Growing up, I lovingly lined The Baby-Sitters Club (BSC) books numerically along a closet shelf. While my collecting volumes ended decades ago, the affection I have for BSC remains strong. That’s why I was thrilled to receive a screener invite for episode one of Netflix’s new THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB series. Hosted by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (GDIGM), the event included a follow-up Q&A with Showrunner Rachel Shukert and Director and Executive Producer Lucia Aniello. Enduring Popularity THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB follows the friendship and babysitting adventures of five best friends in Stoneybrook, Connecticut. In the initial announcement about the show’s release, author Ann M. Martin said, “I’m amazed that there are so many passionate fans of The Baby-Sitters Club after all these years, and I’m honored to continue to hear from readers – now grown, who have become writers, editors, teachers, librarians, filmmakers – who say that they see a reflection of themselves in the characters of Kristy and her friends. So I’m very excited about the forthcoming series on Netflix, which I hope will inspire a new generation of readers and leaders everywhere.” During the Q&A hosted by GDIGM, Shukert pointed out this is the first adaptation of BSC to be made by people who grew up with the material. Both she and Aniello were obsessive about the books as youngsters. In fact Aniello shared she often shies away from working on reboots or reimagining old material. When her agent asked what project she’d never turn down, the answer was BSC. It’s no coincidence the main character Kristy sits down …

Are you looking for picture books where female artists are the main characters? Well look no further, here is a free printable listing 20 picture books that all star a woman artist. You will find painters, sculptors, photographers, dancers, musicians, singers, and filmmakers. List inspired by Girls That Create post Picture Books With Women and Girl Main Characters. Click to download Free Printable Picture Books About Female Artists Things you should know before downloading: Girls That Create printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own If you’d like to share this project, credit must be given to Girls That Create and linked back to this post Other Girls That Create posts: How Real Stories Help Girls and Creator Spotlight: Jessica M. Rinker and Daria Peoples-Riley Top image Daria Shevtsova from Pexels www.girlsthatcreate.com

A wordless picture book is a great tool for developing a child’s love of storytelling. Free of reading levels, there is no wrong way to read these works by five talented women illustrators. The tales have the ability to teach story structure and further vocabulary development. When reading with your child, allow her to examine the pictures and tell you what SHE is seeing in the story. You might just be surprised by the answers. Favorite Wordless Picture Books by Women Illustrators Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle Molly Idle considers herself both an author and illustrator; she is living the best of both worlds. Flora and the Flamingo, about the budding relationship between an awkward young girl and a graceful flamingo won the 2014 Caldecott Honor. There are several more Flora adventures, including Flora and the Peacock (see video below). The Red Book by Barbara Lehman In school author Barbara Lehman used to stare at maps and wish she could look right into a map itself and be able to see the actual places they represented and the people who lived there. This book is about a very SPECIAL book that takes readers on a magical journey without a single word. The Red Book is a 2005 Caldecott Honor Book and dedicated to Lehman’s father. She credits him with giving her a love of books. Wonder Bear by Tao Nyeu Tao Nyeu is the creator of Wonder Bear, which won the Founder’s Award from the Society of Illustrators and a Marion Vannett Ridgway Award Honor. The book follows …

The country is burning. That’s the sentence that kept playing in my mind over and over again last night. A Black man had his neck crushed by a police officer, while three of his colleagues stood by and did NOTHING. Another story in the chapter upon chapter upon chapter of police brutality against a person of color. And now the country is burning…again. Enough. Action starts at home. If you’re not having talking with children about race and racial violence at home, now is the time. Below are several resources to discuss race and racial violence with children. And even if you’ve had a talk, these conversations need to be routine. As the folks over at EmbraceRace point out, “Race is a topic you should plan to revisit again and again in many different ways overtime.” Talking With Kids About Race and Racial Violence 10 Tips for Teaching and Talking to Kids About Race (EmbraceRace) How To Talk To Your Kids About Race, Racism And Police Violence (NPR WBUR) Talking With Children About Racism, Police Brutality and Protests (Aha! Parenting) White Kids Need to Start Using Their Privilege for Good — Here’s How to Teach Them (she knows) How to Talk to Your Kids About Race and Being Anti-Racist (Mommy Brain) Multicultural and Social Justice Books for Children (A Teaching for Change Project) How White Parents Can Talk To Their Kids About Race (NPR Life Kit) I’m Tired of Being Angry (The Mom Set) As a Black Parent, I need to Update ‘The Talk’ I Have With My Kids About Police (Los Angeles Times) Why …

I have been a fan of Kid Made Modern for years and love their mission to create the next generation of creative thinkers. Here are some of the fantastic products they’re offering to make your family’s world even more colorful. FYI affiliate links are used in this post. Kid Made Modern Art Supplies 1) Tired of kiddos running off with your paper for their latest masterpiece? Set them up with Studio in a Box. It has canvas boards, watercolor paper, mixed paper and more. You can also pick up some plain paper Artist Pads (48 sheets). 2) Do you have paintbrushes that suffered a sad fate because someone forgot to wash them? Consider the Brush Library. There is also a Washable Paint Set (set of 12) that includes brushes and paper. 3) Up your craft stash with the Arts and Crafts Supply Library or Rainbow Craft Kit. For youngest crafters, consider My First Arts and Crafts Library. 4) Are the crayons the way to your kiddo’s heart? Then she’ll love some Giant Crazy Crayons, Confetti Crayons or a Crayon Gem. I am also a fan of the Gem Jackpot Crayons. 5) If you have an aspiring jeweler in the household there are several kits, including Mystic Jewelry Kit, Petal Party Jewelry Making Kit and Rock Star Jewelry Making Kit. Kids Made Modern also has free projects on their Go Make Stuff Blog. Kid Made Modern Free Activities and Printouts: Cardboard Rainbow Craft Gratitude Letter Coloring Sheet Unicorn Crown – Free Printout DIY Cardboard Rocket Ships Printable Happy Birthday Poster DIY Happy creating …

Acclaimed actress Angela Bassett is joining her colleagues as a reader for Storyline Online. The platform streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Bassett is bringing to life the true story of New Orleans musician Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews in Trombone Shorty. Written by Andrews and illustrated by Bryan Collier, this vibrant 2016 Caldecott Honor book is a tale of music, cuisine, culture and family. “Some of the kids that read my book don’t even realize that I’m a real person. They see themselves in these characters that are their age, and then when they see me perform live, they can’t believe I’m the same person as the kid in the book,” Andrews explains. “I’m very proud of the book, it’s a personal story about coming up as a young musician playing in New Orleans, and I wanted to reach kids. One of the best rewards is when a kid comes up to me after a show and says they play trombone because they read my book. It’s great when it all comes full circle like that because it shows that music and following your heart can lead you to so many of the places you dream of.” In 2013, Andrews founded The Trombone Shorty Foundation whose mission is to transform young lives through the power of music while also passing down the unique musical culture of New Orleans to the next generation. Why Angela Bassett Chose the Book Bassett chose the book because it shows how the talent and perseverance of …

Is your family suffering from stressful vibes? Have everyone sit down to create art using one or several of the drawing prompts below. Prompts let creativity run wild and family members will enjoy seeing what each other comes up with. Take it one step further with having kiddos make a new list of prompts to work from in the future. 10 Drawing Prompts  Water Slide Comet Snow Globe Robot Tacos Field of wildflowers Roller Coaster Bird’s Nest Party Hat Something from the future If you have sidewalk chalk, consider taking this activity outside. Need more convincing? A 2020 article from NPR discusses how art helps the brain. It also has this quote from Dr. Girija Kaimal, a professor at Drexel University and a researcher in art therapy: “Anything that engages your creative mind — the ability to make connections between unrelated things and imagine new ways to communicate — is good for you.” Additionally, Dr. Kaimal shares there’s evidence making art can lower stress and anxiety. Free Printable Challenge Challenge yourself  and family with this free Girls That Create printable! Click to download Free Printable Challenge Things you should know before downloading: Girls That Create printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own If you’d like to share this project, credit must be given to Girls That Create and linked back to this post Drawing Supplies Below are links to Kid Made Modern products. Since 2012 they have been making items designed to inspire …

Often creatives love coloring outside the lines. Other times there’s a sense of calmness that comes from staying within them. Whichever mood your girl is in, here are seven unique coloring books to share with her. And remember, it never hurts to have coloring as an option when it’s time to shut off screens. Seven Unique Coloring Books  Zolocolor! 96 pages of shapes, googly eyes, and more; all waiting for coloring inside, out, around, and over the lines. Edie Harper Coloring Book This book contains 20 of Edie Harper’s paintings. Kiddos can imitate the color schemes Harper chose for her final works or create entirely new ones.   Jungle Paradise You will find both popular jungle animals and beautiful nature quotes throughout this book’s pages. The Art Coloring Book Dozens of painters can be found in this coloring book, which also has white space for new works of art. The Night Voyage On the eve of her birthday a girl goes on a magical journey to distribute gifts around the globe. Although The Night Voyage is categorized as adult, I think an older child (over eight) who loves coloring will be swept away by its beautiful pages. The Coloring Book This book motivates readers to use colors imaginatively. It also makes them to think creatively as they respond to unique challenges on every page. Color with Mom: A Coloring Book to Share For those who want to settle down side-by-side with their child for some coloring. Each part contains two images of the same theme, like fresh fruits and frozen treats. …

Christmastime is here again, and its music is coming at us from every direction. Whether you love it or hate it, I am confident you’ll find these songs sung by women worthy of your attention. A little rock, a little soul, and some delightful spins on classics, this playlist shakes the bah humbugs from even the most determined holiday grouch. 10 Fabulous Christmas Songs Sung By Women 1) It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Diana Ross Born and raised in Detroit, Diana Ross rose to fame as the lead singer for the Supremes (one of the world’s best-selling girl groups of all time). Ross is the only female artist to have number one singles as a solo artist; as the other half of a duet (Lionel Richie); as a member of a trio; and, as an ensemble member. Watch her perform It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year with a full orchestra. 2) Go Tell It On The Mountain: Dolly Parton Oh Dolly, how we love you. A lot of folks have been talking about the new podcast Dolly Parton’s America from NPR (and rightly so). However, look no further than this video of Dolly performing Go Tell It On The Mountain to grasp the power of her voice. 3) One More Sleep: Leona Lewis Singer, songwriter and actress Leona Lewis recorded this tune in 2013; it peaked at number three on UK charts. With this chart entry, Lewis became the first British female solo artist to reach the top five with eight …

Ever since reading the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I always found the idea that a simple wardrobe could be an entryway to another world fascinating. Imagine my delight when my oldest daughter and I saw a travel show snippet about a fantastical slide whose entry point began in a laundry room dryer. At the bottom of that slide was a world unlike any we’d ever seen. The woman who slid down shared she was at Meow Wolf, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. My daughter looked at me and said with 100 percent assurance, “We are SO going there”. This month her wish came true. What Exactly is Meow Wolf? First, you need to understand the Santa Fe location is just one chapter in the Meow Wolf story. Meow Wolf started in 2008 as a small collective of artists who could not find their way into the “traditional” art world. At their very first meeting everyone put two words into a hat. They then picked two random words out and got “Meow Wolf.” The group’s goal was to create immersive, multimedia experiences that transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of storytelling. Through many ups and downs (well captured in the documentary Meow Wolf: Origin Story), these determined artists brought several brilliant exhibitions to life on their own terms. Then, with the help of longtime Santa Fe resident George R.R. Martin, Meow Wolf took over a vacant former bowling alley, transforming it into a multi-use art complex. House of Eternal Return  Today Meow Wolf Santa Fe …