A Few of Our Favorite Things

A Few of Our Favorite Things

By Amy Crelly

Listen Up!
Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child airs the best kindie rock around, from current groups to 60s rock. Started in 2005 by father-and-daughter team Bill and Ella Childs, the show has now been awarded a NAPPA Gold! Check it out online at SpareTheRock.com. It’s music to a hipster parent’s ears!

Eye Candy
Check out these cool and crafty locals representin' on Etsy:

• Marty May Rad and whimsical screenprints on tees, bags and wallets (patch form too).
• Laundry Monster Delightful onesies, tees, burp cloths (really, almost too adorable to use for that purpose), and more, hand-dyed and super-cute.
• Christine's Jewelry Box Stylish earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and pendents, all handmade with sterling silver, lampwork beads, and other cool materials.
• Punta Bella Darling crocheted hats and booties for babies and toddling ones.
• HKlinger When local music writer Heather Klinger isn't tapping at her keyboard, she's making hip little buttons, featuring her original, smile-inducing drawings, and the perfect felt turntable christmas ornament to give with that iTunes gift card.

Crazy like a...
Fantastic Mr. Fox hit Sacramento theaters just in time for the Turkey-Day vacation break. While I can't technically say just yet that it's one of my "favorite" things, since it has yet to open as of press time, I am so eagerly anticipating this stop-motion animation adventure (and I am such a super-fan of Wes Anderson's films) that I can almost-practically-virtually recommend it with the utmost confidence! It's rated PG (with some sly witticisms aimed over younger heads and targeted toward parents), and features the voices of George Clooney (as Mr. Fox himself), Meryl Streep (as his wife), Jason Schwartzman (as their out-of-sorts son), Willem Dafoe (as a menacing rat with a fabulous theme song), Bill Murray and other ticket-worthy talents. Enjoy!

What Do You Do 
When Your Little One's Blue?
“Are You Sad, Little Bear?” (Lion Children’s, and imprint of Lion UK, 2009) is a beautifully written children’s book about “learning to say goodbye,” as the subtitle explains. Recommended for children up to age 5, it follows the journey of a cub whose grandmother has gone away forever (“as old bears do”). Rachel Rivett’s gentle, tender tone and Tina Macnaughton’s soft, warm illustrations will offer support to both children and parents coping with loss. Its simple, elegant metaphors, drawn from nature, allow space for parents of any denomination or philosophy to add their own special comforts to story time. Local families will recognize the trees, streams and forest creatures Little Bear encounters in the book, as well as the solace that can be found in a walk through the woods.