Reviews (1)

Great book to read at bedtime
This is an awesome book to read to your child when it's time to go bed. It has a lot of descriptive words such as snuggling, hugging, nuzzling, slithering, etc. The story is about animals getting ready for bed and their parent asking how many kisses do they want? Our family loved the illustrations, rhyme, and counting kisses. ... Read more

Book Description

The best-selling first word and picture book of animals that helps children develop essential vocabulary.

DK proudly reintroduces 10 favorite board books from the beloved My First series, all with beautifully redesigned covers for a fresh new look. Filled with full-color photographs and large, easy-to-read text, My First Board Books provide children with an excellent platform for early learning. A variety of first concepts, such as colors, numbers, letters, and more are introduced in a fun, informative way to help children build the vocabulary and basic language skills that form the foundation of learning. ... Read more

Book Description

The engaging sister-and-brother duo from the highly acclaimed Stella & Roy are back for a second outing that will delight young readers. This time Stella and Roy are camping with their mother, and Roy really hopes to see a bear. Every time he thinks he sees bear tracks, new reader Stella is pleased to say, "Wrong, Roy," and to look in her book of animal tracks for ones that match the prints. There are coyote tracks and marmot tracks and raccoon tracks and lots of other animal tracks-but, to Roy's chagrin, no bear tracks.

At night, however, things change. Lying awake in his sleeping bag, Roy hears a clunking, rolling sound. Could it be the black plastic bear barrel, into which all leftovers have been tightly shut? Who or what is out there?

Ashley Wolff's high-spirited story gives equal weight to the pleasures of reading that Stella has recently discovered and to the rewards of persistence that younger brother Roy enjoys. Wolff's distinctive hand-tinted linocuts beautifully render the splendors of an outdoor hike, as well as the spookiness of a shadowed night. Readers will enjoy identifying tracks along with Stella and Roy, and they will thrill with Roy when he glimpses the nighttime visitor. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Follow Stella and Roy to remember your own family adventure.
Ever go camping? Stella and Roy and their mother won't forget this trek. Young readers won't either. This charming book will invite you and your youngster back again, over and over all through the year, to search out the wildlife hidden long the trail. Although set in Yosemite, the story can easily be translated into where you live. Talking over the family's last summer adventure and anticipating the next one will be the natural outcome of sharing this amusing tale of sibling interaction. ... Read more

Book Description

A touching story about a disabled lamb who finds he has a special purpose and place in this world.

Reviews (37)

Wonderful book for children and adults
My eight year old daughter asked for this book after her library teacher read it to her class at school. I rarely turn down a request for books, so I ordered it for her. When it came, and I read it to her, I couln't get through it without becoming all choked up! It is a beautiful story about a crippled lamb who, because of his lameness, is in the stable when the Baby Jesus is born. It is wonderful because it says not only does your infirmity not limit you, it can actually give you an opportunity for greatness!

A Warm Offering
In this religious book for children there is a little lamb named Joshua who is crippled and his best friend Abigail who is an old cow.
In this story the other sheep make fun of Joshua and makes him feel sad and miserable. When the shepherds are about to take the sheep to a better pasture the sheered says that Joshua must stay here. When Joshua is awakened in the stable by some noises he finds a little baby crying because it is cold and there are no blankets. So Joshua keeps him warm with his own wool and the family is very grateful to him. Well it turn out that this little baby is Jesus the king, the so of God. Finally Joshua understands why he is cripple for if he hadn't had been he would not have been there to keep the baby warm.
This amazing book was written by: max, Jenna, Andrea, & Sara Lucado and was illustrated by Liz Bonham.

WONDERFUL Story!!!
My mother bought this book and the DVD for my 2 year old daughter. Both the book & the movie instantly became her favorite -- she'll ask to read the book and watch the movie several times a day.

It is a wonderful story that will bring almost anyone to tears (maybe even "Daddy"!).

I highly recommend this book & movie for children of all ages (from 1 to 99).

not a dry eye in the house
I hope I never meet the person who does not cry when he reads this book.

The Christmas Story from a New Perspective
THE CRIPPLED LAMB is quickly becoming a new Christmas classic for children. It tells the story of the birth of Christ through the eyes of Joshua, a little lamb. Joshua is disabled and therefore unable to graze in the fields since he cannot keep up with the others. He has to stay behind with his friend, Abigail the cow who tries to cheer him up by telling him "God has a special place for those who feel left out." Joshua has the opportunity to be part of God's plan when Jesus is born. Mary and Joseph do not have a blanket and Joshua sits next too the child to offer him warmth and be a blanket for the Christ child.

This book is a collaborative effort of well known Christian author Max Lucado and his three daughters Jenna, Andrea, and Sara. The book also contains beautiful artwork by illustrator Liz Bonham. The artwork alone is worth the price of the book.

If you are planning on purchasing this book as a gift, I recommend purchasing at least tow copies. It is such a wonderful and heartwarming book, you may not want to give it away. ... Read more

Book Description

"Rikk-tikk-tikki-tikki-tchk!"

A classic story from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, adapted and illustrated by award-winning artist Jerry Pinkney, this is the tale of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, a fearless young mongoose.

Soon after a flood washes Rikki into the garden of an English family, he comes face-to-face with Nag and Nagaina, two giant cobras. The snakes are willing to attack Rikki, and even the human family who lives there, to claim the garden and house for themselves. But they do not count on the heart and pride of the brave little mongoose.

Reviews (14)

Not the original text!!!
This has been rewritten to dumb it down.The beautiful language originally used by him has been replaced with dumber versions, and entire paragraphs have been removed.As someone who read and loved the original story as a child, I was very disappointed to see this when I began reading it to my 7 year old son.

to help clarify reviewer "Heath Buckmaster" confusion
I also love Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and remember it from when I was a little girl... and I also remember another story that I think you have this one mixed up with. You were wondering why nobody knew what you were talking about when you said you remembered it as "rikki-tikki-tembo-noserembo-charley-barley-ruchi-pip-berry-pembo"... Well that's because it (your version is just slightly off) is from the story Tikki Tikki Tembo as retold to Arlene Mosel & illustrated by Blair Lent. When the oldest son of a Chinese family is born, it was custom to honor them with long names. The oldest son in this story is Tikki-tiki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo, which meant "the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world!" Well, Rikki tikki tembo and his little brother Chang are playing and Chang falls into the well. Rikki tikki tembo runs and tells his mother who tells him to fetch the old man with the ladder to fish him out. It's a long way to the well & back, over walls and up hills and steps and it's hard work and they are out of breath but they save Chang. A few months later the brothers are again playing when Rikki tikki tembo now falls into the well. Chang must run a long way up and down the mountain and over walls and steps and is out of breath when he finally reaches his mother and can't say his brother's really long name. Chang gasps and coughs and sputters and stutters, all the while his mother is telling him to speak his brother's name with reverence. Chang thinks that surely Rikki tikki tembo must have drowned by now? He finally gets out his brother's full name and his mother sends him to fetch the old man with the ladder. But the old man doesn't want to be disturbed from his dream and besides Chang doesn't think that he can get his brother's long name out again so he tells the old man that his mother's precious pearl has fallen into the well. With that the old man gets up and they finally pull Rikki tikki tembo up from the well. But because Rikki-tikki-tembo was in the well so long, it took him a long time to recover. And from that moment on the Chinese have always thought it wise to give their children little, short names instead of great long names... I am not sure why I was compelled to give that much detail to that story and none to Rikki-tikki-tavi, but there you have it... I hope that cleared up the confusion for the previous reviewer.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
In the story, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is a mongoose. When a flood washed him away from his home, he is adopted by Teddy and his family. While exploring the garden, he meets Nag and Nagaina, two deadly cobras. Later that night, he overhears the cobras' plot to enter Teddy's house and kill his family. When Nag and Nagaina get inside, Rikki attacks and kills Nag in Teddy's bathroom. The next day, Rikki finds Nagaina's eggs on the ground and begins crushing all of the eggs except for one. When Nagaina threatens to kill Teddy, Rikki distracts her by threatening to destroy her last egg. Then, Rikki chased Nagaina into her hole in the garden and kills her. From then on, Teddy's family hailed Rikki-Tikki-Tavi as a hero for saving them from the two deadly cobras.

A wondeful book by a not so wonderful author
Dear readers,
a few weeks ago I read a book called Rikki Tikki Tavi.It's a kind of weird story about a mongoose who is washed from his home and into an Indian family's garden.This where a small boy named Teddy picked the mongoose, a.k.a. Rikki Tikki, up and kept him as a pet and a guardian.After this Rikki Tikki decides to explore the land outside of the house.This is where he meets Nag and Nagina(both are cobras). This is also where he begins his war aginst the snakes.So as you can see this a very interesting story with a great moral,"Never let your guard down"'.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
I bought this book for my child who was at the time 5 years old.It has become his favorite book and he always chooses it when he's asked to bring in a favorite book.The illustrations are beautiful and it serves the classic story very well.Though it is a bit lengthy for a bedtime story, it is one book that I never mind reading to him.I would recommend this book for any child who has an adventurous side. ... Read more

Book Description

Frances fans will find their favorite stories about this endearing, irrepressible badger who cleverly avoids her bedtime and stubbornly refuses to eat anything but bread and jam, in this charming audio collection read by actress Glynis Johns.This ALA Notable Children's Recording includes: Bedtime for Frances; A Baby Sister for Frances; Bread and Jam for Frances; andA Birthday for Frances.

Repackage
Running time:45 minutes
Unabridged with music

... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wonderful
While teaching preschool for many years, this tape was the start of most naptimes! Now ordering it for my child, I can't wait to see them enjoy it as well... The reading is beautiful and after listening you can't help but hear that voice when reading it yourself.

Funny and entertaining
The stories are narrated by Glynnis Johns, she played the mother in Mary Poppins. My children listened intently and laughed a lot at irrascible Frances. They asked for the stories over and over. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. Five funny tales featuring Lowly Worm, Huckle Cat, Bananas Gorilla, and the rest of Scarry's memorable menagerie are collected in a sleepytime anthology. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Good short stories, but has nothing to do with bedtime.
This book is a nice collection of short stories, but none of the stories have a thing to do with falling asleep. Buy this book because you want more of Richard Scarry's wonderful stories, not because you want to soothe your child to sleep. I myself feel let down because I thought I was buying stories to put my child to sleep to.

My son (3 and 1/2) loves these stories, however...
Great stories with great characters, but if you've already purchased "Funniest Stories Ever..." then don't bother with "Bedtime Stories" because "Bedtime..." merely contains a subset of the stories found in "Funniest", with no new material what-so-ever.

This was needless to say rather disappointing to find out, following the online purchase.

Richard Scarry's Bedtime Stories
This is a delightful books for young readers -- it falls in the 4-8 age range, but is probably more appropriate for 3-5 age range. Some of our favorite characters, Lowly, Huckle and friends ease younger sleepers into sleep. It was particularly helpful in lulling to sleep a newly-minted older brother who was eager not to miss any of his new baby's "action." Richard Scarry is wonderful at that! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Elmo loves animals! Toddlers will love lifting the flaps and discovering all different kinds of animals and the things they do. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's excellent!
After reading this book, my 20-month-old son would follow what ELMO did in the book, pretending to be a cat, a lion, a worm. For example, he would "meow" and creep when he saw a cat in the book. It was fun for a baby boy to learn about animals in that way. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Simple and Sweet ....
This is such a sweet book to read with your young one! My toddler daughter enjoys the photos of the animal daddies with their little ones and can recall the activity from each page just by looking at the drawings ... 'A short book - great for those "just one more" requests!

He is strong and brave too!
I love this book, and I love my Mommy for buying it for Daddy and me. My Daddy does great things like the ones in the book because he builds things, and he is strong and brave!

A Great Father's Day Gift from a Young Daughter!
Any father would enjoy getting this admiring book from his young daughter. Both will then experience many happy hours reading the book together. I suspect most fathers will also feel inspired to become even more lovable!

The book is organized to show (through a series of beautiful detailed color illustrations) that animal fathers nurture their young also.

The book opens with a father and his young daughter playing with hand puppets. "I love my Daddy because he plays with me."

Next is an Emperor penguin with a chick ("He keeps me safe and warm.").

There is a horned puffin and chick ("He brings me dinner." -- little fish in this case).

You will see a bald eagle and a chick ("He is big and strong.").

That is followed by a lion and cub ("He takes naps with me.).

The next illustration combines a bear with a kit and a muskrat with a kit ("I love my Daddy because he can build a house.").

Humor arrives with a chimpanzee and baby ("He makes me laugh.").

Here are the remaining pairs and quotes:

giraffe and calf ("He helps me reach things.");

gray wolf and cub ("He sings me songs.");

common loon with chick ("He takes me for a ride." -- the chick sits on the loon's back);

gorilla and baby ("He teaches me to be brave.");

red fox and young with a porcupine ("He teaches me to be careful.");

jaguar with kitten, anoles, spider monkeys, toucans, parrots, and two-toed sloths ("I love my Daddy because he plays hide and seek with us.");

musk oxen and calf ("He protects our family."); and

reindeer and calf ("He watches over me at night.").

The final scene in the book is the Daddy and his daughter holding each other. "I love my Daddy and my Daddy loves me."

Obviously, these animal images can be just a starting point for a discussion about how and why Daddies like to care for their children. By seeing that fatherly love and caring are universal, your child should also develop a deeper confidence in your caring, support, and love.

As I read down the book's list, I was also reminded of many happy occasions when I played these roles for my daughter. Naturally, I enjoyed those reminiscences.

After you finish the book, I suggest that you think about other ways that Daddies care for their children and add animals who do that. Certainly, cleaning up could be one. Another one could be meeting other family members. You and your daughter can do some research on animal fathers to find other metaphors for your own relationship. This will bring both of you even more pleasure as you make these discoveries together on your own!

May your daughter always love her Daddy!

Happy father's day!

Excellent pictures and descriptions for any age
When I first picked this book up, I immediately fell in love with it. The pictures are beautiful and words are heart warming. I gave this to my husband for fathers day and he loves reading it to our daughter who loves watching and examining each page. A must have for your childrens library.

Great for preschoolers, especially with companion book
Although my children prefer Porter-Gaylord's "I Love My Mommy Because" companion book, this one is a close second. Again, its heavy pages resist tearing by small hands, and Wolff's beautiful paintings of unusual animals demonstrate that even in the animal kingdom, babies have daddies who care for them. Recommended for children as young as age 2. ... Read more

Book Description

Renowned for their bold graphics, simple clean design, engaging rhyming text, and large stunning pop-ups on each spread, Snappy books are a favorite among youngsters ages three to five. Brightly illustrated by Derek Matthews, the Snappies have been a children's literary phenomenon for more than four years. Snappy Little Zoo takes kids on a trip to the zoo, where they encounter a fantastic collection of ten amazing pop-up animals -- from zany zebras to playful pandas and gawky giraffes. It's an adventure that's full of fun from beginning to end! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fun!
The colors and pictures are superb. The pictures literally "pop" out of the book. There is a whole series. My son particularly likes the Halloween one. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It is Yoko's first day at school, so of course her mother wants to sendher off with healthy comfort food for lunch--a delectable package of homemade sushi. "Have a wonderful day at school, my Little Cherry Blossom,"her mother says as Yoko climbs into the bus. And it would have been, had it not been for lunchtime. Timothy brings a peanut butter and honey sandwich. Tulip has Swiss cheese on rye. The Franks brothers have beans and franks. Butwhen Yoko opens her cooler of rice rolls with "the crispiest cucumber, the pinkest shrimp, the greenest seaweed, and the tastiest tuna," one of the Franks brothers announces, "Ick. It's green. It's seaweed." Tulip and Fritzchime in, "Yuck-o-rama."

Rosemary Wells (Voyage to the Bunny Planet), with her expressive, bright-eyed, chubby-cheeked animal kingdom, has once again successfully tapped into the emotional world of children. The embarrassment of bringing an uncool lunch to school! What child hasn't wanted to hide under the cafeteria table when caught with a gooey enchilada or a slice of vegetarian lentil loaf? Fortunately, Yoko's teacher concocts a plan to stop the teasing. Parents who have more ambitious hopes for their children's lunches than Fritos, PB&Js, and Oreos will be relieved to discover that the happy ending does not include Yoko's giving up her comfort meal or, more importantly, her heritage. (Ages 4 and older) --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Sends a great message to children
This is a wonderful story that celebrates the diversity of our nation, and shows that these differences are cause for celebration not ridicule. My daughter enjoyed this book, and followed the childrens feelings of the unusual lunch dish. When she said "ick!" and slowly began to wonder what sushi actually tastes like, it made me smile. She learned the first lesson of the differences in everyone. Rosemary Wells provided the stepping stone for understanding and tolerance.

Nice story
This is the story of how Yoko brought Japanese food to school, and the reactions Yoko gets. Rosemary Wells has done a number of books about the kids at Hilltop school and turned it into a cartoon on PBS. She's also the author of the Max and Ruby 'Bunny' books.

This is a pretty simple little book but it has some good lessons tucked away in the story. First, it's good to try different foods. Second, its okay to be different. Third, the teacher is your friend and wants you to enjoy school. This is not a deep book, but Wells creates another story that small children will enjoy.

not the ending I expected....
Somewhere three quarters of the way into this book, something happens. The book breaks away from the ending that my wife and I expected. Ms. Wells steers clear of the facile 'happy ending' and re-routes the book to new and different territory. In the hands of a lesser author we would have the entire class doing cartwheels for Yoko's sushi. Sorry, that doesn't happen. Instead we get a much different ending. Somehow that makes the book more tender. More realistic. Kudos to the author for the ability to make this true to the meaning of being a kid.

Excellent way to show cultural differences
Yoko is an Asian American who faces prejudice and teasing because of the food she takes to school for lunch. After the other children in the class continue to pick on Yoko about her meal, Ms. Fox, the teacher, writes invitations for International food day on the following Monday. While all other dishes are eaten, no one touches Yoko's sushi, except for Timothy, after which Yoko and Timothy become friends. Rosemary Wells shows the cultural differences among all of the children by depicting them as various animals. When the children begin eating their lunch they are shown individually with their food. Yoko eats her sushi and implications of cultural bias and segregation begins. One child makes a comment relevant to Yoko's meal and the others buy into the comment and allow separation to occur among them. As this shows, children enter school with limited cultural experience and Yoko focuses on the differences in cultures that are typically seen today in America. Food is one of many linkages that a person has to their perspective culture and it is used in this book as a basis for judgement. Food that the body needs for nourishment allows the children to draw boundaries between themselves and others. Ms. Fox, the teacher views the situation and realizes that she has to make a move; hence, International food day. International food day was a creative way to get the other children to appreciate other cultures, but fails for Yoko until Timothy comes along. This strategy shows even the greatest ideas still may not because most are not willing to move out of their individual bubble to try something new and different. Timothy's appetite causes him to try something new; he relinquishes his old ideas and enjoys eating sushi. One child embarks upon a cultural experience and even more important they each gain a friend. Yoko does not have a "happy ever after" ending but shows how we each can individually tear down the bias and segregation that we inflict upon others. I enjoyed reading Yoko and viewing the depiction of different cultures as animals. While this book expresses racial ideas, I believe that it is a mirror of today's society. Most, as individuals, choose to stay within limited culture surroundings, but it is only the individual who can decide to make a change. As with Timothy we must overcome and be willing to step over the lines of "traditions" to truly gain knowledge of others and ourselves.

Rosemary Wells has done it again!
This book is a wonderful addition to the Rosemary Wells collection. What child hasn't felt different or excluded like Yoko is? Most of us can relate to bringing the wrong lunch to school and paying the social consequences. Yoko's teacher comes up with an inventive way to try to integrate Yoko's sushi into an international food day, but it fails. However, a curious friend tries Yoko's sushi and likes it, proving that just one friend can make all the difference. This book is a great stepping stone to talk to kids about respecting each other's cultural differences. And who can resist Wells's sweet illustrations? Look for old favorite friends Benjamin and Tulip!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Timothy is very excited about starting school-until he meets Claude. Claude sits next to him, and he wears all the right clothes, says all the right things, and garners all the praise from his teacher and classmates. Timothy is feeling down, until he meets a girl who's having the same problem with her seatmate....

"Children will easily relate to this tale, in which humor and realism effectively mesh."-Booklist, starred review ... Read more

Reviews (3)

C'MON KIDS, IT'S ADVENTURA ANIMALIA!
Written with the collaborations of capable advisors, this is the book, which any kid who wants to journey into the animal kingdom would appreciate.
Essential for both primary and secondary school children, the coverage of this book is good: just as its details are moderate. It is colourful, well-illustrated, and embraced a wide variety of species.
In addition to its complementary cladograms, this "National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia" included habitat details of each animal; as well as their simplified taxonomies. It is a carefully arranged atlas, whose outlook is educative. A good insight into the Kingdom Animalia!

Great Animal Book!
I bought this book as a gift for a friend's daughter (haha - even though giving a kid a book in this day an' age is considered as tasteless and square as giving your dad a tie), but of course I sneaked a peek at it myself and was thoroughly delighted with it. The layout was great and the information concise enough, yet not too overloaded, so as to keep kids interested.

National Geographic has done (as always) a great job on this one!

National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia
From aardvark to zebra this volume is an excellent introduction into the world of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, fish, insects,and other invertebrates. It is informative, concisely written,and beautifully illustrated for the 8 to 13 year old child. Consultants for each animal classification are among Britain's and America's top scientists and teachers. In all, it's just what you'd expect from the National Geographic Society ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent for newborns
My son is only 4 weeks old and he already loves this book. The black and white pictures really catch and hold his attention.
I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book to read to even the youngest baby.

Great Book for newborns!
My 4 month old granddaughter already has a favorite book and it is called I Kissed The Baby. She really responds to this book and looks right at the illustrations. Her little arms and legs really get going and she gets very excited. She is four months old and I read her this book everytime I see her (as well as others), but this is the one she seems to love. Now she tries to reach for the pages and wants to touch. It is a wonderful book and will be my gift for any baby shower I go to in the future.
Congratulations to Mary Murphy.

Great book!
This is the first book my 3 month old twin boys responded to. The eye-catching black and white illustrations had them staring and smiling and even cooing! The text is simple and makes it easy to interact with your child (I kissed the baby, I tickled the baby, etc.). Highly recommended for your infant or toddler! ... Read more

Book Description

The chameleon's life was not very exciting until the day it discovered it could change not only its color but its shape and size,too. When it saw the wonderful animals in the zoo, it immediately wanted to be like them -- and ended up like all of them at once -- with hilarious results.

Reviews (6)

The Mixed-Up Chameleon, School Project
I think that "The Mixed-Up Chameleon" by Eric Carle is a really great, fun and interesting, and a great learning experience for children. Personally, I have loved this book since as long as I can remember. In the beginning, it describes a chameleon that is bored of its boring life. He then goes to the zoo and sees all kinds of different and beautiful animals. Astonished by the sight of all of them, he wishes to become them one by one. He must wish to be about ten animals including a person. After all of this excitement, he sees a fly and...... Well, I can't tell you what happens! Buy this book and your child(children) and you can find out together.
This is the type of book that you can read and enjoy for years and years. Although, if I had to lower it down to a certain age group, then, I would have to say it's mostly for children from the ages 5-8. But don't get me wrong, I'm defiantly not telling all of you that are older not to read this book.
For all of you parents out there:
This book is a great choice for children that are in the learning process of reading. It's easy to comprehend and there are not many words that will be stumbled on. Also, it has a great lesson behind all of it. You can wish to be something else, and if that wish comes true, then all it will tell you is that you were perfect the way you were before. Wishing to be something else will just make things difficult in the long run.
So after hearing all that I have to say do you think you'll be interested in buying a book like this? Trust me, it will be worth the money and a great buy.
Also, I just wanted to say that if you enjoy this book, then I believe that you will enjoy every single one of Eric Carle's others. He is an amazing author.

Great Artwork, Strong Message
Eric Carle's "The Mixed-Up Chameleon" tells the story of a little chameleon who hates the fact that he changes color to match his surroundings. He notices a zoo and all the wonderful and distinctive animals there. He begins to wish for (and receives) various elements from the animals ("I wish I was tall, like a giraffe" is one). The chameleon ends up as an assemblage of parts which look great on the original animals, but don't do very well all together. The rub comes when the hungry chameleon cannot reach the fly to eat it. He wishes to be himself again and regains his true form.

My kids love this book, not only for the beautiful artwork, but also because as each page is turned, the new animal whose feature the chameleon takes is shown, so at the end, all the animals are shown at the edge of the page. I like the message that being yourself is always the best, and that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.

Wonderful for the Classroom
This is a story of a chameleon who is not happy. He thinks he is not exciting. He sees some beatiful animals at the zoo and wishes he could be like them. The animals he sees are: a white polar bear, a pink flamingo flamigo, a red fox, an orange fish, a brown deer, a yellow giraffe, a green turtle, a blue elephant,and a purple seal. Each time the chamelon sees a new animal he wishes he could be like them. The chamelon's body begins to dipict a part of the other animals. At the end of the story he wishes to be back to normal. This book could be used in the classroom when the students are learning their colors. It could be used to reinforce squencing. The students could retell the order the animals appear. The illustrations are are wonderful in this book. The students could construct torn-paper designs to illustrate the chameleon.

Story grows on you
We read this book after Brown Bear and Polar Bear and about the same time as Hungry Caterpillar. While my 2 1/2 year old son, Brian, loves all of his Eric Carle books, he's particularly taken with this mixed-up chameleon. From the first page, there are already new concepts to grasp, such as seeing the chameleon turn "brownish" after it moved onto a "brown" tree, "reddish" on a "red" flower, and "yellowish" on the "yellow" sand. That's just Page 1. Subsequently, Brian would then read out loud, how "I wish I could be HANDSOME like a flamingo,"..."smart like a fox",..."funny like a seal" at which point he'll go "hahahahaha". He's only had the book for 3 weeks and he's already "reading" almost the whole book by himself. The story has a moral to it too, about how the chameleon, after wishing to be all the things it wasn't, ended up so mixed-up that it finally wished "I could be myself." We have great fun reading about the chameleon together, as we do about the other Eric Carle characters: hungry caterpillar, brown bear, polar bear, and little cloud.

A colorful story with a valuable lesson
Eric Carle has a beautiful way of telling stories that touch the heart and teach valuable lessons. The Mixed-up Chameleon tells a story about the importance of being yourself. My 2 year old loves the bright pictures and easy to follow story. Another loved Eric Carle story! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Why I like Georgia Heard's books
All of the books I have read by Georgia Heard are very creative and fun and easy. These poems just flow from the beggining to end. They are simple to read yet bring on complex thoguhts. I recommend this book to anyone who'd like to read poems and just relax. ... Read more

Book Description

This adorable lift-the-flap book captures the excitement and joy of baby animals upon the arrival of their fathers! When Daddy Dog comes home, his puppy barks! When Daddy Bird comes home, his chick chirps. What do you do when your Daddy comes home? Perfect for celebrating fathers every day! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

amusing combination of fiction and non-fiction
Emmadine. a cow, joins Admiral Byrd's 1933 expedition to the South Pole. Factual information about the South Pole is blended with the details of Emmadine's escapades, impressions, and adventures in the coldest place on earth. All the while she is collecting memories to tell to her "grandcows" when she gets home to the farm. ... Read more

Book Description

Best-seller Graeme Base is back with an all-new story filled with hidden pictures on every page!

Little Ngiri is the Smallest Warthog in Africa. Tired of being teased by his bigger brothers and sisters, he wishes things could be different. When Old Nyumbu the Wildebeest gives Ngiri a set of magic drums, he is sure his wish is about to come true. But all the animals of the jungle are in for a BIG surprise as Ngiri's wish is granted in a most unexpected way. In the end, the gentle message that inner beauty and change is more important than outer beauty rings true. In true Graeme Base style, there is an added surprise at the end of the book. Everything seems to be normal in the jungle, but look closely and you will see that none of the animals or the other creatures watching from the trees are quite the way they were when the book began. Look even closer, and you will also find Old Nyumbu the Wildebeest hidden somewhere on every spread. Jungle Drums is a book to be read over and over again. AUTHOR BIO: Graeme Base, while working on Jungle Drums, journeyed with his family to Tanzania, Africa, where they camped in the Serengeti among giraffes, elephants, zebras, and of course warthogs. The trip helped Graeme bring the characters and landscape of the book to life. Graeme lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his artist wife, Robyn, and their three children. ... Read more