Book Description

What a night!
The moon is full.
Kitten is hungry
and inquisitive
and brave
and fast
and persistent
and unlucky . . .
then lucky!
What a night!

Reviews (2)

My baby loved it!
I started reading Kitten's First Full Moon to my daughter when she was 3 months old, and she has since been captivated by the beautiful black/white illustrations of kitten and her quest for the little bowl of milk.

Here Kitty, Kitty
The cover shows Kitten in a dazzling night garden. The lettering is silvery and the colors of the entire book are grays, black, and white. Kitten sees the moon and thinks it is a bowl of milk. The story shows Kitten (in very clever illustrations) trying and trying to get at the "bowl of milk". Kitten chases after an impossible goal and in the end finds what it was searching for was waiting for it all along at home. Fun for everyone, but cat lovers will really enjoy this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The irrepressible mouse heroine of Chester's Way and Julius, the Baby of the World returns for another true-to-life and very funny episode. Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, Mr. Slinger--until he takes away her musical purse because she can't stop playing with it in class. Lilly decides to get revenge with a nasty drawing of "Big Fat Mean Mr. Stealing Teacher!" but when she finds the kind note he put in her purse, she's filled with remorse and has to find a way to make things right again. Children will sympathize with Lilly's impulsive mistake and laugh uproariously at the witty and expressive pictures of the very human mice. In a starred review, Publisher's Weekly called this book "sympathetic and wise." (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (36)

HOORAY FOR LILLY!!!
This is a book that adults will appreciate as much as children. Pay close attention to all that's happening in the illustrations. You can't help but love Lilly, she means well but like any of us she finds herself in trouble. Mr. Slinger, Lilly's teacher is a hero. This is a must read for all kids. Makes a great gift, look for a purple plastic purse and movie star sunglasses to go a long with it! After reading this book you'll find yourself looking for and falling in love with all of Kevin Henkes' books! Wow! That is all I can say. Wow!

Aesop would be proud, multi-level morals and fun
Kevin Henkes spins a wonderful tale that appeals to many age groups with the fun story of Lilly and her new purse. Lilly loves her teacher and school, but her normally attentive nature is put to the test when she brings her new purse and accessories to class one day. Woven with lessons about the importance of patience, listening, and responsibility, the story is accompanied by colorful and simple illustrations depicting the young mouse Lilly and other characters in ordinary classroom situations every child can relate to. Your children will love reading this with you; you'll have to read every delightful caption. Something in the story will make adults laugh every time they read it too. Very well rounded and enjoyable work.

Fashionista rodentia
It is my understanding that "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" is the book that really launched Kevin Henkes from mere picture book drudgery to children's book stardom. Though he'd been churning out stories that spoke to kids and their qualms ("Owen", "Chrysanthemum", etc.) Lilly grabbed the world's spotlight and focused it squarely on her cute little shoulders. Though she'd already appeared in two previous Henkesian creations ("Chester's Way" and "Julius, the Baby of the World"), this was Lilly's first foray as a protagonist with her name in the title. As such, the book has been turned into a stage play, been read by millions of small children, and gives spunky kids someone they can identify with and look up to. In short, she's a pip.

Lilly is mightily pleased with her life at the moment. She loves school and she adores her teacher Mr. Slinger. Mr. Slinger (undoubtedly a relation of Miss Twinkle from "Chrysanthemum") is the coolest prof in the world. He wears crazy colored ties, refers to his students as "rodents", provides yummy tasty snacks, and has a penchant for patterned shirts. Lilly is determined to someday be a teacher all thanks to Mr. Slinger. Unfortunately, Lilly's Slinger-love takes a downturn when she brings her new purple plastic purse to class. Noisily displaying it at an inappropriate time, Slinger confiscates the item until the end of the day. In anger, Lilly draws a mean portrait of her teacher and hides it in his book bag. But when the young girl opens her returned purse outside of school, she finds a note reading, "Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better", and some yummy snacks are included. Suddenly wracked with guilt, Lilly decides to make up with her teacher and by the end the two have reconciled joyfully.

Now I was lucky enough to see the Minneapolis Children Theater's production of this particular book (combined with some of Lilly's other adventures to pad it out). And though I'm not a weepy gal by nature, I found myself tearing up during the reading of Mr. Slinger's note to Lilly (i.e. "Tomorrow will be better") as well as when I read the picture book. I don't tear up during children's stage productions and I CERTAINLY don't tear up when reading picture books. Yet here I was, all of 26 years of age, and bawling over the succinct sweetness of Slinger's comforting note. How many books have done this for you recently? How many picture books?

The tale is filled to the brim with the Henkes touches a person expects from his work (be sure to notice the Krazy Kat reference in Lilly's dining room). As per usual there is the comfortable family containing loving parents. And best of all, that wonderful way Henkes has of bringing a happy child to life on the page. No adult reading this book would want to be anyone BUT Mr. Slinger and no child reading it wouldn't want to know him. As for Lilly, she walks the fine line between precocious and precious. And wins. If you're a Henkes fan you won't want to miss this delightful star-making turn. If you're not a Henkes fan, do what you can to cure yourself of this ailment and then immediately read and enjoy this book. It's worth the effort.

The Book Cracks me Up!
I babysit all of the time so I am always looking for great books to read to the kids. This book I read to myself. It is so funny and I love how Lilly is so ostentatious with her purse. She is exactly like I was at that age and I love the message of not impulsively taking revenge on someone before simmering down. I recommend this book to everyone and I promise you will love it! I even named my Hamster after Lilly.

Great lesson in restraint, but hard to read...
I found this book to be very difficult to read aloud again and again. When I taught Kindergarten and preschool before that, I read this book to large and small groups of children and found it tedious and too wordy. For example, why have a line like "Lilly even wanted her own set of deluxe picture encyclopedias." Perhaps some of you may love the dozens of new vocabulary words, but I would rather not have to explain for the umpteenth time what "deluxe," or "diva" means, when the story already has many other new words that are more developmentally appropriate for this target group of readers (i.e., unique, jaunty, considerate, uncooperative...). Anyway, perhaps it is just me being picky, but I didn't care for this story much as a read a-loud. There are many books that I find much more worthwhile. If you have a child who could use a lesson about self-restraint, however, this book may be better than nothing. ... Read more

Book Description

Sometimes life can change in an instant

Martha Boyle and Olive Barstow could have been friends, but they weren't. Weeks after a tragic accident, all that is left are eerie connections between the two girls, former classmates who both kept the same secret without knowing it. Now, even while on vacation at the ocean, Martha can't stop thinking about Olive. Things only get more complicated when Martha begins to like Jimmy Manning, a neighbor boy she used to despise. What is going on? Can life for Martha be the same ever again?

Reviews (45)

Olive's Ocean
Olive's Ocean is one of the best books I have ever read.I could relate to it very well.It's about a girl named Martha who goes to New England to spend time with her Godbee (grandmother).While she's there, she starts crushing on Jimmy Manning, but realizes that he doesn't really care about other people's feelings, just his camera.She's also trying to spend as much time with her Godbee as she can, because she knows that this may be the last summer she has with her.When all of this is happening, she is also learning to cope with the loss of a girl who went to her school, but was killed when she was hit by a car.Martha has a hard time getting her hands around the whole situation.
One of the characters in the book is Martha, she's the main character.She's dealing with the hardships, and good times of growing up.There's also Godbee.Martha loves Godbee, and learns a lot from her.She really enjoys spending time with her.Godbee is a very peaceful kind of a person, who loves life and loves being near the ocean.She also enjoys spending time with her family.Then there's Jimmy Manning.Jimmy Manning is the boy that Martha had the crush on in the beginning of the book, but definitely not in the second half of the book.He's making a movie, and uses Martha in it, Martha realizes that he's only using her in the movie though.There's also Tate,Tate is Jimmy Manning's younger brother.Tate is Martha's age, and can sometimes be a little jealous of Jimmy Manning.
I would definitely recommend this book because you can really relate to all the characters in the book, and it teaches you about life and how you should be happy for what you have.You also realize what it's like to be a teenager and what one has to go through.I liked it because I could relate to it.Every summer around the fourth of July my grandparents get a cottage on the ocean, we all go out there to the beach and hang out.After that, we go to the farm where all my relatives are.We all have a lot of fun and enjoy spending time together.This reminds me a lot of when Martha goes and visits Godbee.There were lots of surprises with what happened with Jimmy Manning and staying at the ocean that surprised me.I enjoyed reading about them.I also liked the style of writing, it was very easy to understand at my age and it flowed very easily which I liked.I think that girls would enjoy this book more because it's from their point of view, and girls would understand Martha more I think.It's a very good realistic fiction book, which is my favorite genre so I also enjoyed that.I would definitely recommend it.

Was this REALLY Kevin Henkes???
I didn't know that Kevin Henkes wrote books like this. The style is very different, yet I found the moral to be quite interesting, but as I read in one reviewer's rating, I agree that the character depth was very poor and that there were some "things" in the book not suggested for kids under 11.

The book starts out with Martha Boyle revieving a page from Olive Barstow's journal, which spoke of how Olive--a timid, unnoticed child--wished to become friends with Martha, be a writer, and see the ocean. The problem is, Olive has died from a bycicle wreck, and now Martha wishes to turn back the time and regret it. The book talks about how Martha gets to do things like write and see the ocean and how Olive never had the chance to experience some of the issues a 12-year-old goes through.

I was dissapointed that the author mentioned very little of Olive in parts of the book. Sometimes, I even forgot about her!! They focused so much on Martha, Olive was sometimes forgotten. The book "could have happened" without Olive's exsistence, it just would have had a different ending (I won't tell why!!!). Also, I HATED the three-paged chapters. The book has, I think, 67 chapters, yet some chapters aren't even a page long! I hated how the book was broken up with little chapters; it messed up your thought. It is also slow-moving and, I will say, the reccomended age should be OVER 11 years old, due to some bad words and behavoir that young children shouldn't be exposed to (such as, at only 12 years old, Martha falls in love with a boy named Jimmy Manning, and sometimes that was the entire focus of the story. Jimmy also films a love scene with Martha in his video. If I was the author, I would have left that out, or made Martha 17!)

The book has a good moral about life and death, and is a good TEEN reader.

Got a Good Book? well here's one
Olive's Ocean was a great book.I usually don't like to read, but I was hooked on the book and couldn't put it down.I loved it so much; I really grew attached to the relationship between Olive and Martha. It was a very strong and emotional book that took place in the present and so many devastating things happened.The author was extremely creative with how he ended the book.I discovered many clever happeneings in this book; it just changed how I thought about simple things.Another thing is it made me realize to be thankful for what you have now and in front of you, because in just one second, things could be gone.I found the book satisfying and delightful, the way it ended just sent a sigh and smile to me.I truly recommend this book if you like to read a book just for fun, not adventurous, not mystery, just something nice and sweet to enjoy on a Sunday morning.

A Girl Like Me
In the novel Olive's Ocean, a series of young thoughts, childish dreams, a search for love, and beautiful images of one's mind eye are among the ideas explored in this well written, intriguing story. Written by Kevin Henkes, this book begins with the introduction to the main character Martha and to a major idea in the story concerning the death of Martha's peer Olive, a outcast from school who Martha barely knew but who seemed to have taken special notice of her. After receiving a letter from the dead Olive Barstow containing proof of her admiration of Martha, we follow Martha to a trip to her grandmother's house by the sea, and through her young, vivid mind filled with exciting aspirations and insightful thoughts. We watch Martha confess her longing to be a writer, her longing to find love and hold onto it, her longing to repay Olive for noticing the person she truly was, and her search for the strength within herself.

I found this story to be beautifully simple, homey, and a definite feel good novel. As a teenage girl, I found myself easily connecting to many of the themes and ideas in the story and even to Martha's character. I enjoyed seeing some my own thoughts through the eyes of another girl like me. I would recommend this novel to women looking to reminisce back to their days of searching for their place in the big world around us, or to younger girls looking for a story filled with things to connect to. The author's wonderful insight into the life of the main character and the mind imagery of the story are truly worth experiencing.

Great
I have enjoyed Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes so much. This is a great book for everyone to read because I think itdeals witholder people too,not just little kids. The book is about a girl named Martha who feels really bad because a girl named Olive Barstow, died of a hit and run. Martha feels bad because her and her friends made fun of Olive because she was different, she didn't talk to anyone she just stared at them most of the time. So when Olive died Martha felt so bad, that her parents thought it wouldbe a good time for a vacation to Godbee's. Her brother Vince went away to find his old friends the Manning boys. To make it short and simple it's about a girl named Martha andeverything she does relates to Olive, the girl who died. I would recommend this book because it'sa very good book to read for fun it doesn't matter how old you are you can still read this book. I bet if you read this book you will fall in love with this book. ... Read more

Book Description

She was a perfect baby, and she had a perfect name. Chrysanthemum. When she was old enough to appreciate it, Chrysanthemum loved her name. And then she started school. "I'm named after my grandmother," said Victoria. "You're named after a flower." Chrysanthemum wilted. Life at school didn't improve. In fact, it got worse. Then the students were introduced to their music teacher, Mrs. Twinkle. Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle. And suddenly, Chrysanthemum blossomed.... ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Great for kids and grownups alike
Chrysanthemum loves her name- she whispers it to herself constantly. Her parents reinforce how unique and special she is, which is why they chose her "absolutely perfect" name. Chrysanthemum thinks her name is perfect, too- that is, until the day she enters Kindergarten and the kids make fun of her. From that day on, she is crestfallen every day she returns home from school, and it's up to her parents to bolster her confidence. Still, there's no hope for poor Chrysanthemum's broken spirit- until a substitute teacher with an equally unique name teaches the class, and makes all the girls wish they had a perfect name like Chrysanthemum, too. Kevin Henkes' books are great for kids, and equally enjoyable for adults(look for the subtle designs in the illustrations, like Chrysanthemum's Father reading child psychology books while her Mom comforts her)- it's the little attention to details that makes Henkes a favorite kids author.

"Chrysanthemum is Absolutely Perfect"
When Chrysanthemum was born, her parents thought that she was absolutely perfect and felt that her name must fit that. Chrysanthemum loved her name until she went to school and all her classmates teased her about it. One day, by the help of a teacher, Chrysanthemum and her classmates realize that her name is not all that bad. The text and illustrations in Chrysanthemum blend together to form a delightful book for both kids and adults. The story also explains a valuable lesson, and that is, to be nice to others, no matter how different they are. The language is simple, but also involves some complex adjectives: "precious", "priceless", "fascinating" and "winsome". Repeated verses in the text can also be found throughout the story. "She did not think her name was absolutely perfect. She thought it was absolutely dreadful." This sentence is repeated several times and is like the chorus to a song. The repeated lines provide consistency throughout the book. Another repeated line is "Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum." The repetition of this line aids in the concordance of the story. Kevin Henkes also makes the print of the story life-like at one point. "Chrysanthemum grew and grew and grew." As the font grows larger, it grabs the attention of the reader. This is a singled out event, which makes it even more memorable. Another instance of language playing an important part in this story is when Chrysanthemum is teased. Her reaction is the same every time; "Chrysanthemum wilted." This is a brilliant metaphor for a children's book. It gives a human flower-like characteristics. In addition, the illustrations fit well with the text. The pictures actually add to what the text is trying to get across to the reader. The drawings in Chrysanthemum are very simple but effective. Some books rely just on illustrations to tell the story, some just rely on text, and others rely on both. The author of Chrysanthemum relies mainly on text to tell a story, although the illustrations do help the story to be more appealing. The text alone may seem to be boring and monotonous, but Kevin Henkes makes it exciting and produces the central focus of the book.

A perennial (ha ha!) classic
If you were to single out the one picture book author that most successfully puts their finger on the pulse of children's hopes and fears, the award for Greatest Long-Distance Therapist would go to none other than Kevin Henkes. I am a huge fan of "Lily's Purple Plastic Purse" and I found a great deal of enjoyment in "Owen" (though I feel it's not his strongest work). Even "Wemberly Worried" covers a lot of ground by directly confronting the fears of worrywarts everywhere. With "Chrysanthemum", Henkes discusses originality and how being different (even if you're different in name alone) can single you out in both good and bad ways. As a Henkes fan, I consider this book to be amongst his strongest.

Chrysanthemum feels that her name is absolutely perfect. She likes how it looks and she likes how it sounds and she likes that it is her name alone. Everything's going great until Chrysanthemum starts school. Suddenly everyone's making fun of her name. She has a class full of Sams and Eves and Victorias. There doesn't seem to be a place for a girl with as wildly original a name as Chrysanthemum. One student in particular, Victoria, makes it her goal to continually ridicule poor little Chrysanthemum day in and day out. Talking about it with her parents helps a little, but the next day the same thing occurs. It seems that Chrysanthemum is doomed to be unhappy until she meets the music teacher Mrs. Twinkle. Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle. And suddenly everything in Chrysanthemum's life is a whole lot better.

I liked the moral of this lesson and the way in which Chrysanthemum learns that it's okay to be original. I also liked the epilogue in this tale wherein the leader of Chrysanthemum's tormentors abruptly forgets her lines in the school play and our little heroine is vindicated. Call me shallow, but I always enjoy it when the villains in a piece "get their's". This is probably indicative of a singular shallowness on my part. Just the same, the fact that the similarly tormented Molly of the children's book, "Molly's Pilgrim" never receives any vindication has always bothered me. So kudos to Kevin Henkes for punishing the bad guys mildly! Hear hear!

There are other less personally petty things I like about this book too. I always love a good Henkesian drawing. I love that the parents in these tales are always caring, available, and attentive to their children's needs. In this book I was especially amused by Chrysanthemum's father running to child psychology texts (like "The Inner Mouse Vol. 1: Childhood Anxiety" and "A Rose By Any Other Name...Understanding Identity") to help his daughter. I loved the extraordinarily cool Mrs. Twinkle with her hugely pregnant stomach, ballet shoes, and tail that twists into a musical staff. I loved it all.

If you have a child being teased by fellow classmates for being a little off, this may not be THE best book to offer, but it's pretty darn good. Give it a shot and see what you think. If you love Henkes, you won't be disappointed.

not good for bibliotherapy
If you're looking for a cute, whimsical picture book to launch into a discussion with your child about respecting differences, this one has a major flaw. Love the pictures, love the whimsy, but when the little girl, Chrysanthemum, is teased for her name during naptime (the other girl snickers that chrysanthemums grow near worms and dirt, ugh), the teacher replies with sarcasm, "Thank you for sharing." Well, little kids don't get sarcasm--they take it literally. Why does the teacher not step in and say something straightforward about how that's an ugly statement? I don't want to teach my child that kids can get away with being nasty and teachers will look on in approval. True, a second teacher stands up for Chrysanthemum, but I think to let a teacher make a crack like that, without having some character call her on it, sends the message to kids that you can't trust teachers to do the right thing. At least the girl could've told her parents exactly what happened so they could say, "That teacher was wrong and we're going to talk to her" or something.

Beautifully written
This book is beautifully written! Keven Henkes tells a great story about appreciating our differences as individuals. I would highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Chester and Wilson had their own way of doing things, and they did everything together. When they cut their sandwiches, it was always diagonally. When they rode their bikes, they always used hand signals. If Chester was hungry, Wilson was too. They were two of a kind, and that's the way it was - until indomitable Lilly, who had her own way of doing things, moved into the neighborhood.

Reviews (9)

Belly Laughin Four year old!!!
My four year old loves this book, when Lilly does her stuff my son loses it, he actually gets belly laughs. We read his book five nights in a row when we first got it, and we didn't mind reading it over and over. Lilly really is a crack up. The moral is great. I have since bought "Julius Baby of the World" and we have read this the past three nights in a row, and we look forward to reading more by Kevin Henkes.

School Counselor
We are going to be using this book on our unit on Friendship. We will discuss the likes of each of the characters in the book, and how different they may be, but how they are friends. Kevin Henkes has a wonderful website as well, where you can get reproducibles. As a counselor and parent it is an invaluable resource!!...

My Eye
When I read this book it made me reminisce about my friend and me. We do everything together.
When Lilly moved in, it was bad for Chester and Wilson to not like her. Then it was nice of her to help them out when they were in a predicament.

Kevin Henkes is humorous and clever, even for adults
I purchased this book because my maiden name is Chester- honestly, it's the only reason I got it! What a delight to find that the story is amusing and worth every penny. Chester is a mouse who does things his own way- he always eats the same thing for breakfast, he always uses hand signals when he rides his bike, and he never leaves the house without double-knotting his shoelaces. Chester's best friend's name is Wilson (my mother's maiden name- another delightful surprise!), and he and Chester are inseperable. When Wilson accidentally swallows a watermelon seed and cries because he's afraid he'll grow a watermelon in his belly, Chester swallows one too, so Wilson won't be alone in his predicament. This pair are like two peas in a pod...and then Lilly moves into the neighborhood. Lilly has HER own way of doing things, and Chester and Wilson avoid her like the plague. That is, until she scares of some neighborhood bullies trying to pick on Wilson and Chester. From then on, the three of them go everywhere together, and Chester and Wilson find that Lilly has many of the same interests that they do. An amusing and chuckle-out-loud story for all. Be sure to get "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse", too.

Chester's Way is Wonderful
Kevin Henkes is an absolute treasure. His stories are a treat for both children and adults combining rhythmic prose and engaging artwork. "Chester's Way" is a delightful book about friendship. Wilson and Chester are the best of friends, and that's the way it was...until Lilly came along. Lilly does things differently than Chester and Wilson. However, they eventually become friends and learn from one another. My son and his best friend liked the story so much that they dressed as Chester and Wilson for Halloween one year. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The clinical name is transitional object, but for young children, a beloved blanket is more likea lifeline. And that's exactly how Owen feels about his baby blanket, fondly named Fuzzy. The Owen-Fuzzyrelationship is cruising along smoothly until a nosy neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, leans over the fence and askshis parents, "Isn't he getting a little old to be carrying that thing around?" With kindergarten just around thecorner, Owen's parents wonder if he should in fact relinquish his prized Fuzzy. Kevin Henkes uses hissignature mouse characters and jewel-tone watercolors to explore the antics and foils of one mouse-boy, onerag-blanket, and two parents wondering how to help their son kick the habit. This is what Henkes does best--playfully bringing childhood fears and feelings to the surface while portraying real-life parent-childtensions. Mrs. Tweezers, a real sourpuss, is no help at all. She offers terrible over-the-fence advice, such asdipping Fuzzy in vinegar (as if to cure a nail-biting habit) or stealing the blanket in the night.

It is not until the eve of Owen's first day of kindergarten that his mother hatches the perfect solution.Ultimately, she finds a way that Owen can hang on to his first true love while also taking the next step intomiddle childhood--a solution that suits everyone, including Mrs. Tweezers. Caldecott Honor Book, HornBook Fanfare Honor List, ALA Notable Book, Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Book, School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, ALA Booklist Children's Editors' Choice.(Ages 3 and older) --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Blanket Coverage of Staying Connected with Security Objects!
Almost all children have a favorite blanket or stuffed toy that makes any situation more comfortable. Children vary a lot in how long and how extensively they rely on these friendly objects. Social pressures to relinquish the objects often make the child even more insecure. In this worthy story, your child can learn how to keep this warm connection while reducing social embarrassment.

"Owen had a fuzzy yellow blanket . . . . He loved it with all his heart."

"Fuzzy goes where I go."

"Fuzzy likes what I like."

"He carried it.

And wore it.

And dragged it.

He sucked it.

And hugged it.

And twisted it."

You can see the close connection from these quotes.

The crisis is brought on when Owen announces, "I have to bring Fuzzy [no longer literally so] to school." What to do?

If you are a first-time parent, this book will suggest a solution that almost all parents rely on (or a variant thereof). As such, it is a great gift to parents and children.

The book was honored by Caldecott for its illustrations which rely on bright watercolor paints and black pen outlines. Owen and the other characters in the book are mice, and they have a visual sweetness that helps take the anxiety out of the book's subject. If the characters were humans, the book could feel threatening to the child who isn't ready to give up the blanket or other security object.

I suggest that you also ask your child what you can do to help make new situations feel more comfortable. The process of becoming more separate from home and parents is a difficult one. Although almost everyone will make it, there's no reason why the transition has to be a harsh and unpleasant one.

Provide an inner sense of security in all the loving ways you know!

What to do about Owen and his beloved fuzzy yellow blanket?
For every parent who tried to get their child to give up their favorite blanket, and who had no response to the observation that Linus never gave up HIS blanket, there is the story of "Owen." Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes, Owen is a young mouse who has a fuzzy yellow blanket he has had ever since he was a baby and which he loves with all his heart. Mrs. Tweezers lives next door and she thinks Owen is too old to be dragging a blanket around. Owen's parents are forced to agree and so Mrs. Tweezers has a series of suggestions on how to get Owen to give up his fuzzy yellow blanket. However, Owen REALLY loves that blanket. Still, school will be starting soon and Owen cannot bring the blanket to school. Fortunately, Owen's mother is a lot smarter than either Owen or even Mrs. Tweezers know. What makes "Owen" a great story for families trying to deal with separation anxiety because of a beloved but well worn object is that in the end, everybody wins, and if Owen thinks the solution is mother comes up with is a great one then maybe your child will have a similar reaction to YOUR great solution.

But unless we are talking about a blanket, you are probably going to have to come up with an idea all on your own. After all, there is no Blanket Fairy and "Owen" is one of those books that a wise parent might have to choose for their child.

What A Great Children's Book
This is MY favorite children's book. What a wonderful story. I am proud to say that it is a part of my book collection !!

Blankie book
Owen (a mouse) has a wonderful blanket named Fuzzy. He takes it everywhere and Fuzzy enjoys everything Owen does, like peanut butter and bath times. A pesky lady who lives next door shares some ideas with Owen's parents about how to separate Owen from Fuzzy, but none of them work, and Owen and Fuzzy get to stay together. The story is rather fun, with a little tension, but no scary bits. The book has about 550 words.

Funny Stuff
'Owen' is a very humorous, well-written story that makes for a good before-bed out-loud read. Be prepared to have to read it twice. (It's not long.)
It's true the author, Kevin Henkes, is depicting matter-of-fact blankie situations a lot of parents and children can relate to. But more importantly, in my opinion, it's very entertaining. These are the most down-to-earth mice you'll ever want to meet.
This is my favorite children's story, next to 'The Bernstein Bears and the Messy Room'. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Seven decades after Babar was born, the world is still very much in lovewith the noble elephant. Before his untimely death at age 37, Jean de Brunhoffwrote and illustrated six stories about Babar and his friends and family. Inthis exquisite gift edition, every one of these stories is included, with not aword or picture left out. From The Story of Babar--in which the elephantis born, loses his mother, runs off to Paris, and returns to be crownedking--through The Travels of Babar, Babar the King, Babar andZephir, Babar and His Children, and Babar and FatherChristmas, the beloved pachyderm's incredible life adventures are chronicledfor our reading pleasure. In his introduction, picture book author-illustratorKevin Henkes writes, "Where else could one find a balloon accident, a deadlypoison mushroom, a runaway carriage, an extraordinary flying machine, a snakeattack, fire, war, death, birth? These books are full of adventure and fantasy,but they also deal with the stuff of real life. And I'm convinced children longto see both the dark and the light sides of human experience reflected in theirbooks just as much as adults do, perhaps more." Adults who truly wish to sharethe joys of the classics with the children in their lives could do no betterthan to present them with this grand collection. (Ages 4 and older) --EmilieCoulter ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great fun for the whole family
My husband and I grew up on Babar. So when we saw this book we bought for our 4 month old son. He loves to hear our voices as we read to him and he also loves the bright colored pictures. We enjoy the memories that the stories bring back to us. A great addition to anyones collection.

TIP: We take the dust cover of any of his books that have dust covers and put them in plastic sleeves for later when we are sure he will not rip them up. That way when he is older the book looks like new even though it really is old.

"Original" art? Ha!
I was so thrilled to get this book as a gift, especially since it includes the long out-of-print "Babar and Zephir." When I began to leaf through it, being very familiar with the older editions, I grew sicker with every page. Jean de Brunhoff's stunning artwork has been absolutely destroyed.

Do you know how you feel when watching an old black-and-white movie that you have long loved which has been "colorized"? Yes, your favorite golden age actress now has pink skin, fucshia lips too big for her face and what color are her eyes supposed to be, exactly? The Babar art has been colorized in the most grotesque and garish sense of the word--which is really horrid when you consider that most of Brunhoff's original illustrations were already in color to begin with. Random House has decided, apparently, that Brunhoff's colors are not bright enough. Where Brunhoff shaded, Random House has plastered one uniform cartoonish shade from line to line. Babar's green suit ranges from merely loud green to splitting-headache green. The suit which he wears while playing trumpet in the circus defies description. Suffice it to say it is very blue and very red.

The beautiful scene in which the Celesteville residents bring gifts to infants Pom, Flora, and Alexander has lost its pastoral sweetness and is positively grotesque. The babies lie in their pram, which looks as though my kindergartener re-outlined it in black magic marker, under glaring green palms and flowers with a turquoise blanket scarcely dimmer than the book's cover (see above), while royal blue butterflies flit nearby. Babar is standing in a suit that is (if possible) even greener than the greenery directly behind him. A uniformly orange cow and dromedary are in the reception line. Think Fisher Price.

Does your child really need to know that the mermaid Eleanore's sisters are peeking out of the water when Zephir captures Eleanore? Due to the paint job the sea has suffered, you may need to point this out, as Brunhoff's few lines are no longer recognizable as the tops of mermaid heads. Somebody overdid the brown on the faces of General Huc and Colonel Aristobald, these brave and clever monkeys no longer have visible eyes, mouths, or hairlines.

The subtlety, the grace, the old-world patina of the gorgeous Babar art is gone. In its place, we have. . .well, they do say that bright colors are good for babies' development.

I want to cry.

A GREAT CHILDREN'S BOOK!
We have a 3 year old and a 2 year old and they both really love Babar and the gang. They love the book and Babar videos. We've had this book for over a year, and our children continue to ask us to read it to them. This book is wonderfully illustrated and humorous. Enjoyable even for adults.

an elephant's intro to middle class life
One of the delights of being a parent is to return to the books you loved as a child with your own children. For the last 4 years, I have read and re-read these classic tales with my daughter, who loves them as much as I did. At 6, she is only beginning to yearn for more complicated sotries and characters.

While the stories at times appear a bit dated - they offer a curious mix of colonialism and advice on how to run a pluralistic animal kingdom - they offer wonderful lessons on how to get along with others. The characters are caring and many of them are somewhat flawed, as they try to puruse principled lives in the jungle. My daughter mentions them to me all the time when we talk about issues, offering us a common vocabulary and easy way to exlain things.

They also are simply very good stories, with adventure, humor, and plenty of good intentions. Warmly recommended.

Something different
Though Babar isn't one of the classic American children's storybook series, it definitely is worth introducing to your loved ones. This set of books is refreshing and cute, allowing for a different way of describing the world to children. I grew up with European parents who read Babar stories to me in French all the time. Compared to typically "American" stories, Babar is a curious yet wonderfully charming character who encounters just as many interesting adventures as any other. I definitely recommend this if you're searching for something different. ... Read more

Book Description

The riotously funny Lilly, last seen in Chester's Way (Greenwillow), thinks her new baby brother, Julius, is disgusting--if he was a number, he would be zero. But when Cousin Garland dares to criticize Julius, Lilly bullies her into loudly admiring Julius as the baby of the world.Lilly knows her baby brother is nothing but dreadful--until she claims him for her own. "Henkes displays a deep understanding of sibling rivalry and a child's fragile self-esteem....Lilly is a superb and timely heroine."--Publishers Weekly. " ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Sweet Baby Julius
DO NOT be scared of the previous reviewers silly fears about "bad words" in this book. You don't have to be a genius to see that this is a positive book, with an extremely positive message about babies. Plus, it is Kevin Henkes, and he writes books that kids love, I know, I'm a teacher and if you want your kids to love books, buy them books like this. It's great, and the illustrations are adorable.

When my son was born, we recited parts of this book to him..
...in the NICU. "But his parents loved him. They kissed his wet pink nose, they admired his small black eyes, and they stroked his sweet white fur." Our four-year-old nephew wanted us to name the baby Julius (and we have tee-shirts personalized with Julius, though his name is Jake). We love this book SOOOOO much, and we give it often as a gift. It's a pleasure to read over and over again. "Kiss! Admire! Stroke!"

Julius, the Baby of the World
Lilly, an active mouse, stars in Julius, the Baby of the World, by Kevin Henkes.

It stars Lilly who loves Julius. But when he is born she hates him. She hates how her parents kiss his wet pink nose and how they stroke his soft white fur and admire his small black eyes. Lilly has to share her room. They want Julius to grow up big and strong like Lilly. But when her parents aren't looking, Lilly has her own ideas. Lilly's parents are doubtful about leaving them together alone. Lilly scares him and ignores him. Lilly spends more time in the uncooperative chair. Lilly hates him, but her parents love him. She warns her friends about him and other people.

My opinion is if you like a nice humored book with good pictures, this is your book. I love the way the colors work together. So go...get Julius, the Baby of the World.

I wouldn't have bought this if I'd read it first
Maybe this book would be a good thing for an older child who could understand that the behavior described in the book might be meant as something funny and not be OK to try, but I don't plan to read it to my 2 1/2 year old. It features a big sister who is having a tough adjustment to a new little brother (so far so good), but it goes into descriptions of a degree of negativity and acting out that I am not really looking to introduce my child to or read about over and over. The new big sister is pictured leaning over the baby's crib saying: "I hate you. You're ugly." In our family, we just don't talk to each other like that. The girl makes up a story for her brother in which she says he is a germ, a zero, like dust under the bed, like dirt...If my child had come up with doing this sort of thing on her own, I'd have to think hard about whether reading a story like this would be helpful. Since she hasn't come up with this kind of behavior, I don't really want to plant the seeds by reading this together. I thought Susan Winter's A Baby Just Like Me was much better, and my daughter loves that book. I also liked Geraldine's Baby Brother.

Hilarious, charming and a little educational thrown in
One of only a very few children's books that is laugh-out-loud funny for adults. For the kids, the pictures are colorful and charming (as are all Kevin Henkes illustrations) and the lesson in sibling jealously is a good one. I buy this book for all my little friends who are expecting their first younger brother or sister. A gem among the wonderful collection of Kevin Henkes books. ... Read more

Book Description

Sheila Rae is not afraid of anything. She walks backwards with her eyes closed, steps on every crack, growls at stray dogs, and bares her teeth at stray cats. But when Sheila Rae becomes lost on the way home from school, it is her "scaredy cat" sister, Louise, who shows her a thing or two about bravery and sibling love.

Reviews (6)

Remembering this book as a little girl
I read a funny book called Sheila Rae, The brave. This book was written by Kevin Henkes. My favorite character is Sheila Rae because she is funny and because she has my name. This book is funny and exciting because Sheila tries to act brave in front of everyone. If I were the older sister I would do the same as what Sheila did, try to find a way out of the woods with her younger sister. They both made it home safe and sound. This is why this book is exciting and funny because you never know what Sheila will do next.

Do you like it?
Wow!That was amazing.Sheila just did a bike ride with her eyes closed and no hands.Man, she's brave.I can't even ride with my eyes closed. I like this book a lot. You've got to get this book. It is soooo cool!!!

Awesome for first grade
I just used this book in my first grade class and they loved it! I haven't kept all 28 of them this involved in the same book in a long time. Thanks Kevin Henkes.

Nice for Kids
Sheila Rae, the Brave, written by Kevin Henkes, is a nice story for young children. My five-year-old brother enjoys himself very much with its CD-ROM version, including interesting animation, melodious song and a *treasure hunt* game.

The story teaches us what the word *brave* really means. Sheila Rae thought that walking backwards with her eye closed, riding bicycle no-handed with her eyes closed, etc., were *brave*. Actually I prefer the word *foolish* to *brave*, because she might get hurt. On the contrary, Louise, his sister was called a *scaredy-cat*. However she was the one who save Sheila Rae from getting lost. She was the real *fearless* girl in the story.

After all, I think Sheila Rae, the Brave is very fascinating, which is a great book for kids at the ages of 4-8.

Very pretty and very helpful
My child had been convinced that she was shy. I kept telling her she was brave and then we read about Sheila Rae. Now, whenever she's acting a little nervous, I can sing quietly to her, "I am brave. I am fearless." A nice weapon in the battle against shyness. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Wemberly the mouse worries about everything: big things, like whetherher parents might disappear in the middle of the night; little things, likewhether she'll spill grape juice on her toy rabbit, Petal; and things inbetween, like whether she might shrink in the bathtub. What she is more worriedabout than anything else, however, is her first day at the New Morning NurserySchool: "What if no one else has spots? What if no one else wears stripes? Whatif no one else brings a doll? What if the teacher is mean? What if the roomsmells bad?" Happily, Miss Peachum introduces her to a kindred spirit rightaway. Jewel doesn't have spots, but she is wearing stripes and holding adoll. As Wemberly plays with her new friend, she still worries, but no more thanusual. ("And sometimes even less.")

Kevin Henkes, well-loved creator of the award-winning Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse,gets to the heart of a child's feelings like no one else can. Young worrywarts(and their parents) will see themselves in Wemberly, and be relieved that she,too, worries about playground equipment ("Too rusty. Too loose. Too high."),sure-to-be-inhabited cracks in the wall, whether she will be the only butterflyin the Halloween parade, and, of course, whether school will be dreadful inevery way. Henkes's Lilly-style illustrations are sweet, expressive, and loadedwith funny, inventive details that invite close perusal with every reading.(Wemberly's roller-blading grandma, for example, is wearing a T-shirt that says"Go with the flow.") We're not worried about whether this book will become aclassic--it will! (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Henkes does is again
Wemberly Worried is the epic tale of Wemberly and her doll Petal. The adventure begins with our hero, Wemberly the mouse, and her array of pre-school worries. Wemberly worries about everything and anything despite her parents and grandmother's best efforts. The climax of the story is her first day of school her greatest worry yet. It concludes with her revalation when she meets her soulmate in Jewel and her partner in crime, Nibblet. Henkes' use of colors and humor in the illustrations make it a must have for any child. His use of font size emphasizes the magnittude of the worry. The story teaches a life lesson, that there is a friend out there for every child no matter how worried or different they are. This book is espically good if your child is a worrier and a mouse, yet, is still a great story for those human children out there. Henkes' use of dialoge outside of the story help the story devolope into the timeless classic Wemberly Worried. The most interesting is Wemberly's laid back roller blade wearing Grandmother who is known for her shirt with 'Go with the flow' written on the front. We look forward to Henkes' next ingenius work.

A Pleasure to read for both parent and child
Kevin Henkes is one of my daughters favorite authors, and I have to say, for the under 5 reading I have to do, he's one of mine too, especially after reading this book. I bought it especially because my daughter, like Wemberly, is very worried about starting her new school. When she heard Wemberly was worried about that, she said "I'm worried about that too, Mommy." Right then, I knew I had bought a great book. We read it over and over and it gives her great comfort to know that she is not the only child who worries. The best thing is Wemberly gets to school and makes a new friend. The experience is positive and all the things that she worried about did not happen. This is a great message for all kids (I think it's rare that a four year old child would not worry about certain things). Aside from a great message, the story has good humor and Henkes wonderful illustrations. I am so glad I got this book for my daughter, we read it at least 4 times before bed each night. Happy reading.

Adorable little worry wart
(...)Wemberly (a little girl mouse, despite the masculine sounding name) is a worrier. My oh my how she worries. It's amazing the girl can even get out of bed in the morning, she's so wracked with worries morning, noon, and night. She doesn't take the advice of her grandmother half as much as she should. Her grandmother (a sweatshirt wearing, roller-blade enjoying, high-tops sports shoe figure) is constantly advising Wemberly that she is carrying, "Too much worry". And on top of everything Wemberly is about to go to school for the first time. Rest assured that by the end of the tale, Wemberly's worries have at last been put to rest.(..)

I've always liked Kevin Henkes's portrayal of fathers in his picture books. I like his other characters as well, of course, but Henkes just has dad's down pat. Take a gander at the dad in "Wemberly Worried" for example. Here's a nice pot-bellied father mouse (usually seen in close conjunction with the mother mouse) wearing different colored vests and striped shirts. Be sure to spot the special Halloween bat vest he sports as well! He's great. And so is the book.

Fans of Henkes's other mouse based picture books won't be disappointed with this one. The clever child might even locate a disguised Lily and little brother Julius (two of Henkes's best creations) hidden in one the pages. This book is a good choice for the child that shows a little reluctance towards that first day of school. Though Lily finds her solution through a similar friend, there are other ways of dealing with scary times in school. Be sure to pair this book with other first-day-of-school stories for a well-rounded view of that undoubtedly worrying time.

Perfect for a child entering pre-school
Wemberly's grandma may be my favorite character in this book. Her flower child attitude is cute. Wemberly and her skepticism about the world around her is sweet and I think all little kids have some amount of caution about doing something new. As it turns out, Wemberly decides pre-school is great and it shows little ones that trying new things usually turns out wonderfully.

What's not to love?
Wemberly is every child (and every adult, for that matter) who has ever faced the First Day of School (or Camp, or Dance Lessons, or ....) Kevin Henkes knows children, and writes with a gentle humor that both entertains and reassures. A lovely book! ... Read more

Book Description

Wendell was spending the weekend at Sophie's house. Playing house, Wendell was the mother, the father, and the children; Sophie was the dog. Playing bakery, Wendell was the baker; Sophie got to be the sweet roll. Wendell shone his flashlight in Sophie's eyes when she tried to sleep. But when he gave her a new hairdo with shaving cream, it was the last straw, and Sophie made up a game that left Wendell speechless for a time -- and won the day for friendship. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Appeals to all ages....
This is a funny little story of two mice (kids) who start off on the wrong foot but end up being best friends over a weekend. The best kids' books make grownups laugh and appeal to a wide range of ages, and this one fits the bill--it's a great bedtime choice for my eight year old niece as well as my six and three year old nephews. Very very cute illustrations too. At (the price), a bargain!

Another Henkes hit
Ever had to watch someone elses ill-behaved child? That is the storyline of "Weekend With Wendell". Sophie is informed by her parents that Wendell is coming to stay while his parents go out of town. Wendell begins to wreck havoc the second he steps into the house. He not only tears up Sophie's room, but he always insists on making the rules. E.g.: when they play "hospital", Wendell is the doctor, the nurse, and the patients...Sophie gets to be the desk clerk.

At dinner, Wendell claims he's allergic to anything green, thereby escaping the vegetable problem. He also takes an opportunity to sccop the whipped cream off Sophie's dessert. "When is Wendell leaving?!?", Sophie constantly asks her parents, who reply "Soon!". After Wendell pinches her, tries to make a long distance phone call, and gives Sophie a hew hairdo with shaving cream, she's had it. She convinces Wendell to accompany her outside to play "firechief" for her revenge. You can guess who gets to be the firechief, and who gets to be the burning building.

We love all the Kevin Henkes books, some of which (including "Weekend With Wendell") are now available on DVD and read by the likes of Meryl Streep, Sarah Jessica Parker and Mary Beth Hurt. Any Kevin Henkes book is a valuable investment in your child's library. You'll enjoy them as much as they do.

Love it as much as my 4-year-old
This book cracks me up. I like all of Kevin Henkes' books, but for some reason, this one really makes me laugh (I especially like when they play bakery and Sophie has to be a sweetroll). More importantly, my 4-year-old loves it too. And, of course, buried deep in this story is a nice lesson about being polite to a guest, no matter how difficult that can be.

Another Henkes Gem
This is another great book by an outstanding writer and illustrator. Henkes is very good at capturing the little things in the minds of our little ones. I have a 2 1/2 year old boy and a 6 year old girl, and they both really like this book. As a matter of fact, so does this 35 year old. It's not quite up there with Sheila Rae, the Brave and Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, but it's very close. Highly recommended.

Absolutely wonderful!
I'm not sure who loved the book more, my 9 year old daughter, my 13 year old son or myself. It has something for everyone, parents will recognize and enjoy the portrayal of the "problem child" and children will learn a valuable lesson while being entertained by one of the funniest books ever written for children. I've given it as a gift and will continue to do so. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Owen adores Easter. Life doesn't get much better than a basket full ofjelly beans ("My favorite"), gumdrops ("My favorite"), buttercream eggs ("Myfavorite"), and a chocolate bunny ("My favorite"). Unless... there's also alittle yellow marshmallow chick the same color as our hero's fuzzy blanket.Decked out in his purple plaid Easter finery, this boy mouse spends a giddy dayplaying with his sugary new pal. And does he succumb to tasty temptation? Howdare you even think such a thing! Kevin Henkes, in picture books such as Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse,Sheila Rae's PeppermintStick, and our introduction to the blanky-toting mouse, Owen, creates recognizablecharacters in familiar settings and preschool predicaments. His bright,spring-hued illustrations and gently humorous plots are tremendously appealingfor readers young and old. In no time, this cute little board book will haveevery youngster announcing, "My favorite." (Baby to preschool) --EmilieCoulter ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Cute easter book but short
this is a sweet little board book for little ones. I swear it was written in 5 minutes, i wish i would have done it first!

Great for teacher to use with a follow-up activity
Anyone who grew up finding marshmallow chicks in their Easter basket can relate to this story. When i was a kid they were yellow. Now these chicks come in all colors. I am a kindergarten teacher. My students loved this book. Now, one child takes it home with an Owen plush and a plastic egg with a marshmallow chick inside. They don't know what color their chick is until they get home. I provide a journal for them to document the color, write a story about their visit with Owen and draw a picture. They LOVE it!

A sugary sweet tale
This story is a perfect read for Easter or any time of the year! While my child loves to bite the head off of his marshmallow chicks, he could understand Owen's attachment to the treat. Owen projects his emotional attachment of his favorite blanket onto the marshmallow chick (that is the same color as his blanket)and doesn't gobble it up like his other holiday treats. This ending is absolutely priceless and we read this story at least once a week. Since there is no focus on spirituality or religion in this board book, it would be appropriate in a home of any faith (especially with those who are fans of marshmallow chicks!). Highly recommended!

"My Favorite....."
No author captures the essence of a preschooler like Kevin Henkes. "On Easter monring, Owen's basket was full." Little blanket toting Owen jumped for joy as he first surveyed and then gobbled down all his "favorites." There were jelly beans and gumdrops, buttercream eggs and a big chocolate bunny. And then there was a little yellow marshmallow chick. "It was the same color as his fuzzy yellow blanket." And Owen loved it. He didn't eat the chick, but played with it all day. At bedtime, Owen decided to put "his favorite" on the shelf with his best toys. Sweet dreams..... Henkes' simple and gentle text is kept to a minimum. The real story is told through his bright and engaging artwork, and youngsters will enjoy the charming facial expressions and special details in each illustration. Perfect for little ones 4 and younger, Owen's Marshmallow Chick is a sweet and tender board book you don't want to miss.

An Easter Board Book
We got this as a gift for our 4 month old. He loves the colorful illustrations. The story is basic and children will easily relate to the easter basket of goodies. I can see this book being valuable when he learns to read. Also I'll never look at a marshmallow chick (aka Peep) the same way again! ... Read more

Book Description

One hot simmer day Wemberly finds that patience -- just like a frosty treat -- will go a long way.

Book Description

The Vorlob family is making preparations. Preparations for the new baby, soon to arrive. Getting ready includes painting a mural in the baby's nursery and making a list of possible names. Adine, age ten, is used to the routine -- she has four sisters already: Bernice, Carla, Dot, and Effie. This time, however, the routine is broken. In more ways than one. Most significantly, Aunt Irene will be staying with the Vorlobs until Mrs. Vorlob is rested and back on her feet. Aunt Irene arrives, as does the baby, but nothing goes quite as expected. Especially for Adine.

Reviews (1)

I love this book it is one of the best I have read
I think this book was very good. I like how Kevin Henkes writes all his book. I think He should write a sequel on The Zebra Wall. Maybe he could have a miracle come in The Vorlob family. I think they should end up being able to have more children and have it be another girl, and redue the F wall. ... Read more

Book Description

Five little picture books about Lilly and her friends to share all year long.

Book Description

"There is no Jessica," said Ruthie's parents. But of course there was. She ate with Ruthie, played with Ruthie, and was sorry when Ruthie was bad. Nobody could see Jessica -- except Ruthie. When it came time for Ruthie to go to school, Jessica went with her. Her parents hoped Ruthie would find a friend at school who would replace Jessica. They were in for a (happy) surprise!

Reviews (2)

My Daughter's Favorite Book
An elementary school teacher gave me this book at my baby shower. She told me that her students loved "Jessica," and that my daughter would, too. Time has proven her correct. Recently, my daughter, who is now two and a half years old, asked that I read her the book. "Jessica" has quickly become her favorite book. The story is about five-year-old Ruthie. Ruthie doesn't have a brother, a sister, a cat, or a dog but she has an imaginary friend, Jessica, "who is even better." Although Ruthie's parents tell her that "There is no Jessica," Ruthie knows that there is. The book describes all of the activities that Ruthie and Jessica do together and concludes with Ruthie's discovery of a "real" Jessica when Ruthie begins kindergarten. My daughter loves this book and can recite it word for word. Children quickly become familiar with the story because key words and phrases are repeated throughout the book. More importantly, the book talks about activities and fears that all young children have and accurately depicts a child's hesitation to voice his or her fears. For example, when Ruthie's parents want to go to a movie, "Jessica," not Ruthie, gets a stomach ache and wants them to stay home. This is a terrific book.

Making friends is easier than it looks!
I just read this book a few minutes ago. it's about a little girl named Ruthie who has an imaginary friend named Jessica. They do everything together! From reading books, to playing with blocks. They are the best of friends. Ruthie's parents try to get her to believe that Jessica isn't real, but Ruthie won't listen to them. On the first day of kindergarden, Jessica goes along with Ruthie. But, Ruthie makes a new friend, whose name also happens to be Jessica and they become really good friends. I think that if you know of a child who has an imaginary friend, then they should deffinately read this book, or you could read it to them! ... Read more

Book Description

Bruce and Betty were going camping. Bailey had to stay home. "You're too little," said his brother. "You can go in a few years," said his sister. But Bailey didn't want to wait. And, with the help of Mama and Papa, Bailey went camping right where he was!

Reviews (2)

Get ready to pitch that indoor tent!!!
Bailey's older siblings are off on a camping trip, but Bailey's too young to go. What to do? Why, have an indoor camping adventure, of course.

This simple, sweet, warm, loving story will really appeal to younger children. The illustrations are wonderful, the text is straightforward and the situations ring genuinely true. This is the sort of tale that leaves a fond smile on everyone's face. Be advised, however, after reading it you'll likely be looking for an old blanket to thrust into tent duty fot the afternoon!

Do your whole family a favor and go camping with Bailey!