Book Description

Illus. in full color. Brian finds a salamander and takes him home. "Where

will he sleep?" asks his mother. Her "inquiries are answered with imaginative

solutions that will be familiar to all those who have tried to convince a

parent to let them have a pet. Johnson's lush, shadowy paintings depict each

addition to the cumulative scenario as Brian's cozy bedroom is gradually

transformed into a dark green forest that overflows the pages as the fantasy

becomes more elaborate. This is a beautifully designed mood piece."--School

Library Journal.




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Reviews (10)

good story - great pictures!
This is a simple story of a child who finds, beneath the leaves, a bright & lively creature & brings him home where his mother asks him how he'll take care of his newfound friend.

If a picture tells a thousand words then Steve Johnson's speak volumes. Vivid, compelling & so very magical & real, Brian's adventures & dreams fill the pages with the familiar & the whimsical. I loved the bed Brian made for his friend in his nightstand drawer & the moon & stars on his headboard. Unloading leaves with his dump truck & when the salamander peeks out of Brian's bedroom window, oh, you know you've seen that kind of energy, exhileration & anticipation!

A wonderful book of heartwarming visions with a simple, important story to tell about the responsibility & fun of bringing home wild creatures.

A great book
This gentle story about a boy's desire to make his room a good home for a salamander is one of our family's favorites. The boy's imagination runs wild as he creates the perfect environment for the salamander - and for himself, as well. This book makes a great bedtime story for parents and children alike.

I need to buy a hardcover edition ...
... because I've worn out the paperback reading it to my kids. It is a favorite with my son (now 7). Wonderfully illustrated. Wonderfully imaginative. Get lost in "The Salamander Room" today.

A Salamanders Home
In this amazing book for children a young boy named Brian is exploring in a forest and finds a little salamander and takes it home. His mother is worried and keeps asking him how he is going to take care of this extraordinary creature. Well his mother comes up with more and more questions, while Brian keeps coming up with more and more answers.
As the story progresses Brian's bedroom begins to change, and the more questions he answers, the more his bedroom changes.
Near the end you begin to see what his bedroom is changing into.
At the end of the story his bedroom is filled with a multitude of animals and his room is now a forest but he and his salamander friend are happy and tired and they fall asleep.
This interesting book was written by: Anne Mazer and illustrated by Steve Johnson.

I love this book
I don't normally read children's books, but this one is wonderful! The story and writing are very moving, the illustrations are beautiful. And the message!!!!! The message is wonderful, about dropping the walls that separate us from the natural world, inviting nature into our lives. I cannot recommend this book too highly. ... Read more

Book Description

Alex just has to convince his mom to let him have an iguana, so heputs his arguments in writing. He promises that she won't have to feed it orclean its cage or even see it if she doesn't want to. Of course Mom imagineslife with a six-foot-long iguana eating them out of house and home.Alex's reassurances: It takes fifteen years for an iguana to get that big. I'llbe married by then and probably living in my own house. and his mom's replies:How are you going to get a girl to marry you when you own a giant reptile? willhave kids in hysterics as the negotiations go back and forth through notes. Andthe lively, imaginative illustrations show their polar opposite dreams of lifewith an iguana. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Now in Dragonfly comes the tale of three colorful frogs. One finds a pebble.

Another declares it a chicken egg. But what happens when a baby alligator

hatches instead? "Kids will giggle at the frogs' repeated references to the

friendly newborn as `the chicken.' They'll be even more tickled when the frogs

chuckle at the `mother chicken' who, finally reunited with her offspring,

greets her `sweet little alligator'...In his 40th book, Lionni is in

typically fine form" (Publisher's Weekly).




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Reviews (4)

EGG-ACTLY WHAT CHILDREN ENJOY
It's that time of year again when many are looking forward to Easter and Easter Egg Hunts. But, what if someone found a really unusual egg, and to make it even more unique there's not a chicken inside but an alligator?

That's the proposition the irrepressible Leo Lionni puts forth in this delightful yarn about three frogs who find the surprise of their lives.

As always his illustrations capture the eye as his mind captures imaginations.

Hilarious and Touching
I always love to find a story that teaches important lessons with plenty of fun and humor. Jessica the frog and her friends are certain that the egg Jessica found one day is a chicken egg. One day, the egg hatches, and the "chicken" is born...a long, scaly green creature who crawls out searching for the water.

Despite the frogs' misinformation and their obvious differences, Jessica and the "chicken" become great friends. When they discover the chicken's mother at last, the frogs think it is the funniest thing in the world that she refers to her baby as an "alligator."

Both my 2 year old and 4 year old appreciate the humor in this story. I was worried that my 2-yr. old might become confused, but she just laughed and said, "Alligator, Mommy. No chicken!" This is a wonderful book for learning about friendship despite differences. It was also a nice introduction to alligators, including the fact that they hatch from eggs!

A great book!
My kids love this book. They are 3 and 5 years old. This book follow the adventures of Jessica the frog who finds an alligator egg. The other frogs tell her it is a chicken egg and they call the baby alligator a chicken throughout the book (the kids get a kick out of this - and try to correct me after they heard the story again and again). Things good for kids from this book: 1) nature 2) use your imagination 3)explore the world around you.

Just because we are all a little different!
This is a wonderfully illustrated story that teaches children that being different is ok and that our "differences" are what make us unique and special. Each person is special whether they look like those people in their surroundings or not and we must cherish our differences. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. A scintillating survey of sensational serpents, from

blood-spewing West Indian boas to "flying" golden tree snakes.




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Reviews (1)

Shannon's Review!
I learned that a snake can eat an egg without cracking it! A snake from Austrailia is the most poisonous snake in the world. A snake can swim in the water. They can also fight in the spring. You should read it too because I learned lots of new facts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A lovely, quietly charming book about fatherhood
You could hardly do better than to get "The Little Green Goose" for any father, whether adoptive or biological. Adele Sansone's text is a miracle of economy, covering parenthood, adoption, geneaology, and more with a minimum of fuss and text.

The barnyard goose decides that he wants to be a father, but as he has no wife or other partner, he decides to adopt a spooky looking green egg found by the dog at the edge of a field. The goose settles himself on top of the eggs and waits and waits. When the egg finally cracks open, what emerges is some sort of lizard or dinosaur or who knows what--but it definitely is not a goose. Still, Sansone's goose dad utterly ignores the differences between himself and his new son and makes a natural (and skillful) parent. When the "green goose" decides to try to figure out what his real background is, he has little luck and ends up coming home to the goose--who, after all, is the only parent he's ever known.

The illustrations, by Alan Mark, are utterly charming. The "green goose" is splotched and splashed with color, while the goose is drawn sparingly and convincingly. This is, overall, a fun tale with subtle and valuable life lessons.

a story of adoption that did not forget the story!
Wonderful book covering so many subjects in a short entertaining time. Father goose longs for a child, and adopts a very strange egg. After the little green goose is born, the baby chicks tease saying thats not really your mommy, you dont look anything alike. The little green goose goes around trying to find out who he looks like and then becomes lonely and returns home, realizing home is where you are loved. Great book for adoptive fathers. Also for those involved in transracial adoption. The story illustrates a fathers love and caring, the idea that families do not need to look alike, and all this is done with a tale that is good for its own sake. The illustrations are superb, my favorite is the final one, this great big green dinosaur-like creature (the little green goose) with the father goose laying on top of his head, one wing stretched out protectively over his child and both fast asleep. ... Read more

Book Description

Lizard has always lived snug as a bug on his rock. But one day Lizard returns home to find that Snake has moved in! Zoli, zoli, zoli! Snake is big and fearsome and yricky .What can Lizard do to send him packing? From the incomparable creators of Lizard's Song comes another amiable, vibrantly illustrated picture book that sings right along and will have young children rooting for that resourceful underdog, Lizard. Sweet and jolly just right for storytime. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Update of a Traditional Tale: Lizard's Home
Lizard's Home has it's basis in an old hispanic folk tale. A version for older readers appears in Joe Hayes' Watch Out For Clever Women where the villan trying to cheat using the black and white pebbles is a money lender. The simple, but very colorful and expressive illustrations of the snake and lizard in this story are sure to captivate younger readers. The clever little lizard is able to outwit the wily snake without any violence. This would be an excellent read-aloud for kindergarten and first grade story time. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Approx. 2.5 hours
2 cassettes

Listen to the first two hilariously hip Chet Gecko mysteries in this one audio package!

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse
Shirley Chameleon's friend Billy has disappeared and it's up to Chet, super sleuth, to find him.

The Mystery of Mister Nice
What has happened to Principal Zero?All of a sudden he's nice.And one thing is certain: Principal Zero is not a nice guy.It's up to Chet to prove he's an imposter.

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Reviews (4)

Argh, Matey!
Boredom settles over the crew of the space ship STAR WARTS and Commander Toad has to do something quick. Lieutenant Lily, Mr. Hop, Jake Skyjumper and Doc Peepers are all unhappy. They've watched all the ship's movies-SPLASH GORDON, THE TOAD WARRIOR, INDIANA FROG AND THE LILY PAD OF DOOM-and read all the ship's books-ROBIN TOAD, THE LIZARD OF OZ, and SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN WARTS-and played a lot of croak-kay, leapfrog, and hopscotch. There is nothing to do and they're all going a little crazy. That all changes the day Commander Salamander and his pirate crew arrive. Commander Salamander boards STAR WARTS and takes everyone captive except for Doc Peepers. Only a little while after that, Commander Salamander makes Commander Toad Hop the Plank at sword point! Only Doc Peepers can save the day!

Jane Yolen is an award-winning children's book author as well as a writer of adult science fiction and fantasy. She's earned the Caldecott-given for the most distinguished picture book, the Nebula-given to the most distinguished writing in the field of science fiction and fantasy, the Golden Kite-given by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the World Fantasy Award. She's written seven Commander Toad Adventures, including COMMANDER TOAD AND THE LONG VOYAGE HOME, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE PLANET OF THE GRAPES, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES, and COMMANDER TOAD AND THE BIG BLACK HOLE. With dozens of books written in many genres, Jane Yolen is a great author to introduce to young readers.

Fun to read out loud and filled with puns and sight gags really well drawn by Bruce Degen, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES is a blast to share with young or reluctant readers. The sentences are short and choppy, driving the story on and filling the events with laughs. The pirate talk, "Yo-ho-ho, me slithery-slees!" is top-notch and will inspire young readers to quote the lines long after the book is finished-if an adult is willing to read the passages in a properly piratical dramatization. The solution to the pirates, once revealed, is hilarious and makes perfect sense even to pre-readers who understand story and set-up that comes in narrative repetition.

The Commander Toad series, all seven books, is recommended for imaginative young readers who have already been exposed to STAR WARS, STAR TREK, and various other science fiction based television shows and movies. Jane Yolen is one of the most entertaining authors for young minds out there.

In space, no one can hear you get really, really bored...
Commander Toad and the crew of the good spaceship Star Warts are bored out of their minds. They have played all of their games like leap frog and croak-kay, they have read all of their books like "Robin Toad" and "The Lizard of Oz," and they have watched all of there movies like "Splash Gordon" and "Indiana Frog and the Lilly Pad of Doom" so many times that the crew is desperate for something different. The good news is that the crew of the Star Warts get the diversion they want, but the bad news is that what breaks up the boredom is a gang of space pirates, led by the notorious Commander Salamander, the Scourge of the Skies and Goon of the Galaxie, who has a new game for the hostage crew to play: Hop the Plank.

"Commander Toad and the Space Pirates" is, on a very basic level, quite silly. But young readers are going to be drawn to the relentless puns and Jane Yolen does a good job of setting the reader up for something surprising to happen (probably involving a whole lot of tongue depressers) without really giving away what the big surprise is going to be at the end of the book. The artwork by Bruce Degen is appropriate (you will believe that a frog can fly...a spaceship) and does a nice job of capturing the narrative action. This is one of those books where you trick young kids into learning a life lesson, because while their chances of going off into deep space on a spaceship commanded by a toad are rather remote, kids manage to get bored all the time (or, more to the point, they often complain about being bored, which is not necessarily the same thing). So if any youngster makes the mistake of announcing that they are "bored" within your hearing, then toss this book at them, which should solve both their short-term and long-term problems with regards to the subject of boredom.

Argh, mateys!
Boredom settles over the crew of the space ship STAR WARTS and Commander Toad has to do something quick. Lieutenant Lily, Mr. Hop, Jake Skyjumper and Doc Peepers are all unhappy. They've watched all the ship's movies-SPLASH GORDON, THE TOAD WARRIOR, INDIANA FROG AND THE LILY PAD OF DOOM-and read all the ship's books-ROBIN TOAD, THE LIZARD OF OZ, and SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN WARTS-and played a lot of croak-kay, leapfrog, and hopscotch. There is nothing to do and they're all going a little crazy. That all changes the day Commander Salamander and his pirate crew arrive. Commander Salamander boards STAR WARTS and takes everyone captive except for Doc Peepers. Only a little while after that, Commander Salamander makes Commander Toad Hop the Plank at sword point! Only Doc Peepers can save the day!

Jane Yolen is an award-winning children's book author as well as a writer of adult science fiction and fantasy. She's earned the Caldecott-given for the most distinguished picture book, the Nebula-given to the most distinguished writing in the field of science fiction and fantasy, the Golden Kite-given by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the World Fantasy Award. She's written seven Commander Toad Adventures, including COMMANDER TOAD AND THE LONG VOYAGE HOME, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE PLANET OF THE GRAPES, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES, and COMMANDER TOAD AND THE BIG BLACK HOLE. With dozens of books written in many genres, Jane Yolen is a great author to introduce to young readers.

Fun to read out loud and filled with puns and sight gags really well drawn by Bruce Degen, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES is a blast to share with young or reluctant readers. The sentences are short and choppy, driving the story on and filling the events with laughs. The pirate talk, "Yo-ho-ho, me slithery-slees!" is top-notch and will inspire young readers to quote the lines long after the book is finished-if an adult is willing to read the passages in a properly piratical dramatization. The solution to the pirates, once revealed, is hilarious and makes perfect sense even to pre-readers who understand story and set-up that comes in narrative repetition.

The Commander Toad series, all seven books, is recommended for imaginative young readers who have already been exposed to STAR WARS, STAR TREK, and various other science fiction based television shows and movies. Jane Yolen is one of the most entertaining authors for young minds out there.

A truly delightful children's book
Jane Yolen's "Commander Toad" series is a charming science fiction spoof, and an excellent children's book. The detailed, zany illustrations by Bruce Degen are the perfect complement to the witty text and off-the-wall characters. The test of any children's book is its reception by actual children, and "Commander Toad and the Space Pirates" gets full marks there. It has been requested so many times by my 5- and 3- year-old siblings that I can now recite it from memory. The text stands the test of many repetitions, and my five year old brother, just now learning to write, can often be heard to request "Mom, how do you spell 'Commander Toad'? How do you spell 'Space Pirates?'. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (8)

fun book with counting and moral
My three year old son loves this book even more than Mouse Paint. Despite previous reviewers' concerns about the mice being described as "little warm and tasty," this part makes my son laugh the most. He loves counting backwards, tipping side to side to mimic the mice as they tip the jar, and repeats the moral to the story on a regular basis.

very good; but "Mouse Paint" still beats this
As a preschool teacher I like this book.
Far from the snake's description of the imprisioned mice making it inappropariate for children: it is a good moral lesson! Don't be greedy! It is also not a problem because mice are on earth to be food for the snakes and the preditors are not "bad" animals; there are just fulfilling their role in the ecology.
I don't like it as much as "Mouse Paint" but it is a fine counting book.

disappointed in this children's book
Having heard several times that this book and its companion, Mouse Paint, were clever and fun reads for children, we got this book, but I was pretty disappointed. While the artwork is charming, the premise of the story is that sleeping mice are being stored in a jar to be eaten later by a snake. Like another reviewer, when reading aloud I skip the snake repeatedly describing them as "little, warm and tasty". The idea of the mice cleverly escaping and then counting down as they escape is good, but I don't find that the "counting up" is particularly well done, so that children don't necessarily develop a better understanding of counting or numbers. To be honest, our toddler likes the book, so I've given it three stars, but IMHO there are much better books for children out there.

A little upsetting
I loved Mouse Paint and thought I would like this one as well. It's a good book and I don't regret buying it, but not as good as Mouse Paint. Throughout the book the snake is putting mice in a jar with the intention of eating them. Each time he finds some mice they're described as "little, warm and tasty." I leave this part out when I read it as I'm afraid it may be disturbing to my 14 month old as she starts to understand more.

Great book for the little ones!
This book was one of our son's first 2 books, so it will always be special to me. Initially he didn't care for it, and would always push it away when I tried to read it to him. But as he approached 12 months old, he began liking the book more and more, especially the counting parts. When I got to the part that reads "10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - the little mice uncounted themselves and ran home" he would usually start laughing.

The artwork is simple but effective. The background is white, while the foreground is composed of solid colors. I think this works because the pages aren't cluttered with background art, so the child can focus on what is happening with the snake and mice. And even with the simplistic style, the cuteness and cleverness of the mice comes through clearly.

The storyline is fun. Some mice fall asleep and are captured by a snake and placed in a jar. But due to the snakes greediness (he always wants one more mouse) the mice find a clever way to escape. So as a child gets older, the moral of the story can be emphasized rather than the counting.

I would definitely recommend this book. It has held our son's attention for several months now, and believe me, that's saying alot! ... Read more

Book Description

The charming story of a chameleon searching for his own color, who ends up finding a true friend. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Highly recommended, both by me and my daughter
Very simple story of the search for self-identity and how it relates to friendship. Interesting water-color artwork and a clear, effective storyline make this a quick, five-minute read for an adult to his or her child.

A Beautiful Book About Friendship
A COLOR OF HIS OWN, with simple words and vibrant illustrations, teaches the true value of friendship. With a friend by one's side, one is never alone. This is a great book for young children!

Hungary Caterpillar
A Color of His Own is a wonderful beginning book for young children that teaches children colors. This book also stresses the importance of being and individual and does so in a way that young children can understand. In this book, a young chameleon searches high and low for his own color. He decides to stay on a leaf so he will be green forever. Soon, fall comes, the leaves change, and so does he. Sadly, he leaves his leaf and runs into another older and wiser chameleon. He tells the chameleon about his troubles, and the older comforts him and suggests that the two stay together. "We will still change color wherever we go," says the wiser chameleon, "but you and I will always be alike."
The objects and animals in this book are presented very clearly with uncluttered illustrations. Each object or animal is clearly identified by its color on each particular page. Lionni does a great job of using clear, simple language to introduce each color. The artwork is unique and catches the attention of young children.
Overall, A Color of His Own, is a great book to use to teach young children the concept of colors. Lionni's simple language and inventive style of illustrations make this book the success it is. This book serves as a great teaching tool to use with young children.

A color Of His OWn
This book was so very good. I loved it and the pictures are absolutely beautiful. I love the pictures because they're so colorful and full. The story line is very good it tells the tall of a lonely chameleon who looks for a way to have his own color. The chameleon has a good time looking for a color of his own but he is sad because he's the only one who changes. To find out what happened to the chameleon buy the book and read it. It's a grand old story and I truly truly loved it. Its so good.

Terrific tale!
Join this charming chameleon on the road to discovery where he searches for a "color of his own." He learns to adapt to different "colored" environments while feeling left out, and along the way befriends a fellow chameleon and gains lasting companionship and happiness. This delightful board book captures babies attention with simple content and colorful illustrations, while teaching young children about feelings of belonging, friendship, compassion, and the most obvious - colors: green, red, gray, pink, yellow, and purple. This is a terrific tale! One-year and up. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Illus. in full color. Unlike other crocodiles, Cornelius walks upright, sees

things, and does tricks no other crocodile can. His friends aren't

impressed--or are they? "Endearingly captures the spirit of the seeker, the

thinker, and those who are born to be different. Lionni's collages are

wonderfully rich and colorful, perfectly setting the stage for a tale children

will enjoy."--(starred) School Library Journal.




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Reviews (1)

A story about a crocodile not afraid to be unique.
A wonderful book to share with students preschool to 3rd grade. This book shares the insight of a different approach to life as a crocodile, and that being unique is O.K. and fun. A great story for all classrooms, especially classrooms with diverse cultures. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

The Small Hints of Chet Gecko and Farewell My Lunchbag
This is a really good book to read for ages 8-12. There are a lot of interesting things you get to learn in the book, cool characters, and also funny sentences. Also, I think this book is great because once it gets very interesting it doesnt let you put the book down. You just want to read it until the end and then more Bruce Hale books of Chet Gecko!

Farewell my Lunchbag
Wow that book is really amazing! if you havent read it you really should. the reason I like thie book is you think it is one thing but then the theif turns out to be someone u dont really suspect. For example (I am not going to use what the book said because I dont want to give any thing away, to new readers) as I was saying say that before Chet gets knocked out he thinks he saw a (example) slug. but then he hears about something else sneaking around the school a Snail. then the theif turs out to be the snail (example). I really enjoy the book,like I do with other books, that have other books connectied to it.If the author reads this I hope that you see my point for this book. Thank you I hade a pleasure reading it.

book review
This is a wonderful mystery. It is also funny. I recommend it to mystery and/or commedy lovers. It has many good lines that will keep you laughing for hours. When I read I couldn't put it down. The suspence is a killer. I think the author did a great job writing this book. I really think people should read it. It is excellent! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Ode To Chet Gecko
This Gum For Hire is about a gecko named chet. Chet solves mysteries and crimes. He is a chameleon so he can clime on walls. Chet gets hired by a kid on the football team. the kid asks him to find kids that are missing from the football team. Chet helps the kid. If the players aren't back by thursday Chet is going to be roadkill. Who is the trader? Can chet find out before thursdays game. Find out in This Gum For Hire by Bruce Hale. ... Read more

Book Description

Full-color photos & full-color illus. "Using amazingly clear photographs

and well-known snake species, the author offers interesting bits of information

about individual species and snakes in general. One of the best in the

series."--Horn Book.




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Reviews (1)

Very okay
Thisssss book wassssss very good but it had too much sssssstuff about ssssnakessss. It gave me nightmaresssss. P.S. Sssorry, my 'ssssss' key kept getting sssstuck. ... Read more