Hello, Spring! Products that have us sprung.
Kidsguide Magazine Online
March 23, 2010

Spring’s in the air, and so are the promises of warm days, school holidays and family vacations. Below are some of our top picks to get you in the mood.

“Mo Smells Green: A Scentsational Journey,” by Margaret Hyde and Amanda Giacomini (Mo’s Nose Press-2-Smell Book, $17.95). Yesterday, we had scratch-and-sniff; today, there’s press-to-smell. Used to vivid, verdant effect in this second book collaboration by best friend duo Academy Award-nominated filmmaker and writer Margaret Hyde and artist Amanda Giacomini, readers can truly follow Mo’s nose on a hillside hike.

Uplifting and elegantly packaged, packets of nature-inspired aromatics by Aura Cacia add a “scentsational” touch to Hyde’s clean narrative and Giacomini’s dreamy art. It all gives a sweet authenticity to Mo’s gambol through tall blades of grass, thickets of lime and cedarwood trees, and patches of cool peppermint and spearmint, and sweet basil. A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book goes to Best Friends Animal Society, a tribute to the real-life Mo, a rescue dog adopted by Giacomini.

“You Can Do A Graphic Novel,” by Barbara Slate (Alpha Books, $19.95) Really, you can! Veteran graphic novelist Barbara Slate confidently walks the reader through the process of transplanting story ideas from their head to a visual medium. Using her own experiences at Marvel and DC Comics, she provides a structured and visual lesson for the aspiring artist. Slate provides pointers on the creative process – from the anatomy of a good story and character-building, to drawing and layout, not to mention good no-nonsense advice on the industry.

SafetyTat ($7.99-$19.95). Oh, yeah: we’re merrily skipping towards vacation season. Before you go to the amusement park or the county fair, consider a SafetyTat for your little one. Its inventor, Michele Welsh came up with the idea while preparing her kids for an outing.

The peel-and-stick tattoos are waterproof yet easy to remove, and can last up to two weeks after its initial use. Each pack comes with three temporary tattoos and a pen. SafetyTat also has lines for allergies, special needs, medical alerts and school field trips.