Book Description

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Avoid this one...
I had gotten the balloon animals and more balloon animals books and had gotten good at making those characters, so I thought I'd give this book a try. It's terrible. Compared to the previously mentioned books, the instructions are awful and the guides miserable. Avoid this one. ...

Good for beginners
This book tries to cover a lot of ground with only a few pages. The result is a cursory look into the art of balloon sculpting. It contains a brief section a few basic twists (fold, pop, tulip, ear...) then proceeds into a nice little section with some basic and some advanced animals (Dog, Horse, pig, cat, teddy bear, dragonfly- my favorite, dragon, stegasaurus, scorpion, and a very basic fish.) Following the animals the book goes into basic flowers, palm tree, and the tulip. Next is a small section containing the motorcycle, airplane, spaceship and "silly figures" which is basically a latex glove and a sharpie marker. This is followed by basic decorating items, chains, braids, a nice spider and web, and a decent decorating flower. Then there is the section with basic hats and some fun ideas for baloon costumes for children. The book ends with some ideas for baloon playhouses which are simple cubes made with the larger 350 balloons. It also contains some games such as the ring toss and a nifty trick with clear baloons and small loose balloons inside them. All in all it is a great resource for beginners, but those with more experience will find over half the book useless unless you want to pick up a few new twists and don't mind the price. If you're just starting out then this is a great introduction book. Even if it doesn't contain the essential Toe Twist.

The best , so far...
I started twisting at my child's birthday party and, now I'm hooked. I wanted a book with good illustrations and instructions, and this is it. It has 5 difficulty levels and special tecniques.I don't have all the balloon sizes needed , but most items are made with 260 's(the regular long twisty balloons.)I have not been able to make the two-balloon headband, and I can't figure out why. It's only a level one, but it won't stay together. My cousin, who has a Harley, liked the motorcycle (it's a level 5 ).The flower and sword are repeats from another book, but these are more detailed. Have Fun !!! ... Read more

Book Description

Delightful treasury of brain-teasers invites puzzlists to locate hidden names of cities, state birds and flowers, geographical features, famous residents, natural resources and more in grids filled with letters of the alphabet for each of 50 states. Clues and solutions for each puzzle.
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Reviews (1)

Wonderful book!
This is a great book for anybody in grades 2-5 and wants to know more about their states, and of course, loves crossword puzzles. ... Read more

Book Description

What ever happened to free time? Today’s kids are plugged in, turned on, and pitched to—with no time or space to feed the birds, collect star dust, or watch the tide come in. Here’s a simple way to give kids those out-of-door experiences that shape childhood, create memories, and forge lifelong bonds with nature and family.

Chock full of 120 activities to play and projects to make, GO OUTSIDE provides year-round fun for urban, suburban, and rural kids alike. Step-by-step directions and detailed black and white photos will inspire young adventurers to create luxurious leaf crowns and crazy compasses or to spend afternoons filled with silly snow paint and riotous pool relays. Let GO OUTSIDE open the door to a world of free, unstructured play time! ... Read more

Book Description

Innovative games promote learning through play -- the proven path to success in school.

At last Dorling Kindersley quality is available in a new group of games designed for the younger set. Full-color photos and bold graphics plus traditional and original, specially created games make these the playthings children will return to again and again.

My First Alphabet Game: An introduction to the ABC's. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent first game for preschoolers
Our son loves my first alphabet game. It's been a great game to reinforce early phonics and memory learning. It's also fun! We started playing when he was nearly 3. ... Read more

Book Description

Guaranteed to keep kids laughing for hours!

Brain teasers and riddles have been proven to build kids' mental acuity.The Everything Kids' Riddles and Brain Teasers Book does this and more, giving children a place to learn - and laugh - all in one!

Packed full of puzzles, games and activities, The Everything kids' Riddles and Brain Teasers Book will keep audiences in stitches. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Maze THIS
Some of these mazes are hard, some are easy, all are in color instead of boring black and white, and all of them are fun for kids who want to be smarter, better at hand-eye coordination tasks and you could even have big kids and little kids do them together. They're fun and they're stimulating.Recommended for ages 4+ to adult.Take them to the doctor, restaurant, airplane trip, church, wherever kids need to be quiet but attentive without adult intervention.

Easy and Hard, brain benders and easy ones too
Lots of great colorful mazes for ages 3-13, good for all sorts of "sit down and be quiet" situations where kids need to be able to work alone without adult intervention. These are slightly easier than the first two volumes of the set, but just as much fun, just as attractive, just as intellectually challenging. Mazes are one the sure-fire ways to increase your kid's attention span (fie on ADD and ADHD excuses), impulse control, ability to carry a task to completion and (yikes) maybe even their intelligence! Best of all, nobody gives you a grade on these things!!!Most maze books are boring, black and white and either too easy or too hard. These are all in color, all are fun, all are challenging (but suitable for ages 3-13) Good for airplanes, sitting in airports, doctors offices, or even at church.

Great mazes for kids and grownups
Most maze books are boring, black and white and either too easy or too hard. These are all in color, all are fun, all are challenging (but suitable for ages 3-13) and best of all, doing these mazes will increase your kid's logic skills, hand-eye coordination and (eek) make them smarter! Good for airplanes, sitting in airport, doctors offices, or even at church. I don't hink they're suitable for car trips unless you have a Rolls Royce because kids would get really frustrated by going out of the maze tracks with the jiggling of the car.

Puzzle it out!!
Most maze books are boring, black and white and either too easy or too hard. These are all in color, all are fun, all are challenging (but suitable for ages 3-13) and best of all, doing these mazes will increase your kid's logic skills, hand-eye coordination and (eek) make them smarter! Good for airplanes, sitting in airport, doctors offices, or even at church. I don't hink they're suitable for car trips unless you have a Rolls Royce because kids would get really frustrated by going out of the maze tracks with the jiggling of the car. ... Read more

Book Description

A brand-new Hello Kitty format features reusable STICKERS!

Now children can help their friend Hello Kitty make cookies in the kitchen, play dress-up, redecorate her bedroom, dance and twirl in the family room, or host a tea party in the garden. Then it's time to remove all the stickers and try something new!

With 194 reusable stickers and five settings, plus sweet, simple text, Hello Kitty's House and Garden provides hours of fun and makes a delightful addition to any Hello Kitty collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"I spy a heart, a starfish, a frog, / A towel, a trowel, a taxi, adog;/ Seven horses, a barrel, a duck that is teeny, / Two real feathers, and a surfer's bikini." Now, all you have to do is find these objects in Walter Wick's masterful, crystal-clear, boldly colorful photographic landscapes. I Spy Gold Challenger! collects author Jean Marzollo and Wick's 12 favorite photographs from previous I Spy books, and invents a new series of ways to make children scratch their heads. A fantasy castle with a sand dragon and a medieval battle in progress; a complex city intersection made from wooden blocks and assorted toys; an attic stuffed with junk--each page seems more complex than the last. The seeming simplicity of the task at hand, and the surprising difficulty in finding all the items mentioned in the accompanying rhymes, remains a winning combination. (Click to see a sample spread. Text copyright ©1998 by Jean Marzollo. "Patterns and Paints" from I Spy School Days copyright ©1995 by Walter Wick. Permission from Scholastic Inc., Cartwheel Books.) (Ages 3 to 7) ... Read more

Reviews (6)

hours of fun
Like all of the I spy books, this one offers hours and hours of fun for all ages.Some of the things to be found took days to find, which can be a bit frustrating for some people.

The best trip companion for a little kid
This book is as exciting for kids as it is for parents.I bought our first I Spy book for a long (17 hrs) plane flight with my 3.5 year old and it really did the job of entertaining him enough.Without it the trip could have been a nightmare.I recommend it to anyone who needs to keep a child entertained and occupied for a longer period of time.

Each page is a picture if multiple little objects.Under the picture there are several riddles, and kids can spend quite a lot of time looking for the objects.But parents can make addititional riddles--so many objects are hidden or not obvious. And they can have fun too.

The artwork is beautiful and sharp. While older kids can learn to be more observant, younger ones can enhance their vocabulary by learning the name of the objects (with an adult's help , of course).

Terrific book, challenging for all ages
We have a 2-1/2 yr old daughter who absolutely LOVES the "I Spy" book series.This book is much more involved and difficult than the smaller board books designed for little ones.However, she got the idea ofsearching for things from the easier board books and soon got bored (pardonthe pun).Using this larger version, we can make up lots of games to keepit interesting.Now, she asks us "I spy a ___" and we have tofind it.Hard to do with only a few pictures on each page.

We have a lotof fun with it too - and haven't found some of the things after severalmonths!Bottom line: Great book - start with the board books for youngerones and move up to this.make up your own games to challenge them.Enjoy

A great book!
This is a book of kids' games.It was really fun to play with. The whole book was very hard to do.I had fun with the book.

I love this book because of all of the creative pictures.
The page I like the most is Levers, Ramps, & Pulley because everything is put together &makes a Balloon Popper. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's never too early to build a child's vocabulary, and the updatedMy First Brain Quest--designed specifically for 2- and 3-year-olds--is a fun way to get started. The tall, skinny plastic box contains three decks (the cards are attached so they fan out on a hinge) with a total of 400 questions, and a spongy, nontoxic Max toy monkey. The idea is to have the toddler bond with the monkey, so the child associates the cards with playtime! Deck One offers a full day with Max from the time he wakes up until bedtime. For example, a full-page cartoon of Max in his colorful toy-ridden bedroom asks, "Who just woke up? What is Max wearing? What do you see in his room?" The cards break down into smaller illustrations with object and activity identification ("What is Max doing? He's putting on his slippers" or "What is this called? A clock.") We follow Max through breakfast, school, music lessons, and more. Deck Two introduces children to seasonal activities, including trick-or-treating and playing on a snowy day. Deck Three explores the world, following Max from the mall to a picnic in the country to a farm. The Brain Quest series is a wonderful vehicle for parents to play and learn with their wee ones, and paves the way for a lifetime fascination with words. (Ages 2 to 3) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not what I expected....
I totally agree with the review about the toy monkey provided, my son who is almost two put it right in his mouth, and it was ruined that very second. (Maybe max could have been a little plastic character instead of foam) I expected a plastic box full of hard cardboard cards that my son could look at and inspect himself; and not something that is bound so tight that he can't look at them himself. All & all it is still a good learning tool & my son is not two yet so maybe he'll grow into them. We look at them every night before bed when he's sleepy and willing to listen without wanting to grab & throw things.

Brain Quests are great fun!
My older daughter loves Brain Quest, and I ordered this for my 2-1/2 year old son. They are great fun, and we often "play" with the decks instead of reading at night. Max the Monkey is fun, and my son enjoys looking at the pictures. I have been surprised at words he both does and does not know.

Some of the "answers" provided by Brain Quest are not words in a toddler vocabularly--for example, a picture showing what appears to be a box of crayons asks, "What are these called?" and the correct Brain Quest answer is "colored pencils." In another series of pictures, Max's slippers look more like shoes. However, these are minor things that are easily worked around--the parent can choose their own "right" answer. There way the questions are written easily lead you to make up your own questions.

The two things that could be improved upon: the is a 4" tall Max the Monkey included with the decks. It is supposed to be a child's playtoy, but it's made of FOAM. Needless to say, it was torn by the second day. Also, the plastic rivet that holds the cards together needs to be changed. It has the deck so tightly bound that I can't let my son turn the cards on his own--the cards would be terribly bent or torn. (The last Brain Quest I purchased had this same problem.)

Despite my negative sounding review, I am a big Brain Quest fan, and do like this Toddler's series. I would encourage any parent of a toddler to give this a try. Everyone learns from it, but in a fun, learning-through-play manner. The pictures are engaging, and a deck can easily be carried in a purse or backpack for outside the house.

The 2-3 year old guideline is appropriate. Very verbal, older 3 year olds will likely find this easy (which is great for their self-confidence), but may enjoy the challenge of the next level.

Brainy Toddlers
How do you make a smart preschooler? You ask them questions about everything, help them develop keener powers of observation, and guide them to be pattern recognizers. My First Brain Quest will help build toddler vocabulary, will lead little ones to keener observations and will keep up interaction between adult and child. Caregivers and foster care parents will love the structure provided by the sturdy cards hinged with a plastic rivet that keep the cards together and handy for constant use. Folks who provide CDA training and foster parent training, as well as parent-child interaction instruction will appreciate the slow pace and good feeling engendered by the BrainQuest preschool cards. They're a great way to train parenting skills of interaction (rather than imperatives) because they are founded on questions. The box also holds Max the Plastic MOnkey for the kids to hold onto while answering the questions, although he will probably get gnawed on as well as held in the hand. In preschool children, the name of the game is vocabulary. Being able to name your world is to have power over it. Brainquest does just that in a compact way. Great for pediatricians' offices, hospital waiting rooms, and other places you find parents and bored kids spending unstructured time. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Helen Oxenbury's delightful board books, featuring her sweet and cuddly babies at play, are back with a whole new look. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Captivating for little ones
We have all of Oxenburys books in this series (Clap Hands, Say Goodnight, All Fall Down & Tickle Tickle). We also have her Big Baby Book as well. My daughter is 13 months old and loves books, but the books she continually picks out and hands to me are the books in this series. She adores them. My husband and I have probably read these hundreds of times to her, and she is captivated by the art work and the rhyme. A definite must have for your little one!

Captivating to a baby!
I have all 4 of these Oxenbury books and both of my kids have been absolutely captivated by them. It is the only book that they will just sit and actively listen and follow from between 6-15 months. Watch their faces while another reads it to them and you will be amazed at how the respond to the simple, large pictures and rhymes. As an adult, I am attracted to more detailed and complex illustrations, but this is what a BABY likes! Any of her books are a perfect way to introduce you child to book reading.

Mesmerized!
This is my 8 month old's favorite book. Everytime I read it to her, which is everyday for the past several months, she goes into a state of bliss. She loves the big, happy, bouncy multi-cultural babies and I always sing the words to her for added pleasure. Great choice for infants.

Fun to read together
Adorable drawings of multi-cultural children playing together. Wonderful rhythm and rhyme. Nice to have a board book that's bigger than 4" square! We just wish it was longer because it's so much fun to read with our toddler. ... Read more

Book Description

What does a monster do when he has the hiccups during a game of hide-and-seek? He tries to find someone who can scare him out of them! Parents and children can use the built-in hand puppet to bring Leo the monster to life and act out the story. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Cute interactive book
My kids really like this book. It is a nice interactive book. The only drawback I have is you have to duck the monsters head (your hand) everytime you turn the page. Not a big deal really though :)

Great concept - story ok
My kids love a book that can read to them! The book directs questions to the reader which really encourages interaction. It's a bit annoying that the puppet has to hiccup through the story. But we liked it enough to order the bear book too.

Great Idea!! an interactive book...
When I opened this book in a school cafeteria, everyone in the room came to see and play with it! It was a smash hit, and I highly recommend it. I am a schoolteacher, and firmly believe in
getting kids to learn by doing, and Leo, the moveable puppet within the book, creates the perfect occasion. The subject matter is also handled extremely well--each page is envisioned from the puppet/child's point of view within the story, and the details are very astute concerning night-time anxieties. Bravo for Tim & Julie Weare! ... Read more

Book Description

A clever little book on everyone's favorite playground fortune-teller, with 20 pre-printed tear-em-out-and-fold-em-up pages.Plus instructions on how to make your own cootie catchers and the fortunes to go inside. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Do You remember Cootie Catchers? Great Distraction!
You remember 'Cootie Catchers' don't you?
(Although we used to call them "Fortune Tellers".) A paper square is folded and refolded so that there are four "pyramids". The player uses the index finger and thumb from both hands to open and close the pyramids, revealing pictures, numbers, words, or letters on the inside surfaces.
The person who is having their fortune told chooses from the pictures once, twice, or three times, and then the paper is unfolded to reveal a "fortune"- a little gem of advice, warning or congratulations, written inside.
This kit provides some precolored lovely, intriguing and creative designs ready to cut out and use. More importantly, it has all the guidelines necessary for you to make your own designs using any square piece of paper. You can make them larger or smaller once you have the idea.
When my 7-year-old niece got this as a distraction for a long car ride to our vacation, she generously shared the patterns with her 6 and 8-year-old cousins. They stayed in the Cootie Catcher phase for weeks, making their own, with wilder, and more outrageous fortunes.
This is a terrific little kit for kids around age 7, and for the inexpensive price, it provides hours of entertainment for car rides and other times when a distraction would help. If it doesn't quite keep them quiet, at least they're having fun!

Hours of fun!
We found this one at a craft store for my then 5 year old son. He loved the idea of making up his own fortunes--we helped him fold his catchers. It really helped develop his fine motor skills--it takes concentration to hold one and manipulate a catcher! The designs are great! Bright and colorful--and there are ready made catches plus blank ones to fill-in too! They come in a spiral note book-type format...they are easy to remove and complete directions are very helpful! :) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A little math treasure to keep...
This is a very detailed book for ages 9 and up. It consists of games that correlate with some of today's districts standards. We have Native American patterning, Symmetry from Japan, Geometry from Kenya, Probability games from Mexico and Hawaii, and board games anywhere from China, Korea, and New Zealand.

This is a recomended book for those teacher or parents that want to make math a little more exicitng for children. Mathematics is not only about learning it from a textbook, but also from hands on experiences through games and visual aids. This books touched upon the idea that it's okay to make math fun for you and a child.

One or two games in this collection dates back about 3,300 years ago in Egyptian times. Symmetry is learned from making masks and faces from the U.S. and Native Americans. Islamic "POLYGONS" are also found in this book. You can learn to make "Hopi Flat Baskets" that dates back about 1,500 years ago when baskets were found in the ruins of Anasazi homes. These baskets show children about symmetry and design. Repeated patterns from Alaska show children that we don't only have patterns in designs but, we also have patterns in every day items all around us.

This is an excellent book that lets children view math from the fun and creative perspective. Teachers can have fun while teaching district standards and make sure that our youth isn't bored with the "textbook" syndrome as Harry Wong puts it. We need to show children that mathematics deals with every day life and that it doesn't only appear on the pages of a text every five days. Mathematics is the necessary means for survival in our complex and equative society. This books let's us step outside of the "textbook syndrome" and let children explore the "real-world" experiences. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

independent reading
These inexpensive little books are great in helping develop independent reading skills. Like the last reviewer.... The newest one, Albert the apple eating appaloosa, has short horse stories which we love. It is funny too. The author's website, Learning Abilities Books, has excerpts from the books. Almost all of the words in the books are Dolch sight words. So they get to practice, practice, practice while enjoying the stories, poems, and fables. They don't feel like they are practicing. Mine really hate to read flash cards. Stories are much better. I guess it is like this: if you want to ride a bike, you need to get on one and experience it. This lets them experience the words. There enough words on each page that they aren't just guessing. But there are not too many words on a page. They really feel like they are accomplishing independence with these books!

get all four Dolch books by Lee
My daughter loves all four of the Dolch books by Betsy lee.
The first 3 books have A Funny Dolch Word Book in the title.
Her favorite (and my favorite) is ALbert the Apple Eating Appaloosa. We love horses and this is a really cool book.
She can read it now without any help. She is really reading the words, not guessing at pictures or saying the pages from memory.
She started with book one. That is the best place to start.
Then you should use book 2 then 3 then you are ready for Albert.
A funny Dolch Word Book #1 was the first book she could read without memorizing it or without guessing at pictures. It does not just have one or two words per page. It is a real story book. It does not have short choppy sentences. The sentences aren't very long but they sound like people really talk. It is really a great little book. Be sure to get all 4 of them!
My daughter is in first grade and these books have helped her a lot.

What a find!
Dolch words are words that must be recognized instantly so that kids can become good readers. Dolch words are found in almost every single book but some of the words can't be sounded out like "is" sounds like "iz" and "threw" sounds like "through." Then you have "on" and "own" and so forth.
This has short delightful stories using the Dolch words. Each story or poem is just one page long (or less). It has all of the pre-primer through first grade words without using any words on more complicated levels. It even has some word searches. The searches only use words which are right side up and they are NOT backward. We don't want kids to read backward so why encourage them to do it in word searches? I'm glad this writer thought of that. ... Read more

Book Description