This week’s roundup of Mom’s Choice Award winners features award-winning books, puzzles, play sets, + more! Be sure to scroll through the entire list so you don’t miss any of our new award-winners! All the items you see below won a Mom’s Choice Award during August 30, 2020 to September 5, 2020.

Every week companies, inventors, and publishers from around the world send us their products for evaluation. Only the best earn our designation.

Why Stop for Tajo?: A Tantalizing Tale About A Tiny Tarantula
Written by L.S.V. Baker; Illustrated by M.E.B. Stottmann

“Each day after school at a quarter to three, a school guard named Tajo stands at Elm and McGee.”

Tajo the Tarantula is the school crossing guard. Choosing to ignore Tajo’s directions, one youngster finds himself in the path of an oncoming truck. Afterwards he develops a new respect for authority when he considers Tajo’s rules are meant to keep him safe.

Baxter’s Corner has a unique series of books designed to enhance conversations between adults and preschool through primary-aged children. Each book has a magical section that allows caregivers to go beyond and tackle hard subjects like bulling, manners, being different than others, single-parent families, respecting authority, and working with others. Matching puppets, stretched canvas wall art, and removable wall decals bring the stories to life and deepen each child’s understanding of respect, determination, resilience, compassion, cooperation, and acceptance.

Children’s Books – 3 mo – 8 Years

Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Inspirational / Motivational

Purchase here

To the Ends of the Earth
Written by Sharon Thayer; Illustrated by Reuben McHugh
Andrew Smith; Edited by Jennifer Rees

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (909 words) is a lyrical love story for children—one that illustrates how far parents will go to keep their little ones safe and happy. At some point, all children lose their smile for a while. They’ll get bored, sick, upset, lost, or afraid. When that happens, it’s important to know they have someone who will, literally, go to the ends of the earth for them. If you’re that type of someone, this story is for you.

Children’s Picture Books:
Bedtime Stories

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They Play
Written by Monica McGue; Illustrated by Toby Cowan

They Play creates a sense of community and acceptance using powerful statements and engaging visuals that demonstrate differences among us yet highlighting the universal nature of everyone.

Acceptance is the overall theme of They Play, a children’s book for ages 4-6. “They” is used as a pronoun – like “he” or “she” – to help educate young children about the meaning of inclusiveness and acceptance of each other. Whether identifying as she, he or they, everyone is the same yet different. Introducing this concept to young children, without attaching a gender judgment, can help develop an aware and healthy young person who can grow into a strong and sensitive adult. Everyone deserves respect.

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

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The Four-Leaf Clover
Written and illustrated by Shannon K. Mazurick

There was a patch of clovers. The clovers each had three leaves except for one clover. One clover had four leaves! One day a leprechaun visited the patch to choose a clover. The four-leaf clover felt weird being around a leprechaun because of its fourth leaf. However, soon, the four-leaf clover realized that the fourth-leaf gave it luck.

Children’s Picture Books:
Fantasy, Myths & Legends

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The Christmas Blanket
Written by Ed Damiano; Illustrated by Jeff Vernon

What is the meaning of Christmas?

That’s what eight-year-old EJ wants to know. The other kids say it’s about getting toys…but is it, really? One evening, EJ’s mother takes him to the Rockefeller Center to see the lighting of the most magical tree in the world, and EJ meets someone who teaches him what Christmas is truly all about.

Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Inspirational / Motivational

Purchase here

StickTogether

StickTogether mosaic sticker puzzle posters are a fun collaborative activity with a beautiful reward. Like paint-by-numbers, but with stickers! Images are created with 1/2″ square stickers. placed on a lettered grid poster.

The excitement builds as everyone “sticks together,” to create an eye-popping masterpiece. They’re a great activity for the whole family. The kits are also widely used in classrooms, libraries, maker-spaces, senior centers, group homes and after school.

StickTogether offers a wide variety of subjects that include: art, animals, stem,unicorns, pirates, spaceships, sunflowers, famous masterpieces, seasonal, and famous historic figures.

What’s in a StickTogether Kit?

• 3,996 colorful stickers
• 36” x 40” poster grid
• Color key
• Simple 1-2-3 instructions
• Grab some stickers. Check the color key. And sticker away !

Made in the USA

Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Ages 9 to 12

Purchase here

Sense-U Video+Breathing Baby Monitor with 1080P HD Camera, WiFi, 2-Way Audio, Night Vision, Movement & Temperature Sensor

A COMPLETE BABY MONITORING SYSTEM FOR COMPLETE PEACE OF MIND

The Sense-U Video monitor allows you to know your baby’s vitals while streaming HD video from anywhere, making it a complete baby monitoring system and providing you complete peace of mind.

KNOW YOUR BABY’S VITALS WHILE STREAMING HD VIDEO & AUDIO:
Monitors your baby’s breathing, rollover and body temperature while streaming HD video and audio to your Sense-U Baby App, available on Apple Store and Google Play.

1080P HD VIDEO WITH NIGHT VISION & SECURE WIFI:
The Sense-U Video’s 1080p High-definition video lets you see your baby clearly, anytime, from anywhere. Sense-U comes with enterprise-level security and AES 256-bit encryption which is the same standards used by hospitals.

GET AUDIBLE NOTIFICATIONS WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS TO YOU BABY
With the Sense-U baby breathing monitor clipped around baby’s belly button, the Sense-U App notifies you with audible alarms for detected motion, no breathing movement, stomach sleeping, overheating and getting typo from your smartphone. It provides you complete peace of mind knowing your baby is okay.

Gear & Accessories:
Safety

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PopOhVer Ice Cream Shop Set

PopOhVer is a fabric set that folds over any household chair! Lightweight, portable, and easy to assemble, kids will love pretending to run their own ice cream stand anywhere! Kids can serve an ice cream sandwich, sundaes, and popsicles! Includes 25 pieces.

Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Preschoolers

Purchase here

PopOhVer Builder Set

PopOhVer is a fabric set that folds over any household chair! Lightweight, portable, and easy to assemble, kids will love pretending to play at their very own workbench anywhere! Kids can make various things by fastening the bolts and planks together! Includes 39 pieces.

Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Preschoolers

Purchase here

Pickleball Patsy: And Her Lucky Pickle
Written by Gerrie Lewis; Illustrated by Randy Jennings; Edited by Amy Betz

Patsy loves to play pickleball. And she loves to win! In fact, Patsy has never lost a single game of pickleball, thanks to her lucky sour pickle. But when her lucky pickle goes missing, Patsy has to face a new challenge. And with a little help from her pickleball friends, Patsy learns the true meaning of being a good sport.

“You don’t need a lucky pickle to become a winner in life. The luckiest thing you can receive is friendship.” Gerrie Lewis

This entertaining story focuses on friends helping friends and good sportsmanship.

Children’s Picture Books:
Values & Life Lessons

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My Laundry Basket Adventures
Written by Jill Yamaner; Illustrated by Heather McCarthy

Let your imagination transform your laundry basket into your ride around town, a shuttle to the stars, or a quiet haven for reading to your dolls. There are endless possible uses of a laundry basket when we use our imagination. Help your child experience the simple joys of creating their own fun as they grow and expand their worlds and their minds. This book reminds us of the joys of the simple things in life, the value in making our own fun, and the importance of seizing opportunities to create memories that will be cherished for a lifetime.

Children’s Picture Books:
Imagine It!

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Meditation for Kids: 40 Activities to Manage Emotions, Ease Anxiety and Stay Focused
Written by Tejal V Patel; Illustrated by Vanessa Boer; Edited by Lia Ottaviano
Rachel Taenzler

Meditation For Kids: 40 Exercises To Manage Emotions, Ease Anx- iety and Stay Focused is your must-have guide to teaching your kids medita- tion WITHOUT having to become a certified kids mindfulness and meditation teacher. It not only explains how to make meditation a fun, family activity, but also teaches us everything we need to know on how to help our kids manage their bodies, their energy, big emotions and their reaction to stress.

Inspired by some of the greatest yogic teachings, these 40 exercises will help children combat the most common problems they face on a daily basis—distraction, anger, disappointment, jealousy, and low self-esteem. And these meditations aren’t just for kids. As you and your child make meditation a part of your daily routines, you will begin to notice YOU will feel less stressed, too. Practice with your child, and you’ll be on the right path to building deeper connections, open communication, and creating a more peaceful home environment.

Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Body, Mind & Spirit

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If I Were A Pony
Written by Leonard Eckhaus; Illustrated by Stacy Hummel

A poem about the relationship between a boy and his pony, told from the Pony’s perspective, showing the emotional ties that continue as the both grow older.

Children’s Picture Books:
Poetry

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Gerome’s Rainbow
Written by Stephanie Logsdon; Illustrated by M.E.B. Stottmann

“Your job is to make a picture of you. We all are a mixture, of red, yellow, and blue.”

Gerome’s Rainbow is a story about acceptance. Gerome and his classmates argue over what colors are better without realizing they are hurting each other’s feelings. It saddens Gerome that he and his friends are fighting, until he comes up with a great idea.

Baxter’s Corner has a unique series of books designed to enhance conversations between adults and preschool through primary-aged children. Each book has a magical section that allows caregivers to go beyond and tackle hard subjects like bulling, manners, being different than others, single-parent families, respecting authority, and working with others. Matching puppets, stretched canvas wall art, and removable wall decals bring the stories to life and deepen each child’s understanding of respect, determination, resilience, compassion, cooperation, and acceptance.

Children’s Books – 3 mo – 8 Years

Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Inspirational / Motivational

Purchase here

Funexpected Math

Funexpected Math is a beautiful interactive world for kids aged 3-7 featuring a growing collection of math-related games that teach various types of thinking and improve learning skills.

We are living in a fast-paced world and the pattern of education has changed. People are shifting to life-long learning and changing their interests and career paths several times throughout life. This is why the app doesn’t teach children stand-alone skills, rather helping children to cultivate various types of thinking and improve a more vast range of learning skills.

As children actively engage in the game and progress through the tasks, they do so at their own pace. The difficulty is personalized and adaptive, and the autonomy of gameplay allows young students to progress only when ready. All mini-games are designed as a “low-floor, high-ceiling” model: the entry barrier of understanding how to play and completing initial levels is quite low but the higher levels of complexity are fit for kids outside the formal age range of 3-7 years.

While the app feels like a fun game, it is grounded in proven research. We work with educators and researchers on math education around the world to channel the latest research findings into our beautiful, engaging educational product.

Apps & Software:
Preschoolers

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Crazy Pets Crazy 8 Playing cards

In this furry-friend inspired card game of Crazy 8s, the dogs will play, and the cats will drive you CRAZY! Try to get all of your Featuring 4 easy to use paw print card holders designed for little hands and a fun themed game board
includes 52 cards and instructions with multiple ways to play. Ages 5+, 2 to 4 players.

Card games are an excellent way to teach patience, good sportsmanship and help children develop their motor, cognitive and emotional skills at the same time.

Most importantly they’re a great way to spend quality time with family which might be the greatest benefit of all. dogs to the dog house first, but watch out, the Crazy Cats might have other plans. Be the first to get rid of all your cards and you win!

Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Ages 5 to 8

Purchase here

Award Winning Dog
Written by Jennifer Appel; Illustrated by Herb Leonhard

Little Maya is a sweet puppy born into an incredibly successful family. But after bouncing between several homes and multiple failed attempts to prove she belongs, Maya seeks the advice of three special friends to put her on a path to self discovery. Take a walk with Maya, as she finds the secrets to becoming award winning.

Children’s Picture Books:
Inspirational / Motivational

Purchase here