Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with childrens

Foreign films with English audio for kids -- what exists?

crapmatic — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:43:40 -0800

I'd like some movie recommendations for foreign children's films which have a good English dub. I'm looking for dramas or comedies, suitable for children, which show more of a world cultural view than the typical stuff that comes out of Hollywood. The catch is it needs to be dubbed in English and shouldn't be one of those stereotypical bad quality dubs. Anything up to a PG-13 type of film is ok. I tried looking around on Netflix but it doesn't let you search by language; foreign films there are just kind of lumped together.

What was this picture book involving animals in battle scenes?

EndsOfInvention — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:58:16 -0800

What was this children's book I had in the 1980s that contained large pictures of woodland animals engaged in battle scenes, using military equipment such as cannons that fired acorns? When I was a kid (in the 1980s, in the UK) I had a book, possible larger than A4/letter in size, that contained mainly double-page spread pictures of woodland animals (voles, otters, mice, etc) engaged in battle scenes. The used various technology made from natural materials, e.g. cannons that fired acorns, paratroopers that used sycamore seeds instead of parachutes. There were cut-away parts of the picture so that you could see inside structures, underground, etc. The battles were, I think, all part of one ongoing narrative.

At the bottom of each picture was a caption with a short description of the scene, and a numbered key that described various parts of the scene and the equipment in use.

There may have been text telling a story as well as the pictures, but I'm not sure. My main memories are of the pictures, the two I can remember the most clearly are:

- A battle taking place on/around a river. In the distance there's some kind of battleship approaching. In the foreground, paratroopers are jumping out of something (an airship? from the top of a tree?) and using sycamore seeds instead of parachutes. The picture extends to showing under the water.

- The view is down a grassy hill at night. There is a winding path down the hill, and in the distance you could see a line of lights, implying an army on the march.

The images were drawn in a fairly 'realistic' style, i.e. not cartoony or very anthropomorphized.

Faceless Nuns in Childrens Book

will wait 4 tanjents — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:35:57 -0800

Looking for a circa late 70's early 80's Children's Picture Book with faceless nuns. Hoping someone in the MeFi shared my same crazed childhood where aunts gave books for Christmas every.year They were a team that went on adventures - they did not look creepy, but they were facial featureless.
I have been searching for years.

The books I had were hard cover and possibly published through Scholastic.. but I cannot be sure.

And YES I have asked my aunt.

Your Favorite Recording of "Ring Around The Rosie"

yankeefog — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:54:41 -0800

Can anybody recommend a recording of "Ring Around The Rosie" that would have some charm and interest for a grown up? Or at least not drive you crazy when you listen to it again and again? Traditional versions of the song are fine, as are creative reinterpretations--but they need to be close enough to the original that my toddler won't think I'm pulling a fast one on her next time she asks to have it played.

Bạn có nói tiếng...Parlez-vous...Do you speak...?

handabear — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:35:34 -0800

Anybody familiar with a series of trilingual Vietnamese folk storybooks that were written in Vietnamese, English & French? I'm searching.. When I was a kid, my great-uncle had collected a series of books (more like very large pamphlets - they were roughly the size of an a4 sheet folded in half and bound by staples) that were of Vietnamese folk stories and fairy tales and they always had an illustration on one page and the story written in Vietnamese, English & French on the opposite. From what I remember, the illustrations were never in color. I think they were either simple line drawings done on a solid color background or they were block print. The illustrator may be a famous Vietnamese artist because I've seen the art in other places but never discovered the name of the creator.

Sound cool, eh? My uncle eventually gave these books to me but I foolishly gave them away when I was a teenager. I'd love to get a set of them again. Any clues??

Where do I find childrens books in bulk?

haikuku — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:25:14 -0800

I am the bookmobile librarian for a small rural system in WNC. In April I will be participating in a festival for children and would like to give them each a book. Does anyone know of a source for childrens books that I can buy in bulk for around $1- each?

Vintage Illustrations

madmamasmith — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:16:42 -0800

I am trying to find vintage/retro images from old childrens' books and other sources for my wedding invitations and save the date cards. Specifically I am interested in bunnies, deer or anything wilderness related and children with butterfly nets. I have googled endlessly to no avail. I keep getting these horrid clip art images ..i have seen flickr sets but nothing that suits my needs ..i will try to attach an example....please help!

http://beautifulpaper.typepad.com/oh_so_beautiful_paper/invitations/page/5/

http://paperedtogether.com/portfolio/images/s,%20tag.jpg

[Child Book Filter] 70s Children's Book on Pollution

gnash — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:53:45 -0800

Does anyone remember the name of a children's book that was a cautionary tale against air pollution? I remember it being a soft cover book w/ that was short and wide. Pictures of factory(s) and people getting and wearing gas masks (as well as dogs)! I can't remember the ending but hopefully my description suffices.

Sci-fi kids book with BASIC code

pravit — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:10:00 -0800

Childhood BookFilter: A sci-fi choose-your-own adventure book with snippets of BASIC code that would be a complete game in the end. The book was a sci-fi children's novel, and along with the story, there were segments of BASIC code that you would key into the computer. I think the code snippets were worked into the context of the story somehow. At the end of the book, the code snippets would be a complete game that you could play, customized depending on which path you took.

If I remember correctly, the completed game involved some sort of robot that was trying to get through a labyrinth, but it could only see a limited distance in each direction. The graphics were probably ASCII graphics (think Rogue or Nethack).

It's possible I'm remembering things wrong and it wasn't actually a choose-your-own-adventure book, but it was definitely a sci-fi story with segments of BASIC code that you would key in, resulting in a playable game at the end.

The book was a bit old even when I was a kid, so when I keyed in the entire game it didn't actually work. All the same, I thought the concept was cool, and I'd like to take a look at it again if anybody remembers it. Thanks!

Childrens book from the 70's

Ponderance — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:51:10 -0800

Childrens book from the 70's filter: A book about a kid who makes a lubricant that makes cars frictionless. I remember, vaguely this book about a kid who is trying to make his own form of soda, and the experiment explodes all over the garage making his Dad's car frictionless. This formula revolutionizes the auto industry and the oil industry lobbies to make cars really boxy for increased wind resisitance.

All that said I tried to google it to no avail. Help!

Anyone know this book?

H. Roark — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:37:55 -0800

Trying to find/remember a childrens book from my childhood (I'm 33) in which there were either hippos or elephants having a run-in with an evil sultan. I think the animals got shoved into a tarpit or something - a bit intense....

Getting a children's book published

Penelope — Tue, 27 May 2008 11:21:04 -0800

Anyone published a children's book, or work at a publishing house that does? I am writing a children's book, roughly for ages 7-11. It is a story of anthropomorphic animals who have to rescue one of their friends. You could say it is about problem-solving and friendship. I am researching agents and publishers myself, but if anyone has direct experience with this, I would like to hear any insights on the business. I do not currently have an agent and have not yet been published.

Recommendations for science experiment book for children?

skwm — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:34:00 -0800

Looking for recommendations for a science experiment book suitable for an 8 year old. When I was a kid, I had a copy of “Mr. Wizard’s Supermarket Science” that I loved, but unfortunately it’s out of print. Any suggestions?

Hat, hat, where you at?

rhoticity — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 14:31:50 -0800

Need to find very specific type of hat on the INTARWEBS. First seen in San Francisco's Chinatown. Picture follows... I was just in San Francisco and while perusing the imports shops in Chinatown my friend and I stumbled upon these adorable little hats, touted as "children's hats" on the price sign with no more description.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/potassiumiskay/n2912649_31529877_939.jpg

Yes, that's me. They must not have been TOO small, because they did fit my average-sized head nicely. In case it's hard to tell, they're just normal sewn cotton fabric hats with earflaps and ties. The features are embroidery and felt, but the features aren't the focal point of this quest.

I was basically broke at this point in the trip and so I did not buy the hat while I was there, but would really like to buy something similar online for me and my friend. I don't even know where to begin googling for this since I don't know the technical name for this kind of hat.

Additionally, I do live in Chicago 11 out of 12 months of the year, so someplace in our Chinatown to buy these (specific store, please) would also work.

Looking for a certain book about a mole

snarfois — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 03:10:43 -0800

Childrens' book filter: I'm looking for a story about a mole, in which he tries to escape from a digging machine. Like many people, I'm trying to trace the books that I liked as a child. Problem is, many were translated into Afrikaans, so googling the titles rarely works. (And others I can't even remember the titles.)

This book was called "Skopman die mol", and the part I remember is where the mole digs frantically to escape the claw of the earthmover, but is scooped up anyway. But it turns out he was being rescued rather than trapped, I think, and the earthmover releases him again.

Whats the kids book about the three eyed/eared alien rabbit who lost its parents?

6am — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:37:14 -0800

Whats the wonderfully illustrated childrens storybook about a little yellow three eyed/eared alien rabbit who has lost his/her parents on Earth? The Tate Modern bookshop sells this (not online however) but I'm not going to get a chance to go there in time for Christmas, and I can't for the life of me find it online, not knowing the title. Its got a single-word title, and is awesome. Help!

Help me find this book!

nataliecay — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 08:40:03 -0800

Help me find a specific childrens book that shows illustrations of different professionals (fireman with his hose, doctor with his stethoscope, etc.) which depicts a "Salesman" in a cheesy checkered suit. All I know is that the book is probably 20+ years old. My boss was describing this book that his daughters had when they were little and I would love to find him a copy. Thanks!

Sing Me This Book!

gfrobe — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 05:34:17 -0800

What are some good children's books that have been put to song? I'm trying to find books for young children that have accompanying songs i.e. you can sing the entire book to a child page by page. A couple I've found are "Chicken Soup With Rice" sung by Carole King and "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom", which has a pretty catchy song to go with it.

Are there other good ones out there?

Help me find Zip and Ted

leahwrenn — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 04:51:41 -0800

I learned to read with children's books featuring Zip and Ted (tad?). Help me find them again, please! When I was just learning to read (~1980), I liked a series of books about some sort of amphibians. One character's name was Zip. The other one I think was named Ted, but it might have been Tad, or it might have been something else. So far Amazon and Google have not come through for me. Does this ring any bells for anyone else?

The Future of War?

Ryvar — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 03:48:36 -0800

Help me find a series of illustrated children's hardcover books from the 70s/80s about the upcoming technologies of "The Future" When I was 7 or 8 ('87-'88) I remember my grade school library had a whole series of illustrated hardcover books - big and thin (30-60 pages, say) covering the future of various topics. Future of flight, future of space travel, future of robotics, etc. The future of war was a particular standout as it had a very vivid illustration of two robotic hovertanks in combat - I believe it was on the front cover as well. That's the specific one I'm looking for but I'm after the whole series if possible.

Things I'm less sure about, some of these may be red herrings: I seem to recall all the books generally had a white cover (fairly sure of this) with a blue seriffed font for the title (not as sure about this), and all the titles ran along a basic theme that was literally like "The Future of War" "The Future of Robotics", etc. etc.

The art was particularly well-rendered, and generally didn't fall into the category of cheesy 50s-60s space art. Anybody have any ideas?

Not all that David Copperfield kind of crap

milarepa — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:11:25 -0800

Marcovaldo, Old Man and the Sea, Catcher in the Rye, House on Mango Street. What are some other adult books that precocious middle schoolers might enjoy? Swearing ok. Non-explicit sex maybe ok.

Any recommendations?

Sand and clay animations - AEIOU!

Jimbob — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 16:41:46 -0800

A-E-I-O-U! Does anyone know this old sand animation show and song? What about the red-and-blue clay? Back in the 80s, on the Australian ABC between children's shows, they used to have little animated shorts.

One of them was a series of animations done in sand, with an accompianing song, sung with vowels. I'll do my best impression:

Aaah Aaah A.... E E E.... I I I.... Oh Oh Oh
A A A... E E E... I I I... A E I O U!
La lala lala! La lala lala!

The other animation involved two clay characters - one red, and one blue, who (if I remember correctly) were sort of enemies, and had little adventures turning into balls and walls and messing around with each other, some times banging into each other and becoming...purple!

I think both animations were European.

Does anyone know what these animations were called? Who made them? Bonus love if you can point me to information about them on the net, or a video. Youtube fails me.

Looking for a children's book on colour theory.

krunk — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 13:52:48 -0800

I need help finding a (British?) children's book from the mid 1980's. It was an introduction to colour theory under the guise of a storybook. It had great transparent plastic pages that you could overlay to see the effects of subtractive colour spaces. I don't remember what the story was about, but there were lots of balloons. Now that I do this sort of thing for a living, it'd be a nice book to have lying around my desk. I assume my parents got it in England, but I grew up in Canada so it could possibly be North American.

Children's book - seawreck

Evangeline — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 09:15:52 -0800

I'm trying to remember a book from my childhood. Shipwreck, tragedy, dead girl... Sounds like a fun read for a kid, huh? The story was about the captain of a ship who took his daughter onboard on one trip. There was a terrible storm, and in order to save his daughter's life, he lashed her to the bow of the ship like a masthead. The story ends when someone finds the girl's body washed up on the shore, still lashed to a broken off piece of the bow.

Children's book about family of mice?

msbrauer — Tue, 09 May 2006 07:19:09 -0800

What is the title of a children's book about a large family of mice, all of whose names are derived from numbers? Sister's graduating from high school, so it's time to get sentimental. A book from her childhood has become a bit of the family lore, but we haven't seen a copy of it since the initial reading, borrowed in another state from a school library that was closed 10 years ago.

It's a picture book written in English; the pages are primarily illustrations with a little bit of text either on the page or on the facing page. Plot is unknown to me, but the main feature of the book is that the family of mice all have names derived from numbers. The one I remember is "Fifthmore" (or less likely "Sixthmore"; spelling is uncertain, so it could be spelled closer to "Fifthmour," as in "Seymour"). The book is probably American, though it could easily be from somewhere else.

Can't find much with google. Most common result under a variety of searches is "Ten Mice for Tet," and that isn't it.

Would love to find a copy of the book.