"Feeling giggly-squiggly? It's wiggly time!" Wiggly Time uses energetic body and word play to channel young children's energy and encourage them to get moving--and then help them transition to quiet time. Toddlers learn best through movement, and little ones need lots of physical activity every day. "Ahhhhh, that was fun . . . and wiggly time's all done."

Wiggly Time taps into toddlers' inherent love of play and silliness, and the ideas can be used for a fun break, at transition times, or anytime. If a child has to wait five more minutes, call out some of the book's moves: "Dance like a robot, beep, bop, boop. Walk like a dinosaur, stomp, clomp, BOOM. " Try "Sun's out, let's melt" to encourage floor time and relaxation.

Wiggly Time also includes helpful tips for parents, teachers, and caregivers about making movement fun and part of their everyday routine.

Toddler Tools(R) series
Daily transitions and routines can be a struggle for any toddler, as well as parents and caregivers. These award-winning, positive books can help ease the many challenging "times" that are a part of e(more...)

Heinlen, Marieka

Marieka Heinlen received her BFA at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and also studied at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.

She launched her career as an award-winning children's book illustrator with Hands Are Not for Hitting and has illustrated all of the books in the Best Behavior(R) and Toddler Tools(R) series. Marieka focuses her work on books and other materials for children, teens, parents, and teachers.

She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband, son, and daughter.

Verdick, Elizabeth

Elizabeth Verdick has been writing books since 1997, the year her daughter was born. Her two children are the inspiration for nearly everything she writes. Before becoming an author, Elizabeth edited books for children and parents.

These days she writes books for babies, toddlers, teens, and every age in between. She especially loves creating new board book series--including the Happy Healthy Baby(R) series, which is designed to capture the interest of your littlest readers. Elizabeth's Toddler Tools(R) series helps young children and their parents cope with those tough times and transitions that happen every day (like naptime and bedtime). In the Best Behavior(R) series, she helps toddlers reach new milestones and improve their day-to-day behavior.

Elizabeth also enjoys getting the chance to look at the funny side of life in the Laugh and Learn(R) series, which helps kids ages 8-13 get a handle on the social-emotional skills they're developing throughout the elementary and middle school years.

She's also coauthor of The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (And Their Parents), which offers kids with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) their own comprehensive resource for both understanding their condition and finding tools to cope with the challenges they face every day.

Elizabeth lives and writes near St. Paul, Minnesota.