Book Description

Celebrate life’s journeys with The Little Engine That Could! Selling over 60,000 copiesin the first two months on sale, I Knew You Could! provides familiar comfort inchanging times and serves as a wonderful gift that will be treasured for years to come.With inspiring and enlightening words of wisdom, this sweetly nostalgic book is perfectfor graduates of all ages as they make the transition from one phase of life to the next.From "I think I can" to "I knew I could," The Little Engine That Could helps usremember that anything is possible if you put your mind to it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Rhyming verse combined with inviting illustrations
I Knew You Could!: A Book For All The Stops In Your Life by Craig Dorfman is an enthusiastically recommended picture book based on the beloved classic children's story "The Little Engine That Could." Singsong rhyming verse combined with inviting illustrations by Cristina Ong of a happy and plucky blue engine encourage readers of all ages about the importance of believing in oneself. ... Read more

Book Description

It's the Grouchy Ladybug's 20th birthday. To celebrate, we are introducing a new, larger format edition with brighter, more colorful pages created from Eric Carle's original artwork using the latest reproduction technology. The Grouchy Ladybug is bigger and brigher, as irascible but irresistable as ever and will surely delight new generations of readers, as well as her devoted fans of all ages. Happy Birthday, Grouchy Ladybug!

Reviews (38)

Great for all ages!
I am a mother of 3 aged 5,3 & 1 year. All three of my children love this book. They think the Grouchy Ladybug is a silly bug. They enjoy "reading" along with me because the book is so repetitive! Even my one year old sits & listens intently to the pattern. "Ya' wanna fight! " "If you insist..." "Oh- you're not big enough." Repetition is the best tool in teaching to read & Eric Carle books are PERFECT for that! The other concepts he introduces in his books such as TIME & DAYS are helpful in teaching too. GREAT WORK, MR. CARLE!

The Wonderful World of Insects
The Grouchy Ladybug is a wonderful Eric Carle book. I love his mosiac illustrations, and the moral he projects. The grouchy ladybug is mean to all the other insects that he meets. He does not want to share the aphids on his leaf with the friendly ladybug. He ends up making no friends at all, and the animals he is rude to are getting bigger and fiercer as the book goes on. In the end the grouchy ladybug ends up on the same leaf he started out on, and shares the aphids.

Note to teachers: This is a great book to introduce a unit on insects. Most students probably don't understand what aphids are, and the ladybugs feed on them. You could also incorporate all of the other animals in the text to do a unit on animals. There are so many wonderful teaching oportunities with all of Eric Carle's books, but this is one of my favorites.

Wonderful book--one of my child's favorites
This is a great book and the repetition is great for a emerging young reader. My 3 year old can "read" this book to himself and his baby sister because he can anticipate what will happen when he turns the page. He has language delays due to hearing problems when he repeated ear infections and these repetitious books that Eric Carle has done have been wonderful with slowly introducing him to language.

Repetition, repetition, repetition....
After reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my son enough times to have it memorized, I bought this book thinking that it would be a nice change, and expecting The Grouchy Ladybug to have a moral somewhere along the lines of Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (if you haven't read that to your kids, get it). I found The Grouchy Ladybug to be repetative to the point of parental abuse. Eric Carle has good children's books, but this one was definitely not my favorite. The only thing my son has learned from it is "Hey, You, Wanna Fight?" It was okay to read once or twice, but the next garage sale, it's going to mysteriously vanish. I would suggest The Very Hungry Caterpillar instead, if you don't have it.

This book is crap
Eric Carle has done better. Read the "Very Quiet Cricket". This book is extremely repetitive and isn't really even a story so much as an excuse for the mediocre illustrations and a kind of irritating gimmick of having differently sized pages. These pages are have for my son to turn also.

I love reading real children's stories to my kids, and I don't mind some repetition (e.g., "Guess how much I love you" and "Are you my Mother?" are great...) But the ladybug keeps saying the same thing over and over and over. Yeah, I've hid the book from my kids and they don't miss it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

More than 60 years have not dated this wonderfully absurd tale--itstill makes kids (and parents) laugh out loud. Poor Mr. Popper isn't exactly unhappy; he just wishes he had seen something of the world before meeting Mrs. Popper and settling down. Most of all, he wishes he had seen the Poles, and spends his spare time between house-painting jobs reading all about polar explorations. Admiral Drake, in response to Mr. Popper's fan letter, sends him a penguin; life at 432 Proudfoot Avenue is never the same again. From one penguin living in the icebox, the Popper family grows to include 12 penguins, all of whom must be fed. Thus is born "Popper's Performing Penguins, First Time on Any Stage, Direct from the South Pole." Their adventures while on tour are hilarious, with numerous slapstick moments as the penguins disrupt other acts and invade hotels. Classic chapter-a-night fun. (Ages 5 to 10) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (75)

A Journey With Penguins
Mr. Popper's Penguins is a light-hearted, happy-go-lucky story. Mr. Popper is a zany character. He works the entire summer as a house painter and interior decorator. During the winter he reads and dreams. Mr. Popper reads about all of the places he would like to visit. Among his favorite places to dream about is Antarctica. He reads the works of a famous explorer and even write letters to the explorer. His wife thinks he is crazy to communicate with the explorer, but when he gets a special gift from his hero, his wife knows he is crazy. The gift is a penguin, and he adores it. After one penguin turns into two and two becomes twelve, the house is full of penguins. The penguins carry Mr. Popper on a journey from the poor house, across the stage, through jail, and finaly to Antarctica. The best thing about this book is that even through the sad parts, the story remains humorous. This is a book for grades K - 6. In the lower grades the teacher or parent can read the story to the students. It will be a very popular read aloud book. In the upper elementary grades the students will be capable of enjoying the book on their own. I love and highly recommend this book for all readers.

This is the best book in the world
Mr. Poppers Penguin is the best book. The author is Richard and Florence Atwater. This is a Newbery Honor book. It is great for all ages because it is the funniest book in the world. My favorite part is when the penguins live in the freezer. The characters are Mr. Popper, Mrs. Popper, Admiral Drake, Mr. Greenbaum, Mr. Klein, Janie Popper and Bill Popper. The Penguins are Caption Cook, Greta, Columbus, Victoria, Nelson, Jenny, Magellan, Scott, Isabella, Ferdinand and Louisa. Hope you read this book.

Opus times twelve
I've lived 26 years on this earth. In those 26 years I've learned a lot about children's books. I've learned which ones are considered the holiest of holies and which are to be condemned and spat upon. So I was completely taken aback when I learned that there was a 1938 children's book that absolutely no one had ever told me to read before. "Mr. Popper's Penguins" was a delight to discover. Suddenly I was privy to reading a charming story of a man and his penguins, and I had never even heard a peep about this tale from anyone. What gives? Why isn't "Mr. Popper's Penguins" as well-known and well-read as "Cheaper by the Dozen" or "Stuart Little"? There is no answer to this question. There is only this wonderful book, well-illustrated and magnificently written for the younger set.

Mr. Popper is a house painter, and mostly a good one. True, he does sometimes fall into fits of fancy, dreaming about the Arctic explorers and the ice floes to the North and South. His wife and children don't necessarily understand his dreams, but that doesn't sway Mr. Popper. One day, out of the blue, he receives word that one of the great explorers he wrote, Admiral Drake, read his letter and is sending him a present. As any child who remembers the title of the book might guess, a penguin comes hopping out of a newly delivered crate the next day. Mr. Popper is charmed by the little guest, and names him Captain Cook. Cook is a curious beasty, and the Poppers do everything from outfitting their refrigerator to taking Captain Cook for walks. When the penguin falls into a deep depression it is only the delivery of a second penguin from the zoo, Gerta, that cheers him up. Soon the penguin pair lay some eggs and the Popper household is privy to ten more lovely jumpy penguins. With money hard to come by it takes a clever Mr. Popper to come up with a way to make his penguins not only profitable, but stars.

First of all, make certain that if you are reading a version of this story that you have grabbed one that has Robert Lawson's beautiful illustrations. The same illustrator that's responsible for the lovable picture book, "Ferdinand the Bull" has switched his focus from beef to fowl. These penguins are remarkably well drawn, from their inquisitive little eys to their ugly webbed feet. If you've never seen a Lawson illustration, here would be a good place to start. The writing of Richard and Florence Atwater is extremely readable for anyone of any age. The phrase, "they just don't make 'em like that anymore" is unfair, but also kind of true. There's something to the simplicity of this book that you just can't find anywhere else. It is, all in all, just fantastic. And with Lawson's adept renderings of all the characters and situations, you are left in no doubt that this is one of the best books of this or any other age.

So a great wrong has been righted. I am no longer in the dark regarding "Mr. Popper's Penguins". If you'd like to introduce your kids (or, heaven forfend, yourself) to a fantastic piece of penguin rookery, grab yourself a copy of this l'il number. It's bound to make you a fan.

Made me want my own penguin.
I read this book myself when I was very young and find myself coming back to it time and time again even though I'm much older now. I remember the delight I felt each time the penguins got into some kind of trouble and the sympathy I felt for poor Mr. Popper each time he had to deal with the trouble. Even though the book was written more than sixty years ago it has a timeless feel that all good children's books have. It's a great addition to any child's library, both for the love of literature it can inspire and the lessons it can teach about responsibility and loving kindness. Definitely buy this for your kids and put it on the shelf next to the Dr. Suess.

Penguin power!
Mr. Popper's Penguins By: Richard and Florence Atwater

Mr. Popper lived with his wife and two children, Janie and Bill.
Mr. Popper was a house painter and only worked spring-winter. Mr. Popper enjoyed reading books about Arctic life (mostly penguins). One day Mr. Popper received a penguin from the Arctic explorer Admiral Drake. Mr. Popper named his penguin Captain Cook. One day Captain Cook looked very sick and lonely. Mr. Popper called an aquarium and they sent another penguin named Greta. Soon Captain Cook and Greta had a family of their own. Now there were 12 penguins. The Poppers were short on money so they trained the penguins to do tricks. Soon the performing Popper penguins became famous.
The main characters of this book are: Mr. Popper, Mrs. Popper, Captain Cook, Greta, Janie and Bill. Mr. Popper is a house painter that enjoys reading about Arctic life. Captain Cook is a kind penguin that doesn't cause much trouble.
This book mostly takes place in the town of Stillwater. The genre of this book is kind of realistic fiction. What surprised me is the end, because the name of the chapter seemed melancholy but ended up being something different.
What the author did well is naming the chapters. They were good descriptions of what happens. I think the author's style was kind of humorous. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read about penguins. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Angus the Answer Dog is back! This time the ever-helpful pooch is hereto help kids learn all about their new baby siblings. As in the other populartitles in Heidi Murkoff's What to Expect Kids series, including What to Expect When Mommy's Having aBaby and What to ExpectWhen You Use the Potty, the format is fun, friendly, and informative.Each two-page spread features a question likely to be asked by new big brothersor sisters: "What do new babies look like?" "Why do new babies cry so much?""Why can't new babies do anything by themselves?" "Why do new babies get so manypresents?" In his sensitive, respectful way, Angus answers each of the questionsand offers some fun activities to help children get to know the newest member oftheir family, as well as making sure they get their own needs met. ("It's niceto be held, even when you're big.")

In her series for kids, Heidi Murkoff, coauthor of the bestselling pregnancybook (for grownups), What toExpect When You're Expecting, bestows a gift upon both children andparents, guiding them through some of life's tougher transitions. Her honest,down-to-earth style is reassuring to every reader who is expecting something--orsomeone--new! Laura Rader's cartoonish illustrations are a perfect match forMurkoff's easy-going text. Pull up a cozy chair and read aloud to big sister orbrother while the new baby naps or eats. (Ages 2 to 5) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Super book for an older sibling!
My daughter is 8 and she loved the book. Though it is simple, it is well written and fun to read. She loved the pictures too.

Great book!
My son *made* me read this to him over & over before his baby sister was born. It encouraged him to help out and helped me explain what would be different once the baby was here. Also included things to explain to him that I never would have thought of. Thumbs up!

love this book
I actually bought this book for my friends 3yr old who is going to be a big brother really soon, in days. And I love the way the book is written. So does my friend and her 3yr old!!

i love angus
i am 6 and my mommy just had a new baby and angus helped me to understand it. my mommy is writing this review for me, but if i knew how i would. i give this book 1000000 stars because it is so good. and i love it. and i love to read it cause angus is so cute and smnart and nice, because he is my friend. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Straight forward information
I bought this book for my 5 year old stepson. His parents divorced before he was 2, so he had a poor understanding of marriage and divorce. It really helped him understand what was going on in his life and cleared up a lot of confusion for him. I highly recommend the book for anyone going through a divorce involving young children. The only negative in the book was the sterotype of the father leaving and the children living with the mother.

My Review of Dinosaurs Divorce
This book plays as a comic strip filled with vital information for a child whom is experiencing the tragedy of divorce. The pages light up with the vibrant depictions of the dinosaur families. The characters are depicted with great detail to facial expressions. The cartoon drawings will help the reader understand and relate to the different emotions expressed. This great learning tool includes the topics: divorce words and what they mean; why parents divorce; what about you; after the divorce; living with one parent; visiting your parent; having two home.... It lets the child know that it is not their fault for the parents' divorce. It reassures the child that parents divorce when they are no longer able to get along no matter how hard they try. Feelings that a child may not be use to experiencing such as sadness, shame, anger, guilt, and/or worried about who will take care of you. The book instructs the child to talk about how they feel so they may feel better. Often a child may be afraid to cry but Dinosaurs Divorce lets them know that it is okay to let their feelings out through tears. What I really love is that the book is realistic and never lies to the child. A child is told the truth that although they may hope that their parents will marry each other, it is very unlikely because divorce is final and most parents do not get back together. While reading the book, the reader gains useful tips about what to do after the divorce. An example is to not listen when parents say bad things about each other. The book offers the advice to tell them that you love both of them and hearing such bad things upsets you. Every area of divorce and the repercussions that may follow are covered in this book. Being a child of divorce myself, I wish I would have a had a book like this to help me get through the bad times and to let me know that how I was feeling was normal. I bought this bought for myself and brought it how to show my mother. She too agreed on how a book like this would have been useful to her in explaining our new altered life to my brothers and I. This is an excellent book for anyone, regardless of age, to add to their bibliotherapy collection. I highly recommend this book of mental medicine!

A Great Starting Place!
I think this book can make parents more comfortable about beginning a dialogue with the children about their feelings. The book shines a light on a situation that would allow a parent to ask what the child thinks about what is going on in the story. The artwork may even encourage the child to release his or her feelings by drawing. I would have liked to see more options for children for dealing with the challenges they face. All in all I say 'Buy this book'.

Just what we needed
I was having a very difficult time explaining to my 6 yr old. what divorce was and what was going to happen to her. This book was perfect. Just what I needed to help get through this tough time. It was difficult at times for me to read.. (got emotional) but it was just what we needed..

Good book for children going through divorce
My divorce lawyer recommended this book to me after I expressed concern about how my kids might be handling my divorce. To be honest, it struck me as somewhat childish, but both of my sons took to it and claimed that it made them understand what was happening... and that it made them feel better to know they were not the only ones who've experienced this. And that was good enough for me! ... Read more

Book Description

A best-selling book for the first day of school. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

I read it on the first day of school...
As a brand-new teacher (first grade), I thought this would be a great icebreaker and nerve-soother to read to my kids on the first day of school. None of them expected the surprise ending. The book helped both my criers and the rest of the class -- I talked to the criers about jitters, and how I had them, and how most everyone has them on the first day of school. I was able to use the book as an example to those better-adjusted kids, explaining that some people have worse first-day jitters than others. It was a great book to ease the kids into school again!

Everyone has had it - first day school jitters - a must read
Favorite characters: Sarah, Mr. Hartwell, and Mrs. Burton

Everyone has had it, the fear of that first day of school. This is what First Day Jitters is all about. But this book puts a humorous twist on those fears. The ending will warm your heart, no matter if you're eight or eighty years old.
Colorful pictures that follow that first day of school you remember, only this time with a surprise ending. This is a great book for kids that are nervous to go to school, or adults who want to read books about their childhood. You really can't go wrong with a book like this.

My 4 1/2 year old's new favorite book!
My son loved this book the first time I read it; he just finished his 1st year of pre-school and since he's an only child, he had a challenging time getting used to school and lots of kids all in one room! They changed the location of his school starting in the fall, so this was a timely book, as he won't be in the same building, and many of his new friends will be going elsewhere, thus he will have to look at new faces once again. This book has a great ending that made us laugh. I recommend the book highly.

A Must Have
This book is a must have for all teachers. I've read it to students as old as 4th grade and they've really enjoyed the twist at the end. It's a good discussion starter and can be used for all grades. I am also a fan of the author because I was her daughter's 3rd grade teacher! Get the book and have fun reading it to your class!

Everyone has the jitters!
Well, this is a superb book for children on the first day of school. The story tells about Sara Hartwell and how she does not want to go to school. She is worried that no one will like her and is extremely nervous about all the things people get nervous about on the first day of school. Mr. Hartwell with much fighting gets Sara to school as the princial is waiting on her to take her to class. When he shows her to the room you find out that Sara is really the teacher! It definitely a new perspective! This is a great way to start a discussion with students about how adults also get nervous and scared and share how they deal with those feelings. I use this book as a great story starter and have my first grade students write about what they have ever been nervous about and have them share and learn from each other's stories. Excellent job Julie Danneberg and Judith Dufour Love! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

How Big Is a Foot
I read How Big Is a Foot to children that are in the third grade and found that it is not really designed for them. I think that it would be better for second grade. The book was enjoyable and I think that if I had read it to a more age appropriate audience they would have been more interested.

How Big is a Foot?
I think this book is more appropriate for younger children. The three seven year olds I read this book to seemed to understand it really well, but I don't think it kept their interest. I think that it is a wonderful way to introduce children to measuring, but overall isn't the most interesting for them.

Great book
I read this book to first graders in math class. It helped solidify the concept of why standard measurement is necessary. Thay loved it and wanted to read it again the next day because we acted it out and actually measured and cut yarn to make the beds using my foot size and the smallest child's foot size. They want to perform it for the whole school. Of course I have only 2 kids in my class so it's easy to do things like this.

How big is a foot?
I thought that this book had a different way of describing,"How big is a foot?" It was good but I didn't see as much of a response from the kids I was reading it to. It is definetely more appropriate for younger aged children. It puts into perspectve of how something was measured and the outcomes of different measurements used. I am giving this book an average rating because I don't know if a child would get a full grasp of measurements without further explanation.

good book
This is a great book for kids, I read it to a group of third graders, it was a good tie-in to the math lesson they were learning on measurements.

(...) ... Read more

Book Description

Did you ever walk through a wall? Drink a glass of blocks? Have you ever played with a lemonade doll, or put on milk for socks? This latest addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series introduces the youngest readers to an important science concept: the differences between solids, liquids, and gases. Any child who wants to know why he can't walk through a wall will enjoy Kathleen Zoehfeld's simple text and Paul Meisel's playful illustrations.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

wonderful science/literature connection
this is an excellent literature connection for young children studying the concept of matter. it works well with the foss science module, "solids and liquids" for students in grades one and two. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"If you give a pig a pancake, she'll want some syrup to go with it.You'll give her some of your favorite maple syrup. She'll probably get all sticky, so she'll want to take a bath." You get the idea. Baths lead to bubbles, bubbles lead to rubber ducks, rubber ducks lead to wanting a trip to the farm. If You Give a Pig a Pancake is a delightful exploration of the scenario "if you give an inch, they'll take a mile." But who could refuse the whims of this adorable piglet? Not us, and certainly not the pig's young caretaker. Parents will feel a familiar twinge as they witness the pig's increasingly elaborate demands, and kids will be delighted that the story circles back around to the original pancake. Laura Numeroff and illustrator Felicia Bond--well-loved creators of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Moose a Muffin--succeed again in concocting a marvelously skewed study of cause and effect that inevitably results in a riotous read-aloud. Your kids will ask for this book again and again, and you won't want to refuse. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (55)

NICE TO SEE THE ROLES REVERSED FOR A CHANGE!
This book makes me laugh-out-loud; it is so adorable and cute!

"If You Give A Pig A Pancake" helps the child see what we as adults go through running after her giving in to her little whims and idiosyncrasies! Let's hope as she gets older she will understand what this book is trying to say:

1) Appreciate and be thankful for your parent(s).

2) Don't take life too seriously.

3) Live life to the fullest and have fun!

4) Be your own person.

5) You never have to grow up.

6) Don't worry about trivial matters; just say "oh, go have a pancake!"

7) Help others; what you give has a way of coming back to you-- DOUBLE.

This is a great book for all ages; it is the female version of "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie." I highly recommend both books; great illustrations and short easy-to-read stories.

Your child will be reading in no time if you read fun books like this to her, and simultaneously you'll be laughing as well!

GO BUY THIS BOOK!

Another favorite read.
We have several of the If you Give.... books by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. And they are all such favorite reading.

In this book we meet the cutest little pig, and the girl that owns the pig. She starts with giving the pig a pancake (a great way of playing with words with the kids), and when he gets the pancake he wants syrup, you find the syrup and he wants...... you are on the run untill you are back again on the last pages where pig's sticky hands reminds him of your favorite syrup, and of course no syrup without a pancake. Any child loves this way of playing with words, and playing with - what will happen next :-)

We live in Norway, and my youngest one understands only a little English yet, so I translate for her while reading. My dream is to have these books translated into Norwegian - what a treasure to give the small kids of Norway.

By the way, the book is also fun reading for older kids, and for grown ups. Why should the small kids have all the good picture books :-)

Britt Arnhild Lindland

So, So
Just another variation on the first book (Mouse Cookie) and to me the story did not flow together as well. My kids like it though.

A very poorly written book............
I've read this book to my daughter who loves it. I've also read the other books in the series. The illustrations are rather cute but the story is so poorly written. I feel anybody could have come up with the lame text this author has come up with. All her books are the same style and don't require much creativity or imagination. I give the book two stars because my daughter likes it and the illustrations are good. We borrow it from the library and I would never purchase it. For a good children's book, I think the British authors do a better job!

excellent
Totally gets into the kids psyche. They love to see what the pig will want next. This whole series is a fabulous display of cause and effect. very nice ... Read more

Reviews (35)

The Golden Book of Fairy Tales
This is the best collection of fairy tales I have ever seen. Our mother used to read it to us for hours when we were children, she'd have to completely lose her voice before we'd let her stop. One of my favourite memories is piling on Mom's bed with my four sisters to gaze at the pictures and listen to these fabulous stories. Our copy was ruined by water damage during a move when I was around 11 or 12, and I remember I cried when Mom told me it was gone. I nearly cried again at 25 when I found it on your website, and called Mom right away. She was as excited as I was to have it again. We both recognized it immediately by the unforgettabe illustrations, which are more beautiful than in any other collection, and I have never seen some of these stories anywhere else. I can't wait to pile on the bed with my own children, and let their Nana create some favourite memories for them.

The Golden book of fairy tales
My mother began reading this book to us when we were small, and it was read so much that it literally fell apart. My siblings and I have fought over the pieces for years, so much so, that a few years ago we all received xerox copies for Christmas. Because of the reprinting we all received a new copy for Christmas this year! It contains some of the loveliest illustrations I have ever seen and the stories are so unique! As an Elementary school librarian I have yet to see it's equal in fairy tale books. It is an absolute favorite at our house!

Wonderful complete volume of fairy tales
This is a lovely book. The fairy tales are from many different countries and include the classics such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast, as well as other, lesser known tales like Tinder Box, The White Deer, and Queen Cat. All are well written, good stories.

The ilustrations are beautiful, but not all are in full color and they are not on every page. For children under age 3 or 4, depending on how well the child concentrates on a story, the lack of pictures on each page can make it hard for them to follow the story. I read this book constantly to my 3.5 year old girl and she loves it, but she often wants to know why the picture doesn't match the part of the story we're reading. I'm happy with the book, but I'm writing about this issue with the pictures since many reviewers said that was a strength of the book. Yes, the illustrations are beautiful, but half are full color, the other half are charcoal on pink paper, and there are little sketches throughout such as flowers or a basket of fruits which are mainly space fillers.

I highly recommend the book to those who are fine with one illustration per 3-4 page story.

Baby Boomers' Fairy Tale Book
I was so shocked to find that this wonderful book of fairy tales had been reprinted. It was my favorite book growing up in the late 1950-1960's and I used to read it with my sisters every night. Our book is tattered and falling apart, few survived in decent shape due to the size of the book causing stress on the binding AND the constant use they received! My youngest sister ended up with our book and no amount of money would pry it loose from her. I finally found a rebound copy for myself but wanted copies for my children so they could share it with their family some day and was thrilled to be able to order one for each of them. This book is timeless with classic stories from around the world and fantastic illustrations - the best fairy tale book ever produced. It would make a perfect baby shower gift so I think I will be stocking up on more of them soon!

so HAPPY I found this!
I just found this on Amazon and didn't know about the reprinting. I still have my worn, tired old book my mom found for me at a garage sale back in the mid 60s. I absolutely ADORE this book! I still look at my old tattered,torn copy and can't wait to get one without the crayon marks! I bought a second one for my 6 year old niece who is going to adore this. I can't wait to see her read and enjoy this book as much as I did. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Comedian, actor, and director Billy Crystal’s ode to his first grandchild will strike a chord with every expectant grandparent (and parents, too). Readers will feel the sweet anticipation building as Grandpa Crystal dreams about the baby’s upcoming birth. While the writing is at times awkward, the sentiment behind the text is genuine and universal, " I want to feel your heart beat as you lie upon my chest, bait your hook, fly your kite, help you study for a test."The narrator envisions peekaboo, horsey, and visits to the beach with a red-haired tot--his love virtually bubbles over. Pastel illustrations (reminiscent of the dreamy, soft-focus drawings in pregnancy books) by Elizabeth Sayles show the rugged, gray-haired gramps beaming as he partakes of the imagined pleasures to come. Crystal concludes with another awkward yet heartfelt verse:

Your mom is my daughter, and your dad is his mom’s son. You lived within your mommy, but now the time has come. Get ready, sweet little one-- Your life will be just great. I’m going to be your grandpa, and… I can hardly wait.

Reviews (18)

Touching
As a mother of two youngish children, I loved this book! It was a touching read and some parts nearly brought me to tears. The illustrations are superb! Billy Crytal has written a book that is a treasure for parents and grandparents. Debbie Farmer, author 'Don't Put Lipstick on the Cat'

A wonderful read about being a grandparent
I absolutely loved this book! The grandfather-to-be talks about what activities he will do with his new granddaughter. Then he talked about when his daughter was young and the things they did together.I especially liked the part where he said that he took her to the movie and he didn't watch the movie, but instead he watched his daughter's face. It was a touching read. It nearly brought me to tears. The illustrations are superb! This would be a great book for the parent-to-be. Bravo to Billy Crystal!

Billy Pay Me
Plenty Of Grandfathers could tell the same story, yet nobody is giving them a publishing deal. Another in the line of celebrity books. At least Jay Leno's new book was funny.

classic
This book is so sweet and the illustrations are timeless. It uses some words you don't often find in this level of book so that is nice to introduce new vocabulary.

Great gift for a grandfather to send
The title and the book are EXCELLENT! My wife and I had to move away from home, sent this book to our daughter and she was thrilled! Since we are from Boston, the only problem was a reference to the Yankees ... but, this may be our year! ... Read more

Book Description

The Emotional Impact Series... Anger can be a powerful and frightening emotion for children to see in others and experience in themselves. In this book, Dr. Moser explains the causes of anger and offers methods that can help children reduce the amount of anger they feel. He also gives effective techniques to help young people control their behavior, even when they are angry. This book will delight both children and adults. It's informative and it's bun because Dr. Moser examines the complex feelings of human anger with the proper blend of sensitivity and humor. And David Melton's colorful illustrations are bright and witty.

Counselors, teachers, parents and children who have read and used Dr. Moser's previous books are sure to welcome Don't Rant & Rave on Wednesdays! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Don't Rant and Rave
I'm a therapist in private practice.I send this book home with elementary school age children and they love it so much that they don't want to bring it back! They are relieved to know that they are not the only ones who get angry.The bookgives them great tips on how to calmdown. Moser knows children and has a sense of humor.Enjoyable pictures.

Good One...
I'm a school counselor and use this one with my middle elementary aged kids (3-4 grade).They enjoy it and it's easier for them to understand.I really recommend this one.

Don't get mad, get busy
This 61-page picture book contains simple language easily read by first and second graders (on a par with Dr. Suess), but its sophistication about children's anger will keep them coming back until they are approaching middle school.

The premise is simple: Everyone gets angry--young people, old people, tall people, short people, fat people, thin people, nice people, mean people, men people, women people, boy and girl people. Including, of course, kids reading this book. When people get angry they do silly things--shake their fists, jump up and down, rant and rave, call bad names, throw things.

The book explains anger as the feeling we have when we are really annoyed or really mad. Anger, children learn here, affects their thinking, excites emotions, makes muscles tense. Kids learn why people get angry (it happens more easily when they don't fell well, or are in a grumpy mood, when someone calls a bad name, makes fun, pushes, hits or breaks a favorite toy). People can get mad at themselves, too--because they stub a toe, bump their head, dent their new bike, lose their lunch money or forget their homework. It also happens often--up to 12 times a day.

When people are angry, they do funny things. If someone laughs at them, they get angrier, lose control, hit and sometimes become so enraged, they even kill another person. Being so angry can actually make people sick.

About halfway through this book, the author notes that in order to become productive and happy, kids should avoid being angry. This section begins with the recognition that anger is often inappropriate. No one would consider it funny, for example, for the President of the U.S. to get so angry that he started screaming and yelling on national television. Feeling angry can be harmful. People who rant and rave get into more fights, are more apt to lie, cheat and steal, drop out of school and get sick or use drugs.

It's not good, either, to blame oneself for others' anger. They are responsible for themselves. We are responsible for ourselves. And we can quickly change from feeling okay to feeling angry, which in turn produces physical reactions, including tense muscles. It's like "speeding down the highway at one hundred miles per hour" in a car without a steering wheel.

The book's final 18 pages provide anger-control methods. "Before you race out of control," Moser writes, "put on the brakes. Give yourself time to calm down by counting to ten slowly. If you still feel upset, keep on counting." Staying calm, the book tells kids, will help them to think more clearly, listen to their thoughts and control their behavior. Reading a joke book can kids laugh, which creates good brain chemicals, which in turn kill pain. The author also advises kids to channel their anger to good uses: draw a picture, write something, clean a room, wash dishes, straighten a closet, take a walk or a hot bath. These exercises can reduce anger. (But hitting a punching bag, playing football or other violent activities won't.)

This book teaches kids how to develop self-control. Alyssa A. Lappen

Fantastic Tool
This book is very helpful on discussing anger management w/ children.I have a son that has ADHD and this is a great tool to use. I would recommend this book for elemetary children, 5 and up.

Don't Rant & Rave on Wednesdays!
This book is easy to read and understand. It has basic anger control ideas that children can use. I beleive that it should be geared towards a younger age group such as 7 to 11 year olds. It was a bit low end for my 12 yearold. Good graphics and good ideas. Have the child read it and then have thechild read it out loud to the parent. ... Read more

Book Description

Talk about a change of plans! Ms. Frizzle and her class are on the Magic School Bus headed for a museum. They have been studying how the body turns food into energy, and now they are going to see an exhibit on the human body. Things seem fine until they stop for lunch. A strange mishap causes the bus to shrink and then be swallowed! Ms. Frizzle's class is suddenly inside a real human body! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Fifth Food Group: Magic School Buses
Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen outdo themselves in "The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body." It is their most ambitious collaboration yet, and it definitely doesn't disappoint.

As is the custom, the third book in this science series (written in 1989) picks up where the second story left off. Ms. Frizzle is showing her students a filmstrip about the human body. "We're going to learn all about ourselves," she says. Then she announces the next field trip - the class is heading to the museum to "see an exhibit about how our bodies get energy from the food we eat." However, anyone who has even an inkling as to the kind of person Ms. Frizzle is should know that things rarely, if ever, go according to plan. A field trip is never just a field trip when you're taking a ride aboard her magic school bus.

The Friz and her students stop at a park for lunch before arriving at the museum. Afterward, everyone goes back to the bus . . . except for Arnold! He's still sitting at a picnic table, daydreaming and eating a bag of Cheesie-Weesies. And before the class realizes what is happening, the bus shrinks to the size of a Cheesie-Weesie . . . where it is promptly downed in one gulp by Arnold!

"I thought we were going to the museum," says one student.

"There's been a slight change of plans," explains Ms. Frizzle. "We're being digested instead."

Why visit an exhibit about the human body when you have a magic school bus and a teacher like Ms. Frizzle who can take you directly to the source?

If "At the Waterworks" was like priming the pump, and "Inside the Earth" was like getting the ball rolling, "Inside the Human Body" is like plowing full-steam ahead. Cole and Degen have firmly established themselves as a literacy force to be reckoned with; this is proven in the confidence of the writing and the boldness of the illustrations. There is so much going on in this story that you almost need a scorecard to keep track of it all. It seems as though Cole and Degen are bound and determined to one-up themselves with every book they come out with.

A list of some things Ms. Frizzle educates her class about would include: blood cells (red and white), blood vessels, digestion, germs, the heart, lungs, molecules, oxygen, plasma, the small intestine, etc. Do you know what villi are? You will after you read this book! Any idea what the cerebral cortex does? Ms. Frizzle will show you! Ever wondered why you sneeze? The answer resides in this story!

"Inside the Human Body" deserves just as much, if not more, a home on a person's bookshelf as does "At the Waterworks" and "Inside the Earth." Cole and Degen loaded their latest adventure to the bursting-point with information. You can see the growth author and illustrator have taken since their inaugural effort with "At the Waterworks." They prove that some things do, indeed, get better with age.

At the end of "Inside the Human Body" is a true-false test to help readers distinguish what things were true in the story and what things were made up. And, of course, Ms. Frizzle drops another clue as to where her next great adventure will take us. I'm pretty sure the class will think of their next field trip as out of this world!

It doesn't seem possible, but Cole and Degen managed to improve upon an already-winning formula. They are both in top form with "Inside the Human Body," a field trip that will take you from the brain to the small intestine and back again. Well, what are you waiting for? Hitch a ride on the magic school bus!

As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, "Seatbelts, everyone!"

My daughter loves Magic School Bus
My daughter is 3 1/2 years old. I got this book and wasn't sure if it would be to complicated for her. She loves it! I have ordered a few more Magic School Bus books and she can't get enough of them. She even drew a picture of her Daddy's red blood cells! It was hilarious. But best of all, she enjoys them so much. They are her favorite books and she is learning about science. I wish I had these when I was a kid.

Kid Tested
My son likes this book. It gives some good insights into germs and our bodies. he likes the entires Magic School Bus series - but this is one of his favorites. An easy read before bedtime - just the right length.

The Magic School Bus : Inside the Human Body
Very fun to read and educational. My daughter is 7 years old and she must have read it ten times. She only usually reads a book once!

Hilarious, fantastic, fascinating, inventive education!
I discovered these books when my son was 5 and we were in a trial year of homeschooling. Both of us were fascinated, by Ms. Frizzle, the magic shrinking bus, the fantastic field trips and funny Arnold.

The main text is good, the pictures are great and the comic book style conversations and binder paper reports on the sides of the pages are fabulous.

We both learned important things about the solar system, human body, water refineries, the earth and the ocean in a very fun, creative, imaginative and impressive way.

Read these books with any child you know, laughing and learning together! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A wonderful illustrator tells an important tale
A zen riddle? A story by Tolstoy? A comics illustrator? You wouldn't think these three things would come together to form one of the most lovely pieces of children's literature I've seen recently - but they do. This is a book I purchased to read to my 3 year old, but I find it a comfort to myself, as well. Jon J. Muth's watercolour illustrations set a pensive mood for a weighty tale, told lightly.

"This Is Why We Are Here"
"There was once a boy named Nikolai who sometimes felt uncertain about the right way to act..." He wanted to be a good person, but was unsure how to accomplish his goal. Nikolai had three important questions...When is the best time to do things? Who is the most important one? What is the right thing to do? "If only I could find the answers to my three questions... then I would always know what to do." So he decides to seek the counsel of Leo, the turtle. "He has lived a very long time. Surely he will know the answers I am looking for." But as he reaches Leo's home, high in the mountains, disaster strikes, and without even thinking Nikolai takes action, and in the process finds the answers he's been searching for..... Based on Leo Tolstoy's short story, Jon Muth has authored a reflective and inspired picture book retelling of The Three Questions. His simple and eloquent text, with its gentle message of compassion and living for each moment, is enhanced by lovely and evocative watercolor artwork in quiet and subdued tones. Together word and art answer Nikolai's questions in a captivating and engaging way..."Remember then that there is only one important time, and that time is now. The most important one is always the one you are with. And the most important thing is to do good for the one who is standing at your side. For these, my dear boy, are the answers to what is most important in this world." With an Author's Note at the end to augment the story and introduce Tolstoy and his works, The Three Questions is a perfect fable for youngsters 5-9, and is sure to open interesting and thoughtful discussions.

A great book to talk about
What a wonderful book. It really gives you a great starting place for basic discussions with children. It gives good tools to help a child with basic problem solving and teaches them that everything in life can be seen from differrent perspectives.

Trite and arrogant
As a great fan of Tolstoy I am certain he would be mortified to be touted as the inspiration for this book. There is an arrogance in the communication of the moral message that the author wishes to send and could there be a more trite "situation" for his main character to "happen upon" in order to "save" the victim and be the hero? Puh-leeze.

Teach your child how to know how to responsive to others.
This book tells a story that helps children learn one of the most important lessons in life. Parents will benefit from reading this book as well. There is a parallel between this book and the work of the famous Arbinger Institute (arbinger.com), where adults can even learn more about living the principles provided from this excellent children's book. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in color. "Deliberately calculated to make its readers yawn. No one could resist those zillions of astonishing sleepyheads."--The New York Times. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz................
Shake myself awake again to tell my sleepy view... of Dr. Seuss's "Sleep Book," a childhood favorite that has survived all the insomniac years of growing up and turning a bit more vintage. So many of my childhood books have vanished somewhere along that winding time-route... somewhere on those many travels and address changes, moved from one previous life to another former life to another life begun today. Lost, but for this one. And when a family pet took a toothy chomp along the binding, no matter, I had to buy another. Children's book? Ah, for the child in all of us! For we all sleep, and we all dream. The first stretchy yawn is as delicious as the final one, and the overall feel of this Seussian masterpiece is cozy, and warm, and comforting. I remember well my fascination with the unique characters as a child, with all their quirky sleep routines. I found them fully as endearing when reading the book, over and over again, to my own children. With anticipation of grandchildren looming somewhere within the next decade... I look forward to sharing these cozy yawns with yet another generation. The book is a timeless classic.

One of the greatest childrens books ever...
Everyone has heard of The Cat in the Hat, but I can't believe that so few people have been lucky enough to experience Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book. I can't think of another bedtime story that doesn't pale in comparison to this one.. As a child, I read it so much that at one point actually had it memorized... To this day I can still recite most of it! "The news just came in from the County of Keck.." and by the time I get to the last few lines... I'm always ready to sleep! Definately belongs in the top ten books of all time.

Some kind of weird voodoo magic
Dr Seuss' Sleep Book is amazing. I picked up a copy when my oldest child was about two years old, and it has always held her attention until she drifted off to sleep. My daughter is six now and, along with her two younger siblings, still loves this book.

Our favorite character is Snorter McPhail. The kids say he reminds them of their father... while I agree that he does bear a resemblance to my husband, I think I just like the concept of Snorter wearing a large bucket on his head, conducting a snoring orchestra - the "snore-a-snort band" - in a cave way out of town, all while he is asleep.

This book has some kind of weird voodoo magic that really does put kids (and sometimes grownups) to sleep. In the years that I've been reading the story to my children, they have almost never made it through the entire book before drifting off, and the few times they have made it through awake, they're extremely drowsy by the end. Dr. Seuss' Sleep Book has been read so often that the binding is starting to come loose, but we'll just keep reading it until it falls apart, then buy another copy.

Can it get any better?
I have not read all the Seuss books yet, but this book is a huge classic for me.
Each page is another world to enter into and dream about.
There is almost no plot, just one crazy, engrossing scene after another.
Not a great read-to book because your kid misses the visuals - but an amazing read-with book.

I have just read the copy from my youth, 30+ yrs ago, alongside my 3 and 5 yr old girls (in bed, as the book tells us to do) and they did not fidget once.

'Sleep' reminds me of the excellent 'Starbright' books that put images and scenes into the child's imagination. Those books are word only, this is basically pictures.

A Yawn is quite catching, you see, like a cough.
This is a fun bedtime book, starting with a little bug who yawns so wide you can look down his neck, and showing the yawn spreading throughout the land, and then everyone getting ready for bed and going to sleep, and other related sleepy trivia. The rythm is sleep, and yawn inducing. I honestly can't get through this book without yawning about every page. But, since a yawn is catching, my little ones are soon yawning so wide you can look down thier necks!

This is an excellent book to have as a part of your sleepytime routine for your child. Dr. Seuss certainly had a gift for silly, poetic stories which children all seem to love. ... Read more

Book Description

"There was a girl in the village who loved horses... She led the horses to drink at the river. She spoke softly and they followed. People noticed that she understood horses in a special way."

And so begins the story of a young Native American girl devoted to the care of her tribe's horses. With simple text and brilliant illustrations. Paul Goble tells how she eventually becomes one of them to forever run free. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A horse is a horse, of course of course
The ultimate girl/horse story. There are plenty of tales in which a young girl bonds with a very special horse. This is the rare book in which the girl not only bonds with a horse but, in the end, becomes one herself (as well as that horse's mate). Paul Goble made quite a career out of telling Native American folktales in picture book form. In this particular story, a girl's love for four-legged beasts is taken to its logical extreme.

In this book, a girl once cared for her tribe's horses during the day. She would water them and find them places to feed. One day, a storm rose while the girl slept and the horses grazed. In a panic, the animals began to stampede away, and it was only by her skill that the girl was able to climb aboard one. When at last they stopped, the girl met the leader of all the wild horses, a beautiful spotted stallion. The girl continued to live with the creatures until one day she was successfully captured by members of her own tribe. She was happy to see her parents once more, but begged to return to the horses. The tribe agreed and each year she would return briefly to give the people a new colt. When she didn't return one year, riders swore that they saw a black mare that greatly resembled the girl, now the mate of the spotted stallion. The book ends with a Navaho's song about his horse and Black Elk (an Oglala Sioux)'s dream about a stallion's song.

I was a little shocked that this tale never identified the tribe to which the girl belonged. Since, however, this is an original story and not a retelling of a classic Native American tale (or so the book would lead you to believe) I wasn't too perturbed by the omission. After all, when people tell stories about themselves, they rarely identify their nationality or allegiance. In this book, the girl's tribe is referred to simply as "the people". If you've ever seen a Paul Goble book before, you know what to expect when you read this. His characters are fairly featureless, though as an artist he spends a significant bit of time detailing their clothing, hair, weapons, homes, etc. He expresses a great love of color in all his pictures, and it's quite enjoyable to flip through the shots of multicolored horses. In its construction, this book is incredibly lovely. But the question that came to my mind while reading it was, how interesting will children find this tale? For those kids obsessed by horses, I think this book will go over like gangbusters. After all, as horse-love goes, this girl is an extreme example. In other ways, the book is a bit dull. When you illustrate a tale in which emotions are not visible on the characters, you're going to lose those readers that like seeing happy and sad expressions. It's a style choice on the part of the author/illustrator and while I respect it I cannot wholly recommend it.

Just the same, it's a lovely book to flip through. Just know that it is an original Native American tale and not a retelling. For every child that has imagined running away and joining a band of wild animals, this is the perfect story to read. A lovely lively concoction.

Wild Horses actually do drag this young girl away
"The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses" is a straightforward tale of the Plains Indians, retold and illustrated by Paul Goble, unlike those that he has told about the trickster, Iktomi. This myth does not folllow any one story exactly but is put together from a great number of stories belonging to the peoples who lived on the Great Plains that Goble had read or listened to over the years. This story is premised on the importance of horses to these peoples. The title character is a girl in the village would loved horses so much that she would led them to drink at the river and when she spoke softly to them they would follow her. Her people recognized that she understood horses in a special way, which explains why this story ends the way that it does.

Every day after doing her chores the young girl would run off to be with the horses. One day there is a great lightning storm that drives the horses, carrying the young girl, over the horizon to a land she had never seen before. There she finds a beautiful spotted stallion, stronger and prouder and more handsome than any horse she had ever dreamed of. He is the leader of all the wild horses who roamed the hills and he welcome her to live with them. But a year later two hunters from her people discover her in the hills where the wild horses lived and they will try to bring the girl back to her parents. The question is whether the girl can be happy back with her people now that she has lived with the wild horses.

Goble's distinctive artwork, which recalls the art of the Plains Indians of the 19th century, is particularly well suited to this simple tale. As was the case in one of his earlier books, "The Gift of the Sacred Dog," which told how the first horses came into the lives of the people, you can tell that Goble likes to draw horses. In "The Girl Who Loves Wild Horses" he has ample opportunity to draw dozens of them, as well as the young girl decked out in her colorful garb, and I particularly liked the plant life he draws this time around. No wonder this book was the winner of the Caldecott Medal.

Beautiful art.
Paul Goble transcends perfection. Any artist, or anyone who loves art, will want to look at this book again and again...

Simon & Schuster recommends the book for ages 5 to 8, but any child approaching or in his or her early teens would be enchanted by the simplicity of the artwork and the way it so powerfully conveys the story the words tell. Even adults will enjoy this poetic picture book.

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses is about a young girl who struggles to find a friend in her tribe but finds herself to be very close with the wild horses that graze near her tribe. One day a thunderstorm comes and scares the wild horses off and she feels lost. The leader of the wild horses comes to her one night and asks if she wants to be one of them and she excitedly answers yes leaving her home and family behind her. Many children can relate to this book if they feel as though they have no one to confide in but there pets or different animals. Kids that are socially impaired would benefit from reading this book along with any child who has an interest in reading a good book.

Wonderful Book!
My daughter and I just love this book. The illustrations are simply beautiful and the story is enchanting. This was one of the first books my daughter read by herself. We have read almost all of his wonderful books. ... Read more