As a new feature of the Gator Tots blog, I am hoping to post a book of the month where parents can share comments and activities about each book with other blog members.

September’s book of the month is The Lady with the Alligator Purse by Mary Ann Hoberman.  If you don’t have this wonderful children’s book, try checking it out at your local library, and it’s available at Gator Tots too!  Gator Tots offers the board book version for $6.95 or the bookand plush alligator purse set for $36.95.

Summary:

Miss Lucy’s baby Tim was eating some soap and isn’t feeling well.  In come the doctor and the nurse who suggest measles and mumps as the illness…but then the lady with the alligator purse suggests, “Pizza!” as a cure.  A funny sing-along story with vivid illustrations and silly rhymes babies and young children adore.

Activities:

For babies -

As you read through the story, encourage baby to point to objects you name - such as the alligator, Tim, bathtub, bed, etc.

For toddlers -

After you read the book a couple times, pause mid-sentence and challenge your toddler to fill in the blank with the missing word.  For example: “In came the doctor.  In came the nurse.  In came the lady with the - “.  Your child will probably know that a word that rhymes with “nurse” goes at the end (purse), and he/she can add the noun alligator before it from recognition of the pictures.

For preschool/elementary children -

You and your child can draw pictures to illustrate several key events in the story (Tiny Tim eating soap and drinking water, Tim sick in bed, and Tim well again).  Write a summary below each picture.  Read each summary and challenge your child to place the pictures in the order that they happened, pointing out that the story had a beginning, middle, and end.

Do you like The Lady with the Alligator Purse?  What activities have you tried?  Share your thoughts and comments below!

Subscribe to our newsletter for advance notice of each month’s book (and coupons too!).

Though our name says “Tots,” I wanted to begin offering a wider array of unique baby gifts perfect for pleasing expecting mothers at baby showers and babies during their first birthdays.

“What to get?” I pondered. Why not some really nifty baby bibs, feeding products, and adorable reusable swim diapers and baby swimsuits?

Thanks to my wonderful mother and hubby for giving me some toddler-free hours (and days…and days) to load these wonderful unique baby gifts, Gator Tots is becoming a more well-rounded kids’ gift site…it’s not just for toddlers and preschoolers anymore!

But wait, I’m not done yet! New products for babies, toddlers, and kids have already been ordered and will be here in time for back-to-school. This includes lunch boxes made in the USA, American made backpacks, and European toys for babies, toddlers, and kids. As long as Visa extends the credit, I’m going to keep buying! So go ahead and browse some of these cool unique baby gifts!

It only took a year, but I finally got the Gator Tots their very own blog! I have nothing against Blogger, as it is a fantastic free blog service, but it was kind of like renting a home but dreaming of being a homeowner. Now, I feel like I really “own” my blog.

So, maybe it isn’t that “fancy” as the title says, but I’m pretty darn proud that I copied and pasted my way to a functioning blog…well, Wordpress helped a little bit.

Now, on to the most important question that I must now focus upon: What to do with this new-fangled blog thingy that I have? Here are my ideas…

1. Have giveaways. Lots and lots of giveaways. Giving away cool stuff for babies, toddlers, and big kids. Need I go on?

2. New Gator Tots products. Yep, when we get fancy new stuff in, I’ll brag about it on the blog.

3. My life.  I don’t have a personal blog and probably won’t have time to keep one (hey, running Gator Tots takes my son’s entire nap time and then some!). Therefore, I need to whine and complain to someone about life’s daily mishaps, so you’re the lucky listener - er - reader…whatever!

4. Isn’t that enough? It was hard enough for me to come up with the first three ideas. Kidding.

Have you subscribed to my feed yet? Go ahead, you can always delete the feed (but that wouldn’t be very nice). You’ll know whenever I post cool stuff - like giveaways - on the blog, and you can even get the feed through your email like a regular message. Have I begged enough?

Stay tuned for great things at Gator Tots…giveaways and a ton of new products just in time for back to school and yes…Christmas shopping!

Diane