Book Description

Reviews (98)

One of my favorite childhood books
There are some memories from childhood that I can never quite place specifically. Things that linger in memory, but are so faint that they are like a sniff of fresh apple pie from down the street that you can't determine which house it is coming from. I recall reading some "magic" children books--at one time, I thought they were Andre Norton, who had several young adult novels with the word magic in the title, but I was never able to find the exact one. Until I ran across this book in the store, and realized a chapter into it that I was eating apple pie.

I love this book, but it may be because I remember it so fondly. I've been trying to catch up on children's fantasy the last couple of years--reading E. Nesbit, Norton Juster, P.L. Travers, E.L. Konigsburg--and, of them all, Eager is my favorite. In Half Magic, fantasy is rolled with some of the logic of science fiction, in that the wishes that the magic coin gives the children only occurs in halves, and they must figure out how to use it. As children, they are quite believable--maybe not as realistic as Nesbit, but not the Bobsey Twins either.

I should note that Eager was himself a fan of Nesbit's, and his stories do resemble her's in some ways. His affinity for her is clearly laid out here, where the children visit the library and one of their favorite books is The Enchanted Castle.

A jumping-off point for years of fantasy enjoyment
I first read this book at the age of 10. I am now 45 and have not changed my opinion that it is one of the most delightful books for children ever written. It involves four fatherless children and a magic charm, which brings many forms of magic to enrich and improve their lives. The story is written with humor and enormous imagination. I couldn't wait to get back to the library to read all the other Edward Eager books it had. Noting that Mr. Eager always gave credit to Edith Nesbit as his inspiration, I also read all the Edith Nesbit books available. I have continued to re-read them throughout my life; I have read them to my kids, and intend to read them to my grandkids. The Bodecker drawings carry the stories beautifully. I now work at a public library and recommend Half Magic to any child who wants stories about real children and magic, because this book opened such a magical dimension to my own reading life.

MAGICALY ENCHANTED
Half Magic
This novel, is about 4 children looking for an adventure. One day the oldest of the children jane finds what she thinks is a nickel. It turns out to be a magical coin. this takes them on the adventure they have been looking for. It takes them to visit sir lancelot, a desert, and turns the littlest one into a ghost. Their mother feels like she is having a nervous breakdown and is becoming mentally ill. Will they get through all these adventures without getting killed by three knights and a half statue, half dog? I give this book 2 thumbs up. It is a marvelous book for children.

Magic divided by two= A Great Fantasy
Half Magic

Half Magic is a magical fantasy by Edward Eager. Edward Eager has written several books about magical adventures.
Half Magic begins when four children find an interesting looking coin in a crack in the ground. Soon they find out that if you wish something while holding the coin it comes half true. The children go on many magical adventures by wishing everything twice. After awhile the magic starts wearing down. The children decide to give the coin to another child so the magic can go on forever and ever.
I liked this story because it has lots of different settings. If you don't like fantasy very much you could enjoy this book because it travels into history and takes you through some historical events. I would recommend this book to a third grader up to a sixth grader who likes magic and adventures.

A Magical Book
A Magical Book
Half Magic
By: Edward Eager

Half Magic is about 4 children, Jane, Mark, Martha, and Katharine who get a magical coin that only works by halves. Jane the oldest always seems to be different from her siblings. Because she doesn't appear to agree with them much. Mark the only boy and is the second oldest child, doesn't mind much about being the only man around the house and doesn't become annoyed with his sisters much theat often although he wishes to have a dad. Martha the middle child is always ignored by her family. But she is let to say her opinions and ideas very often in necessary times. And Katharine the youngest does mostly annoying things to her siblings that might explain for being shoved under a movie theater seat! But Katherine doesn't mind she just choose to sleep through it.
So these creative children's adventure takes time long ago when movies didn't have any sound and had to be written down. The 4 children's adventures include many things put back in history into Camelot and in the desert. There are man more places that journeys have been taken. Now the old charms to only be worked by halves. The children at first had the coin and coincidently made a wish. But they had not known that the coin had given there wish but only half of it. Then one day when there mother had the coin, she thought it was a nickel and made a wish that she would be home, and only got half of it. She than found herself in the road halfway from home. And there she found a very nice gentleman who gave her a lift there home . Then the children got suspicious and knew what it was now. They had also find out theat you had to wish more than its value to get what you really want. Like " I wish I was twice as far from here.
They had many more adventures then that besides being half invisible . The nice gentleman got to know the family even more on this incredible journey. I believe the theme is " never make a wish without making it worth twice more than what you really want". As my opinion this book is one of the best book I 've picked up on the library's shelf not even knowing what great things were in the book. ... Read more

Book Description

Countless children -- and their parents -- can joyfully recite the familiar words of this beloved alphabet chant. The perfect pairing of Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault's lively rhymes, and Caldecott Honor artist Lois Ehlert's bright, bold, cheerful pictures made Chicka Chicka Boom Boom an instant hit and a perennial favorite.

This full-sized, quality paperback edition will bring even more fans to this endearing, enduring classic.

Chicka chicka boom boom!
Will there be enough room?

There will always be room for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom on every child's bookshelf! ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Go ahead and emphasize the rhythm!
"Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom! Will there be enough room?"

The simple, rhythmic text of this book just begs to be chanted as you read it to your young child. Go ahead and lose your self-consciousness and do it: Your child will love the book and learn the alphabet to boot!

The story line is simple: the lower case letters pass along the word that everyone is going to climb to the top of the coconut tree. Just after z makes it up the tree, "Uh-oh! Oh, no! Chicka chicka BOOM BOOM!" The uppercase letters come along to "hug their little dears and dust their pants." I understand this is where the board book version of this story ends, but I would highly recommend that you buy the regular version instead.

In the full-length version, the lower case letters get up from the jumble with all their bumps and bruises and head home. But after the sun goes down, "a gets out of bed and this is what he said, 'Dare, Double Dare! You can't catch me! I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree!' Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!"

If you have fun with it, your young children will love to listen to it. The alphabet is printed in its entirity (upper and lower case letters) in the fly leaves of the book, and these are great to point to while singing the alphabet song or play a quick game of "What's that?" before or after reading the book. And your child will quickly start to chant the story along with you, I'm sure!

I, for one, was thrilled when my two-year old started bringing it to me and saying, "Read it, Mommy! Read it, the Boom Boom!" He's learning his letters and having fun. For what more could I ask?

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
This is hands down the best book for children age 3 and under that I have ever encountered (and we have over 1,000 children's books in our home!). I began reading it to my oldest child when she was 2 months old, and by 16 months, she could recite the alphabet AND identify all 26 letters of the alphabet-- upper AND lower case! I give most of the credit to this wonderful book (but keep in mind, we read it EVERYDAY, often times, several times a day!) My youngest child picks this book out of the shelf first and foremost. He is only 13 months old, but he absolutely loves this book and prefers it over most toys. Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault have more than a classic here, not to mention the great illustrations by Lois Ehlert. If you're looking for the perfect book to teach your children the alphabet or you just simply want an entertaining book that is sure to be a hit, look no further. This is it!

Toddler's Loving it!!!
This is now our regular nighttime read. My 18 month old daughter gets an absolute kick out of it! She says the BOOM, BOOM! part when we get to it. While I read the part "up the coconut tree", I walk my fingers up the tree. It really seems to get and keep her attention. Every parent should own this book!!

Ellamennow P
A word of warning. If you haven't a rhythmic bone in your body, you'd best not be reading "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" anytime soon. This book is arguably the best known alphabet book on the market today. Telling a tale of alphabetic foolhardiness, a troop of lower case letters (all of them, in fact) go bounding up the nearby coconut tree for a variety of reasons. When the tree can no longer support their weight the little letters find themselves splayed out on the ground. Fortunately the big letters come along to comfort the little ones, though it's obvious by the end that not all have learned their lesson.

Verses of the letters' exploits are intermixed with chants like so;

"Chicka chick boom boom!
Will there be enough room?
Here comes H
Up the coconut tree"

The text has a nice rhythmic quality to it. A kind of onomatopoetic elegance. And the illustrations, while not particularly stunning, fulfill their purpose excellently. It's a good read-aloud story for kids learning their alphabet, and would fit into any storytime excellently. A fun feisty book.

alphabet
this book is great for little children because it teaches them their alphabet. the author of the book did a good job rhyming words that match the letter. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Magic abounds in Edward Eager's world. Whether his young heroes andheroines are awash in a lake full of magic, making double wishes on a half-magiccoin, cavorting with Robin Hood and Ivanhoe, or "thyme" traveling, theadventures simply never stop. Eager's ability to mingle reality with fantasy,his delectable wordplay, and light, witty touch make all four of theseadventures pure delight. With perfect new cover art by Quentin Blake, as well asthe original interior drawings by N.M. Bodecker, this collection ofpaperbacks--including HalfMagic, Knight'sCastle, Magic by theLake, and The TimeGarden--deserves an exalted place on every bookshelf of classics. (Ages8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (16)

These books are timeless!
I read "Half Magic" and "Magic by the Lake" as a young girl and absolutely loved them then. Now, years later, I decided to order a set for my young nieces, knowing they will enjoy them as much as I did. Unable to resist, I opened a few of the books before sending them on to the girls. I was so happy to discover that my assessment all those years ago was right on: These books are extremely well-written, creative, fun and, of course, magical! I highly recommend this set.

Charming Children's Fantasy
My brothers, ages seven and nine, have just discovered Edward Eager's marvelous books this summer. They have been tearing through everything they can find. Eager's novels have instant appeal; these are stories about normal kids who discover extraordinary magic in ordinary places. The magic always comes with sensible rules, and the dangerous parts in the stories are just scary enough for a bit of a thrill.

Eager has packed his books with allusions to other pieces of literature: the Arabian Nights, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and, of course, E. Nesbit. This is fun for adults, but also gives kids the initiative to broaden their on literary scope.

These are very refreshing little books: as charming as the omnipresent Harry Potter series (which my brothers also relish, of course), without being so self-serious. It should be noted that because these were written half a century ago, there is some racial stereotyping going on (cannibalistic islanders who go "ooga-booga eatum children!", a rather insensitive caricature of a fellow by the name of "Achmed the Arab"). It may be necessary to explain to children that this aspect of the book is disrespectful, etc.

This collection is a good place to start, although it does not include my personal favorite, Seven Day Magic, which I highly recommend you buy along with this set. You'll want to read them all!

Run, don't walk, and Hit your "Buy With 1-Click Now!"
Every word Edward Eager wrote was magical - I started with "Half Magic" when I was eight, and the enchantment drove me to read every book he ever wrote, AND every book he ever referred to in his books! He opened worlds to me, the brilliant classical magic stories of Edith Nesbit, "Ivanhoe," "Little Women" and many, many others. Edward Eager made me a reader, then a lit student, then a librarian, and more than 40 years after discovering "Half Magic," he is still my very favorite writer. If you have children and grandchildren who like to hear you read to them, you won't be sorry you invested in Edward Eager.

Half Magic
i gave this book only 3 1/2 stars because it jumped around. it is a great fairtale without the fairys. it had adventure and danger also, friends and family. i think you will have a great time reading this clasic book. you may even beable to relate to the characters. have fun reading.

The best, funniest, and most imaginative magic books ever
Knight's Castle was the first Edward Eager book I read and after that I could not get enough of them. Thirty years later they still make me laugh out loud and marvel at how surprising they are.

The element of surprise is the key, and what I've always felt Harry Potter lacked. Eager's kids are regular kids--just like the reader and her or his friends--who stumble across some thing or other that turns out to be magic. The children can control the magic thing, but first have to figure out exactly what it is, how to make it work for them, and what the catch is because there is always a catch. In the meantime all sorts of goofy stuff is going on all around them and they've got to corral the magic if they want it to do something special, which they always do.

Most of the books feature an age-range of characters, and a good balance of girls and boys. Eager's kids are always readers(which is why such fabulous things happen to them!) and which is fun for children who are readers themselves.

Any kid with a sense of humor and a yen for surprises will love these books. ... Read more

Book Description

The Breadwinner brings to life an issue that has recently exploded in the international media — the reality of life under the Taliban. Young Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan. Because he has a foreign education, her father is arrested by the Taliban, the religious group that controls the country. Since women cannot appear in public unless covered head to toe, or go to school, or work outside the home, the family becomes increasingly desperate until Parvana conceives a plan. She cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy to earn money for her family. Parvana’s determination to survive is the force that drives this novel set against the backdrop of an intolerable situation brought about by war and religious fanaticism. Deborah Ellis spent several months talking with women and girls in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan and Russia. This suspenseful, timely novel is the result of those encounters. Royalties from the sale of The Breadwinner will go toward educating Afghan girls in Pakistani refugee camps. “A potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive ... conditions.” — Booklist ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The BreadWinner
The BreadWinner is a fantastic book.It is full of adventure.It's about a little girl,named Parvana,who lives in Afghanistan during a time when girls wern't alowed to go outside without a man to work and get money.But one day her father went away to prison wich meant they had no other boy to go out and get the food and milk they needed. One day they needed food so bad they shaved Parvana's hair off so she could look like a boy and could get the food.This was a new experience for Parvana.Every day she would go out and raise money by selling things and reading and writting letters for the people to get money then she would get the food for the family.If you want find out more about this book I think you should read it.

The Breadwinner
The BreadWinner is a fantastic book.It is full of adventure.It's about a little girl, named Parvana, who lives in Afghanistan during a time when girls weren't allowed to go outside without a man to work and get money. But one day her father went away to prison wich meant they had no other boy to go out and get the food and milk they needed. Soon they needed food so badly they shaved Parvana's hair off so she could look like a boy and could get the food.This was a new experience for Parvana. Every day she would go out and earn money by selling things or reading and writting letters for the people. Then she would buy the food for the family. If you want find out more about this book I think you should read it.

Fabulous
I taught this book to my sixth grade class last year-an easy read technically but mature ideas, but easily 90% of the students loved it so much that I had to order the next book-and then the next one as well! Thought provoking for everyone who has grown up with all the necessities and more. A great perspective on the real world right now. Even though it is about a young girl, boys thoroughly enjoyed reading about her adventures. The best part? All proceeds go to Women for Women, a charitible organization in Afghanistan.

Breadwinner
I really liked the book The Breadwinner. It had some exciting moments that just made me want to keep reading. Every day Parvana dressed up like a boy and went to sell things in the market place. While she was sitting on her mat a mysterious lady would drop little presents down to her from her room above Parvana. I always wanted to find out what she would give Parvana the next day and the next day. There were also some sad parts to this story about Parvana and her life in Afghanistan. Women and girls had to wear turbans on their face and they couldn't show any skin. Girls could only go outside with men. She had a hard time being a girl in Afghanistan. Her father was in jail and she had to act like a boy and work the family jobs. Parvana is a very smart and courageous girl with a strong mind.

A Must Read
This story takes place in Afghanistan. It's an amazing book. It's so realalistic that you're imagining it in your head. The main Character is Parvana. She goes on an adventure to find money to buy food and belongings for her family. When you are done reading this book yoou will want to read more and more of the book. Also, It tells you alot about the things they do in Afghanistan. I recommend this book to everyone to read because it's so good!! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (67)

The Hundred Dresses
Wanda Petronski is a poor Polish child living with her father in Boggins Heights. She wears the same ill-fitting blue dress every day. One day Wanda tells the other girls that she has one hundred beautiful dresses in her closet. The other girls don't believe her because she wears the same dress every day. The girls make up the hundred dresses game to tease Wanda. Maddie decides one day that the hundred dresses game is wrong but she is afraid to stand up to the other girls. Then Wanda isn't at school for several days. When there is a contest at school nobody thinks about Wanda until her one hundred drawings of her dresses win the contest. All the other children are amazed at Wanda's drawings. The teacher tells them that Wanda has moved away and that they will have to forward her award to her new home. Maddie decides to write Wanda a letter apologizing for teasing her and send it to her new address. She never finds out if Wanda gets the letter but she learns a valuable lesson about the consequences of her actions. This is an older book but it teaches valuable lessons about teasing and prejudice. It also teaches children that there are consequences to their actions. This is a great book to have in your classroom or at home. This book is on reading lists for grades 4 - 6 but the lessons it teaches can be used for children of all ages. This book can be used in connection with language arts, social studies, and math.

It was fun to read!
The Hundred Dresses is about a girl named Wanda Protronski. Wanda is poor and has no mother. She lives up on Boggins Heights. Some girls make fun of her. The name of the mean girl that teases Wanda is Peggy. Peggy is pretty, neat, and very popular. Her best friend is Maddie. Maddie is messy, poor, and sort of popular. Almost all of her clothes are hand-me-down. Classroom 13 has a drawing contest and Wanda wins. Everyone thought that Peggy was going to win. Wanda leaves town and moves to the city. Peggy and Maddie try to get her to come back. This took place at the school's playground, classroom 13, and in Boggins Heights. I thought this was a wonderful book because it tells why you should be nice to people and not tease them. I recommend this book for 3rd-5th graders because it is a little to hard for lower grades and too easy for higher grades.

Missing the Point
(...)
An incredibly ugly depiction of a little Polish girl and her classmates making fun of her. Promotes the stereotypical "Dumb Pollack" without showing any betterment of the little girl's situation. I found this book very offensive. I had ordered it as a gift for a little girl, but this book is wildy inappropriate in that there is no moral resolution at the end. The tormenters get away with their harassment, and there is only suffering for the Polish girl. The only thing it would teach a child is that you can get away with being bigoted and rude to others. Too bad Amazon doesn't allow for a zero rating because this because deserves it. "

(...) Of course it is an ugly story; it is also realistic. Children do treat one another that way; adults do too. As another reviewer pointed out, although the little Polish girl is not stated explicitly to be Jewish, it is very much a Holocaust story; although she is definately not African-American, it is a Civil Rights story; although she is (probably) not a Lesbian, it is a gay-bashing story. It is the story of anyone who is put upon because she/he is or is percieved as 'different', and how this sort of thing can only go on when good people stand by and do nothing.

Of the two other little girls in the story, the one who makes fun of the poor Polish girl and the other who stands by and doesn't want to defend her (although she knows she should)--how do you think they feel at the end of the story? Will they do it again? And, what if later 'the shoe is on the other foot', and they find themselves victims?

Every child will be able to identify with each of the children in the story, and the story can be a starting point for discussions of prejudice, bullying, and many other important moral topics. The book doesn't give pat answers, nor does it tell us what to think--but it gives us an opportunity to think about these things.

Wanda Petronski's Success Story
This story about Wanda Petronski, an immigrant girl from a poor family ridiculed by her more popular, wealthier and American-born classmates is as relevant to children today as when it was first published. I read and re-read this book as a child; like Wanda, I was the only one in my class with a funny-sounding Eastern European last name. Fortunately, my situation was not as dire as hers, but I felt Wanda and I were kindred souls.

Estes' perceptive take on the effect of cliques of popular girls and the influence they wield was ahead of its time. The relationships between the girls echoes what we read today in books like "Odd Girl Out" and "Queen Bees and Wannabes." Peggy, an Alpha Girl if there ever was one, ridicules Wanda's foreigness and the shabby blue dress (her only dress) that she washes and irons each night to wear the next day. Maddie, Peggy's wannabe friend, is troubled by Peggy's insensitivity but is afraid to speak up. Maddie's afraid that Peggy might turn on her, too. Then, Wanda stops coming to school. The other children forget about Wanda, but Maddie still thinks about her and wonders what happened to her. She persuades Peggy to go visit Wanda's house on the wrong side of the tracks; the part of town where the poor people and "foreigners" live. Wanda has moved away to a larger city, but the experience of knowing Wanda has changed Maddie for the better. She's more independent and willing to question Peggy and the values she represents. She's more open and empathetic to the experiences of people from different and less fortunate backgrounds than her.

And what becomes of Wanda? In this book's wonderfully ingenious ending, Wanda takes her poverty and marginalization and turns to a creative end. Wanda, so poor that she only owns one dress, paints pictures of a hundred dresses and sends them back to the class at her old school. Wanda refuses to be victimized by her classmate's ridicule. Instead, she becomes an artist! I loved this ending as a child; it shows how children can overcome their problems with imagination and a respect for their own inner lives.

Louis Slobodkin's illustrations complement the story perfectly (he also collaborated with Estes on the Moffat books). His evocative artwork supplies just the right amount of detail and leaves the rest to the reader's imagination. This is a truly great work of children's literature and we should rejoice that it's still in print.

Great Second/Third Grade Fiction
Wanda, who has no mother and lives with her father, wears the same dress to school but claims she has 100 beautiful dresses in her closet at home. She is teased by other students. Wanda moves away and the truth behind her hundred dresses is revealed. Is it too late to make amends?
(...) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Lois Ehlert, beloved illustrator of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom andmany other bold, beautiful picture books has outdone herself with this gorgeous(seriously breathtaking) celebration of butterfly metamorphosis. "Out in thefields, eggs are hidden from view, / clinging to leaves with butterfly glue. /Soon caterpillars hatch. They creep and chew. / Each one knows what it must do."As the gentle rhyme unfolds, we turn the small, partial pages that form thelarger spread of fabulous foliage in this lush, oversized book. Before our eyes,the eggs turn to caterpillars, the caterpillars to cases, the cases to lovelybutterflies. "They pump their wings, get ready to fly, then hungry butterflieshead for the sky." The colors become increasingly dazzling, each butterflyspringing to life with Ehlert's color-soaked cut-paper magic. Several pages ofbackground material conclude the book, labeling different kinds of butterfliesat different stages of development, from the buckeye butterfly to the paintedlady to the monarch. A "Butterfly Information" page clearly labels butterflyanatomy and answers basic question about these fascinating fluttery insects, a"Flower Identification" page showcases butterfly-attracting flowers such as thepurple coneflower (echinacea), phlox, and lantana, and the last page offers afew pointers on growing a butterfly garden. (Ages 3 to 6) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Elegantly beautiful.
This is not a storybook, but it is a book to be loved. With interesting art in vibrant colors, the book describes the life cycle of the butterfly in poetry and then presents more detailed information on moths and butterflies -- and about which flowers will attract them. The inventive art, on odd-size pages, is outstanding. Some of the art is geometrical, some looks like paper cutouts layered to look three-dimensional. And don't worry about the dust jacket -- if it rips, just pitch it -- the gorgeous art is repeated on the book cover itself.

Waiting For Wings Soars!
This delightful story explains the life cycle of the butterfly in a clear, enjoyable way that young children will understand. The rich language with many action verbs and the author's clever use of rhyme make this book appealing to young children. The size of the illustrations are consistent with the story grammer as the pictures are largest at the point of climax in the story- when the butterflies are ready to fly. The illustrations are very brilliant in color which will appeal to young children. The end papers and title page are illustrated and a part of the story. The cover opens up to a large flower garden with the title on the right side. Descriptions of butterflies, flowers and how to grow a butterfly garden are included.
This book will help young children gain a better understanding of nature and enhance their early literacy skills at the same time.

Toddlers and Babies, too!
I have a three year old daughter who must be read to before sleeping. I also have a three month old baby girl who is often in the bed with us while we read. Often, the baby is restless and cries before we finish our books. Waiting for Wings is a fabulous solution. I find this interesting AND educational for my toddler. In addition, the colors are bright and contrasting, allowing my baby to be entertained while the book is read.

Just O.K.
... I was disappointed when I actually got the book. It may be good for the 1-3-year-old set, but my 4-year-old is much more sophisticated about butterflies than this book addresses. For the same money, there are alot of other books that have more beautiful artwork. Don't waste your money-check this one out from the library instead!

My daughter loves this book!
My 3 year old daughter loves this book! Beautiful drawings of flowers and butterflies. The drawback was that for a couple months after getting this book, we had to read it every night, and we had to name every butterfly on every page. "What kind of butterfly is this?" "That's a Monarch butterfly." "What kind of butterfly is this?" "That's a Tiger swallowtail butterfly." I'm sure that's good in the long run, but holy cow, she was obsessed with this book! :) Thankfully, the obsession dwindled a bit, and now we can enjoy our occasional readings of the book together. I do recommend this book! ... Read more

Book Description

1 told 2
and 2 told 3,
"I'll race you to the top
of the apple tree."

One hundred and one numbers climb the apple tree in this bright, rollicking, joyous book for young children. As the numerals pile up and bumblebees threaten, what's the number that saves the day? (Hint: It rhymes with "hero.") Read and count and play and laugh to learn the surprising answer. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Chicka, Chicka -One-derful!
Every kindergarten teacher must have this book! We will all need a chicka, chicka apple tree in our classrooms (to accompany our Chicka, Chicka coconut trees.) In the same style as Chicka, Chicka Boom, Boom, this book features the numbers climbing an apple tree. 1-20 climb, and then counting by 10's until 100 is at the top of the apple tree! Enjoy sharing this with your class! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ages 1-3. This appetizing alphabet book shows fruits and vegetables so juicy and alive, you'll wish they could jump off the page and into your mouth. Even vegetable haters will find it hard to resist the vibrantly colored collage illustrations, which make each item look fascinating and appealing. Long a favorite picture book, this title is now available in a smaller board book edition, just right for introducing toddlers to the mysteries of endive, kiwifruit and papaya. Booklist called the original "bright, bold... well designed." ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Take this book to the grocery store
We found this book at the library and I'm buying my own copy. It is colorful, has the alphabet in capital and lower case letters, AND they managed to find a fruit or veggie to go with every letter! There is also a section on the pronunciation and a little history of each fruit/vegetable in the back of the book (library edition).

My boys are 3 yrs old and have been coming to the grocery store with me since birth. However, they are also starting to become picky eaters. I plan to take this book to the grocery store and we can learn alphabet letters and find the produce items to match. Maybe I can even expand their taste preferences as we try a new "letter" each visit. Now if they just had a little cookbook to go with this book.....

Great book to teach fruit, alphabet and colors
My daughter liked this book. She learned the alphabet, colors and some names of fruits. This book has it all. Good book for 3 years and up.

A classic
Excellent! All three of my children adored the board book version of Eating the Alphabet. It provides a nice way to expose toddlers to a variety of interesting fruits and vegetables -- they get a kick out of repeating words like "jicama" and "jalapeno". Highly recommended.

Delicious!
The board book version of this title is cute, but treat yourself ( and your child,too!) to the full-sized hardcover edition. It's a feast for the eyes! Yum!

Very Nice
This is a very nice board-book. The illustrations are bright and eye-catching, featuring all the usual fruits and vegetables as well as some of the more exotic ones. Each letter is printed in both upper- and lower-case, as are all the names of the fruits and vegetables (Yy YAM yam). This board book--based on a picture book for slightly older children--is probably best suited for toddlers who can identify some of the familiar items. It would be an ideal gift for a vegetarian or vegan family as it shows absolutely no animal products! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

For Inquiring Minds
Children of all ages will enjoy this book, especially if they love to grow plants. Growing Vegetable Soup is also woderfully illustrated. I used this book in a Literacy Bag in conjuction with a Peter Rabbit Garden created by my university. An activity that can be used with the book for young children would be a matching game--vegetable or tool picture to word. ... Read more

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A rollicking alphabet chant for the youngest child! ... Read more

Reviews (22)

What a great book!
As the parent of two kids, age 2 1/2 and 9 months, who has ready this book about 8000 times, I can safely say this is a baby/toddler classic. The syncopation, the bright letters, the build up to a hysterical ending (well, if you're 2!) all add up to a great experience for a young child.

We've got two versions of the book--the board one, which ends with the letters falling out of the tree, and the regular one, which ends with a climbing up that silly tree again. Although I prefer the regular one -- "l is knotted like a tie!" -- my kids really like the version that ends with a chicka chicka boom BOOM!

Although we've not pushed learning letters on our older child, she can recognize the ones in the pictures. While it remains to be seen whether that has any effect on her academic progress, we've all had a delightful time reading together.

Delightfully entertaining for little babies!
This exciting little board book introduces the alphabet to infants in a humorous game of tag, "a told b, and b told c, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree. Whee! Said d to e f g, I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree." The entire lowercase alphabet makes it to the top of the coconut tree and "chicka chicka boom boom," they all fall down! Colorful and eye-catching, the artwork bewitches little ones, while the sing-songy prose encourages listening and learning. Birth and up.

This book was edited from its original form to accommodate board book standards and objectives - to appeal to newborns, and very young children who are not attentive enough for the full text. "Chicka Chicka abc," is delightfully entertaining for little babies with short attention spans, who enjoy the positive interaction of cooperative play - reading. I do agree that the original edition, "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" is actually more amusing, but is in fact more appropriate for older children, 2 years and older. If you must choose between the two interpretations, purchase the original - it is a scream!

Good for toddlers too
My three and a half year old nephew is just starting to learn his letters and he enjoys the ABCD rhyme of this cute board book. He likes to study the pile of letters after they've all fallen out of the tree and find different ones upside down and scattered. It's short and sweet and the rhyme is soothing--also for weary grownups after a long day with the kids!

Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM (again and again and again...)
My 15 month old son absolutely loves this book. He brings it to us to read over and over again and repeats "boom" when all of the letters fall down at the end. He also points to the letters and the coconuts to ask what they are. While the book was not a personal favorite of mine at first, once I got into reading the text with rhythm and syncopation and saw how much joy my little guy got from reading it with me, I changed my mind. My husband and I now have this book memorized. Chicka Chicka A B C is a real winner and geared perfectly to toddler "short attention span theatre"!

First book my baby loved
We received many books when our daughter was born and wanted to read to her right away even though she was newborn. This was the only book she would react to -- she loved it right away. It has great rhymes and bright colors. The full length book is also great, but she has managed to destroy that since it has paper pages. The board book is still one of her favorites after 14 months. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great bird book
This is a wonderful little book for children to learn some common American birds and their calls. The story is about a cat trying to catch a bird for lunch but the bell on the collar keeps giving him away, hence "feathers for lunch" but the illustrations are almost all birds such as the Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Morning Dove, House Wren, Northern Flicker, etc... My little boy actually likes Ehlert's "Top Cat" better, but this story has seen many readings. My boy can tell the difference between several birds that he sees in his backyard. Recommended for the little birders.

Terrific Book
This book, along with TOP CAT by the same author, are my kids' favorite books (ages 6,4 and 2). And I love them, too! I never tire of reading them out loud, although both of my older children can recite the book and "read" it themselves now. We checked it out from the library and kept renewing it over and over because the kids loved it so much. We finally bought our own copy and I know the kids are going to fight over who gets to take it with them when they move out 15 or so years from now. :) It is a delightful story and I love how Ms. Ehlert labels everything. I especially like the details provided at the end regarding the birds shown throughout the book.

Continues to be a favorite
Entertaining, colorful, informative --- what's not to like? I have to admit, however, that I feel sorry for the cat.

A must-have for young children
This wonderful book was the first favorite book of both my children; now the 5-year-old chants along from memory when the 18-month-old demands her daily reading(s). My only complaint about Feathers for Lunch is that it isn't available in a board book form--ours is held together with tape!

A practically perfect childrens book!
Bright, bold, uncluttered illustrations and a jaunty rhyme make this a perfect book for children ages 1-4. Toddlers and older can also learn to recognize some common North American birds. -One of our daughters' favorites. ... Read more

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Book Description

Reviews (2)

Clever Book!
My 3 year old daughter loves this book! We borrowed it from our local library, read it 2-3 times daily, and had great trauma returning it. It has now been a month since it went back and she is still talking about it and has it on her christmas list. She has impressed the neighbors by asking if they had any morning glories or delphiniums and she was eager to help me plant my bulbs and explore all the flowers in our yard. She has always been a flower lover, but this book really stimulated her interest.

Planting A Rainbow
My son and I BOTH loved this book. It was both fun to read and informative. The pictures were brilliant with color and seemed to bounce off the page. Every color of the rainbow was represented. After we finished reading the book, my son wanted to plant his own rainbow. It awakened his curiousity. ... Read more

Book Description

In Parvana’s Journey, the Taliban still control Afghanistan, but Kabul is in ruins. Parvana’s father has just died, and her mother, sister, and brother could be anywhere in the country. Parvana knows she must find them. Despite her youth, Parvana sets out alone, masquerading as a boy. She soon meets other children who are victims of war — an infant boy in a bombed-out village, a nine-year-old girl who thinks she has magic powers over landmines, and a boy with one leg. The children travel together, forging a kind of family out of sheer need. The strength of their bond makes it possible to survive the most desperate conditions. Royalties from this book will go toward an education fund for Afghan girls in Pakistani refugee camps. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

THE BEST BOOK EVER
This book is one of the best books ive ever read. It tells a story about a young girl named parvana and her struggling family.When Parvana's father is taken to prison Parvana being the middle child is forced to cut her hair, dress up as a boy and get a job to help her family afford food.

A portrait of a desperate life.
I read "Parvana's Journey" over Thanksgiving break. This book, the sequel to Ellis' "The Breadwinner", continues the story of Parvana, a young Afghan girl who disguises herself as a boy in order to help her family survive. In this one, Parvana's been separated from her mom and siblings, and her father has just died. She travels across Afghanistan, picking up refugees as she goes along (including an infant boy, a boy missing a leg, and a girl who believes she is magically protected against mine fields). This installment was even more heartwrenching than the last and it is truly the perfect novel to read at Thanksgiving time - it makes you remember what you should be thankful for.

Endless sorrow....well written
This book is an emotional loopty-loop. It really brought to life the poverty and hunger that "we" feel is so far away...death,,,killing,,,mourning,,,sorrow and graves were plentyful in this book. It shows the world the social issues from a resident's perspective. Although there were many sad times in the book, it was well written and deserves to be a bestseller. (hopefully this book will push ppl to join peace corps. to Afganistan) ... Read more

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Reviews (1)

Perfection / La perfección
What a delight to find a rhyming book that emerges from translation as captivating as the original! This lovely book with cut-paper illustrations has entranced children as young as two years old, who delight in imitating the bird sounds and following along to call out "tilín, tilín" as the cat's bell warns off the birds he wants so much to catch. I fell in love with the book in English, but I consider the Spanish version a hallmark of translation at its finest. No one with whom I have shared either version has escaped its spell.

¡Qué gozo encontrar un libro de rima que resulta de traducción tan capaz como el original de captivar al lector! Este libro hermoso de ilustraciones de papel picado ha encantado a niños de solo 2 años, quienes gozan imitar los sonidos de los pájaros y seguir a sonar "tilín, tilín" cada vez que el cascabel del gato avisa y corre los pájaros que el mismo desea tanto capturar. Me enamoré de este libro en inglés, pero yo considero que la versión española es un ejemplar perfecto de la mejor en traducción. Nadie con quien he repartido este libro -- en inglés o en español -- haya evitado resultar encantado. ... Read more

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Reviews (38)

Ginger Pye (great book)
This great book is about a boy named Jerry and his sister Rachel who wants to buy a dog.There also is another person who wants to buy the same dog. The dog cost $1.They find the money just in time before the another person buys it.That night though, they hear foot-steps behind them.They see the person that night all they see is a yellow hat.The hat never bothers them again, until Thanksgiving day it stills the dog they think. You have to read the book to see who stole their dog named Ginger ,and if Ginger ever comes back.Book by Eleanor Estes.

Ginger Pye
I think this book is very good because every time a new chapter starts, a mystery begins which leaves the reader in suspense. The plot is about a dog that is really intelligent and someone wants to steal the dog. The person who stole it was Wally Bullwinkle. I think the author describes the dog really good. For example, the dog picks up the pencil and gives it to Jerry Pye during school. The author keeps on describing the dog, which shows that he is very intelligent. I really recommend this book because it is easy to read and it has a lot of adventure in it.

Ginger Pye
Jerry Pye wanted a dog to keep, and not to lose, so he got Ginger and taught him new tricks. Later in the book someone steals Ginger, and Jerry and his little sister can not find Ginger at all. Later strange things happen to them like they remember that the person who stole Ginger had a yellow hat on and later they see Jerry's friend wearing what looked like the same hat. This book is charactor driven because the charactors feelings change throught out the book. For example, Jerry feels great when he gets Ginger, but feels really sad when Ginger gets stolen. There are also many charactors that you get to know. After awhile you know evaryone in the story and you don't want to put the book down. This story is fun and exciting in the beginning, but in the middle it gets sad because Ginger gets stolen and all the Pyes are sad that Ginger wont be home for Christmas. After awhile things start to turn around at the Pyes house.

well written, but the children over-look LOTS of clues...
This book is mostly about a brother and a sister whose dog disappears, while still a puppy. They spend most of the book wondering who took their dog and looking for their dog.

I had a hard time with the clues that they over-looked, as they were supposed to be intelligent children!

Other than that, it was an enjoyable read. There is a tiny amount of religion in the book, and the little girl prays to god for the dog to come home. Going to church is viewed positively by the author. As an agnostic, it bothered me a little. Just a little.

I read the book aloud to my 7 and 10 and they both enjoyed the story much more than I did.

Ginger Pye
Ginger Pye is the story of two siblings, Jerry and Rachel Pye, and their very intelligent dog, Ginger. Jerry wants to study rocks when he grows up and Rachael wants to study birds like her father. The children are very inquisitive and worry about things constantly. This book is a suspenseful mystery. The mystery begins when Ginger is stolen. The children think that an unsavory character in a yellow hat stole him; they search all over town for their beloved puppy.
This book is witty and funny. The children ask strange things throughout the novel like whether New York or Boston is more important. I think this book would be great for any child; it kept my attention. This is definitely a book that I will read again. ... Read more

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“Luckily for Edward Eager’s fans, the children in his latest book are just as lively and literary as those in Half Magic.”--The New York Times Book Review
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Reviews (14)

The "Magic" of Books
John, Susan, Barnaby (never Barney!), Abbie and Fredericka just LOVE books! Every Saturday is a self-proclaimed “Book Day” and they head to the local library to check out exciting books. As the story opens, they are all sitting in the local library discussing their desire to find a magic book. When it is time to check out their books, Susan grabs a battered red leather-bound book from the shelf, almost as an after-thought. As the librarian checks out the books, she stamps the red book, eyes the children curiously, and states, “THIS is a 7 Day book.” With that the adventures begin. In this book, Mr. Eager pays homage to the great children’s author Edith Nesbit and even mentions the Oz books…among many other popular and historical literary references. The magic in this book isn’t the “do-gooder” magic used as a basis for his books “Magic or Not?” and “The Well-Wishers” …in fact, this book even has a dragon! A fine book in the tradition of magic themed books for children and one of Eager’s better works.

One of his best!
My 5-year-old son and I are making our way through Edward Eager's books, based on my love for them (especially "Half Magic") as a child. I found this one of the best, because of the coherent theme in this book of the magic as "book magic," and the drawing into the book of events and characters from other books that most children are familiar with. We recently watched "The Wizard of Oz," we've read several of the Little House books, and of course, "Half Magic," all of which are part of "Seven-Day Magic," so it was a real treat to my son to hear about Oz and Laura and Mary and magic talismans in the current read.

seven day magic
seven day-magic is an amazingly magical book. It is about 5 children(Abbie,john,Susan,Barnaby,and Fredricka) who finds a magic book that changes their lives forever. Everyone gets a wish,even granny! Sometimes they don't get what they wanted and their wish turns into a disaster!! They can only have the book for 7 days. the book was the best thing that ever happened to them,so on the seventh day they are sad to take the book back. This would be a great book for anyone that likes magic. Anyone at any age can read this book. Almost anyone can relate to any of the characters! I definitely suggest this book!!

Meet a Meta-Fantasy
By "meta-fantasy", i mean that this is a fantasy about fantasy -- even referencing the author's own fiction *as* fiction.

And it is hilarious. As soon as Susan begins reading aloud from the seven-day book that she checked out of the library on a whim... nd reads the opening paragraphs of the book that the reader is already holding in his hands, we know we're in for a strange ride, indeed, even for Edward Eager, who gave us "Half Magic" (in which there is a magic charm which grants one-half of what one wishes; a wish to visit a desert island puts one in the Sahara -- "Desert, yes -- island, no.") and "The Time Garden" (in which one set of magically-adventuring children rescue another set from another of his books from cannibals).

So first read the "Half Magic" books (currently available as a boxed set), then grab this one and fasten your seat belts, keep arms and hands inside the car at all times, and enjoy the ride.

SPECTACULAR!
As a teenager reading this book really helped me get into my imagination. I have always been a firm believer in magic and this book just went right along with my belief. Follow Barnaby, John, Abbie, Susan, and Fredricka as the step into the world of Fairy tails. When Susan finds an old worn out red book at the library she can't wait to read it. As she opens it to read aloud to her friends, she finds herself reading about herself. This is very strange if you ask me. Susan has obviously come across a magic book, and sadly they may only use it for seven days on account that it is a library book, and they all have there due dates. As the children get wound up in there adventure, the reader begins to wonder. Could the magic get the better of the children? Could it lead to disaster...or worse, the distruction of their friendship. Please read this book to find out. It is wonderful and great. A great read aloud to children. Also try The Well Wishers, and Half Magic, both by Mr. Eager and both equal to the greatness of 7 Day Magic. I hope you enjoy this wonderful book. ... Read more

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Reviews (5)

Snowball o' fun
You walk into your first encounter with "Snowballs" with the vague sense that this is going to be yet another winter picture book containing figures made out of cut paper. And though you are well aware of Ezra Jack Keats's "The Snowy Day", you decide to give Lois Ehlert's book a go anyway. You're hoping you'll end up pleasantly surprised by what you may find. And you're in luck. You are.

In this tale of wintertime bird feeding, the author first poses a hypothetical question: "Do you think birds know when it's going to snow?". As if in answer, we view a pair of cardinals, one male and one female, as they devour some seeds. With the fall of a new snow, it's time to make some snow creatures. In a surprising two page spread we see a brown paper sack and plastic bags full of stuff. The author says that this is "good stuff" saved for this very occasion. The rest of the book then displays snowmen, women, children, pets, etc. made out of everything from strawberries to orange plastic fish. Almost every snow person has something in their make up that is delicious to the wild birds, and occasionally a brave birdy will fly into the picture to nibble on a sunflower seed necklace or munch on a popcorn laden body. At the back of the book are actual size photographs against a white background displaying objects that were featured in the snowmen's bodies earlier. Kids reading the book will enjoy trying to find the page that presented the Guatemalan purse or the Thai appliqué heart. Finally, the reader can find out more about snow itself. Two pages full of snowman photos (all goofy in their own different ways) surround a section entitled, "What makes it snow?". And for those of you that are lucky enough to be reading a hardcover edition of this tale, a recipe for popcorn balls appears on the back book flap.

Admittedly, when you get right down to it, this book is just a paper cut out book after all. But Ehlert has taken the liberty of combining your normal run-of-the-mill paper images with life sized photographs of certain objects. If you look on the cover, you'll see that the bird sitting on the snowman's head is all paper while the piece of popcorn it holds in its beak is a photograph. The result is fairly seamless. We can assume that some Photoshopping has been done here since a couple of these photographed items occasionally cast shadows on their snowpeople. This is a fairly well put together little book. It's difficult to combine stories where fun hunt and peck tales are combined with scientific facts. I'm almost tempted to categorize this book as non-fiction for all its interesting information. Even a quick glance at the back cover consists of thirteen newspaper accounts of snowy weather.

In a way, this book is like an educational "Where's Waldo?". Kids reading it will probably have more fun trying to find the objects listed in the back of the book than they will reading about water droplets and the process of evaporation. Just the same, any book that sneaks a little science into the average child's diet is a-okay by me. You may not find much in the way of plot in this item, but there's enough originality and fun packed in "Snowballs" to keep the doldrums away.

gherring
My 4 year old son loves this book. We first learned of the book in his preschool. He came home one day and talked about this book all afternoon. The next day we checked it out at the library and liked it a lot. The book is very creative and colorful which captures a young child's attention. There are so many different items that we could identify and learn. My son wants me to read this book many times throughout the day and frequently asks when it is going to snow. This is a great book by Lois Ehlert.

Creative Fun
I'm a speech therapist with a prekindergarten at risk program. After reading this book with the children we made our own "snowballs" book. I've never seen 3 and 4 year olds maintain their attention to an activity for so long. We made our own snowmen with three large white circles, put them on the floor and the children could choose any items from our classroonm to make any kind of snowmen they could think of. We then photographed them with their snowmen and put the photos into a book. They were unbelievably creative. Since the activity did not require cutting and glueing it was easy for the children to manipulate and change things as their snowmen "came to life". Some of them used ideas from the book and "modified" a little. The language they expressed while creating was unbelievable! This book is such an excellent resource and motivation for parents in using those "junk" items around the house to help children be creative, and to encourage a natural relaxed way to enhance language development. The book is very engaging for young children. The language is short and simple and the pictures bright and interesting. I liked it so much I ordered one for my niece.

A wonderful children's picture book.
The masterful use of vivid colors and an interesting theme in Snowballs will surely draw any child's attention. The following everyday items: coffee beans, bottle caps, foil candy wrappers, and corn are all used to colorfully illustrate the components of a more realistic snow family. The picture book will inspire your children to go outside and make a snow person, instead