>> Oh, we're joined now by
Danica Mckellar, one of our
favorites.
You of course loved her as
Winnie Cooper on
"The Wonder Years," all the
fabulous Hallmark & Mystery
Movies, and our favorite
mathematician.
Hi, Danica.
>> Hello.
>> I'm seeing behind you all the
books.
Okay, so, you've just put out
your 10th math book.
What makes this one so special?
>> Yes. Okay.
So, the latest book is called
"The Times Machine!"
This is for grades -- really,
2nd through 5th grade, learning
multiplication and division.
And what I'm excited about with
this book -- it is, like, a
bunch of comics and it's like a
graphic novel but teaching math.
So, it's all cartoons and
stories and poems.
I teach math the way it's taught
now and also the way we learned
it because it's different.
And one of the things I keep
hearing from parents -- 'cause,
as you know, parents are in this
unprecedented position of having
to be responsible for their
kids' education.
They're like, "We're having such
a hard time in math 'cause it
looks different.
>> Yeah.
>> So I do the problems both
ways, and then I'll show how
it's really the same stuff.
It's just kind of dressed up
differently.
>> Is there something you're
doing with stuffed animals?
Did I hear this right?
>> Yeah, so, here's two of the
tips.
One of them is -- First of all,
I say no toys near it --
however, unless if you want your
child to explain a concept to a
toy.
So, my son has this stuffed
animal called Flappy.
He's a seal.
And he just loves this thing so
much, and so if he's having a
hard time focusing, I'll say,
"Well, will you explain it to
Flappy?"
And Flappy's like, "I don't
understand this."
And then Draco will sort of sit
up and he becomes the teacher
and then he will explain things
that I didn't even know he was
listening to that I said.
Oh, my gosh.
It's such a great little tip.
The timer trick -- it's not to
make kids go faster 'cause
that's pressure.
The timer trick -- it works
differently.
I'll tell Draco -- and you can
tell your kids -- "Okay, we're
gonna do -- take 2 1/2 good
hours of homeschooling today.
What does that mean?
I'm gonna set a timer for 2 1/2
hours.
Every time you get distracted,
I'll hit pause.
This could take six hours if you
want it to, but I think we
probably want to get back to
doing other fun stuff."
And so the kids are motivated
themselves to stay focused.
And it's so great because then
you don't have to, like, yell
and raise your voice and plead
with them because they're
motivated to stay focused and
stay on task.
Again, it's not about going
faster.
It's about using a timer to keep
them focused.
>> And do you have good rhymes
going?
I remember when we were growing
up -- I mean, I'm older than
you, but it was all about
getting a good rhyme for your
times tables.
>> Yes.
Well, so, one of the things in
"The Times Machine!" Is I teach
all of the times tables, all
those super-dry, rote
memorization things that did
growing up.
And I'm not sure what rhymes you
heard.
I didn't get to learn with
rhymes.
I didn't -- It was just like,
"Here's a page of facts.
Memorize them, and then you'll
be quizzed on them."
>> Maybe I made up the rhymes.
>> Exactly.
So, for one of them -- for all
of the difficult ones, all the
ones like 6 times 7, 7 times 8,
all those kind of ones in the
middle that aren't -- Like,
times 10 is easy, right?
Times 11 is easy.
Times -- Like, 6 times 7.
So, 6 times 7 equals 42.
Hard to learn, boring, whatever.
But imagine this.
Imagine a six-sided block of
cheese, alright?
And Mr. Mouse loves cheese.
He's one of the characters in
all the comics in the book.
Now, if he loves cheese so much,
he eats a big six-sided block of
cheese every day for seven days,
every single day of the week, at
the end of that -- 6 times 7 --
he is full and "Farty, too"
[42].
>> Oh! [ Laughs ]
>> So, yeah, that's Mr. Mouse.
>> I won't forget that --
"And farty, too."
[ Laughs ]
>> I mean, like, why shouldn't
learning math be super silly
and fun and alive?
So, I'm an entertainer, and I
love making math entertaining.
And I can do it, and I'm so glad
to be able to help parents right
now.
Please check out my Instagram
of, like we said, the
homeschooling tips, and then all
my books, ages zero to 16, at
mckellarmath.com.
>> You're totally right, too,
Danica.
It couldn't come at a better
time with everybody
homeschooling and getting ready.
Now let's talk business --
my Hallmark Christmas movies,
Christmas in July, Danica.
What's going on with the
Mysteries series?
Are we getting back to work?
I need this. I'm ready.
>> Oh, my goodness. I know.
I miss making my Hallmark
movies, and, you know, there's
been so many restrictions these
days.
I'm just sort of focusing on my
books and waiting for the movies
to start back up again.
We were poised and ready to
start shooting the next
"Matchmaker Mysteries" episode
on April 2nd, and they were
like, "Oh, we might have to
delay it a couple weeks."
Well [chuckles] It keeps
getting delayed.
And we're also trying to figure
out the Christmas-movie
situation.
You know, I'm just letting them
figure it out, and they'll come
to me when they're ready.
I know they're working hard and
things change every day, which
makes it more challenging for
them, but I have hope that I'll
get to do the next -- We're
actually getting ready for the
number-four mystery script.
>> Of the mystery one.
>> We're gonna be ready.
>> Well, we'll for that one.
We're ready.
And I can rewatch your other
Christmas hallmark ones, which I
love.
>> Well, you know what?
So, Christmas in July on
Hallmark Channel starts July
10th.
It actually starts off -- Our
movie kicks it off,
"Christmas at Dollywood,"
which was my last year's
Christmas movie.
I know. I love -- Oh, my gosh.
Working with Dolly Parton.
>> One with Dolly.
It's so great.
>> She was a dream.
I mean, she is a dream.
I'm still so psyched that I got
to work with her.
And, you know, that movie
started because of my math
books...
>> Yeah.
>> ...Because of one of my
Mckellar Math books,
"Goodnight, Numbers."
It's somewhere here.
"Goodnight, Numbers" -- she
brought that into her
Imagination Library charity,
which they make low-cost
versions of popular children's
books.
So, the authors don't make any
money at all, but they, like,
distribute them to hundreds of
thousands of kids who normally
wouldn't be able to afford
books.
It's such a beautiful gift.
And of course Dolly Parton is
doing something like that.
So, she invited me to be part of
that, and then I was like, "Oh,
my gosh."
And Hallmark said, "Where do you
want your next Christmas movie
to be?
We're looking for cool
locations."
And I'm like, "How about
Dollywood?"
They're like, "We love it."
We put the Imagination Library
into the script.
It was such a wonderful,
beautiful synergy.
>> Well, Danica, I love catching
up with you.
Stay safe at home.
And, everybody, get Danica's
new book, "The Times Machine!"
>> Oh, and I wanted to mention
one thing.
Tonight I'm doing a virtual
book signing.
So, yes, tonight, Wednesday,
virtual book signing.
Go to my Instagram bio.
There's a link that you click
on, and you can register for it.
And I'm gonna be able to
actually do personalized
autographs.
So, super excited about that
for you guys.
>> We're getting down with this
virtual thing.
Okay, we'll see you at the
signing.
Thanks, Danica.
>> Thank you so much.
>> Alright. Stay safe.
And next up, guys,
Melissa Chataigne is showing us
the top fashion trends for the
summer for all body types,