are quite pricey. But Fuzzi Bunz can be used for more than one child and are high quality. They can be resold on eBay for a dollar or two less than retail, even if they are used.

Criticism: A little pricey.

If you are looking for a beautifully illustrated bedtime story, you won’t want to miss PAJAMA LIGHT by Gale Sypher Jacob. This rhyming story is very easy to read aloud and the simple tale is enjoyable and comforting. The illustrations by Mark Graham are absolutely beautiful and each page is a work of art. I give PAJAMA LIGHT five stars.

 

About the Book:
Rating: *****
Title: Pajama Light

Author: Gale Sypher Jacob

Illustrator: Mark Graham

Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books

ISBN: 0-525-47385-8
Date: 2006
Pages: 32

Price: $16.99