Happy #NationalMonsterDay!

Celebrate by welcoming the newest member of our Monster family: “Are You My Monster?” – a board book companion for babies and toddlers!

Help Ethan compare his drawing to an assortment of amusing monsters. Do the colors match? Are their tails long or short? Are their nails pointy or round? Are their teeth big or small? Children will be thrilled when Ethan finds the perfect match – which turns out to be his beloved stuffed monster toy – just in time for bed.

“Little ones will enjoy the parade of silly creatures…while also learning colors and matching.The sweet ending shows that even those with sharp teeth and scratchy claws can be cuddly,turning the monster-under-the-bed trope on its head.” – School Library Journal

Crafts for Grandparents Day!

Even though it isn't Grandparents Day any more, it's never too late to celebrate! Join in the fun with these Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie-inspired activities from the Mommy and Me Book Club blog.


Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie by Laurie Jacobs was the featured selection this week for our book-inspired fun! I wanted to feature a book about Grandparents, in honor of Grandparents' Day this weekend in the US. And I ADORE this book. It was a new find for me this summer.

Gathering Activity: Make Hand Print Pot Holders for Grandparents
I was inspired to make these potholders with our hand prints painted on them from an idea on saw at Second Grade Sparkle.

Materials Needed:
Fabric solid colored pot holders
fabric paint, coordinating ribbon
copies of the poem to attach to the pot holders printed on cardstock
hole punch

We attached a great poem I discovered at Kindergarten Rocks! Make sure you go there to see all of the words! We will mail these (or hand deliver these) to our grandparents since the next Sunday is Grandparents' Day in the US.

Circle Time

*We read Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie by Laurie A. Jacobs.
This is a delightful book about a grandma who comes to babysit for the evening.  

Storytime for Pets

Written by Thad Krasnesky, illustrated by David Parkins

Although National Pet Week was last week, it’s never too late to celebrate. And with the five cats from That Cat Can’t Stay, it’s sure to be quite the party!

Judith Viorst, renowned author of  Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, sent us a handwritten postcard:

Thanks for letting me see That Cat Can’t Stay. It’s an absolutely adorable book – and exactly how the Viorsts once wound up with four cats.

From Waking Brain Cells, the blog of  the Menasha library:

Recommended for cat storytimes.  This is a purr-fect readaloud for any family that finds that they too seem to collect animals. I’d even recommend it happily to dog lovers.

Grab your copy and take the stray cats out to play! An online preview of the book is available here.

Happy Mother’s Day from Flashlight Press

Written by Laurie Jacobs, illustrated by Anne Jewett

According to Mommy Secrets, our new book, Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie, is

a fun Mother’s Day gift for grandmas in your life!

Present a copy to the quirky and playful grandmas (and moms!) in your life.

For more Silly Frilly Mother’s Day fun, check out the book trailer and our printable activity pages. You can even preview Silly Frilly Grandma Tillie here.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Take a Look at our Monster NOOK

Just in time for Halloween, I Need My Monster is now available in a NOOK edition. Read it yourself or enable audio to have it read to you… but don’t get SCARED!

Monster Mash

We are thrilled that I Need My Monster is included in the top level Barnes & Noble store display from now until Halloween. Send us a photo of I Need My Monster on display at B&N (on the front table until Oct. 25th and in the children’s department until the 31st) to win a free signed Monster BOO!kplate and BOO!kmark.  If you can include some other best-selling books in the photo, even better, so we can see the company we’re keeping. Email your photo to publicity@flashlightpress.com. Please note at which store location your photo was taken and provide your mailing address so we can send your bookplate and bookmark. In addition, I Need My Monster is included in the B&N online Halloween store.

For fun Monster-related Halloween activities, try our Monster finger puppets, Make Your Own Monster, check out several activities for the classroom, and be sure to look at our printable Trick or Treat Safety Guide.

I Need My Monster is being read at Storytime at many B&N stores. Check the B&N near you. Here are two of tomorrow’s listings:
Tues., October 25, 2011 10:00 AM  B&N Booksellers Northcross, 4005 N Tenth Street, McAllen, TX
Tues., October 25, 2011 11:00 AM Oakview Mall, 3333 Oakview Dr. Omaha, NE 68144

Happy Halloween!

Breakfast in Bed?

To all the Moms out there: hope this ISN’T what you woke up to this morning.

Wishing you a relaxed, refreshing, and joy-filled Mother’s Day.

Emmy lets Mom sleep late so she can make herself breakfast! from I Always, ALWAYS Get My Way (Thad Krasnesky & David Parkins)

Chanukah: A Different Celebration

by Jane Naliboff

Every year, sometime in late November or early December, sometimes crossing over the biggest winter holiday for most Americans, comes Chanukah. Not a major holiday by any means, but one that is associated with gifts, delicious food, and family, if you’re lucky enough to have them near you.

When my husband and I moved to the woods of central Maine with our then 14 month old, income was what we had in mind and there was a good job waiting for my husband amongst the piney woods and lakes. Not having family close by wasn’t an issue, we were strong, independent, and anxious to begin new traditions with our own little family that soon ballooned to five of us. Being on the secular side, we chose to offer culture and holidays that included food and gifts to our girls. Naturally Passover and Chanukah easily became their favorites.

Three small menorahs, three boxes of drippy, colored candles, star of David and dreidel cookies sprinkled with blue sugar, mountains of latkes and sour cream and applesauce, and a pile of blue and silver gifts was a happy time of year.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours a happy Thanksgiving from all of us at

Flashlight Press

Starting to look for holiday gifts?

The Colorado Parent magazine’s Bookmarkable blog highly recommends Pobble’s Way (Simon Van Booy & Wendy Edelson):

We imagine with Pobble, Daddy, and the forest animals; we believe that something simple is more than it appears; and we know that nature is full of possibilities. I highly recommend this beautifully illustrated and narrated book and think it would make a great holiday gift.

(Read the rest of the Colorado Parent review here)

Winter is about holidays and family and of course gift-giving. But it is also about quit walks together in the snow, the warmth of home, and the light of imagination.  A gift of Pobble’s Way is all of these great winter things wrapped in one.