Over the Counter # 197

What books caught my eye this week as they passed over the library counter and under my scanner? Fun DIY stuff to do with your Mom and Dad....

First up was Made by Dad: 67 Blueprints for Making Cool Stuff. Projects you can build for (and with) your kids! by Scott Bedford.

From Workman Publishing:

"The Snail Soup Can Decoy to keep the candy stash safe. The Customizable “Keep Out” Sign to deter meddlesome siblings and parents. A Bunk Bed Communicator made from cardboard tubes (“Psst! Can you keep the snoring down?”). Clever, whimsical, and kind of genius, here are 67 unique projects that will turn any dad with DIY leanings into a mad scientist hero that his kid(s) will adore.

No screens, no hi-tech gadgetry. Made by Dad combines the rough-edged, handmade ethos of a Boy Scout manual or The Dangerous Book for Boys with a sly sense of humor that kids love. Scott Bedford, a creative director by day and Webby Award–winning blogger by nights and weekends, wields an X-ACTO knife, magic marker, and prodigious imagination to create endlessly delightful projects for his two sons. He knows that kids like contraptions and gadgets, things that are surprising—a chair that appears to be balanced on eggshells. Things that are complex—a multilevel city, with buildings, tunnels, and roads, built from old boxes around the legs of a table. And especially things with humor—the Snappy Toast Rack, made to resemble a crocodile’s gaping mouth.

The projects are shown in full-color photographs, and the instructions are illustrated in detailed line drawings that exude personality. Some are quick and simple enough to be done in a coffee shop; others are more of an afternoon project— yielding hours and hours of rich, imaginative playtime."

Next up was Let's Get This Party Started: DIY Celebrations for You and Your Kids to Create Together by Soleil Moon Frye.

From Abrams Books:

"Let’s Get This Party Started is a guide to more than 15 parties you can throw for your kids that are inexpensive, wildly inventive, and fun. Each party includes two crafts, one game, and one recipe—all of which you can put together with your child. Author Soleil Moon Frye also offers countless tips and ideas that will inspire you. Among the thematic parties featured in the book are the fairy party, the pirate party, the movie-on-the-lawn party, the camp party, the ’80s party, the rainbow party, the Halloween party, the luau, and many more, captured in gorgeous and colorful images by Frye’s brother, photographer Meeno. Timely and fun, this book is a must-have for parents who love entertaining with their kids."

(Over the Counter is a regular weekly feature at A Bookworm's World. I've sadly come to the realization that I cannot physically read every book that catches my interest as it crosses over my counter at the library. But...I can mention them and maybe one of them will catch your eye as well. See if your local library has them on their shelves!)