Sad news: Eric Carle has passed away. He’s the author and illustrator behind scores of colorful, beloved children’s books including the all-time classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
His family announced that Carle passed peacefully at age 91 on May 23, surrounded by loved ones in his summer studio in Massachusetts. In the course of his life, Carle illustrated more than 70 books for kids and churned out multiple hits in collaboration or solo: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? The Very Busy Spider and From Head to Toe. Carle’s distinctive style stands out on any shelf and more than 152 million copies of his book have been sold around the world.
The son of German immigrants, Carle graduated from a prestigious art school in Stuttgart before returning to the U.S. to work as a graphic designer for The New York Times, then an art director for an advertising agency. He used collage technique to illustrate, with layers of hand-painted papers. Many of his books have nature themes and give children the chance to learn about the world around them.
On his website the family wrote: “In the light of the moon, holding on to a good star, a painter of rainbows is now traveling across the night sky.”
You can visit the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts, a museum founded by Carle and his second wife, Barbara. Carle is survived by his sister and two adult children.
—Sarah Shebek
Featured image: Image credit Manas K / Shutterstock.com
Picture this: you just need a break. So you pick up the remote, flip on some cartoons and settle in the kiddos so you can take a breathe. But you may want think twice.
A recent study from the University of Arizona published in the International Journal of Advertising has found that instead of feeling a sense of relaxation while children are watching TV, parents feel the opposite––stress. So what’s the deal?
It’s simple really. Kids who watch a lot of TV are subjected to a lot of advertising. Which in turn, leads to a whole lotta whining, crying and pleading when they accompany parents to the store, trying to get everything they saw a commercial for on TV.
Lead study author Matthew Lapierre, an assistant professor in the UArizona Department of Communication in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences says, “The more advertising children see, the more they ask for things and the more conflict is generated.” Of course, there are plenty of ways to combat the problem.
For starters, parents can limit screen time. More importantly, they can have open communication with their kids about consumerism and involving the entire family in purchasing decisions. The study also found that collaborative communication with children resulted in less stress for parents and that avoiding controlling (“I said no and no arguing”) or advertising (“They just want us to buy what they’re selling) communication helped keep stress low as well.
The study was done using data from 433 parents of children ages 2 to 12. The researchers angled the study to focus on younger kids because they rely on their parents for purchases as opposed to more independent behaviors in older kids.
Parents answered questions about communication style, how much television their kids watch each day, their children’s behavior while shopping and their own stress level.
We can’t wait to watch all of the holiday specials this year. Crackle Plus, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company and one of the largest operators of streaming advertising-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) networks announced today that the animated feature Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer will be available for free on Crackle beginning Tues., Dec. 1. The film features the all-star voice talent of Josh Hutcherson, Samantha Bee, Martin Short, Morena Baccarin, Jeff Dunham and John Cleese.
When one of Santa’s reindeer suddenly announces his retirement in the days leading up to Christmas, specially trained reindeer from around the world rush to the North Pole to compete in the reindeer games to win the coveted spot on Santa’s sleigh team. Elliot, a miniature horse with big dreams, and his best friend Hazel the Goat set out to prove that no dream is too big and he just might be the horse for the job. As the pair take to the North Pole, Hazel learns that things are headed for disaster back at their farm as a potential new owner has plans that threaten the lives of their friends. Elliot is faced with the biggest decision of his life, to either save his friends or follow his dreams and save Christmas.
“Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer is a great addition to our huge slate of Holiday and family programming,” said Philippe Guelton, president of Crackle Plus. “This wonderful animated film is bound to become a classic, enjoyable for audiences of all ages and perfect for a family holiday movie night.”
Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer is distributed in the United States by Screen Media, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company and the supplier of exclusive and original content for Crackle Plus.
My husband used to accuse me of not knowing how to have fun. And he was right, sort of, in the sense that his ways of having fun and mine were (and are) very different. Now, as I stumble toward the age when the only fun consists of waving my cane at children and telling them to stay off my lawn, I have begun to rethink the whole concept of fun.
And I think fun is overrated. Or at least what is passed off as fun in popular culture.
Brushing your teeth is brushing your teeth. There’s nothing inherently fun about it. It’s just necessary, boring, and repetitive. But apparently we think that if we put Star Wars characters on the toothbrush handles, toothbrushing becomes FUN (how, I don’t know) and kids “may be brushing longer,” a claim that is never backed up by statistics.
Fun flavors like bubble gum also seem to be preferable to good old mint. I enjoy the flavor of mint, but I don’t think it’s fun. And I suspect that associating the act of brushing one’s teeth with the flavor of bubble gum is counterproductive. Just sayin’.
Likewise, there is nothing intrinsically fun about eating a salad, especially if you’re a female and alone. Yet there is a whole meme dedicated to “woman laughing alone with salad,” and now even a play based on the concept. Eating a salad by oneself can be tasty, pleasant, unpleasant, boring, or any number of other feelings. Why then are there so many photos of women laughing (or at least grinning idiotically) while eating salad?
And why are there so few photos of men doing the same thing? Do men not eat salads? Only in the company of others? Only stoically? It seems eating a salad alone is FUN only for solitary females. Poor, poor men, who must find their fun elsewhere.
Men having FUN get to drive cars, not eat salad. Cars provide particular enjoyment when the driver is breaking traffic laws or driving on a closed course where he can’t hit anything no matter how he speeds. This one I get a little bit. Fun is equated with breaking the rules, and without consequences. Fun is being sexy and dangerous. It’s hard to make toothbrushing or salads sexy and dangerous, so we’re left with men risking life and limb, while women and children guffaw and grin, browse and brush.
I know, I know. These are tricks of the advertising trade. FUN equals more sales, If ordinary activities are lifted above the ordinary, they will have more appeal to consumers. This is especially true of children who influence purchase decision-making – which is basically all of them. And fun is apparently the only value that kids value. What other satisfactions are there? Except companionship, warmth, friendship, accomplishment, health, adventure, and satisfaction itself, I mean. But all of those have more than three letters.
But FUN rules not just in advertising. Education is another field rife with fun. Multiplication tables aren’t much fun by themselves, so let’s add clowns and elephants. Then students can put their final reports into their Ninja Turtle backpacks and take them home.
I’m not advocating going back to the days of skill, drill, and kill, but I am of the opinion that genuinely engaging activities such as project-based learning will teach students skills in a manner that is genuinely satisfying, memorable, and indeed fun, without the need for stickers, banners, and class parties.
Preparing students, young adults, and even older adults for constant FUN is unrealistic. Taking out the trash isn’t fun. Polishing the floors isn’t fun (unless you’ve got a roomba and a cat). Creating spreadsheets isn’t fun. Taking out appendices isn’t fun (I assume).
Much of adult life and work will turn out to be not-fun. Especially for those women, eating salads alone. And for those of us who don’t care to wear bright yellow, and sing and dance while taking our vitamins. For us, it’s just a gulp, a swallow, and gone.
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Hi! I'm a freelance writer and editor who writes about education, books, cats and other pets, bipolar disorder, and anything else that interests me. I live in Ohio with my husband and a varying number of cats.
Over two thousand years ago the Buddha observed that “cravings” were the source of most of our suffering. (And he was pretty wise… like a Buddha, in fact!)
Basically, cravings cause us to chase after pleasure in material things, but this habit always ends in frustration and suffering, as the happiness they offer is fleeting and ungraspable.
I was recently reminded of this as we loaded a mini-van full of toys to donate to the Salvation Army in a struggle to declutter.
These toys were an archive of must-have toys from Christmases past, and most didn’t get much love after the New Year.
In fact, our kids had a bad habit of getting a “pleasure-hangover” after the last toy was opened on Christmas morning. Their moods seemed to sink after the cravings and anticipation turned into discontent, often before we could clean up the wrapping paper.
So, after a number of these unsatisfying Christmases, we got wiser. We stopped spending hundreds of dollars on “things,” and don’t even participate in the commercial bacchanal that is “Black Friday.” (ugh!)
So, what do we do instead?
Now we get the kids an experience
Our big gift to the kids usually centers around an event, and includes a night in a hotel. Since we’re a train ride from NYC, there’s no shortage of options for family travel, but certainly anywhere fun and exciting will do.
For the last two Christmases we’ve been on a Hamilton (the Musical) kick, so trips to Williamsburg and Philadelphia were a lot of fun. One year it was a long-weekend trip to Florida after we found cheap, last-minute airfare.
This year? Not sure yet. Maybe (half-price) tickets to Aladdin on Broadway, and a night in the city?
We usually make a photo book of our annual adventure, so that’s fun to bring back the memories years later.
Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that we’re all so much happier not dumping “stuff” on each other on Christmas day. We all feel lighter, and there’s a lot less anxiety.
The True Meaning of Christmas
“Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about…”
Yes, I think Linus was onto something back in 1965.
We’ve all heard that “money can’t buy happiness,” but we’re also told ad nauseam every day that it can.
How? Well, in the form of advertising and social media, of course.
In fact, a recent study shows that we can be bombarded with ads of some sort up to 5,000 times a day. This exposure to advertising is like steroids for our cravings, and that is really bad.
Ugh! If he weren’t so enlightened, Buddha would be so depressed.
Proof that Toys Don’t Buy Happiness (Ah, hah!)
I’m happy to give you proof that “things” don’t equal happiness. Wrap your brain around this statistic:
American children make up less than 4% of the world’s population, but own 50% of the world’s toys!
You’d think that as the richest country with the most toys, we’d at least be on the list of the 10 happiest countries, but we’re not.
However, we do top the charts in anxiety and obesity, and debt, so maybe we want to stop trying to satisfy our cravings with “things.”
This obsession with consumption seems to be a human sickness, maybe leftover from our ancient hunter-gatherer DNA? Kind of makes you think that the Buddha was right all along.
Here’s a small way to fight back…
Give An Experience this Christmas!
So, I hope that you consider lightening up on the toys this Christmas. Maybe a Broadway show isn’t in your budget this year, but no problem; it’s the quality time together that matters.
If you have any ideas of non-material gift substitutes, leave a comment below!
I'm Missy, a mother of three and a middle school drama teacher at a private school. I'm obsessed with my Vizsla (dog), traveling, and the musical Hamilton. I also enjoy writing and sharing fun parenting stories, which is what brought me here.
Baby powder has become a source of controversy over the past few years. Many users claim that this one time household staple causes cancer. Johnson & Johnson announced today that they will stop selling its talc-based baby powder in the U.S. and Canada.
“Demand for talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder in North America has been declining due in large part to changes in consumer habits and fueled by misinformation around the safety of the product and a constant barrage of litigation advertising,” the company said in a statement.
Cornstarch-based baby powder will still be available in North America. Both types of powders will continue to be sold globally where there is significantly higher consumer demand for the product Johnson & Johnson said.
Friday night is movie night. Disney teamed up with Target to launch Friday Movie Night bringing families together with less interruptions, airing movies across ESPN, Freeform and FX from Apr. 10 to May 1. This initiative will bring titles such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Iron Man 2 to families staying at home.
Content featured in the limited ads will provide commentary, trivia and recorded interviews with ESPN talent such as Louis Riddick and Mike Golic Sr., brought to viewers by Target. PSAs and custom content featuring talent from Freeform.
“We know many families are looking for different ways to spend time together in the comfort of their own homes,” said Rick Gomez, Target executive vice president and chief marketing, digital and strategy officer. “Target is proud to partner with Disney to offer Friday Night Movie, giving families another option as they stay home and stay safe.”
Custom content spots were created, including a piece to run during You Don’t Know Bo on ESPN, using videos of ESPN talent, who filmed in their own homes, reflecting on the legacy of Bo Jackson.
“Disney is committed to continuously providing families entertainment especially during these unprecedented times,” said Wendell Scott, senior vice president, Disney Advertising Sales. “Together with Target, we’re meeting families where they are in their homes and delivering fun and exciting movies with a limited commercial experience.”
The distinct chill of winter (not to mention the soul-crushing snow) means your gardening dreams are a no-go. That is, unless you pick up this wildly popular pack of succulents from Costco!
Get your indoor grow on with the three-pack of plants that are not only awesomely adorable, but oh-so-inexpensive.
How much will you pay for three five-inch succulents? While prices vary somewhat by region, some Costco shoppers have scored the succulents for under $20. Instagram user Costco Deals recently posted a pic of an entire rack filled with plants, advertising the three-packs for only $19.99.
Not only do you get the three five-inch plants, but each succulent also comes in its very own white planter pot. Check with your local Costco for prices on this pint-sized trio.
To infinity and beyond! Alaska Airlines recently launched its Pixar Pier-themed plane in a collab with Disneyland Resort—and the “Friendship and Beyond at Disneyland Resort” aircraft is all about Toy Story.
The design, which reportedly took more than 2,800 hours of work over the course of 24 days and 50 gallons of paint, features film faves such as Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Rex and the Aliens.
Natalie Bowman, Alaska Airlines’ managing director of brand marketing and advertising, said in a press release, “There’s nothing better than landing happy on the way to The Happiest Place on Earth.” Bowman added, “The Disneyland Resort is one of our signature West Coast friendships, and we love that we can celebrate Pixar Pier by taking these iconic characters on a brand-new adventure.”
Of the partnership and friendship theme, Lynn Clark, Disneyland Resort vice president of sales and services, said, “We celebrate friendship and beyond every day in Pixar Pier at the Disneyland Resort.” Clark continued, “Now, thanks to our great friends at Alaska Airlines, our guests are immersed in the celebration even before they arrive.”
Visit alaskaair.com to book your ride on the airline’s newest, and cutest, craft!
Kids can have a lot of wants, from toys to electronics, but the next time they ask for something you could turn it into a clever lesson in the value of hard work like one mom who set up a job fair for her kids.
Shaketha Marion McGregor of Dublin, Georgia was tired of her kids asking for things so she decided to give them the opportunity to earn what they wanted with jobs. Of course finding a job when you’re a kid isn’t easy so she set up a job fair in her house.
“So, my children continue to ask for a new cell phone, an allowance, and to go places. Yesterday I told them that I’ve heard their requests and that I’ll have a surprise for them today when they get home from school. SURPRISE!!! It’s a whole hiring event!” she wrote in a Facebook post sharing her unique idea. “If you want it, work for it, earn it! And yes, I also have an in home credit union lol,” she added.
She posted signs advertising the fair and the jobs available, which included kitchen manager, lead housekeeper, and laundry supervisor. She even created job applications with questions like “What is your desired pay rate?” and “Are you willing to work some nights and weekends?”
It should come as no surprise that her post went viral with thousands of likes and comments applauding the creative way she handled her kids requests.
