Zootles (Magazine)

Zootles Magazine is a bimonthly subscription published by Wildlife Education Limited. Six issues over a year period costs $29.95 or one can purchase a two year subscription which equals 12 issues for $49.95. Purchase of a subscription also includes access to www.zoobooks.com. The intended audience for this magazine are toddlers ranging in age from two to six.

This is an animal focused magazine that tends to promote young or baby animals to attract the attention of young children. Each issue focuses on a letter of the alphabet, the phonetic sound, and a particular number. Throughout the magazine are wonderful photographs, illustrated stories, games, and activities that are meant to be educational as well as stimulating. There is also reoccurring characters by the names of Otto and Allie who have a running storyline in every issue. The magazine also contains a pull-out section titled “Fun pages” that gives children added fun which features coloring pages and other activities.

Out of all of the animal magazines this magazine does have more to offer in the way of activities, educational applications, and content but is overpriced for a toddler based magazine.

Resources:

Zoobooks. (2010). Zootles Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.zoobooks.com

Wild Animal Baby (Magazine)

Wild Animal Baby Magazine is published by the National Wildlife Federation. The target audience for this periodical are toddlers, ages two through four. A small booklet, approximately six inches high is filled with animal pictures, photographs, games, and stories. Each issue has an animal drawn on the front cover. Sammy the Skunk is the magazine’s mascot and plays a hide-and-go-seek game throughout the issue.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, their “mission is to introduce very young children to wildlife in ways that lay the foundation for a lifelong love of the natural world” (http://www.nwf.org/, 2010). By educating the young, the organization hopes to protect the environment for the future. Because of this, the magazine is printed on recycled paper which is a bit thicker than typical magazine pages, and bound with nontoxic materials.

Winner of the 2010 Parents’ Choice Recommended Magazine, a subscription to Wild Animal Baby runs $19.95 for 10 issues a year. This is a less expensive and better built magazine for the toddler crowd.

Resources:

National Wildlife Federation. (2010). Wild Animal Baby Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.nwf.org/

National Geographic Little Kids (Magazine)

National Geographic Little Kids Magazine is a bimonthly publication intended for toddlers, ages three to six. Published by the National Geographic Society, the cost for a year subscription is approximately $15 for six issues. This magazine is also a recipient of the 2010 Parents’ Choice Gold Award.
Every issue contains photographs, illustrations and stories about animals and their environments. Activities, games, crafts and pull-out trading cards are also included in each issue. Some issues include segments on cooking and science. While the photographs will interest the youngest of the intended age bracket, the activities and games seem to be better suited for the older set. As well, the construction of the magazine is not as heavy duty for the typical battering of young children. Overall, this is a terrific educational resource due to the photos and information written but probably not the best choice for young children in light of expense and construct.

Ladybug (Magazine)

Ladybug Magazine is another Cricket Magazine Group publication. This magazine is directed at children ages three to six. Ladybug Magazine is also an award winning publication, receiving the 2010 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor. Cost of a subscription is the same as Babybug Magazine: nine issues a year for $33.95, 18 issues for two years at $57.95, and 45 issues over five years at $124.95. With paid subscription, parents and children also receive access to www.ladybugmagkids.com where they can download directions for creative projects, music and games. Children may also post artwork and write notes to story characters in the “Your Turn” segment. (www.ladybugmagkids.com, 2010).

Each Ladybug issue contains 40 pages of stories, poetry, songs, crafts, and a removable four page pull-out activity section. Every page includes beautiful illustrations to accompany the works of literature. One perk to note is that many children like familiarity and Ladybug meets this need by having stories with reoccurring characters such as “Max and Kate” and “Mop and Family”. There is also no advertising posted on any of the pages of Ladybug Magazine.

Resources:

Cricket Magazine. (2010). Subscriptions. Retrieved from http://www.cricktemag.com/

Ladybug Magazine. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ladybugmagkids.com

Babybug (Magazine)

          

          Babybug Magazine is published by the Cricket Magazine Group. The intended audience is the age range of six months to three years of age. The magazine is published nine times a year and may be purchased in increments of one year at $33.95, two years at $57.95, and five years for $124.95. Each issue contains 24 pages of high quality ink illustrations, bound together with nontoxic glue, has extra heavy pages with rounded corners, and is just right for small hands (www.cricketmag.com, 2010).

            Every issue begins with suggestions to parents from child development expert Sally Nurss, M. Ed. regarding ways to improve literacy development in children. Stories, poems and nursery rhymes including Mother Goose fill the pages of the magazine. As an added bonus, purchase of a subscription includes access to www.babybugmagkids.com website where parents can ask questions of Sally Nurss, find advice on literacy development, and post book reviews/recommendations in the “Parent’s Corner”.

            Babybug Magazine has won many awards such as “2010 Parents’ Choice Approved, 2009 Classy Mommy Product Pick, a 2009 Parents’ Choice Approved, and a 2008 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor” (www.cricketmag.com, 2010). On another note, no advertising is posted on any of Babybug Magazine issues.

Resources:

Babybug Magazine. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.babybugmagkids.com

Cricket Magazine. (2010). Subscriptions. Retrieved from http://www.cricktemag.com/

Qubo Television Channel (TV)

     Debuting in 2006, Qubo is a product of a variety of well-known production and literary companies such as NBC Universal and Scholastic Corporation. Qubo’s focus is as a “groundbreaking bilingual, multi-platform entertainment destination for children that focuses on literacy, values and healthy lifestyles while celebrating the unlimited possibilities of a child's imagination” (http://www.qubo.com/, 2010). Programs that air on Qubo usually have some literary counterpart such as Max and Ruby, Franklin, Maisy, and the Magic School Bus. Because of the familiarity children may have with the literary format, the televised editions can reinforce comprehension if used in conjunction with the associated book. Functioning alone, the televised programming will most likely only stimulate narrative skills and possibly phonological awareness. However, the Qubo website states that literacy is promoted as well as values and life lessons through a media format.

            To access Qubo, one must have digital cable access that supports the ION network. Some cable companies require the customer to purchase the ION channels separate from regular cable packages therefore increasing the general package cost.

Resources:

Qubo channel. (2010). About Qubo [website]. Retrieved from http://www.qubo.com/about.asp

Wikipedia. (2010). Qubo. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qubo.

Sprout Television Channel (TV)

The Sprout Channel is also owned by the PBS Company however, the programs on this particular channel are only available through cable providers for a cost. Initiated in 2005, the Sprout Channel is a 24-hour on demand television channel designed specifically for preschoolers.

The programming is mostly consistent with the same shows repeating throughout the day to maintain repetition, occasionally; a new show will be added to encourage a better foundation for learning. A daily schedule consists of the Wiggly Waffle program hosted by the musical group, the Wiggles; the morning show titled The Sunny Side Up Show; The Let’s Go Show, airing in the early afternoon; The Sprout Sharing Show, broadcasting in the later afternoon; and the Good Night Show. All program segments contain preschool formatted entertainment: cartoons, music, puppets, skits, and crafts.

            The majority of the programming builds on the skills of vocabulary, letter knowledge, narrative skills, and phonological awareness, there is little advancement in the way of print awareness and print motivation. In general, the Sprout channel is not a bad tool but more work would be required on the part of the parent to encourage growth in the other skill areas.

Resources:

PBS KIDS Sprout. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.sproutonline.com/