Book Description

By the big red barn
In the great green field,
There was a pink pig
Who was learning to squeal.

There were horses and sheep and goats and geese--and a jaunty old scarecrow leaning on his hoe. And they all lived together by the big red barn. In joyous and exuberant

Pictures, Felicia Bond lovingly evokes Margaret Wise Brown's simple, rhythmic text about the cycle of a day on a farm, where a family of animals peacefully plays and sleeps.

In the barnyard there are roosters and cows, horses and goats, and a pink piglet who is learning to squeal. Margaret Wise Brown's lulling story about a day in the life of a barnyard is now available as a sturdy board book. Felicia Bond's atmospheric illustrations add to the tranquil simplicity of this story.

Reviews (37)

Soothing words & Simple illustration
These are the things that the little ones, like my 21 month old son, should appreciate in a book.
MWB is widely known for the books "Goodnight moon" and "The Runaway Bunny". I didn't even know about this book until I saw that my husband had picked it up at the bookstore. This book is illustrated by a different artist, Felicia Bond, and her work is sweet and uncomplicated. The story has that same rhythm and beat you follow when reading poetry, but it is also gives a peaceful feeling to it's readers(and the ones being read to).
It's a day in the life of kind of story about animals on a farm, while the children are gone. It is a perfect addition to any child's book shelf and makes for a perfect bedtime story with it's calming effect.
I highly recommend buying this for toddlers! If you already have any of Brown's other books, this one will be a welcome addition.

Wonderful story for children and adults alike
This is one of Margaret Wise Browns best books, Children of any age will love it. The text flows beautifully without being too silly and the illustrations are great for children learning their animals. We've had this book since my son was ten months old and it is still one of his most favorite books, and even after reading this a million times it is still one of my most favorite childrens stories. How did I miss this one as a child?

Un libro bueno por leyendo en voz alta
This translation is not the best one I've used but works well for younger crowds. It rhymes on some pages but not all which makes for a somewhat awkward read the first time around. With a little practice, though, the book is wonderful to use in a Spanish language storytime. The story is very simple as are the pictures so it could be used for toddler and preschool age groups. The book would also be good for those just starting to read in Spanish since many of the words are basic and the text is somewhat sparse.

Doesn't do it for us
Just a basic farm book like many others. Doesn't really do it for my kids. We own a lot of board books and none of mine ever attached to this one. They prefer Boynton books.

Very gentle and calming
If your child enjoys Goodnight Moon, then they should enjoy this book - it has a similar rhythm and very appealing illustrations. Like the mouse that you can look for in Goodnight Moon, this book has a butterfly that appears on many of the pages. It also shows beautifully the change in the light as the sun sets and day turns to night, and the animals going from active to asleep.

I did find it quite difficult to get a good reading rhythm until I had read through it several times. The rhymes are not exact (not like Dr Seuss, say) - it is more subtle and textured than that. I found some of the lines that work well together require turning over to the next page, and personally I think it sounds better when 3 of the lines are left out completely ("meow meow", "yeow yeow" and "bow wow").

My son (21 months) really enjoys it, and it's a book that you can read every day without going too crazy. ... Read more

Book Description

Good Night, Gorilla won the 1994 Cuffie for "Most Likely to Succeed in Years Ahead" and has more than lived up to that prediction, becoming a modern classic that is a must in every child's library.

This perfect package will give kids the opportunity to cuddle up with an adorable plush gorilla while they are enjoying his secret bedtime antics. ... Read more

Reviews (62)

Gracie's Favorite Book
My 10-month-old daughter demands her father and I read only Peggy Rathman books to her before bedtime. Since she was 5 months old, she would choose Goodnight, Gorilla from a pile of books offered to her, even if I hid this book on the bottom of the stack. I have decided that, unlike most baby board books, Peggy Rathman stories have a climax to look forward to -- whether it is yelling "BEDTIME" in Ten Minutes 'Til Bedtime or gasping when the zookeeper's wife realizes there are a bunch of zoo animals in her bedroom in Goodnight, Gorilla. The illustrations keep me interested, night after night. The attention to detail is wonderful. I highly recommend her books, and wish she would write more!

Perfect for toddlers!!
My son loves this book! I think it must be because the illustrations are easy on his eyes. The drawings are very childlike and the colors(mostly primary)are perfect. This is the story of a zookeeper who is closing the zoo for the night, and while he says "goodnight" to each critter, the gorilla, who is first, steals his keys and lets all the animals out. They all follow him home, and he never even notices! His pop eyed wife has to take care of them herself. It's the most adorable little book! There isn't much to read. It's more of a feast for the child's eyes right before he sets off to night nights.
The copy I have is a small board book, and it's small enough for my son's little hands to hold and admire all by himself.
I highly recommend buying this for the child at age 21 month and over.

Great for signing!
If you are using sign language with your child, this is a great book! It is more of a picture book, but there are great opportunities to sign gorilla (monkey, banana and key on every page, as well as some good concepts for kids like "light" and "sleep."

Even if you aren't signing, this book is fabulous. There are opportunities to identify animals and colors on every page, as well as finding the mouse and his banana.

Fun again and again!
I love this book and so does my toddler! We read it over and over. I love that we can think of different stories for every page and the illustrations and wonderful!!!

Not only cute, but really quite good
The creators of children's picture books that seek to enchant the viewer always run the risk of sometimes becoming TOO sweet. A book that's dripping with sweetie-pie sentiments is always in danger of disgusting the discerning (and purchasing) parent. "Good Night, Gorilla", on the other hand, balances deftly between sweet and smart, becoming both at once. In a simple story, a night watchman at a zoo bids goodnight to each of his animals as a sneaky gorilla unlocks them one by one. The unwitting watchman goes home (animals in tow) and it's up to his wife to put them all to bed again. If I was a better writer I'd be able to tell you just how cute this book is. It's SO cute! But not stupid in the least. Rathmann has filled this story with clever little subplots that kids will enjoy following. A small mouse with a banana lugs the heavy object from picture to picture. Rathmann even goes so far as to wrap a picture on the back of the book's cover around and into the inner fold where the tiny mouse stands by, patiently. The book also emotes deadpan beautifully. In one scene the watchman's wife says goodnight to her husband and the page goes black. Next we hear each animal in the room (that crept in unbeknownst to her) saying goodnight back. The two page spread that follows is just a single pair of wide open eyes in the black dark room. The deadpan wit will not be lost on either kids or their adult parents. If you'd like a book that you can read fifty times over without getting nauseated or bored, find yerself a copy of "Good Night, Gorilla", and count yourself lucky for having discovered it. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Simply Hilarious!
Truly a masterpiece! After many readings, this story still makes me laugh out loud. With only a few simple lines and a minimal amount of dialouge, Mo Willems has created a memorable character in this coniving pigeon who will do anything to drive a bus.

The local librarian told me that this book was a big hit at story hour, with the children actively telling the pigeon "No! You can't drive the bus!" Maybe I still have the mind set of a preschooler, because I found it just as entertaining, so much so that my best friend gave it to me for my 43rd birthday. In my opinion, it's one of the best children's books of the year.

True story.

This new book is sure to become a Caldecott Medal winner
I bet this new book will be a future Caldecott Medal winner. It is sure to delight both children and adults alike. Children will love the story of that little blue pigeon and it is sure to make parents remember with a smile the willful nature of the three year old. This book is a must for your children's library. Five time Emmy Award winning writer and animator Mo Willems is sure to gain further recognition for his latest venture.

Simply but Funny
This is an absolutly funny book. It's as much to read it as it is to hear it being read. It's along the lines of Click, Clack, Moo - you're children will wonder why you're chuckling more than they are

A Great Read Aloud for Librarians & Teachers
The concept of this story is simple: The bus driver has left you the responsibility of watching his bus. Of course, there is a certain pigeon who would really love to take it for a spin and he will try every excuse in the book to get his way. This book is absolutely hilarious! When I read it to a group of children ages 4-11, they all loved it. Whenever the pigeon begged to drive the bus, they all responded with an enthusiastic, "No!" They laughed the entire time and not one child's attention was focused elsewhere. This book is simply a lot of fun!

I love this book
Oh, my gosh. Let me start by saying (...) I love this book! My Language Arts teacher read it to my class and it is soo funny. Anyone can appriciate the cleverness and funniness of Don't Let the Peigion Drive the Bus. Don't pass it up. ... Read more

Book Description

A caterpillar comes to school in a jar. The class watches the caterpillar each day as it grows and changes. Soon, it disappears into a hard shell called a chrysalis. Then the chrysalis breaks, and a beautiful butterfly flies out of the jar! This is a perfect beginner's guide to the mystery of metamorphosis.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1997 (NSTA/CBC) ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Perfect Butterfly Book for Preschool-Third Grade
I am the director of a lower school (pre-k-2nd) and we have used this book for years. It is the perfect way to introduce children to the wonderful world of metamorphosis. And if you can also actually get the Painted Lady Butterflies and "grow" them in your class, it is an invaluable experience. We have our children keep journals and then buy them each a copy of this great book (it's cheap in paperback) and they get to keep the experience forever. One correction to another review: painted ladies and all butterflies do spin chrysalids, not cocoons. They look similar, but the chrysalis usually has little specks of gold in it, which is where the name comes from. Yes I am a huge fan of this book--and a huge fan of butterflies. This author also has a lovely book about honeybees, called Honeybees.

THE Book to accompany Butterfly Houses, Pavillions
We got this book in addition to a home "Butterfly Pavillion" by InsectLore. It prepared my son and us for what to expect as the Painted Lady Butterflies were developing through each stage. So even during the lulls in the action, we could spark some anticipation. Which heightened the whole process for my 5 year old.
We also found out this book is used at his kindergarten for their butterfly learning.
This is the first Let's-Read-And-Find-Out book we've bought and were impressed enough to want to get the other books in the series.

lovely story, but...
The only complaint I have about this book is that the caterpillar disappears into a chrysalis -- not a cocooon. The last Painted Lady butterflies we had (a watch-your-caterpillar-change-into-a-butterfly kit) all spun cocoons - no chrysalis!

A peek inside a mystery
This book is the perfect accompaniment to spring! Even if you can't bring a caterpillar into your classroom, you can still share the magic and mystery of their turning into butterflies with this wonderful book. The tone is so kid-friendly, kids will be learning without even realizing it. A great resource!

I share it with all of my classes!
This book is perfect for 3rd grade and under. I normally use it as a read-aloud, although this would be just fine for them on their own. Great book! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The thinking's not fuzzy in these board books, but the animalscertainly are. Sandra Boynton's familiar furry creatures introduce simple concepts in this bright collection of four books, replete with clever line drawings. In Horns and Toes and In Between, three horned monsters teach the parts of the body in rhyme: "...and we have a fuzzy TUMMY that we all like to pat / and a little BELLY BUTTON in the middle of that."The Going to Bed Book gets a Noah's Ark of animals organized for bed: "They hang their towels on the wall / and find pajamas, big and small." Opposites is just that: cute animals "high and low / fast and slow / heavy and light / day and night." In the rhyming reader But Not the Hippopotamus, a hippo finds himself on the outs as "a cat and two rats are trying on hats. / But not the hippopotamus. / A moose and a goose together have juice. / But not the hippopotamus." Rest assured the hippo finds love at the end. (Baby to preschool) --Claire Dederer ... Read more

Reviews (9)

My daughter's favorites!
When I first got this group of books (and also the other set), it didn't hold my daughter's attention. She was still just a baby, so I'm assuming the pictures didn't thrill her. Then she turned 18 months... In the last three months I think I've read each of these books at least twice a day. I know them by heart and she does too. In fact she sleeps with a couple every night!

Simply essential for every well-read infant.
I think "The Going to Bed Book" is the best night-night book ever written. "But Not the Hippopotamus" is a tear-jerker - "But YES the hippopotamus!" - and "Horns to Toes" is a rockin' good book to sing, rather than read. Sandra Boynton is wonderful; I want her to come to my house and hang out. In the meantime, I'll settle for reading these books to my kids and making sure that every baby *I* know has them in his library.

great books
Our two year old loves Sandra Boynton books and we enjoy reading them to him. Great books.

Excellent books for 0 - 3
These four books are all very good! My 15 month old loves them now as much as she did when she was first born. In fact, Boynton books are the only books she likes now in her active toddler stage. They are the only books she will sit still for, and I have over 100 books for her to choose from! They all have cute, short, catchy rhymes that are fun to listen to and read. The colors are very bright and the animals/creatures are really cute! Her favorite is The Going To Bed Book amoung these four, but she likes them all very much.

Boynton's Greatest Hits: Volume II
These are must buy books for the kids!!. The books are great. I've never bought Boynton's books before and after having this volume : The Going to Bed Book, But Not the Hippotamus, Opposites, Horns to Toes; I must say that I am going to get more of Sandra Byonton's books. The rhymes are short and simple but nice and I think this is important for infants as their attention span is pretty short. The illustrations are wonderful and kids won't go tired of them forever as they are cartoon characters. My 8 month old daughter seems to enjoy listening to the rhymes and looking at the pictures as I enjoy reading the books to her. Get these volume now.....I really recommend them. ... Read more

Book Description

This handsome edition brings all of Beatrix Potter's 23 tales and verses together in one book.Each story is complete and unabridged, and all the original illustrations, both color and black-and-white, are included.Potter's tales were often connected with real people, places and animals, so each story has a brief introductory note about its history.As an added bonus, The Complete Tales also includes four other works by Potter, which remained unpublished in her lifetime.

As part of Peter Rabbit's centennial celebration, the first printing of The Complete Tales will be published with a limited edition lithograph inside. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Gorgeous book!
Hubby & I bought this book for our 9 month old daughter. Beatrix Potter is my personal favorite in childrens books. We love the illustrations & the stories are wonderful. Baby loves this book! A must have for parents who are building a book collection for their child. A timeless classic. :)

Irresistible cuddly animals with human personalities.
Beatrix Potter acquired her love and knowledge of animals and the countryside during family holidays in Scotland. She also had animals as her constant companions as a child. She sketched and observed them for hours at a time.

Beatrix Potter's books have never lost their popularity. They are sold by the millions and have been translated into over fifteen languages. While her first story in 1902, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" was published in a small edition by Frederick Warne, within a year it was an instant best seller.

This deluxe volume is a collection of all twenty-three tales and some previously unpublished works. The stories are arranged in the order of publication as several are linked together by events or familiar characters.

Both the watercolors and black and white illustrations have been included. Children will adore the rhyming names of goosey gander and pig-wig. The animals seem to almost take on human personalities. In fact, these magical stories are often connected with real people places or animals.

Little girls who have a doll house will love "The Tale of Two Bad Mice," in which two hungry mice try to eat the artificial plaster doll food. Even at my age I found it irresistibly amusing. These little animals just have such great personalities.

Timeless Book
I read the stories of Beatrix Potter when I was a child and now share them with my own kids. Also check out the book Original Animals by Michael Horton as a great bedtime storybook with morals and wonderful stories. You'll be happy you did!

always a kid
This is a wonderful book to have in your collection. The illustrations are lovely.

Book for a lifetime of fun reading
I purchased these tales for my eldest, who's now 17, when she was four. They were and continue to be great stories for her. She reads them to children when she babysits! Now I've purchased this book for my youngest, who's four. She just loves hearing the stories. She looks forward to "reading time" in bed just before she falls asleep as she goes from one adventure to another. I HIGHLY recommend this book for young and old alike. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A stuffed toy rabbit (with real thread whiskers) comes to life in Margery Williams's timeless tale of the transformative power of love. Given as a Christmas gift to a young boy, the Velveteen Rabbit lives in the nursery with all of the other toys, waiting for the day when the Boy (as he is called) will choose him as a playmate. In time, the shy Rabbit befriends the tattered Skin Horse, the wisest resident of the nursery, who reveals the goal of all nursery toys: to be made "real" through the love of a human. "'Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.'" This sentimental classic--perfect for any child who's ever thought that maybe, just maybe, his or her toys have feelings--has been charming children since its first publication in 1922. (A great read-aloud for all ages, but children ages 8 and up can read it on their own.) ... Read more

Reviews (50)

It's wonderful every time I read it!
I make sure I use this book with each class I teach--3rd and4th graders. They always get it--that love makes us real, too. Theymake the connection between the Skin Horse becoming shabby and people getting old. I always bring in my stuffed velveteen rabbit I bought years ago and it starts making the rounds and popping up on different children's laps. It is a pleasure to see them become attached to the rabbit instead of "mechanical toys that were very superior, and looked down upon everyone else." They also relate to the lessons the Velveteen Rabbit learns from the Skin Horse about how becoming real is a painful process sometimes and can take a long time.

Does it hurt to be real?
This is my all-time favorite children's book! A little boy receives a stuffed rabbit for Christmas, and they love each other until one day...This book is so true and honest in its emotion, you will not be able to read it without shedding tears. It deserves much more than 5 stars. Read it aloud with your child...share the beauty and the love.

Little rabbit in the woods
Color me a tiny bit surprised. A tiny bit. In remembering the story of "The Velveteen Rabbit" I had placed it somewhere on par with syrupy sappy stories like "The Giving Tree" or "Love You Forever". I had believed for quite some time that this book was an old but nonetheless overly sentimental tale that even the most dewey-eyed of youngsters would have some difficulty swallowing. Then I reread it recently and I found that I was not correct in all of my assumptions. Yes, "The Velveteen Rabbit" has its flaws. It is prone to a couple ooey-gooey moments here and there, but on the whole it is a strong well-written work. This is not a book that has earned its title as one of the best known and beloved works of fiction for children lightly.

All children wish that their toys were real and could have feelings like the rest of us. This kind of desire is what has spawned everything from the movie "Toy Story" to the classic Newbery Award winning book, "Hitty: Her First 100 Years". In the case of "The Velveteen Rabbit", this wish is taken to an entirely different level. In the beginning, a boy is given a fluffy stuffed rabbit made of softest velveteen. The rabbit is told by an old skin horse about the wonders of one day becoming real, and it becomes the rabbit's deepest wish. As the boy grows to love the rabbit and wear him down, the rabbit feels that he has indeed grown real. One day the boy comes down with scarlet fever and it is necessary to burn the rabbit along with all his other toys. Fortunately, the rabbit is saved by a magic fairy that turns him into a real rabbit. A little time later the boy is out playing when he sees a rabbit that looks just like the old toy he used to own, little knowing that his toy has come back briefly to bid him one last look.

I'm particularly attached to the editions of this tale that are accompanied by Michael Hague's illustrations. Very popular in the 1980s, Hague has the ability to draw illustrations that are at once touching and at the same time a little realistic. His pictures are filled with little touches and details that clever eyes might enjoy locating. For example, a page displaying the velveteen rabbit and other toys shows a small frog toy looking very much like the Frog character from Hague's version of "Wind in the Willows". On the bookshelf sits his edition of "The Wizard of Oz", easily identifiable by its spine. As for the characters in the pictures, they are delightful. The rabbit grows floppier and more raggedy as the book goes on (not suprising when the boy enjoys dragging it about by one ear). The boy himself is a ruddy faced youth, as apt to tease the bunny as he is to lavish it with love and affection. Hague has a way with light and color that make these pictures virtually leap off of their pages, and the result is a beautiful and elegant series of prints.

I am pleased to report that "The Velveteen Rabbit" is just as important today as it has ever been. This beautiful tale should always be accompanied by beautiful pictures, and so we are fortunate that Michael Hague lent it his skills. I have no doubt that your children will be entranced by this tale. I have even less doubt that you will find something in it yourself to make you pause and think over. Simple and eloquent.

Too sad for me
I've never liked this story and I had to hear it a lot as a child since it's a "classic." The rabbit's martyrdom made me cry every time it was read to me and actually gave me nightmares as a young child. This is one book from my childhood I will not be reading to my son.

ALWAYS A FAVORITE!
Most youngsters have a favorite toy, which may be why they have always loved The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real.

Today small eyes and ears will respond just as eagerly to the
reassuring story of a stuffed rabbit miraculously transformed by love.
First published in 1922, this classic tale loses none of its power in today's brightly illustrated abridged version which is more accessible for a younger audience. Ages 3 and up. ... Read more

Book Description

Walter’s family is holding a yard sale, but there are few customers. Walter, fartingcontentedly near Father, wonders why. When a man offers ten dollars for Walter, Fatherreadily agrees. Walter wonders why. Walter is sad to leave his family behind, butrelieved to discover that his new owner is a clown. Walter figures he will help the clownbring joy to children on their birthdays. But the clown has a dastardly plot: he will useWalter’s gas to inflate balloons and then pop them to stun guards during bank robberies.Will Walter turn to the dark side? Of course not! He comes out a hero and is reunitedwith his family by doing what he does best. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

It is about FARTS!
To all of those reviewers who have panned or have been offended by this book, all I have to say is:

"I fart in your general direction"

The name of the book is Walter the Farting Dog.
If farts offend you, DON'T READ THE BOOK!
Did you think it was going to be about making cookies?!?!?

The book is strange, weird and silly.
The drawings are abstract and fun to look at.
The story is weird at best, but a story about a farting dog, come on, this ain't War and Peace.

If you like farts, buy the book. My kids LOVE it, and isn't that who the book is written for?

Craig

Loses the first book.s sweet spirit
From the moment Dad sells Walter at the garage sale without so much as a second thought, this book heads down the wrong path. It does not have the goofy sweet spirit of the first book. The kids I read it to were really upset that not only Dad sold the dog, but he lies without even a blink. Boo Hiss!

Walter, Canus Inflatus
I ran across the first two Walter books while I was at the mall waiting for my husband to finish looking at every single DVD in stock (there must have been thousands.) So I had plenty of time to read both books. I loved them!

I rarely have occasion to look at childrens' books, so I was a bit surprised at the title. It's a far cry from Wishbone and Clifford the Big Red Dog. But this is a very funny book. Yes, it's lowbrow and coarse. So are the Three Stooges and most children. And behind their sophisticated, mature exteriors, so are most adults. So relax and enjoy this well-written (by William Kotzwinkle, author of E.T.) story of a stray dog whose family loves him even with his one major flaw. Find out how Walter triumphs despite being sold at the family yard sale to an evil clown who uses Walter to inflate putrid balloons to use as weapons during a bank robbery.

And for those over-educated lowbrows among you, check out the Latin translation (really!), Walter, Canus Inflatus.

Kick Back and Laugh!
If you enjoyed the first "Walter the Farting Dog," you'll fall off your chair laughing at this second book in the series. William Kotzwinkle's imagination is one to admire to come up with such a creative and cute use of a bodily function that we all have to address at some point in our lives. If you're offended by farts, don't buy the book. But if you have grown up in an environment where you can joke about these acts of nature, you'll laugh you head off while reading this book! I say, "Laugh, and laugh out loud!"

a dog lover's special
If you don't have a sense of humor, don't buy this book. If you want to laugh outloud, buy it. If you're a dog person, you'll want to buy copies for your friends. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Have you ever dreamed of being locked in a departmentstore at night? The endearing story of Corduroy paints a pictureof the adventures that might unfold (for a teddy bear at least) insuch a situation. When all the shoppers have gone home for thenight, Corduroy climbs down from the shelf to look for his missingbutton. It's a brave new world! He accidentally gets on anelevator that he thinks must be a mountain and sees thefurniture section that he thinks must be a palace. He tries topull a button off the mattress, but he ends up falling off the bedand knocking over a lamp. The night watchman hears the crash,finds Corduroy, and puts him back on the shelf downstairs. Thenext morning, he finds that it's his lucky day! A little girl buyshim with money she saved in her piggy bank and takes him home toher room. Corduroy decides that this must be home and thatLisa must be his friend. Youngsters will never get tired of thistoy-comes-alive tale with a happy ending, so you may also want toseek out Dan Freeman's next creation, A Pocket forCorduroy. (Ages 3 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (45)

This is such a touching story
This story shows that it doesn't matter what you look like or what other people think of you, someone will always love you for who you are. After reading that book I always wanted a bear just like Corduroy with the missing button and all. I thought how it was so cute that the little girl came back with all her piggy bank money and bought the tiny bear that didn't even look new. Most kids will see things in the store and beg for it then forget about it once they are told no. There must of been something about Corduroy that you will have to read to find out.

Everyone should know this lovely book!
Cordoroy is the perfect children's book. It is a gentle, sweet tale of a little bear in cordoroy overalls waiting to be purchased in a department store. A real little girl sees him and falls in love with him, but her mother says she doesn't have money to buy him and he's missing a button. After the store closes, all the toys with faces close their eyes except Cordoroy. Instead, he travels the department store searching for a button because he didn't know he was not perfect. He does not solve his problem. Cordoroy is back on the toy shelf the next morning. The little girl, Lisa returns to buy him. She takes him home, sews on a button, and provides him with his own little bed right beside hers. "I've always wanted a friend!" he says. This beautifully illustrated book has a simple text and huge appeal to anyone with a heart.

Fuzzy wuzzy was a bear
Children have been fascinated with the idea of dolls and toys that can talk and move, from the Newbery winning, "Hitty: Her First 100 Years" to the more contemporary (and better known) "Corduroy". This particular tale focuses on a bear, his small unassuming quest, and the girl that eventually becomes his friend. The book feels more like, "The Velveteen Rabbit" than "Toy Story", but kids will quickly come to enjoy (or at the very least, understand) Corduroy's wish for a child to love him.

Living in a department store with other toys and dolls, Corduroy is a stuffed teddy bear in overalls. One day a doe-eyed girl and her patient mama spot the bear and the child is instantly entranced. Unfortunately, her mother points out that the bear is a little worn down and is even missing one of the buttons on its overalls. Upon hearing this, the bear is distressed and resolves to, that night, locate the missing item. After taking an unexpected ride up the escalator, Corduroy finds himself in the store's bedding area. He tries (unsuccessfully) to prise a button off of a nearby mattress, but succeeds only in alerting the local night watchman to his presence. The next day, however, the girl returns with her own allowance money and quick as a wink purchases the bear, missing button and all. She even sews a new button back onto his overalls, and the two are fast friends.

The book, when you look at it closely, almost seems to resemble a series of woodcuts, painted with watercolors later. I don't know if this was the case, but if so the author/artist, Don Freedman, is certainly adept. I've never seen woodcut faces as well presented as the ones here. People are smooth and rounded, and Freedman apparently doesn't have any problems with round curves. Moreover, I was impressed that the little girl and her mother that view Corduroy are black. Originally published in 1968, this was a bit of a big deal back in the day.

Today, the story of the little bear who wanted a friend is as poignant and simplistic in its telling as it was when first it came out. Anyone who read (or had read to them) this book as a child will instantly remember the scene of Corduroy tugging and tugging the button on the mattress in an attempt to remove it for himself. It's a sweet story all in all. I think people feel a great deal of affection for "Corduroy" because they can identify with the little unwanted fuzzy guy. He's a cutie, there's no question.

Fun bear story
A brown teddy bear sits in a toy shop waiting to find a real home. He catches the eye of a little girl, but her mother says she can't take him home because he's missing a button on his overalls. Determined to find a home, the bear goes on a nighttime hunt through the store for his button. The hunt almost ends in disaster. But the next morning the little girl returns to the store and takes him home at last. The book is not scary. The human characters are shown to be African Americans. The book has about 250 words.

Sweet little tale about a bear
The Corduroy books are sweet, easy tales about a stuffed bear and his BIG adventures. Easy reading, nice pictures. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"How does a dinosaur say good night when Papa comes in to turn off the light? Does a dinosaur slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about? Does a dinosaur stomp his feet on the floor and shout: 'I want to hear one book more!'? DOES A DINOSAUR ROAR?" Most certainly not. Dinosaurs give their mommies and daddies big hugs and kisses, tuck their tales in, and whisper "Good night!"

Every sleepy little dinosaur will recognize the tricks of the trade in these bedtime shenanigans. The chuckle factor is sky-high here, with giant, full-page pictures of cleverly identified Tyrannosaurus rexes, triceratopses, and Pteranodons. A variety of human mothers and fathers trying to put their dinosaur children to bed will bring the point home that the story may have something to do with human kid behavior as well. This good-natured nighttime book is sure to be a winner (even though it might inspire a few noisy dinosaur antics), especially as it's written by Jane Yolen, prolific Caldecott Medalist author of Owl Moon. Yolen and Mark Teague have teamed up to create a fun, silly, playful read-aloud. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (60)

A book to make bedtime a little easier.
This book is now a favorite of my two and half year old daughter. She asks me to read it to her at least once a day. The premise of the story is to show the proper way to say goodnight. The first half of the book shows dinosaurs acting up at bedtime (hmm kind of reminds me of my daughter) and the second part shows dinosaurs saying goodnight nicely. The pictures of the dinosaurs really crack her up. She loves the opening picture of the dinosaur in the tub and the one of the dinosaur holding a toy train. The pictures are so charming that I am sure they will have adults smiling too. The text is simple enough for a small child to memorize and the names of the dinosaurs are included on the page with their picture to provide even more learning oppurtunities. This book has made my daughter so crazy for dinosaurs that I intend to take her to a dinosaur exhibit at our local science museum. The best part of this book is that it has actually made my daughter go to bed with less resistance. When she starts to act up I just quote a line or two from the book and she settles right down. Last night she told me "goodnight mama dinosaur." We love this book.

Beautifully Illustrated
The first thing that comes to mind when I look at this book is how beautifully illustrated it is. The images are rich, engaging and a delight to absorb.

The book covers ten dinosaurs -- Allosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Apatosaurus, Corythosaurus, Dimetrodon, Pteranodon, Stegosaurus, Trachodon, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex. All of them appear so friendly that your child just might invite them for a sleepover. Moreover, they are anatomically correct, insofar as they can be for cartoon like illustrations.

One of the most interactive pieces of the book is that each illustration has hidden within it the name of the dinosaur. Everytime my son and I read this book he seeks out the dinosaur's name. It's a dino I Spy game for him.

He's also fascinated with the fact that he can match the dinosaurs from the inside covers (front and back) with those within the story.

Of course, beautiful illustrations are important, but so is the story line. This one is done well. The illustrations show the dinosaurs engaging in all sorts of antics to avoid going to sleep. However, the point of this is to question whether or not dinosaurs show "naughty" bedtime behavior. They do not. In the end, dinosaurs "tuck in their tails" and "whisper, 'Good night!'

Overally, I would highly recommend this book for dinosaur loving preschoolers! It is beautiful, interactive and well written.

Dinosaurs act up at bedtime too!
This imaginative book features a large cast of "real" dinosaurs acting as naughty as real kids do when it's bedtime. I loved the pictures of exasperated parents as a huge brontosaurus throws covers on the floor or a tyrannasaurus rex runs around the room. My second grade niece, a good reader, handles the text with ease but isn't too old to be tickled by the concept. Younger siblings like this one too. Inside the front cover is a chart with small drawings of the characters and their scientific names--an educational bonus!

How do you think?
I'm always pleased when an author and an illustrator of equal talents are placed together by a clever editor so as to produce a wonderful piece of picture book art. Jane Yolen is the author of, honest to goodness, more than two hundred books for both children and adults. Just pause a while and marvel at her consistency, if you will. Mark Teague may not have that many works under his belt, but what he lacks in proliferation he makes up for in downright fabulous illustrating. If you've read his charming "Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters From Obedience School" then you are aware of how amazingly adept this man is. Taking those monstrous creatures co-opted by children as their favorite animals, Yolen and Teague have created a book that proves what we've suspected all along. Your children are merely little dinosaurs in disguise.

The premise of this book is simple. Sleepy dinosaurs do NOT want to go to bed at night. The book ponders just how exactly these dinos do say their goodnights to their parents. The parents in this book, by the way, are always human while their dinosaur offspring fill their bedrooms from ceiling to floor. So how do dinosaurs say good night? Well, they can insist on reading one more book. They can fall onto their beds in tears. They can slam their tails about and pout too. But no, my friends. In the end, dinosaurs do none of these things. Instead, they give their parents a big kiss and a hug, tuck their tales into their beds, and say good night. Just like a good little dinosaur should.

The hope after reading this tale is that kids will understand that all the naughty behavior exhibited by the dinosaurs in the early parts of the book will be negated by the good behavior exhibited at the end. How well this works, I do not know. One thing is for certain, however. Mark Teague is a genius. Oh, I'm sure Jane Yolen put a lot of work into this puppy as well. Yes yes. But Mark Teague... now there's a man who knows how children react at nighttime. These pictures are just a scream. Each father or mother than enters the dinosaur's room is usually accompanied by some cowering pet, either a dog or a cat. The dinosaur's rooms are outfitted as a child's would be too. Teague has helpfully included each animal's name (from the roaring Triceratops to the piggy back begging Ankylosaurus) somewhere in the picture too. I was also well pleased with the parents in this book. A good multi-racial cast, they don't give an inch to these plying crying dinos. And you haven't lived until you've seen a Tyranosaurus Rex kissing his Donna Reed look-alike mother. More recently popular dinosaurs, like the Velociraptor, do not appear in this tale. Probably a good idea in retrospect.

All in all, this is one of the most successful new bedtime books to come around the pike. For those kids bored to tears by the far calmer "Goodnight Moon", this will be just the exciting bedtime tale to get them tucked away for the night. A fabulous creation that fully lives up to its popularity.

You think it is difficult to put kids to bed? Try a dinosaur
I noticed that there are editions of "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" in Spanish and French, which is not surprising because the art of Mark Teague certainly translates into any language. Author Jane Yolen poses the questions regarding what happens when Papa or Mama comes to turn off the lights and send their dinosaurs to bed, and Teague comes up with the utterly charming images that will delight readers of any age. Part of the fun is that Papa and Mama are regular human beings, so when Papa shows up and points to his watch to a Tyrannosaurus Rex that takes up an entire page as a way of suggesting it is time to put away his toy train and go to bed, you just have to smile (note the family dog is about the size of one of the T Rex's toes). From the Stegosaurus that slams his tail and pouts to the Ankylosaurus that demands a piggyback ride, each of these two-page spreads will make parents happy that they just have regular human kids and not dinosaurs.

For children the fun will be in answering the question of the title and discovering that dinosaurs and little kids have a lot in common when it comes to resisting being put into bed. There is a slight risk that your kids might find a new way of prolonging the inevitable and find themselves imitation the Corythosaurus and falling on top of their covers and crying or stomping their feet on the floor and shouting they want to have another book read to them. But then "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" really covers all of the basic delaying tactics of children. Besides, it is clearly indicated that these tactics are a bit silly, even if you are a sulking Allosaurus or roaring Triceratops.

All of the illustrations in this book are a joy, including those inside the front cover where Teague shows all of these dinosaurs sitting atop their beds doing things like blowing bubbles or quietly reading a good book (okay, the Ankylosaurus is jumping on the bed, but clearly he is the high energy one of the group). "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" is the first in a series of similar collaborations between Yolen and Teague that includes "How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?" "How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?" and "How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Room?" That last one is definitely the one I want to check out next, because I shudder to think what Yolen and Teague will come up for in those situations. You think getting a Dinosaur to say goodnight is difficult? That is nothing compared to getting them to clean their rooms. ... Read more

Book Description

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is inarguably one of the most popular children's books of all time. Now, here is the Spanish board book version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, filling an important niche for the youngest of Spanish-speaking children. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

So cool!
In case you aren't familiar with this book, it is about a caterpillar who eats and eats and eats. The board book version has holes in the pages so the reader can see what he has eaten. It is so cute! The illustrations are adorable and the kids love it! We are a bilingual family so my boys have the Spansih version. It's super and very durable!

A wonderful way to introduce Spanish into the classroom or y
This is a wonderful Spanish translation of a classic. This story flows whether you are reading in English or Spanish. Children are so familiar with this story that they embrace the Spanish easily. This translation is a must have in the multi-lingual classroom. ... Read more

Book Description

Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawnversions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuringnontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have been printed on thick board pages,and are sure to educate and entertain children of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Fun for adult AND child!
Sandra Boynton writes some of the funniest children's stories. She must truly have a wonderful sense of humor. I have always loved her book "Cloe and Maude" and now that I am a mother I have discovered her books anew. I found "But Not the Hippopotamus" in the grocery store - it made me laugh out loud right there in the baby aisle. I had to buy two - one for my daughter (who is 5 months and loves it) and one for my best friend who is due with her first child in September. This book has such a great rhythm to it and the ending is too cute! Of course Boynton's drawings, as always, are adorable and full of personality. I think I have just about all of her books on my wish list! Really a must for the night-night library of a young baby. I never get tired of reading it.

But not the hippopotamus....
This is a great little book to read to the little people. The illustrations are humorous, and the rhythm and banter of this book is great. All of the Boynton board books are worth having, but this one is a particular gem.

If your child is to the age that they like the notion of call and response songs and books, they will LOVE this book. As you will see, everyone in this book is living it up, and we see them all doing fun things. But at the end of every little scenario you get, "But not the hippopotamus"

(It is amazing how quickly a child can learn to say hippopotamus, or what variations on that word a child will create!) But, don't fret for our poor hippo, he does get a happy ending, but....

READ THE BOOK! I won't give the spoiler.

Her top favorite
My 3 year old thinks this is by far the most hilarious book ever written. Next to Red Hat, Blue Hat it is her favorite Boynton book. We sing the line "But not the hippopotamus" in an opera voice and that seems to do the trick for making it fun!

a family favorite
We love this book so much we have 3 copies, 1 for each child! I know the book by heart, and my 5- and 2-year-old are close. We prompt our girls to finish the lines as we read along. They can even "read" the book to each other.

This book is filled with wonderful rhymes, and a silly story kids love. It also provides parents with an opportunity to teach kids an important lesson: be nice and include others when you play.

Absolute Perfection in a Board Book!
Sandra Boynton is an absolute genius with words and pictures.

Seriously!

BUT NOT THE HIPPOPOTAMUS is one of the cleverest -- driest -- most delightful of all of her board books for wee ones. All four of my children absolutely loved it.

You should hear my husband read it out loud. No, really. He's a master at Boynton-out-loud reading.

One disappointment of this newer edition of the book is that the language has been a bit "dumbed down." The first page of the original edition reads, "A hog and a frog cavort in a bog." I suppose Ms. Boynton's editors figured that a lot of people don't know what the word "cavort" means.

Well, they won't know, will they, if editors remove words like that from books??

At any rate, I highly recommend this -- and any -- Sandra Boynton board book for your toddler or preschooler. They are, each and every one of them, a refreshing move away from the cloying, poorly written, overly-cutesy garbage that is littering the bookshelves these days.

Trust me -- you and your child will BOTH be delighted by this book! ... Read more

Book Description

A nose for digging? Ears for seeing? Eyes that squirt blood? Explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this beautifully illustrated interactive guessing book bySteve Jenkins and Robin Page. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Got a whale of a tale to tell you friends
"What Do you Do With a Tail Like This" has the dubious honor of being the only Caldecott Honor Book from 2004 that was a serious contender in the first place. Informative, lively, and easy on the eye, authors Steve Jenkins and Robin Page have created quite a nice little piece of work. For those kids interested in the wide variety of animals, this book is a humdinger. Using a unique series of collage animals, each individual creature has been painstakingly cut from beautiful handmade papers. Sometimes these creatures are done exceptionally well. The skunk resting on its front legs has a furry white stripe made from what looks to be carefully teased paper fibers. Some creatures could have used a little more work. The blood that gushes from the horned lizard's eyes looks like nothing so much as a red/orange Rorschach test. Each section shows a section of the creatures to be discussed with such leading questions as, "What do you do with eyes like these?" or "What do you do with a tail like this?". The next spread shows each animal doing its thing with interesting facts and information. For those kids who'd like to learn a little more about a particular animal, the authors have included in-depth facts at the back of the book.

It's a beautiful book. One suspects that Page & Jenkins may have even gone so far as to hand dye the papers themselves to get just the right shades. How else could they have found a blue that matches so well the blue footed booby's webbed toes or the scarlet pink of a scorpion? Perhaps most impressive in some ways are the different methods employed to fool the reader into believing they're looking at fur, when in fact the page is full of paper layered on paper. There are flaws. Oddly, every animal in this book gets a short synopsis of its abilities, with the exception of one. I don't know what the egg-eating snake did to insult the publisher, but for some reason it does not have a catchy answer to "What do you do with a mouth like this?". There are some factoids about the snake at the end of the book, but such a huge typo is bizarre, and keeps me from granting it the five Amazon.com stars it so richly deserves.

To my mind, "What Do You Do With a Tail Like This" is the most technically complex 2004 Caldecott Honor book to win the award in quite some time. Regardless of how emotionally attached you grow to the book, you cannot help but enjoy looking at the complex and well rendered animals that appear in every shape and form in these pages. This is a book that was well loved during its creation. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sixty years have passed since a curious little chimp in Africa met theman with the big yellow hat and got into the first of many scrapes. Decadeslater, George is as curious--and naughty--as ever. To celebrate the 60thanniversary of Curious George's debut, this special edition is a collection ofseven classic adventures by Margret and H.A. Rey, along with an introduction bycritic Leonard Marcus, a retrospective note by publisher Anita Silvey, a historyof the Reys by Dee Jones, curator of the de Grummond Children's LiteratureCollection, and a photo album. The many generations of fans of the "good littlemonkey who was always very curious" will be fascinated to learn how H.A. andMargret escaped on bicycle from German-occupied Paris, with just their wintercoats and several picture books (including a draft of Curious George, then calledFifi) strapped to the racks. Photos and essays reveal H.A. to have been agentle, humorous man, while Margret, by all accounts, was spirited and brutallydirect, with a keen business mind. The chemistry between them workedbeautifully. Between them, they created one of the most beloved characters inchildren's literature. This handsome volume includes Curious George,Curious George Takes a Job, Curious George Rides a Bike,Curious George Gets a Medal, Curious George Flies a Kite,Curious George Learns the Alphabet, and Curious George Goes to theHospital. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (47)

George stays in your mind forever !
I loved George so much when I was little, even before I could read. My mom bought me one and she ended up buying all the other Georgefs books. Mine were written all Japanese, George's books are everywhere in the world and famous. I am 36 year-old (!) now, I still can remember some of the stories I read and adorable drawings of the books. I think this book even had an influence my "personality development" as a child. Good influences such as: be independent, be curious, be creative, be bold, be unique, be humorous, be even a little rebellious, be lovable. Very good chilren's book.

Memories of old and new
I absolutely loved Curious George when I was a child. It is so thrilling to watch that same excitement in my 3 y.o. daughter. She practically begs me to read her a story from the book every night. During the day, she loves to flip through the book looking for her favorite pictures. It's not often that children enjoy the same things that delighted their parents as children. I am so happy to able to share these stories with her!

Too much monkey
The Curious George stories are cute in small doses but after awhile they become rather repetitive.

A Great Book to Read at Bedtime
When I was a child, curious George was one of my favorites, and now this fine book allows me to pass along George's adventures to my own children. Perhaps the best thing about this book is that it contains so many curious George stories. You could read a different story each night for several nights. My children have quickly become as fond of George as I was when I was a child. The accompanying illustrations are very colorful and they definitely grab a young child's attention. I highly recommend this fine children's book. It is a great book to share with your children and perhaps serve as a reminder to your own childhood.

Perfect under the tree!
This makes a great gift. Curious George is a very fun character, who gets into really interesting situations. There's a lot of "story" here, and hours of reading fun.

I like this one as it's become a cherished book for my kids. They read it together, and have lots of fun with it. ... Read more

Book Description

When Brother and Sister Bear accidentally break Mama's favorite lamp, their little lie grows bigger and bigger, until Papa Bear helps them find the words that set everything right again. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

20 minutes well spent.
This is a good book for your children to read, in the sense that it has a good lesson within it's text. Your children can learn about telling the truth. A good idea to do while (or after) reading this story to your child, is to explain to them that they can tell you anything. You don't want your kids keeping secrets from you.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire
This book really related to me because I used to have a really big lieing problem until my dad and I sat down and had a talk about not to lie. In this story Brother and Sister Bear break Momma Bear's lamp they keep telling more and more lies. But when Papa Bear comes in to help them out he helps them get everything straightened out. I would recommend this book to all parents to help their kids stop lieing.

To tell the truth?
When brother and sister are playing soccer in the house they end up breaking mama's favorite lamp! They try making up a lie to get of of the blame. But can they keep their story straight>?

This book teaches kids how it is better to tell the truth and not to lie no matter what they have done. It is a great lesson to me learned and I suggest it for any child!

A Great Lesson for Children
The Berenstain Bears and the Truth is a wonderful story for children of any ages. It teaches children a very important lesson,always to tell the truth no matter what and if a lie is told, it would always come back to haunt you. I greatly recommend this book for children.

Berenstein Bear Books
With my first Grandchild, who is now a young teen, we were introduced to the Berenstein Bear books and had every one that was out. She loved them and still has them. Seeing how she enjoyed having them read to her and then reading them herself has me now buying them for my youngest grandchild. They are timeless and enjoyable but at the same time teaching life lessons to your children and grandchildren. Worth every penny and effort it takes to own one or the whole set. ... Read more

Book Description

For Every Dog An angel is a light, magical little book that honors the timeless connection between people and their canine companions.Written from the heart after the unexpected loss of her "forever dog" Martha, this charming book will bring comfort to anyone who has ever had to say goodbye to their best four-legged friend.For Every Dog An Angel is also a heart-felt way to welcome a new puppy or to celebrate a much-loved doggie friend. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Uplifting and gentle in a time of grief!
This book is a favorite condolence 'gift' to everyone I know who has lost a dog. Recipients tell me it has brought them much comfort and is very uplifting to them. Some who swore they would never get another pet, decide, after reading the book, to get a new dog. The book is beautiful illustrated and worded. I like to have several on hand to give as needed and have given it to friend to give to people they know who have lost pets. It's hardly more than the cost of a card.

"Forever pets" and their "forever people" will reunite

The author wrote this God-blessed little book after having a wonderful vision of her beloved dog Martha in the arms of an angel; it turned her bereavement into inspiration. It should lift the heart and spirit of anyone who reads it.

I would like to make several recommendations here since there is no category as of yet specifically on animal afterlife, on-line (or in any other lists for that matter).

Because of this and the fact that there are so few books written on this subject, those in grief over the loss of a pet often find themselves desperately searching, and miss out. I would therefore like to list all the books that I know of dealing with afterlife of animals. Amazon.com has sites on all of them. You can visit each site to learn more on each respective title.

"Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates".Excellently done:inspired compassionate, fully-Biblical

"The Soul of Your Pet". Convincing, credible evidence regarding animals' existing after death.Interactions with pets that have passed on. Will defy skeptics.

"Will I See Fido in Heaven?". Solidly Christian, inspired,loving.

"For Every Dog an Angel". Angel stays with pup from birth, on. Written for children, adults will love even more. Wonderful!

"Dog Heaven". For children; adults will enjoy as well

"Cat Heaven" Children/adults

"All Dogs Go to Heaven". Well-known, has a story-line.

This book has a special meaning to young and old
As a 60-something physician I first read this book. I have recommended it to many of my adult patients who have lost a pet as one of the most valuable sources of comfort that is available to help them get through their grief period. This not just a children's book. It's text should be considered gentle, not juvenile.
Christine Davis has provided a valuable service by writing this book. I was happy to see that a companion piece for cats has also been published. Thank you, Christine, for helping us cope with the profound loss of a companion.

If you need to read this book, I'm so sorry
Oh my! This is ABSOLUTELY the most comforting book I have ever read. My "forever dog", Molson, died of leukemia, and we read this book together on a daily basis until I had the strength to release him. No books, no websites; no friends, no other could have helped us transition more then this book. I now keep at least three copies available at home to give to others who experience the absolute, inconsolable loss of a dear friend and companion. Like everything, it can't obliterate the hurt, but it can SURELY raise the hope. BRAVO! and Thank You!

For kids only - not adults
This is a wonderful book for kids. I am an adult over 50 and was very disappointed with this book. It brought me no comfort over the loss of my dog, it took a dog's passing too lighthearted. It is definitely recommended reading for children to understand the loss of their pet. ... Read more