Carole Braden

Babesta Cribz56 Warren St at West Broadway (646-290-5508, babesta.com).Babesta, you're a playah. "You decide if his genetic marker for cool came from the X or the Y (probably both!)," says the edgy Tribeca boutique's website. We're not sure the pressure to prevail needs to start before the kid's eyes can even focus, but we do like the shop's cool offerings, such as ultracandescent, Brooklyn-made bunny and deer nightlights ($150) from Acme World Zoo Kutelight, Jonathan Adler Junior's red, apple-shaped lacquer mirror ($295) and P'Kolino's pop-colored, space-saving Klick desks ($199). Capucine Kids20 Harrison St between Greenwich and Staple Sts (212-219-4030, capucinemaman.com).If you and your youngster go for goods from faraway lands, seek out Capucine Kids. The Tribeca boutique sources a long list of imported lines, including Sweden's Svan (ergo bouncers), Norway's Stokke (the beloved Tripp Trapp chair and more), New Zealand's Hushamok (sleep-summoning hammocks) and Australia's Bowron (buttery sheepskin beanbags). Oh, you want domestically produced eco-goods? They've got those, too, from QCollection, Bloom and Spot on Square. The Conran Shop888 Broadway at 19th St, lower level (866-755-9079, conranusa.com).Sir Terrence surprised New Yorkers when he vacated his 59th Street store in 2010 and shacked up with ABC Carpet & Home. For us, it's a boon: The new 8,500-square-foot store is easy to get to, and brimming with clean, green, mostly well-priced design objects that make moms an

Which Bronx Zoo animals do you take care of? Mostly primates, which include the lemurs in “Madagascar!” but also gorillas and monkeys, like the ones in Congo Gorilla Forest. You have a really cool job. How long have you worked at the zoo?I’ve been working for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which created the Bronx Zoo more than a hundred years ago, for seven years. It is a cool job! What do you feed the lemurs?Different types of lemurs like different foods, but in the wild they mostly eat fruit and leaves. The ones in the zoo eat a special food called lemur chow, which gives them all the nutrition they need. We also give them fresh fruits and vegetables—they love treats. What’s the difference between boy and girl lemurs?Like other animals, males and females have different markings that help us tell them apart. Lemurs are special because the females are almost always dominant—only the collared lemurs are ruled by their males. Among the other varieties, the females are in charge; they always get first dibs on food and the best resting places in the trees. All that, and they have the babies, too?Of course it’s the female lemurs that have the kids. Ring-tailed moms are unique because they often have twins; we have a pair of two-year-olds, named Bonnie and Sophie, in the “Madagascar!” exhibit. Red-ruffed lemurs are the only ones that give birth in litters, like dogs and cats do—they have as many as six babies at a time. What’s that animal that looks like a big brown cat?That’s

Did you know... The “Madagascar” building is 100 years old. Before the cockroaches and crocodiles moved in, lions used to live there. The building is cooled in summer (and heated in winter) with the help of a geothermal well—a big pump that takes water really deep (1,500 feet—roughly equivalent to the height of the Empire State Building!) into the ground, and lets the earth make it hotter or cooler. Lots of recycled materials went into making “Madagascar!” When you walk on the soft, spongy rainforest paths in the exhibit, you’re really walking on old tires. Thanks to the eco-conscious design, WCS anticipates that the “Madagascar!” site will be the first landmark in New York City to get a “green” stamp of approval from the U.S. Green Building Council. Many new buildings have received such recognition, but it’s much harder to renovate an old building and make it green.

(1) Supercool neighbors. Madagascar is even more diverse than NYC. If you lived there, you’d be just one type of creature in the huge mix of living things that make up the local environment. (2) Hidden treasures. We haven’t counted all the animal species yet; more than 1,000 new ones have been found in the past 15 years alone. (3) The families who call it home. In addition to all the fascinating animals and plants,a lot of people live on the island. About 80 percent of them make their living through farming and will suffer if the ecosystem dies. (4) The animals in danger. Species under threat on Madagascar include lemurs and their natural enemy the fossa, plus the spider tortoise, a bird called the sacred ibis and, off its shores, the enormous humpback whale. Madagascar is also home to the world’s third-largest reef system. More sea creatures than you can count live there. You can help! The more kids—and parents and teachers and friends—who know about Madagascar, the easier it will be to make a difference there. Tell your pals!