Book Description

A classic silly song that toddlers know and love, Down by the Bay has been a favorite and best-selling Raffi Songs to Read/reg/ since it was first published in 1988. In this friendly board book edition, irresistible art by Nadine Bernard Westcott depicts wonderfully amusing creatures such as a bear combing his hair, a goose kissing a moose, and a whale with a polka-dot tail. Very young children will find this book both entertaining and instructive in early language skills such as rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, and will delight in hearing it read or sung aloud to them. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A very fun book!
This is a very fun book for all. When I was younger I could remember my aunt teaching my sister and I the song, and I was glad when I went to the library and seen that it was a book. I think that if you get this book you will have lots of fun.

Have to be able to sing
I bought this book for my daughter to take to my mother's house. I can't sing and so the book isn't much fun when I read it. My daughter loves to hear my mother sing though. She will ask my mother to read the book several times a day when she is visiting.

Great for the Music Classroom
Again, here is another great Read/Sing book. If you love to sing or are a music educator this book is for you. Rich in American folk heritage, this is one of the many songs MENC recommends that all children know. This song can be sung in echo format or as written in the back. My students constantly want me to read it again. They think the verses are hilarious! As I have said in other reviews of books like this, it gets you away from the piano so you can focus on your students' vocal development!

A very easy sing along!

So fun
This book is so much fun. At first I just read it because I didn't realize it was a song. Then I noticed it was a song and I played it and got the hang of it so I started to sing it to my daughter. She loves it. She laughs at the silliness of it and we sing it when we are out. I make up my own verses and made it into a game of rhyming. It is such a fun little book.

Silliness at its best
Down by the bay where the watermelons grow...and other funny occurences will keep your children laughing, singing and reading it over and over again.

Delightful illustrations. I bought this for my children when they were pre-readers and my oldest, who is nine, still gets a kick out of it. It's great for older children to read to younger siblings.

In no time at all they'll have it memorized, then have fun with making up new verses. Simply follow the music in the back of the book and get creative. You'd be surprised what the little ones come up with! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Learning to count to 10 is no chore when accompanied by Olivia, pigletsuperstar of Ian Falconer's Caldecott Honor Book, Olivia, and Olivia Saves the Circus.Preschoolers will giggle to see reminders of Olivia's mischief in this simplecounting book: "one ball, two bows, three pots of paint"... on up to "tenOlivias," pictured in various familiar poses: trying on pantyhose, standing onher head, earnestly jumping rope, sunbathing, etc. Each sturdy page of thissmall, square board book provides a backdrop of white on which our black andwhite porcine heroine struts, with occasional red accessories. Early learnerswill also enjoy Olivia'sOpposites. (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Counting made funny
Yes the pictures are taken out of his 1st two books, but my 2 year old does not know or care. They say children learn through repetition anyway, and my little girl has absolutely learned a lot. It is just the cutest way to learn how to count...my favorite is "7 accessories" followed by "10 Olivia's." TOO CUTE!!! I am sure any 2 year old would love this book & the opposites book just as much as my liitle girl.

It's a board book, what do you expect
For those of you to expect the board books to be totally original. Come on... These are great introduction books to the Olivia series for baby and Toddlers who can not handle the other books. I highly recommend both of the board books for baby and Toddlers. The red, white and black coloring is perfect. The concepts are great for toddlers learning language. If your child is older they may not appreciate the board books and find the other 2 books more stimulating.

Can you say CASHING IN?
We were looking forward to more adventures with Olivia. What we got was illustrations stolen from the original Olivia book and no new content whatsoever. Shame on this author for using the wonderful reputation of his first two books to make a fast buck off of Olivia's fans.

Let's Count.....
Olivia's back with her very own little counting board book, and those who love Ian Falconer's irrepressible piglet will be happy to count along with her from one to ten. This is a very straightforward counting book. There's no real text, entertaining rhymes, or engaging descriptions. Just the simple format of 1 one ball, 2 two bows, 3 three pots of paint and so on. The joy of the book are Mr Falconer's expressive Olivia illustrations, rendered in black and white with his signature splashes of red for highlighting. This is enough for toddlers just learning to count and recognize their numbers, but preschoolers over three will be bored.

An okay counting book
I bought this book for my almost three year old daughter because she loves the two Olivia storybooks so much. The pictures in this book are for the most part taken exactly from the previous story book Olivia. The only two original pictures are Olivia's four aunts and eight cousins. Unfortunately my daughter does not have aunts or cousins so she is not really familiar with these terms. The other numbers are more easily recognizable items such as five books and six teeth. I love Olivia, I really do, and I wanted to love this book. The way Ian Falconer interjects culture such as art, ballet, and opera into his full length story of a pig and her family is really great. I just get the feeling from this book that Mr. Falconer wanted to make some more money from his Olivia franchise without really having to create anything new. One thing I have to say for the Olivia counting book is it's really sturdy. This book would stand up to to the roughest toddler. If you have an older child who is somewhat more gentle check out Chuck Murphy's One to Ten for an interactive and eye popping counting book. ... Read more

Product Description

A delightfull Ukrainian Folktale adapted and illustrated by Jan Brett as a boardbook. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

The Mitten
The story of the Mitten begins when a boy named Nicki begs Baba to sew him white, wool mittens. After she finished, the boy went to play with them. Baba said that when he got home, she would check to see if he was alright, then see if he still had the new mittens. Soon, Nicki dropped one of his mittens and lost it. Many different animals found the mitten to be a good place to rest. At the end, Nicki finds his mitten and returns home. The only thing, is that one mitten is four times bigger then the other.
I really enjoyed the book, The Mitten. It was always may favorite when I was a young child. The story really kept my attention, and I could follow it very easily. I liked all the different types of animals. I though the story was very good, and I'm sure you would too.

A Great Book
This is another great retelling by Jan Brett. I read this book to my second grade class every year. You can download a mitten and the animals from the story at Jan Brett's web site. After I read this delightful story to my class, the children color the animals and cut them out along with the mitten. I read the story again and they act it out with their animals. They take the mitten and animals home to do a retelling with their families. The children absolutely love this story and the activities.

Small, short and sweet
This is a small handy for the car sort of book. The story is short and a pleasure to read as it reviews the names of different animals found in the forest. This was given to my little one as present from my Ukrainian grandmother whom we call "Baba", I like that we can relate to a few of the books details, like the gramdmother shown an ethnic blouse like the ones worn in the old country, and the boy is called Nick like many Ukrainian boys making the book even more authentic.

Beautifully illustrated book!
My 18-month-old sons love this book. I have to read this one to them over and over ~~ they love the bright colorful pictures. They love hearing about the animals. And I love reading it to them. It's fun and pleasurable on the eyes as well.

Nicki wants a pair of white mittens and his Baba agrees to make it for him. However, he loses one and a mole decided to rest in the white mitten lying on the snow. He soon is joined by a rabbit, a fox, hedgehog, badger, owl, a bear and a tiny mouse. It's hilarious to imagine all of them in one tiny little mitten ~~ and so fun to read too!

I recommend Brett's books for everyone. She's a wonderful story-teller and her art is beautifully-illustrated. She is an example of how children's books should be!

2-4-04

Two Stories in One
Jan Brett has some of the most beautifully illustrated books around. This is no exception.

Nikki is a boy who convinces Baba to knit him some mittens that are as white as snow. Baba warns him that white mittens are very easy to lose. Baba is right.

Nikki goes out to play and almost immediately drops one of the mittens. This is where the two stories come in. The main story is told in the large illustrations on each page as a series of animals squeeze themselves into the mitten. In the borders of each page, we see Nikki as he plays and ultimately disturbs each of the animals so that they leave their homes and eventually find the mitten.

The stories cross as a sneeze blasts the animals out of the mitten and we see Nikki retrieve it in the main illustrations while the borders show the animals returning to their homes. Baba sees Nikki reach up and catch the mitten as it drops from the sky, but she is puzzled when she sees that one mitten is now much larger than the other.

Absolutely beautiful illustrations. A simple story but full of fun as we see how each of the animals enters the story. ... Read more

Book Description

Byron Barton's best-selling series of transportation books are now available as classic board books.Boats, Planes, Trucks, and Trains feature simple text and vibrant illustrations that are sure to spark the interest of even the youngest of readers.". . . will delight the youngest, and have enough meat for older preschoolers and beginning readers." Kirkus Reviews

... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great introduction for little travelers
When we took our 1-year-old across the country via air, we wanted to prepare him for the experience of riding in an airplane. I sought out a book to show him pictures and came across this simple yet substantial book.

Before we took our trip, I was able to show him the pictures of planes similar to what we'd be flying in. When we were waiting on the plane, he was able to "read" his Plane book and see pictures of all the activity that was happening just outside his window. As we flew, the book entertained him with its colorful illustrations and many details.

This is definitely a favorite to my toddler, who now at almost two adores planes and has flown 6 times in the last 3 months. It has been taken across the country and back and has stood up well, with only a few indications that it is a well-loved book.

I've seen no other book like this, and highly recommend it to anyone preparing their child for travel.

Barton's simple approach is superb
My son is an airplane and boat fanatic(as is his Father). Solution? Byron Barton books! These little gems offer a few pages of pictures (very simple illustrations using primary colors)describing the different tasks an airplane, boat, train, etc. do everyday. I prefer the chunky board book format, which is virtually impossible for toddlers to completely destroy. Check out Barton's books today.

Soaring through the skies with Byron Barton
Byron Barton's "Planes" is a fun and educational book for beginning readers. In it the author/illustrator depicts a jet plane, seaplane, crop duster, helicopter, and other aviation phenomena. A sample of the easy-to-read text: "This is a jet plane with people inside."

The illustrations are basically simplified line drawings enhanced with bright, solid colors. Barton brings a distinctive stylistic flair to this approach. A nice touch is that Barton depicts people of various colors and ethnic appearances. Overall, a good choice for small children.

Couldn't be better
My baby loves this - he's 21 months - be brings it to me all the time to read. Nice illustrations.

simplicy is wonderful
We have the board book version and thank goodness! This book is read many times and is holding up well. Any baby or younger child who likes airplanes will love this book. It would also be helpful to read to children who are getting ready to take an airplane flight.

Cartoonish and simple drawings with thick black outlines and pretty bold colors. Text is very simple "this is a jet plane with people inside". Very simple wording yet NOT annoying. Quick to read through and then my son asks for it over and over and honestly, I don't mind the repetition for this book (unlike some other books we own....) At 3 years old he now has it memorized and sits and "reads" it to himself over and over. My baby also likes this book and carries it all over the house and "reads" it to himself with babbling baby talk.

I can't wait to buy more of this author's books and wish they were all available in board book format as this one gets a lot of use in our home.

I have not seen other books about planes in board book format that are appropriate for baby through the preschool ages, making this is a unique book. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. A madcap band of dancing, prancing monkeys explain hands, fingers, and thumbs to beginning readers. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Hand Hand Fingers Thumb
I have had the book "Hand Hand Fingers Thumb" since I was about two. I must have read it 500 times. It was a regular bedtime story for me. It is a very easy book to read. The words aren't very big and they are repeated so that the young kids can learn the words easier. The book has very good flow and great pictures. All of the pictures have monkeys in them and you know every kid loves monkeys. The rhymes are very good such as; "Hello Jack. Hello Jake. Shake Hands Shake Hands Shake! Shake! Shake!" There isn't much of a plot to this story but I think it is a very good story anyways.

Memorize It!
We've been reading this book to my 18-month-old daughter since she was just a few months old and she loves it. In fact, reciting it to her when she's crying -- on an airplane for instance -- will make her stop crying immediately and start drumming on her belly with her hands. She was attracted to the rhythm and rhyme from a very early age. It is not necessary to understand what monkeys and drums are in order to enjoy this book ... it is perfect for babies of all ages!

Michelle Gordon
This book was okay for a young child. I would reccommend this book for a child within the age-range of Pre-K to first grade. I was a really tongue tying book. I will teach kids to have good diction and to say words fast without getting all tied up in their words.

My 2 year old loves this book!
Dum ditty dum ditty dum dum dum...
My 2 year old just loves to hear the rhythm and rhyme of this book! It has been her favorite since we bought it a couple months ago, and she has quite a large library of books. This one always makes her smile, even when she is in a cranky mood.
I give it 2 thumbs up (drumming on a drum...)

Feeling a little jipped!
I was raised on this book as a child, and have only the fondest of memories. My book that I had as a child was a first edition hardback that today is quite worn, but still in great use. My 14 month old boy has adopted this book as his favorite as well. Yet, 14 month olds don't fully understand the concept of not ripping pages. So recently I purchased the board book version of Hand Hand Fingers Thumb. I was extremely disapointed that six pages from the original book were omitted! The part omitted is the 'Hello Jack, Hello Jake... and Bye Bye Jake, Bye Bye Jack, and also the Hands with hankerchiefs blow blow blow part. While the book is still a great reading and listening tool, I was very disapointed that this great little board book, that will stand my sons pounding, is abridged. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Straightforward, clear, vivid, this mini picture dictionary is an ideal learning tool for budding young readers. Bright photographs of familiar objects, such as flowerpots, seagulls, potties, toast, telephones, and shampoo, illustrate simple word concepts and expand vocabulary skills. Based on the esteemed DK Publishing's bestselling full-size My First Word Book, this chunky little version is just right for small, curious hands. With categories such as "In the kitchen," "Toys," "In the garage," and "All about me," children can recognize and name familiar objects, as well as master new vocabulary. Photographs of related items (teapot, blender, spoon, saucepan) with the associated word help young readers categorize objects and connect words to images. Sections on colored shapes and counting broaden young readers' educational horizons even further! (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A great starter dictionary
This series of board books are fantastic.

I started collecting these for my daughter after she was given one at 6 months and this is what we started to read to her every night. She woud sit and demand it to be read over and over and over again. The board pages and are easy for baby and toddler to turn and the pictures (real photography not illustrations) are wonderful.

The word book has a little bit of everything - like a mini dictionary - of things that baby will come accross in their daily life - clothes, food, utensils. My toddler can now read and say the names of each thing herself while pointing to them. It has helped her give names (and learn to say things by us reading the book over and over) to things in her world.

If your looking for a great picture book to share with your baby this is the one (and the series of books) to buy. You can never have too many books to read with your children.

Excellent First Book!
My 15 month old son loves this book and the others in the series (My first ABC and My First Animals). He will not sit still for any other picture book. Living near a farm, it was important to us that he see "real" animals in his books that he could easily associate with the ones he visits. He recognizes these pictures and is beginning to use the appropriate words for each. We love it and have given it as a gift to other parents of young children.

Love this book
I bought this book for my daughter when she was about 13 months old. I wish I'd gotten it sooner! Her interest in the book grows and grows as she learns more and more what things are. Her favorite pages by far are the front cover, the food page, and the animal pages. She even learned about the letter O from the front cover (she thought they were balls, and so we taught her about O's).

She even uses the foods page as a menu. Before she learned the signs for some of her food, she'd bring the book over to me and point at what she wanted to eat. It was very cute.

She is 17 months old now, and the book is still one of her favorites. As she learns more and more what things are, she likes to point at all of them and tell me as we turn the pages. I think this book will give us even a lot more use out of it because there's still a lot of things she doesn't know.

My only complaints are:
1. How in the world is a baby going to figure out what a "combine tractor" and some of the really off-the-wall things are. We always skip things like that. Even the tools page has very little interest in it.

2. Some of the pictures are difficult to discern to a young child what they are. The bag of flour, the coffee, and the ice cream, to name a few.

3. I would have liked to see more animals. How about a mouse or a bunny?

Aside from those, I think this book is a must-have in any baby's board book collection.

My First Word Board Book (My First Word Books)
My son loves this book. He loves to turn each page & see which category is next & go through each thing on the page (of animals, foods, clothing, automobiles, etc).

A Great Book!
This book was given to my one year old as a gift & she LOVES it! She looks at it all the time & has learned a great deal from it. She is currently 18mos. old & continues to enjoy the book. I have purchased multiple copies to give as gifts to friends. My only complaint is that the pages are paper rather than cardboard so the pages rip easily. ... Read more

Book Description

A rollicking alphabet chant for the youngest child! ... Read more

Reviews (22)

What a great book!
As the parent of two kids, age 2 1/2 and 9 months, who has ready this book about 8000 times, I can safely say this is a baby/toddler classic. The syncopation, the bright letters, the build up to a hysterical ending (well, if you're 2!) all add up to a great experience for a young child.

We've got two versions of the book--the board one, which ends with the letters falling out of the tree, and the regular one, which ends with a climbing up that silly tree again. Although I prefer the regular one -- "l is knotted like a tie!" -- my kids really like the version that ends with a chicka chicka boom BOOM!

Although we've not pushed learning letters on our older child, she can recognize the ones in the pictures. While it remains to be seen whether that has any effect on her academic progress, we've all had a delightful time reading together.

Delightfully entertaining for little babies!
This exciting little board book introduces the alphabet to infants in a humorous game of tag, "a told b, and b told c, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree. Whee! Said d to e f g, I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree." The entire lowercase alphabet makes it to the top of the coconut tree and "chicka chicka boom boom," they all fall down! Colorful and eye-catching, the artwork bewitches little ones, while the sing-songy prose encourages listening and learning. Birth and up.

This book was edited from its original form to accommodate board book standards and objectives - to appeal to newborns, and very young children who are not attentive enough for the full text. "Chicka Chicka abc," is delightfully entertaining for little babies with short attention spans, who enjoy the positive interaction of cooperative play - reading. I do agree that the original edition, "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" is actually more amusing, but is in fact more appropriate for older children, 2 years and older. If you must choose between the two interpretations, purchase the original - it is a scream!

Good for toddlers too
My three and a half year old nephew is just starting to learn his letters and he enjoys the ABCD rhyme of this cute board book. He likes to study the pile of letters after they've all fallen out of the tree and find different ones upside down and scattered. It's short and sweet and the rhyme is soothing--also for weary grownups after a long day with the kids!

Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM (again and again and again...)
My 15 month old son absolutely loves this book. He brings it to us to read over and over again and repeats "boom" when all of the letters fall down at the end. He also points to the letters and the coconuts to ask what they are. While the book was not a personal favorite of mine at first, once I got into reading the text with rhythm and syncopation and saw how much joy my little guy got from reading it with me, I changed my mind. My husband and I now have this book memorized. Chicka Chicka A B C is a real winner and geared perfectly to toddler "short attention span theatre"!

First book my baby loved
We received many books when our daughter was born and wanted to read to her right away even though she was newborn. This was the only book she would react to -- she loved it right away. It has great rhymes and bright colors. The full length book is also great, but she has managed to destroy that since it has paper pages. The board book is still one of her favorites after 14 months. ... Read more

Book Description

Bring your own Cheerios!

On every page, there are pictures that need to be completed by adding Cheerios to just the right places. (No milk, please!) Teddies need Cheerios buttons, mice need Cheerios glasses, and fish need Cheerios bubbles.

Pages are recessed to help children successfully place their own dry cereal pieces within the scenes.

Tasty, interactive fun that toddlers will love! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellent
I don't normally buy into advertising type of items such as this. However, this is such a well put together book I bought it. I'm glad I did. My son (2 years old) has loved this book and enjoyed for almost a year now. He is passing on the fun to his little sister as he helps her learn to do this book.

It works with eye and hand coordination which is great. It deals with missing pieces which is an important skill for pre reading and math. It is fun to do with a mom and child, two children or just by yourself. It's a great book.

I'm getting another one we like this one so much.

Enjoy

Lots of fun for baby & mommy!
This book was designed to bring out the cutest in your baby!

My little ones have had so much fun filling up the little holes with cheerios. It's a "find the missing part of the picture" game, and encourages their coordination, as they put the cheerios in the empty spaces. It's really a very fun book, part game and part learning, and then there's the eating involved...

We have had lots of fun with this one. It's really a game for both the mommy and the baby to play together.

A Nice Treat For Toddlers!!!
This book is a special treat for my toddler. It is very bright and colorful and pretty short. It emphasizes counting and eating cheerios, LOL.

My daughter loves to get this book out a million times a day so I will go get some cheerios. I have had to start putting it up after reading it twice, or she will just want to read it all day long and the eat the cheerios that go along with it too!

A neat book that you are sure to get alot of use out of!

Cheerio A+
This book is great for baby's and toddlers. There are holes on each page just right for cherrios to be placed. We put them in, we take them out, and of course we eat them. Excellent for keeping busy when in a waiting area. Just don't forget the Cheerios!

Tasty book for toddlers
This book is a wonderfully interactive board book that allows children to use Cheerios cereal to complete various illustrations. It is written with simple language for young children to understand and respond to easily. We discovered that my niece, who hardly eats a thing, was delighted to interact with and eat the Cheerios after each page was to be turned. Lots of fun! ... Read more

Book Description

Look, look! Children run, fish swim, stars shine . . . all for baby's eyes to see. This sturdy board book, full of high-contrast black-and-white cut-paper art perfect for staring at, is just the thing for the eyes of the youngest babies. A few words in curving red type on each spread describe the scenes -- a car races, a cat stretches, flowers bloom-- and extend the book's age appeal so that it will be fascinating to older babies, too. Striking and stylish, Look Look! is the ideal first board book for babies just beginning to look and learn.Peter Linenthal is an illustrator who has taught art in elementary schools for twenty years. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great for even the youngest babies
My baby's only a week old and he already enjoys looking at this book - we stand it up in his crib and he really seems to study the images, sometimes for 10-15 minutes at a time; he's very calm and alert while looking at it. If we lay him flat on his back, he even turns his head toward the book to look at it. The clean, simple black and white images are graphically appealing to adults as well - as a designer, I love being able to give my baby a book that not only reaches him on his level, but that I consider to have good design.

This is a keeper
It's good for your own kid, and it makes a great present. Not only is this book beautiful and adorable, it totally appeals to babies because of the black, white, and red colors, which are the first baby can see. I've given this book to a number of people and am so relieved that it's still in print, because I need to get some more. I LOVE this book. And so will Baby.

Excellent book for Infants
This book was wonderful to have when my children were first born. They both loved to look at the pictures and were fascinated with it. It would help calm them down when they were fussy and kept play time on the floor interesting. I highly recommend to any new mom.

Our Favorite Toy
Our son has loved this book from the time he was 4 weeks old. He studies each page for minutes on end. It's a great way to introduce your child to the world of reading.

A Must Have for Every Newborn
This book is absolutely indispensable. My son loved it so much as a newborn that now I include it in every baby shower gift that I buy. Waitresses and sales clerks used to marvel at how my son would gaze raptly at each page.

While there are many black and white books for newborns, this one is special. Linenthal's creative and complex images really captivate babies, and even tell a story. One of my friends keeps the book open at her changing table and entertains her baby with the pictures while she changes her diapers.

This book got us through many peaceful meals in restaurants! If only there was a book this magical now that my son is a toddler! ... Read more

Book Description

Elmo is too big for a crib! He’s ready to sleep in a big kid’s bed! It may take a little while, but with his favorite snuggly blanket and his teddy bear David by his side, soon Elmo feels comfortable in his new bed. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great book for young children
I was really happy with the purchase of this book. My 20 month old son is getting ready to be moved into another room and a big boy bed to make room for his new brother. Most of the books that I have found on this subject have been a little too detailed for my son. This board book breaks the transition down is simple statements that young children can relate to. Example "Elmo slept in a crib when he was a baby but now he's ready for a big kid's bed." "Elmo knows that sleeping in a big kid's bed will feel different than sleeping in a crib." Etc...

It even has Elmo with his favorite doll, David, and his favorite blankie. My son sleeps with a blankie and therefore can identify with Elmo even more. The pictures are colorful and engaging. Well done! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Some issues with some of the Spanish Words
As a native Spanish speaker, it is very important for me that my son learn Spanish. My son loves all of the books in this series, but this one causes me a few problems. Part of the problem is the Spanish words used (which is an issue for my dialect). For example, "bananas" is translated as "las bananas" instead of "los platanos" and peas are translated as "las guisantes" instead of "los chicharros" and "broccolli" is "el brecol" instead of "el broculi" (sorry my keyboard is not set to do accents). The other issue is some of the foods selected. For example, "soup" is one of the foods, but it is hard to draw in a way that children really understand that is is soup. "Radish" is anothert choice, but since it is such an uncommon vegetable, I am not sure why she didn't use someting like a potato or a bell pepper, which are more common. So, I would recommend this book, but be prepared to change some of the words around using your computer, printer, and some glue.

Basic, brief intro to Spanish
I wanted to introduce Spanish to my infant son so I bought this and "Mi Ropa/My Clothes" by the same author. I like this one the best. Both have very simple pictures labeled with the English and Spanish word. My son is 5 months old and seems to enjoy the pictures. ... Read more

Book Description

This imaginative board book features beautiful paintings by a renowned artist paired with playful, rhyming text. In A Picnic with Monet, Claude Monet's light-filled paintings take children on an enchanted picnic in the countryside. This board book is a fun introduction ot art and an imaginative adventure all rolled into one! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lovely, imaginative book
This book not only features Monet's beautiful paintings but the words are far above the quality usual found in children's books. It is enjoyable for adults as they share the artistic experience with their children. My eight month old baby loves it. It is one of her favorite books. I'm sure older children would appreciate it too. It's one of those books that parents won't mind reading again and again. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Even infants love it
Even when my baby was under one month old, he would stare at the colorful pictures on the pages-- he would stare at the left page and then the right. I knew the book was stimulating his growing brain and I was giddy with excitement!! Now that my baby is 8 months old and he likes to hold the book himself, I appreciate the rounded corners and thick cardboard pages (so baby won't get paper cuts). My baby likes to gnaw on the book so I guess it's also a great teething toy!

BABY EINSTEIN GREAT STARTER BOOK
This book was one of the first books that my daughter would make me read it over and over again. She was about 8mths old and now she is almost 4 and still drags it out of her endless pile of books. The big difference is that she reads it to me now. Your little one will love the characters and vibrant colors of this book. Get it you both will love it.

Awesome
When I was majoring in education, I bought a bunch of books for my classroom. I bought this book because I thought it would be a creative way to teach SHAPES.

Each page has a little 4 line rhyme that really got my attention. It was kind od sing-songy and describes the shape.

The pictures are very bright and colorful. The pictures are also of the shape the poem was about.

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

Fun book
My 4 month old loves this book. The bright pictures and rhyming prose make this a hit with him. Love it.

Wonderful!!!
My daughter is in love with this book and she is only 8 months old! The poetry is wonderful and this book also incorporates counting and colors with the shapes ("find 5 more shapes like mine" etc). The illustrations are great and keep her attention. All of the Baby Einstein series are wonderful! ... Read more

Amazon.com

It just feels right: the orange is bumpy, the cushion is soft and silky,and on each page (or double-page spread) of this board book there's anothertexture to explore. Pages are organized by shape--circles, squares, stars,et cetera--and all the images are color photos on a white ground. Several imagesappear on each page, one of which has a textured insert. (Baby to preschool)--Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Touch and Feel: Shapes
This is our second touch & feel book and my son really enjoys the new textures introduced in this book. Not neccesarily the best touch & feel book out there, but still decent.

Not their best...
This Dk touch and feel book is not their best. It feels like they just slapped a few ideas together and didn't really try to come up with real-life, meaningful texture examples. I agree with the other reviewer who said it was repetitive; it is! Enough with the buttons already! Plus, the textures seem forced, like the best idea they had for "fluffy" is a pencil case? and "shiny" is a star that feels bumpy? The examples don't seem relevant to a baby's world.

(...)

Too Repetitive
My son is only 5 months old, and he seems like picking up all the book-like objects, so I don't know if he is especially interested in this book or not.

As a parent's opinion, I like the different texture it offers to my kid to touch in the book, that's why I have bought quite some "touch and feel" style books for my baby. But I find this less perfect.

I find this book not too creative and imaginative. They always use "buttons" as one of the examples of many shapes. For example, when they introduce circle, there are buttons; when they introduce square, there are buttons; and even heart shape, there are buttons. They could have chosen a greater variety of objects.

"Cushion" is another object that appears a lot. In both the square and in the star shape sections, there are cushions. I think they could have at least use star fish instead of cushion in the star shape section. That will help the kids to learn more about different things besides different shapes.

The Best Touch and Feel Books
My son is one-year-old and he LOVES all of the touch and feel books that are published by DK Publishing better than any others that he has. They are constructed of the extra-thick cardboard (many others are not) making them very durable, which is necesary for children around his age.

The new Touch and Feel Shapes book is wonderful. It is filled with brightly colored illustrations and features some new textures not found in other touch and feel books, e.g. an orange peel, a satin pillow, etc. It has numerous examples of common objects to demonstrate each shape and the names of each object written out below them. If you don't have any of the DK books for your child, get this one and you'll see just what I am talking about--you'll end up like me, waiting for DK to publish another one! ... Read more

Book Description

Irresistible to the very young, these delightful new novelty books feature young children's favorite animals with different tactile patches to feel and explore. Simple text and bright pictures provide talking points for parent and child. These sturdy books are perfect for little hands to hold and feel, over and over again. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Hopefully the lion won't got bald from all of the touching..
My 4-month-old loves this book. She expecially loves the lion's long fur. She grabs it and will hold on for a long time. Needless to say, we spend most of our time on the lion page! But the other animals are neat too; a bumpy lizard, a smooth dolphin, a frog with sticky pads on its fingers, etc. This is a nice book to share with your child.

My son loves this book!
This book has the greatest variety of different touch sensations that I have seen anywhere. My 2 year old son received this for Christmas last year and it has been his favorite. The sticky tree frog was the best page for him. It did lose the stickiness quickly, but I found an adhesive at a craft store that was specifically for tackiness. I just put it on the spots whenever they wear out and then we have weeks of fun again.

Beautiful photos and unique textures
All of the DK (publisher) books have gorgeous photographs, and this one is no exception. The photos are sharp and bright and the animals are highlighted against a white background, which makes them look like they are about to jump off the page. The textures in this book are really unique too. So many of the touch and feel books have all the same textures (fur, sandpaper, etc). This book has really unique and interesting textures (e.g. a cool, rubbery, soft, smooth surface for the dolphin - it really feels like the skin of sea mammals I have touched; and a bumpy shiny surface for the lizard skin). My 14 month old daughter really enjoys feeling all the different textures and "reading" this book to herself. Highly recommended.

A great hands on book!
Well, as a mom of a now-16 month old, I have to say that the "Touch and Feel" guys have "Pat the bunny" beat hands down. My son loves the diverse textures of this one and at a time when he rarely sits still for an entire book, we go through this one several times before he moves on. I love the diverse animals and the large "touching" sections. My only complaint is that the sticky patches for the tree frog lost their stickiness in about a week. Just proves that it is well loved already!

Wonderful Baby to Toddler Book
My 11-month old daughter can't get enough of this book and the "Touch and Feel" series. We started reading them to her when she was less than 6 months old because we thought she would enjoy the different textures. Not only does she still love touching the various textures, but she grabs the books and hands them to us so we read them to her over and over again. Nice short phrases on each page, beautiful pictures, cool textures, and very durable construction. ... Read more

Book Description

First published in 1989, this charming Raffi Songs to Read/reg/ has fresh appeal as a board book that the youngest child can hold. With sweet illustrations by veteran children's book artists Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey, this lovely counting song will invoke squeals of delight from babies and toddlers. They'll love counting down as first five little ducks, then four, then three, then two, then one go out to play, not to return. Sadly, Mother Duck waits alone through all four seasons until spring returns and with it her five ducks, all grown up-along with their new families of baby ducks. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My daughter LOVES this book!
This has consistently been one of my toddler's favorite books since she was only a few months old. She loves to hear me sing the words to this book and never seems to tire of it. The illustrations are bright and cheerful and it has become a favorite of mine as well. Highly recommended!

A perfect book to read to a toddler!
My 15-month old daughter loves to hear me read this book! She studies the colorful pictures on each page, and watches my face as I say "Quack, quack, quack, quack." It's short, with just a couple of lines on each page, an it has an excellent rhythm.

The ducks ran away and then they came back.
We liked the book because it had ducks in it. Jamie's favorite part was when the duck went out one day. Jay liked when Mother Duck said, "Quack, Quack." ... Read more

Book Description

Two nifty novelty books showcase beloved stories in a format that is fresh, fun, and floatable! These puffy, pliable books feature full-color pages encased in clear plastic. Perfect for the teething toddler and sophisticated enough to engage the slightly older child, these shiny padded books offer the best in waterproof reading. The Little Engine That Could and the much-loved Dinosaur Roar! are classics indeed. These all but indestructible books are perfect additions to any family library in the rough-and-tumble years of early childhood. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A real joy! A great addition to your child's library.
The dinosaurs in this book are friendly and cute. The pictures work well with the writing. The almost repetitive nature of this book make it easy for children to remember and read the book themselves.

My son loves this book. Even now whenever he sees something dinosaur, he'll say "Roar"!

There are so many books for children out there, it's hard for me to say one is a must have over the other. However, this is one that children will love. I found it well worth the money we spent on it.

A fun book, good words and rhyming!
This is a great book for early reading and for fun time with the kids! My son loves it, while my daughter only likes it. It is fun to read with lots of sounds and a variety of "roars".

The graphics are colorful and nice with colorful dinosaurs that and smile a lot, and not scary - dinosaurs can easily go over the "top" and get scary for kids if not done right. The words are few, and go well together with quick rhyming and therefore good for early reading.

Most of all, it is fun! My son is now almost 4 and still pulls this book out and still has a lot of fun while we read it. Your results may vary, because I'm a good "roarer"!

A Great Little Book
This is a small board book that features some nifty dinosaur illustrations accompanied by some simple rhymes. This book has quickly become my 2-year old son's favorite book, and he carries it around the house and always wants us to read it to him.

Large vibrant illustrations
This book captivates with it's large vibrant illustrations of dinosaurs. My 17 month old loves looking at the pictures while I read it. In my opinion, it is the best illustrated board book I have ever seen.

Wonderful book for pre-schoolers
I have two boys, 5 and 8, and they've both loved this book. The pictures are wonderful and the copy is fun to read together. My boys love to shout, "Dinosaur roar!" My youngest still reads it regularly. And he recently insisted on giving a copy to his 3-yr-old cousin for her birthay. Now, it's my neice's favorite book. ... Read more

Book Description

Mrs. Honey and her cat find themselves in each other's dreams.They fly and fall and fight off sharks with knitting needles.They almost drown and are rescued by sailors, attacked by pirates and saved by Mrs. Honey's cakes, only to end up walking the plank into the briny drink!And then...and then...they wake up!So, that's how you get rid of pirates! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Wonderful book!
My son (2 years old) absolutely adores this book! We typically read a minimum of three books together every evening, and this, is always one of them! (The other constant is another Don and Audrey Wood book - The mouse, the red ripe strawberry and the big hungry bear). The "quick as a cricket", "slow as a snail" similies through the book are wonderful. I would highly recommend it!

Great book for toddlers!
My one year old daughter is a book-a-holic. She loves me to read ot her and I have, in the process, been given an opportunity to become quite adept in my knowledge of great children's books. This book is a winner! It is her very favorite. She loves the illustrations and the story delights her. She loves animals and is able to see many of her favorites, namely, the dog and cat. She also loves the end of the book where the boy has his arms overhead. She likes to mimic this gesture everytime we come to the end. If your kid loves to read, loves animals and you want a book that is not too wordy this book is for your child. Happy reading!

I'm as Quick as a Cricket
My children all grew up with this book. My oldest child is handicapped and ABSOLUTELY loves this book over all the others. When read with enthusiasm and accents on the words, it makes it all the more enjoyable. The last page with the big smile is the ultimate ending and my daughter pulls the book to her face with glee. If you enjoy reading to your kids and enjoy wonderful pictures---this is a keeper. This is at the top of my list and has been for years. All of the new nieces and nephews recieve this as a gift. Absolutely the greatest!!

Quick as a Cricket
This lovely book has won the heart of my 2 year old daughter. She requests the "cricket book" perhaps a little too often :-). I do really enjoy reading the quick paced, bouncy rhyming style of Audrey Wood. She is one of my favorite children's authors and with her husband Don Wood, they have created beautifully illustrated pages to go along with it. It is colorful, fun, interesting, and predictable enough so that the toddler can help you finish the sentences and join in the story FUN!

All-time Favorite
I got this book for my son, when he was three years old. And it's been his favorite book ever since. At age 5, he still asks for it at least once a week.

The pictures are great and the child is drawn in a gender-neutral way that lets each child relate to the story as they want. I've given this one as a gift several times, and the boys always assume the character is a boy and the girls see a girl.

The story reinforces the concept that we can all be different ways at the same time -- and that ability is to be celebrated. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For parents pure of heart and intention, the Real Mother Goose isthe only way to fly. And this sturdy little board book, chock full of best-lovedrhymes from the classic edition is sure to enchant readers of all ages.Old-fashioned illustrations by Blanche Fisher Wright may appeal especially tothe older set, but the pastel tones, pretty images, and traditional nurseryrhyme scenes will definitely strike a chord with the very youngest readers, too.Edwardian-looking girls and boys frolic with geese and pigs, gaze at stars, andjump over candlesticks. Fifteen of the simplest rhymes were chosen for thiscollection, including Jack and Jill, Ring Around the Rosies, One, Two, Buckle MyShoe, and Baa, Baa, Black Sheep. Wright's lovely Mother Goose illustrations canalso be found in The OriginalMother Goose and another baby-friendly board book, The Real Mother Goose. (Baby topreschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Perfect Choice!
This adorable book is entertaining for the parent as well as the child! It's great to be able to share these familiar rhymes with my child. The pictures are bright and detailed, and the board book is the perfect size for a diaper bag!

My kids love this book!
My son is 2, my daughter is 1, and I have another baby on the way! My toddlers love this book. This Mother Goose board book is perfect for us because we get to read my old favorites without the worry of tearing up the book, spilling something on it or cleaning up the typical crayon marks often found in books. I often let the kids take the book to bed with them, and they pretend to read it by themselves. Never underestimate the power of reading to your children! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The smells of the great outdoors are captured in DK's small, sturdyboard book Scratch and Sniff Garden. "What can you smell in the garden? Is the scent of the rose sweet?" the book begins. When you scratch the lovely yellow rose, it does indeed smell quite realistically roselike. Kids can also experience the pungent smells of lavender, a log, a newly mowed lawn, and a bunch of mint. This is a great way to introduce your kids to the aromatic wonders of the plant kingdom. And, DK's Scratch and Sniff Food is fun, too. (Baby to preschool) ... Read more

Reviews (7)

My son likes it (still)
I bought this book out of curiosity, and I am glad that I did, because my son liked it at first sight, and he still likes it even after a year. The book is really well made - sturdy, not heavy, safe, and of course smells nice. I was worried about the smell being a little bit toxic for a small child, but it did not bother my little one (he was 9 months old). He doesn;t particularly use the book for its smell, but he loves opening each page (I don't know why). The book is so well made that it must be fun for him to try to open and flip the pages. But I only bought this particular one, and I don't plan to buy any other ones... since my son doesn't seem interested in smelling the book.

Full of garden scents
DK scratch and sniff books won't disappoint you. They are by far the best scratch and sniff books around (not that there is a huge market of them). The scents last a long long time and the photos and text are very clear. My 3 year old follows along with the words and then tries to read the story himself after we are done.

smells as good as rose
My 17-month-old found much to like immediately--each page was enthusiastically checked out. The scents are realistic and long-lasting, and the photos help tie everything together. A rose, mint, lavendar, cedar log, and freshly mown lawn put you out-of-doors no matter what time of year. Very stimulating.

A lovely book to share with your young garden lover
Another quality series of books from DK. Good sturdy pages for little hands, wonderful clear and bright photography (no illustrations) and easy to read vocabularly. A wonderful learning tool for your baby and toddler. YOu can read to them, point things out and get to smell something as well. We've been enjoying this series of books for over two years and after lots of "scratching" we are still enjoying lots of "sniffing".

Very nice
This is a great idea. The only disapointment is that it is too short (in content). The photos and scents are lovely and my daughter loves it. They could easily add more content that would allow for disscussion with one's child and more pictures. ... Read more