Amazon.com

Treehorn is clearly shrinking, and his parents aren't the least bit interested. His mother is obsessed with whether or not her cake will rise. His father, at one point addressing a son who can barely see over the table, states blindly, "Nobody shrinks." Treehorn doesn't seem all that bothered that his clothes are hanging over his extremities; he just feels someone should know.But the adults he tries to notify brush off his claim as either a ploy for attention or downright bad behavior.

Treehorn's parents, his teacher, and his principal respond (or fail to respond) to his drastically diminishing stature in ways that will ring true to any kid who has tried to convince adults of the existence of fairies, the Loch Ness Monster, or things that go bump in the night. Edward Gorey's stark, intricately patterned black-and-white drawings are simultaneously quaint and creepy, setting the perfect stage for Treehorn's tale--a story for any child who has ever felt ignored by grown-ups (in other words, a story for all). (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Hilarious for both children and adults
Having found this book on a recomendation list by a German (!) literature professor, I ordered it not knowing it is a classic. the sense of humour, though sometimes lost on younger children, is wonderful, actually reminding me of the British sense of humour. I can only advise all adults to read this book, it's an eyeopener to our communication skills.

Drawling voice "Treehorn is shrinking!"
Very memorable story. i didn't read the book, but i remember watching a cartoon version on TV. why is it memorable? well, firstly, the name Treehorn! it was during half term (vacation) when i saw it, and when i went back to school, a friend came out with a very memorable quote, in North American drawl "Treehorn is shrinking!" and i just burst into hysterics! Cool stuff! i will have to buy this book!

Strangeness is delightful
This was one of my favorite books as a child, and nearly 20 years later, it's still high on my list. When I first read it, I was amazed because it was completely different from anything else I had ever been given to read. I think all kids have endured the problem of trying to get adults to listen to them and take them seriously, and Treehorn's somewhat absurd quest to get someone to notice his shrinking is easy to identify with. The book may have no "moral", but so what? Kids need books that enchant and delight them--if you only give them didactic and "proper" tales, reading becomes a boring chore. If you weren't fortunate enough to read this as a child, make up for lost time now.

Bizarre in a wonderful way, great pictures by Gorey
This is a book I loved as a child, because it was so bizarre and interesting and mysterious! I don't think the book is really meant to have a message---it's meant more just to be a strange and memorable tale! I love all the little details about Treehorn we find out---that he has 56 different favorite TV shows, what his cereal send-away collection consists of, etc! Even my 2 year old was enchanted by the pictures---he called a page with several odd dogs on it "monsters" and said "I like those scary monster dogs!" My 5 year old loved how the bus driver thought Treehorn was Treehorn's younger brother, also called Treehorn! Read it because it's fun and great to look at!

My favorite children's book!
This is really a top-ranked children's book. It is very cleverly written. It shows nicely and humorously how people -even when they live close together- can be completely blind to each other. I have noticed that not only children can readily identify with the drawings and the story, but also that adults like it very much. Indeed, I have great pleasure in gifting it to my best friends, who all like it, without exception. The text and the drawings are perfect in their own right and do perfectly match each other. The drawings are most funny and to the point. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description

A ten-year-old Lebanese boy balances his life in a war-torn city. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A book of hope........
My boyfriend lived in Lebanon during the time frame of this book. This book was close to the life he knew then. I bought the book for my sister's Arab American child. It is often difficult to find children's books with an Arabic theme. This is a wonderful one.

Touchable
This book will help children put themselves into Sami's war ravaged world. They will feel the angst of civil war and worry about Sami's safety in a book that makes readers feel as if they could reach out and touch the rubble in the streets of Lebanon. The book portrays the intermittent bombing and roller coaster of emotions faced by those who lived through the civil war. A wonderful mix of history and fiction which must be read. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lani, 10, tries the unicycle.
Right. Treehorn's Treasure is the best book EVER I have a cassette of the story and I have listened to it so many times I can recite it exactly as it is said on tape. Tabitha came round my house last night and asked to borrow my pink dress. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When cartoonist Jules Feiffer was little, he thought parents were scary.Florence Parry Heide's main fear was that she'd never learn how to be a reallife grownup. (She never did, she says.) So, years later, these two starcreators of children's books have teamed up to confront the things that go bumpin the night (or day) in the splendid picture book Some Things Are Scary.This litany of frightfully familiar scenarios, brilliantly illustrated withFeiffer's scritchy, expressive cartoons, ranges from stepping on somethingsquishy when you're in your bare feet to getting a shot to discovering that yourhamster cage is empty. The encompassing fleshy arms of the woman in thedepiction of "getting hugged by someone you don't like is scary" are positivelysmothering to behold. The rapidly moving arms (all seven of them) of the boy in"telling a lie is scary" image perfectly evokes the scittery discomfort offibbing. Feiffer's distorted perspectives on the things that "loom large"capture a range of human emotion with his usual deftness. Kids will commiseratewith the saucer-eyed boy as he skates out of control, is afraid he won't bepicked for either team, or gets stuck high in a tree. And maybe things won't beso scary next time. (Ages 3 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A good way to talk about it!
All kinds of scariness - some make you silly with relief & some will linger through your life like that scar on your chin when you fell down that day.

Seeing your parents angry, being scolded can be scary! People laughing at you & you don't know why - ah, I've known that one!

A good book to raise the subject of scary things, probably not one to read just before bed, however! Perhaps after a particularly trying day at school. Or just before Halloween! Or when something scary happens in your family's life.

Scary is Beautiful
Florence Parry Heide is one of the great children's authors. And teamed with Jules Feiffer, she's even better. This book is heartwarming and funny at once, and full of familiar surprises. For adults, it will bring back childhood memories of scary moments that are now just tender memories. Children will relate to their current childhood fears and will learn something in the process. For all, it's a sharing in the human condition of being a kid and the explorations of a kid's new world.

Some Things Bring Back Great Memories
Aaagh, this is not a new book. I read this when I was 6 years old! It was one of my absolute favorites. I've been keeping an eye out for it for my children. One "scary" thing that I remember most from this book is holding an adult's hand on the escalator, only to realize it is a stranger. That illustration has set in my mind for 30 years. What is especially funny, now, is that little children do that. They will hold my hand or grab my shirt, thinking I am their parent, only to look up at me with terror when they realize I'm the wrong "mommy". Gotta get it for yourself as well as the children.

A Winner!
Do you remember what it was like to be hugged by someone you didn't like or thinking you weren't going to be picked by either side for a game on the playground? What about holding on to someone's hand that isn't your mother's when you thought it was or having people looking at you and laughing and not knowing why? Fortunately for us, Florence Parry Heide does. This collection of childhood fears really captures the essence of the young mind in a clever, funny and light hearted way so that kids will be reassured that they're not alone out there in the world (the SCARIEST thought of all). Jules Feiffer's humorous, imaginative, expressive artwork adds just the right touch to the text and together they let all kids know that everybody's afraid of something sometimes and it's okay. This masterpiece is perfect for those as young as 4 or 5 and will have even more meaning to 8-10 year olds. So think back and remember what it felt like to watch in the mirror while getting a bad haircut and smile...

AMUSING AND REASSURING - A WINNER FOR KIDS!
This award winning children's book author and the iconoclastic Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer have found an amusing and reassuring way to allay children's normal fears. How helpful to confront what children may dread rather than ignoring or glossing over it!

Starting with the premise that some things really are frightening, youngsters are hilariously reminded that "Seeing something on your plate you know you're not going to like is scary" and then allowed to acknowledge that "Skating downhill when you haven't learned how to stop is scary."

In other words, children are taught that it's okay to be afraid sometimes. Parents may elicit some helpful information by reading this book with their child, and encouraging the young one to relate his or her own fears. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Young Ishaq wanders through 9th-century Baghdad's packed marketplace, filled with curiosity, awed by the many different people and languages. "They speak so strangely," he whispers to his father. His father, a translator and scribe who works in the caliph's library, the House of Wisdom, replies sagely, "You may not understand them, but that does not mean they have nothing to say."

Mother-and-daughter team Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland weave a beautiful, timeless, and true-life tale, recounting how the House of Wisdom in Baghdad (the then capital of the Islamic Empire) gathered and preserved manuscripts from all around the known world--at a time when Europe languished in the Dark Ages. Ishaq grows up in this vast library with his father, knowing how prized these ancient books are (the caliph gives his father a manuscript's weight in gold for translating it!) but not fully grasping the importance of the legacy they represent. Only after he leads an expedition himself in search of books, "to Cordova and Samarkand, to India and China," does he understand.

Heide and Gilliland's text dovetails with the rich, luminous illustrations by Harry Potter illustrator Mary GrandPré, which exceed even DK Publishing's demanding visual standards. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Real Gem
This is by far one of the best, and most beautiful, children's books on the importance of libraries that has yet been published. The text and the illustrations convey what it must have been like in 9th century Baghdad to experience for the first time the importance and value of books. The House of Wisdom should install a love of books in its readers and may even inspire some of them to become librarians. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not for your typical child
This book is true to the title: you certainly wouldn't want your kid to pay attention to the seven fables found in this book!In them, greediness, laziness, discontent, selfishness, carelessness, and lying are rewarded, while gracious, kind, and thoughtful children end up getting spanked.It's the ultimate in evil turnabout, and one of the funniest books I've ever read.This book would make a great present for someone (child or adult!) with a wicked and quirky sense of humor, but don't give it to any impressionable young minds!The illustrations are truly ugly, perfectly complimenting this nasty little gem. ... Read more

Book Description

As Ahmed delivers bottles of propane gas, he treasures a special secret he can't wait to share with his family. "Skillfully, the authors use the secret to sustain suspense...and to highlight the significance of Ahmed's poignant joy in his accomplishment....A handsome, affectionate book."--Kirkus Reviews. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Very Real Child
I came across this book at the Dearborn Arab-American Festival, the largest Arab festival in North America. And I'm so glad I did. Vivid illustrations, and an engrossing storyline. Heide reveals a very realistic Cairo street life, unknown to most Western adults, and here very easy for kids to relate to through the eyes of the young child, Ahmed. I smiled as I read and saw different scenes, like the rose-water man, and remembered walking through Cairo and seeing these very people. The scenes are gritty- not white-washed, yet also very relationally connected, with people caring for each other and showing true hospitality, the hallmark of Egyptian life. This child isn't a terrorist; it's a young child; it's real life. When he finally reveals his secret, it's the joy of a child first learning to read, just like any Western or American child. But he's also truly Egyptian- he presents his name in Arabic.

After we read this, I and the children in the library learned to write our names in Arabic, and then we *had* to get some rosewater ice cream, in order to fully immerse ourselves in the book. If you can get ahold of it, I would highly recommend!

The Day of Ahmed's Secret by Florence Parry Heide et al.
An especially beautiful and thought-provoking book.The story transports us to Cairo, Egypt, where we are invited to observe a day in the life of a young Egyptian boy who sells gas canisters to help his family.A must readif you are interested in learning about other cultures, and about the livesof millions of children around the world.The authors capture the culture,a sense of the language (poetic), the spirit of the people, as well astheir philosophy of life.We even get some idea of the geography andhistory of Egypt; and all of this in a children's book.This is truly anwholistic piece of work.The illustrator does a marvelous job of capturingthe sights and colors of Cairo.I have been so impressed by this book asto have recommended it to countless students and teachers in the schoolsystem where I teach.I have even been moved to write and thank theauthors, who graciously responded.

It's a Keeper!
I love this book because it conveys better than any book I've seen the magic of the breakthrough to literacy.The excitement of this working class boy who will now embark upon a whole new world because he has thefirst tool captures a precious moment in every child's life - and all thisis accomplished with a text and illustrations that are bright and alive.

BUY THIS BOOK!!!
I loved this book.it is amazing.the words are lovely, the plot enchanting, and the illustrations are superb.if you can avoid it, don't let anyone tell you ahmed's secret until you can read it for yourself.it's well worth reading the whole thing to find it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

hylarious
I read this book as a child and have been searching for it for years.It's very involving and hysterically funny.If you want to laugh or make a child you love laugh, buy this book.

THe Great Banana Affair
Okay so i'm 26 so what... The first time I read this book I was in the 5th grade and I still roll on the floor laughing. If you want a great book to share with your kids this is it. Our hero, Jonah D. Krock meets his arch nemisis "Goober Grube". A typical adolescent who thinks Jonah has a banana fixation. Jonah spends the whole book trying to avoid "Goober" and fill out his application for Fairlee, a boarding school. Not this homelife is that bad. With parents who believe junk food is of satan, and television is even worse... You'll love this one. Don't forget to pick up the sequel Banana Blitz. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Spotlight Mystery about strange events around an empty house
Jay, Cindy, and Dexter are excited about Holloween but stumble onto a spooky mystery around an empty house. Using their wits and bravery are the only way they can solve this mystery. The Spotlight mysteries(apprx.12) aregreat 9-12 readers.Quick action/read for all. These are out of print butmaybe you can find at library or used on internet. Good luck :)Steve ... Read more

Book Description

Tell time, mark time, waste time, pass the time. There are so many ways to deal with time! It can be divided into big chunks of years or tiny slivers of seconds. Today turns into yesterday and tomorrow becomes today. Time zones, time machines, timepieces . . . the many playful possibilities of time, the ways we think and wonder about it, are explored in a cheerful collection of original verses. In the vivid illustrations, executed in Cathryn Falwell's signature cut-paper collage, a lively sprite leads the way through the funny and thought-provoking images. A perfect book for children who are just beginning to grasp the implications of time, "It's About Time!" will make reading time a pleasure. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Time for fun
This collection of poems about time covers many facets of thisabstract subject with energy, humor, thought and fun. The livelylittle sprite-like figure dances her way through the pages and keeps children engaged. This book has inspired kids to write and illustrate their own poetry. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Funny But Unrealistic
The book Banana Blitz was quite funny in places (especially the relationship between Jonah and Goober), but the plot set up was unrealistic. It's not believable that parents could send their son off toboarding school without knowing what actually went on there regarding junkfood, television, etc. Without giving away the ending, I'll just say thatit was also not very believable. However, this book is a children's story,so that can be forgiven. Overall, this book was well written and veryfunny. ... Read more

Book Description

Meet Ruby.She watches her little brother just like her mother asked her to -- and keeps right on watching while he turns the house upside down.Then there's Arthur.He listens to his mother and dresses like a perfect gentlemen -- until some conveniently spilled juice gives him the excuse he needs to slip into something more comfortable.Can any child be trusted to read about these seven perfect little monsters without trying anything equally naughty? ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A "children's book" that is really for adults
A delightful, humorous book - meant to be read by adults!While we as adults recognize our past tendencies in each of these delightful, and very mischievous children, it is a reminder for us about how we perpetuate behaviors in children.A MUST READ for parents!

too funny!
Well, of course there are no lessons to be learned - it's HUMOR! My students laughed so hard, I had to wait for them to stop before I could continue. And of course there really are lessons-because kids really can see a little of themselves in these horrible children. Great discussion starter!

hilarious look at the world through the eyes of children
Our entire family has delighted in this humorous look at the world through the eyes of Florence's children. Her witty tales made us literally laugh out loud.Our twin daughters saw a little of themselves in each of herrichly drawn characters.Forence's insights are obviously gleaned from theexperiences of a parent and a keen observation of the tactics that childrenemploy to move mountains of obstacles to their own will.This little bookwill always be one of our favorites .

A silly book that can be used as an easy-read for upper elem
This is a silly book that can be used as an easy-read for upper elementary students who have difficulty reading.The stories are short and conquerable for children who can read at about a thrid grade level.Thecontent of the stories are not damaging to a child's understanding ofbehavior and they will not serve as a poor model for behavior (as someextreme reviews have suggested) -they are just silly and fun...andsuitable to an older child's sense of humor.

I would not recommend this book to anybody!
My daughter borrowed this book from the library and I urge parents not to buy this book! Basically, it implies to children that they'll get what they want if they whine, are stubborn, or deliberately disobedient. There are novaluable lessons to be learned by reading this book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Book Report Book
My 8th Grade students say this book is "Alright". They were to do a book report on a mystery of their choice. They would reccomend this book to other students. ... Read more