The Little Interview - Rob from Balmorhea

When playing in The Land of Me you may have thought to yourself 'my word what utterly enchanting music'. Well dear friends, the band behind the beautiful tunes that fill your ears with joy is Balmorhea. Here is a little insight into Rob's childhood.


I like this picture because it looks like I am having a really good time being a kid.


1) Describe you as a child in 5 words.

Externally shy, internally rambunctious towhead.

2) What is your favourite children’s book?

"The garden of Abdul Gasazi" by Chris Van Allsburg

3) What was your favourite toy and why?

Depending on my age I would either say my teddy bear named Teddy, for his companionship and softness, or some sort of nerf/SUPERSOAKER product for endless hours of self made battles and ambushes.

4) If you could be a fictional character from a kids TV show/film/book for a day who would it be and what would you do?

I would definitely go exploring some place I had never been before. Either as Max from "Where the Wild Things Are," or as Walter from "Just a Dream." I would also strongly consider attempting to enter Narnia thru the wardrobe.

5) What inspired you to create the music for a project for children?

I can't say that I exactly sought it out, but working with things for children affords a creative person with a certain freedom of expression that is not necessarily available in the adult world. You can kind of switch your mind to a different setting, where you consider what you are doing from a more pure perspective. It's hard to describe, perhaps it is that you can attempt to create something that should be understood with purity, rather than with a critical or cynical eye.

Friday Fives - Oh la la!

Bonjour chers amis! How have you all been fairing over the last week? We have been fairing well, thank you for asking. As you may have seen we have had a tip top day because we launched our new app - Ladybird Classic Me Books - so the studio is bursting with excitement. In other news, someone's off to France for a few weeks so today's Friday Fives are all about French inspired treats for the kidlets.

1. Eiffel Tower Puzzle
Everybody loves a puzzle! And what could be more appealing than a beautifully crafted wooden 3D puzzle, oui oui, I said 3D! I must confess I have yet to try my luck with a 3D puzzle but I would certainly give it a jolly good go. You don't need tools to construct this tower, all you need is your own fair hands and the pizazz to make it a winner!



2. Le Petit Nicolas
Oh la la! One of the most treasured French children's books. First published in the 1950's, 'Le Petit Nicolas' is a humorous book about a little boy called Nicolas and his chums including, Alceste who is 'fat and eats all the time' and Joachim who 'has a little brother'. Sounds ace. The book is written from a child's point of view and often pokes fun at the grown ups....so a guaranteed hit with the nippers! Head to Amazon to buy this book and meet this charming fellow.



3. Une baguette
J'adore la baguette! The staple of French fair. There is nothing better than a warm husk of baguette with some lovely, ripe cheese on it. Let's be honest though, they don't look that inspiring do they? Unless, you take a leaf out of this clever clogs' idea! Make your run-o-the-mill baguette into a snake! This is very simple to whip up but the end result is fantastique!



4. Petanque
I can play Pentanque for hours and hours. Many a family holiday was spent delicately lobbing some water-filled brightly coloured balls around trying desperately to get them to land near the jack. A tricky little business when most of the time you can't even see the jack! This French game is good, honest family fun with a dash of competitiveness. You can bet your bottom dollar no one will object to a shout of 'Encore! Encore!' Snap this lovely looking set up here.



5. Snail Toy
Have you ever eaten snails? Tasty little critters as it goes. Who'd have though it? Worry not! We aren't encouraging you to serve up a dish of 'Snails a la Provence' to your tots but we do highly recommend this exquisite wooden pull along snail from Plan Toys. We all need a pull along toy when at a certain wee age and why not be a little different and plump for a snail? You could call him Jean-Pierre.

Rediscover your favourite Ladybird classics with our cracking new app!

Drum roll please.....The big day has arrived! Today we are launching Me Books a new children’s picture book reader app from Made in Me, creators of the award-winning The Land of Me.

We have partnered with Penguin Books to bring some of the best-loved picture books in the world to the digital space.  By allowing readers to record their own narration, sound and character voices, Me Books provides an exciting new way for children and their families to experience the wonder and magic of stories.

Our first app is Ladybird Classic Me Books which is available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. The app is pure nostalgic joy and offers a veritable treasure trove of childhood classics like The Three Little Pigs, Cinderella and Dinosaurs. What’s more, users will be able to breathe new life into them with their children using the unique Me Books features. So you'd better get practicing your best big bad wolf voices and perfecting those booming "Fee, fi, fo, fum's"!

Feast your eyes on this little video to see it in action -



So hurry along to the iTunes app store and snap it up pronto!

Oh and watch this space for more enchanting collections from some of the most well-loved children's titles.

Friday Fives - Best Games Ever

Following on from last weeks toe dip into the heady world of 80's toys, it seems only fitting to dip another toe into 80's games that can still be bought and heartily enjoyed to this day. I don't know about you but I was obsessed with games and desperately wanted us to be that rosy cheeked family that spent Sunday afternoons, beaming from ear to ear, all genuinely enjoying a two hour sesh of Go For Broke! Instead, I became pretty nifty at Solitaire.

1. Operation
When this little gem is mentioned people laugh and smile and remember fondly what is possibly one of the most fiddly games EVER. The concentration and steady-handedness required to play this game generated more tension than you could shake a pair of medical tweezers at. Try and remove Cavity Sam's funny bone and you could earn a pretty penny. However, should those tweezers touch the metal, boy oh boy did you know about it. A bone-shaking BUZZZZZ sounds, everyone jumps a mile and needs a 5 minute tea break to recover. Some might even require smelling salts. And this, ladies and gents, is why it's such good fun.



Buy here.

2. Connect Four
'Make a connection, make a connection, connect four and you've won!' And by Jove did I ever. Looking back this may have been because my trusty opponent was two years my junior, harangued into playing with me and not too sharp. Still, a win's a win. A beautifully simple game requiring you to get four of your discs in a row. Oooh and the satisfaction when you unleash the discs at the end of the game and the wonderful sound they make, like the chiming bells of victory. I might start a Connect Four club...who's with me?



Buy here.

3. Hungry Hippos
The most brilliant game that requires absolutely no skill at all. Literally. None. The premise of the game is simple. Frantically and manically pound down on the levers/tails of the hippos to open their mouths and assist them in gobbling up as many white balls as possible. The hippo who eats the most wins. A cacophony of noise will fill the room and all involved will have a jolly good, rip roaring time. Apart from any adults present who will want to gaffer tape cushions to their ears.



Buy here.

4. Buckaroo
This is another tension generator. Roo is bucking mule. You load him up with horsey items like... a guitar and a frying pan, as gingerly as possible. Should you be too ham-fisted that mare will buck like he's never bucked before and WHOOOSH! All of the items on his back are catapulted across the room. As long as you are a wobble free kind of person this game should be a breeze. Make sure you are good at ducking or you'll come a cropper with a tiny, little saddle in your face.



Buy here.

5. Guess Who
Bosh. I saved the best for last. Yes I did. This game and all its array of characters are firmly lodged in my brain. Remember dapper Charles with his thick, lustrous yellow hair? Or Claire with her impossibly small mouth and hat like a rockery? Then there was Eric with his jaunty sailors hat and John Travolta chin. And Anne who probably used to be called Tyrone. Um...maybe I spent a little too much time looking at this lovely gaggle of people?



Buy here.

The Little Interview: James Huggins (our M.D)

We have had many requests from our lovely readers for a chance to have a little nose around the Made in Me team. So, as promised, here's a little insight into our very own big cheese's childhood. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr James Huggins...



1) Describe you as a child in 5 words.

A curiously quiet space cadet

2) What is your favourite children’s book?

Picture Book – The Giving Tree
Book Book – The Hobbit

3) What was your favourite toy and why?

I really want to say it was a beautiful old wooden train my grandfather made for me… but, it was probably a plastic sword and shield. They, along with my brother and sister, were my loyal and trusty companions on many a perilous voyage into the bushes.

4) If you could be a fictional character from a kids TV show/film/book for a day who would it be and what would you do?

Peter Pan. Isn’t it obvious? Fly around a tropical island rescuing the damsels and annoying the pirates.

5) What inspired you to work within art and design?

I always knew I’d end up in fantasy land somehow. I used to draw LOTS but I suppose now I can always find someone with bucket loads more talent for that kind of thing. If I had to name one major art and design inspiration it would be the work of Jim Henson and Brian Froud.