Amazon.com

Every Robert Sabuda pop-up is a marvel, but America the Beautiful is singularly remarkable for its inspired interpretation of the classic American anthem. Each page presents a magnificent pop-up featuring a line from the first (and best known) verse of "America the Beautiful." Sabuda has included the song in its entirety, featuring mini pop-ups, in a small booklet on the final page. Beginning with the Golden Gate Bridge, and ending with a spectacularly regal Statue of Liberty, Sabuda's America the Beautiful is a lovely keepsake that also serves as a patriotic primer for teaching young ones about America. --Daphne Durham

Amazon.com's The Significant Seven
Master paper engineer Robert Sabuda answers the seven questions we ask every author.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?

A: Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. I specifically remember feeling as if I'd become a grown-up reader because many of the pages did not have pictures.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?

A: The Stand by Stephen King
Madonna's Greatest Hits
Strangers with Candy: Season One

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?

A: That I'd be finishing a book project on time.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.

A: I live in New York City, so anyplace that's quiet.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

A: "Robert Sabuda--Bookmaker."

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?

A: Benjamin Franklin

Q: If you could have one superpower what would it be?

A: Invisibility

... Read more

Reviews (2)

We Liked This Story
This story is about Arthur going on vacation with his family. Arthur didn't really want to go away with his family. He wanted to be with his best friend. At the end of the story, Arthur really does have fun and comes back to show his friend all the pictures. We liked this story because Arthur did a lot of fun things with his family.

Arthur's Family Vacation by Marc Brown
It's the last day of school and Arthur wants Buster to come with him on vacation instead of going to camp. Arthur's mom and dad say that he can't come so he's disappointed. Everybody packs their stuff and they load the inside of the car and the roof. Arthur's family gets to the hotel. They only have one tiny little room for all of them and the pool is smaller than D.W.'s bathtub, she says. They have problems on their vacation. First, only the parents enjoy their dinner, then they try to write postcards, but they haven't done anything yet. Next it rains. Arthur fixes their trip by planning out a whole bunch of fun stuff for the family. On Friday it stopped raining and it was the best day yet. They went to the beach. When they got home, Buster was already there. Arthur and Buster had missed each other, but Arthur had a great time with his family on vacation. This was a good book, but not the best I ever read. Marc Brown is one of my favorite authors. I'd recommend this book to a second or third grader who likes to watch the Arthur T.V. show. ... Read more

Book Description

Enjoy hours of coloring and activity fun!

This super-special book is packed with pictures of all your favorite ponies.

Reviews (1)

ALL THREE BOOKS!!!!!!!
In this coloring book, it's all three other books in one! It even has new ponies, some of them are Butterscotch and Strawberry Swirl. It even has the Christmas Ponies, Mittens, Candy Cane, and Snowflake in it! It is really fun to color in! ... Read more

Book Description

A day with a dinosaur

Danny's on the town with a real live dinosaur. From the ballpark to the zoo, these two are having one hundred million years of fun -- all in one day!

Reviews (16)

Dany and the dino
One day Danny decides to go to the museum where he meets a live dinosaur. Danny and the dinosaur then leave the museum and go exploring around town and have many adventures before it is time for the dinosaur to return to the museum.

The reason I only gave this book four stars is that I find the wording rather strained and awkward. Even though the words are not great, the illustrations are fun. Depending on the version, the illustrations are colored differently. The original (copyright 1958) has better colors in my opinion. They are a mix of pictures in shades of brown and pictures in full color. The main difference between the color quality in the original and reissue is that the reissue has a solid color, and the original almost look as if it were colored in lightly with crayons. I think the color in the reissue is harsher, and therefore prefer the previous. The drawing themselves are wonderful, cute and expressive.

So in my opinion this is a four star book because of the occasional awkwardness with the words and because of the way the pictures are colored in.

Loggie-log-log-log

Burned into my brain
This is a classic work, a brilliantly simple book, with a lovely fantasy story and exquisitely simple, highly memorable illustrations. Definitely a must for very young readers, especially dinosaur lovers.

Quite simply, Danny and the Dinosaur is forever burned into my brain as a favorite of my childhood, and now of my own children. It's Hoff's best, and I expect it will remain a classic for generations to come.

My two year old loves it!
This is one of the books we find him "reading" on his own. This is one of the most requested books he has (out of hundreds). It's a great read-aloud book because there's enough room to point out the words while your kid is pointing at the pictures. The whole Danny series is great, in fact.

My own book
I thought this book was alright but it was not the best book I have ever read. I liked the way Danny went to the museum and the dinosaur came to life and took Danny to all those places, including the baseball game that they went to. I wish that I could go and get my own dinosaur and we could do all that stuff, but since the dinosaurs are extinct I guess I could not do that. I still like the book.

Book and tape review
There are plenty of reviews of this book, I want to give my thoughts on the book and tape package available. There is a nice introduction and conclusion offered by the narrator and one side has page turn signals, while the other does not. While this is an unabridged recording, the narrator actually adds words on page 18, which may confuse the child trying to follow along in the book. Also, sometimes the narrator's child voices come across as whiney and nasal. However, all things considered, I feel this is a worthwhile purchase. ... Read more

Book Description

Wartville is being buried in trash! There are soda bottles under the flowers, juice cans by the mailbox, and newspapers along the road. Every day the piles grow higher and higher.

Then one tidy old man realizes he has the power to get rid of all the trash forever. Wartville will finally be cleaned up once and for all! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Wartville Wizard-Good story, great lesson
I recently read this book to a five-year-old little boy who absolutely loved the book. He was intrigued by the pictures (especially the lady with the garbage stuck to her rear-end)and kept finding "clues" to how the story would end. He really enjoyed the plot and the humor. The Warville Wizard spurred on great conversations about litter and pollution. The only downfall is that the book doesn't go into why you shouldn't litter other than for the asthetic value of a clean world. But overall, this was a super book.

Excellent.
Great story to use for Earth Day. Humorous. Lends itself to other classroom activites. ... Read more

Book Description

In this tender sequel to the New York Times bestseller and children's classic, The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn provides parents with another tale of love and reassurance to share with their children. Chester Raccoon has a baby brother--and the baby is a bit more than Chester had bargained for. "Please can we give him back?" he begs Mrs. Raccoon, to no avail. The last straw is when Chester sees his mother give his baby brother a kissing hand--his kissing hand, Chester thinks. His mother assuages his fears with her own special brand of wisdom, finding just the right way to let Chester know that he is deeply loved. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A delightful story about raccoons and love.
As a book reviewer for Funseeker's Radio Network I come across a lot of delightful children's book, but this one has to be in the top ten. A mother raccoon has two cubs, with Chester being the older. His mother gives him a kiss in his hand, a "kissing hand" and he is delighted, until he sees her give one to his baby brother. His mother lets him know that he is loved just as much as his brother and that she has enough love for both of them. The illustrations by Barbara Leonard Gibson are some of the best I have seen and remind me of Harry, my own pet raccoon I had when I was younger. This book needs to be bought in pairs, one for the adult buying it and one or more for the children who will love the story and the message it gives. ... Read more

Book Description

Jack and Annie set off to find an original copy of an ancient Chinese myth.

Armed only with their magic library cards, they must take on a book-burning

emperor. But with the help of a scholar and a silk weaver, they triumph again.




... Read more

Reviews (20)

It was one of the best books I have ever read!
I like the part when the soldiers shoot arrows at Jack and Annie. I liked it when they wished to go to China. I like each book being different.

China here we come!
Jack and Annie are going to China to save an ancent ledgend. An extreamly powerful emperer gives an order to burn all the books in China. Will Jack and Annie save the legend or will it be burned into ashes. Find out when you read Day of the Dragon king. Jack Alway sticks to his reserch Something is interestering. Annie is brave but does stupid things. I would recomend this book because it is educational.

Its OK
I kind of liked this book but i read it in 3rd grade. My mom said i should read bigger books so i think its for younger kids not third and forth graders. They are great chidren fantisy book and so are the other books in the series. They keept my attention for a long time.

Not too scary
I like that in every Magic Treehouse book you meet some good and some bad people. This book is not as scary as some Magic Treehouse books. There's only two scary parts. I think that the author doesn't tell you everything about the characters that Jack and Annie leave behind. It leaves a sort of happy surprise at the end.

China here we come
Jack and Annie have gone to china to save an ancient legend. An extreamly powerful emperor (The Dragon King) gives an order to burn all the books in China. Will jack and Annie save the legend or will it be burned into ashes? You will find out when you read Day of the Dragon King. Jack-always sticks to his reserch book when they are in trouble or when they see or find something interesting. Annie-is a brave girl but sometimes she does extreamliy stupid things. The Dragon KING-The Dragon King Made a BIG mistake when he ordered for all the books in china to be burned. I would recomend this book because it has alot of really funny parts in it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A perfect springtime accompaniment to actual bugs, Insectlopedia swarms, buzzes, and slithers with poetry and paint. Douglas Florian, creator of the award-winning Beast Feast, On the Wing, and In the Swim, has succeeded again, this time with a delightful infestation of 21 spider and insect poems and paintings, awash in watercolor and collage on primed brown paper bags.

Well-loved for his clever wordplay (complete with endearingly shameless visual and verbal puns), Florian manages to seamlessly blend science with pure whimsy. Take "The Praying Mantis," for example: "Upon a twig/I sit and pray/For something big/To wend my way;/A caterpillar,/Moth,/or bee--/I swallow them/Religiously." His rhythmic chant "The Weevils" begins, "We are weevils./We are evil./We've aggrieved/Since time primeval." Add a few inchworms, moths, and whirligig beetles, and you have the blisteringly funny, stingingly clever Insectlopedia, the perfect book for emerging entomologists and budding poets alike. (All ages) ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great fun, even for kids who aren't "insect lovers"
This is a book of poems about insects. The poems are great; their content is funny and rhythmic. Through the poems we learn about the various insects. Some have very creative text formatting such as the inchworm; the text is shaped like a humped-up inchworm. The illustrations are very creative collages that are unique compared to most other children's books.

I began reading this when my first son was 2 years old and he loved the poems then and he loves them now. Neither of my children are otherwise very interested in reading about insects but this book captures their interest and they laugh hysterically at some of these poems. After reading these they have found some of the more unusual insects such as the walking stick outdoors and called it to my attention. We've owned the book for 3 years, every once in a while my now-5 year old will find it and get excitedly proclaim "we haven't read this in a long time" and begs me to read it again (and again and again).

Some of the insects featured are the inchworm, tick, walking stick, praying mantis, monarch butterfly, daddy long legs spider and army ants.

The poems are so much fun I don't mind reading the entire book two or three times in a row. A fun book to read to young children. This is good reading for just plain fun or to introduce poetry or to enhance learning about insects and nature.

It's great! (Ethan 5) It's Wonderful (Alissa 6)
We just love reading Insectlopedia! My 6 year old daughter andmy 5 year old son both think it is a great read. Ethan & Alissalike the poem about the Whirligig Beetles the best.

Excellent Book Filled with Info!
I read this book while sitting in the Dr.'s office this week. It was not only fun to read, but educational as well. At 27 I learned some interesting things about insects! And the illustrations are outstanding, especially for adults who can look further into the artwork.

enchanting poems not only for children
Florian created a wonderful book of poems that captured the youthful joy and echantment of the insect world. Each poem is unique and the accompanying illustrations are whimsical and fun. Both parents and children will love this book.

A pure delight!
As a children's author myself, I look at a LOT of picture books each year. INSECTLOPEDIA was one I simply had to have. The poems and art are equally witty, and it seems to me the perfect gift book, to be enjoyed and appreciated by children (and adults) of all ages. Every time I show it to someone, we find something new to delight us in the art work. A wonderful book! ... Read more

Book Description

With their engaging stories and clever illustrations, the Bob Books have ushered millions of kids into the world of reading. This relaunch of the popular series features a handy new chart on the back of each box that enables parents and educators to easily identify which set is best suited for their child's reading capabilities. Each set is color coded to indicate reading level and each story is carefully crafted to help children at different learning stages master essential reading skills. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wonderful!
My daughter is 5, and we have been reading Bob Books for about a year now. We started with the most basic set and have worked to the more difficult books. They are simple enough that she has gained tremendous confidence in her reading skills. She never gets frustrated and wants to quit. Her reading skills have far surpassed her age, and I feel that these books are part of the reason. I would highly recommend them for anyone with beginning readers! I can't say enough good things about them!

GOOD PROGRESSIVE LEARNING TOOL
WE LIKE THE WAY THE BOB BOOKS GRADUALLY GET MORE DIFFICULT - IT BUILDS CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS.

Five WOWS for Bob!
This series continues the fantastic reading series Bob Books. I use these little books in my first grade class room and also had them available for my own child when he was a beginner reader. Your children will adore these little books---simple, accessible, enjoyable. Children gravitate toward little books which the author intuitively used as her masterstroke in marketing these charming books. I love them! Kids love them! Get them all! And write and draw your own! Five WOWS!

Bob Books Wow!
These are great! Both my kids love reading them. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

this book is not racist
I was dismayed and saddened to see the customer review saying that this book is racist. That comment reveals more about the "politically correct" sensibilities of the reader, I suspect, than about the spirit of the book as a whole. We will truly be a healthy society when people of all colors and sexes can be depicted in all their humanity, both good and bad. It would have been all right, I suppose, for Mr. Rongo to be white and Mr. Wright to be darker-skinned. What are we to make of the fact that the punctuation marks themselves have yellow, pink, green, and blue faces? Is there an insidious message there, as well? I wish we could all relax a little, enjoy a sweet and clever book, and and stop being so ready to find offense.

Racially Disrespectful
I rescently read this book to my two very young and impressionable daughters. It was supposed to be for their enjoyment but turned out to be quite disappointing. The information on punctuation is expressed well enough for the average child to understand however the subtle racist ideas that this book promotes was more than obvious to my five and eight year old homeschooled, ethnic daughters. The idea that Mr. Wright's class (a caucasion man and teacher) was well organized, orderly and propper as the marks of punctuation can do for anyones writing once they know how to use them: And that Mr. Rongo's class (a man and teacher of color) was wild and disorderly with marks of punctuation that didn't know there propper place, was easily detected by my daughters as well as myself. I was outraged. I am not sure that the author took into account the intelligence level of the children that would read her book and discover the subtle racial sterio type it engenders. Nor do I think that she considered that any parents would read it, see it and know it for what it is. I would not refer this book to anyone with a racially moral conscience. It is too disturbing to learn how early the racism is instilled in our young and on what level they are promoting it.

A World Without Punctuation?
This is a great tool for showing children the importance of punctuation in a fun format. In this book a teacher decides to give punctuation a vacation. Postcards arrive and the reader has to guess which form of punctuation wrote it to the class. Children are able to make connections to the chaos of not having punctuation and how it impacts understanding. Fortunately, punctuation returns and classroom life is much improved. I recommend this book.

Rip Roarin' Grammar Romp.....
"Day after day, the punctuation marks showed up in Mr. Wright's classroom. Day after day, they did their jobs. They put up with being erased and replaced and corrected and ignored and moved around. Then on the hottest, stickiest day the class had ever seen, right in the middle of a lesson about commas, Mr Wright mopped his forehead and said, "Let's give punctuation a vacation..." Those cruel kids cheered and ran out to the playground. The punctuation marks looked at each other in disbelief and grew angry, very angry. If the kids could take a break, well they could too. And with that, they rushed out the door and left school on a little vacation of their own. When Mr. Wright's class returned, they discovered a big problem. They couldn't read or write or learn. In fact, nothing made any sense at all without punctuation. A few days later, some rather unusual postcards began to arrive from Take-a-Break Lake..... Author, Robin Pulver's zany and engaging story is a lesson in disguise, filled with droll humor, clever wordplay, silly sound effects, and lively punctuation fun. Lynn Rowe Reed's bold, bright, and busy childlike illustrations are playful and entertaining. Together, word and art offer a delightful, manic romp that's perfect for story time, or as a help reinforcing grammar lessons. With a straightforward list of rules at the end to complete this manic, fun-filled treasure, Punctuation Takes A Vacation is a delightful crowd pleaser, and kids 6-10 may find that punctuation lessons will never be boring again. ... Read more