Title: Shop Listener 2025: Kids!

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. We're going to end with this week's edition of Shop Listener. This week, as we continue to help WNYC listeners who sell holiday gifts compete with the big-box stores and the big, big, big, big, big websites, 212-433-WNYC, this week, if you are selling holiday gifts for kids. You know who you are. You could have any kind of brick-and-mortar store or be selling anything online, but if you're doing it yourself as a small business and you're a WNYC listener, we want to give you a little publicity in this week's edition of Shop Listener.

You can always go to wnyc.org/shoplistener and post it there. Everybody else, we hope you go to wnyc.org/shoplistener and look there, at least potentially, for where you might buy some of your holiday gifts, including for kids. That's the call-in invite for this week's edition of Shop Listener. If you are selling holiday gifts for children of any age and you are a WNYC Brian Lehrer Show listener, we invite you to call in right now and say what it is, give us an example, or you can text.

We'll read some texts on the air that come in as well. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. It's our Shop Listener series. We're doing it every Tuesday right up until the Tuesday before Christmas with different topics each week. This time, it's if you're selling holiday gifts for kids and you're a WNYC listener, if you're out there right now, call or text 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Can't wait to see what people have in this category. We'll hear those right after this.

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC with this week's Shop Listener edition now. If you're selling holiday gifts for kids and you're in the WNYC community, and I guess I should say that this can be on two tracks. This doesn't have to just be if you are selling unique things that you make yourself, maybe that was the implication in my intro before the break, but if you're a small business and you have some of the hottest toys of the season in stock, that's okay, too.

Maybe something KPop Demon Hunters-related or Bluey or Wicked, whatever's a hot franchise that you stock, that's okay, as well as if you make or sell things that are unique. Here we go. 212-433-WNYC, beginning with Janelle in Brooklyn. Hi, Janelle. You're on WNYC.

Janelle: Hi, Brian. I'm so happy to talk to you. This is my second time calling. We once talked about bird calls, but me and my friend Sanji created a game called As You Wich, which is all about sandwiches. It's a bunch of different cards that have ingredients on them, and you play to build the best sandwich. It's a great way to have impassioned arguments that aren't really about the politics or weather or anything. asyouwich.co, and it's a great little game that we made.

Brian Lehrer: How do people get it?

Janelle: The website is www.asyouwich, A-S-W-I-C-H .co.

Brian Lehrer: Janelle, thank you for starting us off. That sounds cool. Go and post it. Everybody should go and post these as well as getting on the air, and of course, if you don't get on the air, you can as well, to our online catalog of Shop Listener offers at wnyc.org/shoplistener. Karen in Yonkers, you're on WNYC. Hi, Karen.

Karen: Hi, Brian. I would like to suggest that folks consider the gift of music in the form of a music exploration class. My music instructor, Michael Dante Gallinari, provides private music lessons in your home for children and families, including students with special needs. He uses a unique, intuitive approach to both theory and technique, which really simplifies the process of learning to play a variety of instruments. He helps folks explore if it's the right time to start, what the right instrument would be. It's really never too early or too late to begin. You can find him at michaeldantemusic.com

Brian Lehrer: Nice. Thank you very much. Next week's call-in, by the way, as a heads-up, is all going to be about experiences that people are selling. There's one that, of course, crosses those categories, experiences, and gifts for kids. All kinds of gifts that could be experiences for kids. Who owns a trampoline park or whatever? Let's go next to Philip in Nolita. Philip, you're on WNYC. Hello.

Philip: Hey, Brian, Good morning. Happy holidays to you and all the listeners. In particular, Happy Hanukkah.

Brian Lehrer: To everybody else. Go ahead.

Philip: Thank you. It's funny, they entered with the experiences. I actually have a store, Eagle Peak Wear, you reach it by eaglepeakwear.com, that are hats and shirts and T-shirts and hoodies and sweatshirts, and long sleeves from kids' sizes. It's also to adults, but there's definitely kids in there about the outdoors, about nature. It is not the experience itself, but it's to encourage the experience or embrace what a lot of families do, which is go to the parks, go to our parks in the area, go to whether it's any kind of camping experience or canoeing experience, all these experiences.

Brian Lehrer: Outdoor-oriented stuff. How do people find?

Philip: Exactly. It's at my website or the store's website. It's Eagle Peak Wear, spelled the way it sounds. W-E-A-R at the end. Eagle, E -A-G-L-E, P-E-A-K wear.com. If you order now, you can get it by the end of the year and Christmas.

Brian Lehrer: Awesome, Philip. Thank you very much. Here's one in a text message. Another one with music lessons, but even more than music lessons. This says, "My name is Andrew Ostenfeld, owner of Croton Harmon Music Academy in Croton-on-Hudson. We are currently doing a special on music lessons. $40 for a lesson. We offer lessons in traditional instrument learning as well as composition and music production for kids of all ages and adults." Says, "A great gift for someone you know, who maybe has some untapped creative potential."

This is fun too, as a wrinkle. He says, "We also offer classes in LEGO animation." LEGO animation, which he says kids absolutely love doing. That's the Croton Harmon Music Academy in Croton-on-Hudson. There's that one in a text. Rebecca in Ridgewood, Queens, you're on WNYC. Hi, Rebecca.

Rebecca: Hi, Brian. Happy Hanukkah. I want to shout out my children's consignment store in Ridgewood, Queens. We're located on Fairview Avenue, and we have a focus on sustainably dressing children. We have pre-loved clothing and toys, and lots of unique looks for the kids in your life. We also have gift cards that you can find through our Instagram. funnygoosenyc.

Brian Lehrer: Very nice. funnygoosenyc. We rarely take a call from the same person twice in one show, but I think Antoinette in Sayville was on for one of our issues segments before but also sells a children-oriented holiday gift. Is that the same Antoinette in Sayville? Hi there.

Antoinette: Hi. Yes, it is the same Antoinette, and it's pronounced Antoinette. It's Brooklyneese.

Brian Lehrer: Sorry.

Antoinette: Not French.

Brian Lehrer: Got you. Antoinette.

Antoinette: Anyway, yes, I'm a children's book writer, and I have a children's picture book titled Famous Seaweed Soup, and a as well as a three-book historical fiction series for middle grade readers, and the series is called Becoming America's Stories, and there are three books within it. Those three books feature the Lower East Side of Manhattan 1911. That whole year was an incredible year. Progressive change in our city and state, and country. These stories were based on my grandparents' experiences growing up as Sicilian immigrants in the Little Italy neighborhoods.

Brian Lehrer: How can people get them?

Antoinette: Come to my website storiesserved.com. You could backslash booksbyme and you can browse my books. I can send you a signed copy with a little bit of swag.

Brian Lehrer: Antoinette, said it right this time, thank you very much for your call and for those wares. Go post it at wnyc.org/shoplistener, as all of you can do, whether you get on the air or not. Here's another one in a text. It says, "Naomi Machado sells beautiful puppets she makes in her little jewel box apartment at the Maker's Market at Grand Central." I assume that's not where the jewel box apartment is. She doesn't live in Grand Central. That's where she sells them.

"Also, the Grand Bazaar at West 76 in Amsterdam. You can see her wares on Instagram at noe, N-O-E, .ceramics38 noe.ceramics38. Beautiful puppets," says this listener who doesn't appear to be the maker. "Beautiful puppets that she makes in her little jewel box apartment." Elizabeth and Nyack, you're on WNYC. Hi Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Hi, Brian. A year ago, I opened my shop, Homebody Books, in Nyack, and it's about 40 minutes from Midtown. It's a great day trip. We specialize in beautiful children's books, new, used, and vintage. Also, classic toys, none of the latest toys on purpose, and arts and crafts stuff, stationery items, and a little nook I just started for adults with classic literature, odds and ends of stuff I love or want to read. All the titles are chosen carefully. They're not from marketing lists that are sent to us and independent publishers.

In addition to old favorites like Paddington or Caps for Sale, we have a lot of translations and titles from small publishers, though vintage is my very favorite. It's a very tiny shop, about 10 by 30, but there's a play space with an antique dollhouse that kids make a beeline to.

Brian Lehrer: Nice. Say again the name and the exact--

Elizabeth: Homebody Books, 6 Park Street, Nyack, New York.

Brian Lehrer: Easy to get to. Let's see, I would say that's the second exit on the thruway after you cross the Tappan Zee Bridge if you're coming from the south.

Elizabeth: Yes. I appreciate that.

Brian Lehrer: Elizabeth, thank you very much. Catherine and Bloomfield, you're on WNYC. Hi, Catherine.

Catherine: Hi, Brian. Thanks for the series.

Brian Lehrer: You bet. What you got?

Catherine: We're bigfoodadventure.com. It's a children's game my husband invented. He's a game designer because my son just wouldn't eat. If you have a child, three-plus, you can buy this really cool food game. It's screen-free time at mealtime, and it's the most fun you can have with your child at mealtime, that just gets them to try something new, finish their food, eat a little bit more. We find that it's a common problem that so many parents have and you can solve it this holiday.

Brian Lehrer: Fun. The game is called Big Food Adventure. How do people get it?

Catherine: If you go to bigfoodadventure.com, you can purchase it there. It's a holiday sale and you get free shipping.

Brian Lehrer: Very good. Thank you very much. Go post it to our website, wnyc.org/shoplistener. Justin in Crown Heights, you're on WNYC. Hi Justin.

Justin: Hey Brian. Happy to be here. Happy holidays. I want to call in to talk about the gift of live theater. We do a performance of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special Live. It's our 16th year doing it in Brooklyn. For kids, it's a 30-minute show, good for kids and adults. The best part is all the proceeds go to charity. This year, we're giving to Feeding America. Everyone can enjoy the show. Kids can enjoy the show and also feel good that they've helped to feed some people who are hungry.

Brian Lehrer: Very good. Say again how they can find out.

Justin: Yes, indeed. You can go to shapeshifterplus.org for the tickets or just search the Charlie Brown Christmas Live and it'll pop up.

Brian Lehrer: You're a good man, Justin, in Crown Heights. Good luck with it. Can we sneak one more in here? I think so. Lorna in Peekskill, you're on WNYC. Hi Lorna.

Lorna: Hi Brian. This is so exciting. I am a first-time author and illustrator, and I wrote a book called Little Mina and the Big Swim. It's bilingual, and it really is a tale of collective triumph over bullying and greed. It really is a book for these times, and it sparks the imagination of children in terms of change and how solidarity can give you superpowers. An art activity, a song, and a dance go with the book.

Brian Lehrer: Nice. How can people get it?

Lorna: Little Mina and the Big Swim can be ordered through Hardball Press or Social Justice Books. It's also available on Amazon and all the other carriers.

Brian Lehrer: Book sellers. Lorna, thank you very much. That's all the Shop Listener we have time for today. Again, everybody's invited to go and post your wares at wnyc.org/shoplistener. You'll see a map there, et cetera. Everybody else, go and shop at Shop Listener. At least give it a look. Give it a browse at www.wnyc.shoplistener. Next week, it's going to be experiences.

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