Do you know what you’re going to get that/those special little someone(s)?

Here are three delightful love-themed books from HarperCollins Children’s that will be sure to warm any little heart:

From noted author of The Jesus Storybook Bible, Sally Lloyd-Jones, comes a picture book celebrating the unconditional love between parent and child.

Just Because You’re Mine is a heartwarming tale about Little Red Squirrel and his affectionate daddy. As they romper and frolic through the woods, Little Red Squirrel does all kinds of daring and amazing feats for his daddy to watch and praise. After each, he inquires as to whether his daddy loves him because he’s good at each of these things. “No,” his daddy replies each and every time. “That’s not why.”

The pictures by Frank Endersby will have you grinning and the words will melt your heart. The ending is sweet and true. I love reading this to my “little squirrels!”

(Purchase it here.)

Snowy Valentine is a timeless tale that focuses on the love between a husband and wife, simple and light enough for little ones to read and grasp. Written and illustrated by David Petersen for, and out of inspiration from, his wife, this tale follows little Jasper the bunny as he sets out to find the perfect gift for his valentine, his wife Lilly.

He wanders over to his animal neighbors’ homes….burrows to nests to wares wagons….to find out if they have any good ideas for an unforgettable, sentimental gifts. He soon finds himself in a great deal of trouble, though – - will he get out safely and make his way home to Lilly? Yes, he does….and he carries unknowingly with him a gift for her that she’ll not soon forget.

(Purchase it here.)

Last but not least, another cuddly critter story about a not-so-cuddly character, Pearl the Porcupine. In Hugs from Pearl (by Paul Schmid), Pearl is lonely and knows exactly why — she loves to give her friends hugs, but they aren’t too thrilled about receiving them.

(Can you guess why?)

Her quandry leads to creativity, though — and she goes home with a mission: To make herself more huggable. She does in a most ingenious way, and your little ones will surely cheer as she remedies her situation with an idea that has things “coming up roses.”

(Purchase it here.)

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above mentioned products at no cost from HarperCollins in exchange for my honest review. I received no other product or monetary compensation. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

HarperCollins, publisher of numerous award-winning and superb books for children, has a line of books for budding and blossoming readers called the “I Can Read” series. The cool part is that many of these “I Can Read” books are offered in e-book format!

Showcasing some of kids’ favorite and notorious book characters, these books lend a helping hand by offering read aloud features, highlighted words, and self-reading options — all while letting kids see the accompanying fun illustrations found in the paper form of the book.

Here are three that we recently received to review (and love):

Fancy Nancy: My Family History

Fancy Nancy begins to seek out information about her family history for a school report — but will she be tempted to exaggerate her stories and tell more fiction than truth?

Marley: Messy Dog

Cassie’s mom decides to paint Cassie’s room her favorite color. But guess who wants to help? Will Marley ruin the day (and Cassie’s room)?

Splat the Cat Sings Flat

Splat the Cat is going to sing at a school talent show for Parents’ Night…but he discovers he has what many cats (and people) do: Stage fright! What will he do to overcome his shyness?

These are all narrated by upbeat and interesting speakers if your child chooses the “read aloud” feature. The words are highlighted as they’re read, helping to increase reading comprehension and boost vocabulary. Each of the above titles (and all e-books in the I Can Read series) can be downloaded for viewing/interacting with via the iTunes store or via Barnes and Noble for the NOOK.

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above mentioned e-books from HarperCollins at no cost in exchange for my honest review. No other products or monetary compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Does your child have his or her classroom valentine cards picked out yet?

And do YOU have that certain special card picked out for that certain special someone?

TinyPrints has one-of-a-kind, adorable classroom cards for an unforgettable impression:

Crafty Hearts

I Dig You

TinyPrints has your Valentines Day Greeting Cards bases covered.

 
Luvbug

 
First Came Love

For hundreds of other classic, romantic, modern and sentimental designs, check out TinyPrints’ exclusive Valentine’s Day cards selection — and hurry! Time’s running out!

(And be sure to visit TinyPrints on Facebook and follow TinyPrints on Twitter for the latest news about new designs and special offers!)

AND! Did you know that TinyPrints is on Pinterest!? You do now! Check it out!

Win it!

Courtesy of TinyPrints, one of you will win 50 classroom valentines!

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, which TinyPrints classroom valentine design is your favorite and WHY!

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)

I’ll close this contest at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012. US entries/addresses only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, #20, Tina Reynolds!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received no product or monetary compensation for this honest review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I have a little fashionista in my house. She loves picking out her clothes every morning. Even picking out her PJs at bedtime is a blast! She has a fashion designing kit (from Santa) that lets her design and draw fashions to her heart’s content.

There’s something exciting about designing and creating something of your very own. That’s what your little fashion-loving gal can do at FashionPlaytes.com!

Signing up for a FashionPlaytes account is easy. In just a few steps your child can start creating her one-of-a-kind designs in the My FP Design Studio:

There are tops, bottoms, dresses, accessories, even doll clothes to choose from. Each basic item’s cost is displayed on the right-hand side, and most have several fabric color choices available. Your child can add as little or as much personalized embellishments as desired. From ribbon trims, embroidered applique, to rhinestones, there’s something for every personality.

My little fashion designer chose “The Cassidy” dress, an empire-waisted, long-sleeved soft knit play dress. She chose the color Geranium, which is a bold and beautiful coral color. The size chart was easy to follow and decipher. We received email correspondence every step of the way — and the shipping was fast considering it was a custom-ordred product — in a little over a week, it arrived just as she hoped it would — gorgeous and a perfect fit!

There’s more to do at the FashionPlaytes website, too:

- Create and customize a virtual model to sample the clothes created
- Enter the Runway Challenge for a chance to win weekly prizes
- Print customized “business cards” to hand out to friends
…and more!

Win it!

Courtesy of FashionPlaytes, one of you will win a $25 gift code for use on their site — so your little one can create and receive her own cool fashion creation!

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, what item/style name you think your little one would pick — and if you want to add it in, what color!

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)

I’ll close this contest at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012. US entries/addresses only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, #7, Kristie!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received a gift code for use on the FashionPlaytes website in exchange for an honest review. I received no other product or monetary compensation. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I love how a picture can tell a story all on its own. Add a few pages of pictures and bind them together, and you have a potential wordless treasure.

Chronicle Books’ The Conductor is one of those said treasures.

Laetitia Devernay’s nueva classic has been published previously in Switzerland — which goes to show that art and wordless imagery crosses all cultural boundaries.

As the small, well-dressed concert conductor walks into the shapely forest, he begins to be inspired. He climbs onto the tallest tree, pulls out his baton and begins to create music from nature. With a turn of his wrist and a curve of his arm, he sets leaves to blowing, birds to flying, the world to dancing to his earth-inspired symphony.

This beautiful book encourages dreaming, imagination, celebration of beauty within nature. A perfect book for a contemplative afternoon or for little ones settling down before bedtime, The Conductor can be purchased from Chronicle Books directly for $18.95, from Amazon.com, or look for it wherever books are sold near you.

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above mentioned product at no cost from Chronicle Books in exchange for my review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for my honest review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

We were able to get a first-hand look at this beautifully written, choreographed, and animated app for the iPhone, iPad, and Android. This Puff the Magic Dragon app is the storytelling lyrics by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, taken straight from the nonsensical poem by Lenny Lipton. This app brings these words to life with beautiful, animated illustrations by Eric Puybaret.

Children can experience this whimsical app in three different ways:

“Sing To Me”—listen to Peter Yarrow sing the classic song with pages that automatically turn as the song progresses
“Read to Me”—narrated by Peter Yarrow, words are highlighted as they are read by the author and children can interact with the characters
“Read Myself”—children read the story at their own pace, turning the pages as they go, interacting with all the characters.

Bonus features of the Puff the Magic Dragon app include touch-activated stars that provide further levels of interactive play, as well as tilt-screen animation features that allow children to create waves in the oceans surrounding Honalee.

A must-have for any childhood, this story/song/poem (now an interactive, takealong app) is available from the iTunes store for iPhone and iPad or via the Android store. (Links to both are on the info page.)

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received this app at no cost from Sterling Publishing in exchange for a review. I received no other product or monetary compensation for my honest review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Ocean Spray, purveyors of sweet and tart cranberry-based drinks and other food products for decades, is now making fruit flavored snacks!

Available in two yummy flavor combos, Assorted Fruit and Berries & Cherries, Ocean Spray Fruit-Flavored Snacks are:

~ Made with real fruit juice and natural colors* and flavors.
(*colors from natural sources)

~ 80 calories, gluten free and contain 100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C.

~ Available with year round Double Box Tops.

 
We received some of the Ocean Spray Fruit-Flavored Snacks to try at our house at snacktime — and I must say — they’re a huge hit. They are tart and sweet and tangy — and delightfully chewy. They are packaged in easy-to-tote packets for on-the-go munching. A great way to sneak in a healthier snack during the day!

Look for new Ocean Spray Fruit-Flavored Snacks at your favorite neighborhood grocery store! And be sure to check out Ocean Spray on Facebook…

Win it!

Courtesy of Ocean Spray and MyBlogSpark, FOUR of you will win six boxes each of Ocean Spray Fruit-Flavored Snacks — three of each of the two flavor combos!

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, what flavor combo of the two mentioned above your family would tear into first!

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)

I’ll close this contest at 11:59pm EST on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012. US entries/addresses only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

#2 – Jamie
#35 – Apple Blossom
#55 – Lauren Knott
#63 – Natalie

FTC info — Disclaimer: Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks, information, and giveaway have been provided by Ocean Spray® through MyBlogSpark. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Angelina Ballerina: Sweet Valentine, from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment, hits the scene on DVD, digital download and on demand. Five sweet stories intermingle to create a sentimental and entertaining presentation.

From the press information I received:

“Love and friendship take center stage in these sweet stories. Angelina uncovers the mystery of her secret admirer with some help from her friends. Angelina and Alice help Marco realize the true importance of helping his friends. The students celebrate Ms. Mimi, and although it may have been for the wrong reason, they do it with a lot of heart! And when Angelina and her girlfriends try to make a girls’ club, they realize a friendship club is much sweeter. Spread the love with dancing, skating, singing and best friends forever!”

Like all other Angelina Ballerina productions, Angelina Ballerina: Sweet Valentine is very well enjoyed at our house! It’s helped put us in the Valentine’s Day mood, despite these dreary, gray days of winter.

The DVD also features two bonus items: Angelina’s Picture Game and the “Get Up and Dance” Music Video.

Over sixty minutes of quality, wholesome, heartfelt entertainment grace this special DVD release Angelina Ballerina: Sweet Valentine. You can purchase it from Amazon.com — or look for it wherever DVDs are sold near you.

Win it!

Courtesy of HIT Entertainment, Lionsgate and Andrea Blain PR, one of you will win a copy of Angelina Ballerina: Sweet Valentine!

Here’s how to enter:

1) MANDATORY: Tell me, in a comment below, who would love this DVD at your house!

2) For a second entry, subscribe to Muse Reviews’ feed OR subscribe via email — tell me in a separate comment if you’re a new subscriber or already a subscriber.

3) For a third entry, become friends with Muse Reviews on Facebook, then tell me you did so in a separate comment below.

4) For a fourth entry, twitter about this contest using @MuseReviews within your tweet, then tell me in a separate comment that you twittered! (Only one tweet per person per contest, please.)

I’ll close this contest at 11:59pm EST on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012. US entries/addresses only. Good luck!

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Congrats to the winner, #43, Ryana!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product and product information from Andrea Blain PR at no cost per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

New from McSweeney’s/McMullen’s comes a board book like no other, I guarantee it.

Keep Our Secrets (to be read in a whisper) by Jordan Crane will be heralded by children everywhere as a “magical” book. The “secret” to this book is heat-sensitive black ink. The pressure or rubbing by a hand or finger (or a hair dryer, if less effort is desired) causes the black ink to fade and objects and illustrations behind it to emerge in full color.

The story is a play-by-play of a little girl walking a slightly younger boy through a party full of grown-ups. She’s describing the “secrets” that exist within this group of her (most likely) parents’ friends….things such as “She hides her money in her hair” and “Miss Calamity’s camera is made of cheese.” Add heat to the things mentioned and you’ll see it for yourself!

You can purchase Keep Our Secrets from McSweeney’s store, Amazon.com, and select booksellers nationwide!

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product and product information from McSweeney’s at no cost per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

His most beloved and recognizable work, A Child’s Garden of Verses, has been published in a beautiful gift-giving volume by HarperCollins Publishers, suitable for every baby’s nursery and child’s bookshelves.

Though first published in the year 1885, the verses shine light on the simpler times of yesteryear, while many within this collection still ring true today.

Such precious rhymes, so tender and lovely read from every mother or father’s lips at bedtime — or during any time of the day.

“Then, when Mama goes by to bed,

She shall come in with tiptoe tread,

And see me lying warm and fast

And in the land of Nod at last.”

(from Northwest Passage)

Barbara McClintock’s delightful illustrations lend historic charm to these verses, though they are all present-day additives to this work.

Verses about springtime, swinging, sleeping, and just being a child — there’s something in here to delight every pair of little ears.

A perfect baby shower or birthday gift, A Child’s Garden of Verses can be purchased from these online retailers — or be sure to look for it at a bookstore near you.

FTC info — Disclaimer: I received the above product and product information from HarperCollins at no cost per my review….but my review is honest and my opinions are my own. I did not receive any other monetary or product compensation for this review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”