Amazon.com

Mother-love is profound, however a baby comes into a woman's life. ForRose Lewis, the journey to motherhood begins with a letter to Chinese officials,asking if she can adopt from the "big room with lots of other babies." Theinfants in that room in China are each missing a mother, but Lewis is missingsomething, too--a baby. She travels to China to meet her new little girl andfalls head over heels in love. Taking her baby home to America, Lewis introducesher to all her family and friends, and they begin their life together.

A touching love story, I Love You Like Crazy Cakes will warm the cocklesof any new parent's heart, especially those who have recently adopted a child.It's an ideal story for lap-time reading, and will inspire parents and kids totalk about their own first "meetings," whether at birth or in an adoptionagency. Jane Dyer, illustrator of the bestselling Time for Bed by Mem Fox, Oh My Baby, Little One by KathiAppelt, and many other marvelous picture books, uses a pastel palette ofwatercolors to capture the tender moments between the American mom and herrosy-cheeked Chinese baby. (Ages 3 to 6) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Heart Warming, Beautifully Illustrated
I am just now beginning the long process of adopting a child from abroad. It will most likely take 1-2 years, and this book will help keep me going when I lose faith.

It is a treasure of a book both for people considering international adoption, and also for those looking at domestic adoption as well. A simple and touching story that tells about the joy all parents feel when meeting their children for the first time...be it through birth or adoption.

This was a truly heartwarming story. Short and easy to read, it's destined to become a bedtime classic.

The illustrations are lovely and dreamy...as a storybook should be.

All in all, a excellent excellent book.

I Love This Book Like Crazy Cakes
Rose Lewis opens a window to her heart that makes this book a universal story for anyone who has known a special love. She has accomplished what might seem impossible. It is not only a children's story, but an intensely personal journey that will resonate for anyone of any age who has experienced the magic of falling in love. As you read this to your children, you will think back to the moment when you first held them in your arms, looked into their eyes and forged a life-long bond. At its end you will understand the pure simplicity of true love. The book's illustrations, by Jane Dyer, alone make it worth buying. Its text will bring tears to your eye and warmth to your heart.

Essential for every adopted child's library
A beautiful book; strong loving feelings are projected from the mother to her daughter. The positives of adoption are explained with empathy for the child's situation. Children reading this will feel proud of their origins, whilst feeling safe and secure in the care and love of their parents. Beautiful illustrations reflect the texts message of love and bonding between mother and daughter.

Good For Single Adoptive Mothers
I enjoyed this book, but think that it is especially appropriate for single adoptive women. The adoptive mother is mentioned, but not an adoptive father or adoptive partner. The book is adorable, no matter what the adoptive parental situation is, but if you are a single adoptive mom, you MUST get this book.

An Excellent Addition to Any Family's Library
One of my favorite roles as a parent is introducing my children to families of many types. In "I Love You Like Crazy Cakes", my children can understand that sometimes Mommys and Babies become a family by being united via airplanes and adoption officials and guess what? The amazing love is the same.

I especially loved that the author shared the gratitude and love for the "other" mother who provided the gift of this baby into her life. Beautifully stated and at times, overlooked.

The illustrations must be mentioned also: they are stunningly beautiful with the emotions of the subjects literally entering my heart from the page. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Reading, writing, and 'rithmetic--that's what it's all about. With these three pint-size board books, young scholars can begin the walk down the grand path of knowledge. These straightforward First Learning books uphold DK Publishing's reputation for clear, colorful, educational board books for young readers. Each one uses photographs of familiar objects such as balls, ladybugs, teapots, cows,and swimsuits to illustrate learning concepts.

My First ABC Board Book takes the traditional alphabet book approach: an upper- and lower-case letter appears on each page, alongwith pretty pictures of objects beginning with that letter (ant,buttons, cucumber). My First Number Board Book teaches essentialpreschool number skills: 1--one fluffy kitten, 2--two striped socks, 3--three birthday presents, and so on, with lovely full-page photos ofeach object. The bestselling My First Word Board Book is a minipicture "dictionary," with categories such as "In the garden," "Thingsthat go," and "All about me." Photographs of related items (rake, soil,flower, snail, wheelbarrow) with the associated word help young readerscategorize objects and connect words to images. With this perfectlittle package of all three books, even the tiniest tots can begin toexpand their vocabulary and learn to count! (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (17)

WOW
Wow,

I'm a positive thinker so I got this set for our daughter when she was still 8 months old. Now at 18 months, they're so used we've had to duct-tape the bindings. OK all you parents, throw out the videos and gadgets and RUN straight out and buy these books. The color, the layout and the quality are all terrific. OK, I'll admit that our girl seems to love books best of all, but these are by far her favorites. She really started taking them seriously as soon as she touched them. The pictures and they way they are categorized make for fun learning and they worked so well, we had to buy the bath time versions just to get her to put them down in the bath.

Great books! Wonderful for autistic kids!
My son is autistic and we have several books from this author, but this set of 3 is my favorite! There are so many wonderful pictures and the pictures are of things that are very interesting to little kids. I've also used many of the pictures in these books as part of our PECS program. My son just loves these and even my 6 year old daughter likes to try to read the words in the books. They're so sturdy they'll last me through my infant son's childhood as well.

among childrens favorite
Our kids will bring these books to us over and over pointiong to animals objects and look at us waiting to hear the name of the object. It's become one of our favorite things to do.

Great books for any kid!
My son is 18 months, and these have been his favorite books for a long time. Compact, a good size for him, and good for travelling. The photos seem to appeal more to my son than the cartoon graphics in many childrens book.

They are so popular with my son, that they have been used so much that they will need replacing before too long. Not that this any problem with the books themselves, just heavy use!

You cannot go wrong with this set.

Awesome books!
These books are so great!! My twin girls got them when they turned one, and they have learned so many words from them! They can name so many different things! The animal book is also really great! The only complaint I have is that some of the pictures are so generic that it is really hard to even tell what it is, but that is really hard to do in a book. That is when you go and get the real thing and show it to your toddler and name it for them!! They do put some less common things in them as well, though, to really challenge them and expand their vocabulary. There are a few animals in the Animal Book that I hadn't even heard of!! These are great for the car because they will keep your toddler occupied for a while. They will flip through the book naming everything!! I was amazed at how fast my girls learned so many words. They are 22 months, and they know all their letters, all their colors, all their shapes, most every animal and its sound, and I think these books have helped them learn a lot of those things! I don't even know how many words they know, but they pretty much know everything in all three books! These are their favorite books and have been for months and months. They will not get tired of them quickly because there are soooo many pictures! This also makes a great gift for a first birthday! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Good choice for very young children.
I gave this book to my 1-year-old niece about 6 months ago, and she absolutely loves it! She still has to read it at least once a night. She gets such a kick out of lifting the flaps to see what's hiding underneath. I highly recommend this book.

Never too early to add this title
I've read this book to my daughter since she was four months old. She really likes looking at the pictures and flaps. Other books, even classics like "The Runaway Bunny," have too many words to interest her, but this one has a very short, succinct story and great pictures.

Something tells me it's all happening at the zoo
Tis the ultimate interactive story for the young 'uns. An unseen narrator (who we assume must be a child of some sort) narrates a tale of unprecedented zooish generosity. After asking the zoo for a pet, a series of animals are sent in the hope that the child will want them. Unfortunately (and as the book makes clear) many of animals one finds at the zoo are inappropriate pets. Each animal that arrives is hidden beneath a flap. When you lift the flap the children to whom you are reading this tale are supposed to delightedly cry out the name of that particular animal. In this way, you can teach kids the kinds of animals that live at the zoo. For the narrator, though, elephants are too big, lions too fierce, monkeys to naughty, and frogs too jumpy. In the end, the narrator receives a small hamper with the note, "From all your friends at the zoo" containing the perfect pet.

As an early book, this story and its accompanying illustrations are very very simple. I was a little disappointed at the flimsiness of the flaps children are supposed to lift or turn. The copy I paged through had been scotch taped and re-scotch taped several times to keep the book in any kind of semblance of order. It is also a pity that the animals in this book aren't named ever. I don't doubt that kids will, mostly, be able to name them anyway, but it's nice to learn to read the names along with the pictures of the animals. Still, the book is satisfying to read. No subtext here. Nuh-uh. Just a very basic story about a zoo, some friendly animals, and the reasons (or lack there of) of keeping them. For another interesting and enjoyable zoo book, try "Good Night, Gorilla" by Peggy Rathmann (a personal pet favorite of mine).

Two years to 200 years - A Favorite
I have six little ones from 10 to 2. They have all enjoyed this book and now the older ones read it to the younger one's. I found my two year old reading it to herself from memory. What a treasure!

Dear Zoo
My Daughter loves this book. She started reading it at twelve months and still enjoys the book ten months later. It is simple. The flaps open in different directions. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Gerald the giraffe doesn't really have delusions of grandeur. He justwants to dance. But his knees are crooked and his legs are thin, and all theother animals mock him when he approaches the dance floor at the annual JungleDance. "Hey, look at clumsy Gerald," they sneer. "Oh, Gerald, you're so weird."Poor Gerald slinks away as the chimps cha-cha, rhinos rock 'n' roll, andwarthogs waltz. But an encouraging word from an unlikely source shows this glumgiraffe that those who are different "just need a different song," and soon heis prancing and sashaying and boogying to moon music (with a cricketaccompanist). In the vein of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Gerald'sfickle "friends" quickly decide he's worthy of their attention again.

With this rhyming, poignant (in a cartoonish way) tale, Giles Andreae, author ofRumble in the Jungle, andnumerous other picture books, shows insecure young readers that everyone can bewonderful, even those that march to the beat of a different cricket. The rhymesare somewhat awkward, but the bold, bright watercolors by Guy Parker-Rees willinvite readers to kick up their heels and find their own internal harmony. (Ages3 to 6) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (21)

This is why we liked this book:
The kindergarten class at Eliza Kelly School liked this book very much. We liked when Gerald did the backwards sommersault in the air. We like to dance too! We also liked the part when Gerald closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the jungle. The cricket was a good friend to Gerald.
The illustrations were colorful and beautiful.
Gerald is a great dancer!

Kindergarten at
Eliza Kelly School

There is something special in all of us
This book is wonderful. It demonstrates, in its storyline and text, that there isn't always just one right way to do something. In other words, we may all have a unique approach. In this case Gerald thinks he's a bad dancer. His negative perception is reinforced by the other jungle animals whom Gerald thinks dances perfectly. The other animals tease Gerald. He doesn't seem to "fit in" with the crowd. Gerald's problem is, he is trying to dance their way. He needs to find his own style.

Good and bad examples abound in real life, and with our guidance they all provide rich learning experiences for our children. Given that, with your guidance, this book imparts to children a) There is often more than one way to do something, b) courage and perseverance pay off, and c) teasing hurts. Not bad for 29 pages of delightful rhyming text and colorful illustrations.

A Wonderful Lesson!
This is the most precious story about how being different is okay and how you can still be good at something even though you have to go about it a little "differently." I bought this for my 4 yr old son with cerebral palsy who can't walk and he absolutely adores it! "We can all dance if we find the right music." Gerald, who initially was ridiculed by the other animals for being a terrible dancer, gets a little help from a friend in finding the "right music." His dancing is admired by the other animals in the end. My husband demonstrates the different dances with my son as he reads the book to him which my son thoroughly enjoys! We have a very extensive book collection for my son, but this would have to be one of his (and my) all-time favorites. I have also bought several copies of this book for my son's school. The illustrations are the best that I've ever seen in a children's book. Can't recommend this highly enough!

Boogie on, Gerald!
Gerald the Giraffe is one clumsy animal. He's good at standing still and munching shoots off trees but when he wants to join the other animals at the Jungle Dance, they only laugh at him. Not for long, though. His friend the cricket knows how to play the music that inspires Gerald to dance like John Travolta in his best days. Gerald is transformed because "we all can dance ... when we find music that we love."

"Giraffes Can't Dance" is my personal favorite among Max's books. The story is familiar to many kids who go to kindergarten and learn that their peers can be picky about who belongs to the pack and who does not. In the book, the exuberant illustrations of Guy Parker-Rees take the sting out of Gerald's initial rejection by the other animals. Watching the Rhinos rock'n'roll and the lions "dance a tango that was elegant and bold," balances Gerald's sadness. The emphasis of the story is on Gerald's joyful transformation, anyway. Just read Gerald's jubilant "I am dancing! Yes, I'm dancing! I AM DANCING!" with enough liveliness and watch the kids identify with a flying giraffe. After all, the lesson is that you can excel and enjoy who you are even if, at first, the world does not play your tune. With a little help from his friends, Gerald finds out that "sometimes when you're different you just need a different song."

Let me add one short paragraph on Gerald's helpful friends, the cricket and the three small bugs that are hiding on every page. These four little fellows are an ingenious device to soften the impact of the emotional story. Kids are in love with details; once they know what to look for, they will tirelessly search for the bugs and the cricket, and point them out to you. Hint: play dumb and they will have a party.

I read this book to my disabled child (4 years old)
This is a wonderful book about a Gerald, a giraffe who attempts to dance at the yearly jungle dance, but shies away from the stage when other animals laugh at him. This book express beautifully how it feels to be different - 'Gerald had never felt so sad and so alone' - and ends on a very positive note: 'Sometimes when you're different, you just need a different song' and 'we all can dance, when we find music that we love.' It was a perfect book to help my child with his feelings towards his weakness. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Learning and playing, playing and learning--it's all one and the samewhen you're a tot. So this big box of block books is an ideal toy and learningtool for very young children. An appealing and colorful cardboard carrying case(with flip-top construction and cheery red string handles) is packed with 26extra-sturdy little board books that teach kids about colors, numbers, shapes,and animals. Each 8-page book focuses on one concept or theme--"Orange," "Four,""Circle," "Bugs," etc.--with a word or two on each spread, along with a simpleillustration. The chunky books are just the right size for tiny hands; readerscan stack them up to build a tower--or a foundation for learning! Consider it anupdated version of the classic wooden alphabet blocks children have grown upwith for generations. (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

4 months and still going strong
I bought these for my daughter not knowing how much she would love them. Granted, she is only 11 months, but like the other reviews have said, the books are small enough to fit in her hands. She carries them EVERYWHERE! She even sleeps with a book or two. I love the colors, and the texture as well. With some board books, my daughter has gotten paper cuts, weird I thought. But not from these! They are awesome. I had just bought the ABC ones to start with but now I am getting the learning ones too.

The best first birthday present ever!
My daughter received this for her first birthday. At first she loved reading the little books - which are sized perfectly for a toddler's chubby little hands. After a couple of months she became obsessed with stacking things and would spend time every day stacking and re-stacking the books. They are shaped just right for a young toddler to stack, and are much less frustrating than square blocks.

At about 18 months she got into colors and numbers and loved to sort the books by color and count them. Now at 21 months she is STILL playing with this toy - long after every other first birthday gift went to the attic or the thrift store. And the books and the box are still in great shape - this has to be the sturdiest toy we've ever owned.

I now give this box of books to every one year old I know. I can't say enough wonderful things about this toy!

CAPTIVATING
I bought the Learning Block Books as a gift for my 13 month old niece. Although she was a bit tired (read cranky) at the time, it instantly captivated her. The box that holds the little books is very sturdy and has plenty of extra room to hold them (no struggling to fit them in). She immediately started to put the books in and pull them out. She then began to open them and look at the pictures. The books are color coded (and thick cardboard) so that the shapes and animals follow the same color theme. Since then she has continued to play with them daily and as she grows older the books give the opportunity to continue to learn.

A great companion to the classic ABC Block Book set
Our daughter received the author's set of ABC Block Books as a gift when she was 8 months old, and it has been a beloved staple ever since. These are incredibly versatile book/toys which are effortlessly educational. Stack them, put them in and out of their box, look at the pictures, learn the letters, sort them by color, and of course read them out loud! Hours and hours of fun.

As soon as I saw this new collection I knew we had to have it. My daughter (now 18 months) was so excited! A whole new set...it was like finding the dead sea scrolls. And the books do not disappoint. I particularly like the shape and numbers books. The shapes encourage kids to look at everyday objects in different ways (e.g. pillows and doors are rectangles), and the numbers all conclude with the nice touch of a birthday cake with that number of candles. A winner all around. But if I were to buy just one, I'd still choose the ABC books, just because they're such a simple, natural set. ... Read more

Book Description

The complete home-study program to help children practice the essential math skills they learn in school. Matches the math curriculum so your children will reach their full potential in school -- and on important standardized tests! The successful way to improve your child's math. These workbooks have been compiled and tested by a team of math experts to increase your child's confidence, enjoyment, and success at school. Second Grade: Provides practice at all the major topics for Grade 2 with emphasis on addition and subtraction of larger numbers. Includes a review of Grade 1 topics and a preview of topics in Grade 3. Includes Times Tables practice. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I want my money back
My son finished the first grade book within two months, and he wanted to do more math homework. So I bought this book and third grade book for him. To my surprise, I found that about 1/3 of the material are copies from the 1st grader book, and another 1/3 of pages are copies from the 3rd grader book. We both were very disappointed. (...)

Excellent Resource
My daughter is ahead of her class and needed to be challenged, by page 7 we found this book definitely a useful learning tool. It does NOT review 1st grade. I find it frustrating to purchase an age level book and have half of it be just stuff they have already covered. This IS NOT the case. Would definitely be a great book for home schooled children and look forward to purchasing the next levels.

good math review book
I used this book to review second grade over the summer after finding my daughter had large gaps in her math education. My daughter loved placing the stars included in the workbookon each completed page. The math problem pages kept her interested because of how the problems were related to one another. For instance, on one line there were several ways of getting to the number 7 imbedded in two digit calculations. The book covers the major areas of math education.

Introducing Math to 7-8 year olds
The Math Made Easy series is a complete home-study program to help your child practice the essential math skills they need in each grade. This workbook will provide practice for all the major topics for Grade 2 with an emphasis on the addition and subtraction of larger numbers.

You will also find a review of Grade 1 topics and a preview of the topics in the Grade 3 workbook. This is when they introduce Times Tables Practice.

A progress chart can be found at the start of the book and includes stars you can stick in the correct box that corresponds with the completed lessons.

The "Answer Section with Parents' Notes provides answers to all the activities in the book. These pages enable you to mark your children's work. There is a visual of each page and notes to help you explain the common errors and problems. Where appropriate, they indicate the type of practice needed to ensure that your children understand where and how they have made errors.

Contents:

Counting by 1s, 2s, 10s and 100s
Odd and Even
Reading and Writing larger numbers
More and Less
Fact Families
Fractions
Changing amounts into dollars and cents
Adding and Subtracting
Telling Time
Tally charts and Bar graphs
Sorting 2-dimensional shapes
Equations
Location on a grid and Placing on a grid
Reading a Calendar
Venn Diagrams
Sorting 3-dimensional shapes
Money and Measurement Problems
Symmetry
Solving Real-life problems
Times Tables

Includes a Certificate your child will love hanging on the refrigerator. ;) ... Read more

Book Description

Never before have the classic Mother Goose rhymes been so irresistible! Young children will delight in exploring the book¹s touch-and-feel elements while they recite such favorite poems as Mary Had a Little Lamb, The Cat and the Fiddle, and Pat-a-Cake. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Fave from my childhood
I have nothing but fond memories from this book and when I was just browsing and came across this i was estatic! I plan on purchasing this for my son.

I believe that, to those who disliked the "quality" of book because of old times. I believe that you must sit down with your child then and talk about it. This gives you that opportunity to teach your child how "todays life" is different then "olden life," as well as what is expected today. Just because ~you~ do not agree with something does not mean you should 'shelter' your children from it. If you do, then what do they learn?

This will stay with your child forever
This book has all the classic Mother Goose rhymes. I had this book as a child and it was well loved by both me and my sister. The pictures that go along with the rhymes are well done. This is a book that I buy for all of my friends when their babies are born. I still have mine to this day in my classroom, and my students would tell you it's 5 stars too!

Get the full version
Board books are nice in that they are short and durable but in this case, so much of the artwork is missing in a board book version that is really no more than a "best of." Wait until your child is older and get the full version.

Not the Values You Want to Teach Today
I thoroughly agree with the person who said that this was not for today's child. With all that is going on in today's society, with increasing violence among our children, this version of Mother Goose does little to teach children tolerance. When I bought this book, I was expecting cute and innocent children's rhymes. I do not remember reading as a child Mother Goose rhymes that were so gory. Now, in all fairness, not all the rhymes are like that, however, you have to flip through the pages to read those that are more tame. I think many of these rhymes and stories had it's place in centuries past, but not in the 21st century.

I am surprised that non of the other reviewers felt this way, too.

Quality just isn't what it used to be
I bought this for my future child, I remember reading this as a child myself, and have some pretty fond memories. I couldn't find the copy I grew up with so when I saw that I could order this, I was ecstatic. The hard bound cover is nice, and good enough... but the paper quality is extremely cheap and thin, the reprints of the original illustrations have less quality then the sunday comics. Oh Well, what do you expect with merchandise sold and made today.

It would be nice to have the option to pay extra to get the quality that you remember from days of old. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Eric Carle first published The Very Hungry Caterpillar in 1969, fully intending to create a series of interactive creature books for children. The beloved busy spider, quiet cricket, and lonely firefly books followed, but the artist's quest was not truly complete until The Very Clumsy Click Beetle was born. Carle, who says he'd rather watch a bug attempt to climb over a pebble than join an expedition to Mount Everest, appreciates the small things in life: the Eyed Elator (Alaus oculatus), to be exact--unremarkable except for that when this beetle falls on its back, it can't roll over to get up. Instead, it will stretch and release a snap mechanism that clicks and flips the beetle through the air, and ideally, back onto its feet.

The very clumsy click beetle has no trouble with the clicking and flipping part, but it does have trouble landing on its feet. The young beetle tries and tries again, encouraged by an ambling turtle, a slithering snail, and a scurrying mouse. Finally, when a curious boy approaches, the beetle takes coaching from a wise old click beetle ("QUICK, CLICK and FLIP!") and succeeds. Children will love the bright, bold, tissue-paper illustrations that tell this story of perseverance, as wellas--of course--the unusual clicking sound (emanating from an electronic chipwith built-in battery and light sensor) that accompanies this playful book. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by Eric Carle. Permission of Philomel Books.) (Preschool and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very Clumsy Click Beetle
I'm a Branch Manager of a Public Library and we have found that this book is very good for the children that comes over for school visits. It is so funny to be reading them the book and they start hearing the Beetle make it's sound they start looking around the room trying to find out where it is coming from then they cant believe that it came from the book. Every year when school starts back this is the book that i read to my Kindergarden classes. I suggest that everyone should get this book and watch the look on your childs face when you read this book to them.

Library Users say thumbs down
I'm a children's librarian. I bought this book for my library. I've read it to two groups and showed it to some of the children who come to the library everyday. I thought they would like it since Carle's other book The Very Quiet Cricket is so enormously popular. Their reaction has been thumbs down. The children like the chirping sound from the cricket book, but the click sound from this beetle book doesn't impress them. The dull "click, click" really pales in comparison to the lilting cricket chirp. We've had our copy of the beetle book for almost three months, and it's only been checked out once.

I think a teacher or parent might be able to encourage a child to enjoy the click beetle book by incorporating it into a discussion about bugs. Also, a child who is fascinated with bugs might enjoy it. However, for the average child, I recommend buying The Very Quiet Cricket instead of the Beetle book. For a child who already has and loves the cricket book, I recommend buying Carle's The Very Lonely Firefly, which has fireflies that light up. My library kids like to crawl under desks to enjoy that book in the dark.

Great Book to Teach Kids to Keep Trying!
This book is well-liked by my class of four and five year olds. The story is clear and engaging. My students especially enjoy opening to the back page to hear the beetle's CLICK!

The little click beetle repeatedly strives in the story to CLICK and flip over onto his feet, a feat shown to him by an older, wiser click beetle. He tries to show this new trick to a variety of other critters with no success. The critters encourage him to keep trying.

We used this story in class to discuss the importance of persistence and practice to learn something new. This book also sparked a discussion about being kind and respectful, as we talked about how things might have been different if the critters in the story had ridiculed the click beetle for his failure instead of encouraging him. You could challenge children to tell how the ending would have been different if the little click beetle hadn't mastered his CLICK at the right time at the end.

Definitely a classroom staple, along with most of Eric Carle's other titles.

My 4 year old loved this book!
My 4 year old came home from preschool and talked about this book for 2 weeks! He drew click beetles over and over again, and told me how the story goes. He was one impressed 4 year old and any mom knows when their child mentions a book over and over again, it must be good! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (8)

Excellent Children's Book!
I first read about this book in one of my parenting magazines and decided to give it a try.It has quickly become my 9 1/2 month old daughter's favorite book - she actually squeals with joy when I turn the pages and she sees the little boy and his teddy bear.I enjoy reading this book to her as it truly captures the unconditional love a parent has for their child.I bought several copies for baby shower gifts for my friends.I think this will definitely become a true children's book classic.

Wonderful Book
I bought this book for my 2 years old daughter. Whenever I read this book to her, she will follow what the child does in the book. When I read 'I love your topside', she shows me her topside, 'I love your bottomside', she shows me her bottomside, and we have good laugh together until I finish the whole book. The illustrations are so cute that even I enjoy reading it. Simply wonderful book! Highly recommended.

Perfect lesson on love
I bought this for my 17-month old daughter for Valentine's Day and she loves to have me read it to her. The illustrations of the little boy (great also for object lessons on fingers, toes, ears, nose, hair, eyes) and his teddy bear are charming and the story reinforces a message of the unconditional love parents have for their children. Overall just a wonderful book. Friends and family will be receiving copies along with their baby shower gifts.

SIMPLY WONDERFUL BOOK FOR TODDLERS
Not sure why [...] has this one listed in the 4 - 8 years old category as this one is clearly aimed at pre-schoolers and toddlers.It's just a beautifully written and illustrated book.A toddlers love from head to toe, teddy bear in hand.The illustrations magically capture the expression of this little boy.A loving book!And a great gift idea for kids or grandparents with Valentine's Day right around the corner.A sure to be classic!

I Love this book through and through
This book is very cute and the pictures are really good as well as the words that guide the pictures. Good Job Mom! ... Read more

Book Description

Boynton is back! Joining Barnyard Dance! and Birthday Monsters!, here is Hey! Wake Up! a good-morningbook with the irrepressible language, the inimitable illustrations, the irresistible cast of characters only Sandra Boynton could create.

Yawn.

Stretch.

Touch your toes.

Shimmy shimmy shimmy,

Wiggle your nose.

Just watch out for the broccoli stew. (Ew.)

... Read more

Reviews (12)

Great for Mom too!!!
This is an absolutely great book. My son loves having this book read to him while we commute on the subway in the morning. He never tires of it and especially loves the part about touching your toes, too small for basketball, and broccoli stew (ew!). It cracks him up everytime!!! Quite an enjoyable read.
We have a lot of fun acting out and describing things in the pictures and the language is so simple and so catchy that you can't help but have a good starrt to your day.

Great New Concept by a favorite author.
I love the concept of this book: there are so many bed time books but this is the first wake up book I have seen. I read it to my children every morning when they wake up. It's great because now we have a morning routine that includes reading as well. It is a little long for them now, but they will grow into it soon.

The pictures are great and the text is very funny as well.

Jaunty rhythms for the kiddies.
I love these books. My daughter loves these books. Boynton's books are cutsie-poosie for the kiddies, and they are hard to read without starting to sing.

There was one part that made me uncomfortable, though. I know this is going to sound hyper-sensitive, but it bummed me out when the narrator tells the little rabbit that he's too small for basketball. The book goes on to tell the elephant: "You're too big to use the swings, you should go do big guy things." The elephant looks despondent on the swing, like an eight-year-old with a glandular problem being teased by adults who think he's twelve. It made me a little sad. Why can't the rabbit play basketball and why can't the elephant ride a swing with the other kids? But, I know, it's just a kids book, I'm definitely missing the point, but I can't help what it made me think.

But your kid will love it. The rhythms are jaunty and fun. Enjoy.

Still love Boynton
I give this one a 4 only because it hasn't really caught on at our house like the earlier books (One Two Three!, Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs, Horns to Toes, The Going to Bed Book, etc.). It still has the fun rhymes and Boynton humor and I think it's a cute book, maybe it just has too many words for my under 4 crowd.

Just to add to the accolades...
As a teacher I use this book in morning circle time with a class of mostly non-verbal autistic preschool students, and it's hands-down the class favorite. The language of the book is so basic that we include a lot of introductory signs ("eat", "juice", "open") along with the movements, and basically move for the whole book. One of my students in particular has really had a breakthrough with this book - he makes us act it out all day! It's the first thing he's really learned to imitate, and about the first positive "fixation" he's had in class. It's wonderful.

And we love "broccoli stew - ew", too. Even my completely non-verbal, non-signing kids make an effort to get an "ew" out.

Just don't do what I did, and point out later in the day that a kid has beef stew for lunch! I tried that, got a worried look and an "ew" from a little girl, and had to spend the better part of a week convincing her to touch any part of her lunch again... oops. ("It's not broccoli!" Didn't matter to her.)

We want more Sandra Boynton!!! (By the way, my class also loves "But Not the Hippopotamus" and "Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaur".) ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in color. "An alphabet book with zany drawings and nonsensical verse provides an entertaining way for small children to learn the letters and their sounds."--Booklist. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Dr. Seuss' ABC
We are an international family, meaning that my wife is Japanese, I'm am American, and our daughter is both. We live in Japan, and hence the language our daughter hears the majority of the time is Japanese, which had me worried about her future English ability. This book as done much a lay those fears to rest. The pictures are fun, the sound or word patterns are nice to repeat, and easy to remember, which makes this a wonderful book for a 2 year old. On top of the fun aspect, she was able to recognize many of the letters after reading the book with me only a couple of times. This is a fun way to teach small children the alphabet and letter sounds, although the reader (me) did have to practice several of the pages before a smooth reading was possible, this entertained my daughter to no end!

This book is to be sung
One of many alphabet books. But this one has the whimsical rhymes and drawings of Dr. Seuss. Just remember that the book is better when sung. Yes, that's right, sing the book. Just sing it to the tune of the ABC song (also the same tune as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Baa Baa Black Sheep).

The rhymes, the singing, the pictures, all come together to make this a wonderful book, one that really helped my daughter learn the alphabet.

With this book and Sandra Boyntons ABC book (Aardvark admiring, Beavers ballooning, Cats cleaning, etc.), learning the alphabet will be fun fun fun.

Wonderful
I had this book as a kid, and never forgot "X is very useful if your name is Nixie Knox. It also comes in handy for spelling ax and extra fox." I bought for my two-year-olds a couple of months ago, and they love it. It seems to be making an impression, too; last week I found that Arthur was able to recognize some of the letters in his name. And they're *constantly* quoting "Camel on the ceiling". :-)

Do not bother with the board book edition, though; it's been butchered. They've expunged Nixie Knox, for one thing.

Dr. Seuss provides his own special type of ABC book
In 1954 "Life" magazine published a report about the problem of illiteracy among the nation's school children and placed part of the blame on the fact that books that were supposed to teach children to read were boring ("See Spot Run. Run Spot run. Fetch the ball, Spot"). Theodore Geisel's publisher sent him a list of 400 words that the author was to cut to 250 words, the number the publisher felt a first grader could absorb, and write a book. "The Cat in the Hat" uses only 220 words and made Dr. Seuss an instant success with beginning readers. Eventually he would go on to write almost four dozen books for children to read all by themselves.

Of course sooner or later Dr. Seuss was going to put out his own alphabet book for beginning readers and in 1963 this book was published. It is, as you would expect, more than a look at the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Other books will tell you that "A is for Apple" and "Z is for Zebra," but not Dr. Seuss because this book stars with "Aunt Annie's alligator" and ends with a "Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz." Young readers will also enjoy the mix of rhyme and absurdity so much that they might not notice Dr. Seuss is also showing them the difference between the big and little versions of each letter.

As I was reading over "Dr. Seuss's ABC," a book that most definitely wants to be read aloud to be fully enjoyed, I was wondering if I should temper my enthusiasm by saying that this is not an ideal choice for a beginning reader's first alphabet book. After all, something simpler, in the traditional "A is for Apple" mode might be more appropriate. But I think there is something to be said for even beginning readers being confronted with the level of sophistication found in this book. After all, it promotes fun as much as reading and young children might never notice the degree to which they are being challenged.

ABC
I remember learning my ABCs with this book when I was a kid. Now I'm sharing my copy with my son. The illustrations are just as delightful now as they were when the book first came out. ... Read more

Book Description

Poor Hermit Crab! He's outgrown his snug little shell, so he finds himself a larger one -- and many new friends to decorate and protect his new house. But what will happen when he outgrows this shell, and has to say good-bye to all the sea creatures who have made Hermit Crab's house a home?

Children facing change in their own lives will relate to Hermit Crab's story -- and learn a lot about the fascinating world of marine life along the way. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A House for Hermit Crab
'A House for Hermit Crab' is about Hermit, the Crab, is looking for a nice, new, and especially, comfortable, new home to live in. When he finally finds his knew house, he decides it needs a few things to perk it up a bit. Along the way, he meets a few friends who help him very much. The lesson that this book teaches people is that; it teaches to never give up hope in finding something that you need, because if you're not looking hard enough, it would be right in your face and you wouldn't see it. It also teaches that friends are always there if you ask for them. The age for this book would be about 1st ' 2nd grade. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about the ways sea creatures help each other.

A House for Hermit Crab
In my own opinion i think that "A House for Hermit Crab" is a good childrens book. I would definetly recommend it to kids. I, myself enjoyed reading this book, so im sure that children would too. The book is about a hermit crab that grows out of his shell and looks for a year to find different things to decorate, protect, and clean his shell. He finds a another little hermit crab that is in need of a shell too, so Hermit Crab gives him his shell and tells him to take good care of his friends. This is a story of friendship and growing up. Its a cute story, and i advise you to read it.

A House for Hermit Crab
The book A House for Hermit Crab I thought was a great childrens book. It was about this Hermit Crab that lives in a shell but soon grows out of it so one day he makes up his mind to go and try to find a new shell that would fit. As hes out adventuring he finds a shell that fits but its too plan he thinks. As he goes on with his shell he finds all these plants and other items that will make his shell pretty and better looking to him. He soon builds a wall up around his shell and then after all that work he grew out of that shell because getting all those things took a year. Then another hermit crab comes and says that she was out grown her shell too so he give his shell to her and he makes her promike that she will take care of all her friends that are attached to the shell. Now he goes on to find a new shell for himself but like before the shell that he found was a little to plan so he thinks hes going to find some more things to put on it hes excited to do this because he remembered what good friends he made last time.
I would definitely recmmend this book to any child.

A wonderful book for ALL ages!
This book is so good - and a wonderful allegory for anybody facing a life change. A child will enjoy the simple story of a hermit crab looking to decorate his shell, and all the creatures who agree to help him. But the sub-context of change - and greeting it with enthusiasm - is what draws me to this book. I plan on buying it for my son when he enters kindergarten this fall, and will give it to others who will be facing similar challenges.

A House for Hermit Crab
You will enjoy reading about this crab who takes his time in selecting just the right house. "A House for Hermit Crab" encourages reasoning and thinking skills for the young listener (aged 2-6). This book will help give your Eric Carle library a new protective shell. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Learning means fun with the curriculum-linked, classroom-provenworkbook series from Scholastic and JumpStart, creators of the populareducational software for children. Playful animal characters guideprekindergarten-age kids through the exciting new world of letters, numbers,shapes, colors, and sizes. The 320-page workbook contains an entire year's worthof exercises, with three different skill levels for "jumping" ahead. Every pagehas a new, sequenced challenge for the young learner, from tracing and writinguppercase letters to completing nursery rhymes to matching shapes and colors.Full-color art and lively games and activities make education an adventure,while reward stickers and Certificates of Completion reinforce children's senseof accomplishment as they complete each section. Helpful Eleanor the elephant ison hand to provide learning tips and offer support (and stickers!) to students.What could be more important than giving kids a jump-start in learning? The bookincludes answer keys and 120 full-color reward stickers. (Ages 3 to 5)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (8)

All Gimmick
My daughter recently received this book for her 4th birthday. Not to brag, but she has very advanced verbal and math skills for her age, so I consider her to be appropriately classified as Pre-K. That being said, this book is way over her head. She doesn't know how to read. She is trying to learn the alphabet, for which purpose this book is ill-suited. The first three pages instruct the child to trace the letters of the alphabet. From there, the child is expected to do a number of exercises requiring mastery of the alphabet. The directions make little sense if one doesn't already know how to read, which is unreasonable for anyone to expect as background knowledge for the Pre-K level. Often, it is not even obvious to me what the creators of the curriculum intend by some of the exercises.
Furthermore, the colorful cats, etcetera are distracting. I ripped out the "reward" stickers and gave those to her right away, after I noticed that she was rushing through the page, doing unacceptable work, in order to hurry up and get the sticker. I think the stickers are damaging to my attempts to instill in her the intrinsic value of learning.
This book may be useful for children who already know how to read somewhat as a review of the alphabet and numbers, but I do not recommend it for even the most advanced 4-year-olds.

Wonderful
I've been aware of this line of products for some time. Recently while cruising one of the large area booksellers I purchased this for my 3 1/2 year old son. -- I liked the format of having all of the activities in one large book which I could store safely in our book case, instead of having to search amongst the coloring books for the smaller single subject books. -- My son delighted in the book from the first time we worked on it together. -- I read the instructions and he is able to complete many of the activities. Just enough of the concepts are beyond his abilities right now that this will be able to provide months of engaging challenges for him. He seems to really enjoy figuring out the right responses 'all by himself' and the look of pride and satisfaction he gets is just priceless. -- The pages are also perforated, so just last week I took several pages with us on an airline flight. My son was content for the entire trip. - As we were leaving the airplane a woman seated in front of us complimented him on what a bright and well-behaved little boy he is. It made both of us feel great.

My neice can't put this book down!!
This is probably one of the best presents my 4 year old neice got. The first day she got it she did 55 pages in one day!! Now her mom has to tell her to take a break because she'll work on this book for hours! She's had it for a few months and its surprising that she hasn't gotten bored with it unlike her other books.

Fun step-by-step learning
My almost 4-year old daughter just received this workbook (the 1st grade edition) as a present from Grandpa. She enjoys completing the excersises, with a little adult help to make sure that she is following the directions correctly. I like that the book progresses in difficulty as the lessons get completed. My daughter is already learning how to read with a Phonics method, so the phonics excercises were at the right challenge level. The workbook did help her pick up new sound combinations in the middle of words, which she had not covered yet in her Phonics class. I was surprised that she seemed to be able to handle the beginning Math without much trouble, such as grouping and counting by tens, and how two and three digit numbers are constructed, since before this workbook she was only counting up to twenty, and adding very small numbers. My daughter really likes the animal characters, and of course, the stickers. I plan on buying her some of the kindergarten books and as soon as she finishes them go back to this workbook.

Wonderful learning tool!
My 6 year old daughter who will be in 1st grade this fall loves this book! This is one book that wont be thrown in the corner and forgotten. My daughter has worked hours on this book. She loves it!!! She does not feel like it is work either. I highly recommend this for summer work or to catch up. It is huge and not a tiny work book they will whiz through in an hour. Out of all the workbooks we have had this is the best. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Today everyone is talking about peace. But how do you explain this abstract conceptto young children? Todd Parr is here to help. Like his bestselling title Itís Okay to be Different, The Peace Book gives parents and teachers a valuable tool in talking about a challenging subject. Toddís bright, child-friendly pictures and simple, inspiring text tell kids just what they need to know:Timeless and universal, this primer about peace belongs in every home and classroom all over the world. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Packed with striking animal photography and more than 15 exciting textures, the Touch and Feel Animals Box Set is the perfect gift for the curious toddler.

Contains: Touch and Feel: Farm, Touch and Feel: Baby Animals, and Touch and Feel Wild Animals ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My daughter LOVES these books!
My 10 month old loves the "Touch and Feel" books! We read some every night before bed and often during the day. She will even turn the pages and babble/read by herself! She loves the different textures (although she isn't a fan of the sticky paint or frogs feet) and pictures. I would recommend any of the "Touch and Feel" books. ... Read more

Book Description

No book has captured the magic and sense of possibility of the first snowfall better than The Snowy Day. Universal in its appeal, the story has become a favorite of millions, as it reveals a child's wonder at a new world, and the hope of capturing and keeping that wonder forever. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Snowy Day Review
"A Snowy Day," by Ezra Jack Keats is a true classic. The story is about a child named Peter. Peter was a city kid who woke up one morning to discover yhat the entire city was blanketed in snow. Seeing this Peter begins to engage in activities that any small child who grew up with a snowy climate would engage in such as: making footprints in the snow, striking a snow-covered tree in order to knock the clumps of snow off of the branches, making snowmen and snow angles, and sliding down a snowy hill. He ultimately sets it off when he stuffs a snowball in his coat pocket. This is a great book due to it's real like partrayal of a child and the significance of snow in his life.

Magic, Wonder, and Possibilities.....
"One winter morning Peter woke up and looked out the window. Snow had fallen during the night. It covered everthing as far as he could see..." Peter can't wait to jump into his snowsuit and run outside. There are footprints to make and watch as he walks along, snowmen to build, and angels to carve into the snow with his arms and legs. There are mountains of heaping snow to climb and then slide down, again and again, snowballs to pack, and snowball fights among the bigger kids to watch. And after a long cold, wonderful day outside, there are warm and cozy snow dreams to dream until he wakes the next morning to another fun-filled snowy day..... Originally published in 1963, Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day, is still as fresh and inviting today, as it was forty years ago. Mr Keats' gentle, engaging text captures the essence of the child in all of us on a snowy day, and is complemented by his simple, expressive and evocative, award winning illustrations. Together, word and art brings all the wonder, magic, and imaginative possibilities of a big snowfall to life on the page. Perfect for preschoolers, The Snowy Day is a captivating treasure, to read and share now with friends and family and future generations in the years to come. A MUST for all home libraries, this is a timeless classic that shouldn't be missed.

Very cute, and the illustrations are lovely
I agree with other reviewers that the story in this book isn't heart-stopping exciting and it does drag on a bit toward the end, but frankly, I'm not sure that's a bad thing. The slow, languid pace of this story makes it a very calming and relaxing bed time read. The chunky, colorful illustrations are adorable, and the fact that the little boy is not very detailed makes him sort of a child's "Everyman." The story is really about a little boy whose imagination is maybe a little too big for the fact that he's only 4 and not able to do everything he'd like, but it's cute and engaging and well worth reading.

Let it snow (y day)
When "The Snowy Day" first came out, it was considered groundbreaking. Unprecedented. Here, at last, was a picture book in which the protagonist is black. It's not an overtly political book, mind you. Just a nice story about a kid in the city playing in the snow. Having heard about this story for a long time, I decided now was the moment to see how well this book has stood up over time. Ezra Jack Keats has long passed from idle picture book author to a somewhat god-like figure of the children's book world, so does this early work stand out even today? If it was introduced for the first time now, would it be considered as good as it is? Yes and no. The book is both a fabulous creation, and a very simple, very normal, tale that everyone on one level or another is familiar with.

In this book, Peter wakes up to discover that snow has covered the city in the night. Delighted, he pulls on his bright red (and now world known) snowsuit and plunges into a day of exploring and playing. He makes fun tracks, and hits snow off the branches of trees. He constructs a smiling snowman and slides down steep mountains of snow. At the end of the day his mother gets him out of his wet clothes and gives him a nice hot bath. The next morning the snow is still there, and an ecstatic Peter calls up a friend to do the whole day over again.

When I was a child I loved (and still do) stories that took place in the big cities. Keats never draws an inordinate amount of attention to Peter's surroundings. So while you won't see skyscrapers or taxi cabs, there's a distinctly urban feel to the lay of the land. The text is nice and easy for the youngsters to understand. As for the cut-outs, they're a delight to look at. Picture books featuring cut-outs may be remembered best as belonging to such artists as Eric Carle or Leo Lionni, but I consider Mr. Keats to be the granddaddy of the art form. Aside from the beauty of the landscaping in this pictures, I loved the papers used in the book. The section in which Peter sits on the snow, a snowball embedded on his chest, the black sky is a-swirl in greens, blues, and browns. When Peter slides down a snow covered embankment, the sky is then a delightful twisty series of white smoke-like curlicues. And Peter's home itself is eloquently rendered. From the wrought iron bed frame to the multicolored wallpaper and tiles that enhance the setting, the book is the best possible combination of elegance and realism.

If it came out today, "Snowy Day" wouldn't garner an overly enthusiastic response from publishers and critics. Which isn't to say that it's unworthy of the praise already received. As I've tried to show, the book is a wonderful amalgamation of text, pattern, and emotion. One of the finest books written for children, and a great evocative story.

The Snowy Day
The Snowy Day is a great book for kids of the age 4-6 years old.
The book is about a little boy who has a great time out side. He plays in the snow making snow angles and snowmen and many more great things. He try's to have fun with older kids but he seemed to not fit in.
He soon learns that not all things are here to stay.
The book is not one of the best books out there but the pictures are pretty. ... Read more