Reviews (10)

A good escuse to read to your children
I bought this book for my two year old daughter. She truly loves it. The pictures are big and the story are short and condensed, so you will keep the attention for the little ones. When she can't see the movies we just sit down and read some of the stories and we even discuss the names, colors and shapes. It even helps us parents to remember all the Disney's stories that we have somewhat forgot!. My daughter wakes up and goes to sleep with this book. Who doesn't love Mickey, Goofy, Snow white, the liitle Mermaid, the Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, Cinderella and the Sleeping Beauty ?. This is a book that will last for years.

What a bargain, and beautiful, too!
We were going to buy individual books when we noticed this book. What an amazing collection of Disney stories! Twenty-three stories, from classics to more recent Disney tales, include: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Pinocchio, Bambi, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmatians, Jungle Book, Aristocats, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Oliver & Company, The Prince and the Pauper, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mickey and the Beanstalk, and Three Little Pigs.

Each story is about fourteen pages long, with great pictures from the movies on each page.

The book is about 9 inches square, so a bit unwieldy for a child to read sitting, but quite enjoyable if it is spread on a table or held in your lap. The binding is durable and the pages a bit glossy for easy cleanup.

I don't think you can go wrong with this great collection.

Very Attractive and Bright!
This is the first Disney Storybook Collection I purchased for my son. We absolutely love the book! There are twenty-three original stories in this collection. Every page, front and back, has beautiful illustrations and the words are large and easy to read. The pages are trimmed with shiny gold paint and in great quality that'll last you generations of page turning and reading.

Disney tales illustrated with pictures from the movies
Disney's Storybook Collection: Volume 2 is an amazing collection of 16 different stories drawn from the impressive library Disney films. From a story about The Tigger Movie, to ones about Little Mermaid II, Chip 'n' Dale, Mickey Mouse, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., and more, these are Disney tales illustrated with pictures from the movies, and told in simple prose excellent for reading aloud. The Disney's Storybook Collection: Volume 2 is an economical and enjoyable treasure trove of adventure and entertainment for young people, and a "must" for school and community library storybook collections.

An interesting book to add to your children's shelf.
This is a nice addition to your nursery or reading room. The book contains many of the classic Disney tales wonderfully adapted for easy reading.

The book is well bound and of good quality. What I really like
is that it matches the other Disney books in size and style and so looks nice on the shelf.

Each story is accompanied by wonderful illustrations, and the stories have been beautifully shortened to make for perfect reading length to keep your youngsters attention.

Many of the "bad" details from movies such as bambi have been removed to keep the stories fun and uplifting.

Over all this is a great book, and will make a wonderful addition to your nursery. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (31)

Gentle Way of Explaining Life and Death
I have read this book to both of my sons. It has a wonderful universal message to it. In a non-threatening way it shows youngsters that everything that lives has a natural cycle.
Well done Leo. You made a very positive contribution to thousands of lives.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Not just for children!
I recently lost a very dear friend and was not dealing with my grief very well. Another friend loaned me her copy of The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages. She assured me that it would help, and it did. The book is simply simple and gracefully puts into perspective the inevitablity of death. I have since purchased several copies that I have sent to friends and family who've grieved loved ones. You will love the soothing illustrations and tender language of this book!!

Heartwarming and flowing
After the loss of my baby son Alexander, a year ago from SIDS, I wanted to find easily read books to share with my (...) old daughter, Marie Helen. The fall of Freddie the Leaf was by far the best of the bunch.
Easily understood, non compromizing on the fealings of either adults nor children. I highly recomend it.

Great Book for Kids and Adults!
I read this to my son, and it was a great way to talk about some tough questions in life.

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

A beautifully simple tale
This is the kind of resource book you can refer to repeatedly, as needed. And, it makes the perfect gift for people of all ages. Deals with the subject of grief with sensivity and beauty. A real classic! Certain similarities to BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY, which is also a story for all ages, dealing with the loss of a pet. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The year is 1906, the place is San Francisco. Annie and her brother,Jack, have just traveled here in their magic tree house, on a mission fromMorgan le Fay, the mysterious magical librarian from King Arthur's time. In aneffort to save Camelot, the children have already found three special kinds ofwriting for Morgan's library: something to follow (Civil War on Sunday), somethingto send (Revolutionary War onWednesday), and something to learn (Twister on Tuesday). Now it'stime to find "something to lend." It's a quiet, peaceful morning in SanFrancisco, and Annie is eager to start exploring. So eager, in fact, that shepulls Jack away from his research just before he would have learned a veryimportant piece of information... All too soon, the siblings figure it out forthemselves: they have arrived in this lovely city a moment before one of thebiggest earthquakes the U.S. has ever known shakes the Bay Area to pieces!Stunned, Jack and Annie wander the streets, but quickly find a purpose. Lots ofpeople need help transporting goods to safety, and many more are left withoutany idea where to go or what to do. But what about their mission? Will the kidsfind something to lend before the entire city goes up in flames?

Mary Pope Osborne's tremendously popular Magic Tree House series offers youngreaders a chance to immerse themselves in spellbinding adventures even as theylearn about history. The terrible San Francisco earthquake is described withgreat historical accuracy, but with admirable age-appropriateness. (Ages 5 to 8)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (7)

On Target
This is an educational fiction book. It's about the earthquake in California in 1906. Jack and Annie need to save Camelot. They are destined to find the fourth special kind of writing to put in their collection of things to cheer up the king of Camelot. If you have a 1st-3rd grade reader, this book is on target for them. These books come in amusing fiction and in enlightening research guides.

Earthquake in the Early Morning
Have you ever been in an earthquake? That's what happens in Earthquake in the Early Morning by Mary Pope Osborne. The book is about Jack and Annie going to San Francisco but there was an earthquake! I like this book because it has a lot of adventure. My favorite part is when the earthquake starts. Find out what happens to Jack and Annie.

This Book Is #1!
Earthquake in the Early Morning
By: Mary Pope Osborne

Have you wondered what it would be like to be in one of the biggest earthquakes in the world? This book is about two kids named Annie and Jack. They go back in time to 1906.The kids have to find something to lend, because they have to save Camelot.
You can picture when the city gets on fire in California, because the story says, "The fires raged for three days, nearly destroying all of San Francisco. Over 28,000 buildings burned down."
The author of this story teaches you to always be prepared.
I like this book because it has adventures.
Read this book to find out what happens at the end. Will Annie & Jack get back to the treehouse & save Camelot?

Earthquake in Early Morning
Once there lived two kids named Jack and Annie.They had a magic tree house.They had to go to San Francisco .When they were at San Francisco there was an earthquake.

Adventure and Knowledge "Shaken" Together
Once again Mary Pope Osborne had conjured up another exciting adventure for Jack and Annie. Young readers can travel with them on their quest for the last item they need to save Camelot.
As a teacher, I am always impressed with the knowledge students can gain as they read these adventure stories. Mary Pope Osborne includes interesting facts and real-life situations in her stories. In this book children can use their imaginations to get a feeling of what it was like in California during the big earthquake and at the same time read about the true experiences of the people and actual events.
This and other Magic Tree House books are great for in-class whole group readings or individual readings. ... 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

Reviews (3)

Butterfly House
This book is about a girl who saves a caterpillar
from a hungry blue jay. The girl keeps the caterpilar until it is a butterfly. My favorite part is when they make the caterpillar's little house. I LOVE the illustrations.I'd recommend this book to people who like butterflies.

A very warm celebration.
I saw a copy of BUTTERFLY HOUSE and bought it right away because I was attracted to the love and warmth that the book radiates through its story and illustrations on one of my favorite subjects, the butterfly. Butterfly lovers can look for MALINDA MARTHA MEETS MARIPOSA too, different in that it features the Monarch rather than the Painted Lady and different again in that it offers the dimension of acting out the life-cycle as a play. Similar is the love for the butterfly that the children will experience in each book. One doesn't seem complete without the other. Together a child will build a life-time of love and knowledge on this subject.

A beautiful story of a girl her grandfather and butterflies.
This was a delightful book written by Eve Bunting highlighting her wonderful style of writing. This book caught my eye at first by the beautiful cover but then I was spell bound by the wonderful illustrations and the delightful story. I was also attracted to this book because of the butterflies. I am a teacher and my first grade class just raised painted lady butterflies, just like in the book. It was a wonderful book to share with my students, especially on the day we released our own butterflies. The book helped explain that it was okay to cry but to be happy at their new found freedom. I would recommend this book to anyone at any age. ... Read more

Book Description

A lyrical creation tale of the Florida Everglades with stunning landscapes by Wendell Minor.

Reviews (3)

A 5th Grade's Class Review
We just finished reading EVERGLADES by Jean Craighead George. The storyteller was a great idea. His words really caught our attention. This book, even though it was about real life, read like a fictional story. We especially liked the way Ms. Craighead George used various synonyms to express just how many creatures were in the Everglades in the beginning. In addition to the colorful language, the incredible illustrations by Wendell Miner made the book come to life. Above all, we learned we should respect nature. A great reading experience!

A spectacular environmental story
Another spectacular picture book from one of today's greatest writing/illustrating teams, EVERGLADES isn't just a story--it's an epic, one begun thousands of years ago, when water carved this spectacular ecosystem in Florida. Jean Craighead George, author of over eighty remarkable nature books for young readers, lends awe-inspiring power to the pages of the book, while Wendell Minor's lush, colorful illustrations beautifully depict this environment, full of wildlife and vitality. The book, like Ms. George's many others, also has an important lesson to tell. In JULIE OF THE WOLVES, we see the importance of Alaska's North Slope to the animals that inhabit this seemingly bleak, barren landscape (this area is now in danger of more oil line construction). In FRIGHTFUL'S MOUNTAIN (third in the MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN trilogy), we come to know the threatened peregrine falcon, and the many threats humans have posed to it. In EVERGLADES, one feels a strong admiration toward this magnificent, but, sadly, endangered environment, and those who, like me, have never visited it, will surely long to see it for themselves. The narration is moving and fascinating, as a Seminole Indian describes to a group of children the evolution of the Florida Everglades, and inspires them to fight to help it survive. When one visits the Everglades, they will want to see the alligators, wetlands, and panthers of Mr. Minor's paintings. If you enjoy EVERGLADES, you'll fall in love with other spectacular George/ Minor collaborations, such as ARCTIC SON, the story of Ms. George's grandson who lives at the northernmost point in Alaska. As he grows up, he learns about the Inupiat Eskimos who make their home there and the tundra land around him. Mr. Minor's illustrations are quite lovely, and there's as much snow and ice in ARCTIC SON as there was grass and water in EVERGLADES. There's also MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT, which focuses on the day-to-day lives of different animals throughout the U.S. The text it written very poetically, and Mr. Minor's illustrations of raccoons, seals, antelope, and birds are full of warmth and inspiration. And next year, a new book entitled LONESOME GEORGE will be published. This is about the famous, oldest Galapagos tortoise. Ms. George has also written a new young adult book about the Okefenokee Swamp, which is sure to be as full of environmental splendor as EVERGLADES. I can't wait to see them.

The Everglades
Jean Craighead George has done it again! What a wonderful perspective and simple telling of the history of the Everglades. As told by a Seminole Indian to the children, this story (and wonderful illustrations) produces a profound respect for the "River of Grass" and its future. As a teacher in Florida, this book was a fantastic read-aloud to my students during our unit on the Everglades. I also used George's other ecological mystery, Missing Gator of Gumbo Limbo, to study Florida's ecology. ... Read more

Amazon.com

In book 23 of the Magic Tree House, award-winning author Mary PopeOsborne's popular young adventure series, siblings Jack and Annie travel back toAmerican pioneer times. Their task, assigned by mysterious Camelot librarianMorgan le Fay, is to find "something to learn." When their magic tree housealights on a Kansas prairie in the 1870s, Jack and Annie quickly find a one-roomschoolhouse with classes in session. Something to learn! After an all-too-briefschool day, the two return to the tree house with their mission completed. Butwait: "In the distance, twisting black clouds had dropped out of the stormclouds. They swirled into a funnel shape." A twister! And the young teacher andstudents in the school don't realize there's a storm cellar under the floor.Jack and Annie must brave the howling winds to return and save their newfriends.

Osborne's insatiable devotees will devour her latest adventure story, followingCivil War on Sunday,Revolutionary War onWednesday, and all the other titles in this exciting series. What betterway to learn about history than to travel through time and space, experiencingit firsthand? (Ages 6 to 9) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Twister on Tuesday
In the book Twister on Tuesday Jack and Annie go to pioneer times. Jack teaches Jeb, a older boy to read and write.Annie made friends with two yonger students in her class.I really recommend this book. I'm sort of disopointed that I didn't get to read the whole series in a row.If you are into historical fiction books then you will probly like all the Magic Tree House Adventues.

Twister on Tuesday
This story was about a boy named Jack who is eight years old and his sister Annie who is seven years old. In the first book thay find a magic tree house in the woods. They find out that if they point to a book cover, that is where they will go. Mary Pope has written more books in this series. In Twister on Tuesday, Jack and Annie land in front of a schoolhouse and soon a giant twister appears. Read to find out what happens. My favorite part is when they ate frozen potatoes.

Terrific
I read the Magic Tree House series when I was eight or nine. I especially liked this one because I'm really interested the pioneer days. Jack and his sister Annie are whisked back to the 1870s in the magic tree house to find "something to learn." They find a pioneer school. Then, Jack and Annie realize that they have found "something to learn." But as Jack and Annie are heading back to the tree house to go home, they see something off in the distance-a twister! In their research book, it says that a cellar is in the school, but Jack and Annie know that the teacher and students wouldn't know about it since there is a rug over it. They go back to the school and tell them about it. Everyone gets in the cellar, and thank Jack and Annie for saving their lives. Jack also becomes friends with Jeb, an older boy who was mean to him before. I recommend this book to grades 1-4.

Critique of Twister on Tuesday
In my opinion this book was superb. This story was about two young children, Jack and Anniewho go on a quest to rescue the kingom of Camelot. They need to discover something to follow,to send,to learn, and something to lend. On this adventure they need to learn something. this subject takes them to the prairie in the time of the pioneer. In the prairie they find themselves at a schoolhouse educated by an 18 year old and there they find they find something to learn while saving their class from a twister (tornado). What I liked about this story was that there was lots of truthful details and it was weel built. I reccomend this book to reading levels 2 to 4 and who like endless series.

Twister
This book is about the magic tree house which brings Jack and Annie to a plain. A twister appears and scares everyone. I found this book exciting and I recommend it to 1st graders who like adventures. ... Read more

Book Description

There is no night so dark, so black as night in the country. And while the people dream of daytime things, the nighttime world awakens. Owls swoop, a rabbit patters, and in the yard an apple falls -- pump! -- from the tree.

Listen. Go to the window. Across the field a light glows. Who else is up so late? Who else watches and hears the sights and sounds of night in the country -- the many stirrings of silence, the many colors of the dark?

Lyrical text and velvety pictures present a very different kind of nighttime: a mysterious, moving night that will lull small children to sleep. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

From One Who Knows
I bought this title for Grandma to read to her Grandkids and decided to keep it for our home. This is an excellent portrait of what life really is like in the country: the blackness, the soft sounds, the swooping owl. A great find for parents to read to kids to follow up on a visit to a relative in the country.

Author paints picturesque Appalachian landscape
As in her book, "When I Was Young in the Mountains," Cynthia Rylant's "Night in the Country" paints a picturesque landscape of Appalachia. Warm country nights, cool breezes, fireflies and other common sights highlight this book. The art is beautifully calming. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Subtitled a "Story of Encouragement for All Ages," the Trellis and the Seed tells the story of how "God has planned something beautiful" for even the tiniest, most unassuming little seed.

The tiny seed begins its mysterious journey in the hands of the seemingly omnipotent "Nice Lady," who predicts--much to the seed's disbelief--that it will make a "beautiful vine with sweet-smelling blossoms." Even as the Nice Lady plants the seed, erects an ambitious trellis, waits for rain, adds fertilizer, and performs all her other nurserial oblations, the seed continues to be baffled by its caretaker's faith. ("It was only a seed, and very, very small. How could it ever be a beautiful vine with blossoms?") How indeed? Suffice it to say, God doesn't send a crafty bird to eat the seed in a harrowing third-act changeup.

Jan Karon's story of patience and faith shows the same folksy charm that infuses her Mitford Years series, and her gentle words find a soothing complement in the skilled, muted watercolors of Robert Gantt Steele (of the Her Story series). (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Brief, But Warm Burst of Sunshine of A Book
As a fan of Karon's, this is first of this nature of her books for me. What a delight of a quick read, all of five minutes or so. But what a read!

Story of a seed, dry with no hope of becoming anything worthy. But through being set aside, doused in water, but into the deep, dark cold ground, drowned with water, covered with manure, and struggling to reach top of the trellis and finally to produce blossoms, supported by trellis and Nice Woman, it happens.

Knowing the author's faith and numerous Biblical references to plants and bearing blossoms (e.g. Psalm 1 and Mt. 13:18-52, and John 15:1-9), one cannot but sense that this is real parable's meaning here. Although many will derive pleasure from the read and wonderful illustrations, and still others will sense morals of patience, perseverance, support, etc., the strong spiritual implications here are obvious, what with the strong Biblical allusion and Karon's faith evidenced in the Mitford writings.

Blessings on this creativity and beauty communicated so wonderfully for all ages to be encouraged to blossom and bloom where and when the Lord wills.

A Tickle or A Kiss?
A book of encouragement for all ages, enchantingly illustrated. God's perfect timing, mixed with grace and peace and the warmth of the earth and the water of the skies, can make us all be better than we ever imagined. A small volume, which I read in its entirety on my lunch hour, still delivers a powerful message.
The Nice Lady, Mamalinda ... Read more

Amazon.com

Steve Jenkins (What Do You Do with a Tail Like This ?) returns with another inventive, involving picture book--this time inviting young readers to see how they measure up against a variety of different animals (represented in colorful, cut-paper collages at actual size).

Each spread of Actual Size presents a new animal or two for readers to check out, along with a few interesting facts and physical dimensions. Some of the colorful collages display the entire animal at actual scale (like the fleshy, 36-inch length of a giant Gippsland earthworm)while others can only feature what fits on the page (an African elephant's foot, a Siberian tiger's face, or even just a gaping maw sporting a few four-inch-long teeth of a great white shark). Two fun fold-outs show a Goliath frog ("It's big enough to catch and eat birds and rats") and the long, toothy smile of a saltwater crocodile ("the world's largest reptile... a man-eater").

Jenkins' collages capture the texture and color of these cut-out creatures, and the thoughtful inclusion of an illustrated index shows each animal in its scaled-down entirety, accompanied by longer, fact-filled descriptions. While younger kids might not appreciate the subtlety of the book's clever "actual-size" trope, readers young and old will love all the close-up views and learn a few things along the way. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Wow!
Steve Jenkins' Actual Size can be enjoyed as a work of art. The animals or, if a large animal, part of an animal is illustrated using handmade paper collage. What may sound like just a clever concept, when skillfully executed, resulted in an awesome book. Some of the animals shown are the pigmy shrew, atlas moth, dwarf goby, Goliath frog, and giant squid. The dimensions of the animal is noted and as well as a paragraph about such things as habitat and diet which makes this a very interesting book. Karen Woodworth-Roman, Children's Science Book Review

Possibly the coolest book ever
This book has artwork depicting the actual size of abnormally large and abnormally small animals. You get to get up close and personal with a 3/4-inch fish and the 12 inch eye of the giant squid (which can grow up to 50+ feet long!!) and everything in the book is depicted actual size. We used this book for a storytime and the young kids LOVED comparing their hands against the critters in the book. Best of all, one of my co-workers literally jumped about six feet from a seated position just from glancing at the picture of the 12-inch in diameter spider. The book is worth just that alone!! Highly recommended for kids to understand the scale of nature. ... Read more

Book Description

An award-winning author and artist explain how every link in a food chain is important because each living thing depends on others for survival. "Clear, simple drawings illustrate the clear, simple text. Informative and intriguing, this basic science book leads children to think about the complex and interdependent web of life on Earth."'BL.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1996 (NSTA/CBC) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My 2nd Graders Thought This Was Cool
Interesting, written on a level primary school students can understand, and packed with information

Good but not great
By the time the kids are at this level most of them already have some idea of the food chain concept (and anybody who has played Magic School Bus Animals definitely will!). It sits right at the cross roads of two levels- a solid first grade book, perhaps.

Great for elementary students!
This book is great to use when studying food chains. The kids love it! ... Read more

Book Description

Travel with author-illustrator Thomas Locker and follow our planet's most precious resource--water--on its daily journey through our world.
... Read more

Reviews (8)

Artistic, Poetic and Educational?
Wonderful read for the whole family. This is a book we look forward to reading to our little one, over and over. The art work is fantastic, the words are entertaining and has a section at the end of the book to educate about all the cycles of water. Do not hesitate to add this to your library!

Water Dance is a beautiful way to learn
Thomas Locker's beautiful oil paintings make "Water Dance" a work of art and a wonderful way for kids to learn about the water cycle.I decided to see what's out there for kids about water and began with "Water Dance," "Where the River Begins," and "Cloud Dance," all by Locker. I fell in love with his art and . . . also bought "Sky Tree" and several others.
I just published a review of approximately 20 kids water books titled "Teaching Children about the Hydrologic Cycle." To read, go to www.ndwc.wvu.edu and click on the current issue of "On Tap," a magazine about drinking water in small communities.

The dance of the water through our world
"Water Dance" by Thomas Locker is one of those books you pick up because you like the look of the cover, a lake nestled amongst the hills beneath the purple sky of dusk, and then when you finish reading it you discovered it was actually teaching you something. "Water Dance" is actually about the water cycle, which starts with the rain that becomes a mountain stream that empties in a lake that is linked by a river to the sea. The cycle ends when the seawater becomes mist that forms into clouds and leads to a thunderstorm that once again brings the rain. Locker's thirteen paintings depicting the water cycle and accompanied by a poetic text describing each step of the process. In the back of the book each painting is reproduced in miniature as Candance Christiansen provides scientific information about what Locker is showing us about water. Students will find out about such things as the different types of clouds, what causes rainbows, and how the water in their bathtub might have been part of the Nile River a month earlier. "Water Dance" is a marvelous way of introducing young students to the water cycle. They will enjoy Locker's paintings even more once they learn how they all fit together to show one of the basic processes of nature. Teachers will be able to use "Water Dance" as an introduction to all sorts of science lessons.

Inquisitive soon-to-be-4-year-old can't put it down!
I bought this book as a gift for my friend's son. He wanted to read over and over again for days (and it looks like this will continue for some time!) The pictures are absolutely beautiful, the poetry soothing, inspiring and educational, and this 3-year-old insists on reading the scientific explanations at the end of the book every time. I can't imagine a child (or an adult!) who wouldn't enjoy it!

Water Dance
This review is by way of one of my 3rd grade students, who said that "this book is so beautiful that it make my heart hurt." After looking at the pictures and reading the wonderful descriptive phrases, I had to agree with her. It has become a favorite book to read when I need to quiet my classes down--and invariably, at least one student asks for the name and author so that they, too, can own it. ... Read more

Book Description

A walk through the Costa Rican cloud forest provides a wonderfully lush setting for Jan Brett's beloved animal illustrations. When Carlos drops his umbrella to climb a tree for a better view of the animals, they all cram into the banana-leaf umbrella as it floats by--from the little tree frog to the baby tapir to the big jaguar and more. It gets so crowded in the umbrella that there isn't even enough room for a little hummingbird! So over the umbrella tumbles, everyone falls out, and poor Carlos comes back wondering why he didn't see any animals all day.

In the spirit of Jan Brett's The Mitten and The Hat, this cheerful tale of escalation will have readers poring over every illustration for the world of details Jan packs in. With its classic story, exotic jungle setting, and brilliantly colorful menagerie, The Umbrella is sure to take its place among Jan's many family favorites. ... Read more

Book Description

But oh! what a fabulous night he had had,
When his world was turned into a zoo!

After wandering off from a school field trip, a young boy falls asleep in the Natural History Museum. There he sees his classmates, teachers, and family transformed into a menagerie of animals, from wild hyenas to stately peacocks.

John Lithgow's exhilarating word play, inspired by Camille Saint-Saëns's 1886 composition, provides a narrative arc to the piece for the first time. Lithgow created the text for the New York City Ballet, where the Carnival of the Animals ballet, with his narration, debuted in 2003. Boris Kulikov's witty artistic interpretation of the story adds to the fun.

A new recording of Saint-Saëns's suite, performed by Chamber Music Los Angeles under the direction of Bill Elliott, complete with John Lithgow's recitation of the text, is included on an enclosed CD. ... Read more

Book Description

One hot summer day, George and the man with the yellow hat go to the beach. What fun George has at the beach! What fun he has feeding the seagulls! It's fun, that is, until they fly away with something valuable and George must find a clever way to save the day. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

george is wonderful
George is good to read after an exasperating day with your toddler or preschooler. It reminds you that it could be worse, you could REALLY have a monkey to care for, and your monkeys don't really mean to get into mischief, they are just very very curiouus.

Just as good as the original stories
To date my daughter has been reading the "Curious George" books that belonged to my husband when he was a child. I was a little skeptical that the newly written stories would capture the same spirit as those written more than 30 years ago. However, my daughter absolutely loved it especially as both the storyline and the illustrations were more detailed than usual and made it fun for her to point out different things and extend into a discussion with us about beaches, lifesaving etc. Like her other "George" books she has reread this one over and over. ... Read more

Book Description

Young Walter litters and refuses to sort trash for recycling, until he dreams of an overcrowded and polluted future which terrifies him into taking care of the earth. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Just a Dream, Chris Van Allsburg
Have you ever wanted to see what the world is like in the future? Well some people might not be ready to see it. This story shows how the earth has to be protected by everyone.
Walter is a young boy that doesn't care much about the earth. One day he has a donut bag that he tosses on a fire hydrant. That night he is watching a TV show about a boy in the future. He sees that people will have little planes and robots.
So that night he has a dream, his bed takes him years into the future. He finds that the world will be totally different. Walter notices that trees need to be protected because they are being cut down for wrong purposes. Walter finds out about what pollution does to the world. And Walter witnesses advances in science. Walter's bed takes him back to the present. Walter decides that he wants to make the world a better place. And for his birthday he gets a small tree like his neighbor got for her birthday. Then that night his bed takes him away, to the future, again.
I thought the book was interesting because a boy who doesn't think much about the world sees what the world will be like if it is not protected. It was cool that he was moved by what he had seen. And I think I would have tried to clean up too.

Just a Dream
Just a Dream is an incredible story. It is inspiring for kids. I love the books Chris Van Allsburg makes. It's like he is makng it both meaningful and entertaing too. All of his books teach you a lesson and that makes a pefect ending. The story that I like best is Just a Dream. The story is extremely cool. The pictures make you think that it is a real. This is what the story is about. A little boy goes travleing in his room, but he is just asleep. It is trying to tell him he needs to change things so he can save our nation,but it takes more than one person to take care of Mother Earth. We all need to read Chris Van Allsburg's book.

Just A Dream
Chris Van Allsburg has done it again. This book helps kids get a better understanding of why being a litterbug isn't cool. His illustrations are awesome. I wanted to be able to be in the pictures with Walter (the main character). Everybody that litters should read this book. Our world would be a more beautiful place.

Just A Dream
This book, teaches children a lesson on how to respect the environment. Its illustrations paint pictures in our minds and help us to realize the consequences of every action that we make. It also tells us that the future with all the high technology and stuff won't always make us happy. Even if we have all the things in the world we want we may still no be happy.
When Walter goes to sleep, he travels the future to see all the different things that may happen to him. During these dreams he sees different things that kind of make him aware that it is important to take care of the environment.
This book is a great way to teach children to take the time to appreciate all the beautiful things of nature and to recycle and take care of the earth. ~Kellie~

Just A Dream
This is a wonderful book filled with colorful illustrations and it has a great story like to it. I think it is good that the author uses dreams to tell children to keep the world clean.
The author gives to Walter, the boy in this book a very wide imagination. Walter is just a normal boy, and he was watching a television show about this boy living in the future. The boy has a robot and he flew around in a tiny airplane That night Walter went to bed wishing he lived in the future. He had many dreams of the future. He had many dreams of the future. He had many dreams of the future. None of the dreams showed the future he was wishing for. In the end his bed took him to the lawn in between the two trees that he had planted when he was just a boy.
This story shows that the future of great technology is not always the one that will make you happy. The book shows that keeping the world clean is important. It is not always the materialistic things that make this world beautiful. ~Kellie~ ... Read more

Book Description

Today is doomsday for a young Venezuelan Indian boy's beloved rain forest and its animal life—unless he and a visiting naturalist can save it. "George makes drama large and small out of the minute-by-minute events in an ecosystem . . . gripping ecological theater." —C. "An example of nonfiction writing at its best." —SLJ.

Notable 1990 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1990 (NSTA/CBC) ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Tepui's Challenge
ONE DAY IN THE TROPICAL RAINFOREST
AUTHOR-JEAN CRAIGHEAD GEORGE
GENRE-ADVENTURE/REALISTIC FICTION
PAGES-66

SETTING-TROPICAL RAINFOREST OF THE MACAW
CHARACTERS-TEPUI, DR.RIVERO , A ORNITHOLOGIST, HERPETOLOGIST, MAMMALOLOGIST , AND A BOTONIST.

THIS IS A MUST READ BOOK IF YOU LIKE ADVENTURE OR THE RAINFOREST! IT'S ABOUT A BOY NAMED TEPUI AND A SCIENTIST NAMED DR. RIVERO. THEY HAVE AN URGENT PROBLEM, THERE ARE 11 BULLDOSERS AND FOUR TRUCKS CARRYING 20 CHAINSAWERS THAT WANT TO CUT DOWN THE RAINFOREST FOR FARMLAND. TEPUI AND DR. RIVERO MUST FIND A NEW BUTTERFLY TO SAVE THE RAINFOREST, BUT THEY ONLY HAVE LESS THAN A DAY BEFORE THE DESTRUCTION BEGINS. CAN THEY DO IT?

The author writes very suspenseful, and teaches us valuable lessons throughout the story. We are constantly learning more about the BALANCE of the Rain Forest and the miraculous events going on simultaneously around the main characters. I can't wait to read other books by this author. You can tell she does a great deal of research about her topics and enjoys the outdoors.

Great information Source
This book was a great information source. You can tell that the author did a lot of research for this book. It records a young boys journey through the rain forest in search of the butterfly that will save the rain forest from the bulldozers. During his journey he encounters many animals. The author gave very useful and vivid detail. However there were some points where the book was kinda hard to understand. I can also understand why some people might think this book was dull. It is just a nature book without much excitment. I recommend this book to anyone who loves nature or is doing research on the rain forest!

The gripping story of a remarkable environment
Here is another superb entry in beloved nature writer Jean Craighead George's informative and thrilling ONE DAY. . . series. The award-winning author of JULIE OF THE WOLVES, MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, and more than eighty other wildlife books for young readers does a great job of bringing to life the magical setting of the tropical rain forest. Tepui, a young boy who lives in Venezuela's Tropical Rain Forest of the Macaw, befriends some biologists who are studying the rain forest. To his and the scientists' dismay, the rain forest is scheduled to be chopped down and destroyed one afternoon. The only way to save it is to find a special butterfly that has never before been identified and present it to a wealthy businessman who wants to name the butterfly after his daughter. So Tepui and his friend Dr. Rivero--a lepidoptorist--set out to find the elusive insect. But the human characters are only a small part of the story. The rain forest is alive with thousands of species of creatures--amusing ones like a leisurely sloth, and creepy ones like flesh-eating ants. There are birds of all the colors of the rainbow, mammals like jaguars and tapirs, magnificent tree giants, and, of course, millions of insects. This is a fascinating glimpse, written in a fast-paced minute-by-minute style, into an environment so complex and diverse that there are many creatures who don't even have names, and have never seen humans. It is also an important story that all young people should pay attention to to better understand their natural world and help to preserve its unique magnificent ecosystems. Other titles in the series are: ONE DAY IN THE. . .ALPINE TUNDRA, PRAIRIE, DESERT, and WOODS. Any ecologist will also want to check out Jean Craighead George's Eco-Mysteries series: WHO REALLY KILLED COCK ROBIN?, THE CASE OF THE MISSING CUTTHROATS, THE MISSING 'GATOR OF GUMBO LIMBO, and THE FIRE BUG CONNECTION. These include information on chemicals, the ozone layer, human development, and how these things threaten our wild places and creatures.

We Gave Up on This One!
This book was a reading assignment for my 9 year old son. He could not read many of the words, he found it very dull. I can't imagine that the average 9 year old can read this book without alot of help. Maybe we gave up too soon, but it was dull!

Much good information
An unnamed butterfly must be found today in order to save this chunk of the rainforest. Loggers are already on the way to cut it all down. The premise is exciting, but the execution of the story, particularly in the beginning, is often less than pulse-stirring, weighted down by a thousand facts about rainforests. These facts are, however, by far the most interesting part of the book, and there's even an index. Once I was into the book, I enjoyed it very much. So far I have not been able to get my son to do more than open it, and I think the slow start may be the problem. This would be an exvellent book to have in a classroom during a unit on rainforests. ... Read more

Book Description

Julie is a happy little girl who lives in Paris, but she wishes she could walk in a country garden. Julie is pleased when her mother decides to take her to visit the most wonderful garden in the world, owned by a great friend of the family. They arrive at their destination, and for this little girl it is like walking in a dreamy world where twisting plants grow as tall as trees. When Julie’s dog runs away, she asks the gardener to help find her pet, and soon she and the gardener are friends. But this amiable, bearded old man is a very unusual gardener, for not only does he cultivate his many plants, he also paints beautiful pictures of them. Julie has made a friend of the great impressionist painter, Claude Monet. Based on a true story about the daughter of another fine artist, Berthe Morisot, this charmingly illustrated picture book includes reproductions by author-illustrator Laurance Anholt of a famous waterlilies painting, which Monet completed in his garden at Giverny, a few miles from Paris. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (27)

A Beautiful Collection of Letters
Lydia Grace is not only a gardener, but a writer of letters. This lovely book is a collection of her precious letters to beloved family members, and through them her story unfolds. David Small's simple but powerful illustrations bring Sarah Stewart's story of this brave little girl to life. What a great combination of author and illustrator. Be sure to read "The Library", as well.

A delightful story thay wiil grow in your heart
Lydia Grace Finch has been sent to to the city to live with her Uncle Jim while her family struggles with hard times. Uncle Jim does not smile and Lydia Grace finds the big city very, very big. Soon she is able to make friends with the workers at her uncle's bakery and the neiighbors in her building. With a child's enthusiasm and optimism, Lydia works to bring a little bit of the farm back home to her new city home. She also hopes to see a smile cross her Uncle Jim's face one day. Slowly, she is able to transform the roof of her apartment into a magical place and win that coveted smile. Sarah Stewart has written a delightful story of a child's optimism and the power of a smile. Davis Small's illustrations are garenteed to bring a smile to your face. A wonderful book to read aloud.

Grow for me
There are good David Small books and there are bad David Small books. Good David Small books are usually (though by no means always) written AND illustrated by David Small himself. Bad or poorly created David Small books are usually written by someone else, using Mr. Small's talents as a kind of afterthought. The exception to this rule (and all rules, as you well know, must have exceptions) is the pairing of David Small and his wife Sarah Stewart. After creating the fabulous "Money Tree" and the bibliophilic, but somewhat disturbing, "The Library", the two combined their talents yet again to write a gentle story of love, gardening, and family.

The year: 1935, and Lydia Grace Finch is being sent from the country to go live with her Uncle Jim in the city. Lydia Grace faces this challenge with resolve and a little sadness. After all, she is leaving her family behind, the effects of the Great Depression having taken their toll. The city is a gray dirty place and Uncle Jim is kind but he never smiles. Soon, it's Spring again and Lydia has found a place to call her own (the building's abandoned roof). Her number one goal is to get Uncle Jim to smile, and she's fairly certain that the answer to this goal is just around the corner.

What Stewart and Small have accomplished here is an evocative sense of metropolitan dank and pastoral greenery. The pictures are deeply moving sometimes, and gently humorous others. One picture that particularly took by breath away was the shot of Lydia Grace standing in the train station alone. She is singled out, a blue dress wearing, green hat donning, red-haired little girl. The rest of the scene is all gray slashes of people walking in the distance and filthy light streaming through huge windows overhead. It's a gorgeous picture. Uncle Jim is just the right companion for the spunky little heroine too, looking like nothing so much as a 1930s version of Gene Shalit (sans the hair). What I appreciated most about this story was that it accepted the fact that some people in this world express their emotions and feelings differently from others. Not to give anything away, but Uncle Jim never smiles. And you wouldn't want him to either. Human beings can place importance in other things, like hard work and discipline. Uncle Jim is one such person.

If I have any objections to this book at all, it comes at the expense of Lydia Grace herself. This is a wonderful character and a great gal, this is not a child. David Small has, for reasons best known to himself, drawn a girl that looks like nothing so much as a shrunken adult. I've never had this objection to any of Mr. Small's characters before, so it was a bit of a shock to me to have such an objection now. Just the same, the eloquent story and excellent evocative scenes more than make up for a flaw that, let's admit it, probably only I could see.

Gardeners get short shrift in books, especially books for kids (unless you count stories like, "The Carrot Seed"). In this particular case, I think anyone,regardless of whether or not they can tell a petunia from a tulip, will enjoy this book. Its pace is a little slower and quieter than that found in other picture books, but for some kids it's just the right combination of simplicity and sweetness.

A Delight for children and grown-ups alike!
This wonderful book is at the upper scale of the "picture book" variety, aimed at good beginning readers. The vibrant illustrations earned the author/illustrator the prestigeous Caldecot Honor Medal. Any child slightly beyond the "Dr. Seus" series will be delighted with "The Gardener". A story that will make readers and listeners smile,laugh and filled with joy. A rare treat in the overwhelming market of childrens books.*****

This is a CLASSIC!
This book has such an unexpected gut-level impact on everyone who reads it! I have read it aloud to people of all ages and there is never a dry eye in the room! Each of the short letters begins with a date which will be meaningful to anyone who lived through the depression. Oddly enough, disasters and hard times seem to bring out the best in people and this book sets out to show just how that is true. Lydia Grace Finch is such a universally loveable little character - she is unforgettable! The text and the illustrations are so perfectly suited to each other - they seem to have been created by the same person -but they aren't! (Just a "marriage of true minds" I guess.)The book gets at the heart of what a family can give a child even without money - what it means to be poor and what it means to be rich.
This is a lovely gift book for children or adults and I hope it stays in print for a long, long time! ... Read more