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In 2005 Asha Dornfest, a new parent, launched the blog Parent Hacks as a way for parents to share tips that make raising young children less nerve-racking. This book has the 134 best tips from the blog. Here are a few examples from the On the Go section:
#116 Write your phone number on your kid’s belly.
#113 Strap ankle weights to a lightweight stroller to keep it from tipping.
#110 Line your car’s cup holders with cupcake liners.
#118 Use adhesive bandages to baby-proof hotel room outlets.
Other tip themes include pregnancy and postpartum, sleep, food and mealtime, organizing time and space, and getting dressed. Craighton Berman’s clear illustrations make it easy to understand most tips at a glance. If you or someone you know is pregnant, this book is essential reading. – Mark Frauenfelder
A CHILDREN’S BOOK OF MAPS CRAMMED WITH FUN FACTS ABOUT THE U.S. STATES
The 50 States: Explore the U.S.A. with 50 fact-filled maps by Gabrielle Balkan Wide Eyed Editions 2015, 112 pages, 11.5 x 13.8 x 0.8 inches
Pack your bags, gas up the car and hit the highway! You’ll want to plan a road trip this summer after perusing The 50 States, a children’s atlas crammed with fun facts about every state from sea to shining sea. This carefully detailed book contains over fifty quirky, infographic maps that highlight famous people, state icons, key facts, regional spotlights and moments to remember of every state. Flip to the back of the book and you’ll also find a helpful, detailed index, a listing of all the presidents, and each and every state flag unfurling across the pages.
If the delightfully appealing cover didn’t give it away, you’ll know as soon as you flip to the introduction that this gigantic atlas is no ordinary collection of maps. Author Gabrielle Balkan insists that readers not invest in these detailed, sprawling maps as geographically correct renditions but as wonderful canvases to narrate the rich history and culture of the states they represent. You’ll journey from the shores of Alaska, populated by Kodiak bears, to our nation’s capital, where Ben’s Chili Bowl nabs a spot in history right alongside the columns and fluttering flag of the White House. Children and adults alike will come away from the book not only with obscure facts about our nation’s history, but with a new appreciation of the amazing and diverse cultures that spill across the pages of The 50 States and that make our homeland so unique. – Kaz Weida
Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair.Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.
