Monster’s are awesome! Some of my kids’ favorite books are all about these silly make believe creatures. Some of the all-time great monster books are The  Monster at the End of This Book, Go  Away Big Green Monster, Where the Wild Things Are, and Leonardo, the Terrible Monster. We would like to add to another to the list of great monster books with When a Monster is Born. This book is very funny and crazy fun! After reading, take your silly little monsters to the AZ Museum for Youth, where the current feature exhibit is My Favorite Monster.  They have fantastic hands-on exhibits to help you build, create, and play with toy monsters. Make your day less scary and more fun! Enjoy reading this great book and having fun with your kids today!

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a fantastic book about childhood, imagination, ingenuity, and fun! I read this book to my  five year old daughter. Not only was the imagery fantastic enough to keep her attention, but it also jump started her imagination and she loved it!

Give any child an extra treat by taking them to a real chocolate factory. Cerreta Candy Company in Glendale offers a free factory tour. Make the long hours of summer a little bit sweeter . . .  read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and take a tour of one of AZ’s chocolate factories.

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Summer is in full swing, and it’s hot! What do you do? Hit the pool of course. Kids love to swim and there are so many great benefits for them. It’s fun, it cools them down, and it’s a great form of exercise and outdoor activity. But deep water has inherent dangers, and with an abundance of pools in AZ, all children should be taught to swim. This can be daunting and scary for some kids. Swimming Lessons is about those nerves children get when first learning to swim. It’s a fun story that will set your child at ease if they are nervous about being so wet.

Aqua Tots is a great pair with this book. They have a year-round indoor swimming facility, with locations all around the valley. You get to stay indoors with air conditioning during lessons, you don’t have to worry about lathering your kids with sunscreen, and your kids have a great time, all while being taught by professional instructors. What a win-win opportunity! So, grab this book, sign up for lessons, and swim away your summer.

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Any child who has ever been playfully tossed into the air, flying higher than the clouds, knows their  daddy is a giant. Any child who has been scooped up into their daddy’s arms in order to avoid something scary knows their daddy is a giant.  Any child who has been lulled to sleep as they listen to his strong heartbeat and deep voice knows their daddy is a  giant. My Daddy is a Giant is a wonderful story about all of the reasons a Daddy is so special to his kids.

Father’s Day is coming and what Dad doesn’t love getting a tie on his special day? Make this one extra unique. Create an oragami tie with your kids. Make it crazy! Make it fun! Personalize it and make it just for him. Have them write a short message on the back just for Dad. It will be a tie he’ll treasure (but never have to wear). After the kids give their tie, let them snuggle up with Dad and read My Daddy is a Giant. It will be a Father’s Day to remember for years to come. (more…)