FUN PLUSH CREATURES MAKE GREAT HOLIDAY GIFTS

Looking for a magical holiday gift for a fantasy lover in your life? Check out the World's Softest Plush Midnight Dragon from Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company! Crafted with an exceptional high-density 'Lush-Tec' plush material, Midnight Dragon and other World's Softest Plush creations are designed to be the most softest, most lushee-est, most squishee-est plushies you can get your hands on. Combining the Lush-Tec fabric with weighted hands, feet and rumps make these plushies perfect for hugging. 

Don’t let the dark and mysterious décor fool you, Midnight Dragon is a sweetheart ready to usher companions into a fantasy world. Purple accents adorn its horns, wings and tail, providing a rich and complementary color pop against the rich black fur, dark as the night sky. Who said dragon's are fierce? Endearing dome eyes show this dragon has a friendly personality. Midnight Dragon and other World's Softest Plush from Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company are available in three different sizes: Medium (10") / Large (16") / X-Large (20"). 

Know a Detroit Tigers fan? Tad the Tiger could be a real comfort to hold onto while watching a tense baseball game. A know a number of fans in my house that would have been hugging Tad tight during that 15-inning Game 5 playoff game against Seattle last season. Let's go Tigers!

People who would love these plush come in all stripes, which is something that has Tad Tiger stand out! The tiger's fur is a beautiful russet hue and covered in iconic stripes, a look that makes a bold statement. Blissfully lush & loppy & floppy & squishy, Tad Tiger is ready for millions of hugs and memories!

The judges at Mom’s Choice Awards recognize these plushies are the best of the best. World’s Softest Plush just won the Gold Award for excellence in design, feel and value. The plushies were also recognized by the PAL Awards, which said The World’s Softest Plush provide "an irresistibly cuddly companion and a comforting tool for sensory exploration, language development, and emotional growth.” Check out all the creatures available from Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Company at worldssoftestplush.com

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DRACOPEDIA FIELD GUIDE

Imagine a world where dragons are real! William O'Connor's DRACOPEDIA FIELD GUIDE shows a reality where dragons are actual creatures living in urban and natural landscapes around the globe. The book is laid out like a bird watching guide but for dragons instead. Filled with information on the habitats, diets, sizes and visual descriptions for a variety of dragons, the wonderful layout of the DRACOPEDIA FIELD GUILD will have readers hoping they just might spot one of these mythical beasts some day.

O'Connor, who passed away as this book was being published, made a name for himself as an artist providing fantastic illustrations for Dungeon and Dragons role playing game adventures and Magic the Gathering card game decks. He also created the Dracopedia series of books that delve into the artist's passion for dragons.  During his twenty-five year careers, O'Connor worked with entertainment companies that included Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, IMPACT Books, LucasFilm and Wizards of the Coast while also being a regular contributor to the popular art blog Muddy Colors.

DRACOPEDIA FIELD GUIDE from IMPACT Books features more than 80 dragons. Sorted into thirteen categories of dragons from Amphipteres to Wyverns, there are a number of species highlighted within these groups. All of them are indexed with an image of each dragon along with a habitat map, species specifications, and a write up that includes their food sources, sizes, conservation status and other interesting information.

The artwork within this book itself makes perusing the DRACOPEDIA FIELD GUIDE worthwhile but when you combine the depth of effort put into creating realistic identities for a world's worth of dragons it creates an exceptional reading experience. My son has been engrossed in flipping through this book since he got his hands on it. I haven't been able to read through it myself as much as I'd like from not being able to get it out of his grasp. If a book captivates one of my kid's attention it absolutely is going to get A Geek Daddy nod of approval.  This is a great pick up for anyone who is a fan of magical and mystical creatures.

DRACOPEDIA FIELD GUIDE is a 160 page hardcover book. It contains 400 color illustrations. In addition to full-sized images of dragons, there are also pictures of the different colored and textured variations of dragon eggs as well as close up looks of different body parts of these creatures including talons, tails and wings.

Thanks to IMPACT Books who provided ageekdaddy.com with a DRACOPEDIA FIELD GUIDE to review + one to giveaway. One lucky winner will receive his or her own hardcover edition of William O'Connor's DRACOPEDIA FIELD GUIDE mailed to them from IMPACT Books. Just complete the rafflecopter entries below by 11:59pm ET on May 15, 2019 for a chance to be the randomly selected winner. Must be a United States resident over 18 years old to be eligible for the prize. Good luck!

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Creature Files

Do you know a child that is fascinated by animals?  Then you should check out the Creature Files children's books by L.J. Tracosas.  Kids can learn about prehistoric dinosaurs, mythical dragons, and present day predators through this captivating book series.  Quarto Knows sent us a couple of these books, Creature Files: Dragons & Creature Files: Predators, to look over and they've been a real hit with my nine year old twins.  Both my son and daughter have been engrossed in reading them.

Each of the books is 48 pages filled with interesting facts, impressive illustrations and wonderful photographs showcasing 20 creatures.  Plus replica teeth and claws representing a creature(s) that can be strung on an included necklace come along with each book in the Creature Files series.  My kids thought these were really neat! I give kudos to the author for incorporating this fun idea into her books.

The author does a nice job of using these claw/teeth replicas to draw kids into learning while they read the books. Each creature profile has a special fact section related to the type of necklace included with a book. Dragons has a tooth to be hung upon the necklace so every creature profile includes a DRAGON BITE NOTE discussing different types of teeth and how they would benefit a creature. Predators included several different types of claws to hang on the necklace so each creature profile has a CLAW FILE that explains how animals' claws are unique and used by the creatures. 

Having a physical component that children can touch and feel provides a great way for them to associate with the content within the books.  My children really got into looking through the pictures and illustrations in each book trying to match up the teeth and claws on their necklaces with the creatures they belonged to.  As a parent, I appreciate how the author utilized these necklaces to get kids enthused about reading through the books.

CREATURE FILES: DRAGONS

Ok maybe dragons are fictitious but this book delves into the real life cultures from places around the globe including Africa, China, Europe, India and South America that created these creatures.  Each dragon profile includes information about the region that created the mythology and points the area out on a map as well as provides a description about the creature's appearance and behaviors taken from examples of local folklore.  The book also has a section that describes real life creatures that may have inspired dragon myths and comes with a realistic looking dragon-tooth necklace.

Additionally the dragon illustrations within  the book are stunning!  My kids have been flipping through the book over and over again just to check out the dragon images.  I've even perused through the book a few times because it is full of some incredible artwork.  Thumbs up for a job very well done!

CREATURE FILES: PREDATORS

Learn about some of the most vicious predators on the planet ranging from alligators to wolverines.  This book contains great stats about these creatures including their average height and weight along with a map in each profile that show where on the globe these featured animals live.  Kids will learn that while a lot of big cats live in Africa you'll only find wild Tigers living in the Asian jungles of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.  Plus the book comes with three realistic replica claws.  Have fun searching through the book to see if you can identify which creature each claw belongs to.

Each profile also showcases some juice facts about the highlighted creature to chew on.  Did you know that while Lions are called "the king of the jungle" they actually prefer living in grasslands?  Komodo Dragons poison their prey through biting them allowing these lizards to hunt pigs, deer and water buffalo that may be much larger than them.  Polar Bears are the largest land predators in the world ... I would have thought it was Grizzly Bears myself before my daughter shared this fact from the book with me.  Lots of educational information packed in this book that is also very interesting for inquiring minds to learn about.

The book is also filled with amazing photographs of the twenty creatures highlighted within it.  You won't want to get too near these animals if you ever encountered one in person but Creature Files: Predators provides excellent up close views of them.  Both of my kids have been enjoying themselves flipping through these pictures.  They were particularly impressed with the Fossa pictures which is an animal from Madagascar they'd never seen or heard of before.  Always great to find out they've learned something brand new from reading a book!

L.J. Tracosas' Creature Files books have earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval for providing an immersive educational experience that is also very entertaining for kids.  Filled with informative facts, interesting physical props and top notch pictures these books have been a joy for our family to read.  I especially appreciate how the remarkable photographs and illustrations in Creature Files, as well as the included necklaces, compliment the layout of the text so as to encourage kids to actually read the books instead of just looking at the pictures.  My nine year old twins have been reading these books over and over again.

Recommended for ages 8 and up by the publisher. Additional books also focus on dinosaurs, reptiles and sharks. In my opinion probably best suited for boys and girls between third and fifth grade based upon the book's reading level. A nice middle grade book. For more information about Creature Files and other great books for kids, please visit quartoknows.com.

Coloring books aren't just for kids anymore

This Christmas a whole bunch of people in our family received coloring books for presents and none of them were children.  My college-aged niece, wife, and mother-in-law all received coloring books during our family's gift exchange.  Coloring books aren't just for kids anymore.  Many adults are beginning to take coloring up as a hobby and books with intricate patterns and detailed drawings are beginning to skyrocket up the publishing industry's best seller lists.

Health professionals are encouraging this new trend noting that for adults taking some time out to color can reduce stress, spark creativity, maintain fine motor skills, help keep your mind sharp, and can be just plain fun to do.  Several studies have shown that coloring can also have a therapeutic value in dealing with anxiety, cancer, depression, and post-traumatic disorders.  We have a cupboard full of coloring books that my kids are always using but I can't recall the last time I spent some time doing some coloring.  During my last routine doctor's visit, my physician warned me that my blood pressure was starting to become troubling so maybe I should take some time to relax a bit with one of these new adult focused coloring books.

This video shares some information about the benefits for adults when it comes to enjoying a coloring book:



While many of these adult focused coloring books are marketed to the ladies there are plenty of selections that will appeal to guys as well.  Plus with the popularity, and profitability, of this new trend a bunch of new coloring books are on their way to retailers to join the existing ones that are already on store shelves.  Here are a few suggestion that dads, and moms, who enjoy the geeky side of life will probably appreciate:

Art of Coloring Star Wars: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity and Relaxation 

This coloring book is filled with pen-and-ink illustrations that portray exotic sci-fi landscapes, elaborate patterns inspired by the movies, and memorable characters from the Star Wars universe.

Secret New York: Color Your Way To Calm

Color your way through the boroughs of New York City with this book filled with images of everyday life in the Big Apple. 

Coloring Dragons

This coloring book is filled with fantastic imagery of these mythic beasts from John Howe, the concept artist for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.



Color Your Own Age of Ultron

Comic books aren't just for kids anymore and neither are coloring books.  Marvel has published a coloring book aimed at adults who enjoyed last year's blockbuster Avengers: Age of Ultron movie. Also coming out in 2016 will be Color Your Own Deadpool and Color Your Own Civil War based upon those two upcoming movies.



The Official A Game of Thrones Coloring Book (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Ideal for any fan of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO's Game of Thrones, this coloring book contains forty-five exclusive illustrations of the characters and places in Westeros.

Creative Haven Steampunk Devices Coloring Book

30 illustrations of flying machines, locomotives, submarines, watches and other curious contraptions with a steampunk flair.

Lost Ocean: An Inky Adventure & Coloring Book

Wonderful pen and ink illustrations take you on an underwater adventure through coral reefs and barnacle-studded shipwrecks to discover intricate shells and lost pirate treasure.  The sea life and backgrounds are as colorful as you want to make them.

Highlights Hidden Pictures: A Coloring Book for Grown-up Children

My grandma who was a librarian used to always give me a Highlights Magazine subscription for my birthday when I was a child.  Now this iconic children's brand has a publication featuring a nostalgic collection of Hidden Picture puzzles meant for a grown up audience.  Color the puzzles for a relaxing activity that will remind you of the fun you had as a kid doing the hidden picture puzzles in Highlights Magazine.

Plus coming out soon will be:

Doctor Who Coloring Book

This book features 96 pages filled with some of the best quotes from the television series and out-of-this-world images featuring the escapades of Doctor Who that will delight any Whovian.

Harry Potter Magical Creatures Coloring Book

Discover the magical beings and extraordinary beasts from the world of Harry Potter in this 96 page coloring book.  It also includes a selection of concept art and film stills from the making of the Harry Potter films to your coloring creativity.

There is even a Walking Dead coloring book based upon the AMC television show coming out in the Fall of 2016.

If you haven't colored in awhile with selections like the ones mentioned above you won't need to use your child's Care Bears, Paw Patrol, or Scooby Doo coloring book to have some fun....although there's nothing wrong with using a kiddie one if you want to.  Hey its all about relaxing and having fun! So get out those crayons, markers or colored pencils and embrace your inner artist.

Children's Book Week: May 4 - 10, 2015

It is Children's Book Week, a time to encourage the joy of reading with young people plus celebrate children's books and the authors that write them.  Administered by Every Child A Reader and sponsored by The Children's Book Council, commemorative events are being held across the United States from May 4 - 10, 2015 at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes - wherever young readers and books connect!  CLICK HERE for a list of some of the official events taking place across the country plus check with your local schools and libraries to see if they are doing anything special this week.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a divison of the U.S. Department of Education1, children who are read to at home enjoy a substantial advantage over children who are not.  Reading to kids at a young age helps build basic speech skills, cognitive thinking, imagination, and an appreciation for wanting to read for fun on their own.  The U.S. Department of Education has found a correlation between the more students read on their own time and enjoy reading for fun the higher their overall school scores will be - so getting kids interested in reading early and often is important.  We've placed an emphasis on every day reading to our children since they were toddlers and have really tried to develop their having an interest in reading in ways that demonstrate education and entertainment don't have to be mutually exclusive.  In recognition of Children's Book Week, here are a list of some of our family's favorite children's books:

Disney Fairies 

My daughter loves the Disney Fairies movies that feature the adventures of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends, but we don't want her watching these videos on television or the family's ipad all the time.  A great solution has been Papercutz's series of graphic novels the explore the magical world of Pixie Hollow.  These books provide great illustrations that provide her an appreciation for artwork and entice her interest in reading.

"Comics are a gateway drug to literacy" cartoonist Art Spiegelman once said.  Whether it is going to Free Comic Book Day or having a collection of Papercutz graphic novels on our book shelves, we've embraced comics as a way to highlight that reading is fun with our children.  We want our kids to be interested in reading not because their parents tell them to be but because they want to read.

Bedtime Math

Math can be a daunting topic for many, including myself, that can be intimidating and frustrating if you let it.  Bedtime Math provides riddles that eliminate the stigma making the subject fun and encouraging kids to associate math with solving interesting puzzles rather than a boring task they have to do for school.

Have You Seen My Dragon?

Join a small boy through his adventure in the big city looking for his friend the Dragon.  As you explore the book there are various objects that you are asked to find along the journey that help children develop their counting skills. Download this free activity kit from the book's publisher for some extra educational connections for your child.

Dr. Seuss's ABC

I read this book every day to my children for two years straight when they were preschoolers and by the time they started Kindergarten not only had they memorized their ABCs but also the script of the book which they could recite back to me verbatim from memory before even being able to read.  Now as early readers, knowing the story really has helped using the book to reinforce sight words and build their confidence in reading.  ABCs with is zany cast of characters that include a lazy lion licking a lollipop and an ostrich oiling an orange owl is a great addition to any young child's book collection.

If You Give A Mouse a Cookie 

The fun illustrations and amusing story in this book make it a quick read that helps develop an appreciation of literature with children.  My kids always love flipping through this book and when I'm stretched for time this book is easy to get a bed time story read in a short amount of time. Check out this preview:

 

These are just a few of the many children's books our family enjoys.  What are some of the ones your family enjoys or you may have loved yourself as a kid?

WEEKEND GIVEAWAY: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

In recognition of the November 11th home video release of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 on BLU-RAY & DVD, one lucky A Geek Daddy Blog reader will win a movie prize pack courtesy of our friends at Fox Home Entertainment.  For a chance to win this BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD combo pack you must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the following entry methods to earn up to 3 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday November 16, 2014:

UPDATE: Congratulations to Stephen A from Virginia Beach VA who won the prize!

 ENTRY 1:  Follow A GEEK DADDY on FACEBOOK.

 ENTRY 2:  Follow A GEEK DADDY on GOOGLE+

ENTRY 3:  E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address.  Email subject line should be DRAGONS CONTEST.  If you wish to have Entry 1 and/or 2 count to earn extra entries include the name(s) you follow A GEEK DADDY with on Facebook & GooglePlus in this e-mail. 

All valid entries will be assigned a number and one number will be randomly selected to determine the winner.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

ABOUT HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

Soaring past the $500 million mark at the global box office, DreamWorks Animation’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 is not only one of the best reviewed films of the year, but also 2014’s highest grossing animated film to-date and one of the top ten grossing films of the year in any genre.

The thrilling second chapter of the epic HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON trilogy returns to the fantastical world of the heroic Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless. The inseparable duo must protect the peace and save the future of men and dragons from the power-hungry Drago when Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment releases DreamWorks Animation’s critically acclaimed HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 on Digital HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, the next chapter to the Academy Award® nominated film released in 2010, is “sensational…an instant animated classic,” proclaims Access Hollywood. A hit with audiences and critics alike, the film received an outstanding audience reaction with a coveted “A” CinemaScore® and certified 92% fresh on RottenTomatoes.com. Variety’s Peter Debruge declares the film is “Braver than ‘Brave,’ more fun than ‘Frozen’…Dragon delivers.” It’s a must-own title for the whole family!

Fans will get even more excitement, adventure and, of course, more dragons when DreamWorks Animation releases DRAGONS: DAWN OF THE DRAGON RACERS, an all-new animated adventure featuring the original voice cast. A hunt for lost sheep soon turns into a high-flying sprint in the all-new epic adventure as Hiccup and friends battle to become the first Dragon Racing Champion of Berk! DRAGONS: DAWN OF THE DRAGON RACERS will be available exclusively on the Blu-ray™ combo pack, DVD double pack and Digital HD.

While you are waiting for our winner announcement how about having your own dragon races with these fun HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 inspired paper airplanes:

 

 

 DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive a review DVD for the blog and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers.

How To Carve Your Dragon

The hot thing that has caught my son's attention and imagination lately are the How to Train Your Dragon movies and television shows. So he was thrilled when our family included his favorite dragon, Toothless, into our Halloween activities by carving a jack-o-lantern of the character.  In fact, we switched up our Friday family game night routine last week and made it a #DragonsDay themed evening creating some fun dragon masks, carving our Toothless pumpkin and watching the original How to Train Your Dragon movie from DreamWorks Animation.


My friends at Fox Home Entertainment helped us put together our special How To Train Your Dragon night by providing templates for pumpkin carving and dragon masks that I was able to print out.  I've included these below if you'd like to incorporate them  into your Halloween festivities.

 

 

DreamWorks How To Train Your Dragon 2 will be coming out on Blu-ray & DVD on November 11, 2014 distributed by Fox Home Entertainment so incorporating jack-o-lanterns and masks into your Halloween activities can be a fun way to get your kids excited about the upcoming home video release.  My son has been asking every week since we saw this movie at theaters this summer when he could see it again so watching the original movie and including Dragons into our Halloween really built up his excitement for us bringing the sequel home in a few weeks.  It was also a reminder that he needs to keep his grades up and keep being good at school if he wants us to let him watch How To Train Your Dragon 2 when it comes out.  A little bit of carrot and stick parenting there combining reward and punishment in one simple DVD package.  My daughter enjoys the movies too but to be honest she's just not as engrossed by dragons as much as my son is.

If you don't want to wait until November 11th to enjoy How to Train Your Dragon 2 there is one way you can view it right now ...  it became available for digital download on October 21, 2014.  Our household prefers Blu-ray though for watching flicks on our big screen tv.

About How To Train Your Dragon 2

It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any compensation for this post but is a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger program which provides this site with free movies for reviews and giveaways in exchange for promotional opportunities with our audience.