Made By Dad

File this one under either 1) Best Dad Ever or 2) Too Much Time On Hands – or both. But the resulting backyard squeals of delight and nervous twitching of mother were incredibly palpable this week.



Not every dad (or mom) is handy with PVC pipe and pulleys, but even the most citified of parents will find something to grab onto in Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World (2010, Penguin, $25.95) by L.A. dad Mark Frauenfelder.

The aforementioned Zipline Builder (see #1 and #2) is a dedicated follower of Frauenfelder's other creation, a blog called Boing Boing, that brings to light obscurities and oddities in a "cool geek" retro-techie framework. He is also the editor of that holiest of it's-cool-because-you-can-make-it-yourself magazines, Make.

Both are worth the perusal (longer, if you are like to make stuff/can be classified as "nerdy"), but in his new book, Frauenfelder really brings home the concept of slowing down your world, taking control of life and appreciating the simple engineering that it takes to, say,  make a musical instrument out of a cigar box (yes, the Zipline Builder has done that, too).

There are other projects (how to raise your own chickens and the automatic chicken door, grow your own things to eat and make your own yogurt) that are designed to show both you and your kids that food and fun doesn't just come wrapped in cellophane.

Check it out – and then make something out of it.

Can I Quote You?

Me to Jack, when he was about 3-1/2: Jack, we're going to go to a baseball game! This will be your first Dodger Dog!

Jack: (Gets excited, but stops and thinks for a second...) Can I get a Dodger Cat, too?

Kids actually do say the darnedest things. Parents, however, have a hard time remembering some of those darned things. Kate, who's now 8, had a million of them – and right at this moment I can't recall a single one to recount here. There's hope for me and others with this cute new release from Chronicle Books: My Quotable Kid (hardcover, $14.95). This important little journal takes up just a small amount of shelf space while still allowing you to capture plenty of those cute quips for all of eternity – or at least until that child's first prom, when you're going to want to pull it out and relive them in front of his date.

The book offers plenty of space on each page, which also has an area for the "who, when, age and where" categories.

The trick for me now will just be remembering that I have the book.

Book News: Lucky New Year!

By Ronna Mandel

[Blogger's Note: Great news for book lovers! Ronna will be launching her very own blog soon. Stayed tuned at LAParent.com.] 

I could not wait to open Lucky New Year! by Mary Man-Kong and illustrated by Chi Chung (Golden Books, www.randomhouse.com, $9.99, ages 3-8). This bright and shiny pop-up book is one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. Kids will learn to say, “Gung hay fat choy” ("Wishing you prosperity!") along with characters Lili and Lenny as they prepare for the fast approaching Chinese New Year.

By turning a dial on the Chinese calendar, readers can find which animal represents their birth year. I was surprised to discover that my son was born in the year of the snake, but the calendar did not go far back enough for me!

At a dim sun luncheon celebration on New Year’s Day, lift the flaps to see what foods Lili and Lenny will enjoy. All the pop-ups, flaps and other moveable devices are clever. My favorite, the chopsticks and noodles, may be yours, too! The Chinese lion brings good luck, so don’t forget to pull the tab at the end and watch the lion open and close its eyes and mouth.

What’s the perfect combination for the end of January? Buy the book at one of the many terrific independent book shops we list in our Best of L.A. issue and then treat your kids to a dim sum meal in one of the restaurants recommended in our new L.A. Parent 411 guide.