Reviews (3)

Only if you use in conjunction with the videos
I bought this cards thinking that they had true photographs of the actual objects. Instead, the animals are the stuffed creations from the videos and not photos of real animals at all. I thought this was very disappointing, especially since I loved the concept of the different languages on the cards. I think this set is only useful when used with the videos.

Warped
The concept for these cards is great, but I do not recommend you buy them. The pictures of the animals are not of animals at all, but of stuffed toys that barely even resemble the animals "depicted." Children would be confused by, for example, a frog that barely even resembles a real frog. I pulled all of the "warped" cards and have used the remaining ones with my daughter.

Best Baby Einstein item I've bought!!!
My son and I absolutely love these cards. It's very educational and my son spoke his first word as soon as I pointed to one card. The quality is great; each card is laminated to last you many years. All the items in the cards are found in other Baby Einstein videos/dvds. I especially love the teaching aides and words in various languages on the back of the cards to help parents use the cards effectively. I found that it's not only educational for the child but for the parent as well. ... Read more

Book Description

A favorite of parents and caregivers.Over 300 innovative and easy-to-do activities.Infants. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Lots of great information
It's almost overwhelming. There is no way you can spend this much time teaching everything, but it's nice to be able to pick and choose fun things to do with your baby. It's easy to use in a well thought out layout from birth on, divided by sensory perception.

What do you do with a baby?
As a first time mom,of a child with special needs to boot, I had no idea. This book and the others in the series are great resources for finding things to do with your child other than watching Teletubbies for the thousandth time. If your child needs extra help in a certain area, like fine motor or listening skills, you can easily find a variety of exercises to help here. The later books in the series (Threes, Fours, and Fives) would also be a great resource for a homeschooling parent.

Active Learning for Infants
Not just for daycare! I am a first-time, stay-at-home mom and needed a way to tell if I was "doing all the right stuff" in regards to play, development, speech, music, etc. This book gives you exercises that are so easy for each stage of the first year of life. There is not a lot to read like a typical baby care book, but each section outlines what the child should be accomplishing and gives you exercises to ensure that your child reaches those development milestones. If you can look past the idea that it is written for daycare providers, you will find this book extremely helpful. I knew I was giving my child all he needed because I had these exercises to use as a handy guide. Good luck to you!

wonderful ideas
I absolutly recommend this book for all providers working with infants. It is loaded with ideas and learning expeirences for babies. A must for providers and mothers who want to expand their child's learning!

SAHM loves this series
I have every book in this series which goes from infant to age 5. Each book is laid out into sections for development of gross motor, small motor, imaginative play, language and number concepts. There are finer divisions within each section (eg. music, dramatic play). Each activity is on a 'card' that has the developmental stage of the child, how many can do it, how long it takes, the materials and also what to say to the children as they do it. It is easy to leaf through each section and see which activity you've got the materials for and you think your kids would enjoy doing.

The book is geared mostly for daycare centers, but is wonderful for SAHM (stay at home Moms (and Dads) too especially if you can combine the setup work with other Moms. Includes ideas on charting what you were planning to do with each child so you DO IT but you don't have to use them. They are not big on pushing children, but rather encouraging them to develop at their own pace with lots of opportunities. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Splendid Read Aloud Bedtime Storybook
It's a tough business to tell a child a favorite story again, and again, and again, both for the storyteller who's tired of telling it and for the child who has, like a true die-hard fan, grown into a very devoted yet demanding critic. The story must be told "just-so", exactly the same way it's been told before and at the same time fresh, new, and even better than ever. Wolf Story is a story about telling a story, and both a parent and their child will recognize themselves in 5-year-old Michael and his father as they share the ritual bedtime story, a story about a very nasty wolf named Waldo. Little Michael seems to "know" the story even before he's heard it, but he isn't altogether conscious of this. He knows it much better than the tale's storyteller/author, his father, and isn't shy at all offering suggestions when his father doesn't tell it right.

Guaranteed this clever book will have you both laughing out loud at times, but I was also very pleased to find an amusing children's book that manages to operate at different levels without the wisecracking or cynical tone so common in children's literature now. Children can easily see the story from the point of view of the father, of little Michael, the scary wolf and the little farmer boy, Jimmy, who stands up to him. This makes the story all the more delightful for them. What a treat!

Captivating for Kids & Funny for the Adult Reader
This is a nearly perfect read-out-loud book. I have shared this book several times with my daughters (now 10 and 12). I am looking forward to the time when I can begin to read it aloud to my three year old son. The story within the story (the struggle between the Wolf, Rainbow and the heroic farmer boy Jimmy) effortlessly keeps the children involved. The external story (the father and son inventing the animal adventure tale over several days) makes me laugh out loud with its sly humor and insight; the boy's missing shoe gets me every time. It's great to see that a reprint edition is available again.

Wolf Story
Every year I read Wolf Story to my second graders and at the end of the year when I ask them their favorite chapter book read to them, Wolf Story is chosen every year to be the favorite. They love to follow the adventures of Rainbow and Michael. When you complete Chapter 1, the kids are hooked. They can not wait for the next day. I have even had kids who have been sick ask if I can re-read a chapter that they missed or if they can stay in at recess to read the missed chapter on their own.

Wolf Story is wonderfully written and captivating to young children. Every year I can not wait to read the book. I find myself anxious to share the next chapter.
When my own children have children, Wolf Story will be the book that I can share with them. I strongly recommend this book to every child and to every adult who enjoys reading to their children at bedtime.

fun, sweet dad-son story
Five-year old Michael is a demanding taskmaster, and his father must be creative to tell a wolf story within the constraints laid down by his son. For instance, the wolf must be named Waldo. A terribly fierce wolf named Waldo. Good natured teasing and realistic conversation make this the humorous and sweet story of a father and son who enjoy each other's company.

It's a mystery!!
I don't know why my children howl with laughter every single time Waldo, the wolf skins his nose, but they do. On the other hand, every single time Michael washes his face being very careful not to disturb the dirt, I break out in giggles.

We've read the book more times than it is possible to count and listened to the audio version even more times than that.(The voice characterizations are delightful!) It still delights my children and tickles my funny bone. How many books can do that? ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A non-traditional approach to logic puzzles.
This book contains thirty-seven puzzles aimed at testing your logic, perception and knowledge, and which only take around five minutes to read and solve.
Organized in a numbered format and placed in the first section of the book, the puzzles are presented as a short story of a mystery or an unsolved crime-case, posing, at the end of each, a question or two for the reader to answer. The assortment of mysteries offered include murder, theft, blackmail and deception, among others; and they are often clever, engrossing, and even funny. These mysteries will test both your reading and comprehension skills, as well as your problem solving abilities.
The solutions, sequentially arranged in the second section of the book, can usually, and frequently too easily, be arrived at through the clues contained within the mysteries. Only a few exceptions, which rely on what seemed to me as somewhat esoteric facts, not necessarily familiar to every reader, are a bit frustrating. But, since each solution gives both the answers to each mystery and line of reasoning used in figuring them out, some light is shed on those obscure facts.
One thing lacking in this book is an introduction or foreword, which might have given this volume a better overall presentation, the author a way to explain his purpose in putting this book together, and the reader a chance to get to know a little more about the author.
Overall, this book is a good and entertaining way to get launched into the world of the games of logic.

diverting but not too taxing..
I love logic puzzles and the like so this seemed like it would be something I'd enjoy. I found the book to be interesting, but the solutions to the puzzles were generally a bit easy, I often managed to pick out the clue and solve the puzzle after just one read through. I have read all the Sherlock Holmes books though - so I am kind of attuned to such foreshadowing....This would make a great book for younger people, who might find such a book a good introduction to logic puzzles.

Unique, engaging, but can be esoteric
If you like solving puzzles, but want something different from the traditional word or logic puzzles that you are used to, you'll like this book. The idea of making each puzzle a mystery that needs to be solved is both clever and engaging.

One of the nicest things about each mystery is that it does only take about 5 minutes to read through, making it easy to pick up the book at any time and complete an entire mystery.

The biggest problem with the book is that the solutions oftentimes rely on facts that I find a bit esoteric, such as how certain airplane models are built. But, not all of the mysteries are like this. I would recommend this book to any puzzle lover.

Challenge yourself or your child
Most of these terse stories are sharp and clever in their ability to give you the clue that will "solve the case" right within the short tale. The few that do this poorly you can easily forgive in that at least a couple of stories will force themselves on your mind or create a bit of trivia that you will never forget. For parents with young readers these mini-mysteries are especially useful in identifying those readers who can sort through a varity of information and discern what is needed or what is false. For voracious readers you will find these are similar to, and condernsed versions of, the famous "Encyclopedia Brown" and "Mini-Mysteries" series of tales by Sobol (which were aimed expressly at youth). ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (9)

I loved it!
I bought one of the I Spy books while on vacation in America.It was intended for the kids next door, and eventually I gave it to them (after having gone through it myself.) I liked it so much I ordered more from Amazon. com, some for me, some for Christmas presents. But the books have been so much enjoyed by my family I doubt whether they'll make Christmas. I can't find the sixth safety pin on the page with all the kitchen stuff, beautifully arranged like a sci-fi scene.Where is the errant
safety pin?How our eyes deceive us!I only found 4 small candles in the Sweet Shoppe, where are the others?

Great!
These are great books for distracting our pediatric patients (and parents!) during procedures/tests.

Very Good I Spy Book
Great for all ages. This set of books is very good for testing your eyes. You will have tons of fun with these books. Families love these books.

Fantasy in Every Page!
Unless your memory is photographic, you will find it challenging to find the things described in these rhyming riddles to be a brand new each time you open this. Pretty soon, the items in the puzzle all look alike. Growing a little weary of looking, you eventually call out for help, which makes these a great family time.Funny but the older the person the more frustration they seem to have.My children's grandfather still gets so amazed with these then he gives up and says " its not on there...I looked " then the three year old will spot that same object he was looking for.The I Spy Fantasy has the most unbelievable pictures.There are also extra credit riddles in the back of the book so these books never get old.My family owns each one and these are truly our favorite!

Teaching and Old Dog to do New Tricks
This book in the "I Spy" series was a long-lasting adventure for my children, ages 3 and 5. They were able to complete many of the riddles on their own, working together to solve them. Then we (the parents) jumpedin, and we were hooked immediately. Once we solved all the riddles, we thenused the "extra-credit" suggestions in the back. That prompted usto make up our OWN riddles from the pictures. Then, it gotinteresting....one day, Poppy (Grandpa) came to visit, and he saw the girlsworking on the Fantasy Book. He became deeply engrossed in this book, as Ihad never seen before. After 10 minutes, my kids were helping my fathersolve the riddles. Seems he needed a refresher course on powers ofobservation (although eyesight was mentioned once, but discounted). Myfather spent an hour of his visit working and playing with my kids on thisbook. I know what his stocking will be full of this Christmas. I canrecommend that to others as well...not for kids only! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nina Laden's illustrations in this simple, rhyming board book are truly magical. The format is straightforward: on alternating two-page spreads, the words "Peek a" are repeated, opposite an illustrated page with a die-cut hole, behind which lurks a cow ("MOO!"), a green ghost ("BOO!"), and a mirror (you guessed it, "YOU!"). The youngest readers will delight in trying to guess who--or what--is peeking through the window, and can easily grip the baby-fist-size holes to turn the pages for the answers. The picture of the "ZOO!" is fabulous. Through the hole, all that can be seen is a wild pattern of colors, stripes, and spots. Turn the page, and find a wild kingdom of animals, one in front of the other: peacock, zebra, penguin, cheetah, elephant, and more. Ready for more peekaboo fun? Try Nina Laden's Ready, Set, Go! . (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Perfect for a beginner "reader"!
This is our 11 month old's favorite book! The bright pictures and the simple fun text really grab her attention when many other books have too many words per page or pictures that are too complex. She loves to help turn the pages and this one seems particularly easy for her to grab each page. We think this is perfect for when you are just beginning to read to your little one. It helps teach both parents and baby the joys of storytime.

The Best Book we have!
My son has loved this book since we started reading to him at 3 or so months. He has learned to turn the pages (and since the text is so short, I can read it before he turns!) He loves the bright simple pictures and especially the mirror at the end. He always kisses himself, it is SO cute. Course, now he kisses anytime he sees his reflection. This book is wonderful for the simple text and great pictures and the predictablity (a great pre-reading skill!) Our son is 10 months and will sit and "read" it to himself now! A must have for any child's nursery.

Only book my 8-month-old picks from her pile
My daughter Giana loves to read along with this book! She's acquired about 50 books so far - thanks to her mother's love of reading and some very generous friends - but this book is the one she always grabs. The pages are colorful and easy for her to help turn, the rhyming is cute, and apparently the taste is great, too, because she often ends up using it as a teether...

A favorite!
My two children love this book. We have fun making noises that go along with the words and it's been a favorite book for four years now! A good investment.

Peek-A-Fun
Young children enjoy books that have pages to open and repeating punchlines. Peek-A-Who has both. It's also thankfully short for parents who have to read the book the large number of times. ... Read more

Book Description

How many times can you jump rope? This rhyme makes the game of rope jumping even more fun. It's a counting rhyme, and there are lots of others like it. There are also red-hot pepper rhymes for jumping very fast, and rhymes for jumping in and out of the rope. There are even fortune-telling rhymes that answer questions and help you predict the future!

The rhymes in this book began as a way to keep the rhythm while jumping rope, but they also lent poetry and humor to the game. Here are over one hundred traditional rhymes that will make rope jumping challenging and, best of all, fun.

Reviews (2)

Great fun
For anyone who jumped rope a great deal (this excludes me) or swung the rope while others jumped (this includes me), this book is sure to have some favorite rhymes. As such, it is an interesting way to initiate cross-generational discussions - jump-rope rhymes are school yard folklore with astounding staying power. The book is also useful as a way to encourage young "couch potatoes" to get a bit of time outside with requiring outside to be a large space.

Of course, the best way to use the book is simply to enjoy it.

Hopping fun! It will take you back to your playground days.
What great fun to be reminded of the jump rope rhymes of my youth. And even greater fun to share them with my daughter. I hope you enjoy this collection of rhymes as much as we do. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great book!
This book had such a wide variety of games and alot of ones I hadn't even seen before. I do recommend this book!

Great for all Ages!
During my years studying drama in high school, college and in England, I've been exposed to many theatre games and activities. Since my summer school assignment this year was teaching drama to middle school kids, I thought I'd get this book as a back up to some of those games, especially since level might have been an issue. I was so surprised and delighted to see almost every improv, character, voice, etc. activity I've ever done in this book. It is thorough, creative and can be used with any age group, from pre-schoolers to college students. Don't be fooled with the "for Kids" part of the title...some of the games would even be entertaining at adult social gatherings!

Wow!
Mrs. Bany-Winters writes a great book! I've tried all of the theatre games and they are all very fun to do.. even if you aren't into theatre! I recommend this book to everyone.. try it at parties, try it by yourself, try with friends.. just try it!

Most Used Theatre Book I Own
I teach theatre courses for all ages of kids, and this is the book that I turn to most often for quick ideas. The illustrations and explanations are clear as day and the games themselves are alot of fun.

Great book for anyone who has works with children's drama.
I recently taught an enrichment course in drama and used this book as well as others to start off all sessions with the children. My drama students actually started to request that we play the games found in this book more than any of the other games I had available. These theatre activities can be used in concert with any dramatics program out there. It is a wonderful stepping stone for any dramatics instructor to add to their collection. ... Read more

Book Description

Get out your silliest nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs! Young and old alike will laugh out loud as the world's greatest word game hits new heights of hilarity. Hot on the heels of Mad Libs smash 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, this all-new collection features an anatomy lesson, a fan letter to your favorite superstar, an Internet chat room, and much, much more! Played alone or with friends, Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Libs is sure to________ (verb) your socks off! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

a true classic!
I laughed, I cried! It was better than Cats! I want to mad lib again, and again! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Comics! Puzzles! Jokes! Laffs! Flip-O-Rama! Stickers! Sound too good tobe true? Captain Underpants (TheAdventures of Captain Underpants: An Epic Novel, Captain Underpants and the PerilousPlot of Professor Poopypants, etc.) is all about making readers happy,especially in this "really cheesy" (hey, the captain said it, not me) activitybook starring everyone's favorite wedgie-powered superhero and his fourth-gradecreators, George and Harold. Learn how to write your very own comic book, solveword-find puzzles, find your way out of Doctor Diaper's Devastating Diaper ofDoom maze, pick up a few prank tips, make flip-o-rama pictures, complete theCafeteria Ladies' Crazy Crossword, read all about Hairy Potty, the evil nuclearwaste-enhanced toilet with werewolf fangs, and so much more. The exquisitelyjuvenile humor and (intentionally) unsophisticated artwork will have evenreluctant readers clamoring for more from the very talented and irreverent DavPilkey. Pass the final exam and you can send away for your P.H.D. (PilkeyHonorary Diploma), make-it-yourself graduation cap with real artificial tassels,and a membership card. All three Terrifying Name Change-O-Charts 2000 areincluded, as well as a sheet of full-color stickers featuring Turbo Toilet,jockey-clad Captain Underpants, and the snickering troublemakers, George andHarold. (Ages 7 to 10) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Avoid bookopia
I bought a used copy of this book marked "in good condition," but when it arrived, all of the puzzles had been filled in. There was tons of writing. I had meant to give the book as a gift, but I ended up throwing it away. I was very disappointed.

A++++ Material!
This book is great, including that it has ideas to make a comic book, ideas to make FLIP-O-RAMA, and a whole new Captain Underpants Comic Book "Hairy Potty." This is A++++ Material.

Hey at least they are reading? Right?
My 8 yr old is usually glued into one of these books, I have read them and I guess you really have to be young to get into them, they are truly silly to the point of no return.
But, hey, as long as they are reading! She gobbles every Captain Underpants book she gets her hands on and the charter school she attends hands them out for reading so many books per term.
Good reading for kids!!!

Not CU
As an activity book or comic relief, this book is purty good. As CU or a novel, forget it. Withoutta doubt, no plot, no humor, no CU!

Puzzles involve characters of CU books. There's even a create-a-comic! These puzzles are, well, fun!

BUT! Beware, CU fans, the series is falling, and I think we should cherish the CUs we have

Kinda Soggy
Not as much interest in this book as the others in the series, this is more activity oriented than reading entertainment as the other books in the series. ... Read more

Book Description

An acclaimed introduction to the world's most enduring game. Fantasy art illustrations by Kimberly Buclken Root capture the energy and excitement of chess's origins--the medieval battlefield--while a direct, lively text explains the game and its pieces in light of history. Each chess piece and its movements are explained in connection with the medieval world that influenced its evolution. Plus the book comes along with a custom-designed chess board, a storage box,and a full set of chess pieces.

Readers are led through the fundamentals of beginning, middle and endgame, and are shown winning strategies for offense and defense. An ideal game for encouraging logical thought and building confidence in children, chess is being taught to young children the world over. THE KIDS' BOOK OF CHESS AND CHESS SET teaches children a game they can enjoy playing with acquired skill and real brain power. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

For younger kids
As a sixth grader I found the book to be written more for a parent to be able to read, but to a small kid. It covers the very basics and is ok. I didn't really need the cheap chess set that came with it - but the chess set would be fine for a first time kid. I enjoyed my CHESS FOR JUNIORS book alot more which had far better lessons and ART OF THE CHECKMATE.

Excellent for kids and adults...
This was an excellent first book on the game of chess. A friend gave it to us and my 8-year old son and I read it together one evening and were playing chess that same night. If you've ever wanted a simple book on how to play chess (for kids and adults) this is it.

A Perfect Chess Primer For Children and Adults.
This magnificent and visually stimulating chess set contains a 96-page beautifully illustrated book, chess pieces and a custom chess board.

The book begins with a fascinating, detailed description of the history of the game and how it derived from medieval times. It is incredibly detailed and exquisitely written. Although I am not particularly a fan of medieval or military history, I found this section to be most engaging, and it certainly helped deepen my love and appreciation for the game. A basic example -- We learn that in medieval times the pawns were the serfs, the poor laborers, the foot soldiers and as in any society there were usually more of them than anyone else. If we were to imagine them in real life they would be traveling on foot and "carrying a long spear called a pike. On the battlefield he was known as a pikeman. Pikemen also carried shields, which they held directly in front of them for protection. This meant that they had to point their pikes to either side of the shield. Similarly, because of his shield, a Chess pawn is unable to strike directly in front of him. He can attack only on the diagonal." When presented with details in this manner you come away with a better understanding of why certain rules exist in the game.

The second chapter is an introduction to the chessboard itself. The only thing missing here (and it is a very important omission) is a discussion of rank and file. Subsequent chapters over each piece in depth; its significance in relation to the other pieces on the board and how it moves. Towards the end are chapters explaining how to play the game, (accompanied by interesting military history tidbits highlighted in boxes throughout), and basic play strategies (and I mean BASIC in every sense of he word. If you are looking for a more involved strategy-oriented text, then definitely consider buying Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess).

This book does a nice job of covering all the basic elements of the game in an entertaining manner. Your student will come away with a comprehensive understanding of, and appreciation for, the oldest war game of all.

Five stars. An absolute must for every budding and experienced chess enthusiast.

Very nice for kids, my daughter loves it.
I like this book. I only learned chess a year and a half ago but I love it. I decided to teach my kids to play. My daughter is 4 years old. I bought this book (comes with chess set for kids) and my daughter was so excited to have her own chess set I couldn't believe it. Every day I came home for the next week she wanted to play, and we did. We also went through the book and she learned all the names of the pieces in only a couple of days (kids amaze me). Well, she calls the knight knighty for some reason, but that's fine with me. Now don't get me wrong, she doesn't know the rules, yet. It's only been a month since we got this and I am not pushing her to learn them at 4 years old. But she is getting familiar with the pieces and board. I am sure she will be playing by the rules in a couple of years. In the meantime it's just fun to have a game we can play together besides the regular kid's games. And she loves having her own chess set! Oh and the board has illustrations that tell you how you can move each piece. That will come in handy as she gets older.

Let's get this back in print!
The reader comments below are on-target, especially the one from North Dakota. I found this book at a local bookstore, sale priced with a plastic chess set and board. My 8 year old son took an immediate interest, and was fascinated with setting up the strategies described in the book with aid of the set. This book not only instructs well, it has the equally important quality of inspiring interest to learn the game. I do hope the publisher will bring it out in another printing if it is currently out of print. Kids deserve this kind of reading! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Your 4- to 5-year-old will absolutely delight at how much she or heknows while working with the 300 questions in these Brain Quest decks for preschool children. It's the bunny, of course, that does not live "in a river, swamp, or sea." (That's where the crab and alligator live!) Later,it is not long-lashed Amanda the Panda--the deck's adorable guide figure--"who is eating with chopsticks." (Amanda has a fork. And a light brown bear has a spoon. It's the bunny who has the chopsticks!) Proud of their success in unraveling the answers from these cheerful illustrations, kids will gladly challenge themselves to the harder fare,like finding the rectangle in the picture, or counting the circles on the Olympic flag.

Parents too will enjoy the authors' focus on real-world scenarios andreal-world questions. Woven through these happy academic fundamentals are lessons about getting dressed, colors, body parts, and many other concepts that benefit preschoolers immensely. (Ages 4 to 5) --Jean Lenihan ... Read more

Reviews (4)

I love brain quest pre-school
I love Brain Quest pre-school because it has lots of fun questions.I always bring it with me on long trips.I am in 4th grade now and have Brain Quest 4th grade.

Hours of Fun
My 3-year old and I have looked at these cards many times. She has most of them memorized. That is OK because now she likes to play teacher!

great fun for a 3-4 year old
My 4 year old daughter loves to do the "quiz cards" before bed time. She doesn't mind the fact that we've done the set over and over at least 10 times!

My 4-year old loves this!
Each page has 3 questions and fun illustrations, with the answers on the next page (also with fun illustrations). Covers a wide variety of Preschool level topics, from numbers and colors, to logic, patterns, shapes and thinking skills. A great item to have along anytime you need to "kill time" (like sitting in a restaurant or on an airplane). I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Book Description

Made for those two moments in the day when parents and young children spend quality time together, here are two marvelous gifts-two innovative additions to the bestselling BRAIN QUEST series, each combining a single full-color deck with an adorable animal companion.

It's evening, the day's craziness is fading, and in bedrooms across the country parents and children snuggle up to read. Even if there's time for nothing else during the day, there's always time made for sharing a story.

With BRAIN QUEST BEDTIME, parents and young kids can sidle up under the covers and learn about the moon, the stars, owls, and Rip Van Winkle. There is a 50-card full-color deck with stories, poems, over 150 questions and answers-plus jokes and riddles, too-all accompanied by a plush teddy bear puppet. The subjects are calming, related to sleep and nighttime, and encourage the kind of quiet, wondering conversation ("Do dogs dream while they're asleep?") that's so important right before turning out the light. See also Brain Quest Bathtime. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick team up yet again for another perfectlittle I Spy picture book. In this one, kids who are just learning toread can practice their ABC's with Wick's special photo illustrations andMarzollo's clever alphabetical rhymes: "I spy an L wearing lacy white, and ametal M that's screwed on tight." Borrowing from some of their previous books(I Spy, I Spy School Days, and others),the author-illustrator team adds an original twist to the usual alphabet book,with each letter covered in its own letter-inspired design. P is plaid, E is apink eraser, V is veiled with vines. Surrounding each letter are pictures ofobjects beginning with that letter (octopus, orange, ostrich). Young childrenwill enjoy identifying the crisp, detailed pictures and reciting the bouncyrhymes. (Ages 2 to 5) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great for those learning their letters.
This book is perfect for a child learning their letters, colors and names of familiar objects. My two-year-old has fun finding objects that begin with each letter of the alphabet and the rhymes are just his speed. Parenst of toddlers know how some books can wear on you after a few reads...this one doesn't. :)

Can you find...?
We play a game I invented called "Can you find...?" in many other related books and when I came across the I SPY series, I knew the author had a winner. We own a number of the I SPY books today and they have become our favorites. It teaches patients and focuses her attention on looking for the little details in life. I will admit that I still use my phrase "Can you find?" to this day. Easy to read series. Highly recommended to 3 years old.

Nice, but not what expected
Since I'm restricted to ordering my books online, I'm unable to peek inside to check out the pages.

The alphabet is great with a picture scheme on each of the letters that represent the first letter of the word. It's not difficult to find the letters as they place about 3 large letters on a page with anywhere between 4-7 small pictures around..all on a white background. The inside pages are nothing like the cover.

The numbers and alphabet books might be better for a child up to age 1 (at least in the case for my child).

I bought this for my child's 2nd birthday hoping she'd have to search and find the letters of the alphabet to make it a little more interesting for her. It's still a nice alphabet book for practicing, but not so much for searching.

I found the numbers book to be more interesting since it offered more objects on the page that is more similar to the typical 'I Spy' series. The numbers are still clearly visible, so still not much searching. I'll have to order the older children's I Spy books since young children are more intriqued with complexity than with simple unchallenging pictures.

I SPY LITTLE LETTERS
I have worked with children as a pediatric nurse for 31 years and have spent a great deal of time reading children's storybooks to the children under my care. I purchased "I SPY LITTLE LETTERS" for my 29 month old grandchild. There is no better way to give a young child a sense of pride than by asking them to find objects on the page of a book. I am a believer in the "I SPY" concept so we proceeded to read the book together. What a delightful book! It is colorful, cheerful and fun too. The pages will keep a child busy for a while for there is a lot to do. Colorful letters and easily identifiable objects and figures are to be found on every page. The book challenges a child to observe, find and verbally express their discoveries. What a sense of accomplishment it is for a child to be able to discover things. I highly recommend this little board book for toddlers. It is a terrific early introduction to reading. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent activity ideas
I am a music therapy student and I used this book in constructing activities for music classes at a summer camp. This book had so many ideas for activities with music materials and ideas that were easily adaptable to fit the groups' needs. I especially love that few of these games really have a single winner, so everyone gets to participate and enjoy. I would highly recommend this for music therapists and educators as well as anyone else looking for this type of game for children.

101 Music Games for Children
Being a music educator, I purchased this book in hopes toenhance my music program. I have found it hard in the past to find musical games that young children can enjoy outside of musical chairs! With this book, I will never have that problem. To insure that my students have FUN learning music, we spend the last part of class playing one of these games. It is easy to do because this book provides you with a guide indicating age appropriateness, how long the game takes (5 min., 15 min., 30 min., etc.), specific number of players needed, and instruments and/or props if needed. Oh, did I mention that you don't have to be a kid to love these games? Well, you don't! There are games in here for those competitive music know-it-alls like myself! Did I mention that this book is great for planning parties? Forget the clown, it's usually a rip off anyway! Besides, music and parties go hand in hand! Last, it's a totally great book! ... ... Read more

Book Description

Phillip comes from a circus family, but all he really wants is tobe a regular kid. After persuading his parents to let him move in with his aunt anduncle, he winds up in Hardingtown, where everyone is wild about dodgeball. Whenhe gets slammed in the face with a speeding ball in gym class, he decides totake the dodgeball bully to court. But can a circus boy take on the UnofficialDodgeball Capital of the World?

This uproariously funny middle-grade novel carries an inspiring message aboutsticking to your beliefs, however unpopular they may be. ... Read more

Book Description

Charming coloring book includes 30 black-and-white designs based on patterns made by a kaleidoscope (a Greek word meaning "beautiful form"). Optically enchanting, these images will appeal to colorists of all ages. Artists and craftworkers will also find them an exciting source of inspiration and design.
... Read more

Reviews (8)

My Favorite!
I ordered 4 "coloring" books at the same time. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I received my order. They shipped 3 of my books so I wouldn't have to wait (impressive!) & the last book came the very next day. The kaleidoscope coloring book is my absolute favorite, so I'm back looking for more.

A peaceful journey
I have found this book useful in putting to rest some of the exhausting days of being 'housebound' over the past few months. I have used every medium you can think of, from colored pencils, markers, and the myriad gel pens. the outcome has been exquisite. I have even copied some of the results on clear plastic and used them for suncatchers. They make me smile, and remind me of the snowflakes and kaleidoscopes of my childhood. I hope there are more coming.

creative childhood
I really enjoyed this coloring book--as in my very early yrs., I had kaleidoscopes to play with. I was always intriqued with the color spectrum in them.I was hoping to find more on line with the illustrator of this book. Sadly disappointed. Will keep looking at other book sites. By the way, I am 56 yrs. old--and I love to color. It's wonderful therapy for relaxing and bringing back some childhood fun.

ATTENTION BIG KIDS!
I am a 48 year old kid who loves to color! This is one of the best books that I have purchased. The designs are all different and wonderful therapy after a busy, hectic day! I take a copy with me in the car for those times of waiting - I even took it to the ballfield while my son waited for 2 hours for autographs! I recommend this book very, very highly.

A great teaching tool!
I teach middle school art. I use this book in my classroom to practice applying color schemes. My students enjoy this activity because the designs are unique and challenging. Unlike with some other coloring books, they have to think about where they are putting color.When they are finished with a group of three designs of the same pattern they have something "cool" to take home and display. I will use this book for years! ... Read more

Book Description

Enter the magical world of Disney princesses. The Disney Princess Ultimate Sticker Book will thrill young fans of animated films. Stick Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and other beloved princesses onto full-color backgrounds to create your own stories and scenes. ... Read more