Granny Ranny's Coming Attractions

Mallory Lewis, daughter of beloved children’s entertainer, Shari Lewis, will be one of our featured guests at our KIDS FIRST! Best Awards on Sunday, October 7 at the Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. Mallory is a hero to parents and grandparents everywhere! Recently, I had the most delightful conversation with Mallory who began her career working with her Mom with whom she won an Emmy when she was only 12. Mallory is the new puppeteer for Lamb Chop and the on-camera personality for the soon-to-be-released, “Phonics 4 Babies – Baby’s First Words,” a thoughtfully designed DVD that introduces toddlers to a vocabulary of 300 key words and phrases.

Before Sesame Street and way before Blue’s Clues, Barney, Bob the Builder or Clifford, there was “The Shari Lewis Show.” Now, Mallory, a Mom in her 30s, is launching a new educational program along with a new puppet, Giggles. What led her to get involved in “Phonics 4 Babies?” The show was created by Joe Giangrasso who came up with the concept, wrote all the songs and brought it to Mallory. She recruited her long time friend, Dr. Karen Kovacs North, as the show’s advisor. Dr. Kovacs North is a clinical psychologist at USC and a former aid for U.S. Representative Edward Mrkey. “It’s key,” says Mallory, “Today, everyone’s a working Mom. They are gone all day and their kids are being taken care of by someone else. That someone else’s English skills may not be the greatest. Language skills are paramount to education. “If you don’t have elementary language skills when you start school, you’re behind right from the start.” Mallory saw a need to address this critical element of children’s education so that her kids, your kids, and kids everywhere won’t be behind when they start school. “I love providing what I know is good edutainment for the little ones.” And, while she’s helping the kids, she is also helping working moms – whether English is their first language or not. “I didn’t understand how hard it is to be a working mom until I became one.”

When she’s not creating programming for kids, Mallory performs for the USO and for our troops around the world. What is that like? “Politics aside, our troops are amazing. They’re heartfelt and honest. It’s extremely meaningful to be able to move them. They’re so polite. It’s amazing to see them watch Lamb Chop. Lamb Chop appeals to little children and to grandparents alike.