What Floats? – a Baby Einstein book June 28, 2012

What floats?

look, there’s a bubble!

a frog, a turtle & an alligator

a kitten & a puppy in a canoe

what floats & what sinks

how come a ship floats, but a pebble sinks?

practical ideas & suggestions

go on and give it a squeeze, it won’t tear

waterproof floating book

What is it?

What Floats? – a Baby Einstein book

What’s the price?

RM18.90

Where to buy it?

www.mybbstore.com

www.kids.net.my

www.mphonline.com

What are the special features?

• Made of PVC with foam filling
• Waterproof and can be crumpled up without losing its shape
• Suitable even for newborns

Review

This was a much-loved book by my kids (you can see the yellowed stains and some pencil scribbles on it) and was one of the first books I bought for my daughter when she was about one year old. The book is made of polyurethane foam covered with PVC and has 5 pages.

The illustrations are vibrant and colourful enough for a young infant to gaze at and simple enough for a toddler to understand; the animals, the surrounding lake, forest and sea. The rhyming word i.e. words that have sounds in common, are pleasing to speak and easy on the ears of a young child. Rhymes are fun to speak in and to listen to, (just try and read one of Dr Seuss’s books and you’ll see why) and makes it easy for one to remember. Most children learned a nursery rhyme without even knowing what the words meant.

Even so, beneath the simple pictures and easy words, there are lessons to be learned. Each page shows the creatures or items that float – from the smallest bubble, an alligator, a turtle on a big log, a kitten & a puppy in a canoe and the biggest of all, the family of lions aboard a ship.

The last page leaves you with a question, that, I can guarantee, most non-genius people like myself, would Google up to find the answer. How can a heavy ship floats, and a pebble sinks?

What I like about it

I think it’s wonderful that such a simple book with rhymes can teach quite a few things, not only to children, but to the parents as well. The first question your child would ask is “What does float means?” Such a teeny tiny book, but already incorporates science into it in a subtle and fun way.

There are also some ideas printed on the back of the book that parents could apply with their own children.

The book is made of PVC with foam on the inside, so it’s waterproof. Short of cutting it up with scissors or put it on fire, the book is pretty much durable and toddler proof. Take it with you when bathing your little one and you can show him how the book itself floats.

What I don’t like about it

Can’t seem to find any.

Conclusion

A tiny book with big knowledge for curious little minds. This would make a great addition to a kid’s library or collection of bath toys.

Olmitos Baby Music Car Potty May 28, 2012

Olmitos Baby Music Car Potty – side view

front view

another front view

back view

close up of the back view – you can see the instruction there

the orange bowl can be taken out for easy cleaning

the potty totally disassembled

you can use it on your toilet seat

What is it?

Olmitos Baby Music Car Potty

What’s the price?

RM75.00

Where to buy it?

http://www.myspbaby.com

What are the special features?

• Bright colours that are simply eye-catching
• Made of lightweight plastic, makes it easy to bring along while travelling
• Can be disassembled to be placed on adult toilet seat

Review

Frankly speaking, there are a lot of potty trainers out there. For something to be pooped in, I prefer not to spend too much money on it. Most imported brands potties cost around RM80-200, which seemed ridiculous to me. As long as it functions well i.e. the child could sit on it safely and go, I wouldn’t mind looking for its cheaper counterparts.

For such an adorable looking potty, this one is definitely a steal. The brightly coloured car-shaped potty is simply too cute to resist. The red wheels do turn – so beware! Your kids might want to play around in the car instead of poop in it! That was exactly what happened to me – my daughter wouldn’t let it inside the bathroom because she doesn’t want it to get wet. I had to explain to her the purpose of the potty – to poop and pee in, of course.

There’s a small white button at the back near the lid, which plays music when pressed. There’s also a toilet paper roller underneath the seat, meaning you have to disassemble it to put in the toilet paper. The poop collector, the little orange bowl can be taken out to be cleaned. For parents that feel that’s too icky for you, you can disassemble the car, take the toilet seat and put it on your toilet seat.

What I like about it

The price is wallet friendly, which is the most important part for me. But I also loved the whole cute car look. The potty is made from lightweight plastic, so it’s easy to take apart for cleaning and easy to carry around while travelling in the car. If you want, you can even take the toilet seat with you in airplane trips. It is still compact enough for storage purpose – underneath the sink or even up on a shelf. Be careful though; when wet, it could slip off the shelf and knock someone on the head.

What I don’t like about it

Nothing major on the cons. I can’t figure out if the potty uses batteries for the music. One day the music’s there, the other day it’s gone all quiet. Doesn’t really matter, though. You could always encourage your child to sing by herself, like Boo in Monsters Inc. (Boo is so adorable!!)

Boo singing in the toilet

Another tiny hitch, assembling the potty back again (the seat and the bottom part) is a tiny bit bothersome. It’s not difficult really, just bothersome to attach it back together.

Conclusion

Adorable, does its job well, and doesn’t break the bank. What’s not to love?