Booklist Reviews
This well-researched parenting guide is not a polemic on preschoolers and screen time. In fact, Santomero, one of the creators of popular children's shows Blue's Clues and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, believes that television can have a positive role in preschoolers' emotional, social, and intellectual development if parents play an active role in choosing the right programming and guiding their children's viewing. With coauthor Reber (Doable, 2015), she carefully explains how certain "clues" used in educational programming curriculum—including play, pause, repeat, think, resolve, respect, help, model, observe, enjoy, and celebrate—can be used by parents as part of their daily interactions with their children. She offers sample situations and scripts for parents and also gives advice for evaluating the shows their children watch. As media makes an ever-increasing imprint on early childhood development, parents are looking for answers about how it will impact their children's future. Santomero and Reber help them understand how their children's favorite characters can be important teachers, and how they must be, too. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews
A children's TV programming creator shares her insights into how toddlers learn.The co-creator of Blue's Clues, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and other educational programs, Santomero explains the methods and approaches behind the shows that she and her colleagues have created. Early on, she acknowledges the significant influence of Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and how that show prompted her to create her own engaging, entertaining, and educational storylines for children. She breaks down episodes of Blue's Clues so parents can understand the dynamics of the show and how toddlers learn from it. "The single most important factor in ensuring children become successful, productive, happy adults isn't the quality of their education or how high they score on an IQ or achievement test—it's what happens during a child's preschool years…hands down. This is a high-stakes game. Luckily, preschoolers are also the cutest and funniest human beings on the planet." Researchers believe that 90 percent of a child's brain development occurs by age 5, so Santomero explains why play, repetition, and pausing long enough for a child to formulate answers are so important. She incorporates numerous examples of day-to-day interactions with toddlers as well as handy charts and bulleted lists that get to the heart of each chapter, condensing the important information into bite-size bits for the busy parent. Resolving conflicts, showing respect for others, convincing toddlers to help around the house, and modeling good behavior are just a few of the topics Santomero and her team cover through the creative use of a puppy named Blue and a tiger named Daniel. The author alleviates the fear of oversaturation by helping parents understand that these specific shows are actually beneficial to the child, not just mindless fluff that suck up time. An entertaining and educational analysis of how toddlers learn and why specific TV shows are actually useful fo r preschoolers. Copyright Kirkus 2018 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Reviews
In Santomero's first book, the cocreator of the award-winning PBS program
Publishers Weekly Reviews
In this practical and research-based guide, Santomero,
School Library Journal Reviews
In Santomero's first book, the cocreator of award-winning programs such as