Book Description

It's time for bed! Not if Froggy has his way! Even after a long day of playing, Froggy's still not tired. His bath is ready, but first Froggy has to find his boat. And where are his pajamas? And how did his toothbrush get into the cookie jar? Oh, Frrooggyy! Now it's time to go to sleep, right? But Froggy can't sleep without a bedtime story! Join Froggy as he hops, flops, and zips from one familiar bedtime ritual to another.

Illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

"Froggy's stalling tactics will delight any child who has ever begged to stay up just a few moreminutes." (School Library Journal) ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Time For Bed Froggy
When Froggy gets home from his friends house his mother tells him it's time for bed. He tells his mother he is not tired and is not ready yet. She asks him if he wants to take a bubble bath first and he agrees to take one. But before he gets in the bath tub he needs to find his toy boat. He looks every where for it and finally he finds it in the laundry bin. After the bath his mother tells him to put his p.j.s on. He said he would but first he has to find them. He finds them and puts them on. His mother tells him it's time to go to bed but he says he is hungry and wants a snack. He has a snack and he tells his mother he will go to sleep if he can have a drink. She brings him some water and he spills it and so she brings him some more. He asks his mother to read him a story and while she is reading it she falls asleep.

A favorite!
I was a little shocked to see the previous bad reviews of this book. Upon reading the concerns of parents I did come to see the observations they had made in a different light. Despite understanding how someone could conclude as they have, I personally must disagree. I don't expect this book to teach my child antics.

What my daughter (nearly 2 yrs old) has learned from this book is how to say "FROOOGGGYYY" when she sees the word. At her age, she enjoys helping me "find" things, and enjoys froggy's searches for lost items. She also identifies froggy's "brushing" in a positive tone, and "oops" with concern that froggy has spilled water. This story relates to her reality. And, above all, it is the first book she has tried to "read" on her own.

Nothing but positve results in my family! :)

Every tactic you don't want to teach your child!
Raising respectful children is a difficult task. Many parents try hard, and pray hard, to see that their children learn good manners and a good attitude. Those are some of my parenting goals.

This is our first Froggy book - it was given to my daughter as a Christmas gift. It is certainly not a book I would have bought for her. Other reviewers have written about the disrespect the Froggy shows toward his mother - and it is prevalent in this story.

The other concern I have with this story is the fact that it teaches children a number of diversions to use when they don't want to go to bed. I'm pretty sure that children will learn many of these on their own, but why read them this story and teach them to:

hide their toothbrush in the cookie jar?
to eat after brushing their teeth for the night?
to demand so much from their mother before going to sleep?

No! These are certainly not things I will intentionally teach my daughter.

The story does beg one other question - Where is Froggy's father in all this?

If you want to speed your child on his or her way to being ill mannered and disrespectful, this is the book for you.

The only plus, in my opinion, is the artwork. The book is well illustrated.

Teachable Moment
We love Froggy books. We have them all. However, I was surprised to see Froggy "back-talking" his mother and telling her what needed to be done before he'd actually go to sleep. Since we already had the book, I chose to use this to teach my daughter that Froggy is wrong to talk back to his mother. We talked about how long it was taking Froggy and how this was respecting his mother when she told him to go to sleep. Ok book but lessons are endless.

Disrespectful
I bought this book for my 3 year old and I am returning it. Froggy's mother tells him it is time to go to bed and like most children, he resists and stalls. What I don't like about the book is the way the mother lets Froggy push her around. Froggy tells his mother that SHE has to close the closet, open the door a crack, and turn the night light down before HE will go to sleep. And the mother does as she is told. He then spills water on the floor and the mother cleans it up and then continues to do as Froggy demands. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Bedtime Reading
My little girl loves this book. After reading it to her everynight for a week she can recite the entire book. The book teaches the individual calls of different birds and other animals. Great illustrations and big text. This book is one of our favorites. Happy nighttime reading!!

Great Bedtime Reading
I bought this book for my 3-year old. We checked it out at the library and after reading it every night for a week she could recite the entire book. She didn't want to return it so I bought it for her. Pat Hutchins is a great childrens author. The pictures are well illustrated and colorful. Don't worry about owl, he gets the last hoot in the end. Happy reading!!

Wonderful graphics with a fun story about a sleepy owl.
With a toddler who is obsessed with owls, I found this a perfect book to read with her at bedtime. Not only does she enjoy seeing the owl on each page but the predicament he is in delights her. She has learned the names and sounds of other birds/animals/insects too! A very nice ending makes this a perfect book for 18 mo. and up.

Owl struggles to sleep through a noisy day in the tree.
A family favorite read-aloud! As Owl tries to sleep, his tree fills with noisy daytime creatures. Bees buzz, a squirrel cracks nuts, doves coo, a woodpecker pecks. Young children love to repeat the sounds of the various noisy neighbors in the rhythmic words of the book. When darkness finally falls, Owl springs a surprise! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Beautiful and touching
This book really touched my heart. I don't agree with the reviewer that said it reinforces stereotypes - if it does, then I guess my family is a stereotype because the book fit our family perfectly! My husband often comes home very late to find us all sleeping. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is very sweet.

A wonderful book!
This story about a daddy coming home to find his baby awake, then walking all around the house to see the rest of the family sleeping is wonderful. The illustrations are truly spectacular. My 12 month old son loves the pictures of the cat and the baby,particularly and I can always get him to giggle at the end when you find out where the baby and the daddy end up at the end of their journey. I would positively recommend this book to anyone.

Beautiful and sweet!
This is a sweet story about a father who comes home late after a long week and finds his youngest baby awake. He walks the baby around the house to check on the other family members and sings them both asleep with a lullaby. It's a nice story and the pictures are realistic and beautiful. I did hesitate to buy it based on the review that mentioned the gender sterotypes but am glad I did. I honestly don't get the fuss...except for dad coming home late (and the suggestion is he's been working), there's nothing else there that suggests any other family roles. It doesn't say whether or not mom works. Also, it shows that dad is involved in his kid's care. I guess if your a stay-at-home dad this doesn't fit you, but I don't think it's offensive either!

beautiful book
This book is beautifully illustrated and well written. In our house Daddy often comes home late and never forgets to give love to the baby and our pets. My older daughter and I chose this book at the bookstore because it is just like daddy. We enjoy reading it together and think you will too.

Send this book back to the 50s
This book is without a doubt the most disappointing online buy I have ever made as the story is devoid of entertainment value, and serves only to reinforce gender stereotypes. It comes across as smarmy, reactionary, and astonishingly clichéd.

The drawings are artfully done in a sort of pastelled version of Norman Rockwell fused with Illustrated Bible. As a 21st century dad I felt insulted reading this and can only recommend any existing owners to send this book straight back to the 1950s where it belongs. ... Read more

Book Description

In his first book since Time Flies, his Caldecott Honor debut, Eric

Rohmann transports a young boy in a magical sailboat to a lush tropical island

inhabited by six cats with eyes like blazing coals.Rohmann's magnificent oil

paintings draw the eye seamlessly from page to page, adding layers of

complexity to a deceptively simple storyline. His palette reaches effortlessly

from the brilliance of a tropical day to the glow of a starlit night, while his

scenes range from breathtaking ocean vistas to the meticulously detailed and

expressive creatures. The Cinder-Eyed Cats is both a sumptuous feast for

the eye and a virtuoso feat of picture storytelling.




... Read more

Reviews (11)

A Beautifully Illustrated Picture Book
Eric Rohmann's imagination is a place I'd like to live in. His imagery is stunning in The Cinder-Eyed Cats. He has created a book that you will pick up again and again, if only to flip through the beautiful images. It will become a well-loved part of your library.

This book is a small boy's dreamlike journey to an island inhabited by the cats. He flies there in a boat and falls asleep. That's when the wonderous events begin.

You'll see flying fish, slinky cats, all revolving around and around in giddy circles. When the morning comes, the boy must return home and the cats get their rest.

Parents will have a good time reading this book to their younger children, while slightly older (5 - 8) will enjoy reading it to themselves.

Rohmann is also the creator of Time Flies, a Caldecott Honor Book, that is just as beautiful as this one.

Kimberly Pauley
YA Books Goddess @ Young Adult Books Central

Cats! Cats! Cats!
Wow...beautiful illustrations and a beautiful imagination!
I bought the book because I love cats...I couldn't say no to this book. I had also purchased, "Time Flies" for my nephew at the same time. Simply amazing. The colors and images make you want to step into the page and be with the lions on the beach! Take me!!

A book for all ages
...thoroughly enjoy the pictures and the story. The art work is fabulous. Great for any age.

Absolutely Gorgeous
Far and away, this is the most beautiful illustrated book I have ever owned. I look forward to saving it always to read to my children. The verse that goes along with the pictures is very sweet, but I look at this book time and again simply for the beautiful pictures.

Absolutely Beautiful
This book is incredible! I bought it for several reasons, but mostly because it is so beautiful. It's written so well, and the illustrations make the words seem almost tangible. I'm a teacher, and I can tell you that it's a definite favorite of my students. My nephew adores it. This is definitely a classic that will endure the ages! ... Read more

Book Description

Froggy has never celebrated Christmas; usually he's taking his long winter's nap. But not this year! Froggy's best friend, Max the beaver, wakes him up to join the fun. Soon, Froggy's gotten into the swing of things: finding a tree, wrapping presents, singing carols, and enjoying a holiday feast. Join Froggy as he celebrates his very first, and very best, Christmas!

"The humor and spirited artwork will put Froggy fans in the holiday mood!" (The Horn Book)

"Children who have delighted in the earlier books about Froggy will cheer him along as he experiences his very first Christmas."(School Library Journal) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Let's hear it for Froggy!
Another great Jonathon London book! My daughter has all of his books and just absolutely loves reading these fantastic books over and over again! And the illustrations by Frank Remkiewicz are just marvelous!

All I can say is if you want a good book for your child that is enjoyable and pleasant and has a wonderful character then you need to invest in the Froggy series of books!

Froggy Wishes...Merry Christmas to All
Poor Froggy, he sleeps all winter and has never been able to celebrate Christmas. But this year, his friend Max the beaver has other plans. He wakes Froggy up from his long winter nap to not only wish him a Merry Christmas, but to give him his first Christmas present ever...a Christmas tree. Froggy and Max hurry to wake up Matthew, the turtle and Travis, the bear from their winter hibernations (because Christmas is about friends) and all four head out to find the perfect tree. They carry it back to Froggy's house, decorate it, make home-made presents for Froggy's family (because Christmas is about family too) and then it's time for Froggy to put the star on top of the tree. Over goes the tree as Max shouts "timber"! This wakes Froggy's mom and dad and they have a wonderful celebration, doing everything...opening presents, roasting chestnuts, singing, eating and even having a snowball fight. And as the day ends, Froggy wishes "Merry Christmas to All" Jonathan London has written a funny, happy, gentle story about the real meaning of Christmas...spending time with friends and family. His easy to read text, full of cheerful animal dialogue and wonderful sound effects is complimented by Frank Remkiewicz's colorful, busy, detailed illustrations. Together they've created a wonderful holiday story that's just perfect for pre-schoolers and that's sure to become an instant favorite in your house. ... Read more

Book Description

An elegant 12-month keepsake calendar designed to help parents and family members record every detail of baby's first year.

Beginning with baby's birth and leading up to baby's first birthday, a family can record all of the milestone events in the new baby's life. Full-color stickers are included to commemorate those extra-special moments, such as baby's First smile, first word, and First step. Adorned with artwork from the best-selling classics Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, this beautiful calendar is a unique way of recording baby's development.

Reviews (1)

a fun and low-stress way to mark the first year
I highly recommend this calendar or one like it for you and for all your pregnant friends. I never could get around to keeping one of those pre-fabricated "baby's first year" journals, but this calendar is easy, flexible, and fun to keep. Especially nice are the make-your-own stickers to supplement the many stickers they include. We added, for example, "first airplane trip," "first bike ride," and, unfortunately, "first headcold." ... Read more

Book Description

Sam's afraid of the dark.He thinks he sees scary animals, monsters, and aliens, too! Help Sam find out what's really in the dark in this funny pop-up story! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great introduction to pop-ups
My 10-month-old son can be immediately quieted with this book. He's clearly fascinated by the "magic" of the appearing and disappearing pop-up panels.

There's no variety in the way the pop-ups work from page to page -- they all are triggered by pulling a tab at the side of the page, and they all pop up in exactly the same place in exactly the same size.

But the story is good, the illustrations are colorful and clever, and it's the littlest readers are amazed. I've been searching for its equal, but haven't found it yet. All other pop-ups are too easy to tear or grab.

In other words, although adults may fault it for lacking variety, young children don't seem to be bothered by that. And its sturdy construction makes it a very worthwhile buy. ... Read more

Book Description

Twilight in Johannesburg, South Africa, finds the bustle of the city beginning to subside. Work is over, and it is time for rest. But in Kruger National Park the setting sun beckons the animals and their young from the bush. On the darkened plain it is time to hunt, to graze, and to cool off in the night air. Rachel Isadora's portrayals of South Africa that delighted her readers in At the Crossroads and Over the Green Hills continue in this breathtakingly beautiful picture book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What a lovely book!
I just bought this book for my grandchild and was so happy that he enjoyed it as much as myself. I am from South Africa, and was glad to find a book that showed the joy and sweetness of that country. People around the world forget that there are little children that go to sleep everynight all over S.A. and just live simple lives. The pictures were realistic and lovely and made me homesick! I think this gives my grandchild a wonderful view of an incredible country and they have brought back memories for me. Thank You ... Read more

Book Description

No other bedtime book addresses working families as effectively as When Mama Comes Home Tonight.

Now available as A Classic Board Book edition, it is sure to become a favorite of both mothers and children. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

My favorite read-aloud book!
I think I love it even more than my children do (and, like one reader said, it makes me weepy, too). I don't do everything this Mama does when she gets home, but I love that she's shown doing a chore (mending) as well as playing with her child. I especially love that we see them at night--relatively, I spend so few daylight hours with my kids. This book is more reflective of our life than most of the books we read. And it's just so sweet--a comfy-cozy good read.

A great book for the working mother
My 2yr old daughter loves to hear the story of when mama come home from work. The words read with a nice rhythm which makes it even more enjoyable. She has practically memorized this book and pays close attention to the pictures on each page. After owning it for almost a year, it's still one of her favorite bedtime stories.

Every working mother should buy this book
This is my absolute favorite book to read to my son and daughter. Until recently I worked full time and went to school 3/4 time. During the work week I got home at 8:00 at night and had an hour to spend with my 3 and 5 year old. We would read most of the time and they asked for this book every night. My son in particular is a mommy's boy and he really missed seeing me everyday. He could relate to the special things you get to do when "mama" comes home. This book is pretty short, and simple. The illustrations are beautiful. This book also makes a great baby shower gift. I give it 5+ stars!

A must for working mums
This became my nearly two year old daughter's favorite book about a few months ago and we have read it many, many, many times a day since then.

It's an easy book to personalize as you read it, and I ad lib while reading it to match the day's events. It's suitable for both girls and boys.

Every working Mum should have this book on hand to help reconnect at the end of the day.

Not Terribly Realistic
I would give the pictures in this book five stars but the text is very unrealistic. I've found that the working mothers I know just don't have a lot of time to spend with their children after working all day, coming home and cooking and cleaning and doing the things that need to be done.

Plus it perpetuates the myth of "quality" time which I think is a very dangerous concept. ... Read more

Book Description

As night falls, animals from around the world--including a little monkey, some silly sheep, and five little kittens--end their busy days and close their eyes to sleep.
This classic bedtime poem written by the beloved author of Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise Brown, and illustrated by award-winning artist Ashley Wolff, will gently rock little ones to sleep.

Reviews (3)

A toddler must have!
This has been my 3-year-old's favorite bedtime (and morning time, and afternoon time...) book since he was 2. The soothing rhymes are so relaxing. Beautifully illustrated. We've had the copy from our church library for so long we decided we needed to invest in our own. If you like Goodnight Moon, you'll love Little Donkey. If you don't care for Goodnight Moon, you'll love Little Donkey. A wonderful investment!

Love it, love it, love it
The sweet illustrations are nice and the wonderful rythym of this story is absolutely the best. It has a rhyming text that is peaceful and tranquil and the most wonderful thing to read your little ones (and maybe big ones) to sleep with. We love it.

A must for the 'go to sleep' library!
I love reading this book to my niece (age 3) and nephew (age 1) at bedtime--it's on their 'most requested' list!The illustrations are very beautiful and peaceful and the overall themes of love and security are justwhat children (and adults) need in this wild world!The soft sounds in thetext of the story are very dreamy and sleep inducing.Lovely! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Entertain 2 babies at once!
I got this book for my newborn son and have read it to him daily. He loves it and can do all the activities. The bonus: my 2 year old also loves it also and she and he can't tear it apart like the traditional Pat the Bunny books. We have 100s of books, but this one remains in the top 5 along with all of the other Pat the bunny books! ... Read more

Book Description

What do you do if you can't sleep? Count sheep! That's what the restless hero of this rollicking tale does. And when sheep don't work, he counts kangaroos by twos and monkeys by threes. But when he gets to bees by fours, the animals run amok! Then it's a countdown to dream time. With energetic, bright illustrations and rhythmic text, this is a great introduction to the idea of counting by sets, a precursor to multiplication. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Charmingly Illustrated
The illustrations in this book took me back to my childhood, and reminded me of the magic I used to feel when I first discovered picture books. It makes me wish other book illustrators took some lessons from the past and applied their knowledge to make children's books fun again. I will recommend this book to any parent who wants to give their child the same excitement they felt when they cracked open their favorite picture book.

a great book
excellent book for younger children.illustrations are done very professionally and with great energy. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Great for any age!!
I recently purchased this book for my 2 1/2 year old son. The repetition is wonderful for their absorbent memories. He reads along with me and even uses her ideas for animal sounds (ie..elephant says, 'hmmm-praaa'). I've heard him copying her animal sounds while playing. We begin this book in a very quite tone and by the time the mother has reached the elephant... she and we are shouting in exasperation for the elephant to be quiet. My son laughing the entire time that the baby ISN'T sleeping. We love this book... I wish I had found it sooner. I recommend this with no reservations.

A delightful book that evokes Thai culture
"Hush! A Thai Lullaby" is a collaboration between writer Minfong Ho and illustrator Holly Meade. In this book, a mother tells various animals (a mosquito, a lizard, a monkey, etc.) to be quiet so that her baby can sleep. The book has a funny surprise ending.

This book is absolutely delightful. Meade's illustrations are created from cut paper and ink; these pictures are charming and colorful, and complement the text perfectly.

Great simple story with Thai background
"Hush! Elephant, elephant, don't come shrieking, can't you see that baby's sleeping? Elephant, elephant, don't you cry, my baby's sleeping right near by." And so the Thai mom refrains through an elephant, monkey, cat, mouse, lizard, water buffalo, duck, etc. Wonderful illustrations in earth tones. We enjoy having other cultures as primary characters in our books, so the combination of characters, simple story and beautiful illustrations makes this one of our favorites and a common gift to our friends' toddlers.

My 16-month-old daughter's favorite!
Whenever we sit down in the nursery rocker, my daughter points emphatically at the bookshelf and says, "Huss! Huss!" This is her favorite book, at bedtime and during the day, and it has been for many months.

The highly original artwork is colorful (in a warm restricted palette sort of way) and captivating, showing scenes from varying angles and, despite it's simplicity, captures the expressions on the mother's face perfectly. The rhythm of the text is almost hypnotic. The animal sounds and pictures are very educational for a toddler, and my little one laughs at the baby in the story as he climbs out of bed and does his antics in the background, the mother unawares. My girl loves to find all the animals in the picture near the end of the book after the mother has convinced them all to, "Hush!" And she kisses the pages with her favorite animals, like the cat and the mouse, and even the pig!

The pictures convey the feel of the hot Thai evening and transport us to a world quite foreign to most, and are a whole lot of fun. The text is lulling or exciting, depending on how we read it. I absolutely recommend this book and so does my 16-month-old daughter.

Very sweet
My kindergartener, who can read, loved this book. She loved the rhyme for each animal: "Hush! who's that peeping? can't you see that baby's sleeping? ... don't you cry, baby's sleeping right nearby" because she could join in. It was also easy enough for her to read. I heard her repeating it in the car for several days afterward. I enjoyed it too. Great for diverse classrooms and parents of children adopted from Asia. ... Read more

Book Description

A delightful look at all the warm, delicious things that make up a cozy day. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Coziest Book
This book is wonderful! I don't think it's left out a single cozy person, place or thing. The illustrations are cozy too.

Again, Mommy!
My son received this book as a gift when he was a few months old. Since then (four years ago), I have given this book as a gift to everyone I know when their child is born. This book is perfect at bedtime, naptime, cuddle time, any time. My son still asks for it at story time and now my younger son is enjoying it, too. The book may seem long at first, but you will enjoy reading this book to your child(ren). This book creates wonderful "cozy" memories for both the parent and child. ... Read more

Book Description

It's nighttime at the zoo and all is quite and still. Except ...

Who's making all that noise? It's the new baby beebee bird, and he's happy to sing his song ALL NIGHT LONG! But the other animals are not so happy - they can't sleep with all that noise! Can they teach the baby beebee bird that nighttime is really best for sleeping?

Reviews (5)

What's a Beebee Bird?
This is a cute bedtime book. We meet a lot of tired animals in the zoo who are trying to get to sleep when a baby bird keeps them up with his singing. So, to get back at him, all day long they make noise and cause the bird to miss his nap. That night, he is so tired that he doesn't sing and everyone is able to get some sleep. I had fun reading this book to some kids for nap time and they enjoying the silly repeating phrase "beebeebobbi" - especially when I said it the way that all of the different animals would. I did have to take a star away because at times the text can be difficult to read - especially for beginning readers who are trying to follow along while reading over your shoulder. Also, it can be a little bit too exciting when trying to get children to settle down for a nap.

Why 3 stars?:
A fun book with some funny moments, but some of the text can be difficult to read. Parts can be a little too exciting when trying to have kids fall asleep. All in all, a good book that should be used carefully.

Funny for the whole family
This book is funny in a way the whole family can relate to. Parents and siblings who have been kept awake by a baby will especially enjoy the comic view of their predicament. Those who do the waking will enjoy the baby bird's expressing their viewpoint. The artwork is great at showing the exhausted and irascible animals who are kept awake by the cheerful baby bird. The typesetting is very clever, too.

Why only males at the zoo?
This is a cute book, first written in 1963 & reillustrated by the wonderful Steven Kellogg, who has used his talent well here. But I found it disappointing that everyone identified by gender was male: the bear, lion, elephant, the bird and the zookeeper. Sure, it was written a while ago but presumably there were female animals then, too, right?

I've loved this book for 40 years
I still remember the librarian reading this book to us in first grade. I remembered it when my children were born but, alas, couldn't find it in print any longer. So I got it out of the library and photocopied the whole thing (horrors!). My kids loved that black-and-white version so much that, now that I'm a grandmother, my son wants it to read to his own son. Thank God it's going to be republished! This is probaby the only book that our entire family has loved for so long. It is delightful and funny and warm. And it appeals to everyone because nobody gets to escape the problems that the kid with the mixed-up sleep schedule poses. I am still known to roar "Beebee bobby!" like a lion!

My Nine-month old daughter loves this book!
I found an old copy of this book in my Mom's attic and I'm glad it's being re-published. It's a great children's book about a bird that makes noise at night at the zoo and the animals don't like it. Not only does it have lots of funny animal noises to make (which my daughter loves) but its message is about sleeping at night and staying awake during the day. (If only it were that easy!) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Encore!
My 16 mos. old daughter loves this book more than any other.She always reaches for it.And even though she has pulled the shoe off Gnu she still wants to read it again and again.I am online now looking for more bookslike this one!Very cute and creative.

great entertainment for 18 month old!
bought this book for my nephew and he loves it.loves all the pulling, lifting, seeing the pop-ups.can read it with him again and again without him losing interest.

We are all charmed and enthralled
Babies, to parents, to grandparents were delighted and charmed by this clever, bright, adorable book. We all just love it and so will you.Bright colors, a simple story, beautifully drawn, and the most incredible pop-upsever.We were all ga-ga over this book.More!More! ... Read more