Things to Do: What to do when there's "nothing to do"!
by Jennie Maizels
Nothing turns me off more than activity books. If geared to kids, they're dopey movie tie-in with stickers that get stuck in unstickable places, and I'm stuck scraping them off. If written for parents, they require expensive craft supplies and an engineering degree to complete.
So, wonder of wonders, along comes an activity book that is, in itself, an activity to read. Each page features a colorful jumble of ideas pictured in a single place; the car, grocery store, bedroom, etc. Characters' thought bubbles and lift-a-flaps reveal tidbits for passing a rainy day or making the most of a trip to the grocer's, for example.
Try finding the biggest item in the store, it suggests, or the smelliest. And then there's stuff to do during car rides; goodness knows we need that. Rock, paper, scissors--hey, I know that game!
The whole book has a "why didn't I think of that?" feel. The ideas are so succinct, you can scan a page, have your kids lift a few of the flaps, and walk away seconds later with your brain gears whirring. It's that good. And that simple. The layout works so well that even the table of contents has tabs so you can open instantly to the spread you need. It has no equal among activity books that I've ever seen.
Even if you forget to bring the book along on car trips or to the beach or the country or wherever, just remembering a few of the suggestions will make you an instant hero.
Plus, all the other parents will be waaay jealous that you're so clever.
UPDATE: Kris over at Paradise Found takes issue with my disdain for activity books and adds a few worthy suggestions. I stand corrected ...
Rating: *\*\*\*\
Anne, thanks for the link. As I said in my blog comments, if we're talking about licensed characters and regurgitated movies as books, that's a turn-off for me, too!
FYI, your auto link in my blog comments takes me to a non-functioning site.
Posted by: Kris | April 10, 2007 at 11:03 AM