Shine 9 Archives

Shine 9: Tim Kubart

May 29, 2016/in Shine 9 /by Shine

Welcome back to the Shine 9! For our back to school edition we thought we’d feature one of our favorite all around people adored by both kids and adults: Tim Kubart. Probably known best to the adult set as the “Tambourine Guy” from the viral music collective Postmodern Jukebox, Tim has performed with PMJ in sold out shows across the country and internationally. When he’s not dancing with his tambourine, he’s known best to kids as a host on the only live morning show for preschoolers, The Sunny Side Up Show on NBCUniversal’s Sprout Channel. With his co-host Chica the Chicken, Tim sings songs, performs sketches, and celebrates everyday moments for a national audience of kids and their caregivers each day. Tim made his Sprout debut in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2013, and has appeared in NBC’s long-standing PSA campaign, “The More You Know.”

Tim’s main project is music for kids and families. His “indie pop for all ages” aims to entertain without excluding anyone, young or old. Tim and his songwriting partner Matt Puckett weave their own childhood memories through textured pop tunes with lyrics that bridge the gap between innocence and wisdom.

His new album Home was just released September 25th and will include a multi-city tour this fall.

Tim lives and rides his bike in Brooklyn. He loves animals and we love Tim. With a mission in work and in life to spread kindness and joy and to encourage others to do the same, Tim Kubart is letting his light Shine bright.

1. What is your favorite children’s book to read with your kids? What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child?

“Where the Sidewalk Ends” was the number one book for my sister and me. We both were only allowed to have it for a short amount of time because we needed to pass it to the other one.

Shine 9: Meredith Wright

April 26, 2016/in Shine 9 /by Shine

Meredith Wright has been involved with Shine since the very beginning when she and Aaron Goldschmidt met while teaching at the 14th Street Y in the East Village. Meredith received her BA in Theater Arts at Barnard College/Columbia University and quickly became a successful creative play specialist, focusing on movement and music in early childhood programs. For over 10 years she has taught, developed curriculum, and served as a consultant for play programs throughout NYC. In addition to teaching, Meredith partners with the PJ Library Foundation to promote early literacy through a storytelling program and also writes and performs original music with her family project Sweetbeatz: soulful songs for city kids. A singer and a dancer, Meredith studies Caribbean dance and culture in NYC and is a featured vocalist with Oyu Oro Experimental Dance Ensemble. With an undeniable spirit that children and adults feel the minute she walks into a class, Meredith truly shines! To book a class with Meredith or find out about our other amazing educators and classes click here.

1. What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child? Or what children’s book/young adult character did you relate to most as a child?

Oh my goodness there are too many to choose! I loved Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. My sister and I would read it over and over again.

The young adult character I fell in love with was Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables. My teacher gave it to me for independent reading.

Shine 9: Randi Spoon

January 20, 2016/in Fun, Shine 9 /by Shine

Randi Spoon graduated with a major in fashion design and minor in textiles from Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. Upon graduation she started SPOON Fashion, a line of women’s contemporary apparel. After 5 successful years in the fashion industry Randi decided to transition into teaching the arts to children. Believing that instilling a love of art and creativity to children helps them with self-expression and overall joy in all learning, Randi is an incredible educator who brings a strong artistic sensibility to all she does. She truly shines. To book a class with Randi or find out about our other amazing educators and classes click here.

1. What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child? Or what children’s book/young adult character did you relate to most as a child?

In general, I tend to think and understand things in a visual manner. I was always drawn to books that had vivid, detailed illustrations because they brought the stories to life. I remember being drawn to the illustrator Jerry Pinkney after reading ‘The Talking Eggs.’ The story was fantastic but the illustrators were what really drew me in!

Shine 9: Sarah Rinaldi

May 27, 2015/in Shine 9 /by Shine

Welcome to the Shine 9! In honor of Shine’s first adult craft night at Baked Tribeca on June 10^th, we are profiling teacher and resident Shine adult crafter, Sarah Rinaldi. Following her mother’s footsteps Sarah has always had a passion for the arts. Her parents registered her for private art lessons at the age of three and she continued with her mentor until high school.

Sarah attended a small private boarding school called The Gunnery where she found an art community and held frequent art shows throughout the campus. Sarah later received her BFA in Art Education from Manhattanville College in 2008 with a concentration in painting and her Masters of Studio Art from The College of New Rochelle in 2011 with a concentration in printmaking. As an undergrad, Sarah was the director of a youth program called Creative Expression Through Art and interned at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Education Department. After college, Sarah was the manager of Gymboree in Scarsdale where she taught classes ranging in age from 2 months through 5 years and was the Head Teacher in their School Skills program. Sarah has also taught several mixed media art classes at the Rye Art Center and teaches art privately. Sarah has been head teaching with Citibabes since 2010 and in 2014 created and launched CitiBox, a subscription based art box that allows all families to bring home age appropriate crafts. Sarah continues to work on commissioned art and has a shop on Etsy called SarSarDesigns, where sells hand painted silk scarves.

1. What is your favorite children’s book to read with your kids? What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child?

When I was a little girl I loved two very popular books. One being “Where the Wild Things Are” and the second being “The Giving Tree.” Both these stories hit home for me and related to me on an emotional level. I remember feeling sad when my mother read me “The Giving Tree” and how I had a fear of getting old which isn’t too far from the truth now a days. When I was a child “Where the Wild Things Are” at the time was a real magical place that existed if you were naughty and never realized until later in life this whole story took place in a dream. As a child and even as an adult I dream very vividly and I enjoy stories that take you to another world or time and I feel that both these books did that for me. Now as a teacher I love reading both these stories to my classes in hopes in touches them as much as it touched me.

Shine 9: Lauren Patterson

April 15, 2015/in Shine 9 /by Shine

Welcome to the Shine 9! In honor of next week’s Earth Day, this month’s Shine 9 is featuring Lauren Patterson. In 2012 Lauren founded Little Swappies as a way to help families reduce, reuse, and recycle through community kids clothing, book, and toy swapping events. Over 2,000 attendees in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and New Jersey have exchanged their pre-loved gear, keeping over 50,000 items out of landfills. Lauren lives in Manhattan with her husband and 2 children. Check out the Little Swappies website for information on the next event near you, make a donation, or find out how to volunteer.

1. What is your favorite children’s book to read with your kids? What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child?

I love Goodnight Moon because the kids have it memorized at this point and we read it out loud together. It is a book that I remember reading as a child which makes it even more special.

Shine 9: Suzi Shelton

February 23, 2015/in Shine 9 /by Shine

Welcome to the Shine 9! For this installment of the Shine 9, we have chosen to feature Suzi Shelton, an award-winning songwriter and performer who has been making original music for families for more than a decade. Suzi has performed at such prestigious venues as The White House, Lincoln Center, and Symphony Space in NYC, and is a favorite among the hip tot set in her home turf of Park Slope, Brooklyn. She recently released her third album entitled “Smile In My Heart,” to much critical acclaim, and continues to write new material for her young audiences.

In addition to her live performances, Suzi produces a monthly interactive online show that can be viewed from any computer giving children everywhere the chance to experience her signature sound. The proud mother of two children (ages 16 and 10), Suzi also works and performs regularly with students at area schools and is currently obtaining her certification from The New School in NYC for Creative Arts Therapies and Health. We at Shine love Suzi, especially when she shows up at our Hamptons camp for an impromptu performance!

1. What is your favorite children’s book to read with your kids? What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child?

My Father’s Dragon – it’s a three book series about a little boy who goes on an amazing adventure to save a baby dragon. Both of my kids loved to cuddle up and hear this read to them when they were little (now they are 16 and 10). This series was read aloud to me when I was in first grade by my favorite teacher, Mrs. Wallace, and I always vowed to read it to my own kids – and I did. When I was a little girl, however, I also loved reading The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I would imagine that I lived in a home without electricity or running water, and my sister and I would climb in our trees of our own backyard and pretend to be Laura or Mary.

Shine 9: Sararose Benham

January 21, 2015/in Shine 9 /by Shine

Welcome to the Shine 9! For our second installment, we chose Sararose Benham, founder and manager of Sidekicks Staffing, one of the tri-states leading nanny referral agencies. For the last 3 years Sararose has been hand selecting the best staff for some of the city’s most discerning clients. Prior to that Sararose was the general manager of Citibabes, a family club in NYC. Before Citibabes, she worked as a nanny herself for six years, with two families living in SF, NYC, and London. Sararose now calls Jersey City home and has a family of her own: husband Tom and daughters Willow, 4 and Waverley, 2.

1. What is your favorite children’s book to read with your kids? What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child?

Currently my kids and I are really into these gorgeous pop up books by Lewis Carroll, with art by Robert Sabuda. We switch off a lot between Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia. When I was a child I fantasized a lot about The Childlike Empress in The Neverending Story. She was the monarch of Fantasia and was so beautiful to me. I loved her dress and her calm like demeanor plus the power she had.

Shine 9: Francesco Sedita

October 20, 2014/in Shine 9 /by Shine

Welcome to the Shine 9! This new feature on our blog is a mini-interview with 9, unchanging questions profiling some of the most interesting and influential individuals in the world of children. We have a set of questions for those with kids and a set for those without. We are excited to introduce you to some of our favorite people; people who continue to inspire by shining their light.

For our first installment the choice was easy. At only 40, Francesco Sedita has had a remarkable career. He is an accomplished writer whose work includes two children’s book series. His literary career also includes the role of Creative Director at Scholastic where, among other successful projects, he developed and oversaw the marketing and creative campaign for the final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, the launch of which broke every sales record in the publishing industry. Currently, he is president and publisher of two children’s imprints at the Penguin Young Readers Group where he focuses on creating an affordable book program for children ages 0-10.

We love Francesco, not only because he serves as a Shine advisory board member, but because he has a personal mission to get real books into the hands of all children. We at Shine couldn’t support his mission more.

1. What was your favorite children’s book when you were a child?
This is a tie. I loved and still adore Charlotte’s Web by E.B White. I remember my mom reading it to me and how wonderful the world of the book felt. It seemed like a home I wanted to be in, that farm. And the friendship story really broke my little heart.

When I started using the Scholastic Reading Clubs, I ordered a book called Nobody’s Fault? by Patricia Hermes. (Yes, that question mark is part of the title.) This was no easy read: a girl’s older brother, whom she has a great relationship with, of course, is using the ride-along mower one sunny day, and drives over a hornet’s nest. He, naturally, gets stung like crazy, falls off the mower, and is killed by said mower. Adorable, right? I read it approximately 500 times. I just couldn’t believe the drama of it all. I think that’s influenced a lot of my day-to-day adult life. Sigh. Read more