We’ve found the perfect gift for LA littles just in time for the hectic holiday season. Los Angeles 1 to 10, by Silverlake mom Sara Beth Greene, debuted this November and is one the most adorable board books we’ve seen in quite some time. It introduces numbers and counting to kiddos using pleasing rhymes and iconic imagery of our beloved City of Angels.
photo: Sara Beth Greene
Filled with a lifelong passion for writing, Los Angeles 1 to 10 author, Sara Beth Greene, never attempted it professionally until now. While her family was temporarily living in Toronto, Canada after the birth of her daughter, friends gifted Greene with cute Canadian themed baby books. Excited to buy similar LA versions when her family returned to their hometown of Los Angeles, she surprisingly found very few children’s books that felt like anything more than auto-generated tourist guides.
photo: Sara Beth Greene
Hollywood Walk of Fame, Venice Muscle Beach, yada, yada, yada—all the things tourists do, not the people who actually live here. She quickly realized nothing captured the true charm and diversity of LA and decided to create something herself.
photo: Sara Beth Greene
Los Angeles 1 to 10 is geared towards newborns through age 5 and uses whimsical rhymes and cheery bright colors to celebrate the city’s immense diversity from the hills of Griffith Park and music of Mariachi Plaza to Watts Towers and the warm ocean breezes of the Pacific Ocean. It’s perfect as your baby’s first introduction to our vast and varied city, becomes a wonderful bring-along as they get ready for first outings and later is an easy to follow learn to read book that echoes the signs they see on your weekend adventures.
photo: Sara Beth Greene
When she’s not busy penning her first children’s book or tending to her regular career of producing music videos, commercials and films, Greene loves spending time exploring LaLa Land with her 2-year-old daughter, Cleo. As for her own LA faves, Greene says, “We love to have picnics and fly kites in the Silverlake Meadow. The Enchanted Railroad at Descanso Gardens is always a big hit. I can’t get over how cute that little train is! Also LACMA is always excellent since there is so much space to run around. Cleo loves Chris Burden’s ‘Metropolis.’ I love James Turrell. Everyone wins!”
For a list of LA retailers currently carrying Los Angeles 1 to 10 or to purchase a copy online, simply check out the book’s website. As for future kids’ books, Greene currently has two more in the works: one about Los Angeles opposites and a counting book about Portland, Oregon. We can’t wait!
Los Angles 1 to 10 by Sara Beth Greene
Online: losangeles1to10.com
If you’re looking for LA themed books for bigger kids, we’ve got a list of our favorites here.
What other LA themed kids’ books would you like to see in the future? Give us a shout in the comments below!
–Jennifer O’Brien
Need some fresh ideas?
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