Book Description

In an old lighthouse, where a twenty-four-candle lantern lights a sparkling blue-green sea, dwell a solitary keeper and his little companion -- a cat called Mackerel. Together the two climb up, up, up to watch over the nighttime sea and down, down, down to eat and play.

On one stormy night, the quick rush of a fierce wind darkens every candle. Soon an errant fishing boat, lost in the raging black sea, signals distress. Sure enough, it is the sudden glow of twenty-four flashing yellow lights that guide the boat away from danger. Just what could those new lights be?

Book Description

Rosie is just a scrawny alley kitten, but she's braver than she looks-and that's a good thing, because when a little girl brings her home, Rosie will meet the family dog, confront wild animals, be fooled by her reflection and find herself out on a limb. It will take some time for Rosie to get used to her new surroundings, but she eagerly laps it up, and her new family can't help loving her.

In this charming alphabet book, Niki Clark Leopold and Susan Jeffers join forces to introduce us to a most endearing kitten on her journey of discovery. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

For ages 9-12? How about 4-90?
I have a little trouble with the idea that the reading level is 9-12. I really enjoy it still and I'm 50. I read it aloud to my dad and he's over 80...

How I came across this. My daughter was a non-reader. I am a voracious reader. I used to think that if you could find the right books you could turn anyone into a reader. Maybe this is true if you count Manga as reading. I'm not sure that I do. My daughter started the fifth reading at a third grade level and this is one of the series I discovered while trying to find things that she could read and wouldn't find boring. The series was up to about 12 books when we stopped buying it, year-round school and a desire to read the first Harry Potter came along that year and ended the inability to read, even if the desire isn't all I would have wanted. I read all of these that we bought, and enjoyed them for the characters and the stories.

A paranormal comedy
"Great-Grandpa's in the Litter Box," by Dan Greenburg, is #1 in the "Zack Files" series of short novels for young readers. The book is illustrated by Jack E. Davis. In this installment, young Zack goes to an animal shelter with the intention of adopting a cat. What he discovers is an ornery talking tomcat who claims to be the reincarnation of Zack's great-grandfather! This revelation leads Zack on a curious quest that involves two more generations of the family.

"Great-Grandpa's" is a fun blend of humor, intrigue, and the paranormal. The herring-craving Great-Grandpa is definitely one of the series' memorable guest characters. Overall, a solid installment in a consistently entertaining series.

this book was very intresting to read
This book has very great carachters.The author made this book very exciting to read.This book is very funny.The book made you feel like if you were at a fair or at a little kids school.The collection of Zack file books are very nice books.I wished i could read all of the zack file books.

A Crazy Life
I liked the book, there is always something weird going on in Zack's house. This time Zack wants a cute cat. Instead he gets a Tomcat that talks. The cat says he is Zack's grandpa. To find out if he realy is read this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The strangest thing happened. The owner of a cat named Clio found ajournal under an old couch--a diary that was clearly created by the clever feline herself, now in the joyous throes of her ninth life. The cat's owner knew this unusual historical document must be published! The journal, rough and enticing as a cave painting, begins in Mesopotamia, in 3000 B.C. "Alive! I yawn. I look around. I am in Mespotamia, the 'land between two rivers.' I see fields of wheat and rivers full of fish. I am getting hungry." That night, this valuable cat names the constellations! Life number two begins inChina, in 1500 B.C., where Clio serves as the first sundial in the world--except when it's cloudy or when she's off chasing butterflies. She invents the alphabet in Rome in 600 B.C., and twists, flips, and travels through the year 1500, where she lives in Italy with Leonardo Da Vinci, eats cheese, and tests out his flying machine: "The experiment is a flop. But Oh! The views!" Life number nine begins in 1995, in Wisconsin, where nine kittens areborn into their first, hugely historic lives. Is any of this conjecture, however delightful, based in fact? An appended section in the back tackles the validity of Clio's journals and unearths some astonishing facts and fictions. For example, "It has been pointed out that if the alphabet wasn't invented until life number three, then how were lives number one and number twowritten?" Harumph. Marjorie Priceman--illustrator of Lloyd Moss's Caldecott Honor Book Zin! Zin! Zin! AViolin!--tickles our fancy again with her offbeat sense of humor andever-artful style. A fun, tongue-in-cheek tribute to cats and their unquenchable sense of self-importance. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Book Description

Meet Sam The Cat: His fee is a half a pound oflox, plus expenses. His clients are other felines, but hecatches human crooks. In this opening adventure of anongoing series (nominated for the Mystery Writer's EdgarAward) a sweet-talking, angel-eyed penthouse kitten coaxesSam into tracking down a sneaky Manhattan burglar. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

A cute little detective story that is light and funny.
Sure, Same The Cat Detective, is a pretty easy book but it is well written and very cute. If you're looking for something short and easy to help you lighten up a dark mood, Sam the Cat Detective is perfect.

This is a book I will read to my children
Sam the Cat: Detective was the first chapter book I had ever read. I picked it up in a book fair at one of the elementary schools about 8 years ago. I am 15 now, and I decided to read it again. I like it even better now, and can see why I like books so much. I definitely will read this book to my children.

there no other book that has animals telling the story that
this good book. Most Animal books arn't thAT great! But I can't stand Animal stories most of the time.But this Animal BOOK WAS THe BEST I ever read of Mystery. It was cute and funny. And I loved how it was written. and I love the fact of the Cat being the dective. And this is my one of my favorite books!!! The chacters or loveable. And For sure I'm going to buy the books that come after this cause this book was amzing and cleaver! I loved it!!!! I just want to say I love the writing style for this book it was very injoyble! And I say this book ages for this book 9 and older and even injoyble for adults! Just buy it is a wonderful book if you like Mystery or if you are an animal lover or and if you just want a good book to read!
This is a keeper

Cat burglaries?
This is the story of Sam, a one-man, err, cat, detective squad. He sleuths for the truth behind the too-many, too recent cat-burgleries. (It's just too ironic, isn't it?) Anyway, the story is about how Sam and his feline friends discover just who is behind those burglaries. The climax occurs when Sam attempts to capture the crook. And with a little help from his friends, and a little ingenuity, the conclusion is wonderful. This is a great story for kids, because it allows them to try to figure out who is at fault. It has a great story line, and it's a lot of fun.

A great cat adventure!
A great adventure about cats! It makes you wonder what YOUR cats are doing when a crime is commited. Maybe they're asking Sam for help! ... Read more

Book Description

Dave Mitchell is fourteen and growing up in the midst of the variety and excitement of New York City. In this quiet, reflective, and humorous story of a boy's journey toward adulthood, Emily Neville captures the flavor of one kind of New York boyhood -- the sights and sounds of Gramercy Park, Coney Island, the Fulton Fish Market, the Bronx Zoo, the stickball games played in city streets, the fascinating mixture of nationalities and eccentrics that give the huge metropolis so much of its flavor and excitement. But most of all the author tells a realistic tale of Dave's affection for a stray tomcat, his comradeship with a troubled nineteen-year-old boy, his first shy friendship with a girl, and his growing understanding of his father as a human being and not just a parent.
Emil Weiss's lively drawings capture the mood and setting of the story to perfection.

Book Description

Worried when she spots a cat up a tree, Nana Quimby frantically rings the firehouse for help, only to discover that the firemen no longer rescue cats in trees. What is she to do? She looks out the window again to discover five cats up the tree. And the cats keep coming - too many to count - in all sorts of zany colors, shapes, and sizes. Frantic, Nana Quimby calls the police station, the pet shop, the zoo, and even city hall, but no one will respond to her plea. Children will love counting all the irresistible cats in John Hassett's lively artwork, as the town that refuses to help finds itself caught in a hilarious quandary and finally learns the importance of lending a hand. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I love this book!
I was browsing in the bookstore and came across Cat Up A Tree, and immediately fell in love with it. The story is cute and entertaining, but by far the best thing about it are the illustrations! They're very vivid, detailed and excellently done, I spent a lot of time just looking at them, so I know that my child is going to love them, too.

Definitely a great book for young children and those who read to them.

You won't mind reading it three times a night...
This is a very sweet, humorous story. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful. My son enjoys counting the cats as they multiply.

It was really funny!
I liked the part when the cats got stuck in the tree. I liked the part when Nana Quimbe called the town hall. It is fun to wonder what will happen at the end when mice flood the town.

Five stars from my kids
This is a very funny, witty book that both kids and parents will appreciate. My kids thought it was wonderful and had the whole thing memorized after two or three readings. This is a first-rate book for any age. ... Read more

Book Description

Have fun with numbers in this sturdy board book. One hostess, four ice cream cones, eight lemonades - Hello Kitty is preparing for a party, and tiny tots can help her keep track of things in this board book that encourages them to learn to count. Hello one! Hello two! Hello numbers! ... Read more

Book Description

Texas Jake is on the mend...
and the fur is really flying.

Texas Jake, the big yellow tomcat, was badly injured saving his friends from the huge mastiff Bertram the Bad. Now the other cats in the Club of Mysteries are looking for ways to speed Texas Jake's recovery -- perhaps earn the right to take his place as leader of the club.

Marco and Polo have taken on the riskiest mission of all -- gathering some comfrey leaves to heal Texas Jake's wounds. The problem is, comfrey grows only at the city dump, and that's the turf of the dreaded Steak Knife and his gang. Steak Knife is rumored to have a collection of tails of his victims -- and not just mouse and bird tails either!

Soon the brothers are up to their whiskers in danger. Will Marco and Polo return with the goods -- and with their tails? ... Read more

Book Description

I like cats!" declares the narrator of this rollicking paean to cats of every conceivable description: "Thin cats, fat cats, curl-up-in-my-lap cats ... Farm cats, city cats, sing-a-little-ditty cats . . . Fluffy cats, sleek cats, kiss-me-on-the-cheek cats ... Prowling cats, howling cats, wake-me-with-their-yowling cats. " This comic, charming cattery, chockfull of fabulous felines, is purrfect for cat lovers of all ages. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (4)

Such fun, for cat lovers and children alike
Ohio artist Denise Fleming works with paper to create the most extraordinarily detailed illustrations, as here in "Mama Cat Has Three Kittens" and in her other books as well. According to the text on the last page, "The artist used colored cotton rag fiber poured through hand-cut stenciles to create the illustrations for this book." The process sounds somewhat crude, but the result is illustrations of great vibrancy and detail. They are so alive that they very nearly leap off the page.

Mama Cat's children are named Fluffy, Skinny, and Boris. Looks like Boris is always missing out on the fun, as his favorite activity in life is napping. By the end of the book, however, he surprises everyone with his active nature--and then reverts to his usual self so we know that deep down he hasn't changed. It's a fun and reassuring look at how everyone has hidden depths. Great fun to read to little kids, and great fun to have a new reader read to YOU, the parent, as it's short and sweet.

A great story to read to toddlers
My 3-year old daughter memorized this book by the time she was two. She still loves taking it out and "reading" it to us; the repetitive nature of the book really lends itself to very young children grasping the plot, and the beautiful, distinctive pictures are unlike most I've seen in children's picture-books. They're bold, colorful, and full of simple action. My daughter even used the paperback of this book as a pillow for three weeks; she refused to go to bed without it!

Kitten antics entice early readers
Denise Fleming's illustrations make her books but her topics are always enjoyable for young children. I just stumbled across this book and can't believe I have missed it for the past 2 years. It is a precious book and a great gift for beginning readers. I have shared it with children ages 2-6 who enjoy the predictability. This book even stimulated me to write a cat song, to add to my collection of over 200 songs and fingerplays appropriate for young children.

Really Great Book for Beginning readers
This is a really cute book about a mother cat and her three kittens. Two of the Kittens copy everything the mother does and the third only sleeps. It has really bright drawings and the antics of the cats will make you smile. Then at the end the last kitten suprises the others in a really sweet ending to a really great kids book. ... Read more

Book Description

When Allison tries on the red kimono her grandmother has sent her, she is suddenly aware that she resembles her favorite doll more than she does her mother and father. When her parents try to explain that she is adopted, her world becomes an uncomfortable place. She becomes angry and withdrawn. She wonders why she was given up, what her real name is, and whether other children have parents in faraway countries. Allison's doll becomes her only solace until she finds a stray cat in the garden and learns the true meaning of adoption and parental love. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Sensitive Water Colors and Text
This book is the story of a young Asian child who becomes angry and alienated from her Caucasian parents when she recognizes that she has been adopted. Her parents are hurt but unable to help. The situation is resolved when the child takes in an adult stray cat. The child's dawning affection for the cat and her desire to keep it, help her understand the true meaning of family. - Others have objected to this story. However, I liked it. It was simple enough for my daughter to understand and to assimilate. I felt that the cat was not meant to be compared to a child, but instead to convey the understanding that love is unique and that families can be brought together in many ways. The child's 'speaking for the cat' reflects her own, new found, desire to remain part of the family. Her parent's finding ways to rectify damage inflicted on prize possessions from their own childhood reflects their quiet acceptance of their daughter's feelings. The pictures, especially the body language depicted, are wonderful. Not everything can be easily fixed. Not all parents know the best way to help with a sorrow. I feel that this story presents dissillusionment, anger, creativity, conflict, love and a gamut of other emotions pretty well. Perhaps that's why its other reviewers responded with so much feeling. One comment made by another reviewer criticizes the fact that a seemingly Chinese child has a Japanese doll. However, it is my interpretation that none of the subtext represents ignorance on the part of the author, but is rather intended to convey the painful mistakes and complexities of learning to understand and respect one another.

Poor
I found this book offensive in the extreme. If I were an adopted child I would certainly not wish to be compared to a stray cat taken in off the street. I have found a lot of quality books about adoption. This one should be given a miss.

Lovely pictures; inaccurate text
Say deserves 5 stars for the gorgeous watercolors, but his facile and inaccurate text brings down his rating significantly. Why is this Chinese child (she refers to her doll by the Chinese word "mei mei" which means "little sister") dressed in a Japanese kimono? This jarring error disrupts the the flow of the text and significantly damages his credibility as a storyteller. Also, this story would feel more "true" if one of Allison's preschool friends had taunted her for her Asian features--her sudden discomfort is without context or motivation. Also, her vindictive destruction of her parents' treasured childhood property seems odd. Her parents are hurt, understandably, but they fail to grasp her deeper turmoil. I disagree with the previous reviewer; I have worked with young adoptees and find that even young children experience anguish (although not always expressed in the language adults are used to hearing). However, I am more troubled by her parents' lack of change. Instead of the entire family changing and growing, becoming closer together, Allison instead takes in a kitten and therefore everything is resolved. I find this conclusion superficial and misleading.
The illustrations are marvelous and almost make up for the text, but please read this book with a healthy amount of skepticism. For a more accurate representation of a child's experience of adoption, check out Ying Ying Fry's _Kids Like Me in China_.

Nice pictures, but premise doesn't match target audience.
I generally love Say's work, but this book seems to me to have less psychological truth than some of his other productions. Allison appears to be somewhere around 5 years old--certainly old enough to be aware that she doesn't look like her parents, but unlikely to be deeply distressed about the racial difference unless there are particular stresses that the book isn't telling us about, such as nasty classmates or disapproving relatives. Her implicit equating of her own adoption with taking in a stray cat likewise has self-pitying overtones that seem more typical of an older child--I don't mean to suggest that young children don't enjoy dramatizing themselves, but rather that it doesn't usually take this form. (Parents who have spent several years and tens of thousands of dollars on adopting internationally won't appreciate the comparison either, although this book is of course not about the parent's point of view.) Finally, the book is somewhat peculiar in its use of demographics. Presumably Allison is Japanese or Japanese-American by birth, since her grandmother gives her a kimono, but Japan is hardly a significant source of adopted children for Americans, and not too many Japanese-American infants are going to be placed with Anglo couples. In short, while I appreciate Say's wish not to sentimentalize interracial adoption, this book would work better if it targeted older children and employed an older protagonist. My 4-year-old daughter (born in China) finds it baffling, although she's reasonably interested in other adoption stories.

Allison: A cautionary tale
We've read this book many times because my three year old daughter, who left China one year ago, is fascinated by Allison and her doll, Mei Mei, and because we're both drawn to Allen Say's illustrations, which so perfectly capture Allison's emotions. I wondered why Allison's parents had shared so little not only of her country of origin, which is never mentioned, but also about Allison's adoption in particular and adoption in general. Perhaps the real message of this book is to adults who think children can "wait until they're older" to hear their personal stories of adoption. ... Read more

Book Description

Chesky Records is proud to introduce its children's divisionChesky Records Kids, and out first musical title: Classical Cats- AChildren's Introduction to the Orchestra.Combining humor and felinecharm, four fuzzy, utterly irresistable characters bring the wonders oforchestral music to yound children.Maestro Leopold -- the eccentricconductor, Fidleo -- our straitlaced violinist, Furbert -- cellist andtroublemaker extraordinaire and Christina -- always the sweet voice ofreason, she plays the harp and has been known to really let loose onthe drums!Classical Cats...is a wonderful way to present classicalmusic and its instrumentation to children.Told in a playful story,with beautiful music by composers from Tchaikovsky to Copland,Classical Cats...uses splendid metaphors to teach children about thefour main sections of the orchestra: strings, brass, woodwinds, andpercussion.Classical Cats...is an audio-visual tool that promotescreativity and learning as well as an essential, early appreciation forthe arts.This package contains an audio CD and an educationalcoloring book, filled with delightful pictures of Leopold, Fidleo,Furbert, and Christina and their instruments.(Cassette package alsoavailable.)It's a great and fun way to introduce musical culture tothe children you love.Also purrfect for schools and libraries. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Excellent Teaching Tool
I am an elementary music educator and use this book with First and Second Grade children to teach instruments of the orchestra. The CD plays wonderful examples of each instrument by its orchestral family. The "cats" are very funny characters that the children fall in love with. Using this as a teaching tool, the ability of First Graders that can tell you the names of each orchestral instrument and the family it belongs in will amaze you. An added plus is the coloring book that shows the cats playing their instruments.

music to my ears
My two year old daughter loved this book and tape. The characters are lovabe. She now knows the names of more musical instruments than she would have otherwise. It's a fun, educational set. Defintely worth buying ... Read more

Book Description

This classic Golden tale is now available, for the first time ever,in a collectible hardcover edition.No library is complete without this belovedLittle Golden Storybook. ... Read more

Book Description

Experience the Magic of Christmas...

It is Christmas Eve. An abandoned gray cat shivers alone in the cold, snowy forest. In a nearby farmhouse, a young boy worries that Santa Claus might not be able to come in such bad weather. But soon the bitter wind stops howling, and the sound of sleigh bells rings clearly through the woods. Neither the cat nor the boy knows it, but a small Christmas miracle is about to occur. Beloved illustrator Tasha Tudor's classic style gives this holiday tale a timeless appeal.

Reviews (2)

A Neat Little Book!
My daughter recently read this book and liked it, like me she is a cat lover. I found the story charming, and of course it has a happy ending, being wrote for 4-8 year olds, however, I thought it should have been a couple of pages longer, at least. But overall, this book is worth the money. If you want another book of cats and Christmas, check out CHRISTMAS CATS, by Lesley Anne Ivory, this is a book of her paintings combined with little stories about cats and Christmas, for older children and adults.

Heartwarming and charming
This is one of those books that, after picking it up at a friend's house, I had to have. I'm a longtime fan of Tasha Tudor's heartwarming illustrations, and here she does what she does best: animals, children and Christmas. Her daughter Efner, born to the tradition, gives us a charming tale of a little gray cat, lost and abandoned in a blizzard, and the Christmas magic that brings him into the lives of two children. A terrific book for children of any age, or adult cat-lovers like me! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An excellent book for anyone who loses a beloved pet.
As a book reviewer for Funseeker's Radio Network I read a lot of books for children. This one helps with the process of saying goodbye to a treasured pet and getting used to another, sometimes more different, pet. In this case Charlie has had a long and happy life as "the best cat in the world" for young Victor. The boy is devastated when Charlie dies and doesn't think he will ever want another cat, but Charlie's vet, Dr. Levin calls him and offers him a new kitten. He accepts reluctantly and soon finds that Shelley is a different cat altogether. Her habits and ways are not like Charlie's, but he finally realizes that he again has the "best cat in the world." The story is well-written and the illustrations by Ronald Himler are excellent. I would recommend this book highly to anyone who has lost a pet or as a gift for someone who is dealing with the death for a pet.

Can the heart make room?
A boy has lost his friend and companion-an orange cat named Charlie-to old age. He cries inconsolably for two whole days, and cannot even eat the favorite supper Mom prepares for him. He and Mom plant a rosebush with orange flowers at the burial site, and the boy sits by it after school and tries to talk with Charlie. Listen as hard as he may, however, there is no reply.

When the vet calls to ask if Victor would provide a home for Shelley, a brand-new tortoiseshell kitten, he is hesitant. Perhaps he won't like the kitten, or the kitten won't like him.

Victor brings home the multi-colored bundle of fur, and gradually adjusts to her ways, which often differ from Charlie's. She does not like to be scratched between the ears while she eats, as Charlie did. She prefers the windowsill to the special pillow on Victor's bed where Charlie used to sleep.

Soon, however, Victor begins to delight in Shelley's unique behaviors-how she plays with the water while he brushes his teeth and how she chases her own tail.

Himler's pencil-and-watercolors capture Victor's full range of emotion-concern and worry, grief, amusement, and joy--in this book that demonstrates how the human heart can have many rooms.

A profoundly compelling picture book about grief
Flowing color paintings by Ronald Himler add a moving touch to The Best Cat In The World is a poignant story by Leslea Newman about a young boy named Victor who loses his beloved feline companion Charlie to old age. When a new cat, Shelley, comes to the household, she is different from Charlie in almost every way - she doesn't do the things Charlie used to do, or respond in the same way. But in time Victor learns that his new friend is unique and special, and every bit as much "the best cat in the world" as Charlie was, in this profoundly compelling picture book about grief and the slow process of healing. The Best Cat In The World is especially recommended reading for young people who have lost a treasured animal companion.

Purrfect!
I am a softie for any books with cats on the cover. The title of this book, 'The Best Cat in the World' reminds me somewhat of Cleveland Amory's book ('The Best Cat Ever'), but this is not a book like that - this is a children's book. It tells the story of two cats, really - one named Charlie, who passes away early in the book, and one named Shelley, who finds a new home with the young boy Victor after Charlie is gone. It is a wonderful tale about letting go and starting anew. One of the good things about children having pets is that they learn love and responsibility; one the sadder parts about children having pets is that they die, and the children have to deal with the loss.

Charlie was a special cat for Victor, with set mannerisms and patterns Victor was used to. After Charlie died, the family buried him in the back yard, and Victor was nearly inconsolable. However, Victor's mother and the vet brought Victor together with another cat, Shelley, who had been dropped off at the office. At first Victor is very resistant, comparing Shelley to Charlie in somewhat unfavourable ways. 'Charlie never did that,' Victor would think, as Shelley would do (or not do) as Charlie had done. However, felines have the kind of magic that works on a willing soul, and Victor comes to love the individuality in Shelley, without diminishing his love for his lost companion, Charlie. Shelley becomes heir to the title 'Best Cat in the World', and rumbles purring in response in the same fashion as Charlie did.

The text is simple, sweet and very readable by children. The author Leslea Newman has penned several children's books, some with cats and some without. Ronald Himler, the illustrator, has provided his wonderful graphic pen for some seventy-five books; the drawings are charming and engaging, and enhance the story with a softness watercolours provide and detail that pencil can add.

This is a wonderful gift for children, particularly those who need to learn to deal with the kind of separation that a pet's death brings home. It does not make light of its subject, but does not dwell on the tragic, nor does it dishonour the cat who is gone by simple replacement. A wonderful book! ... Read more