Reviews (146)

A fun, witty, classic tale.
We have this book in a small and large size together with anEric Carle videotape that has the story. A young caterpillar is bornand begins to eat his way through the world and through many foods that you child will be able to identify. These foods are eaten on each of the seven days of the week, an added bonus, as your child begins to learn that Sunday is a different day that Monday. The caterpillar gets very fat. He builds a cocoon and then emerges a large beautiful butterfly. My 3 year old does not tire of this story. He learns about nature, food and the days of the week in one absolutely stunningly illustrated book. You can't get much better than this for young children. If you have young children, or if you are looking for a gift for a 4 year old and younger child, this book is highly, highly recommended. Enjoy.

Perfect spring reading!
This is one of my all-time favorite children's books. One sunny day, a caterpillar pops out of an egg. He is very hungry and begins searching for food. Now, many of Eric Carle's books have gimmicks--the tactile web in THE VERY BUSY SPIDER and the chirping in THE VERY QUIET CRICKET, for example. The gimmick in this book is that the caterpillar eats holes through all the food, holes that are actually punched into the pages of the book. It's a good gimmick, actually. Also, many of Carle's books teach conventions--telling time in THE VERY GROUCHY LADYBUG and animal sounds in THE VERY BUSY SPIDER, for example. This one teaches the days of the week. On Monday, the caterpillar eats this, on Tuesday he eats that, and so forth. Very cute. Eventually, he becomes a fat caterpillar. He then spins himself a cocoon, where he rests for two weeks. And when he emerges...well, you can guess the results. It's a wonderful story. Best of all, the text is very simple as are the illustrations, so the book will appeal to toddlers as well as the pre-K and kindergarten crowd. In fact, it may appeal more to toddlers, because the story is so very simple. I know I read it as a kindergartener. I loved the holes but found the story rather boring. I read it to my two-year-old this spring, however, and he went nuts over it. The days of the week were lost on him, but he was fascinated by the caterpillar turning into a butterfly--he had no idea! Can't tell you how many times we read it. We also re-enacted it, crawling on the floor and eating, spinning ourselves into cocoons, and popping out with fluttery wings. In fact, he was so taken with the caterpillar-to-butterfly phenomenon that I ordered some caterpillars (I used "Insect Lore"--they are on-line--but I'm sure there are lots of other places to get them). We read THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR at each stage of their development and then right before we released them as butterflies. It was the highlight of our spring.

Never understood the charm; still don't
This is not one of my all-time favorite books. It strikes me as tedious, boring, and silly. I would never have bought it for my one-year-old.

Unfortunately for me, a friend gave it to him for his birthday. Fortunately for him, though, Jack loves it. I rarely get out of it without at least three repetitions.

The pictures are kind of pretty, in a modern art sort of way.

A good book to give as a gift to someone else's child -- that way, you won't have to read it endlessly.

A Classic!
I loved this book as a child, and it is now one of my daughters favorite books. This is a MUST HAVE for all children.

Perennial favorite
While on occasion I can persuade the youngster to read Michael Holt's "Rise & Fall of the American Whig Party" with me, she seems to prefer the caterpillar. Who am I to argue? I would have been disappointed if someone hadn't given us this book when she was born, and it remains one of my guilty pleasures, I suppose. We got an extremely cute onesie to go along with the book as well. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Every young child should be introduced to this story, as great a classic as its predecessor, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This colorful picture book describes a spider's day. Blown onto a farmyard fence, she starts to spin a web. The other animals ask if she wants to play, but in every case "the spider didn't answer. She was very busy spinning her web." The book is touchable: elements including the strands of web are embossed on the pages and you can follow them with your fingertips. But the best thing by far is Carle's familiar, yet still breathtaking skill as an illustrator. Especially in this large 11.5-by-8.5-inch format, his cow, goat, and dog (just to mention three favorites) capture the essence of each animal in a way few artists can hope to approach. (Baby to preschool) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Beautifully illustrated story for young children.
I love this story of the determined spider who is blown on a fence and begins to weave her web, too busy to play with the other animals. She catches her fly at the end. The typical farm animals are represented and young children will be able to identify the animals by the pictures and can make the noises of the animals portrayed. The web can be felt with the fingertips, although my son was never and is still not impressed with this feat, although his mother is. Eric Carle is a masterful illustrator and story teller. If you have never read his books to young children and seen the fascination of a 2 year old sitting and waiting for the page to be turned, you are missing out. He does not have one bad book. His illustrations are stunning. We have a LOT of books at our house and this one is chosen at least once a week for a bedtime story. Highly highly recommended.

Terrific for toddlers
My two-year-old and I love this book. It's about a spider who blows in, lands on a fence post, and spends the entire day building a web. She keeps working as various animals tempt her to do other things. At the end of the day, she catches a fly in her web and then falls asleep, tuckered out from her busy day. This book has several things going for it. First, it is a very simple narrative, making it one of the first stories that your child will be able to understand. Second, it is repetitive. Toddlers LOVE repetition and it is good for them. It helps them stay focused on the story, and gives them a chance to "read" something themselves, because they will naturally recite the repetitive bits as you come to them. Last of all, this book has several animals and the noises they make--very important for that fund of knowledge you are building. Oh, and I forgot the kicker: The spider web is made of some sort of 3D glue, making it tactile. My son loves running his fingers along it. I would have given this book 5 stars, but I love Carle's THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR even more!

Cute
This is a cute story about a spider who drops in on a farm. All the farm animals greet her and invite her to play. But the spider spends the day building her web instead. The book is fun and informative, and not at all scary. The pages are doubled so they are easy to turn, but be careful, because inquisitive little fingers may reach inside the pages and rip them. The book has about 350 words.

silent
I liked this book but it was too short. I mostly liked this book because of the spiders web you get to feel. I wouldn't mind reading it again.

The Very Busy Spider
This book is about a spider that is spinning its web while alot of animals came and ask it to play.
The moral of the book is that after your done working you can have fun. It is a good book for young kids because it has colerful pictures and it teaches about spiders and what they do.
I woul say the age rating is 3 to 6. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The gentle rhyming and gorgeous, tissue-paper collage illustrations in this classic picture book make it a dog-eared favorite on many children's bookshelves. On each page, we meet a new animal who nudges us onward to discover which creature will show up next: "Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see? I see a green frog looking at me." This pattern is repeated over and over, until the pre-reader can chime in with the reader, easily predicting the next rhyme. One thing readers might not predict, however, is just what kinds of funny characters will make an appearance at the denouement! Children on the verge of reading learn best with plenty of identifiable images and rhythmic repetition. Eric Carle's good-humored style and colorful, bold illustrations (like those in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Grouchy Ladybug, and Have You Seen My Cat?) have earned him a prominent place in the children's book hall of fame.(Baby to Preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (154)

Easy to read, teaches colors and new words...
This was the first story my daughter learned in Primary/Kindergarten. Each day the kids learned a new color and words for each page of the book. My child really enjoyed bringing home worksheets to show me what was happening in the story.

After she learned the story, I bought the hardcover book to replace the well-worn worksheets that were getting very crumpled. This is truly my daughter's favorite book, and she loves reading it to her sister. Her reading skill has surpassed this level, yet she returns to it for the colorful illustrations, and to remember the joy she had in learning to read. This book rates 5 stars and your child will love the melodic tempo to its words as they learn to read.

Great For First Storytimes
This book is a great first book to read to baby. The text is rythmic and the illustrations are bold, simplistic, and big enough to attract young babies' attention. My son, at 4 months, enjoys this book.

Simple animals and Colors
Yes, I can recite this book by heart. Sometimes we leave the colors out, sometimes we shorten it, but it is a bedtime must. My son likes it when we make the animal noises, too. Good for animal and color identification. This is another book that is good for practicing baby sign language.

Way to Go Bill Martin and Eric Carle! Great classic books!
My son has loved this book and Polar Bear, Polar Bear since he was 1 1/2 and he is now 3. He learned his colors and animals as well as enjoyed the rythmatic way the book reads. He reads this book to me all the time from memory and it is a book we treasure in our house. My nephew has it now too and at 2 1/2 reads it to his mommy too!
Get this book! Take it out from the library and see your child's reaction if you don't believe me. By the time the book is due back, you will be headed to the book store to buy it!

How to Have Real Fun With This Book After 200 Readings
Here's the way to keep this book fresh after multiple readings....start at the last page and read it backwards! My son loved it backwards and years later still can remember me reading "Bear Brown, Bear Brown, See You Do What?" ... Read more

Amazon.com

A cricket is born who cannot talk! A bigger cricket welcomes him to the world, then a locust, a cicada, and many other insects, but each time the tiny cricket rubs his wings together in vain: no sound emerges. In the end, however, he meets another quiet cricket, and manages to find his "voice." Children will love the repetitive text as they meet a steady parade of new creatures (including a "spittlebug, slurping in a sea of froth"); and of course they'll delight in the happy ending. This is one of a series of large (11.5 by 8.5 inches) format Eric Carle books with a mechanical twist: in this case, the quiet cricket bursts into (surprisingly authentic) electronic song as you turn the last page. (The battery is replaceable.) An amusement for the ears, but most of all--as ever, with Carle--a feast for the eyes. The colorful cut-paper illustrations are simply gorgeous, drawing you in even on the hundredth reading. (And there will be a hundredth reading, followed by many more.) (Baby to preschool) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Sweet Story, Beautifully Illustrated
My two year old son loves The Very Quiet Cricket; and this book, along with "Brown Bear, Brown Bear...", have been his bedtime favorites for months. Toddlers and parents alike will enjoy the repetitive and rhythmic nature of the verse (my son heaves a very dramatic sigh every time I read "...but nothing happened, not a sound." The simplicity of the tale lends itself nicely to parental embellishment, which is great for those who like to add a bit of their own drama to a story. I love the fact that I can tailor my reading of it to suit the hour or my son's mood, making it shorter or longer, exciting or soothing. Eric Carle's illustrations alone make this book a worthy addition to any child's library.

I agree with the reviewer who complained that this is not "first reader" material, but I would add that "The Very Quiet Cricket" is more about the joy of reading than about teaching the mechanics of sounding out simple words.

Attention getting illustrations
The Quite Cricket book is another favorite from Eric Carle. I have almost every book he has written. My favorite is The Very Hungry Caterpillar but this is a tie for second.. I loved how he illustrated all the other insects in the story especially the dragonfly. The large drawings would hold the attention of a young child. This isn't a book for a new reader some of the vocabulary is a little difficult. The only draw back to this book is when the battery that makes the cricket sound dies, it is rather expensive to replace.

Great Illustrations & Story, but...
My 8 1/2 month old is fascinated by the wonderful artwork and the chirping sound. I expect he'll enjoy the story when he can understand the words. However, there's an inconsistency in the text that drives me crazy. The three crickets are referred to as "he" and "she," but the praying mantis and worm are referred to as "it." Argh!

Our child loves this book!
We received this book as a gift and Grandma ended up getting the board book version for our daughter because she loved it so much (and wanted to look at it more often than we did)! The illustrations are great, like in all of Eric Carle's books.

She loves getting to the end of the story, but will also turn back to look at favorite pages.

We have a few of the other Eric Carle books and enjoy them as well, but this one stands out right now and it doesn't look like her interest is going to fade any time soon.

Very Provocative Bugs
The Very Quiet Cricket is a great book, and while difficult, I suspect most children will like this much more than their parents suspect. Like all of Eric Carle's books, my son (2 ½) loves The Very Quiet Cricket. The art is, as always, amazing, and he really enjoys repeating the phrases on each page. The formula seems to draw out his inquisitiveness; this book nearly always stimulates more enjoyment than others do. In particular, he enjoys the chirping sound the book makes when you turn to the last page. He'll ask to have the book read to him as many as four times in a row.

This is a challenging book for young kids, more so than many of Carle's others. I think the interesting insects and provocative words and sounds are part of why my son likes it so much. It may be some time before he really masters that vocabulary, but I love that Carle challenges his young readers in this way. I can unconditionally recommend this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Are you ready for a scintillating seahorse fact? The father seahorse isthe one who carries the mother's eggs around in his pouch before theyhatch. In Mister Seahorse, master collage artistEric Carleteaches preschoolers this lesson and introduces them to a few other fishwho bear the traditionally maternal burden of caring for eggs: thestickleback, tilapia, Kurtus nurseryfish (known here as Mr. Kurtus),pipefish, and bullhead catfish. As ever, it's Carle's art that stealsthe show. Cut-up tissue paper soaks up the watery paint and makes for aboldly colorful, almost jewel-like undersea journey. The story? Well,repetition is the heart of instruction, after all.

Most of Carle's books employ some sort of gizmo or gadget--and this oneis no exception. Here, for a splendid lesson in camouflage, colorfulacetate sheets mask marine life that is revealed as the child turns thepage. Children may take comfort in the devotion of these underseafathers...except perhaps at the very end when the father seahorse saysto a freshly hatched sea-pony who wants back in the pouch: "I dolove you, but now you are ready to be on your own." (Preschool)--Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

ERIC CARLE BOTH ENCHANTS AND ILLUMINATES
We first met Eric Carle through the pages of The Hungry Caterpillar, and we've been devoted fans from that day to this. As an author/illustrator his enthusiasm and imagination never ebb as he again fashions collage illustrations that catch and hold our eyes. Seahorse is one more achievement.

Basing his witty and informative tale on fact young readers are introduced to Mr. Seahorse, a fish father who looks after his young. It is, of course, Mrs. Seahorse who lays the eggs, right in Mr. Seahorse's pouch.

Mr. Seahorse is not the only fish father (we might think of him as a house husband) in his watery world - there's also Mr. Bullhead, Mr. Pipe, and Mr. Kurtus.

As always, Eric Carle both enchants and illuminates.

- Gail Cooke

Beautiful artwork, beautiful story
The luminious collage artwork and sweet story line don't leave anything to be desired. A wonderful addition to young libraries, and a great way for dads and their children to spend time together.

Eric Carle does it again!
Perhaps it's the watery images or my love for the ocean that drew my heart, but I love this book! Mister Seahorse is a winner, even if the younger ones don't fully grasp the depth of meaning Carle intended. Children innately sense the mystery of life because they themselves know they came from someone, too.
And, like the little baby seahorse, one day they will need to be on their own also. As Crush, the lovable sea turtle in Finding Nemo says, "Sweet, totally."

Not what I expected
We are huge fans of Eric Carle's books, but the storyline did not flow well at all. It was over my child's head, although he loves the pictures which are beautifully done. I agree with the other reviewer--the story ended abruptly and just wasn't as well written as his other books.

Beautiful artwork...disappointing storyline
Mr. Seahorse and Mrs. Seahorse are going to be parents! Mrs. Seahorse lays the eggs in Mr. Seahorse's pouch and then he has the job of taking care of those eggs until they hatch. As he waits, he meets several other father fish who are in charge of their eggs or babies. In the end, the babies successfully leave Mr. Seahorse and his life goes back to "normal." This is a beautiful book--in typical Eric Carle style--with amazing artwork and soft colors befitting the ocean. The storyline, however, leaves much to be desired. It's a unique idea, as this book tackles various creatures of the sea that usually don't get specific mention in picture books, but the method falls short of it's potential. The ending is quite abrupt, and readers will feel something is missing. Overall I was disappointed with this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Many of Eric Carle's books begin with a small creature being born just as a great yellow sun rises. This time the hero is a firefly, and the inimitably Carle-ish cut-paper orange-and-yellow sun is setting. The firefly buzzes off in search of companionship, but keeps following other lights by mistake--a candle, a flashlight, a lantern--and these in turn are all leading in the direction of a fireworks display. Finally, the lonely firefly finds the friends it is seeking--a dozen or more other fireflies. This is one of a series of large (11.5 by 8.5 inches) format Carle books with a mechanical twist: in this case, the firefly's new group of friends start to flash (from tiny yellow bulbs embedded in the book) as you turn the last page. (The battery is replaceable.) (Baby to preschool) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The Very Lonely Firefly
My children (ages 2&4) adore this book. The text is a bit boring, but they look forward to the last page. They also have a tendency to leave it open, and the batteries have been replaced twice in the last 5 months -- (it takes 4 batteries that retail for $2-3 each, and I've only been able to find them at one electronics store). This seems to be too much maintenance for a children's book -- especially given that we enjoy Eric Carle's "no-maintenance" books just as much or more.

Great First Bedtime Book
I've been sharing this with my daughter since she was about 7 months old. She was a little antsy the first time through, but when we reached the lights she fell in love with the book. It is her favorite of the Eric Carle books (although she really likes sticking her fingers in the holes of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.) My daughter is now 20 months old and asks for this story every night. Her vocabulary is growing with each rereading and she is able to point out most objects (firefly, candle, lantern, dog, cat, flashlight, lights) to me. I am surprised at how much she enjoys it and find this is one book I don't mind reading every night.

The batteries are the only problem. The first set finally died after a year of steady use, and the second set didn't last very long. (I suspect she left the boook open all day.) I am having trouble finding replacements that don't cost more than the book, but the book is so enjoyable I don't mind.

The Very Lonely Firefly
My children love this book. The flashing lights for fireflies at the end is the icing on the cake! We have been out for the past 4 nights catching fireflies in a jar (and then letting them go) to watch them glow. My boys (ages 3 and 5) love all the Eric Carle books.

Buy it!
Okay, don't even hesitate on this book, just buy it! The fireflies light up at the end of the book and there just couldn't be any child anywhere that wouldn't be thrilled with this book. Mine just played and played with it and couldn't put it down. Still is one of his favorites and has to be read VERY frequently! This is such a cute, cute book and very well done. Plus, it has fireworks in it - another household favorite! It goes through and shows the many things that light up at night, explaining them very well. Just grab it and run - you won't be disappointed!

Where Are You?
The Very Lonely Firefly is a good book. This firefly is in search for another. He shines his light to attract others but can never find anyone. This book keeps you in suspense. He always finds a light but...It's never a firefly. To find out the ending of this book read The Very Lonley Firefly! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Eric Carle first published The Very Hungry Caterpillar in 1969, fully intending to create a series of interactive creature books for children. The beloved busy spider, quiet cricket, and lonely firefly books followed, but the artist's quest was not truly complete until The Very Clumsy Click Beetle was born. Carle, who says he'd rather watch a bug attempt to climb over a pebble than join an expedition to Mount Everest, appreciates the small things in life: the Eyed Elator (Alaus oculatus), to be exact--unremarkable except for that when this beetle falls on its back, it can't roll over to get up. Instead, it will stretch and release a snap mechanism that clicks and flips the beetle through the air, and ideally, back onto its feet.

The very clumsy click beetle has no trouble with the clicking and flipping part, but it does have trouble landing on its feet. The young beetle tries and tries again, encouraged by an ambling turtle, a slithering snail, and a scurrying mouse. Finally, when a curious boy approaches, the beetle takes coaching from a wise old click beetle ("QUICK, CLICK and FLIP!") and succeeds. Children will love the bright, bold, tissue-paper illustrations that tell this story of perseverance, as wellas--of course--the unusual clicking sound (emanating from an electronic chipwith built-in battery and light sensor) that accompanies this playful book. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by Eric Carle. Permission of Philomel Books.) (Preschool and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Very Clumsy Click Beetle
I'm a Branch Manager of a Public Library and we have found that this book is very good for the children that comes over for school visits. It is so funny to be reading them the book and they start hearing the Beetle make it's sound they start looking around the room trying to find out where it is coming from then they cant believe that it came from the book. Every year when school starts back this is the book that i read to my Kindergarden classes. I suggest that everyone should get this book and watch the look on your childs face when you read this book to them.

Library Users say thumbs down
I'm a children's librarian. I bought this book for my library. I've read it to two groups and showed it to some of the children who come to the library everyday. I thought they would like it since Carle's other book The Very Quiet Cricket is so enormously popular. Their reaction has been thumbs down. The children like the chirping sound from the cricket book, but the click sound from this beetle book doesn't impress them. The dull "click, click" really pales in comparison to the lilting cricket chirp. We've had our copy of the beetle book for almost three months, and it's only been checked out once.

I think a teacher or parent might be able to encourage a child to enjoy the click beetle book by incorporating it into a discussion about bugs. Also, a child who is fascinated with bugs might enjoy it. However, for the average child, I recommend buying The Very Quiet Cricket instead of the Beetle book. For a child who already has and loves the cricket book, I recommend buying Carle's The Very Lonely Firefly, which has fireflies that light up. My library kids like to crawl under desks to enjoy that book in the dark.

Great Book to Teach Kids to Keep Trying!
This book is well-liked by my class of four and five year olds. The story is clear and engaging. My students especially enjoy opening to the back page to hear the beetle's CLICK!

The little click beetle repeatedly strives in the story to CLICK and flip over onto his feet, a feat shown to him by an older, wiser click beetle. He tries to show this new trick to a variety of other critters with no success. The critters encourage him to keep trying.

We used this story in class to discuss the importance of persistence and practice to learn something new. This book also sparked a discussion about being kind and respectful, as we talked about how things might have been different if the critters in the story had ridiculed the click beetle for his failure instead of encouraging him. You could challenge children to tell how the ending would have been different if the little click beetle hadn't mastered his CLICK at the right time at the end.

Definitely a classroom staple, along with most of Eric Carle's other titles.

My 4 year old loved this book!
My 4 year old came home from preschool and talked about this book for 2 weeks! He drew click beetles over and over again, and told me how the story goes. He was one impressed 4 year old and any mom knows when their child mentions a book over and over again, it must be good! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

10 Unforgettable Pages
I have always loved driving to the zoo on Wednesday when the entrance fee is waived, but I have never loved counting. This is exactly the sentiment my child expressed when I made my first attempts to teach him the single-digit numbers. Of course, such pursuits are hopeless at an early age until the child develops distinct fingers around his or her third birthday. When this happens, however, it is a very good idea to pull your child aside and teach him exactly what it means to live under a decimal numeral system. When that day arrives, be sure to have a book just like this one at hand. Now, when I take my boy to the zoo, he sees the bear and, regardless of quantity, shouts, "One!" fondly. "Two!" for the seals. It's wonderful to watch him grow.

1,2,3 To The Zoo
Teach your children how to "count 1,2.3" while using common animals found at your local zoo. The pictures are very creative and will help the listener have fun grasping the basic numbers 1 through 10.

My daughter has learned her numbers
My 15-month old daughter has learned some of her numbers withthis book. It is her favorite -- the numbers are large and clear, and the graphics are attractive without being too busy or distracting. I have checked this book out at the library so many times that it is time to buy it! Since there are no words, this is an ideal book for parents to flex their creativity and act out animal sounds or motions.

Not As Good As It Gets
We are huge Eric Carle fans and found 1,2,3 To The Zoo disappointing. The drawings of the animals were great but a little description of activity would maintain the interest of the child. i.e 1 Bear is Jumping Up and Down, 2 Seals are clapping their hands, etc.

We found the book very lacking and unmotivating for our daughter.

Conceptualizes Zero
An important book in the counting genre because it demonstrates the concept of zero to young children. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Eric Carle's distinctive art holds a place of honor in the world of children's books. (He is the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and the illustrator of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?.)In this thoughtfully selected collection of poems about animals, you'll meet creatures of every sort, from an ant to a yak. You'll find selections from many cultures, penned by celebrated poets such as Lewis Carroll, Ogden Nash, Rudyard Kipling, Emily Dickinson, and Jack Prelutsky. Animals, Animals is best suited for older preschoolers and children in the early elementary grades, but the beautiful illustrations will please children of any age, including babies. The oversized format lends itself well to Eric Carle's bright collages--the animals, birds, and insects seem ready to jump or fly right off the pages. (Ages 1 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Animal collection
This book contains a collection of animal poems. The sources of the poems are quite varied, from Emily Dickinson, to the Bible, to Japanese haikus. All sorts of animals are featured, from fireflies to hippopotami. There are no scary bits, and the pictures are great. At the end of the book is an index of the animals and a table of contents by first lines to help you find your favorite poems. The book has about 2900 words.

The Inimitable Eric Carle
From Ogden Nash to Shakespeare, from haiku to Hungarian proverbs, ANIMALS ANIMALS has it all--and it all is illustrated beautifully by the inimitable Eric Carle. His trademark collage-style pictures and jewel-tone colors bring to life an entire zoo in this collection of short poems and poetic sayings about animals. Ants and elephants, octopuses and walruses, and many other delightfully quirky animals tumble playfully across the pages, vividly animating the lovingly selected verses. No need to read it at one sitting, or even sequentially; just open the covers and let the pages fall where they may. This refreshing and entertaining picture book is sure to engage the most restless reader or listener of any age.

Engaging graphics and enjoyable text for all ages.
I have owned this book for several years; I originally bought it thinking the bright and engaging portraits of animals would surely delight my young child. Since then all our children have enjoyed hearing the poems and laughing at, studying, copying, and perusing the creatures that share our earth. A lyrical book, both in text and picture layout, which we won't easily part with for some time, I'm sure.

We love this book!
My kids adore this book and it's great for grown-ups too! The illustrations and poems go together beautifully and the selection of poems is wonderful. There's a great range of different styles and even young toddlers sit and listen. Eric Carle's books are always a hit but this one in particular is fantastic. This book will be one kids will read for years--even when they're adults. We love this book! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fans of Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? will be delighted to see another title in this lilting call and response series. Much like their earlier picture books, Panda Bear features a string of fine feathered (and furry and scaly) friends watching over each other. In this book, however, all the animals are endangered, from a swinging spider monkey to a strutting macaroni penguin (kids will get a kick out of that name!) to a splashing sea lion. Carle’s trademark tissue paper collages will be as familiar--and welcome--as the text ("Whooping Crane, Whooping Crane, what do you see?" "I see a black panther strolling by me."); young readers will quickly get the hang of the rhythm and join right in. The book concludes on a hopeful note, with a dreaming child seeing the ten f! eatured animals "all wild and free--/ that’s what I see!" Martin includes a note on endangered species that may spark concern and interest in older readers--our hope for these disappearing creatures. (Ages 3 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (5)

HOPEFUL AND INFORMATIVE
Wordsmith Bill Martin and artist Eric Carle are an unbeatable team. Much to the joy of parents and young readers this talented duo has joined forces once again - only their third collaboration in 35 years! It was worth the wait.

With "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do You See?" children meet ten of the world's endangered animals - a bald eagle soaring , a water buffalo charging, a spider monkey swinging, a green sea turtle swimming, a macaroni penguin strutting, a sea lion splashing, a red wolf sneaking, a whooping crane flying, and a black panther strolling.

Each animal is portrayed in Eric Carle's inimitable eye catching collages, and the book closes with a portrait of a sleeping child dreaming that one day all animals will be wild and free.

An estimable hope; a book to be treasured.

- Gail Cooke

Not quite as captivating as Brown, Bear
It's a nice concept and most kids will love the words, different animals and the concept of going from one animal to another. Panda Bear was really written because Brown Bear established such a terrific template. In other words it's a sequel. Like most sequels it doesn't quite measure up.

Kids will still enjoy the colorful pictures, sounds of words and guessing what comes next in the story. Perhaps that's all they need. Sometimes the educational aspect is important and sometimes kids just need entertainment. This is entertaining for little ones and it's a simple enough story so that little ones can start pretending to read and feel more grown up.

Great Companion to a Classic
This book is similar to the original Brown Bear book, with illustrations of panda bear, bald eagle, water buffalo, spider monkey, green sea turtle, macaroni penguin, sea lion, red wolf, whooping crane, black panther, and moon-faced dreaming child.

The illustrations are beautiful--Carle's signature watercolor-collage style. While Brown Bear's illustrations show each animal against stark white backgrounds, Panda Bear's illustrations feature them against bold backgrounds. (Younger toddlers may find the red wolf and the black panther a little scary.)

Although this book doesn't lend itself to teaching basic colors and animal sounds the way that the original does, it is a good way to teach the concept of endangered species to younger children. Overall, a great companion to a classic!

Just like the Brown Bear Book
It's the same idea as the other book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?" but a panda is the theme so if your kids like that one they'll love this story too. This author has the most beautifully illustrated books for children.

Adorable!!
I love children's books by Bill Martin and Eric Carle. I really love reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" and "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?" to my preschoolers and when I heard there was a new book, I had to find a copy and buy it. I can't wait to read this book to my class along with the other two books. It is soooo adorable! The pictures are cute and easy for the children to remember. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (29)

Not bad, but not a very good introduction to animal sounds
What I had expected in this book was the onomatopoeia ("buzz", "meow", etc.) that is usual to other books about animal noises.

Although this book used some familiar terms, many of the terms for animal sounds were confusing to my daughter. For example, I had a difficult time explaining what "fluting" might sound like, since I really don't know what a flamingo sounds like (I live in the frozen Midwest). It's also hard to explain "trumpeting" to someone who doesn't know or understand what a trumpet is.

The text flows beautifully, the repetition is soothing to little ears and Eric Carle's illustrations are always a treat. Despite this, I can't recommend this book as highly as some other reviewers have.

I know that my disappointment stems from the fact that I had planned to use this book to explain the sounds that some exotic animals make. I really don't need this book just for the repetition and poetry, I think that the "Brown Bear..." book by the same team does a better job at that task.

10 times a day for Tyler!
This is my son Tyler's (17 mos) favorite book. He loves the colorful pictures and loves it even more when Mommy tries to make all the animal noises for him! (Ever try to make a yelping peacock or fluting flamingo noise??) No matter how many times I read this book to him, he wants to hear it just one more time...ok, maybe two...or three... I especially love the fact that it is about more unusual animals - peacock, flamingo, walrus, as opposed to your everyday dog, cat, cow -type animals. I highly recommend this book, it's a must have!

My son loves this book!
A few weeks ago, my 13 month old son came home from daycare with this note on his daily sheet "Today we read Polar Bear, Polar, What Do You Hear over and over again. Everytime I tried to read him another book, he would push it away and point to Polar Bear". Every day since this, his daily sheet has ended with "...and we read Polar Bear" My son has favorite books at home and since he enjoys this one so much, I wanted to add it to our collection. I also ordered the Brown Bear and Panda Bear books, hoping he will like them just as much.

Interactive
This is a fun interactive book about the animals in the zoo and the sounds they make. It's a great vocabulary builder, since it uses words that small kids may not hear every day. The book is quite enjoyable for kids who like animals, and not at all scary. The story may get kids wound up, however, so it might not be the best choice for a bedtime story. The book has about 200 words.

A favorite in my house!
I just got this book for my 2-year-old nephew, Zachary, because he loves the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by the same people. He asked me to read it to him four times in a row because he loved it so much! He likes it because it uses zoo animals that he loves, like hippos, walruses, zabras, elephants, flamingos, peacocks, polar bears, leopards, and a boa constrictor! (well, I say "snake" when I get to that part because that's how he knows it). The rythm is just like Brown Bear, and he loves it! I recommend it to all young children because it is a fun book. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

To love a poem
This book provides a good start to teaching children to love poems. It contains the one element necessary to every successful poetic verse: transformation and magic.

The book opens with a William Blake epigraph: "O! How I dreamt of things impossible."

Inside are 32 poems, from a range of sources, including the Book of Job, Sir Richard Burton, William Shakespeare--and every poet's demi-god, Ranier Maria Rilke.

Each verse is wonderful in its own right. The words alone make this book alive for kids: Reading several of these poems to a class of second graders elicited cries for more. I ran over time, and ended up reading half the poems.

The brilliant illustrations add their own glory. Alyssa A. Lappen

A magical land...
We just bought this book for our seven year old son. The collection of poems, combined with Eric Carle's magical drawings has taken our son to a new world filled with dragons, unicorns, and all kinds of fantastic creatures. This is the world of a child's imagination and there is no one like Eric Carle to bring it to life...Read to your child, stare at the beauty of the art work and you will travel together to a magical land.

A wonderful way to introduce children to mythology.
In a world where Teletubbies rule and purple dinosaurs cavort under hot studio lights, it is refreshing to find a children's entertainment devoid of pretension, which combines a bold design sense with quotes from genre stalwarts (Anne McCaffrey and John Gardner, among others) to form what amounts to a kid's first mythological primer. It's also a great way for adults to revisit the subject, as it delves not only into classical Greek and Roman lore, but also into the oft-ignored realms of African and Asian mythology.

Does not quite live up to Carle's usual artistic quality.
Unlike most of Carle's books, this one is for a slightly older audience. I chose it because it has my two year old son's namesake (Griffyn, though spelled with two i's) in it. The poems or stories are not as pleasing to the ear or as readable as Carle's usual. ... Read more

Book Description

It's the Grouchy Ladybug's 20th birthday. To celebrate, we are introducing a new, larger format edition with brighter, more colorful pages created from Eric Carle's original artwork using the latest reproduction technology. The Grouchy Ladybug is bigger and brigher, as irascible but irresistable as ever and will surely delight new generations of readers, as well as her devoted fans of all ages. Happy Birthday, Grouchy Ladybug!

... Read more

Reviews (38)

Great for all ages!
I am a mother of 3 aged 5,3 & 1 year. All three of my children love this book. They think the Grouchy Ladybug is a silly bug. They enjoy "reading" along with me because the book is so repetitive! Even my one year old sits & listens intently to the pattern. "Ya' wanna fight! " "If you insist..." "Oh- you're not big enough." Repetition is the best tool in teaching to read & Eric Carle books are PERFECT for that! The other concepts he introduces in his books such as TIME & DAYS are helpful in teaching too. GREAT WORK, MR. CARLE!

The Wonderful World of Insects
The Grouchy Ladybug is a wonderful Eric Carle book. I love his mosiac illustrations, and the moral he projects. The grouchy ladybug is mean to all the other insects that he meets. He does not want to share the aphids on his leaf with the friendly ladybug. He ends up making no friends at all, and the animals he is rude to are getting bigger and fiercer as the book goes on. In the end the grouchy ladybug ends up on the same leaf he started out on, and shares the aphids.

Note to teachers: This is a great book to introduce a unit on insects. Most students probably don't understand what aphids are, and the ladybugs feed on them. You could also incorporate all of the other animals in the text to do a unit on animals. There are so many wonderful teaching oportunities with all of Eric Carle's books, but this is one of my favorites.

Wonderful book--one of my child's favorites
This is a great book and the repetition is great for a emerging young reader. My 3 year old can "read" this book to himself and his baby sister because he can anticipate what will happen when he turns the page. He has language delays due to hearing problems when he repeated ear infections and these repetitious books that Eric Carle has done have been wonderful with slowly introducing him to language.

Repetition, repetition, repetition....
After reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my son enough times to have it memorized, I bought this book thinking that it would be a nice change, and expecting The Grouchy Ladybug to have a moral somewhere along the lines of Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (if you haven't read that to your kids, get it). I found The Grouchy Ladybug to be repetative to the point of parental abuse. Eric Carle has good children's books, but this one was definitely not my favorite. The only thing my son has learned from it is "Hey, You, Wanna Fight?" It was okay to read once or twice, but the next garage sale, it's going to mysteriously vanish. I would suggest The Very Hungry Caterpillar instead, if you don't have it.

This book is crap
Eric Carle has done better. Read the "Very Quiet Cricket". This book is extremely repetitive and isn't really even a story so much as an excuse for the mediocre illustrations and a kind of irritating gimmick of having differently sized pages. These pages are have for my son to turn also.

I love reading real children's stories to my kids, and I don't mind some repetition (e.g., "Guess how much I love you" and "Are you my Mother?" are great...) But the ladybug keeps saying the same thing over and over and over. Yeah, I've hid the book from my kids and they don't miss it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Whether she's sipping nectar from beautiful flowers, avoiding hungrybirds and fish, dancing with a butterfly, or bravely protecting her entire hivefrom a big bear with an even bigger appetite, this honeybee is always on themove. Eric Carle's updated classic features truly inspired feats of paperengineering, including a galloping bear and a spectacular butterfly that looksas if it will take off at any moment. There's not a gratuitous pop-up, flap, ormovable piece of art in the book; readers will gasp with delight at every page,with every reading. The charming story is still a showcase for Carle'sdistinctive collages, in delectable golds, earthy greens, shimmering blues, andwarm browns. This version is smaller than the original, and the text has beenrevised slightly, with younger readers in mind. A clever new interactive coverallows children to make the villain bear's eyes cross as the angry looking beestings his nose.

Carle's bold, appealing style is known and loved by happy readers everywhere,who return again and again to TheVery Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Grouchy Ladybug, and hismany other very popular titles. (Preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (2)

THE KING OF COLORFUL COLLAGE DOES IT AGAIN!
Eric Carle, the king of colorful collage, has been delighting young readers for sometime now. This sturdy board book reissue of his 1981 classic is simply another jewel in his crown.

Bug-eyed, red nosed and eager, a honeybee exhorts her neighbors to go out and gather nectar. Pull a tab, and you'll see her fly. Another tab opens flower petals so the bees can sip nectar.

She's a swift honeybee, this one, as her tab-told story unfolds - she escapes a bird, a fish, and a frog to play with a vibrant winged pop-up butterfly.

But once she returns to her hive she hears a frightening noise. She thinks it must be a robber. What kind of a robber would try to steal their honey? What can the bees do to defend themselves. Pull some more tabs, and you'll see.!

Easy for young hands, a delight for young eyes, and a smile for the young at heart.

A wonderful interactive addition to our Eric Carle library.
My children and I always anxiously await any new addition to our Eric Carle library. It's hard to believe that our next book will meet our high expectations, but they always do. The honeybee and the Robber was a new angle to his interactive collection which we thoroughly enjoyed. My children had plenty of opportunity to share the moving pictures and read the book over and over.The beauty of this book is that the children enjoy "reading" it to themselves using the moving parts to stir their imagination ... Read more

Book Description

Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me

In this unique and delightful picture book, the story literally unfolds as pages open dramatically, extending both outward and upward. Monica wants the moon to play with, so her Papa sets out to get it for her. It isn't easy to climb all the way up to the moon, but he finally succeeds -- only to find that the moon is too big to carry home! The way in which this problem is solved is a joyful surprise.

Here is a multi-faceted story that appeals to children visually, verbally and emotionally, and which also contains a first lesson in natural history, depicting the eternal cycle of the waxing and waning of the moon. The simple text, just right for reading aloud or for the beginning reader expresses perfectly the purity of a father's love for his child. Small readers will empathize with Monica"s longing for the moon, and will be reassured by her father's willingness to try to make her wish come true. And, on a deeper level, they will recognize that Papa is not merely fulfilling Monica's whim, but is demonstrating to her that even a seemingly unreachable goal can actually be attained. Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me is a book to be re-read many times, and to be treasured for its beauty and its positive message of love and inspiration. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Blue moon, you see it standing alone
You hear about this sometimes. An artist becomes so famous and influential that they're eventually able to go back to some of their earlier works and (to their mind) improve them. Steven Spielberg did it with "E.T." Singer/songwriters are constantly reinventing their old classics. Eric Carle did it with "Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me". And though I usually object heartily to artistic preferences changing old classics that technically belong to the masses (ya hear that Speilberg???), in Carle's case I'm willing to make an exception. Changing a mildly interesting story into a complicated (but hearty) pseudo pop-up book, Carle has recreated his art the only way an artist should: he has made it better.

Following in the tradition of such children-asking-their-parents-for-the-moon classics as "Many Moons" (highly recommended!), in this simple story a girl asks her father to please get her that large circular piece of rock in the sky. The father complies, hauling out the longest ladder anyone has ever seen and taking it to the tallest mountain in the world. Initially depressed by the fact that the moon is (surprise!) too large to bring to his daughter, the father is eventually comforted by the moon itself. It tells the man that if he just waits for it to wax and wane, it'll become a manageable size in no time. This turns out to be the case and the little girl is delighted when the father hands her the sliver that is the moon to play with.

The book flap says that by reading this book, children will come to realize that, "even a seemingly unreachable goal can actually be attained". I dunno about that. If that's the moral of this story, then I want no part of it. No, the message I received from this tale is that a man will sometimes move heaven and earth to bring his children the things they want the most in the world. They might not always succeed, but if a man were able to get the moon for his daughter, he'd do so.

Carle's illustrations are classic Carle. I'm personally a little lukewarm on him. The pictures here are a little more swirly and paint based than his usual cut paper concoctions. The book flap mentions that for the reissue of this book Carle, "created new illustrations for his original story", so I do not know how much he has changed. If the pictures are lovely, however, they are merely a compliment to the book's real joys. Pages in this story fold out to reveal the enormity of the father's task. A single ladder, once the pages are unfolded, takes over a four page spread. And the moon itself, when at its full capacity, opens up to become larger than the book that holds it. The effect is stunning and enjoyable for those kids that love interactive pictures. Nicest of all is the durability of the paper used for these effects. I'm sure we've all seen the effects a three-year old can wreak on a pop-up book it loves. I took this book, published in 1986, from my local library and the pages STILL work just as well as the day they were made. If that's not sturdiness, I don't know what is.

Should you be scientifically inclined and you object to such notions as a moon being physically smaller when it is but a crescent, avoid this story. If, on the other hand, you enjoy a good fold out pop-up book enlivened by colorful cut-out illustrations as much as the next guy, then I highly recommend this delightful piece of lunar propaganda. It is certain to be beloved of millions of star gazing children worldwide.

another beautiful active book from Eric Carle
Author Eric Carle (The Very Lonely Firefly, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Busy Spider) excels in creating books that offer children more than words on a page -- he consistently incorporates additional elements (lights, holes(!), textures) that make the books even more interesting to thirsty little minds.

In this book, a smaller portable version of the original, a girl asks her father for the moon. Fold-out pages complement Carle's unique illustrative style as we discover a looooooong ladder that reaches to the moon and back, and a magnificent four-page center spread revealing the full moon in all its glory.

This fantastic tale for young children is sure to delight parents and kids.

What a great dad!
This book is the beautiful story of a dad who goes to all lengths for his daughter - he actually gets the moon for her!
In typical "Carle fashion" this book expands (as the moon appears to do), the pages ascend ever higher (as the moon ascends in the sky). As with Carle's other stories you don't just hear them and see them - you FEEL them. I love the motion in this book. The tenderness of the gift from father to daughter and the representaion of the child's joy in playing with the moon. This story has a wonderful opening, fantastic struggle and beautiful ending. I especially enjoy how the moon itself is a character in the book.

My 19 MO daughters favorite book
Every night my daughter wants us to go outside and look for the moon. When I saw this book I knew I had to get it and she LOVES it. We change the name from "monica" to our daughters name, and when you get to the moon pop-out page she always laughs and screams and jumps. I also recommend "The night moon fell down" - another wonderful favorite.

Wonderful concept poorly implemented
I bought this book for my 11-month son who is very hard on regular books. Unfortunately, he will not get to read it until he is much older because the fold-out pages are much too flimsy for a board book.

I was very disappointed to bring it home from the store and have the page with the moon that unfolds tear just from me opening those two pages.

The book is very very pretty, I just wish it were more durable. I don't see how a child could avoid damaging it. ... Read more

Book Description

Do you want to be my friend? asks the little mouse, and hopefully follows a tail, finding at the end of it a rather unfriendly horse. But there's another tail, and another, and a strange, long, green one, too, that follows the mouse on his quest for a friend.

Each page of this ingenious picture book contains a surprise. Its only text is on the first page, but the exciting pursuit of a friend for the little mouse lends itself to improvisation by both the reader and the young child -- another brilliant idea from Eric Carle, the creator of The Secret Birthday Message and The Mixed-Up Chameleon.

Notable Children's Books of 1971 (ALA)
Children's Books of 1971 (Library of Congress)
Honor Book, Book World Spring Book Festival 1971

Reviews (6)

compared to hungry caterpillar a disappointment
yes this is a book about friendship and i realize for child at times simple is better but this book i thought really lacked especially compared to how great a book the hungry caterpillar is(i personally think just about this authors best book)it has at the very start of the book the question ask by a mouse "do you want to be my friend?"and then at the end a yes from another mouse no other writing between yes you can teach your child a little about the other animals the mouse is apparently asking though not in print.I personally thought this could have been laid out a little different

"Do you want to be my friend"
This book is about a mouse that wants a friend so he goes asking other animals if they will be his friend. He asks alligators, giraffes, elephants, and other animals, but they all said no. So now maybe you can figure out the rest of the story.
I think the lesson that this book teaches is that everyone needs a friend or you not going to get anywhere in life. I would say that the age level for this book is for three to eight year olds because it has mostly pictures and only eight words. It was an ok book and the good point of the book was that the artwork was really nice.

LOVE IT
As a early childhood speech pathologist and special education teacher, I love this Eric Carle book. It allows the children to "tell the story" and provides a great foundation to discuss friendships. We read it every year in my classroom.

Cute
A bit too repetitive, but I like the idea of looking for a friend.

not what I expected!
Being a huge fan of Eric Carle and a kindergarten teacher, I was fairly disappointed with this book....it needs words! The only words found in the book are in two speech bubbles. At one time, these pictures were published in a Big Book that included text entitled "Will You Be My Friend?". Early readers need simple text they can follow - not just pictures. ... Read more

Book Description

The barnyard rooster crows to tell Jack it's time to get up. It's very early in the morning -- and Jack is so hungry that what he really wants is a large pancake for breakfast. But first, Jack's mother needs flour from the mill, an egg from the black he, milk from the spotted cow, and butter churned from fresh cream. Will it ever be time for breakfast and that large pancake?

Pancakes, Pancakes! is a delightful story of an old-fashioned breakfast. Modern-day pancake mix holds little charm compared to starting from scratch, and young readers will find their mouths watering, and will wish that they, too, could have real pancakes, pancakes! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The illustrations...
I'm not sure about this book. The illustrations are the focus - and yet I'm not sure if I cared for them. My 1 year old wasn't as interested as I would have hoped. This is better for older children.

Pancake lovers will enjoy.
My sons favorite breakfast is pancakes, hence the love for this book.He has owned it for three years and still grabs it everytime he gets to choose the book we read.I don't know why he is so intrigued by it but I know he loves knowing the ingredients that go into making his favorite thing to eat.He also thinks it is silly that the boy Jack puts strawberry jam on his pancake instead of syrup.

Great food book
This is a great book about where food comes from.One morning Jack decides he wants a pancake for breakfast.His mother tells him "Fine," but first he has to go get the wheat from the field and winnow it and then take it to the mill and help mill it.He also has to collect an egg from the chicken, milk the cow, churn the butter, and cut firewood for fuel for the stove.By the time his pancake is finally ready to eat, he's really hungry!

This book fascinated the kids.
Pancakes, Pancakes! is another beautifully illustrated Eric Carle book for the youngsters.My son likes nothing better than a huge plate of pancakes for breakfast and was attracted to this book immediately upon viewing its cover depicting a large, happy pancake.

Pancakes, Pancakes! tells the story of a hungry little boy who wakes one morning with a craving for pancakes.He asks him mom for pancakes but she's too busy and tells him to collect the things needed to make them instead (they apparently don't sell the frozen ones in this story).He's a good little boy and does so without complaint.He has to make the flour (by hand!), wait for the hen to lay an egg, milk the spotted cow, churn the butter and so on until he has all of the ingredients assembled.Frankly, I was surprised this poor child didn't complain and then collapse from exhaustion!Finally, the sweet boy gets his pancakes and all ends well.

My kids were riveted to this tale and especially enjoyed the illustrations. They were particularly fascinated by the page containing a picture of the ingredients the boy collected.The story also invited a lot of questions (my kids are used to microwave pancakes and were quite bewildered by the lengths the boy had to go to for breakfast).They both seemed to enjoy it very much and, best of all, it held their attention and made them think and ask questions instead of zoning out while I read.All of this combined with the beautiful art work makes Pancakes, Pancakes! a keeper for us.

Pancakes, Pancakes!
The story "Pancakes, Pancakes!" is a wonderful book for children.Eric Carle is a great author and has many other good children's books.This story is about a boy who wants pancakes for breakfast but has to do the work to get it.He has to get the wheat, butter, milk the cows, get eggs from the chickens, and build a fire and everything just so that his mother can make h