It’s Weekly Roundup time! We’re sharing 8 wonderful products this week that recently won a Mom’s Choice Award! Included in this week’s list are two new building sets from K’NEX, a Wi-Fi baby monitor, a baby carrier handle, a fun family magazine, several wonderful books!

To learn more about a particular product, click the product image or purchase link.

The items listed below all won a Mom’s Choice Award during the week of August 7 – 13, 2016.

LugBug™

Whether it’s their first trip out in the real world, your daily trip to the park, visits to grandma’s house, or out to the market, keep a tight grip on them. They’re safest in your arms, but when they can’t be make sure you have the most secure helping hand to hold them. Carriers can be tough on the arms — tough enough to dislocate the shoulders of even the most strapping young parents. Just ask the LugBug™ creator, a first-time dad.

He set out to build a sturdy, reliable and easy-to-use handle for parents to prevent strain-related injuries. The result: a comfortable attachment for any baby carrier that eases tension on the wrist, forearm and shoulder. Hold them tight. Hold them comfortably.

North Carolina State University’s Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering studied the effect of baby carrier handle strain on the body. According to the study, a handle that promoted a neutral wrist posture “would increase grip stability and decrease lifting effort.” A survey discussed in the study said that nearly half of parents experienced shoulder, back or neck pain. LugBug™ was created to ease these pains.

Gear & Accessories:
Safety

Purchase here

where is Robin? USA
Written by Robin Barone; Illustrated by Robyn Mitchell

Where Is Robin? USA is a vividly illustrated journey around the USA. The Where is Robin? series intends to plant seeds of curiosity about the world in children through adventure travel books. The series is based upon the personal experiences of the creator and author Robin Barone. She believes that by learning about the world at an early age, children develop greater respect for the diversity among us, which is crucial in an increasingly global and interconnected world.

Children’s Picture Books:
Peoples, Places & Cultures

Purchase here

The Red Car That Tyler Wanted
Written and illustrated by Mary A. Kurban

This illustrated children’s book depicts a rabbit called Tyler trying to be a very good rabbit so that his mother will buy him the red car he wants for his birthday. After he receives the car, he is very happy. However, an uninvited guest at his birthday party was very sad without a toy. Tyler’s mother had purchased toys only for the invited friends of Tyler. Tyler’s heart went out to the uninvited guest’s sorrow, and to make him happy he offered him his new red car. Still, Tyler had a very happy birthday celebration.

Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Fiction – General

Purchase here

Story Monsters Ink
Written by Melissa Fales, Conrad J. Storad; Illustrated by Jeff Yesh; Edited by Cristy Bertini

Story Monsters Ink is a family magazine that gives kids, parents and educators the latest news on award-winning and debut books and products, author profiles, book reviews, recipes, activities and more! Each issue also features a reading guide, a Spanish language column, a science and nature column, and a special kids column where we publish articles, poems, and drawings submitted to us by our young readers. It’s a monster of a magazine, filled with great reads for growing minds!

Adult Books:
Non-Fiction – General

Purchase here

Mighty Makers: Director’s Cut Building Set

Lights. Camera. Action! The Mighty Makers Director’s Cut Building Set truly puts the “a” in STEAM, while bringing the art of filmmaking to life. Follow the interactive, story-based building instructions and learn about the science behind making a movie. Bonus online instructions show how you can incorporate a mobile device into the set to make your own movie. Set features 320 parts and pieces, including buildable camera and stand, theater with seats, Lily and her dog, Zoom, and adjustable bands that fits most mobile devices. Ages 7+.

Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Ages 5 to 8

Purchase here

LISTEN WHEN THE OCEAN SPEAKS
Written and illustrated by Mary Lieder Cebuhar

Listen When the Ocean Speaks begins with the words, “Listen. You can hear the ocean when you put a conch shell up to your ears. Shhh…Listen. Someone is speaking.”

In the text that follows, Mother Ocean explains to the children snorkeling in her waters, along with readers, why her water has become so cloudy, how hurt she is by the disrespect people have shown when they destroy the mangroves along her shores and throw trash in her waters; and the damage being done to the reefs by people who pick coral. The mantra presented throughout, “Save the Sea while there’s still time. It’s never too late to make things fine.”

Empowering kids is a major theme in the book. Lieder Cebuhar says she hopes to see her book used as a teaching tool in the classroom and beyond. “I wrote about the ocean because of my fundamental love of water, and realizing that maybe I can make a difference in saving the sea,” she said.

If early reviews are any indication, she is succeeding. John Warley, the bestselling author of A Southern Girl, Bethesda’s Child and The Moralist, said, “Any child who has ever frolicked on the beach has heard the ocean in a seashell. Mary Cebuhar has cleverly and creatively turned that universal experience into a cry from the deep, pleading in the language of the young to save our waters and reefs from the man made threats to their health.”

Kathy Loretta, editor of USA Today’s Mexican Caribbean edition in Cancun, Mexico, said, “With a cute twist, Mary Cebuhar brings the ocean to life to teach children about the importance of caring for it around the world. The oceans and seas around the globe are in danger; reefs are being threatened by contamination, garbage and global warming… This short story should be included in curriculums and libraries in order to incite conversation about the ocean’s problems.”

Children’s Picture Books:
Values & Life Lessons

Purchase here

K-FORCE Build and Blast: Flash Fire Motorized Blaster Building Set

Blast darts as fast as you can with the K-FORCE Flash Fire Motorized Blaster Building Set! Build your blaster and then load the clip with up to 10 darts, and the new motorized rapid fire chamber will fire darts as fast as you can pull the trigger! Set includes 1 motorized rapid fire chamber, a 10 dart clip, 10 foam darts, 1 quick fit grip and downloadable instructions for 6 additional custom blasters and targets. Compatible with the entire K-FORCE Build and Blast line.

Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Ages 9 to 12

Purchase here

iBaby Monitor M6S

iBaby Monitor M6S is a Wi-Fi based HD video baby monitor. The new model offers improved 1080p video resolution, dual frequency (2.4 and 5 GHz) router support, air quality sensors, shorter installation time, faster video streaming, and an alert timeline. Like previous iBaby models, iBaby Monitor M6S allows 360° movement, night vision, two-way communication, sound and motion alerts, as well as video and sound recording. The monitor also has humidity and temperature sensors, music player and media file library

Gear & Accessories:
Safety

Purchase here