Sledding and ice-skating in Northwest Indiana

As a thin layer of frost makes its way across the glass and the walls creak and groan against the assault of the elements, the temptation grows. Birds do it. Bees do it. So why shouldn’t we all take the forbidding winter weather as a cue to snuggle in and reacquaint ourselves with the warm, cozy joys of the great indoors? It seems clear, after all, that Mother Nature is not terribly interested in playing with us, so perhaps it’s best to simply respect her wishes and check back in March or April when she might be feeling a bit more reasonable.

The pull of hibernation, of course, only seems to grow as we get older. A workweek spent battling the snow and ice in the course of our daily grind only serves to breed a general lack of patience with the season, making the bunker of hearth and home that much more attractive an option by the time Saturday rolls around. But here, as is so often the case, kids tend to provide the necessary sense of perspective that adults seem to lose with the passage of time.

Here’s our weekly showcase of the latest and greatest new selections in media for youth.

From books and games to educational toys and DVDs, there’s never a dull moment for active, eager young minds.

This week, animals, including their anatomy, take centerstage while everyday objects such as teeth and waffles also take on lives of their own in a new book of clever yarns.

BOOKS

AGES 5 TO 8

Dutch Sneakers and Flea Keepers
by Calef Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Press, $6.99)

There are 14 strange and wonderful stories waiting for young readers ready to exercise active imaginations. From Pirates and electric guitars to a beach of white sugar and the ever-vicious “tattlesnake,” this soft-cover 32-page book is a blend of poetry and tall tales, showcased with fun illustrations by author Brown. It’s available in stores now or at hmh.com or 800.225.3362.

Here’s our weekly showcase of the latest and greatest new selections in media for youth.

From books and games to educational toys and DVDs, there’s never a dull moment for active and eager young minds.

This week, Disney book selections offer a wide variety of fun fare, including a “behind the scenes” history of the famed Haunted Mansion amusement attraction, a compiled grouping of favorite story character classics and Julie Andrews’ new collection of poems and lyrics.

BOOKS

AGES 10 AND OLDER

The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies
by Jason Surrell (Disney Editions, $19.95)

This 40th special edition 133—page paperback is devoted to everything you might ever have wanted to know about one of the most popular attractions ever in the history of amusement theme parks. Anyone who has ever taken a ride through this ghostly adventure might have missed a few of the 999 grim, grinning ghosts who greet guests. Never fear, because they are all here and every page is filled with beautiful photography, history and interesting facts. Who knew this fun and scary place ever had such an eerie and interesting evolution? It’s available in stores or at disneyeditions.com.

Here’s our weekly showcase of the latest and greatest new selections in media for youth.

From books and games to educational toys and DVDs, there’s never a dull moment for active and eager young minds.

This week, even though Halloween has just passed, here are two more fun, spooky DVD selections along with a fun and entertaining lunchtime video idea:

DVDS

AGES 1 TO 5

HIT Favorites: Trick or Treat Tales
(Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment, $14.98)

Get out your leftover Halloween candy and enjoy an hour of “not-so-spooky” tales of adventure, learning and friendship with favorite TV characters including Barney the Purple Dinosaur, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Thomas and Friends and even Angelina Ballerina. Stories shared include efforts to save a giant pumpkin pie from a hungry cow and a lesson in the fun that comes with choosing just the right costume when dressing up for a party. This DVD also includes a special bonus feature called “Cat Magic.” It’s available in stores now or by visiting hitentertainment.com.

Barbie’s new Trichelle doll has an artistic side, plus a little sister named Janessa to mentor.

Barbie is known for wearing many hats, being a world traveler even. But when it comes to ethnicity, she doesn’t go far.

Often, she’s just painted a darker color and given a new outfit. It’s not easy finding diversity in the doll aisle.

Many women remember their first Barbie and longing to be tall and pretty like her. But hardly any of us look like her. It’s just not realistic, not even for little white girls with blond hair and blue eyes.

Here’s our weekly showcase of the latest and greatest new selections in media for youth.

From books and games to educational toys and DVDs, there’s never a dull moment for active and eager young minds.

This week, the spotlight—better yet, “candlelight”—shines on three special Halloween selections that are more “treat” than “trick.”

BOOKS

AGES 5 TO 8

Pumpkin Town
by Katie McKy (Houghton Mifflin, $16)

With art by Pablo Bernasconi, there’s a lot of orange in this clever, 44-age hardcover. What’s worse than a town with no pumpkins? One with too many pumpkins, that’s what, as one town learns when pumpkin seeds accidentally scattered all over the place finally sprout. But with the help of young brothers from a nearby farm, the problem is solved for good. Or is it? It’s available in stores now and at houghtonmifflinbooks.com.

Here’s our weekly showcase of the latest and greatest new selections in media for youth.

From books and games to educational toys and DVDs, there’s never a dull moment for active and eager young minds.

This week, three new books offer the best of every medium, from a playful possum story to musical sock puppets and a young teen novel offering a funny glimpse at the world of high school popularity.

BOOKS

AGES 3 TO 7

Eppossumondas Plays Possum
by Colleen Salley (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16)

The author REALLY put a lot of herself into this clever 40-page hardcover. In fact you can see a lot of the late, great Colleen Salley’s image in her character Mama, a wise lady of the swamp raising a very energetic possum. This fourth book by Salley finds her four-legged friend lost in the swamp after following a butterfly. Beautiful illustrations by Janet Stevens really bring the story to life. It’s available in stores this month or at hmhbooks.com.

At the center of Where the Wild Things Are is Max, a lonely, misunderstood kid who runs off one day to the magical land where the wild things are and becomes their king. (Photograph courtesy of movieweb.com.)

Where the Wild Things Are, the book, is just 339 words long. But in turning it into Where the Wild Things Are, the movie, director Spike Jonze has expanded the basic story with a breathtaking visual scheme and stirring emotional impact.

It’s a gorgeous film: This may sound contradictory, but it’s intricate and rough-hewn at the same time, dreamlike and earthy. What keeps it from reaching complete excellence is the thinness of the script, which Jonze co-wrote with Dave Eggers.

The beloved and award-winning children’s book, which Maurice Sendak wrote and illustrated 45 years ago, still holds up beautifully today because it shows keen insight into the conflicted nature of kids—the delight and the frustration that can often co-exist simultaneously.

Return to the Hundred Acre Wood released Monday

When we left them, Christopher Robin was going away, and Things were going to be Different.

Now, more than eight decades later, a rumor is sweeping the Hundred Acre Wood. According to Owl, who heard it from Rabbit, who heard it from Piglet, the adventures are about to resume. It falls to the bear to pass on the news to Eeyore.

“It’s Christopher Robin,” said Winnie-the-Pooh. “He’s coming back.”

The drama (and for the Hundred Acre Wood, where life is lived gently, this qualifies) unfurls in the first authorized sequel to A.A. Milne’s classic children’s tales. Called Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, the book by author David Benedictus went on sale last Monday and picks up where Milne’s The House at Pooh Corner, first published in 1928, left off.

Here’s our weekly showcase of the latest and greatest new selections in media for youth.

From books and games to educational toys and DVDs, there’s never a dull moment for active and eager young minds.

This week, the emphasis is on animals in two just published books in addition to a just released teen novel about a 15-year-old girl’s new life when her parents move to Panama.

BOOKS

AGE: 5 TO 8

Never Smile at a Monkey
by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $16)

When it’s dealing with wild animals, there are some things that should always be avoided. While most people know never to “tease a tiger” or “pull a python’s tail,” there are many rarely discussed animal antics that are equally important. This 40-page hardcover, both written and illustrated by the author, reveals some interesting animal behaviors, such as how dangerous a hippo really can be and what happens if a kangaroo gets angry. Both educational and entertaining, young readers will find out just how important it is to know how to interact with some very unexpectedly dangerous animals of the wild. The book is available now in stores or online at hmhbooks.com.