Category: Announcements

Tomfoolery Toys & Books Recognized As One of Top Five Child-Friendly Houston Bookstores!

11/22/2017

A writer at Care.com, a local Houston mom, included Tomfoolery Toys & Books on her round up of top 5 kid-friendly bookstores in Houston! Thanks!

Top 5 Kid-Friendly Bookstores in Houston

Get your little bookworm’s next favorite read at one of these local bookshops.

In addition to being one of Houston’s best independent toy stores, Tomfoolery Toys & Books also has a ton of great children’s books. The community-centered shop hosts 20-minute storytime for kids 2.5 to 5 years old every Thursday at 11:15 a.m. The interactive session led by early childhood literacy program Literacy Enrichment and Play (LEAP) includes songs, rhymes, and dancing that constructively channel the energy of wiggly toddlers — all while cultivating a love of books and reading.

We Will Re-open Thursday September 21st!

9/19/2017

Join us after school on Thursday for cookies and lemonade!
We missed seeing you and look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Pajamas Storytime Friday, March 17 at 7 p.m.

3/12/2017

Lots of fun! This will be an interactive Storytime, where we will be reading the newly published Noisy Night by Mac Barnett. Wear your pajamas! It is OK because it is Pajama Storytime.
Stay for a second book that will be read by a surprise special guest! (Shhh! Cinderella from The Company Onstage's current production of "Cinderella" is our special guest. Shhh! Let it be a surprise!)

Neighborhood Toy Store Day is Saturday, November 12th

10/30/2016

Reasons to support your local neighborhood toy store:

 Independent toy stores offer multiple advantages to shoppers:
-  A carefully curated selection of toys, selected with local families in mind.
-  A focus on providing unique selections and the kind of quality not always found at
  national chains. Local toy stores select from brands both large and small, including
  little known brands that are not advertised on TV.
-  Because they observe kids at play day in and day out, independent toy stores can
  offer the best advice on the right selection for individual kids.
-  Independent toy store owners are toy experts who understand the value of play and
  what types of toys encourage the best kind of play.
-  By offering a personalized approach and additional customer service, local toy
  stores make holiday shopping easier.

 Independent toy stores also provide many benefits to the community as a whole, by:

 Creating jobs and preserving neighborhoods.
 Compared to chain stores, putting a significantly larger share of revenue back into
the local economy in the form of taxes, salaries and more.
 Supporting environmental sustainability, by helping to maintain vibrant, walkable
town centers, essential to reducing sprawl, automobile use, habitat loss and air and water pollution.

Look Who Made The List . . .

10/24/2016

... of the 10 Best Toy Stores in Houston by the website, mommynearest.

10 Awesome Toy Stores in the Greater Houston Area

We're honored to be on the list! Here's what they had to say:

This locally owned, independent toy store has become a fast favorite in Houston. Their knowledgeable staff is eager to help you find just the right toy for your needs or simply let you explore with your little ones. There is a small play area and we often find unique gifts here that we haven’t seen elsewhere.
Tip: Tomfoolery hosts bingo afternoons and morning story-times weekly. Check their website events section for more information.

Thanks, mommynearest!

Some Fun Facts About Curious George

9/13/2016

More than 75 million copies of Curious George books have been sold worldwide.
Curious George has been translated into many languages, including Yiddish, Afrikaans, Braille, Japanese, French, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Chinese, Danish, and Norwegian.
Curious George first appeared in Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys, which was published in France in 1939. He was called Fifi in those editions.
Hans Rey first saw his future wife, Margret, at a party in her father’s home in Germany, where she was sliding down the banister.
When Curious George was published in 1941, King George was the king of England. So as not to be disrespectful to the king by associating him with a monkey, Curious George was called Zozo in England.
The Reys created Curious George Goes to the Hospital at the request of officials at Boston Children’s Hospital who wanted a book to prepare children for a hospital stay. After it was published, many parents wrote to the Reys to tell them how effective the book was in reducing their child’s fear of hospitals.
A newspaper clipping about two mice that were sent into space to study the effects of weightlessness inspired the story of George’s own space flight in Curious George Gets a Medal.
Many of the Reys’ own interests and adventures found their way into the Curious George books. Both Hans and Margret were very fond of animals, and their first stop in a new city was always the zoo. Hans smoked a pipe; they lived among palm trees in Brazil; they rode out of Paris on bicycles; and they left Europe on an ocean liner. All of these details were woven into Curious George stories.
The Curious George books were a true collaboration. Hans was usually in charge of the ideas and the illustrations, while Margret handled the plot and the writing.

What? Tomfoolery is Holding a Shark and Mermaid Week?

6/4/2016

Tune in to our blog for the rest of this week for more fun shark and mermaid themed posts!

Celebrate Children's Book Week with Tomfoolery!

5/1/2016

Children’s Book Week, held May 2nd – May 8th this year, is an annual celebration of the enjoyment and education that comes with reading! Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running literacy based awareness week! It is incredibly important that we create memories with children through reading in order to establish a generation of youth that enjoy literacy and creative thinking. Students and their guardians can go onto the Children’s Book Week official website and enjoy a selection of events, activity sheets, and even participate in the Children’s Choice Book Awards!

Enjoy this week not only through emphasizing the importance of reading, but come enjoy a selection of books, events, and sales throughout this week here at Tomfoolery! For the purpose of Children’s Book Week, the following sales and events will apply throughout this week:

Buy two books in our vast selection of books here at Tomfoolery and get the third book purchased discounted at 50% off!
Donate four used books to our store and be entered into a drawing (every set of four books is considered one entry) for a $100 Tomfoolery gift card! All books donated will be given to a local school in need!
For any of our books here at Tomfoolery in which we sell the corresponding plush doll from the book, purchase the book and receive 20% off the corresponding plush doll!

Don’t forget to stop by our blog every day this week as we will be posting daily reviews and suggestions of our Tomfoolery book favorites! Happy Children’s Book Week!

Tomfoolery Toys & Books First Birthday Celebration!

3/19/2016

Guess who is turning ONE?
Come and join us TODAY, Saturday March 19th for our First Birthday Celebration!
We will have cookies, party favors, and a chance to win prizes!
Thank you for a great first year!

Join Us For an Adult Coloring Party With Tomfoolery Toys & Books and McHugh Tea!

1/11/2016

It’s an adult coloring party at McHugh TEA!

Join Tomfoolery Toys & Books at McHugh Tea for a night of tea, dessert, friends, and coloring on Tuesday, February 2nd from 7-9 pm! Each guest will receive a free coloring page, choice of dessert, bottomless tea, and a glass of champagne for only $25!

Tomfoolery Toys & Books will have a selection of pens and pencils available for you to try your hand at coloring as well as selection of Adult Coloring Books to purchase. 10% of the registration fee and the coloring book sales will be donated to Faithful Paws of Bellaire Pet Therapy Program.

Grab a friend and come color with us at McHugh Tea in Belliare! Register today: bit.ly/1UnOh8B

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