Book Description

Nine animals, nine shapes, and sixteen shades of color'everyone can have fun discovering them all by turning Color Zoo's full-color pages and watching a lion turn into a goat, an ox into a monkey, a tiger into a mouse. . . .

1990 Caldecott Honor Book
Notable Children's Books of 1989 (ALA)
1990 Fanfare Honor List (H) ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Delight!
My 2 year old just discovered this darling book. He enjoys running his fingers over the cut out areas and talks to the animals as they appear. We haven't had any problem with the quality of the book. The pages are nice and thick and have held up to being drag around by my little guy- And I'll admit he can be tough on books! Color zoo has become a night time favorite. This one is a keeper!

Beautiful, Fun, & Educational
I loved this book (1) because it uses primary colors which my daughter adores (2) the animals are very imaginative (3) it teaches so many things (4) it's cardboard, almost impossible for my one year old to destroy.
The excerpts this site gives you doesn't do it any justice. It's very hard to see what it's really like. I suggest going to a bookstore and picking it up to flip through it so you really understand. I think it's brillant!

My daughter loves this book and I hate it!
I bought this book for my two year old daughter because she was learning her colors and shapes. I had bought other books from this author before and have been pleased. The concept of this book is excellent. As you flip each page the cut out shapes form a different (sometimes hard to recognize)animal. My daughter loved to call out the shapes and colors of each page. What I want to know is why they made this book out of such flimsy paper. This book lasted one week before it started losing pages. First the shapes started ripping at the edges and then we lost whole pages. This book is geared for small children but they made it so that it will stand up to only the most delicate adult. My daughter is not very aggressive, this is just a poorly made book. Usually I don't mind if a book becomes tattered through a lot of love but for a book to last one week is just ridiculous. The publishers should be ashamed of themselves! Save your money and aggravation and buy shape books made of sturdy paper or coardboard.

Colorful book that uses shapes in an ingenious way
My daughter (who is only one) loves to flip through this book and look at the different colors and shapes. Because each page has a shape cut out of it, this makes the pages easy for her to grasp and flip. Out of all of her board books, I find myself reaching for his one time and time again because it occupies her the longest. In contrast to some books that she will barely look at and others she will look at only with my direction, this book is one that she will find all on her own and quietly flip through the pages.

Even for me, I find the concept simple but mesmerizing. There is something fascinating about looking at the shape and seeing how the animal changes into a different animal as you flip the page. It makes you think about shapes and colors in a very abstract way.

I would definitely recommend this book as a foundational block in any young child's library. The book itself is sturdy and the colors are bold and vivid. It's a great concept that's been executed effectively.

high quality book
I like this book because the animals are simplified, almost abstract and at first my daughter(2)couldn't recognize them (she was used of more or less realistic illustrations). I think this is very important in recognazing and understanding the basic characterizations of all subjects. Each animal has on the opposite side the geometric shape that the animal is composed of. At first this is very difficult for a two year old (specially octagon and hexagon) but I must say she recognize almost all of them now (2 weeks later). For me english books with almost no text are interesting also because I can teach her foreign language. I really recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience more than just reading stories to children. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (9)

A big hit with bright colors
My 20 month old boy/girl twins LOVE this book. My son has adopted this book as his own and reads it over and over again. We have ordered this book twice and it is on his wish list for Christmas, because, it is not that durable, but still worth it! It is loved so much we buy it for other little people.

Love This Book!
This is my son's (9 months) favorite book - he has loved it since 3 months of age. He loves the colors and will sit still through the entire book. In a little while we'll use it to introduce counting. Since he has pretty much eaten his first copy, I'm currently online to order copy number 2. My only suggestion to the publisher - please make this in a board book format as well! :-)

Start early!
We love this book! Our son is only 2 months old and as a teacher, I know the importance of reading from the beginning. We read this book to our baby & he loves it. He loves to listen to our voices w/ the different inflections and the bright, colorful pictures are great- he really stares & smiles. I know we will continue to use this book as he grows, with the cute rhymes and the counting practice (even addition: "one fish plus me makes two!"). I will give this book as a baby gift from now on.

Warning! Grammatical error within!
I ordered this book based on the excellent reviews, and indeed, my 9-month-old daughter loved the pictures (which are gorgeous). But I was so disappointed to find a grammatical error--and you have to rewrite the final rhyme yourself to get rid of it. OK, granted, so i'm a big word nerd. (I graduated from Harvard magna cum laude in English.) Most people won't even notice. And I'd have no problem if the book used non-standard grammar as an artistic choice (as in More More More, Said the Baby, a truly lovely book.) But this is just a lame mistake, and I'd prefer to keep this kind of sloppiness away from my daughter. Go ahead, call me a geek.

Definitely a keeper!
Come on a journey deep at sea, to count the many fish we'll see...

I have an affinity for well-written children's books, so when I first read Fish Eyes I was immediately taken by the prose, and the artwork. Years later, after William was born, I realized how intriguing vivid colors were to babies. I started reading to him when he was only a few days old, and every time I picked up THIS book, he was mesmerized. Maybe it was the melodic phrasing, but I think it was the illustrations more than anything.

Fish Eyes is primarily a numbers and counting book that is geared to the very young, 0 to 3 years. This book counts up to 10. In the counting section, the eyes on the fish are punched-out, leaving holes. Children can count fish, or fish eyes. It's an ingenious way of educating kids by interactive means. In addition, there are simple arithmetic lessons cleverly hidden in the sea for older children. In the corner of each spread is a small fish that appears as a shadow. The fish poses a questions like, "3 smiling fish, plus me make 4". Only older children are apt to notice such minutiae, or I should say, they understand it at least. That's why Fish Eyes is so brilliant.

The vibrant colors engaged my son so, that we would study each page after reading the text. Once he was able to hold the book, the die-cut eyes lured him to touch. For a long while, Fish Eyes was one of Will's favorite books. As a result, it has become one of my standard baby gifts. Will is 2½ now, and he knows his numbers, probably in part because of this book. Once he gets around to learning arithmetic, Fish Eyes will surely be one we'll take off the shelf again, and again. ... you won't be sorry!

Happy Reading,
Mary ... Read more

Book Description

On this form you can view
Animal ears and whiskers too.
Lots of animals to be found,
Shapes and colors ail around.
Look at beaks and snouts with me.
Make some more for us to see.

Reviews (3)

Colors and Shapes.
Using vibrant colors and die-cuts this book creates the visages of various farm animals. The book appeals to babies and young toddlers and introduces them to various shapes and colors. The die-cuts used to create the various animals are brilliantly conceived. The youngest children at the day care always liked flipping through this book; the color combination really catches one's attention.

Great starter book!
Toddlers love this book because of the vibrant colors. Very young children also enjoy turning pages in books so one-word pages are great. This book is also useful when teaching shapes and colors.

My baby's first book
I bought this book for my 3-month-old son. He enjoys looking at the bright colors. Every times I turn the pages for him, his whole body responses. He is dancing to it! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (14)

IT is a great book.
Yesterday we finished reading The Moffats by Eleanor Estes. It was about this family that lived in the yellow house on New Dollar Street. They had a cat named Catherine. The kids were named Joe, Jane, Slyvie and Rufus. The family had many adventures together in the town of Cranbury. I liked this book because it is very funny. My favorite part was when they scared Peter Frost by turning Madame the bust into a pumpkin headed ghost in the attic. It was a great story.

The Moffats
This book, the Moffats, is about a family of five. There is a mother and four children. Each of the children have their own special talent to make a basic job or activity into a bigger and more fun adventure. With their mischevious ways, going anywhere is fun. The children are Sylvie, who is the oldest, Joey, who sometimes think he is very superior, Janey, who has her own creative ways to seeing things, and Rufus, who can create trouble everywhere he goes. For example, they make a big deal about them having to sell their special house on New Dollar Street. They were able to think of so many ways from stopping people to buy, since all the Moffats thought the house they were living in was better then the others because they were able to see the whole street at one glance.

I enjoyed the book because it was very fun reading about the Moffat children making all kinds of mischievious problems. It was funny to see how Janey would be amazed with such little things. For example, in the first chapter, it qouted,"Jane could not take her eyes from her mother's hands. They had a way of doing things, peeling apples, sprinkling salt, counting pennies, that fascinated her". Janey was amazed at the way her mother did those simple tasks. Usually nobody really pays much attention to those small actions, but Janey sure does!

Another qoute is,"At last they were off, with Rufus in one of his every day sailor suits". When you first read this quote, ti may not mean much, but if you understand the background of that chapter, it will have more meaning to it. It was a Sunday morining, and the Moffats were all dressed up and ready to go to cghurch. While they waited for mother, Rufus had foolishly climbed up on the hitching post. Well, a naughty boy named Tom Frost, rode by on his bike and pushed Rufus to the ground. So Rufus had to change into one of his everyday clothes because that was the second time that happened all on the same day.

I didn't really have a favorite part because I enjoyed reading about all the adventures the Moffats were in. It was very enjoyable reading about the creativity that the Moffats had to create all the adventures. They make life very interesting for themselves, and always made the best in a situation, even if the situation may be unpleasant, like whenrufus got ill and had a mild case of scarlet fever. I recommend this book the readers who enjoy humorous and heart-warming stories.

The Moffats
Title: The Moffats
By: Eleanor Estes
Reviewed By: Samantha C.
Period:1

This book, the Moffats, is about a family of five. There is a mother and four children. Each of the children have their own special talent to make a basic job or activity into a bigger and more fun adventure. With their mischevious ways, going anywhere is fun. The children are Sylvie, who is the oldest, Joey, who sometimes think he is very superior, Janey, who has her own creative ways to seeing things, and Rufus, who can create trouble everywhere he goes. For example, they make a big deal about them having to sell their special house on New Dollar Street. They were able to think of so many ways from stopping people to buy, since all the Moffats thought the house they were living in was better then the others because they were able to see the whole street at one glance.
I enjoyed the book because it was very fun reading about the Moffat children making all kinds of mischievious problems. It was funny to see how Janey would be amazed with such little things. For example, in the first chapter, it qouted,"Jane could not take her eyes from her mother's hands. They had a way of doing things, peeling apples, sprinkling salt, counting pennies, that fascinated her". Janey was amazed at the way her mother did those simple tasks. Usually nobody really pays much attention to those small actions, but Janey sure does!

Another qoute is,"At last they were off, with Rufus in one of his every day sailor suits". When you first read this quote, ti may not mean much, but if you understand the background of that chapter, it will have more meaning to it. It was a Sunday morining, and the Moffats were all dressed up and ready to go to cghurch. While they waited for mother, Rufus had foolishly climbed up on the hitching post. Well, a naughty boy named Tom Frost, rode by on his bike and pushed Rufus to the ground. So Rufus had to change into one of his everyday clothes because that was the second time that happened all on the same day.

I didn't really have a favorite part because I enjoyed reading about all the adventures the Moffats were in. It was very enjoyable reading about the creativity that the Moffats had to create all the adventures. They make life very interesting for themselves, and always made the best in a situation, even if the situation may be unpleasant, like whenrufus got ill and had a mild case of scarlet fever. I recommend this book the readers who enjoy humorous and heart-warming stories.

Lots of Creative Trouble
I read The Moffats for a book report for my class []. Even though the Moffat family get into lots of trouble, they end up having a good time anyway. The book reminds me of the Great Brain series because they use a plan to outwit...sorry, can't give it away!

Read this book; you'll like it!

A fun family!
This book was really fun! Each character had their own way of getting into trouble and having fun, so combined all together and you get a great collection of laughs and suspense! It's technically for ages 9-12, but I think it could be extended a bit. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A multi layered gem of a book
I am reading this book out loud to my almost-5 year old. He is captivated by the slow, meticulously layered plot and character development. I am taking the time to write this review, because this might not be a book one would ordinarily think to use as a read alout to a child this young (he'll be five in 2 months)..and as a mom i look to these reviews to gather information about age appropriateness. In any case, it's a pleasure to read, and it's the kind of book that makes you stop and say WOW, how on earth did this writer come up with these detailed ideas??? The characters are all kind and charming, and their little quirks are celebrated. I found that one of the underlying messages of this book is kindness, patience, and love for nature, as well as respect for the family. The setting is somewhat dated - the 1950's, but as long as your child can understand the concept of things having been different long ago, (You'll be explaining "icebox" and a few terms like that) it's really quite an enriching experience. We are very much looking forward to reading other books by this author. Enjoy this charming, comforting read together...don't wait for your child to learn to read it for him or herself!

A smart cat named Pink Pye
Pinky Pye is a cute, funny ,exciting,and questioning kind of book.My favorite part is when the Pyes find Pinky.Then find out that Pinky can type on Mr.Pyes type writer.I really liked
this book.Kathryn Arnold...>

Pinky Pye
This story is about the Pyes (Rachael, her brother Jerry, Mama, Papa, Gracie, Uncle Benny, and Ginger) who go on vacation so Papa ,a famous ornithologist, can figure out what a puffin is doing there. His bad memory gets him in a lot of trouble very early on in the book. Little did he know he wouldn't get much work done due to an abandoned kitten left on their cabin's door step. Pinkey Pye they called her, who would do anything just so someone will say she's cute. Mama brought plenty of coats (even though it was 90 degrees outside) just in case they were walking along the beach and a snow storm arived and matches in case they got lost. Her motto is "Be Prepared." Uncle Benny is Mama's brother even though he is 5 years younger than Rachael and Jerry(Mama's children). He wonders how his crickets are vanishing one by one. He is on a never ending quest to stop sucking his thumb. Gracie is a grumpy old cat who feins boredom through out although she is very interested in a creature lurking in the shadows of the attic... Ginger is the clever dog, but feels a little left out when Pinky steps into the picture. Will her jelousy overcome her common sense? Filled with laughs. Some of the suspence in this book will keep you laughing and crying over their detailed antics. I recommend reading Ginger Pye before this one though. All in All a good book.

A family travels to Fire Island and finds lots of surprises
The Pye family goes to Fire Island with Papa, the ornithologist father of the family. There they find a cat, and unravel the mystery of where Uncle Bennie's (the four-year old uncle of the 2 children) crickets are, and where Papa's ornithologist friend's pet owl is ... Read more

Book Description

Where there's smoke, there's fire--at least that's what they say. . . .
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Reviews (3)

Help! They're chasing me!
My daughter checked this book out of the library and made me read it to her over and over again. I didn't see the appeal of this book! But she loved it. So for Fire Safety week with my preschoolers, we read this book. They loved it! My god, they made me read it over and over and over again. They followed me around the room and made me read it. I still don't see the appeal. But kids love this book. Each Mrs. is on the proceeding page, they tell the story of a fire in an apartment building. It takes a bit of explaining for 4 yr olds to get the concept of a flaming cake, but they got it. They even counted the candles. The old lady is represented by about 30 candles---thanks to the author for that one!

Fire! Fire! Said Mrs. McGuire
The rhyme and story in this book are so much fun to read, they would keep young children asking to read it over and over. However, I do not feel I can use it in my classroom because of one illustration. A sexy blond is using her body to get what she wants from firemen-very inappropriate for young children! Bill Martin, please bring back your original version of this wonderful book.

owned this book when i was little
I owned this book when i was a little girl and now that i have a son, i want him to be able to read it and know that females are not just a second class citizen and that they can hold positions that men are able to hold. This book also shows that you should not believe everything you see, there is probably something else going on if you dont see the whole picture. ... Read more

Book Description

Further adventures of Mark, Katherine, Jane, and Martha, who find their source of magic in a lake near which they are spending the summer.
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Reviews (16)

Magic
Do you like to read about magic? Well I do! Why read Jack and Jill read Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager. I chose to this book Magic by the lake by Edward Eager because it is very fascinating. It's about four kids that went to a lake with their mother and stepfather. There they found a magical tutrle! The story is very cool! If you have read Half Magic by Edward Eager, it's just like it. I liked Half Magic because the same kids find a rockon the sidewalk that was magical. The worse thing was that the rock only half of the magic wish. What ever the kids wished for was only half successful. For example, Knights that the they wished for were not in one piece, they were in two pieces! I hope you will be interested in both of these books!

Magic by the Lake has many interesting characters. Their names are Jane who is the eldest, Mark, Kathryn, and Martha who is the youngest sibling,their dearest Mother, their new stepfather and their cat Carrie. If you have read Half Magic by Edward Eager, the kids have a long boring summer with nothing to do. Then they find a magical rock on the sidewalk while walking home. Their Mother marries Mr. Smith and that's why Mr. Smith is in the second book,but not in the first book. As I was saying, Jane(the eldest sibling)and Mark are the smart ones,Kathryn trails around and Martha is the baby. This explains the four childeren. hope you find this book as fastinating as I did!

My feelings about Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager are very strong. They are strong because the book has many story lines about Jane, Mark, Katartin, and Martha's wishes. For example, swimming with a mermaid is one of their wishes. Some of their wishes were not the very best because they should have given more thought before they made a wish. As I was saying in the beginning, I strongly recommend this book to people who love magic. I hope you enjoyed my book review! So long!

Magic by the Lake
It all starts when Martha, Mark, Jane, Katharine, their mother, and Mr. Smith, their stepfather, go to the lake. It would have been a quiet and relaxing vacation, but the kids had to ask for magic by the lake, and now the they have some cool adventures and problems along the way. It all ends, and they have to go home and leave good friends that helped them along the way. I think this is a interesting book, and I recommend this book to anyone that likes adventure or magic.It all starts when Martha, Mark, Jane, Katharine, their mother, and Mr. Smith, their stepfather, go to the lake. It would have been a quiet and relaxing vacation, but the kids had to ask for magic by the lake, and now the they have some cool adventures and problems along the way. It all ends, and they have to go home and leave good friends that helped them along the way. I think this is a interesting book, and I recommend this book to anyone that likes adventure or magic.

My Favorite Book!
I chose this book in school as an independent reading book since I had no clue what to chose and I found out I loved it! I had also noticed a few of my friends in my class (2nd grade) had also been reading it and had caught up to me and so we talked about it and we all loved it. And, now I have bought (with a year of my own allowance) all seven of Edward Eager's books about Magic. With the leftovers of my allowance I think I am going to buy some of his books that are not about magic.

Excellent!
This is the first Half-Magic book I've read, and I loved it! My favorite character was Martha.

Magical and Funny, a winning combination!
~ - ~
~ I just introduced my nieces, ages 8-11, to the Edward Eager books, when they ran out of Harry Potter to read. They love them, as I did when I read them 30 years ago.
The adventures of these independent and adventurous children are always amusing and fun. There is usually enough sense of danger in the magical adventures to make them suspenseful, without being too frightening. I always enjoyed the author's ability to describe realistic brother and sister relationships. Some of the arguments in his stories remind me so much of squabbles with my own brother!

~ I think "Magic by the Lake" was my favorite. The adventures were very imaginative and fun to read. I loved the chapter in which two sisters wish to be "grown up"- unfortunately, they get their wish, at least temporarily!
These books are wonderful because they are no less fun now, then 2 generations ago, when they were written. This author should be on all kid's bookshelves! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Beautiful folk art collage with a wonderful story!
Ms. Ehlert collects different types of handmade folk art from all over the world. In this collection, she has arranged items as varied as ice fishing decoys from the United States and beaded dolls from Africa to create a collage to illustrate this fun, colorful story.

It's market day, so let's feed the animals, pack up the veggies and the things to sell, and head on out to the market!! Along the way, we'll pass colorful birds and even snakes sunning themselves in the grass. We'll stay all day until the sun goes down and then head back home with all the wonderful things we've bought. Told in rhyme, "Market Day" is a colorful story with a lot of energy to it. A blue bull doll from Africa carries a giant carrot to market alongside a row of papier-mache turnips from the United States. A hand-carved cart with people from Mexico joins the procession, along with other art from Central America.

While she is perhaps best known for her illustration of the famous children's book, "Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom", Ms. Ehlert has written and illustrated many other books as well. All have her distinctive cut-paper or photograph style to them, but I would rank "Market Day" as one of my favorites by her. In a world where very FEW things are made by hand, "Market Day" is a welcome reminder of the fine art of everyday. Highly recommended!

Rhyming fun
My four-year-old daughter is fasinated by the simple rhyming text and bright folk art pictures of this book. I think younger children would likewise enjoy it. We also like to read all the countries of origin for the various folk art pieces at the back of the book.

Hooray! Hooray! For Market Day!
The pictures flow, As do the words. It's full of fish, And frogs, and birds. A trip to market, From a farm. And all and all There's lots of charm. ... Read more

Book Description

Welcome to the greatest show on earth, where the flamboyant ringmaster introduces the performances of Fritz the wonder bear, the death-defying flying Zucchinis and many, many more amazing, breathtaking acts!With its "innovative graphics [and] intense colors as vibrant as the circus itself, [Circus is] dazzling." —K.

... Read more

Reviews (2)

Circus: Step up to the greatest show in the world!
In Lois Ehlert's Circus, the banter of the narrator leads the reader through a circus performance of animals and people. Each act contains an unusual character demonstrating a feat seen at a circus, such as Flying Zucchinis in the air. Even the intermission contains zany characters selling circus food and souvenirs. Ehlert's characters are depicted with cut paper to make a collage of vivid colored oblique and geometric shapes to form the energetic pictures that cover each double page spread. Although the pages appear to be an easy reader, the vocabulary and illustrations classify this as a picture book. There is enough alliteration to make the text rhythmic: the "mighty, massive mammoth" and the "twisting triple somersault", but not too much that it seems infantile to older readers. The illustrations, however, are suited more for younger children, as they are eye catching but lack detail. Ehlert also chooses to do something different with this story's illustrations than she has in her other books. Typically those pictures have labels for different items that need to be identified, but in this book, she chooses to work on the simplicity of the pictures. This book is ideal for children who are 3-7 yrs old, because the story makes the reader feel as if they were really at a circus, with the text asking us to take a seat in the beginning and end with everyone giving a round of applause to the circus performers. However, this story will surely appeal to all ages because of the pacing of the story that makes it impossible to not turn the next page.

A Very Magical Circus
This maybe my students favorite book. It's a very pretend/ dramatic play oriented book. My students pretend they're that audience, ringmaster, performer, lion and dancing bear! ... Read more

Book Description

“This one will delight.”--Christian Science Monitor
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Reviews (3)

Wonderful!
This is a great book about magic! Five kids discover a magic wishing well and use it for the greater good-sort of. Edward Eager's books are all immensely enjoyable, much like Harry Potter or E. Nesbit! Wonderful and I recommend all his books!

The Well-Wishers
This is a great book; magical, but with sense. I think any kid would like this book.

this book was..
soo good! i think you really should read it ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

An old man writes ...
I was given this book to read when I was 7 years old. I was ill at home and my mother dropped it on the bed as I had been pestering her for something to read. It looked unpromising. I liked books about war and dinosaurs and soccer. None of these seemed likely to feature in Rufus M.

Though I would not have used the word then, I was enchanted. Estes sketched out a world I wanted to leap straight into.

This is such good a book that it has stuck in my memory as a happy thought about a distant time. I found myself thinking about it as I sat at my desk this evening and googled my way here. I'm 37 tomorrow. 30 years on and it's still with me.

Sean

Rufus M.
This book is about a 7-year old boy and his imaginitive ways of going through life during a war. Rufus has many siblings and surprisingly enough he acually gets along with all of them. Rufus is an imaginative, intelligent, and adorable little boy. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

The Changes of Life
This book is very suspenseful. It is about a boy named Ben who is six years old. He loves animals and is very small for his age. He wanders off over the hills away from his home on Hawk's Hill because he misunderstands his father for going near a badger. A storm is coming, but he does not know where he is. He crawls in a badger hole and from then on a relationship builds between Ben and a female badger that is the same one he saw earlier. After weeks in the hole Ben starts hunting with the badger. They do almost everything together. His family forms a search party to look for him. He does not recognize the people so he hides from them. Ben had been missing for three months. After two months he starts to get weak in the badger hole. Will he live in the hole? Will he ever see his family again? This book is for all ages, and it is an excellent for animal lovers everywhere.

Ben's Great Adventure
This book is about a six- year- old boy named Ben. Ben lives back in the days were the people ride horses. He is very small for his age.One day he was playing outside and he started chasing a prairie chicken. Then he got lost in the prairie called Hawk's Hill. Ben knew a storm was going to hit. The shelter that he found was a badger den. I like the book because it is very exciting; one very exciting part is when Ben sees a badger. This book is a very exciting book to read for all ages especially animal lovers everywhere!

America's Demosthenes
I find Incedent on Hawks's Hill rather pointless. Honestely a kid with an unhealthy affinity for animals gets lost. I got lost in a shopping mall did anyone write a novel on me? NO!! I was cared for by strangers for awhile when that incedent happened. Did anyone consider writeing novel about me NO!! About the only aera the book is well writen in is it's choice of words Eckert shows some eloquence, but not much.

An Excellent Book - Must-Read For All
Incident at Hawk's Hill is a book about a 6-yr. old boy, Benjamin, who likes animals. He imitates their sounds and walks, and is, in a way, detached from human life. His family worries about him, since he is very small compared to average 6-yr. olds. The book also cuts to a story about a female badger, which is very interesting and informative, who Ben crosses paths with one day. Then, one day after this all, Ben accidentally wanders away from his home, and the resulting story is suspenseful and heartwarming. The end, though some may say ends on a cliffhanger, wraps up many conflicts nevertheless. Hawk's Hill is a GREAT book, and an excellent read for children and adults. The book has a historically accurate forward. It is set in the 1800s near Winnipeg, Canada.

Hawk's Hill - a review by a fourteen year old girl.
I thought that Hawk's Hill was a sad book, but it was happy at the same time. If you like books with very good chararcter development, you will like this book. It is a about a boy named Ben who wanders of into the wilderness and lives with a badger. it was a good book. ... Read more

Book Description

Deborah Ellis's enormously popular Breadwinner trilogy recounted the experiences of children living in Afghanistan; now Ellis turns her attention to the young people of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After visiting the region to conduct interviews, she presents their stories here in their own words. Twelve-year-old Nora, eleven-year-old Mohammad, and many others speak directly about their lives - which prove to be both ordinary and extraordinary: They argue with their siblings. They hate spinach. They have wishes for the future. Yet they have also seen their homes destroyed and families killed, and live amidst constant upheaval and violence.This simple, telling book allows young readers everywhere to see that the children caught in this conflict are just like them - but living far more difficult and dangerous lives. Without taking sides, it presents an unblinking portrait of children victimized by the endless struggle around them. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The quintessential ABC book is back -- with letter magnets!

Letters A to Z and everything in-between have zoomed up the coconut tree for over a decade in the best-loved picture book, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Now the children's favorite is available in a book and magnet edition that includes:

• 26 letter magnets
• resealable magnet case
• easel-back stand
• extra play pages

The colorful alphabet magnets can be matched up with the letters in the book, or used to create words or scenes. Learning the alphabet has never been so much fun! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Alphabet with attitude!
We have the original book, and we received this magnetic version as a gift. We love it! This book stands up on its own and has a magnetic page that folds under each book page (like a blotter page in a checkbook). There is a packet of small, lowercase letters included that kids can match up on each page. Fun story, great concept. Even if you have the original, consider this fun version of the kids' favorite alphabet book. ... Read more

Book Description

“Lots of fun.”--The New York Times Book Review
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Reviews (12)

We are the magic
First, I recommend that you read the book "Half-Magic" first. That is Mr. Eager's best book, and it sets the tone for every other book he wrote. You get a feel for the type of characters he has in his stories, and the theme of magic having rules, which is absolutely critical in this book.

This books' charm is that Mr. Eager is so vague about the children's; wishes being magic or not that you are left wondering. This is not as overt as his other books, and it is this subtlety that energizes me.

We all know that magic has rules-read G. K. Chesterton's essay "The Ethics of Elf-Land"-but this book takes that idea to the next level. The magic is not magic at all, but just our godlike powers of doing good and helping other people.

This book is a great way to get your children to do right. Start out with "Half Magic,' and teach you children that magic, along with everything else, has rules. Then introduce them to this series of books, which teaches that magic is just us doing the right thing. This will save you many lectures and fights sine the morality is coated in a fairy tale.

A great alternative to Harry Potter.

Well said ,well magic...
In this book Mr. Eager introduces us to James, Laura, Kip, Lydia, Deborah and Gordy....not to mention the magic of the wishing well. In this book James and Laura have just moved to the country from New York. They are both excited about this move. A move to the country, for them, signals the beginning of adventure. They find adventure, too, when Lydia suggests to Laura to make a wish upon the well in hers' and James' new backyard. Some of the good deed adventures in this book are exciting, some are not; however, interesting insight is offered into each character-which will come in handy when reading "The Well Wishers", the sequel.

Magic or not, this is a GREAT book!
In Magic or Not, Chris, Lydia, James and Laura do good turns for people. Laura and James' family move to a new house that has a wishing well in front of it. Whether this well is magic or not, you'll have to find that out yourself!

Is This Story Magic?
Magic or Not is one of the fabulous books written by Edward Egaer. In this fine story Kip, Lydia, Laura, and James find themselves in a tangle with a magic wishing well! I would recommend Magic or Not to children of all ages. Reading this story is an adventure from beginning to end.

Great Or Grand
WhenI started this book it took a while to get through the fist couple of pages. This part didn't grab my intrest that well. As I went on through the book, it began to get more and more intresting to me. Magic Or Not is one of the great adventures written by Edward Eager. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (5)

Great Book for Children
I think that this book is a great book for children. Not only does it tell the story of how a tree comes to be, it also has detailed pictures with captions. In the back of the book there is more detailed information on how trees grow and how to make special bird treats. This is fun for the whole family and could possibly be your childs favorite.

Perfect for fall themes
This is the book to use when launching your fall themes. Every fall I read this book. The children listen intently and are drawn to the bright vivid colors. They love to predict and actively participate in the word patterns. There are so many lessons that you can use from this one book.

red Leaf, yellow Leaf
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf was an all right book! It was about how trees are planted,
which leafs belong to which trees, and also how workers come and pick up tree sprouts to
get transplanted and they tend them year after year then once the trees start to settle in
they get measured, marked, and then uprooted again the workers load the tree up and take
it to a place where people can go and buy it and re-plant it in their yard and that's what the
kid in the story did! I don't think kids would really enjoy this book because it was pretty
boring in my opinion but also very educational to the point kids would learn many things
from this book!

I use this book with science activities about leaves.
Great Book for using with science experiments about autumn leaves.

Straightforward with subtle humor
My baby (10 months old) loves Lois Ehlert's vivid collages. He really enjoyed Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf with its crumpled tissue leaves and real tree tags along with charming representations of people, trucks, etc. For the adult reader, there is subtle humor in the inclusion of what look like real tags from trees, and the attribution of homesickness to the tree (just when it was getting settled in, they dug it up and took it to the garden center...). Older children just learning to read will probably get a kick out of the inclusion of "hidden words"... tiny scraps of text set right into the pictures, saying things like "bird treat" and "squirrel"... There's even a recipe for the bird treat in the back of the dust cover! ... Read more

Book Description

Fourteen-year-old Shauzia dreams of seeing the ocean and eventually making a new life in France, but it is hard to reconcile that dream with the terrible conditions of the Afghan refugee camp where she lives. Making things worse is the camp's leader, Mrs. Weera, whose demands on Shauzia make her need to escape all the more urgent. Her decision to leave necessitates Shauzia dress like a boy, as her friend Parvana did, to earn money to buy passage out. But her journey becomes a struggle to survive as she's forced to beg and pick through garbage, eventually landing in jail. An apparent rescue by a well-meaning American family gives her hope again, but will it last? And where will she end up? Mud City is the final book in the acclaimed trilogy that includes The Breadwinner (a best-seller) and Parvana's Journey. It paints a devastating portrait of life in refugee camps, where so many children around the world are trapped, some for their whole lives. But it also tells movingly of these kids' resourcefulness and strength, which help them survive these unimaginable circumstances. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Education about culture made fun and intresting!!!
This occasionally tragic, yet captivating novel teaches you about another part of the world and its time of suffering.
Shauzia, a girl of 14 years fantasizes about living in France, after she escaped Afghanistan into a new and in her opinion tedious world of a Pakastani refugee camp. She escapes this camp with her dog and close friend Jasper and ventures into the harsh conditions of the city. Buy this book and be blown away as you learn about how a young girl and many others have to survive through begging, and worse. I would reccomend this book to young adults ages 10-17, but i'm sure it could educate many full grown people about culture and who helps others in times of need. So follow Shauzia into her life, and learn to have true empathy , sincerity , and curiousity about the poverty out there. ... Read more

Book Description

Four cousins spending a summer in a house by the sea discover a magic thyme garden from which they embark on a number of adventures in time.
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Reviews (8)

Terrific!!!
This is a GREAT book! I read it about 5 months ago and still remember it clearly!
UNFORGETABLE!!!!!

Time and Time Again
Edward Eager continues to entertain decades after his death through his books about ordinary children who experience magic. THE TIME GARDEN was always one of my favorites (oh, okay, I admit it - I like all of Edward Eager's books and can't really pick a favorite). Roger, Ann, Eliza, and Jack encounter time traveling at its finest when they are exiled to spend the summer with old Mrs. Whiton. An interesting note, their mothers were two of the children in HALF MAGIC and MAGIC BY THE LAKE also by Eager. A bank of wild thyme in the garden opens doors to the past, present and future for these four delightful children. If it's imagination you are looking for, look no further. Edward Eager's books are witty and wild and funny. There is a certain degree of sophistication in his style of writing that makes these stories interesting even for the mature reader.

You'll never look at thyme the same way again
In this sequel to Knight's Castle, the four kids - Roger, Ann, Eliza, and Jack - are together again, this time staying at the house of a distant relative, Mrs. Whiton. Mrs. Whiton just happens to have a rather extraordinary garden, which includes a sundial (inscribed "Anything can happen...when you've all the time in the world"), every variety of thyme known to man (except common), and a Natterjack. Naturally, time travel adventures ensue.

The Natterjack is a character reminiscent of the Psammead in E. Nesbit's The Five Children and It - he's an inherently magical creature with a great deal of power and the potential for good advice, but also a difficult personality with an ego and a temper. He's also a frog. And he gets the children into no end of trouble - like when he sings "Rule Britannia" in an American pub during the Revolution.

And Roger, Ann, and Eliza are just as nifty as they were in Knight's Castle. Jack, however, features rather less in The Time Garden, as he's plunged into the throes of adolescence and spends most of his time making phone calls. (Isn't it good to know that some things never change?)

The children, with the help of a little thyme, visit the ride of Paul Revere (with singing Natterjack), a stop on the Underground Railroad, and Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, among other adventures.

The book is fun, and funny, and you will have new feelings for thyme when you're finished with it. Lots of children would enjoy this book, and those adults who like children's literature will love The Time Garden.

Hideously bad
Although I remember enjoying other Edgar Eager books when I was younger, I was horrified upon rereading this one! Not only is the writing hideously predictable and plodding, the plot is filled with unbearable whiteness; for example, the children at one point find themselves on an island of cannibals who chanted, "Wah! Samoa! Goona goona!" Unbelievable.

A worthy sequel
The irrepressable kids from Knight's Castle are back, in a second magic adventure (too bad Eager never got to write more for these characters-they are completely modern despite being written eons ago, but not obnoxiously so)

When Roger's dad writes a play, the kids are temporarily dumped at an ancient house overseen by a frequently-absent housekeeper, and as they roam the garden filled with thyme plants, they meet the British froglike creature called the Natterjack. Using certain kinds of thyme, they can transport themselves through thyme... er, time. But, naturally, there are going to be some peculiar scrapes.

The characters are a bit blander than in Knight's Castle, but they still have their charm. Eliza protesting that her legs are NOT too long is one wonderful moment; the Natterjack singing "Rule Britannia" in front of Revolutionary War Americans is another.

Dang, but the Natterjack is fun! An odd, rather self-absorbed little creature that wields some impressive magic, he makes life strange for the four adventuring kids. This was the last of the foursome's adventures, sadly. Only wish that someone could pick up Eager's slack the way someone did for John Bellairs. ... Read more