Last Minute Gifts--Books!

Books make wonderful last minute gifts--they make wonderful gifts period, but in a pinch, you can go to your local bookstore and pretty much cover everyone on your list in one fell swoop.
  
KANSHA: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions, by Andoh is a beautiful coffee table cookbook if you know what I mean.  The photographs are gorgeous and tantalizing. It wasn't as easy as I thought finding vegan food in Japan, not in restaurants anyway.  I wish I'd had this before and after my trip to stretch out the experience (food is so key) and give me more insight to the culture.  There are not a ton of authentic Japanese vegan cookbooks out there, especially not with color photos.  This would be a lovely gift for anyone who likes to cook, but particularly for the vegetarians/vegans in your life.

For kids of any age, DOODLES: A Really Giant Coloring and Doodling Book by Taro Gomi is a big thick book filled with inspiration for coloring outside the lines.  "Here is a tree--make leaves," is the kind of thing you find within.  Fabulous! 

Charlie and Lola are absolutely and completely wonderful and they have a new book perfect for winter.  I REALLY REALLY NEED ACTUAL ICE SKATES finds Lola in a new predicament of wanting new skates and having to learn something that's a lot harder than she thought.  It's supposed to be for kids 4-8, but I will forever love Charlie and Lola.  

For the person who likes to take pictures or just got a new camera, EXPRESSIVE PHOTOGRAPHY: THE SHUTTER SISTERS' GUIDE TO SHOOTING FROM THE HEART is a collection of photographic techniques and ideas from a group of women who call themselves The Shutter Sisters.  Check out their cool website to get a feel for their style.  I love the life-infused tone and hearing different approaches to this accessible art form.  Why not go the extra step and turn your photography more into art than chronicles? 

CREATIVE IS A VERB: IF YOU'RE ALIVE, YOU'RE CREATIVE is great for those whose creativity is bubbling under the surface and want to explore that side of themselves.   Or it's just plain fun for people who live and think creatively to begin with.  The book is filled with cool illustrations, inspiration, and ideas and has an ephemera vibe.

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Charlie and Lola Boxed Set: Absolutely Completely Wonderful

I absolutely completely adore Charlie and Lola.  All forms, but particularly the videos.  It's hard for me to watch some kids' shows as I find them either boring, visually unappealing, or just plain obnoxious.  Charlie and Lola are the antidote to all of that being intelligent, funny, and very nice to look at with a vibrant color palate and multi media mode.  Charlie and Lola, Volumes 1-8 is a necessity for anyone with children.

The set includes eight DVDs, with some favorites like, I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato, Snow Is My Favorite and My Best, and Look After Your Planet.  The stories set a great tone for compassionate living and Charlie and Lola are wonderful role models for kids.  They work out their problems amicably, they are respectful (without being corny), they are fun, smart and eco conscious.  

They're also English so there are subtle British charms throughout, like having biscuits instead of cookies.  Charlie is the big brother everyone wishes they had and Lola is a delightful, self possessed, confident little girl.  Imagination reigns in the world of Charlie and Lola and it's a feast that you just don't find in other children's shows.

My son started watching Charlie and Lola when he was about one, and at five he still appreciates them.  I love cuddling up on the couch and watching this show together, I can't tell you how many times I've seen each episode and somehow they are still fresh for me.  I dread the day when he outgrows them because I know I never will.  Great for summer days when kids need chill time, for airplane rides and waiting rooms.  Highly recommended.  Find it HERE.

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Charlie and Lola Recycle

Charlie and Lola are my favorite animated characters of my son's generation.  They are funny and intelligent and interesting to look at with their multi textured multi media graphics and unique appearance.  They are also excellent role models.  We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers is a great example.

Charlie teaches his little sister Lola why and how to recycle after she sees a friend's room who's a bit of a hoarder and vows never to have such a messy room.  The whole thing evolves into a school project and recycling competition to earn a tree for the school.

This books makes recycling fun and explains why it's necessary.  Kids love to feel they're doing something worthwhile and this message empowers them to be proactive and make a difference. Find it HERE.

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I am EXTREMELY absolutely boiling

Book stores, it turns out, are a great place to seek refuge from the heat. And look what we found. Charlie and Lola always nail it for me, I think I love them more than my son does (I know I do because he's starting to want to watch Diego more). I am EXTREMELY absolutely boiling is obviously about coping with summer heat (with a sub-plot), and it's as cool as all the other Charlie and Lola books. With 103 degree heat, it was perfectly apt and made me smile.

They're the only modern cartoon characters that really mesmerize me, almost make me feel like a kid again. If you're not familiar, they're British, very smart and very artful. You can get books and DVDs and it's on tv, but I DVR everything, so I'm not sure what channels. Visually, it's a feast to watch with lots of color and pattern and texture variety, the plots are intelligent, sensitive and funny. They also have a show/book about recycling that got my son very excited about that. If you've never seen them, it's a refreshing treat.

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