I talked about this with my siblings in December, and we even looked for one then, but to no avail. Now I have finally found a jack-in-the-box (a boîte à surprise) for my great nephew (son of my niece).
Now it is thematic, and themed to characters which are unfamiliar to WASPy me: Barbapapa. I figure that when he starts talking, he is likely to be as anglophone as I am, growing up in western Canada with parents and grandparents who speak English to him. So how to understand and explain Barbapapa? With a book, of course!
I was lucky enough to pick out this book which is seeking to teach francophone children their first English words. I suspect that he and his parents will be using this book the other way around!
And here is how the box itself works (ignore the clutter on the kitchen counter behind it!): Now why don’t more toy companies make these things these days? It’s a mystery to me.
With all of the bad automotive news circulating in the media these days, it occurred to me that there is actually an opportunity here for a joint promotional adventure.
On the one hand, we have Toyota, having some problems with sticky accelerators on a few of its models, and apparently with brakes on some of their Prius models. (As an aside, I was trying to determine whether the plural of Prius would be Priusses or Prii, but ended up just avoiding it!) Note the massive battery power on the non-combustion side of the Prius.
On the other hand, you have Energizer, with the little bunny that keeps going, and going, and going….
Now is that lemonade or what?
In other thoughts, I have found myself looking at the grilles of cars slowing to stop at red lights before stepping in front of them to cross the street. I know it isn’t logical, but all the media coverage has made me a tiny bit reluctant to step in front of a Toyota until it has completely stopped.
Now it is thematic, and themed to characters which are unfamiliar to WASPy me: Barbapapa. I figure that when he starts talking, he is likely to be as anglophone as I am, growing up in western Canada with parents and grandparents who speak English to him. So how to understand and explain Barbapapa? With a book, of course!
I was lucky enough to pick out this book which is seeking to teach francophone children their first English words. I suspect that he and his parents will be using this book the other way around!
