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By
Published: Dec 15, 2009
Category: Beyond Classification [4]
Children! Why, I almost forgot them --- and aren’t they the real reason for all this shopping?
You may wonder why, halfway through Hanukkah and just 10 days before Christmas, I am only now remembering presents for kids.
Wonder not --- I forgot about kids because, in my own home, I haven’t had to think about ours.
What happened? She wrote a three-page wish list. I pretended to collapse. She told me, “Santa has all the money in the world” --- so I sent her list off to the North Pole and haven’t thought about Christmas since.
But why punish you for losing Santa’s address. Here. Quick. Consider these….
MOVIES
The Snowman: [5] A boy in rural England builds a snowman. At midnight, as the boy looks out his window, the snowman lights up. The boy runs outside. He invites the snowman to tour his home. Then the snowman takes his hand. And off they fly, over England, over water, to the North Pole. There, Santa gives the boy a scarf. The boy and the snowman fly home. As the boy is going inside, the snowman waves --- a wave of goodbye. The boy rushes into his arms and hugs him. The next morning, the snowman's just a few lumps of coal and an old hat. Did that magical night really happen? The boy reaches into his pocket and finds the scarf. He drops to his knees and, almost as an offering, places it by the snowman's hat. Fantastic story. Amazing animation. The most beautiful song. This 22-minute film is the very definition of perfection. For kids 3 and up. [I'm reminded that the book [6] is just as exceptional, and ideal for kids 4 to 8.]
The Red Balloon [7]: Pascal --- an only child --- is lonely. A red balloon follows him around and becomes his best friend. The balloon gets him in trouble at school. Boys gang up on Pascal and burst his balloon. Then a flock of balloons shows up and takes Pascal flying over Paris. For adults, that signifies the liberation of art and imagination. For kids, “The Red Balloon” is a film set in reality. And that is the magic of the movie --- it hits kids at their level. A level where anything is possible. Where magic is afoot every day. For kids ages 3 to adult.
BOOKS
The Polar Express [8]: Forget the movie, which was --- I can't resist --- a trainwreck. Don't fall for the fancy gift-boxed edition. Just get the book. Why? The illustrations, to be sure. But the story is even better: On Christmas Eve, a father tells his son that there's no Santa Claus. Later that night, a train packed with children stops in front of a boy's house. He hops on and travels to the North Pole, where Santa offers him the first toy of Christmas. The boy chooses a reindeer's bell. On the way home, he loses it. How he finds it and what that means --- that's when you reach for the Kleenex. And when you and your child share a heightened sense of belief. For kids 4 and up.
Flotsam [9] and The Adventures of Polo [10]: Books that little kids can "read" to you. Every picture tells a story. Have the child tell it to you.(age 4 up)
Robert Sabuda [11]: The gold standard in pop-up books. Who needs a computer game --- these are interactive magic. (age 4 up)
Fancy Nancy [12]: If Eloise lived now.... (age 5 up)
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! [13] So there's this bus driver. With a small problem. "Hi!," he says. "I'm the bus driver. Listen, I've got to leave for a little while, so can you watch things for me until I get back? Thanks. Oh, and remember: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!" This is one persistent pigeon. He has lots of reasons why you should let him drive the bus. They are very funny --- especially if you are a parent who has ever said no to a kid, and the kid has tried to get you to change your mind. For ages 3 to 5.
Taro Gomi [14]: These are not “coloring books”. They’re much more imaginative. No penalty for going outside the lines. For all ages.
A Really Short History of Nearly Everything [15]: Bill Bryson explains the planet’s history, with lucid stories of geology, biology, evolution and more. For kids 9 and up.
Shooting Stars [16]: NBA superstar Lebron James tells the story of how he made it --- not as a basketball player, but as a black kid trying to make it alive to his high school graduation. The answer: family and a crew of terrific friends who honestly loved and cared for one another. For kids 12 and up.
Donbas: [17] A 16-year-old, forced to work in the Russian coal fields, makes a great escape.
Kabul Beauty School [18]: A Michigan beautician goes to a war zone. Teenaged girls should find this inspiring.
The Queen's Gambit [19]: Some sex and drugs. But much more: a heroine. The “Rocky” of chess.
THINGS
Stuffed animal storage: [20]This is a very useful animal. This creature unzips so you can store dozens of stuffed animals. And when it’s full? Your kid has a big cushy chair.
Flip Video: [21] A 6-year-old can master this camera, which is the size of an iPhone. Shoot. Plug into your computer. And there you are --- a filmmaker.
GAMES
Apples to Apples [22]: It’s a word game. A card game. A talking game. It could be the most fun way to expand vocabulary and stretch imagination. Ideal for young lawyers-in-training. Age 9 and up.
Gobblet [23]: Tic-tac-toe, four-in-a-row, with pieces of varying size that can cover smaller pieces and dramatically change the game. Age 5 and up.
Toot and Otto [24]: The winner spells his/her name first. Age 5 and up.
Brain Quest [25]: For kids who think it's fun to be smart. Age 6 and up.
Wig Out [26]: A fast-paced matching game with unusual characters. Age 4 and up.