Reviews (9)

Look out--quite inappropriate
I hate to write a negative comment because this is basically a fun book with great illustrations. I was looking to buy this for use in my classroom. OOPS! Thank goodness I read through it first. The, "Oh, Poop" comment wasn't too bad, but the reference to grandmother's bosom, which I could live with in and of itself, comes complete with illustration. YIKES! (...)-cleavage and all! Perhaps for reading at home this would be a fun book, but not for a group of children.

What are YOU So Grumpy About?
I was very disappointed in the "Oh Poop" comment written out to the side of the picture where the boy received underwear for a present. I was also disappointed in the suggestion that the boy had been lost in his grandmother's bosom. I guess I am just old fashioned but I didn't find either one of these things appropriate for what I want to show to my child. As a result, I returned the book for a refund. It was cute but those two things in the book offended me.

my son laughed until tears were running down his face
we just read that one page where the boy gets a birthday present over and over and over again at least twenty times and my four year old laughed and laughed and laughed. i only have the recite the line "oh poop" and he laughs and laughs. it is a lovely lovely book. i love it when someone comes up with abook for kids that is just funny, no educational bits, no fights in it, no conflicts,- just silly funny.

Who are YOU kidding...?
You guys are all nuts! This book is not just for kids! My aunt showed me this book (she had bought it for her grand-nephew) and I couldn't stop laughing! I'm now ordering it for my girlfriend to give her for her 18th birthday! This is a great book for ANY age!
Sure to cure any bout of grumpiness, keep this one in a safe place for those bad days!

Excellent Book
This book is hilarious for young children and adults. My 6 year old Grump asks me to read it to him repeatedly. He loves it! The illustrations are beautiful. The inside cover with tips on curing grumpiness are an ingenious bonus to the story. As a teacher and a parent, I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

For twenty years, Cynthia Rylant's story of childhood in the Appalachian Mountains has been an enduring favorite. Growing up in the mountains is depicted with a spare, lyrical text and beautiful, tender illustrations by Diane Goode. The book was awarded a Caldecott Honor Medal.

To celebrate its twentieth anniversary, When I Was Young in the Mountains is being released with a commemorative copper-colored band.

Illustrated by Diane Goode ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A wonderful story!
I read this book to my children (then ages 3 and 6) and they both loved it. I always look for stories about people who live or lived differently than we do today to help my children realize how EASY we have it today. They were especially interested (and amused by) the "johnny house" (my son still paraphrases the part about the child promissing not to have more than one serving of okra again after having to make repeated trips to the johnny house at night).

The illustrations were charming and complemented the text beautifully.

Appalachia never looked so good
Author Cynthia Rylant has written a tender story of her childhood days, living in the Appalachian Mountains not so long ago. Accompanied by the excellent illustrator Diane Goode, the book is a straightforward look at life amongst the best-known American mountain folk. Scenes of daily life include everything from needing a brave adult to accompany you out into the dark scary night (on your way to the outhouse) to getting baptized in the local swimming hole.

The book is remarkable for its lack of overt sentimentality. Some might disagree with me, but I was struck by how this book did not fail to note the less than desirable elements of living in the wilderness. Swimming in a swimming hole of your own might be fun. Just watch out for snakes. And baths required an awful amount of work. Pumping the water. Carrying it to the house. Heating it. Goode's delicate illustrations accompany the text of this story perfectly. If Rylant says that the proprietors of the local store (Mr. & Mrs. Crawford) were identical, then gosh darn it, the people look identical. And I especially adored the moment when the narrator's grandmother kills a big nasty snake in the woods. The next picture displays the narrator, her brother, and two other red-headed childred posing sheepishly for a traveling photographer, gigantic dead snake draped across their heads.

I cannot think of many other book that take place in Appalachia. And I certainly can't think of any that are better than this. A sweet good-hearted story, "When I Was Young In the Mountains" understands what it meant to live a difficult life with pleasure and human warmth.

When I Was Young in the Mountains
This is a magical book for those of us who remember grandmothers who were just like this. For me, a nostalgic evocation of time spent years ago in the West Virginia mountains with my grandmother doing the very things that are mentioned in this book. A very special book.

A love song to the Appalachian region
Cynthia Rylant's enduring favorite "When I Was Young in the Mountains" is the tale of her own childhood growing up in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. The gently repetitive text details her everyday life, from swimming in a swimming hole (even if there were snakes!) to taking a bath to drinking cocoa made by her grandmother. Each page starts off with, "When I was young in the mountains . . . " By the final page, we see that not only did Ms. Rylant appreciate her low-tech, memory-making childhood, but she wouldn't have traded it for anything.

Diane Goode's softly colored illustrations beautifully dovetail with the text, whether she's showing a river baptism, a nighttime trip to the "johnny-house" after too much fried okra, or a stint at the water pump. It's a lovely ode to the simple life, and to being happy with what you have instead of worrying about what you don't have.

Wonderful Memories
Reading this book was truly a joyous experience for me. I grew up in southern West Virginia and spent many days with my grandmother at her house out in the hills. Ms. Rylant's book reminded me so much of my own childhood! This book is beautifully written and illustrated, and brings to the reader a wonderful feeling of warmth and friendliness. Her descriptions are true-to-life, heartfelt, and easily understood by young children. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The perfect first space book for those almost-readers, There's No Place Like Space takes us on a whirlwind tour of our solar system, with a few constellations thrown in for good measure. Cat in the Hat (along with beloved Thing One and Thing Two) straps on his space suit and rhymes his way among the nine planets, presenting important facts along the way. Where else could your preschooler learn phonics and astronomy at same time? "A planet can have satellites that surround it.Uranus has lots of these objects around it" is just one example. This is a fine addition to the library of any young stargazer--few books are written with this many facts furnished in such an easy-reading manner. (Preschool to early reader) --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent!
My 4 year old LOVES this book. It presents accurate information about the planets in a simplified, fun way that young readers (and parents, too) enjoy. If your budding astronomer or astronaut is looking for simple, fun, colorful books about space, this is the best!

A wonderful book!
I cannot say how impressed I am with The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, they truly are wonderful books. There's No Place Like Space! is fun to read and helps children understand space and our solar system in a fun rhythmic way. My son loves this book and has shared it with his pre-school class with high praises from his teachers. The information in this book will give a young child a good base of knowledge for future learning.

Loved by both young and old alike
This book is wonderful! I feel that any time a book sparks the interest for young people it deserves high praise. My daughter enjoys all of the books in the Dr. Suess Learning Library Series, but especially this one. ... Read more

Book Description

With their engaging stories and clever illustrations, the Bob Books have ushered millions of kids into the world of reading. This relaunch of the popular series features a handy new chart on the back of each box that enables parents and educators to easily identify which set is best suited for their child's reading capabilities. Each set is color coded to indicate reading level and each story is carefully crafted to help children at different learning stages master essential reading skills. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wonderful!
My daughter is 5, and we have been reading Bob Books for about a year now. We started with the most basic set and have worked to the more difficult books. They are simple enough that she has gained tremendous confidence in her reading skills. She never gets frustrated and wants to quit. Her reading skills have far surpassed her age, and I feel that these books are part of the reason. I would highly recommend them for anyone with beginning readers! I can't say enough good things about them!

GOOD PROGRESSIVE LEARNING TOOL
WE LIKE THE WAY THE BOB BOOKS GRADUALLY GET MORE DIFFICULT - IT BUILDS CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS.

Five WOWS for Bob!
This series continues the fantastic reading series Bob Books. I use these little books in my first grade class room and also had them available for my own child when he was a beginner reader. Your children will adore these little books---simple, accessible, enjoyable. Children gravitate toward little books which the author intuitively used as her masterstroke in marketing these charming books. I love them! Kids love them! Get them all! And write and draw your own! Five WOWS!

Bob Books Wow!
These are great! Both my kids love reading them. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A fun book
I am a mother of two boys ages 3 and 4. We like this book. It has cute pictures and the rhyming is fun. It is a book full of questions and then answers the questions in ryhme. Silly and fun.

Yes, but they don't use soap!
What a great book! My 2 1/2 year old son loves the rhyming text, the fun pictures, and was particularly interested in what pirates dream of! Of course, parents must put on their salty drawl to make the book even more fun, Matey! A great addition to a child's book collection.

Pirates take baths when they smell very bad!
This bright and cheery book about pirates is hilarious. Bright and cheery describes a pirate's life? Yes, as you read how pirates work, if they have pets, and what they dream about plus the answer to many more questions you haven't thought of before. The illustrations are full of life and the rhyming descriptions are a lot of fun. "Do Pirates Have Birthdays? Of course they do--with presents and games and lots of soda pop. The cook makes a cake with doubloons inside and a skull-and-bones on top." Of course the cake is bright pink with a happy skull and bones on top. In the background pirates play pin-the-tail-on-the-whale and eat ice cream by the scoopful. Loads of fun! ... Read more

Book Description

In this tender sequel to the New York Times bestseller and children's classic, The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn provides parents with another tale of love and reassurance to share with their children. Chester Raccoon has a baby brother--and the baby is a bit more than Chester had bargained for. "Please can we give him back?" he begs Mrs. Raccoon, to no avail. The last straw is when Chester sees his mother give his baby brother a kissing hand--his kissing hand, Chester thinks. His mother assuages his fears with her own special brand of wisdom, finding just the right way to let Chester know that he is deeply loved. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A delightful story about raccoons and love.
As a book reviewer for Funseeker's Radio Network I come across a lot of delightful children's book, but this one has to be in the top ten. A mother raccoon has two cubs, with Chester being the older. His mother gives him a kiss in his hand, a "kissing hand" and he is delighted, until he sees her give one to his baby brother. His mother lets him know that he is loved just as much as his brother and that she has enough love for both of them. The illustrations by Barbara Leonard Gibson are some of the best I have seen and remind me of Harry, my own pet raccoon I had when I was younger. This book needs to be bought in pairs, one for the adult buying it and one or more for the children who will love the story and the message it gives. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Very disappointing
The story is REALLY silly.
Moreover, throughout the book the value given to Pi
is WRONG (it is stated to be 22/7, and only at the very end is it casually mentioned to be an approximation).
This book is a perfect example of how NOT to attract kids to Math.

Good Intro to Pi
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi is the story of a boy that must use math to save his father. Most of the character's names are terms found in math, like Sir Cumference and Radius, which cleverly adds to the effect of the story. The use of a dragon gives the story more of a fantasy feel which appeals to the younger audience. The illustrations in the book are done well and add to the medieval setting of the book because they look like oil paintings. The goal of this book is to introduce kids to the concept of pi in a fun and easy to understand way. It pulls this off by having a fairy tale setting and actually having a reason to use pi that kids can understand. This book is not a quick read, yet it's not long enough to lose the attention of a child. Even though this is a children's book, it should only be used for older children since it involves division with fractions. Because of this, it works as a great educational tool for those older children by introducing them to a fundamental math term they will most likely use later in life.

Excellent Conceptual Intro
The Dragon of Pi is an excellent conceptual introduction to Pi, a concept not even clear to most adults, for children. The ideas are clear and playfully woven into the plot. Using the globally favorite dragon as a character, this book is animated, informative, and an effective educational tool.

Silly motivation of pi
Of all the reasons to be interested in pi, surely curing your father's belly ache is the least inspired. This book is about politics not mathematics.

Nice idea, but ...
A young boy gives his father the wrong potion to cure a bellyache, and must solve the riddle of the ratio of a circle's circumference to it's diameter to get the dosage to cure him. I enjoyed the fun names (Geo and Sym, the Metry brothers), but I was disappointed in the author's choice to use 22/7 as the value for pi. If the story hadn't made such a big point of getting the dose correct (or Dad would never be cured), I wouldn't have had any trouble with introducing an approximate value. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ah, The Shrinking of Treehorn. Cloudy with a Chance ofMeatballs! Flat Stanley. Even the beloved, silly The Piggy in thePuddle. Janet Schulman, editor of The 20th-Century Children's BookTreasury and longtime children's book editor and publisherextraordinaire, knows how to pick 'em. Here, she has lovingly gathered 26 morebest-loved stories in one stout volume. Although You Read to Me & I'll Readto You functions as a companion to her earlier anthology, it is not, asSchulman says in the introduction, more of the same. These stories, from WilliamSteig's Amos and Boris and Daniel Pinkwater's Blue Moose toFreckle Juice by Judy Blume and The True Story of the 3 LittlePigs by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, were carefully selected based on theirappropriateness for reading aloud. Storylines are more fully developed, withmore words and fewer pictures. In short, these stories are just right forchildren in their first few years of school who can now read--but still love tobe read to. This collection of absolute gems, including portions of longerchapter books, is sure to find a permanent, favored spot on young children'sbedside tables, long after they've mastered reading skills. An index of titles,authors, and illustrators allows readers to find their all-time favorites--orexplore a brand-new (to you) author's work. This excellent, positively historiccollection of the crème de la crème of read-aloud stories belongson every bookshelf. And, though hefty in size, remember that it's just one bookto throw in the travel bag! (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Book
I found this book on the sale table at my local Border's Book Store and though it might be fun to read to my soon who was 4 - 1/2 at the time. We both enjoyed the stories and I have read some of them by myself. My favorite is The True Story of The Three Little Pigs. As a budding stand up comic I have always found that there is a lot of fun and laughs in fairy tales and this story proves it. My son likes the longer stories and if it is to long we do it over two nights. I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading to their kids and it also helps with children learing new words and works on their attention span.

Disappointment
I bought this book to take on vacation for our 3 year old son, hoping that it would eliminated the need to pack 20 or so books. The selections are excellent however the pictures with the stories are small and it seems that many of the pictures have been deleted. And much of the joy of reading these stories comes from looking at the pictures.
My recommendation is to print out the table of contents and then go check the individual books out at the library.

Great book
This was a very good book to buy for my daughter she loves it!

Sharing the Love of Reading and Your Mutual Love!
Reading to children is tremendously important in helping them develop an interest in reading, a competence to read better, and a closeness between the reader and listener. With beginning reading books, children often memorize the pages and "read" the material back. Gradually, the memory is connected to the specific letter combinations on the page and words are learned.

For the adults, the retreat from reader to listener is often rapid during the years from ages 5-7. It is easy to forget that children love to be read to when they are older. With more difficult material, the same learning process applies. My daughter, for example, delighted in having an English teacher in 7th grade who read to the class every day.

Even if you do decide to read to one another, what do you read? It is hard to take on 150 page youth books.

Into this perceptual and content gap comes the very helpful You Read to Me & I'll Read to You. Having helped raise four children and being quite interested in reading to them . . . as well as being someone who often reviews children's books, I was humbled to realize that the very fine stories in this volume were mostly new to me. I wish this book had been published about 25 years ago so I could have read all of these stories with my children.

Most of the stories are at a third grade reading level, so the reading to one another will make a lot of progress over time. Some of the material would be appealing to kindergartners, but the vocabulary for most of the stories would be past many first graders. My suggestion is that you read all of the stories, and think about which ones will be right for the child you will be listening to and reading to. There is no organization for helping you select the stories, other than a suggestion of beginning with Maurice Sendak's "Pierre."

If vocabulary is going to be a barrier for some stories, you might start working on explaining the unknown words by working them into everyday speech before reading the stories.

Then, think about the strategy for sharing the reading. The first time you read the book together, you might explain that you are looking forward to having the book read to you in the future. Before the child can read whole sentences, you might let your child read whatever words she or he knows and you read the other words. As competence builds, you could alternate words, sentences, paragraphs or whatever is fun for both of you. A good discussion of which method to use, which story to choose, and how long to read can make the time together livelier.

Notice that if you live at a distance or have to travel, you could acquire two books and share the reading over the telephone.

One of the strengths of the selections comes in that there is a good representation of stories about both boys and girls.

The original illustrations appear with the stories, which give them extra character for encouraging the right kind of emotion for reading aloud.

My favorite stories in the book are "Wilma Unlimited" (about Wilma Rudolph overcoming challenges to become a track champion), "The Bears on Hemlock Mountain" (handling danger in the dark), "The Practical Princess" (turning a princess into a dragon slayer and brave heroine), "The Tenth Good Thing About Barney" (dealing with the death of beloved pet) and "Flat Stanley" (about a boy who is temporary flattened and experiences a change in his life style).

Other excellent stories are "Amos & Boris" (a whale and mouse pair who help each other somewhat like the lion and mouse do in the Aesop's Fables), "The Magic Finger" (Roald Dahl's fantasy about role reversals between hunters and the hunted), "Horton Hatches the Egg" (Dr. Seuss's classic story about faithfulness), "The Araboolies of Liberty Street" (challenging what "different" means), and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" (a food fantasy).

The only story in the collection that I disliked was "No Kiss for Mother." If any of the stories are not your cup of tea, you can obviously skip it or them.

Having established the pleasant precedent of doing this mutual reading, I suggest that you continue to do it past third grade . . . graduating on to material that your child loves the most and would like to read and have read to her or him. I suspect you will have a happy reading partner at least until the teenage years arrive. Now, what could be nicer than that?

Give the gift of yourself and your love of reading . . . every day!

Some of the 20th Century's Treasures.....
Janet Schulman, editor of the 20th-Century Children's Book Treasury, is back with another wonderful collection of stories, this time geared to emerging readers and beyond. These 26 carefully chosen selections, from some of the 20th century's best known and favorite children's authors and illustrators, range from the true-to-life, autobiographical and poignant, to the magical, humorous and just plain silly. But all have one important thing in common. They beg to be shared and read aloud. Included in this volume are the very best and brightest, a veritable smorgasbord of entertaining and engaging stories...William Steig's Amos & Boris, Roald Dahl's The Magic Finger, Dr Seuss' Horton Hatches the Egg, Judith Viorst's The Tenth Good Thing About Barney, Crockett Johnson's Ellen's Lion, Judy Blume's Freckle Juice, Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, Maurice Sendak's Pierre, Florence Parry Heide's The Shrinking of Treehorn, Daniel Pinkwater's Blue Moose and much more. All are unabridged and feature their original illustrations. This is a collection that inspires the love of reading and invites you to read together, with your children. Perfect for youngsters 4 and older, You Read To Me & I'll Read To You is a masterpiece to share, savor and enjoy, now and in the many years to come. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

WOW!
I just bought this recently, and it is much better than I even expected. I have a bunch of camping books in my library, and this one is better than many more expensive adult books. It has great advice even for adults, but is indespensible for camping with kids. It teaches you how to build a fire safely, cooking on the fire, (great kid favorites recipes), dealing with bugs, how to pick a camp site, what kind of Lots of safety tips too. The fun drawings make this a pleasure as well.

The authors show you how to make a reflector oven. The main feature if this book is the fun activities for around the fire such as stories songs, games, etc. Teaches kids how to identify the stars easily and even identify features on the face of the moon. I plan to use this with our Cub Scouts.

Great for Novice and Experienced Campers Alike
This book flows like the campfire. From gathering the supplies, to lighting the fire, to the blaze, to the dieing fire, to the embers it's an enjoyable experience.

It has lots of activities: stories, songs, skits, etc. to make your campfire an enjoyable experience.

I wish I had owned this book when I taught a Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation for teaching Cub Scout Adults about making a successful overnight campout.

This book has been added to my library and will be suggested at all future BALOO trainings.

Excellent source for camping with children
I am a girl scout leader and was looking for a book to help me on my first trip with young children (grades 2-4). It provided me with useful recipes for cooking on coals, cooking in a pit, or even a reflector oven. This book has many good suggestions for campfire games and even activities that can be used for achieving try-its or even junior level badges. Summer stargazing and moonwatching are covered in detail. This is a great book for beginners or experienced campers. You must have this book if you enjoy the outdoor overnight experience.

A fun book
"The Kids Campfire Book" is a wonderful collection of all sorts of things kids want to know and do with campfires: building a fire, songs, star gazing, stories, recipes and lots more. The illustrations are clear and charming! I've used it with Cub Scouts and at a lake cabin, and it adapts to any similar situation. A good resource for anyone camping or enjoying a campfire with kids. ... Read more

Book Description

How does a tiny acorn grow into an enormous oak tree? At one time, the tree in your backyard could fit into your pocket! Look inside to learn the simple steps for turning a packet of seeds into you own garden.

How does a tiny acorn grow into an enormous oak tree? At one time, the tree in your backyard could have fit into your pocket! Look inside to learn the simple steps for turning a packet of seeds into your own garden. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My five year old enjoyed this book
We enjoy the "Let's - Read - & - Find - Out" series of books. This one is a good addition, explaining seeds on my five year old son's level of understanding . Something that many adult writers of childrens' science books sometimes aren't very good at getting across. It is in my child's library at school.

The books in this series are informative and interesting for their target audiences. The illustrations are well done and add to understanding the process being described. They make it easier to follow for kids.

Life Springing Forth.
This book should have been more appropriately titled HOW TO WATCH A SEED GROW. Instead of discussing the various stages of development and explaining what happens, the book is basically an extended science project explaining how students can watch a seed grow into a plant. The book talks about the different stages, but only discusses what the planted beans should look like in those stages, not really explaining what is happening or why. Nevertheless, the book does outline a good science project for younger children, but isn't much as a book to read to kids.

A Kids First Science Book
This is one very good science book. If you would like to do a seed project then this is a good guide to lots of young peoples questions about plants. It has colorful illustrations about what is happening with your project. It is written in detail, but not like a boring high school science textbook that goes on, and on, and on about one thing, giving every detail that there is. So what I'm trying to say is that this is a good book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Every Robert Sabuda pop-up is a marvel, but America the Beautiful is singularly remarkable for its inspired interpretation of the classic American anthem. Each page presents a magnificent pop-up featuring a line from the first (and best known) verse of "America the Beautiful." Sabuda has included the song in its entirety, featuring mini pop-ups, in a small booklet on the final page. Beginning with the Golden Gate Bridge, and ending with a spectacularly regal Statue of Liberty, Sabuda's America the Beautiful is a lovely keepsake that also serves as a patriotic primer for teaching young ones about America. --Daphne Durham

Amazon.com's The Significant Seven
Master paper engineer Robert Sabuda answers the seven questions we ask every author.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?

A: Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. I specifically remember feeling as if I'd become a grown-up reader because many of the pages did not have pictures.

Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?

A: The Stand by Stephen King
Madonna's Greatest Hits
Strangers with Candy: Season One

Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?

A: That I'd be finishing a book project on time.

Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.

A: I live in New York City, so anyplace that's quiet.

Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?

A: "Robert Sabuda--Bookmaker."

Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?

A: Benjamin Franklin

Q: If you could have one superpower what would it be?

A: Invisibility

... Read more

Book Description

This Bible features colorful illustrations and over 400 easy to read words that will have youngsters saying "I Can Read It!" ... Read more

Reviews (8)

An outstanding achievement, buy this and not a "spin off"
As an early childhood program director for a large church and the parent of children who were reluctant readers, I was truly impressed with this outstaning children's bible. It proved to be a favorite devotional bible in our household from age 4 through age 9.

V. Gilbert Beers is an expert in christian education and understands children's developmental needs. When it first came out, this bible nicely filled the gap between publications for early childhood and the primary grades. Beers has created a text that builds word upon word, skill upon skill, just as a good school reading series does. The biblical text is accurate and engaging and is accompanied by wonderful colorful illustrations that enhance the stories with visual cues that aid reading comprehension. I also found this bible is a good choice for older children with reading delays. The pages are laid out with children's visual skills in mind and are easily "taken in" by children with visual/perceptual difficulties. Each chapter ends with an interactive section of things to think about and try. Children can act on what they've read immediately, and that's what children like! I've known 4 years olds who can begin to read words from this text on their own, and six year olds that can master it and read it to their friends. I have recommended this book to dozens of parents and Sunday school leaders looking for an appropriate bible for chidren ages 4 through 8.

Don't bother with the "knock offs" you'll find with similar titles; they don't hold a candle to this original and best of it's kind. There are, however, two other worthwhile and engaging bibles I've found that pay close attention to fun use of language or reading skills: The Rhyme Bible, and the Growing Reader's Phonics Bible. But, the Early Readers Bible remains my all around favorite for this developmental group. A great choice for cozy bedtime reading aloud to your two through 9 year olds, too.

An Excellent Gold'n' Honey Book.
This is the type of Bible that not only is awesome for little children, but it is also great for the young and older teenager, Along with the Mature Adult(man & woman) who really never learned anything in CCD due to those silly controlling instructors, etc. If you want a fun, loving, inspirational and motivating Bible to learn about Jesus Christ, then this Bible is for You! The cartoon illustrations along with the selected Biblical stories are simplified so you may understand the big picture(that everything in life is about caring and love)." The Early Reader's Bible; A Bible to Read All By Yourself" is recommended to all parents, kids, teenagers, and adults. This is fun reading and emotionally touching. Get it!

wonderful
I exchanged The Eager Reader's Bible by Daniel J. Hochstatter and Daryl J. Lucas for this book, and am glad I did.

The illustrations are far more serious and respectful of the text than are those in Eager Reader, and the authors have created a short series of questions to follow each story, such as "Why should you try to please God in all that you do?" or "How do you know when something is bad?" The questions allow a parent or a Sunday School teacher to help young children reflect upon and absorb the Bible story he's just read or heard.

When I asked my 6 year old why we try to please God he answered with a question, saying, "Because God is our boss?" Although that would be a good answer for some (I'm not suggesting it's wrong) in my faith we lean toward the notion that we aim to please God because He is the ultimate source of wisdom and goodness. God knows what is right and what is wrong, and we try to please him in order to do right.

My son and I were able to talk about this only because the questions were there. I wouldn't have thought of them on my own, and I think the questions are both profound and developmentally on-target. The authors have insights into children's understanding of God that probably few of us parents do.

It is also the best choice for a new reader. My son is a just-turned-six year old who learned to read about 6 months ago. The book is designed along the lines of an "I Can Read" book. Each story has a short list of new words on the first page, and at the back of the book the authors provide a "Basic Words List" and a "New Words List." The back cover says that the text features "250 basic words used in public school early reader books" as well as "200 new words including Bible vocabulary, with fewer than five new words introduced in each story." My son can read this Bible on his own whereas the Eager Reader Bible would have been too hard.

This is a wonderful book.

Great bedtime reading with my 2 year old
Initially we started reading this to my toddler because he loved his Noah's Ark board books, and I wanted to read him a more in-depth story. Then, we've expanded to all the stories of the Bible. He now finishes the sentances for me! This is the book I will give all my son's playgroup frineds, as it is colorful and simple, yet interesting for them. As my son grows, it will be a simple move to step him up to a complete Bible. Even at 2 years of age, we have been able to talk about things in our Christian walk thanks to the discussion started with one of these stories.

Great for beginner readers
I bought this for my daughter who can manage lots of small words. This book is constructed so that it gives the child confidence in reading without lots of help. Each chapter introduces a new set of vocabulary words. The part that I really like is the review pages at the end of each chapter that test the comprehension of what has been read and that invite the child to consider how the story applies to his life. These have lead to some pretty great discussions with my daughter that I doubt I would have had otherwise. My only complaint is that the stories lack so much detail that my daughter often says "But what happened in between?" and "It says that God punished them, but how?" Even with that, though, this book is still a winner! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"This book is not a book about a toy. It is a book about an idea, a set of values, and a long-term commitment to empowering children to use their creativity and build their imagination."

The visual wizards at Dorling Kindersley have labored together with the staff at Lego to assemble a hefty, photo-rich book essential to the library of any maniac (or maniac emeritus). The Ultimate Lego Book recounts the company's early history as a one-man operation back in the 1930s and subsequent creation of its first plastic "automatic binding brick," to the contemporary construction of myriad Legoland theme parks.

Trivia buffs will appreciate the playful but detailed graphic time line (first Lego window, 1957; first wheel, 1962; first dolphin, 1995). Everyone will love the pages of imagination-stretching constructions, from the small but clever (an unmistakable Elvis, complete with pompadour) to the overwhelmingly detailed (a meticulous model of Grand Central Station) to the downright strange (a life-size space helmet with visor and gas mask). The Lego universe includes a Mona Lisa replica, a 10,500-piece pelican, and even a yellow submarine. Enjoy! (Ages 6 to 106) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (19)

LEGO is the best toy ever!
I must admit, I don't own this book. I haven't read all of it either. It's my little brothers, he's read most of it. When I was somewhere around 2 (that was almost 13 years ago) my uncles bought me a a bunch of huge containers of LEGO bricks. I have been endlessly amused by the stuff ever since (for the record, I'm the only girl my age I know of who still likes to build with it). Anyway, I was flipping through this book soon after my brother got it thinking "Hey! This is pretty cool!" Believe it or not I really didn't think there were people who's job it was to make huge LEGO models out of any peices they want. This is one of the many interesting things I picked up just from leafing through it in abouit five minutes. On top of that the pictures are great. So, if you like LEGO at all or know someone who does you should pick it up. It's got tons of stuff any LEGO maniac would find fascinating.

P-r-e-t-t-y Amazing
My brothers and I spend hours playing with LEGO as children. I remember the LEGO people ended up out in the sand box and who knows what ever happened to all those LEGO pieces that were "very" painful to step on by accident!

Anyway, this book shows some amazing things you can build with LEGO. We are talking the Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera House. Now you can even play with LEGO while wearing LEGO brand clothing.

"This book is not about a toy. It is a book about an idea, a set of values, and a long-term commitment to empowering children to use their creativity and build their imagination. "
-Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen

This book documents the story of LEGO and tells how a master carpenter in a small town of Billund, in Jutland, Denmark started making wooden toys. It then shows the evolution of the LEGO bricks through the years.

One of the most intricate constructions is a model of Grand Central Station. It contains 600,000 bricks and took four model makers six months to build.

The LEGO brick art is pretty amazing. They even have the Mona Lisa in a LEGO frame.

Captivating!

Great Book!
This book had great details about all the Lego sites and the history of Lego, but it didn't really refer to exactly how things were made or whether they were still there. Since I have never been to a Lego site it's a great way to beg my mom to let me go!
Read this book!

Great for Kids and Adults...
We purchased this book for my oldest son (10) for X-mas. He really enjoyed looking at the pictures and seeing how Lego engineers their different lands and how they make different pieces.

As an adult it brought back fond memories of childhood with the time lines and examples of how and when different lego pieces came to be.

We enjoyed sitting down with our kids and paging through this large volume. We hope you do too!!!

the little block that could...
I bought this book for a 4 year old Lego nut. He hasn't put it down in about 2 years and has given him tons of building ideas. He has been a Lego enthusiast since 2 years old and couldn't even believe that people actually played with lego and got paid for it. This is a great book for little and big block builders. he loved the mindstorms part also. Lego-it's not just for kids anymore. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Exotic, beautiful, and instructive, this "mathematical folktale" by author-illustrator Demi emerged from her love of India. The narrative and the evocative illustrations combine to create a real sense of the culture and atmosphere of this romantic land.

It's the story of Rani, a clever girl who outsmarts a very selfish raja and saves her village. When offered a reward for a good deed, she asks only for one grain of rice, doubled each day for 30 days. Remember your math? That's lots of rice: enough to feed a village for a good long time--and to teach a greedy raja a lesson. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Beautiful Math, Eloquent Ethics
Demi sweeps us away with this story of a little girl whose quick thinking and knowlege of mathematics teaches a raja a lesson and saves her village.

This story touches on many levels, the first of which is the visual. A few of its glossy pages, each the quality of a fine color print, unfold to over two feet in length for the purpose of illustrating a mathematic principle that could never be explained as well only in words, no matter how many. It also serves up a well-told tale, set in India, that holds a child to the last. Finally, it offers lessons in generosity, keeping one's word, providing for the future, and helping the poor. "A Grain of Rice" is truly original, however, in the way that it brings all of these elements, particularly the mathematic and the humanitarian, together in one arrestingly beautiful book.

This would make a touching gift to anyone who enjoys Indian art and design or mathematics, regardless of age. It is also a perfect gift for a child as it is both aesthetically pleasing and educational--what parent could want more in a children's book?

My daughter loves this book!
We checked this book out from the library 3 years ago when she was five. That year it was at the top of her Christmas wish list. Now three years later it is still one her favorite books. This book has a positive moral about greed and courage. It features a smart, courageous and generous female character who uses math to out whit a greedy raja. It also shows children that sharing and kindness are rewards in themselves. Plus the math lesson is fun and educational. What more could a parent ask for? We could ask for fantastic Indian art illustrations which the book is filled with. So this book does have it all. A positive moral, a brave heroine, an educational math lesson and wonderful vibrant illustrations.

Wonderful Story!
Just wondering if anyone can give us all information on when this book will be available again. It is one of the best storys with the most beautiful pictures for young and old alike. It is a classic that will always be on top of my list!

A lovely book. But why is everybody WHITE?
This book has many strong points. It features a strong and clever female heroine. It makes mathematics fun. The sumptuous illustratations imitate the style of Classical Indian miniatures. But I have a major reservation: all the characters appear Caucasian, with very white skin and very rosy cheeks, even though the book is set in India, and the characters wear Indian clothing. We bought this book for our daughter, whom we adopted from India. I wish that she could see in this book a brave and resourceful heroine who is BROWN like her.

A great book for young kids!
When I was little, this was one of my favorite books. I loved the way the one grain of rice would turn into over ten billion! Every kid from 1st-4th grade will love this! Its fun to read and a great math lesson! Hope you enjoy this sweet book! ... Read more

Book Description

Bright and playful board book devoted to the all-important Blankie, the object that comforts many a child through the dramas of each day. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Perfect book about my favorite Blankie!
I am 29 years old and I still sleep with my blankie.This book is great -- it captures all the emotions I remember from growing up with a blankie that never left my side.If your baby has a blanky or if you used to (or you still do), read this book.It's priceless!

I love this toddler!
I come to this as a big fan of Leslie Patricelli's first three books. The reader is treated to more hilarious illustrations which are accompanied by a really sweet story about attachment to a blankie. I read this to my 7 mth old and look forward to more from this author. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Little Hands
This is a very useful book for a parent who wants to work along her child. Activities are well explained and organized by supplies needed, so you won't have to browse through all the pages to find something appropriate for the supplies you have at home. Also, though not clearly stated, there are holiday activities. Older children, especially those younger than nine, will find this book useful. And, they should be able to follow thw instructions with very little help, if any.

More Crafts than Art. found here.
As an artist and parent who now teaches art to young children, I think this book has some cute craft ideas but is not the best introduction to art for children. I prefer Scribble Art by Mary Ann Kohl - it has a similar easy-to-read format with projects that can be adapted to almost any age, but Scribble Art involves more open-ended projects that allow for creativity and self-expression. Little Hands is more results oriented - for instance, if you want to make a quick turtle using a plastic bowl, this book will show you how. Many of projects involve a specific end result - a representational image of a pumpkin or porcupine. Granted, there are times for this; however, I prefer an approach to allows children to create their own subject matter, or explore freely within a given material or technique.

Excellent book for daycare providers or at-home moms!
This book not only provides awesome project ideas, but also shows how to make it simpler or more complex based on age AND provides other ideas and/or book suggestions to go along with the project. It takes a the idea of doing a project with your littles ones to a whole new level. An excellent source for daycare providers, stay-at-home moms, and home schoolers!

By far the best home arts & crafts book for preschoolers
After being disappointed repeatedly by other books of this type, I was lucky enough to find this one. Nothing compares with it in terms of simplicity, creative fun, easy instructions, excellent illustrations, availability of materials at home, variety. My 3 and 4-year olds' favorite afternoon activity is to flip thru the pages and pick out a project - and they are always delighted by the results. My favorite gift to other mothers of preschoolers. Only one word of advise - the clay recipes are not the best - in particular the play dough one - but it's common enough to find elsewhere. If you're going to buy one book in this category, I couldn't recommend this one more. ... Read more

Book Description

This rhythmic read-aloud par excellence follows a clever mouse on a walk through the deep dark wood, where he encounters several hungry inhabitants who want to make him their main course. Lacking size or strength as defenses, quick-witted Mouse instead taps the powers of his imagination to create the gruffalo, a "terrible creature with terrible claws, and terrible tusks in his terrible jaws." But will Mouse's frightful description be enough to ruin the appetites of his determined foes? After all, there's no such thing as a gruffalo. Oh, no?? ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The Gruffalo
This is a wonderful and engaging book to have in a classroom library. You can teach various writing and reading concepts such as: inferences, dialogue, patterns, punctuation and rhyme. Kids simply love it and are eager to participate in the reading.

Good for confidence-building
My 3 year old daughter loves this book. Within a week she knew most of the words and she now 'reads' it to herself while looking at the pictures. The rhymes are well written with plenty of repetition, making them easy for a child to learn. We read it together most days. It ranks with the Dr Seuss books for popularity on her bookshelf.

The message of the book is that size doesnt matter, that it is more important to use your wits. I particularly like the chorus 'silly old fox (snake/owl), doesnt he know, there's no such thing as a gruffalo', as it makes the reader feel that they are outwitting the fox/snake/owl, and finally even the Gruffalo itself.

Outstanding Book
Wonderful story of an imaginative mouse who while taking a walk through the woods makes up a story about a animal he calls a Gruffalo , he makes up this animal to protect himself from the various predators (fox, owl, snake ) that want to eat him .He succeeds in frightening away the animals ,but than he meets the animal of his imagination a Gruffalo. Now he has a bigger problem the Gruffalo wants to eat him, so he tells the Gruffalo to walk behind him through the wooods and see how afraid the animals are of him (the mouse that is ). The Gruffalo of course doesn't believe that the animals could possibly be afraid of a mouse so he walks behind the mouse , and when the animals of the woods see the Gruffalo behind the mouse they runaway in fright and the Gruffalo believes that the mouse was telling the truth and runs away from the mouse himself. Very enjoyable for both parent and child. Wonderfully illustrated, I highly recommend the Gruffalo

Amazing!
This was a gift to my daughter a few months ago. She recently turned two and asks me to read this book at least three times a day. She loves all the characters in the book and even identifies the mushrooms, pinecones, woodpecker... and she now says "Amazing!" and "Astounding!" She can also describe the gruffalo in great detail, just like the book does. I plan to give this as a present to all her cousins!

My 3-year old's favorite book
When my daughter was 3, she could literally "read" this book to us from memory. The story is that catching, the illustrations great fun. It was her favorite, favorite book! Highly recommend. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Story of Babar--the early adventures of the enduring, endearing elephant--was written in 1931 by French writer Jean de Brunhoff (1899-1937). Since then, it has been translated into at least 12 languages. It's amazing how much can happen to one little elephant in the course of one little book: Babar loses his mother to a hunter, wanders into the city, gets a new wardrobe, becomes the hit of high society, marries his cousin Céleste (totally acceptable in contemporary Elephantine society), and is crowned King of the Elephants.

The Story of Babar is essentially the tale of a country boy who comes to the city and, while there, comes of age. In the end, he returns home to share his knowledge and experiences with family and friends. The beautiful, delightfully detailed illustrations--de Brunhoff was a painter by trade--never fail to amuse. (Although none of the characters seem to notice, the sight of Babar in a suit leaning against the mantel while he regales his audience with tales of the jungle is plainly hilarious.) All of the Babar books are notable for their ability to tell larger stories with simplicity and style, and The Story of Babar is no exception. Potentially troubling moments--the death of Babar's mother, for example--are handled with taste, emphasizing Babar's unique gift for uncovering a silver lining in the most persistent of clouds. (Ages 4 to 8, though the cursive writing makes it best for reading aloud.) ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Interesting Classic
I had a beach Babar book as a child, so I bought this to share with my daughter. It is kind of bizarre, so keep in mind that it was written in the 1930's. First, Babar's mother is killed, as was the fate of most classic animal stories. Then, he decides to become more like men, HOW ODD! He wears clothes and walks on his back legs. Any time any of the elephants in this book wear clothes, they gain the instant ability to walk on their hind legs. When he returns to the elephants, he is crowned king, which is unlikely since elephants are matriarchal (they are led by females and grown males are banned from the group except during mating times). Then he marries his cousin, and they live happily ever after. In the spirit of Curious George, who was kidnapped from his home and forced to conform to human ways, this is a charming but very out-dated tale.

A childhood's classic.
Some children's books can be read over and over again, and Jean De Brunhoff's book about Babar, the little elephant is among them.
The copy we have in our house were purchasted in 1988 and has survived 4 kids. Out Marta is the forth one, and at age 6 she still loves to cuddle up with a smile on her face listening to the story of Babar. The very sad part for a six year old is the beginning where Babar's mother dies and Babar runs away. But Babar is lucky and meets an old lady who takes care of him. And the joy is always big in the end when Babar meets his childhood friends and cousins again in the end of the books. And even becomes a king and marries his cousin Celeste.
The book was written in 1939, but is still well worth reading for any child, and should be part of every lucky child's book collection. It will still be read again and again here in Norway, though the pages in the copy we have almost fall apart now (they can always be glued together again though)

Britt Arnhild Lindland

If I were king of the foreeeeest
Thank God for the French speakers of the world. Were it not for them, Babar might not have ever been created and we would have to live in a wretched Babar-less world. As it is, however, we are blessed to have this delightful story at our fingertips at any time. The story of Babar was originally published in 1933, and it has stood the test of time with dignity and flair.

The story of Babar is simple. After his mother is shot by a cruel hunter, the little elephant runs away to a metropolitan city. Once there, he is taken under the wing of a kindly older lady. Babar then proceeds to become the greatest dandy of children's literature today. Here is the section I love the most:

"Babar then buys himself: A shirt with a collar and tie, a suit of a becoming shade of green, then a handsome derby hat, and also shoes with spats".

Contrary to popular thought, an elephant in spats is the most dignified thing in the world. With these purchases Babar has transformed himself from rural rube to the original metrosexual. He becomes cultured, learning the rudimentary aspects of human civilization while regaling party guests with his tales of the forest (note his pin-striped pants and casual dinner jacket). Eventually Babar is lured back to his jungle home and is swiftly crowned King of the elephants.

The 1933 setting in which Babar acclimatizes himself has grown more charming over the years. And most remarkably? Most older picture books contain at least one racial stereotype somewhere in the midst of a picture. Not so our darling "Babar". I feel safe in saying that you might search through any future adventure of the winsome elephant and not stumble across a single picture or piece of writing that causes you a twenty-first century gasp of disgust. This isn't to say that there aren't some rather peculiar dated aspects to the book. I read this book as a child and had a vivid visceral memory return to me when I saw the sickly state of the former King of the elephants who passed away after eating a bad mushroom. That is a grotesquerie unknown to the kiddies today. But all in all, "Babar" is without fault. Certainly he's the essence of capitalism. One might believe the elephants crown him king as much for his pretty red convertible as for his brains. But Babar is still a unique and moving tale that will continue to entertain the masses of children for years and years to come.

A Classic
From the beautiful illustrations, to the charming characters, everything about Babar reminds you of a time when we took the intelligence of our children seriously. The first thing anyone who grew-up on more modern fare will notice is the delightful and literate prose. The reason children could speak latin by 5th grade 80 years ago, was that they weren't condescended-to; and Babar doesn't either. You won't get the modern "barney-speak" here, this generation had more confidence in your children, believe me. Although the prose may be too difficult for the average 5 or 6 yr-old to read on their own, they will have no difficulty at all in understanding it perfectly when read to them. Now my 5 yr-old daughter knows what a "perambulator" is, you won't get that from the Wiggles. As far as the complaints in regard to "scariness", all I can say is, if this is scary because Babar's mother is killed by a hunter, then you'd better take Bambi, The Lion King and close to all of the fairy tales off of the reading list as well. The subject is handled compassionately and tastefully. Of course I want to sheild my child from horrific content, but if we refuse to gently ease them in to life's realities, such as the loss of loved-ones, then their entertainment turns from safe into vacuous pretty quickly. I won't even waste bandwidth on the silly, leftist nonsense regarding imperialism. There is no political content here, subtle or otherwise. If you really want the kind of western culture "self-flagellation" that these aging hippies seem to thrive on, try Disney's Pocahontas, or a Cartoon version of The Life of Che Guevara. Assume the best of your kids and try the Babar series, particularly the older ones.

imperialist propaganda for the kiddies
I don't know why this book is a classic. Foreigners come to Babar's home and kill his mother. He goes to the land of the foreigners to learn to be just like them because the are so swell and all. He then takes their ways back home with him. marries his cousin and gets everyone to wear clothes like the foreigners. This is a nightmare, not a children's book. ... Read more