Reviews (9)

My daughter loves this book
My daughter loves this book. She noticed it when she was 7 months old and began to turn the pages on her own. It is just the right size to hold, and she loves to chew on it. She is 15 months old and still brings it to me to read. I have had to repair it over and over. I think the art reproductions are too complex for a baby or I would give it 5 stars. She has the babies and cat books and also loved them to death. Or, does she just like them as a teething toy?

Great for babies enchanted with dogs
This book was one of our daughter's favorites for awhile. It's the perfect size for small hands, and she has always been really obsessed with dogs. I think this book has helped her learn that dogs come in all shapes and sizes.

She still enjoys this book (at 17 months), but now that she's learned a lot of baby signs, she enjoys more complicated books more. I would get this book for a baby at around 10 months old, possibly skip it for an older baby who likes more complicated books.

If you're interested in this book, also check out the Baby Einstein Cats board book (same principle), as well as the Neighborhood Animals board book. All 3 are excellent to introduce a baby to familiar animals.

Cute and useful
This book is perfect for just getting started. Perfect as a new parent gift. (...)

Great for small hands
My 4 month old son has been playing with this book for about a month now. The size is small, which surprised me at first, but it's the perfect size for his little hands. We like to go through the book and talk about how our dog is just like the dogs in the book. He loves it.

Great Book
First off, I would like to say that the Baby Einstein puppy is so cute. This book is for ages 1 month and up. The text in this book is very simple, so little ones can understand it. The pictures are perhaps one of the best features because they vary so much. There are paintings, drawings and photos. All with different colors, textures and actions.

The best way to encourage a child to read is to have books in the home. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling book-and-doll package includes a newly designed Joshua or Prudence doll and potty, paired with the Once Upon a Potty picture book.

Just like you, Joshua has a body, and this body has many nice and useful parts:
A head for thinking
Eyes for seeing
Ears for hearing
A mouth to talk and eat with
Hands for playing
A pee-pee for making Wee-Wee
Legs for walking and running
A bottom for sitting and in it a little hole for making Poo-Poo

Dear Fellow-Parents,

Once Upon a Potty is best used as a companion volume to a child's new potty. I wrote this book when my own child was toilet training to help him better understand the process. My son was encouraged and excited by this story. It motivated him to make the developmental leap from diaper to potty.

Learning to use the potty is often a lengthy process, taxing the patience of both parent and child. When success finally comes--and it should come in its own good time, without undue pressure or haste--it enhances the child's confidence and pride. He has taken another step toward independence. He sat on the potty as a little child and got up feeling ten-feet tall.

It's one small step for mankind, but a giant one for your family.

Love,
Alona

Reviews (43)

loved the book, even with the pitcher shaped potty!
I received this book as a gift when my son was starting to potty train. He loved the book and I found it very helpful in getting him to make the transition from diapers to potty chair. I've read the other reviews and was surprised to see so many complaining about the look of the potty in the book. Yes it does look like a pitcher and it does not look anything like my son's potty chair, but it didn't seem to matter. People need to remember that books are just a tool to help in potty training. It's not going to be accomplished any quicker just because the potty in the book looks more modern. I just bought the girl version for my daughter and hope it works for her as well.

This is my second copy.
I got one copy of this book that came with a potty that I bought from Babies R Us. I read it to my 18 month old once and then sat him on the potty. Within a minute's time he yelled "Pee Pee!" and low and behold there it was. OK so it hasn't happened since then but my son adores this book. Normally we have house toys, car toys, and going out toys but every since I bought it (just 4 days ago) it's the only toy we carry everywhere we go or else I'd hear "Potty book, potty book!" all day. I lost it last night at the supermarket and we went to sleep asking for it and woke up asking for it. Needless to say, I put in an order for it this morning.
Maybe by the fourth or fifth copy he'll be a pro at this potty thing:-)

Cute, but better for younger children
My son was a very reluctant 3.5 year old when he finally potty trained. We had gotten this book when he was much younger and he did enjoy it, but as he got older it became a bit babyish for him. It's much more sing song than practical, but it is cute. I did not find it offensive, as other reviewers may have.

My 2 year old loves it
Yes, the pictures are a bit outdated. Yes, the author uses "wee-wee" for penis. But it says right in the front that she recommends parents replace any words she has chosen for terms you, the parent, would rather use. (You don't HAVE to read a book exactly as the author wrote, you know).

Also, the white ceramic pot looks just like the white plastic pot that is inside our Safety 1st potty chair that I bought in May, 2004. Just take apart the potty and show it to your child.

don't read this to your child.
I found this book way far on the edge of what any parent would really want to teach their child.
The pictures are graphic, which for me is fine as they are nature (but may not be to all.)However he pees in something that looks like a bowl then a toilet. Also they seem to stray from potty training itself a bit. However the biggest part that bothered me was the reference to where you poop from. They refer to it as a "HOLE". Now I find nothing wrong with 'bottom' personally but even if someone was more inclined to use another word I would hear 'tush' or 'rear' but never have I heard hole. Often you here hole used in terminology as rude (ex: "shut your hole") I can't understand why the author chose to use a word that sounds more insulting the realistic or informational. There are many other book out there that teach the poitives and cover the same subjects in a better way. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

What's that Smell?
The Gas We Pass by Shinta Cho, is a hilarious book of the reasons we pass gas. The illustrations are great. The color scheme of the pictures themselves helps the imagination grow, and suitable for children. It helps them learn the scientific concept of why gas is passed. It also tells which foods make gas stink, and how much gas actually comes out in a fart. It's really amazing what some never know. There is some inappropriate content in the book; it is a picture of a little boy and his father in the bathtub, both of whose genitals are exposed. Besides that, it is great for people of all ages. It is a book everyone should take the chance to read. I promise you, this book doesn't just let off gas; it's educational and funny and these are the two important elements of learning. So the next time you pass gas, you will think about how it happens, and there won't be anymore smell-raising questions. Enjoy!

Gas is Good
Book Review: The Gas We Pass What was Shinta Cho smoking when she wrote this ghastly book? The Gas We Pass is a very informative and educational book about farts, farts, and, yep, you guessed it, more farts. Everything you ever wanted to know about farts is in this book. It splurges into the stinky subject of why farts smell, why it is healthy to fart, and why you should not hold your farts. Cho even put a diagram of the human body in the book, which shows how farts are processed. The illustrations are fantastic if you have a sick sense of humor. They are of different animals farting and burping. The illustrations show a naked man and a naked boy in the bathtub together watching their farts bubble and rise to the surface. This book is suitable for two age groups: young pre-adolescent kids and teenage boys. If you have a problem with flatulence, do not go to the doctor, read this book. It will save you an expensive trip to the doctor's office.

Not that Great
This books starts off pretty good. I like the fart humor, but then it gets into the scientifics. i am not against kids learning the science of gas, but it almost feels like two different books. the beginning seems like a good book to give a young child who is just learning about bodily functions. but then it starts getting into specifics and it feels like it needs an older audience. it's not a bad book. it's just not the books i was expecting.

The Gas We Pass Review
This Book is sooo groovy! I loved the illistrations, that brought a smile to my face! :) This book was very informational. I actually learned more about my passing gas. I enjoyed reading this book because it brings me happiness and makes me even more individualed! I recamend this to people who want to get a smile goig on their face! Try it!

Only good as a joke good for nothing else
Yes people with a sense of humour or an 11 year old love to laugh at farts, and it seems this is the book to give them. All though it says its intended to teach kids about farting/gas the mere thought of this book acutally helping a child with that is farfecthed. It tells vertually nothing except when you eat you can fart/burp and that all animals fart. Infact i think this book would be bad for children as it shows a elpehant farting witch knocks its trainer over (again its joke purpose appears again) Also it shows a picture of a naked boy (its a drawing nothing graphic but still) I think most monkeys would know the facts in this book but its pictures are mildy ammuseing and its pretty funny as a joke to give to someone as a present. All in all its pretty funny as a gag but useless as giveing children information on farting. Its humour for ages 6 and up pretty much thats all i think the authour ment for it to be... ... Read more

Book Description

A wise cat knows the answer to her big question. And before the girl can drift off to sleep, she needs to hear about the family and friends who care about her. This tender ode to unconditional love and reassurance by Newbery Medal winner Patricia MacLachlan is brought to life by Amanda Shepherd's beautiful illustrations. It is a bedtime ritual to share again and again.

Reviews (1)

very sweet
As a little girl gets ready for bed she ask her kitten an important question.She asks it "Who Loves Me? " The kitten tells her of all the people and animals that love her and why.From the mouse to her cousins and friends animals and humans alike have their own special reason for loving the little girl!



When you read it aloud it sounds almost like a song.

This story would make a great bedtime tale.All kids need to be told who loves them each and every day!

... Read more

Amazon.com

Sniffling and coughing through a week at home with a cold, Sage (onewho shows wisdom, experience, judgment") misunderstands one of Mrs. Page'svocabulary words in the homework assignment, and the resulting embarrassment infront of her fifth-grade class leaves her "devastated: wasted, ravaged.Ruined: destroyed. Finished: brought to an end." Miss Alaineus isnot, as Sage determined in her "defective and delirious" mind, "the woman ongreen spaghetti boxes whose hair is the color of uncooked pasta and turns intospaghetti at the ends." Sage slumps home after the vocabulary bee fiasco, to hermom's comforting, if seemingly impossible words: "There's gold in everymistake." Fortunately, and as always, mothers know best.

Debra Frasier (author-illustrator of On the Day You Were Born) hascreated a masterpiece of clever wordplay in her hilarious and poignant story ofthe exquisite pain of schoolgirl mortification. One sentence using vocabularywords from A to Z runs along the bottom or side of each page ("Obliterate me,send me to oblivion--no one could outdo my stupidity"). Not just for word-worms,virtually any kid will identify with the occasionally confusing world oflearning, and be reassured by the happy conclusion. Frasier's youthful artworkwas inspired by her daughter's fifth-grade desk. "No fancy art supplies; justmarkers, notebook paper, pencils, glue, and scissors." The result is eminentlyinviting for grade-school children. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Vocabulary stretcher!
My fourth grade class loved the book! After reading it aloud, I added to our shelf of favorites--but it's more often in someone's hands! We plan a vocabulary parade for spring, but students are already creating word-based costumes.

A wonderful book for word lovers!
This book is a lot of fun. I was introducted to Miss Alaineous at a teacher's workshop and conference. It was read aloud to us by the person conducting the workshop and all of us howled in laughter.

The art work is like nothing you have ever seen before, very vivid, bright and certainly original. I bought the book to share with kids in the classroom. The Vocabulary Parade and the sentences on each page (A to Z) are great ideas to use to make school more exciting.

A true delight and I am looking forward to more from this author!

Vocabulary Made Fun!
Poor Sage (one who shows wisdom, experience, judgement) is home with the flu and gets the weekly vocabulary words and assignment from her friend Starr (who is not a luminous celestial object seen as a point of light in the sky). Unfortunately, she does not quite get the last word down and that is the basis for her story. Instead of writing miscellaneous (consisting of various kinds of qualities, a collection of unrelated objects), she writes Miss Alaineus, defining it as (the woman on green spaghetti boxes who hair is the color of uncooked pasta and turns into spaghetti at the ends). Sage is devastated (wasted, ravaged) as the class, including Mrs Page (who is not a single side of a printed sheet of paper usually found bound in a book) burst into laughter and she turns red (the color of embarrassment). But as her mother explains, "There's gold (a bright yellow precious metal of great value") in every mistake (something done, said, or thought in the wrong way). And her mother was right. Sage uses this embarrassing error and goes on, to her astonishment (great shock and amazement), to win the gold trophy at the Annual Vocabulary Parade..... Debra Frasier has taken the boredom out of spelling words and definitions and written a marvelous, inventive and creative story, kids 5 and up will just love. Filled with hundreds of words and definitions, a terrific story line and detailed, expressive illustrations, youngsters will begin to understand and enjoy the power of words and how important it is to use them correctly. And as Sage triumphs (a true success), kids will see that making a mistake is not the worst thing that can happen, in fact it sometimes leads to great success (a favorable or desired outcome of something attempted). Miss Alaineus A Vocabulary Disaster is a special and unique book that should be included in every home library, and is sure to be a classic, in years to come.

Making a mistake is wonderful!
I want this book read by all children who are afraid of making mistakes and can't stop laughing at others making a mistake. And also by all parents and teachers who often tell their boys and girls to be more careful dealing with words. Making mistakes have a power to create someting special, eapecially when you are dealing with words. It's a miracle.

laugh out loud!
This book made both me and my 10 year old daughter laugh! It's a wonderful story of embarrassment and courage. My daughter and I both loved the mother who was so supportive. This doesn't have to be limited to the very young child - anyone can appreciate the situation! ... Read more

Book Description

This storybook is a collection of entertaining stories and poemsinvolving celebrated children's book artist Richard Scarry's lovable cast ofanimal characters.These happy tales and lively illustrations make thistreasury of the very best of Scarry's work the best storybook ever. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Oodles of Richard Scarry and I Am a Bunny, Too!
Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever was one of her picks.

This book was my daughter's choice night after night during the years from ages 3-6. The stories are all vividly colored, humorous, and reasonably short. They just suited her perfectly.

She would plead after each one, "Just one more story, Dad." (This was after her mother had read to her, as well.) I would read until I had almost no voice left. Eventually, we negotiated that she could pick two stories from this book, and if I was in the mood (and in good voice) we could go up from there. Otherwise, bedtime would have been delayed for hours!

If you don't know Richard Scarry, he has a wonderful, light sense of humor. He usually features intelligent animals, but in human-like contexts. This makes the moral of the story easier for the youngster to swallow, while making the story more interesting. For example, A Castle in Denmark is about the rules that you should follow in a castle (or a house) such as not leaving things on the floor where people can trip on them. Who else would have come up with such a wonderful way to help establish household rules?

The stories in the book contain all the elements needed in a preschool book, with lots of alphabet, numbers, socialization, and charming stories with important lessons attached. The book includes one of my daughter's all time favorite stories, I Am a Bunny by Ole Rison. This story was repeated like a mantra around our house by all four children. It is a great beginning reader story.

The stories vary in sophistication from simple ones to mini-mysteries involving detectives. My daughter especially loved the mini-mysteries.

Here are her favorite stories in the book (in the order they appear):

The Rabbit Family's Home

I Am a Bunny

Work Machines

Pip Pip Goes to London

A Castle in Denmark

Couscous, the Algerian Detective

Officer Montey of Monaco

Pierre, the Paris Policeman

The Country Mouse and the City Mouse by Patricia Scarry

Schtoompah, the Funny Austrian

From a value perspective, it is much less expensive to buy these stories in this form than to get them in the various Richard Scarry books. Of all the story books we bought for our children, this one was definitely the best value. I suspect it only cost about a penny per hour used. Running the television costs more than that!

Some readers have complained about the binding. Ours is a little loose in back after four years of hard use. For such a thick book, that's about par for the course. If your child is a hard user of books, you may want to get a new copy at some point.

After you have finished enjoying this book for the 4,317th evening in a row (if you have a large family), I suggest that you think about how these stories could be made even funnier by changing the context. For example, a castle in Denmark could become Cinderella's castle after she married the prince. What rules do you suppose Cinderella would have wanted to have? In this way, you and your child can exercise your imagination to have even more fun.

Take great stories and build on them . . . together with your child!

An excellent choice for young readers!
Like many of the other customer reviewers, I loved this book when I was a child. This book has it all: classic nursery rhymes, stories that don't tax little ones' attention spans, and enchanting illustrations. Names of everyday objects, shapes, colors, numbers, etc. are presented in an entertaining manner - your child won't realize (s)he's being educated!

This book is great for getting your toddler interested in books. My two year old daughter loves reading her "Lellow Book" at bedtime every night, and I look forward to it as much as she does. (If I had the proverbial dime for every time I've read "Chipmunk's Birthday" I'd be richer than Jeff Bezos!)

The only complaint I have is that we've had to glue the spine to the pages several times. I suppose frequent use is a contributing factor, but other reviewers have noted similar binding problems from this publisher. If not for this one drawback, I would have rated this book 6 out of 5.

Best book ever!
This book was given to my sister when she was very young. It became the standard reading book in my family. Try as my mother did we always requested a story from this book. My favourite was "Egg in the hole". I loved this story and requested it night after night. After a while i knew it off by heart and would tell my parents off if they changes a word. Many years ago we discovered this book in a local bookshop and bought it for friends who had just had a baby - it became a sucess in their family as well. A friend of mine has a 1 year old and i was trying to think of a present for her. The daughter has enough cloths and toys when i thought of giving her a book and remembered how much my family had loved this book. I couldn't find it in any shops in Australia and am very excited to find that it is still in print and available. Although the child is only 1 this book will cover her all the way to school and i hope it becomes as much of a favourite with her as it did with me. Thanks Richard Scarry for some of the best stories ever.

Still have my copy from 1977
And I'm glad I do. Although much of the content is from previous Richard Scarry books -- it provides an excellent way to remember the funniest bits of those other books and has helped me decide which Richard Scarry books to get for my son.

A Wonderful Book
My two year old son loves this book. He asks for it every night before bed. We call it "The Lion Book." His vocabulary has increased ten-fold since we started reading it. He's learned about shapes, sizes, colors, numbers, animals, farms, planes, cars, trucks; just about everything that could attract a little one's attention. The stories are interesting and gentle and fun. A great book! ... Read more

Amazon.com

There is a house,
a napping house,
where everyone is sleeping.

"Everyone," in this case is a snoring granny, a dreaming child, a dozing dog, asnoozing cat, a slumbering mouse... and a wakeful flea! Uh-oh. Looks like thenapping house won't be napping for long. With their very own brand of humor,Audrey Wood and Don Wood create an appealing bedtime book compatible withMargaret Wise Brown's classic Goodnight Moon. This small,square board book, with its rhythmic, repetitive text and witty pictures inshades of ever-brightening blues and greens (as the night turns to day), is sureto be a winner with preschool insomniacs. The sleepy household congregates onGranny's bed, slowly building a very relaxed pile of bodies in shiftingpositions. Young readers will enjoy tracking the critters as they make theirway, one by one, to the bed--and then guessing what will happen when the wakefulflea joins the heap. Be sure to look for this author-illustrator team's otherhilarious collaborative efforts, including Piggies and Silly Sally. (Baby topreschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Beautiful art and peaceful story make a great combo
The Napping House covers a whole family falling asleep: granny, child, dog, cat, mouse... until the wakeful flea bites the mouse... and then everyone wakes up! Audrey and Don Woods have written a gentle bedtime story pre-schoolers will want to hear over and over. The text is easy to read and repetitive, perfect for young children. The gorgeous, expressive and detailed illustrations, provide enjoyment to children and to adults alike. It's fun to sit and just look at the pictures and point out the details that are there. My kids love that! This is a classic book and is a wonderful addition to anyone's library. I've used it sucessfully in children's literacy programs - kids never seem to get tired of reading it and looking at the pictures.

A Must Read at Bedtime
This is the Napping House, where everyone is sleeping. It's dark, raining and very subdued. First there's the cozy bed, followed by the snoring granny, the dreaming child, dozing dog, snoozing cat, slumbering mouse and finally, the wakeful flea. And then the wakeful flea bites the mouse... The team of Audrey and Don Woods has put together a wonderful, gentle bedtime story pre-schoolers will want to hear again and again. With easy to read, repetitive text and beautifully detailed, expressive illustrations, youngsters watch the ever growing pile of sleeping bodies move, change position and then slowly lighten and brighten as one by one, everyone wakes up. As the book ends, the last page shows the napping house where no one is sleeping. It's sunny and cheerful with a rainbow in the sky. This is a classic the whole family will enjoy and a must for all home libraries.

A Book My Son & I Love
I think alot of great things have been said by the reviewers that have come before me, but I want to add my two cents! My toddler son just loves this book. He particularly loves to search for the flea and the mouse on each page--even though he now knows where they are! He never tires of hearing it and I never tire of reading it. A great purchase.

great book!
This is the story of a house where everyone sleeps in one bed
and how they all wake up, when the mouse sneezes.

It is a great repetitive book that children relate to and they can follow very easily.

The Napping House
I really liked this book. It was a good book for sequencing. I thought the pictures were very colorful. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in color. "The Great Birthday Bird guides us on a birthday trip. The multicolored excursion is a festive one."--School Library Journal. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

An Awesome Book about Birthdays for kids of all ages!!!!!
I have loved this book since I was old enough to look at the pictures. It brings back great memories of my childhood and my family and all the birthdays we have celebrated together. This book is a classic and an excellent, different present for anyone who's having a birthday!! I have been searching for this book to give to my children for years.....now I have finally found it. Classic in all the Seuss ways, exciting, fun and thought inspiring, I recommend it for all of your friends and loved ones having a birthday! Start a tradition!!!!!! They will thank you, if not now, later in life!!!!! Just imagine celebrating your birthday the way they do in the book!!!!!! What a blast!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)

Truly a classic
There was a rule in my family: you didn't officially turn a year older until "The Birthday Bird" (as we called it) was read to you. This tradition continued with my brother and me, even in college. This is a great feel-good book. As usual, Dr Seuss chooses an important, serious "theme" - having kids understand that they are important just because they "are" - and adorns it with tongue-twisters, great characters, and the outrageous celebrations of the Katroo Happy Birthday Associ-i-ation. Start a tradition in your family and have the Birthday Bird come to YOUR house each year.

Worlds Best Affirmation!
I remember this book vividly from my childhood, and made sure to buy it and read it to my children. There is enough positive, personal affirmation power in this book to give a kid a dearly needed boost of importance and remind them that they have a right to be here, a purpose, and that the world is glad that they are here.
I also recommend If I Ran the Circus -and- If I Ran the Family !

Forget Birthday Cards
After one reads and delights in Dr. Seuss' book, Happy Birthday to You!, one will see the giving of birthday cards in a much colder and more sterile light. This book should be given to anyone celebrating a birthday who could use a snack from a Hippo-Heimers back (and, quite frankly, who could not). It is a book for all ages through the ages, entirely timeless in its zany approach to that special day. It will have you shouting "I am I" which is the purpose of birthdays and even better is having someone with whom to share one's birthday to shout "We are we". A delightful book which should replace birthday cards and be attached to any gift or even be the gift itself.

Best Children's book ever
I have loved this book ever since I can remember. It has positively ruined me for my birthday every year, I do absolutely nothing I don't want to do. I eat cake for breakfast if I want, and I never go to work that day. What a positive and creative book this is, it totally convinced me that everyone is worth spoiling rotten at least one day a year. And the pictures are so emotive and beautiful - that last image of the child bundled up safely on the flying platter is so comforting. Both my sons love the book and request it read often. The copy from my childhood is missing both covers now and some of the pages are separated, but we still love it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Stop everything! If at least one copy of each of these classics is notin a prominent place on your bookshelf, your home and your progeny's childhoodis incomplete. Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends--blustery old Owl, bouncy Tigger,clever Christopher Robin, glum Eeyore, and the rest--have been a staple ofchildren's literature for over 70 years in A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. AndMilne's immortal collections of children's verse, When We Were Very Young andNow We Are Six, havesoothed many a savage beast at bedtime with such incomparable delights as "If IWere King" and "Us Two." All four of these classics, complete with Ernest H.Shepard's original illustrations, are gathered here in a handsome boxed set.These hardcover editions will most certainly be a cherished legacy to be handeddown for generations to come. After all, as Rabbit says solemnly one day,"Without Pooh, the adventure would be impossible." (Ages 3 to 103) --EmilieCoulter ... Read more

Reviews (1)

THE Classic
How could anyone pass up a set of the classic stories of a boy and his stuffed friends. With the original illustrations (not the Disney-fied stuff), these are the books I remember my father reading to me when I was "very young." Many kids today may be familiar with a few of these stories from the Disney shorts (combined later into a feature length version and on video). Most kids also know Winnie the Pooh because of Disney (who even brought out a line of "classic Pooh" products based on the original toys and illustrations). These stories were beautiful to begin with - precisely why Walt brought them to the big screen.

Filled with childhood honesty and simplicity, these were the tales Milne told his own child, Christopher Robin, inspired by the boys' stuffed toys and the animals that lived nearby. Do your kids a favor and start by reading the original stories, to them and with them, as they were originally written. As a set, its a wonderful keepsake to pass on to generations. ... Read more

Book Description

A is for Atlas

B is for Bagel

C is for Chrysler Building

An ABC book that pays tribute to a child's view of New York City

An ABC book unlike any other, ABC NYC reinvents the genre using an alphabet unique to New York City. From subway signs to building graffiti, NYC's letters are represented everywhere you walk: M is for Manhole cover, T is for Taxi. A child's guidebook to life in New York, ABC NYC beautifully captures the visual vocabulary of the city kid with bold black-and-white photographs and vibrant letters found in some of the most surprising places. Perfect for the youngest set learning the alphabet or collectors of New York memorabilia, ABC NYC is as striking and energetic as the city it reveals. AUTHOR BIO: Joanne Dugan is a New York based photographer whose work has been shown in museums and galleries throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan. She hand prints her limited edition fine art photographs in her darkroom in New York City's Union Square district. She is also the photographer behind the best-selling book Taxi Driver Wisdom and two fine art monographs. Pamela Hovland is a designer and educator whose work has been recognized by numerous national and international design organizations. Even though she learned her ABCs while growing up on a farm in Minnesota, she has lived and worked in New York City and Connecticut ever since. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Kids & NY-philes will love this
This is a beautiful and novel twist on the alphabet primer that will make learning the A-B-Cs more fun for both parents and kids.The compelling photographs capture the unique character of New York's letters and landmarks, and the "urban grid" design brings the photographs and text together perfectly.If you are a city parent with young kids or you just love New York, this book belongs in your home.The only trouble is you may not be able to decide whether it belongs on your child's nightstand or your coffee table. Bravo to author Dugan and designer Hovland!

this book gave me goosebumps
This book is a gorgeous tribute to New York City and raising kids there. I highly reccomend it for any parent of a young child living in New York, or in fact, any urban city. Finally, an ABC book that is fun to read aloud, beautiful to look at, intelligent and relevant to city kids. I just bought 4 more for gifts. Thank you Joanne and Pam!
... Read more

Book Description

Snoozy Choosers Choose Snoozers

Here are seven different Boynton bedtime stories for little listeners. Guided by the colorful picture tabs, children can find whichever story they want to hear. And the next one. And then this one. Okay, now this one. And now this one. Ooo, and this. Oh, please, just ONEmore? ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Six Short Stories And a Song Lull Your Child To Sleep
This book makes for great bedtime reading and has help my daughter to go to sleep on many a night. Six cute little stories about bedtime and a nonsense song make up the contents which are illustrated by a whole bunch of Boynton animals. The contents are as follows:

Snoozers - A story of the Snoozers who can sleep anywhere and anytime (except bedtime).
I'm Not Tired - A little bear puts himself to sleep by fussing about not being tired.
The Big Yawn - Just what the title says. Beware.

Pajamas - Different animals like different types of pajamas. What kind of animal are you? My son is a piggy and my daughter is a moose (so am I).
Six Sleepy Sheep - A poem of the evening activities of the title characters as they get ready for sleep.
Night Sounds - All of the snores of the jungle as the animals sleep until...
Silly Lullaby - A really silly song.

Love this bedtime book
This was one of my favorite books to read to my daughter when she was 1. I could recite all the stories verbatim. We loved the animals' sounds of sleep; the cheetah = "chee-chee-taah', the monkeys = "chatter-choo chatter-choo". There's even a little silly lullaby you can sing at the end. Now my daughter, 2, can pick the stories she wants to hear from the tabs.

Not the best (or the worst) of Boynton
I'm a huge Boynton fan. Some of her childrens' books are pure magic and I still smile when I read them again and again (such as Barnyard Dance, Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaur and the Going to Bed Book). This one just didn't do anything for me. I love her silliness and whimsy but the total nonsense lullaby at the end was the worst. If it didn't cost so much to send it back, I would.

It also didn't hold my girls attention at all.

Oh well... I'll keep trying her other books. There's bound to be more gems out there.

very cute
Cute book for bed that is nice and fast for those children that don't SIT for books!!!

Great for Bedtime!
We read this EVERY night now before bedtime...and to tell the truth, I love it just as much as my little ones. A definite keeper. Also recommend The Gravel Drive thegraveldrive.com for parents - you will never look at your kids the same way again after reading it! ... Read more

Book Description

Stimulating interest in children is key to potty training success. Positive reinforcement gives children pride and a sense of self-accomplishment. The third edition of this book has been completely revised with 126 glossy stickers to catch children’s attention.

Motivate and reward children using the 126 stickers. Stickers are circles of one inch in diameter and each sticker has an image of different potty related subjects - no repetition. You will find stickers with soap and towels (as reminders to wash hands), toilet rolls, a variety of potty chairs, cute motivational sayings like "You can do it!" and more. Many stickers even have toddler girls for children to imitate.

The yellow chart included opens up to hang like a calendar. After successful potty attempts, children are rewarded with a sticker to place on the chart provided. Also included are a few ideas on what a parent or childcare provider could discuss about each sticker, thus increasing communication between adult and child. Potty training works when it's fun! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Positive and Motivating
This book motivates and increases self-esteem with positive reinforcement. I'm a new mother and dreaded "potty training" yet I found this creative book FUN. Tracy Foote has created a wonderful sticker book to ease the stress of potty training and as a new mother, I for one appreciate it.

WOW! Wonderful stickers & Colors!
"My Potty Reward Stickers" is exactly what I needed to help my daughter move forward in her training. She simply loves the idea of getting a special reward sticker. Tracy has done a fantastic job of putting together this very helpful & motivational tool for toddlers. I highly recommend this book to any parent looking for something special and fun to help their toddler during training.

Potty Training Fun
My daughter LOVES stickers and band-aids. Anything she can decorate herself with!! She loves receiving a sticker for trying out her new potty!! We decided not to put the stickers on the chart and to just give them to her. We use her favorite color crayon to color in the chart instead. it's fun for her and rewarding!! It gives her something to look forward to!! GREAT IDEA!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

How dull, to be one hippo all alone... until the one calls two other hippos on the phone. Soon three more hippos are at the door, bringing along another four. Before the night is through, a houseful of hippos (and one beast) has joined the one hippo for a boisterous bash.

All through the hippo night,
Hippos play with great delight.
But at the hippo break of day,
The hippos all must go away.

The well-loved Sandra Boynton wrote this tribute to silliness in 1977, inspiring generations of the very young to learn to count. Lively, cute newillustrations complement this edition, with big numbers (one through nine, and nine through one) boldly placed on the corner of each page. The sturdy board book will withstand lots of eager counting fingers, and maybe even a berserk hippo or two. Boynton's familiar style can be seen in scads of other delightfully nonsensical titles, including Barnyard Dance! and Moo, Baa, La La La!.(Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Truly Berserk!
This book has all the elements of fun--one author, who obviously loves to write children's books, one subject (HIPPOS) and counting and you have the ingredients for a fun book. My 6 year old loves Hippos Go Berserk! and is learning to read it. She loves the counting as well. This book is in our Boynton collection (we must have the "Boynton Memorial Library" by now!) and it gets read weekly. We have to rotate through all the other Boynton books we have. It's a very good book and I recommend it, for children of ALL ages.

Tons of Hippo Fun
This is a delightful book! I bought it for my 6 month old son, who has a limited attention span for stories but LOVES this one. I also gave it to my 2 year old niece who, according to my sister-in-law, asks to have "Hippos Go Zerk!" read at least 16 times per day.

Boynton also adds some humorous touches that Mom and Dad can appreciate. Look for the Hippo Whistler's Mother!

My Daughter (& her father) loves this book!
My daughter, who is 5 months old, loves this book and pays attention through the whole book. She loves Daddy's expressions and excitement about the Hippo Party. I highly recommend Hippos go Berzerk.

One Hippo All Alone... a back and forth counting book
A wondrous counting book that tells of a lonely hippo who calls two others on the phone. Then larger and larger groups keep arriving (three though nine) until all 45 hippos and the beast (a guest of one of the groups) go berserk and party all through the hippo night. But at the hippo break of day, they all begin to go away (nine through two) until all that is left is the original one.

Most counting books only count in one direction. This fun book counts up and then back down again (although it doesn't use zero). It even makes mention of how many they add up to.

Typical Boynton illustrations add to the fun of this book.

It's a favorite!
My 18 month old son LOVES this book! All I need to say is..."One hippo all alone, calls two hippos on the phone" (First lines from book), and my son will search the house for the book until he finds it! It is a great book, the illustrations are top notch. He has about 30 other board books, but this is by far his favorite. Since I read it to him at least 5 times a day, I know it by heart! I can't wait to get more of Sandra Boynton's books. Since it is a board book, it is very durable! Go Berserk! You won't regret it! ... Read more

Book Description

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

Reviews (38)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

A gentle rhyme filled with multicultural images that encourages parents to read to their children. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A jewel of a book!
This is one of the most perfect children's book I have ever seen and I have been collecting for 27 years. (day care provider)It is beautifully illustrated with rich diversity.The words are poetic and should be read by every new parent grandparent and caregiver.
I think this book should be included in every hospital kit distributed to new parents and use by every literacy program.It should definitely be in your family library.

A warm and lyrical treasure with a positive message
Read To Me is a thoroughly delightful picture book with simple, rhyming verse by Judi Moreillon and enchanting color illustrations by Kyra Teis about the joy shared between parents, grandparents, and young ones when reading to a child. A warm and lyrical treasure with a positive message for all ages. "Read to me / and plant the seed. / Make me want / to learn to read."

Just Lovely
This small book is perfect!The illustrations are colorful without being garish, the poem is gentle and beautiful!This book will be enjoyed by many little ones in my family for years to come.I just love it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

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

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

Reviews (4)

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

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

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

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

Reviews (3)

This book really helped my toddler understand...
This book really helped my toddler understand what was going to happen. He was only 23 months when his little sister was born so his language skills weren't very developed. In the last few months of my pregnancy he would look at this book over and over and over again and you could see understanding dawning on his little face. On day, he was "reading" it and then, all of a sudden, dropped it, ran over to me, and gave me a really big hug. I think that was his moment of truth, lol. Two thumbs up!

Respectful and Realistic
We loved that this book depicted relationships in a respectful and realistic manner. The older boy helps out Mum and Dad, plays alone with baby, has time playing quietly by himself and at the end of the day when baby is in bed, has some quality time alone with Mum and Dad reading a book. We also liked how Dad is actively involved eg he cooks dinner while Mum nurses baby.

Although it had no words, our 1.5 year old twins loved pointing out and naming objects that they knew and of telling us what was happening. For example:
"poo" (baby getting nappy/diaper changed)
"wah, wah" (baby crying)
"shh" (baby sleeping)

We got a number of new baby books, some good some not. This is one that we'd recommend.

Great book for siblings to make up their own stories!
My son loves to look at the pictures & make up stories about his new baby sister. The only problem with it is it's difficult to make up a story for him when you have new-mommy brain and have been up all night with a new baby. ;o) ... Read more

Book Description

This 4-volume boxed set contains an alphabet book, a book of rhymes about each month, a counting book, and a cautionary tale all written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Includes the titles Alligators All Around, Chicken Soup with Rice, One Was Johnny, and Pierre. (Titles available separately in library and paperback editions.)

Notable Children's Books of 1940–1970 (ALA)

Reviews (11)

A Must for any child's library
My mom bought this for me when I was a child and we read them so much we wore them out. The second set she bought was for my children and we are well on our way to the third set. Nutshell means just that - child sized books that look just like Mom sized ones. We read all four 'lil books' every night. Your kids will love them too.

Delightful Series Exploring ABC's, Months of The Year, etc.
I re-discovered this collection two years ago, and took a very fond walk down memory lane - I loved these as a child. My two-year old recently became hooked, and I have now had the exquisite pleasure of revisiting "Chicken Soup with Rice", "One was Johnny", "Pierre", and "Alligators All Around" on a regular basis. With the same arch humor and sly drawings that Sendak brought to "Where the Wild Things Are", the four books in the Nutshell Library entertain as they instruct. The rhyming pattern makes it very easy to memorize (I've gotten to be a whiz at reading in semi-darkness circa bedtime...) - in fact, my daughter can "read" almost all of "Chicken Soup with Rice" now by associating the rhymes with the pictures. This collection is a rarity in children's books - it's fun for both kids and parents! Plus, it easily fits into a purse or diaper bag to take along on trips - whether to the supermarket, or Grandma's. And the kid-sized volumes are a delight for small hands. DON'T MISS IT!

Memories of a lifetime
I heard these books put to music when I was in first and second grade, and they have stuck with me and allowed me to teach them to my children. Finding them in book form is just amazing. These books are classic and belong in any child's library.

The joys of repetition
If you have children you know that they love to hear the same stories over and over and over again. If you are a good parent you'll be required to read the same books night after night after night. Some books can take it, others you'd put in the shredder if you had one handy, and were devious enough to blame the children themselves for losing it. To our shame, some of us have been that devious.
The Nutshell Library, however, can be read a thousand times and each time the reader finds truth, beauty, life lessons, and the best darn rhymes around. Even a shy parent finds the ability to read with verve and feeling, night after night after night. My personal favorite is Alligators All Around, unless I happen to be reading Pierre.

Nutshell Library
I remember reading these books some 40 years ago & I still can remember some of the rhymes. I loved them then but couldn't find them anywhere. So now I'm getting them for my grandchildren and great-nieces & -nephews to enjoy. ... Read more

Book Description

Thomas is going on a special trip to the circus, and there are lots of wonderful things to discover along the way--a beautiful hot air balloon, a playful dolphin, and a barrel of monkeys, just to name a few! Lift and peek behind the many flaps and see the hidden surprises. Preschoolers will want to climb on board with this fun transportation shaped flap book, bursting with treasures on every page! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not very interesting
I bought this book for my 19 month old son because he is a great fan of Thomas, but it hasn't proved to be a hit with him or with me. There isn't much of a storyline, and it's barely worth lifting the (very small) flaps, as the pictures underneath are mostly uninteresting and tiny. The colours are also a bit strange (Bertie the bus is brown), and the text does not show the personality of Thomas or any of the other characters. In terms of lift-the-flap, books like "Where's Spot" or "Spot Goes to the Farm", with large flaps and clear, colourful pictures underneath are far superior.

Nice book, plenty of windows, a bit short
Just as others have said here - the book is fun for my 2 year old, has lots of flaps, is a b