This week’s roundup of Mom’s Choice Award winners features baby products, tech toys, educational books + 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 September 12, 2021 to September 25, 2021.
Every week companies, inventors, and publishers from around the world send us their products for evaluation. Only the best earn our designation.
You Are a Social Detective! Explaining Social Thinking to Kids, 2nd Edition
Written by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke; Illustrated by Jeff Ebbeler
The social world is a big, complicated place where we are all social detectives as we observe, gather, and make sense of the clues in different social contexts (settings, situations, and the people in them) to figure out the hidden rules for expected behaviors, as well as to understand how we each feel and think about what others say and do in a situation. This 2nd edition teaches social learners the power of observation, reading context, and interpreting clues to then choose how to respond in ways that meet their social goals.
A new structured approach to observation, new illustrations reflecting a broader range of inclusion and diversity in characters, practice pages and activities for deeper learning, specific teaching tips, and a glossary of Social Thinking Vocabulary and concepts are just some of the new material you’ll find inside.
Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Body, Mind & Spirit
Understanding Fractions, Percent, and Decimals
Written by Robert Femiano
Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions, computing with percent, and converting fractions to decimals.
This book builds on the lessons learned in Understanding Fractions for Grades 2-4. Students learn multiplication and division of fractions and how to convert fractions to percent and decimals. Cut-out fraction bars are included to provide a tactile experience that helps students to more easily comprehend and retain these new concepts. Students will problem-solve their way through fun but structured lessons and develop a thorough mastery of relevant computational skills involving fractions. The book also includes lessons and exercises targeted to develop a solid understanding of how fractions are expressed using the decimal system. Teaching notes are provided.
Juvenile Books (Level 2 – Ages 9 to 12):
Reference & Study Aids
Understanding Fractions
Written by Robert Femiano
Meaning of fractions – Writing and using fractions – Finding common denominators – Simple addition and subtraction of fractions
These fun and step-by-step lessons for Grades 2-4 provide a thorough foundation in fractions. The book begins with the meaning of fractions and their many uses, and ends with the simple math of comparing, adding, and subtracting fractions both visually and numerically. These easy-to-understand, hands-on, thinking activities build confidence by providing an understanding of fractions that is relatable to daily life. This book includes cut-out fraction circles that enable teachers to demonstrate key concepts and provide students with a tactile experience to reinforce the lesson and aid in learning new concepts. Helpful teacher notes are provided along with clear explanations for answers.
Juvenile Books (Level 2 – Ages 9 to 12):
Reference & Study Aids
Twin Tales: Alike and Different
Written by Brielle and Nadia Dupervil; Illustrated by FolksnFables
Imagine having someone that is just like you in the world. Or what if there were not just like you, but everyone thought they were? Twin sisters Alexia and Denise might look alike on the outside, but they are very different on the inside. Join the sisters as they reveal what makes them unique. An enduring story of siblings who share a strong bond that parents will appreciate, and children will love.
Children’s Picture Books:
Family Life
The Zones of Regulation Storybook Set: Understanding Feelings and Emotions and Exploring Tools to Help Manage Them
Written by Leah Kuypers and Elizabeth Sautter; Illustrated by Fátima Anaya
These two sequential, illustrated storybooks provide engaging social scenarios and strategies to help children at developmental ages 5-11 explore how lessons from The Zones of Regulation curriculum book can be used at school and at home. Kids love stories and will identify with the characters and the everyday situations as they learn about their feelings and emotions and how their bodies help show and tell them what they are feeling. Readers will also learn along with the characters that they can manage and control how they feel by using tools—such as movement, activities, and art—to relax, focus, and stay calm so they can meet their goals and needs of the day.
Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Body, Mind & Spirit
The Vaahana Tale
Written and illustrated by Deven Jatkar
The Deities are in a dilemma!
They each have fantastic Vaahana ( wha – huh – naa ) that carry them around.
But who amongst the Vaahana is the best?
How will the powerful Deities decide?
Children’s Picture Books:
Fantasy, Myths & Legends
The Flower that could not talk
Written by Amos Knoll
This book is an inspiring old fashioned story that shows the beauty of life, nature and love. It shows children of today’s society there is more to life than computers, video games and television. This book will have a deep impact on all of its readers young and old, for the pure value of nature and love. It is a humble story about a boy that is handicapped and finds all the love in nature and he befriends a flower and a little girl. It will teach children of all ages to appreciate the value and wisdom of nature and it will show them the simplicity of it all. Just go out and look around you and you will see all the beauty that mother earth has given to us and it’s free.
Children’s Picture Books:
Fantasy, Myths & Legends
The Christmas Tree Wish
Written by Daphne Thompson; Illustrated by Brock Nicol
Through the eyes of a child, we can rediscover the true meaning and hope that only Christmas can bring for the magic of the heart to open us, shake us, identify us, and transform us.
An extraordinary tale told on a Christmas Tree Farm, in the vintage time of 1960, shares the touching story of Liam, a young balsam fir tree. He discovers he is lost when all hope turns to despair from losing his loved ones all around him. One night, he gets the urge of inspiration in him to hope again. After reaching out to one of the stars, he asks if he’ll ever be with his family again. When he meets Abner, a friendship builds as Abner tells him the story of The Greatest Christmas Tree, in which Liam discovers who he is and the meaning of his life’s purpose.
Children’s Picture Books:
Seasonal, Holidays & Festivals
The Bright Purple Monster
Written by Lauren A. Bertone; Illustrated by Kennedi Risi
The only unusual thing about Charlie is the Bright Purple Monster that lives on his shoulder.
If it was up to Charlie, he’d send the Bright Purple Monster on its way. But conquering his fears and silencing the monster on his shoulder isn’t easy. There’s no way Charlie can stand up to The Bright Purple Monster. At least, that’s what he thinks…
“The Bright Purple Monster” is a children’s picture book about a young boy’s journey as he discovers how to overcome his anxieties/fears with the support of those around him. It is a great resource for all parents and educators looking to guide their children and students into discussions about mental health, confidence, and community.
Children’s Picture Books:
Growing Up / Personal Growth
Tell Me a Story: Storybooks That Teach Critical Thinking
Written by Cherie A. Plant, Stephanie Winans-Stevens; Illustrated by Olsi Tola, William Faught
A Critical Thinking Picture Book for Pre-Readers and Early Learners
This fun, easy-to-use picture book is made up of two stories. Students tell each story by analyzing the pictures and responding to the guided questions on each page. The questions engage and produce a deeper analysis of the scene and the storyline by encouraging students to provide details, describe events, explain motives, make evidence-based predictions, and use cause and effect leading up to the scene. Each story develops these important critical and creative thinking skills.
Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Reference & Study Aids
Sleepy Hugs / Hands In & Out Sleep Sack
The Sleepy Hugs is a uniquely designed sleep sack designed for babies who have outgrown swaddling and prefer unrestricted arm movement while providing some security to calm their startle reflex. It’s a gentle approach to helping babies transition to free arms without losing sleep. Perfect for tummy rollers.
Once your baby is showing signs of being able to roll, swaddling is no longer safe. Sleepy Hugs is safe for babies who have started to roll onto their tummy during sleep as they are able to move their arms freely and sleep in their natural position.
The Hands In & Out version offers more flexibility for older babies who no longer experience strong startle reflex featuring fold-over cuffs that allows your babies hands to come out for play or covered for warmth during sleep.
Gear & Accessories:
Clothing
Science Mind Benders®: Animals
Written by Ashley Fleming, M.Ed.; Illustrated by Scott Slyter; Edited by Michael Baker, Heather Hiveley
Fun lessons and activities for an understanding of the animal kingdom in the science subject well beyond grade level.
This fun and engaging book is targeted for Ages 3-Grade 2. It teaches science concepts normally taught in early elementary and beyond by making the material understandable and relatable. Students learn by working through easy-to-understand visual lessons along with a parent or teacher. Each lesson is followed by Mind Bender® activities that require engaged application of the terms and concepts taught in the lessons as well as deductive reasoning. Students who complete these lessons and activities will have an understanding of the animal kingdom well beyond their grade level.
Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Reference & Study Aids
ParentPal
ParentPal™ is the only all-in-one parenting app that helps you track & support your child’s healthy development from birth to five. Help your child thrive with expert advice, milestone tracking and 3,500+ developmental activities. Connect with caregivers for a consistent routine, tracking sleep, feeding, health and more. From the creators of Baby Einstein and Teaching Strategies, the early childhood curriculum leader, ParentPal replaces worry with research-based guidance and confident engagement, letting you focus on the joy of parenting.
Learn more: https://vimeo.com/439063362/439063309
Educational Products:
Babies
Make-A-Fort Build Kit
Parents will never hear “I’m bored” while the kids are home for the summer once you show them the Make-A-Fort Build Kit. Open up and unpack 18 sturdy cardboard panels, 10 braces, 80 connectors and a handy carrying case. What happens next is totally up to the imagination of each child. A maze? A mansion? An igloo? Whatever they design, feel good about them playing inside for hours of their just-built creation. Kids of all ages will quickly forget about any amusements needing a gadget, cord or Wi-Fi!
Make-A-Fort building kits allow solo or sibling play to create incredible structures with or without a parent’s help. Each adventure with Make-A-Fort raises the critical thinking, social, and leadership skills of a child. Suddenly everyone is free to daydream and just, be a kid!
Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Ages 5 to 8
Make Room for Jasper
Written by Joann Neve; Illustrated by Janelle Edstrom
Fergie is a playful little dog, but after some time Mom notices that she looks sad and lonely; so, Mom decides to get her a brother. They drive a long way to a house with lots of big dogs. Mom has picked out one of the smaller ones to be Fergie’s new brother…but Fergie has other ideas.
Make Room for Jasper is a loveable and endearing story about belonging and being accepted. It is the perfect book for parents, teachers, and caregivers of kids 3-9 to start discussions on diversity and on blending families. This is the first in the Life Lessons From Dogs children’s series of books.
Children’s Picture Books:
Animal Kingdom
Little Histories for Little People: George Washington
Written by Sarah Stillman
This is the story of George Washington’s life as he leads the colonies to freedom and becomes the first president of the United States of America. An easy, fun, and historical read for the whole family.
Children’s Picture Books:
Civics & History
HOFISH Kids Electric Toothbrush with Colorful Lights,IPX7 Waterproof Soft Battery Powered Tooth Brush with Memory Function,4 Modes & 2 Min Timer Tooth
FOUR GEARS MODE – The electric toothbrush comes with four different modes,The first one is the seven-color mode,which shows seven different colors during working.This mode attracts kids attentions. The second one is gentle brushing mode that is recommended for kids aged 2-5.The standard brushing mode(3rd gear) is for children aged 5-8.The fourth gear is strong brushing mode fits for children aged 8-12
HIGHLIGHTS – Thoughtful brush head design & round-ended DUPONT bristles are adopted to provide gentle cleanness to teeth without hurting the enamel and gum. The small size of the head further allowed the flexible move of the brush while cleaning.
USE TIPS – Wash toothbrush and brush head after used. Clean the shaft at least once a week. It is suggested to replace the brush head every 3 months for the sake of oral hygiene. Keep the toothbrush body dry while charging.
SAFE AND THOURTFUL – Ergonomic design, IPX7 waterproof design, DuPont bristles: Safe and comfortable for children’s mouth
Gear & Accessories:
Miscellaneous
HOFISH 3PACK Full Bust Seamless Nursing Maternity Bras Bralette S-XXL with Extra Bra Extenders & Clips
Product Description
The Hofish nursing Bra was designed to deliver comfortable convenient feeding for womens, this super-snug, classic-fitting bra is perfect for Pregant&Nursing. That’s because its compression fit minimizes motion and maxisizes support. So you can go hard without losing your focus.
HOFISH Women’s Nursing Bra
Description
This nursing bra is designed for easy feeding and great comfort.
The bottom band gives additional support which offers you a perfect image.
It is designed both for pregnancy and nursing. You won’t regret choosing it.
The adjustable shoulder straps with extra wide side and triangle-cup design will support your cups well
Gear & Accessories:
Clothing
comfiGO
ClypX’s® comfiGO is an extremely comfortable and convenient car booster seat that will work in any car with a lap and shoulder seat belt system. It’s not only perfect for everyday use, but also easy to use for travel. comfiGO’s shoulder guide smoothly adjusts the car’s seat belt to your child’s height, and our patented, stretchable, and adjustable lap belt band keeps the vehicle’s lap belt section low on the hips even when your child tries to slouch. comfiGO’s safety has been confirmed by the results of crash tests carried out by independent institutes, and is FMVSS 213 certified for use in the US. comfiGO is suitable for children ages 4 – 12, weighing over 40 lbs, and between 40 to 57 inches tall. It’s widely accepted by all kids, and especially by older children.
Gear & Accessories:
Safety
Coding Critters™ MagiCoders (Blazer The Dragon and Skye The Unicorn)
Coding Critters™ are a kid’s first coding friends and an interactive playset which introduces preschoolers to early STEM concepts through 100% screen-free coding activities. The 2020 TOTY award winning line of Coding Critters™ has expanded with MagiCoders Skye the Unicorn and Blazer the Dragon, two enchanting additions to the series of adorable pets. MagiCoders allows kids as young as 4 to acquire hands-on coding concepts, such as critical thinking and problem-solving skills, without the need for a phone or tablet.
Code MagiCoders Skye the Unicorn to the end of the rainbow and launch shooting stars with the star launcher; or program MagiCoders Blazer the Dragon to storm the castle, launch the catapult and more! These magically-inspired toys encourage imaginative play as they design their own coding challenges or follow the “spellbook” adventures included in this fantasy playset.
Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Preschoolers
Bobos Babes Adventures: The Lion’s Secret: The Lion’s Secret
Written by Karen M. Bobos; Illustrated by Emily Hercock; Edited by Laraleigh Moffitt
When an unlikely and beautiful love blossoms between a lion and a butterfly, each holds it a secret from the other. A beautiful story about diverse friendships, trust…and fairies!
Leonard the Lion and Barbara the Butterfly have many differences, of course. But that doesn’t stop them from feeling love and happiness toward each other. If only each would let the other know — but they have sworn their friends, the Bobos Babes, to secrecy.
Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8):
Fantasy, Myths & Legends
Big Feelings Pineapple
A pineapple with a lot of feelings! Kids explore emotion identification and expressions by playing with this tropical friend’s 26 changeable pieces, like mouths, eyes, eyebrows and hands. Whether they’re learning in the classroom or through homeschooling, kids can explore the nuances of social-emotional learning in every face they make as each build comes with an opportunity to identify and talk about emotions. The toy’s two-sided design can even help kids learn opposites by comparing and contrasting two faces at once! The Big Feelings Pineapple comes with a full-color guide that includes suggested faces and feelings to make social-emotional activities that much easier. When playtime is done for the day, simply pop the top off of the Big Feelings Pineapple and store the pieces inside.
Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Toddlers
be.BOX & YOU.patch.
@beyoubefun is the first of its kind with its customizable, insulated, durable carry-all that lets kids be unique and embrace their individuality. Our goal with be.YOU.be.FUN. is to provide kids the chance to celebrate their individuality, interests, or mood on any given day for any given occasion. The durable and spacious be.BOX has a loop material on both sides that provides the perfect blank slate for our hook material YOU.patches. Kids can trade, collect or rearrange their YOU.patches over and over again because there’s no wrong way for YOU to be.YOU
Gear & Accessories:
Travel
Artie Max™ The Coding Robot
Artie Max™ is a new programmable robot that combines the best of critical thinking and creative expression through REAL coding and colorful works of art. Artie Max puts the A (Arts) in STEAM learning and allows kids to learn five advanced coding languages (Blocky, Snap!, JavaScript, Python and C++) on a secure, private Wifi connection – no internet needed! Easy set-up has kids coding within minutes as they choose a design, build the code, then see Artie moving across the paper using colored pens to unleash their inner artist! Along with building a child’s confidence, Artie’s LED light-up eyes and moving mouth provide even more personality for this new coding friend. Learning to code while creating art is a unique way to engage both the left and right parts of a child’s brain.
Toys, Games & Puzzles:
Ages 9 to 12
Alpacas Don’t Get Angry!
Written by Tammy Fortune; Illustrated by Joanna Jarc Robinson; Edited by Joanna Jarc Robinson
In this whimsical social-emotional learning book for kids, Apollo the alpaca has a story to tell about something that made him feel very angry. Find out how he learns to express his tough emotions appropriately, communicate effectively, and rebuild friendships. This entertaining and captivating book is an excellent jumping-off platform to teach children about anger management and how to express their various emotions adequately.
Children’s Picture Books:
Developing Social Skills
33 Family Conversations about Global Challenges
Written by Constanze Niedermaier
33 Family Conversations About Global Challenges helps parents to have honest family conversations about issues that current and future generations will be facing, and about the goals for a brighter future for all humans. No child is too young to make a difference! Why not give them that confidence early on? We owe it to our children to raise them to become global citizens who are aware of the interrelations between everything that is happening in the world.
The book is for parents of 8-14 year old children and touches on topics like pollution, global warming, and poverty.It explains global challenges in straightforward terms, and offers positive advice for how the reader can help change the world for the better.
Adult Books:
Parenting – General
