Book Description

Do you know which sea creature scares away its enemies by spraying ink at them . . . or which fish has lights inside its mouth to attract food?

Learn the answer to these questions and other fascinating details about ocean life in this engaging and informative book.

Young readers will delight in Jerry Pallotta's words and Frank Mazzola, Jr's illustrations on this alphabetical journey through the North Atlantic Ocean. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Way to Complex for the stated age group
This book is way to complex for a 3 year old! The letter "X" is Xiphias gladius (the scientific name for a swordfish)!

Beautiful pictures, but too long for preschool
This is a wonderfully illustrated book, with lots ofinteresting information. Just make sure your child has a longattention span if you intend to read it all at once!

Another Way to Look at the Alphabet
"A" doesn't always have to stand for "apple," especially when dealing with older children who haven't mastered the alphabet yet. This book is great to read aloud with young children because of the vivid pictures and interesting topics. The book lends itself to many different extension activities and will encourage children to want to learn more about the ocean. It's a great way to begin a study on ocean animals. I learned something new myself! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A vibrant look at a miniature world
"A Ladybug's Life" is written and illustrated by John Himmelman. The text and pictures look at the life cycle of a ladybug, including hatching, metamorphosis, and eventual egg-laying. The book includes a glossary of terms ("aphid," "larva," etc.).

Himmelman has crafted some wonderful images: golden ladybug eggs clustered on a green leaf, a ladybug dwarfed by a fierce looking preying mantis, and more. The artist brings to vivid life a world of savage beauty--it's like looking at an exotic science fiction landscape. The book shows predation and evasion of predation, but is not gory and deals with these realities of insect life in a matter-of-fact way. This book is another triumph for the talented Himmelman, who has created in these pages a world that is rich in color, action, and drama. ... Read more

Book Description

Did you know that lightning bolts can be over a mile long? Or that they may come from clouds that are ten miles high? Storms can be scary, but not if you know what causes them. Before the next thunderstorm, grab this book by veteran science team Franklyn Branley and True Kelley and learn what causes the flash, crash, rumble, and roll of thunderstorms!

... Read more

Reviews (3)

One of our boys' top picks over years
My two boys, now aged 3 and almost 5, have asked for this constantly over a period of two years. They put it in the top five the top of their favorite books list and we have a LOT of outstanding books. My older boy has wowed several adults with his lectures on how lightening and thunder work. I highly recommend the book/cassette combination. My husband and I also enjoy listening to it after many, many hearings. It is entertaining, soothing, interesting, and educational.

Gives information on thunderstorms for beginning readers
This book is designed to provide beginning readers with information about thunderstorms, and safety. It includes information on how to make a cloud, rain gauge and web sites. Very good reading for grade levels 1-3.

Fun and educational
A fun way to look at the weather. I read it hundreds of times as a child and will read it to my daughter ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Clever Book!
My 3 year old daughter loves this book! We borrowed it from our local library, read it 2-3 times daily, and had great trauma returning it. It has now been a month since it went back and she is still talking about it and has it on her christmas list. She has impressed the neighbors by asking if they had any morning glories or delphiniums and she was eager to help me plant my bulbs and explore all the flowers in our yard. She has always been a flower lover, but this book really stimulated her interest.

Planting A Rainbow
My son and I BOTH loved this book. It was both fun to read and informative. The pictures were brilliant with color and seemed to bounce off the page. Every color of the rainbow was represented. After we finished reading the book, my son wanted to plant his own rainbow. It awakened his curiousity. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gorgeous!
This book is absolutely gorgeous - the melliflous text, the stunning pictures. What a gift Carolyn Curtis and Alison Jay have given us.

A delightful match-up
Parents, longing for a bedtime reading book that is well-written and beautifully illustrated, will find "I Took The Moon for a Walk" a delight. Lyrically written, and with factual information on the moon at the end of the story makes this more than just your ordinary picture book. A great choice for a gift! ... Read more

Book Description

What is the strangest plant in the rain forest? Which rain forest animal is the creepiest? What medicines have been discovered there? How can we save our rain forests? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide: Rain Forests, Jack and Annie’s very own guide to the mysteries of the rain forest. Includes information on rain forests around the world; fun facts about rain-forest bugs, birds, plants, and animals; maps and photographs; and much more!
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good info, v. readable
Our girls read this after a trip to the Amazon, and found lots that they recognized & enjoyed. The standard of information is rather higher than that in the Magic Tree house books, which is reasonable, given that they don't have to worry about plot & characters as well!

If your child enjoys Magic Tree house, and would like to know more about the Amazon this is fine, but I would also recommend One Small Square: Tropical Rainforests (by Donald Silver). We took this with us to the rainforest (see review) and found it to be excellent. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This book is part of a series of guides designed for adolescents interested in natural history and nature. The books are an excellent introduction to the Rocks and Minerals, Birds, Wildflowers, and Insects for children aged 8-18.Each guide is appropriately sized to fit in a field vest pocket.Readers who remember previous versions of these field guides from the 1970s that were dull and overly detailed will be pleasantly surprised.These books are arguably the most beautifully photographed and laid out field guides yet published for young people. Each book has an introductory section filled with interesting facts, descriptions of early naturalists, definitions of many of the terms used in the book, and a guide to using the field guide portion of the book.Best of all, the books also come equipped with laminated field "cheat sheet" cards, for quick identification while on the go, in any kind of weather.Each field guide features 50 common specimens with photos and brief descriptions of many more regionally occurring rocks and minerals.Brief discussions of threatened and endangered species are particularly valuable.Great first guides for children and adults with limited natural history background.

The Rocks and Minerals guide has excellent photographs and descriptions of many minerals and rock types.Most junior naturalists will never see mineral crystals in the field as shown in the photographs, but the guide gives a good understanding of where and how these minerals formed. --Merri Martz ... Read more

Reviews (2)

rocks and minerals
This would be a good book for ages 9-14 as it covers the basics only and in a format for the very young.

Fantastic research book for students in grades 4-6
Easy to read. Lots of information. Great pictures. Well organized. ESL and Special Education students find this to be the most accessible book on Rocks and Minerals. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Here is a fascinating, detailed look at the life of Charles Darwin: naturalist, geologist, and independent thinker. In his author's note, Caldecott Honor illustrator Peter Sis (Starry Messenger, Tibet: Through the Red Box) writes that Darwin always regretted not learning how to draw. However, he could and did take "dense and vivid" written notes, from which Sis drew his inspiration. Readers will spend hours poring over the gorgeous, intricately crafted pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations depicting layer upon layer of Darwin’s life as he developed his theories about the origins of life and natural selection. Tidbits from Darwin’s extensive and legendary voyage on the Beagle, notes on Galapagos tortoises, bloodsucking benchuca bugs, and Toxodon skeletons, and particulars from his family life intermingle with each other--just as in real life. Crammed with a veritable muddle of diary entries, cameo portraits, diagrams, natural illustrations, maps, timelines, a gatefold spread, and narrative divided into "Public Life," "Private Life," and "Secret Life" blocks of text, The Tree of Life will certainly be overwhelming to some readers; for other, less linear thinkers, it will be sheer, chaotic delight. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

To life!
If you are at all familiar with Peter Sis, then you linger under the incorrect impression that you know what to expect from him. Carefully researched subjects. Illustrations containing infinitesimally small people, places, and things. Engaging and entertaining plots. I tell you now, ladies and gents, "Tree of Life" takes all of this and multiplies it. Quadruples it. You have never seen a picture book like this before. When you are dealing with a book that cares to discuss the origins of life itself, you need an author/illustrator comfortable with details. In this, Sis is your man.

This is a summarization and encapsulation of the life of Mr. Charles Robert Darwin. The book begins like so:

"Charles Darwin opens his eyes for the first time! He has no idea that he will (a) start a revolution when he grows up, (b) sail around the world on a five-year voyage, (c) spend many years studying nature, and (d) write a book that will change the world".

From here on in we watch Darwin learn and grow. The text is separated, initially, into two parts. One portion is in bold and discusses the facts of Darwin's life. An italicized portion below this talks about Charles's passions and desires. Up above we see little images and factoids strewn about the page willy-nilly, giving us a better sense of the times and people involved in the naturalist's life. This form and style goes out the window when Darwin joins up with the Beagle. Suddenly the pages become drawings of creatures and sights. There is a magnificent two-page spread of boxes, each one carrying an interesting fact, animal, moment, or image that Darwin encountered. It's as if his very experiences have been cataloged for the reader's viewing pleasure. Eventually Darwin returns and as he does so the pages themselves return to the previous layout. Now, however, Darwin's life has been divided into three different parts. He has a public life, a private life, and a secret (read evolutionary) life. Every individual life is outlined on each page and as we read on we understand how a single person's dreams can be affected by their personal and private triumphs and catastrophies. When, "On the Origin of the Species" is published we find a full pull-out four page spread encompassing the enormity of this publication. Images on the pages become less straightforward and more dreamlike. At long last, accompanying a vision of a solitary Magritte-like Darwin surrounded by a clan of death's head hawk moths are the words, "Charles Darwin died on April 19, 1882, and was buried in Westminster Abbey".

According to the book's author/illustrator, Darwin was, himself, unable to draw. So rather than sketch the wonders he saw while on the Beagle, the naturalist would describe his visions with great detail. In this way, Sis has become Darwin's right hand. It is impossible to flip through this book and not be amazed at the intricacy of the project. Sis is almost a pointillist at times, his Seurat-like dots forming everything from the galleys of a ship to thousands of tiny houses in London. A child reading this book could pore over a single page for hours, interpreting and reinterpreting each digression and off-hand comment. Honestly, you've never seen a book like this one before. The image that stands out most prominently in my mind is that of Darwin astride a giant rock dove that is made up of a thousand domesticated descendents.

Which brings us to the idea of a children's book concerned with evolution in the first place. "The Tree of Life" is hardly alone in this respect. For example, the ambitious "Our Family Tree" by Lisa Westberg Peters is far more direct in voicing the facts of evolution than this book in many respects. Here, Sis seems to avoid controversy as much as possible. The spread that describes every chapter and thought that went into the making of "On the Origin of the Species" is accompanied by the caveat, "Darwin did not say that God had not created life on earth. What he said was that creation did not happen all at once". Take that. Some time is spent examining the Bishop Samuel Wilberforce's objections and the Great Oxford Debate of 1860, but it is given far less time or energy than the book's page on, say, the Galapagos Islands. I would have liked some explanations on why some people didn't (and still do not) like Darwin's theories. Even a cursory explanation of the opposition wouldn't have been inappropriate considering the subject matter. Alas, here Sis is lacking.

All this notwithstanding, this is a fine piece of kiddie lit. If you remain unconvinced and require just a little more information about this book's fine nature, I merely direct you to the endpapers. In most picture books, the endpapers in the front of the book match and duplicate the endpapers at the back. Yet even here, Sis has not skimped. From the evolving feet of horses to the hand of Michaelangelo's God reaching towards Adam's, these pages are all individual and unique, making them just as important as any other portion of the book. I shudder to think what will happen to them when this book comes out in paperback. Though some will argue that this book is too advanced for children, challenge this statement. Test it for yourself. Any child that likes detail, precision, and nature will at least enjoy portions of this book. In a word - fabulous.

Darwin knew his ideas would be problematic for society
Although this book targets elementary school libraries, adults of all ages and persuasions will find it riveting. Tree of Life recounts Darwin's childhood from two points of view: his own and his father's. Terrific art work of various media take readers from the naturalist's youth to his long years of travel aboard the Beagle, where his then revolutionary ideas about the origin of species took root. He knew early on that publication of his theories would create a maelstrom. The unique pictorial presentation of this material is nearly as revolutionary as Darwin's thought processes. Though chronologically linear, it feels bold and sweeping in the process of presenting so much information in so small a space. It's a spectacular, visually exciting intro to Darwin's ideas of the natural world. You feel as though you're inside the great man's brain.

Will reach ages 8 and up
Tree Of Life is the complex biography of Charles Darwin will reach ages 8 and up: those with good reading skills attracted to pictures. From views of Darwin as a schoolboy to reviews of his naturalist theories, this uses many intricate drawings to cover Darwin's achievements - no bright colors here, just facts and images paired with solid text.

powerful introduction to Charles Darwin
Naturalist student Charles Darwin spent five-years exploring remote locales in the Pacific as part of the voyage of the Beagle. Darwin kept detailed notes that documented all he saw. However, though his writings about the trek are incredible in scope, no drawings accompanied Darwin's wealth of material. Peter Sis fills the void by providing a stunning pictorial of Darwin's diary, journal, and other writings that will leave the audience in awe while taking hours to look at one overwhelmingly detailed page at a time.

This reviewer and her spouse spent an hour a day over the past few weeks fascinated by this tribute. Though intended for the elementary school crowd readers of all ages will appreciate THE TREE OF LIFE: CHARLES DARWIN as a powerful introduction to one of the most influential individuals of the last two centuries. This tome makes the perfect family gathering as adults and children can share the fascination as Mr. Sis shows a picture is worth a thousand words (and $18.00).

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Book Description

The white shape silhouetted against a blue background changes on every page. Is it a rabbit, a bird, or just spilt milk? Children are kept guessing until the surprise ending—and will be encouraged to improvise similar games of their own.

... Read more

Reviews (5)

good for either ESL class or music class
Since the text follows a simple pattern, the book is good for teaching English as a foreign language. Here in Korea, I have had students ask me to read it again.

It is also good for a lesson on spoken intonation. The children enjoy playing the xylophone on C-E-A-G-G-G while I read "but it wasn't spilt milk."

Oldie but goodie
Got this book for my children and also my niece. Remembered it from a long time ago. Encourages use of imagination.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk
I'm a new elementary educator, and I found this book very useful for promoting creativity in the classroom. Not only is it a good book to read before introducing a unit on clouds and weather, but also it can be used to increase artistic expression. You will not be disappointed with this title.

beginnig reading
I am a pre-school teacher and have found this book lends itself to many other project such as allowing children to make their own book showing what they think the clouds look like. It is a very easy book for children to memorize and then "reread" over and over. My children love to "read" this book to anyone that will listen. I recomend this book to anyone that has a child with emerging reading skills or wonderful imaginations!!

It looks simple, but children love it.
My 2 year-old son first read this book at daycare. He loved it, and his teacher recommended I buy it for him. The drawings are simple, and the rhyme is repetetive, but it is a story that is very easy for children to join in on "reading." It also teaches toddlers new words like "squirrel" and "ice cream cone" that other books for this age group do not contain. ... Read more

Book Description

The ocean is an adventure made for kids!Underwater mountains that are larger than Everest. Giant squid with tentacles long enough to wrap around a school bus.Murky waters lit by luminescent fish.And glorious coral reefsNalas, endangered by plastic pollution. With Diving into Oceans, dozens of action-oriented marine activities let children explore these and many other magical and mysterious phenomena of the salty sea, whether they live on the coast or far away. ThereOs no need for them to even leave the classroom to get a taste of the salt in the airNat least in their imaginations! Part of the newly revised NatureScope¨ education series of creative, activities-centered resource books, this volume is dedicated to inspiring in children an understanding and appreciation of the natural world, while developing the skills they will need to make responsible decisions about the environment. ... Read more

Book Description

Morning is magical after a night of rain and thunder. And best of all are the puddles! Big ones, little ones, long ones, skinny ones. Splash! Splash! Splash! Put on your raincoat and join two puddle-jumpers in this bouncy read-along that's just right for a rainy day or any day.

"A joyous celebration of a world all wet the morning after a night of rain." --Kirkus Reviews ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's So Fun to Play Outside After it RAINS!!!!!
My daughter (22 months) LOVES this book! It tells of the adventures of two childern who go outside to explore (and puddle jump, of course) after a night of thunder, lightening, and RAIN! My daugher brings this book to myself or my husband all the time and says "read Puddles". It's a must have in your collection. ... Read more

Book Description

Climb aboard the earth for the adventure of a lifetime! As you travel, watchshadows move from here to there as day stretches into night, and feel the weather change as oneseason rolls into the next. All these amazing things happen because the earth is constantly inmotion. Spinning and circling, gliding and tilting, as passengers of the earth, our voyage neverends!

With poetic text and gorgeous illustrations, G. Brian Karas illuminates our earthand its cycles and does a brilliant job of making the concepts of rotation and revolutionunderstandable to even the youngest readers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Introduction
My son who usually doesn't like to sit in one place very long, actually read the book for a stretch of an hour without any dangling carrots! I strongly recommend this book for any home library.

The book is organized by subject groups, ie birds, fish, plants, worms, etc. The pages are full of clear and short descriptions(just right for elementary school children), and wonderful pictures of the animals/insects in action. I found myself reading it with equal enthusiasm. It is a great introduction to the living creatures around us.

Good intro reference book for kids.
Great information, but would like to find a good reference book like this that does not include evolution as the primary theory of why things are like they are. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A sweet book
My 6 year old liked this book quite a bit. And so did my 8 year old.
I only don't like it's size,too tall to fit on any of my bookshelves, even taller then my typical tall children books.Such a nice book, but now it has no where to sit.

Which Ending Would You Choose?
Beautifully illustrated and thought evoking story which allows young readers (and their parents/teachers/siblings) to see what an impact different choices make in lives both factual and fictional.

Milo and his mice friends on their very special island find a mysterious stone and then need to decide what next step to take. Pfister gives a choice for the reader: happy ending or sad ending. Very clever and both endings should be read so that children can understand how choices build upon choices both in writing, creativity and in real life.

Great book for adults as well and Grandparents may want to keep a copy on hand for when their grand children come visit.

Helping kids to Write/ the concept of ending a story
This book so clearly shows students/children the effect the ending has on a story. It's great if you're teaching students or your own child how to write stories. Just reading it gives them perspective and, with each of their stories, they can write two different endings and choose the better one. This book is FANTASTIC! Get it!

Milo and the Magical Stones
Milo and his mice friends find some glowing, magical stones which led them into making a bad choice or a good choice. This book offers two different endings- a happy one or a sad one. This is a great story for all young children to enjoy. Marcus Pfister's illustrations and texture on the pages capture both children's eyes and hands. After reading the happy ending to my kindergarten class, they could not wait to hear what happened in the sad ending. I highly recommend this book.

A Real Page Turner for Children!
This is a great story to read out loud to a child at the end ofthe day. My kids couldn't wait to see if Milo and the other mice madea good choice or a bad choice in how to handle the magical stones. As a matter of fact, my kids (ages 10,9,and 6) made me go back and read the other ending right away. This book teaches a hard lesson about greed and covetousness without being too preachy. My kids were enthralled with the glowing stones, and the beautiful illustrations. This is a favorite book in our house - I would buy it for any child's library. ... Read more

Book Description

A volcano could be called a sleeping mountain--that is, until it wakes up!

What is it like to witness the eruption of one of nature's majestic time bombs?

Young readers can learn what makes volcanoes "tick," and read about some of the

most famous eruptions in history.




... Read more

Reviews (1)

volcanoes mountains of fire
I think that this is a good book and I know that this is a good book. The part I like about it is when the volcano erupts.The part I don't like about it is when people died.I
would recommend this to a 4th grade reader and I would have preferred for it to have more pages. I give it a 5 stars because it has nice pictures and I learned new information about volcanoes. ... Read more

Book Description

Have you ever wondered what a worm's mouth looks like?Haveyou ever wished you could see a butterfly emerging from its cocoon or atadpole turning into a frog?Now you can!Nature Close-Up, aninnovative, new nature series for young readers, shows you all of this -and much more.It takes you in for a close look at all sorts of commoncreatures and organisms and lets you explore their world.PhotographerDwight Kuhn's stunning images will fascinate readers of all ages. Besides offering an intimate view of nature through photographs, the textof each book introduces readers to the subject and then brings the factsto life through hands-on investigation and observation.Complete with amaterials source list, and index, these books are ideal for students andnature buffs alike. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent science resource for intermediate kids
The photographs are super and the explanations are scientific (elementary) but clear. Parts would be fine for class read aloud. Excellent plant project guidelines are also included, with detailed, step-by-step instructions. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After years of dreaming of planting a garden, Mr. McGreely finally takeshoe and watering can in hand and makes his dream come true. Unfortunately forhim (but luckily for readers), this is not the happily-ever-after part of thestory. Late one night, three hungry bunnies appear: "Tippy-tippy-tippy, Pat!Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!" The next morning finds our farmer gnashing his teethover the gnawed sprouts. So he builds a small wire fence. That night... "Muncha!Muncha! Muncha!" So Mr. McGreely builds a tall wooden wall. You get the idea.Young readers will hang on every word until they find out, once and for all, whowill win the battle of the broccoli.

Packed with repetitive and onomatopoeic phrases, Candace Fleming's tale of managainst nature will keep kids giggling--it may even inspire them to chomp on afew carrots themselves! G. Brian Karas's lively illustrations in gouache andpencil are full of visual wit, as the audacious "twitch-whiskers" patientlywatch Mr. McGreely at his seemingly futile endeavors. (Ages 3 to 7) --EmilieCoulter ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Who's Got the Veggies.....
"For years Mr. McGreely dreamed of planting a garden. He dreamed of getting his hands dirty, of growing yummy vegetables, and of gobbling them all up..." This was finally the year. He bought his supplies, and got to work preparing his garden and planting his seeds. "...I'll soon fill my tummy with crisp, fresh veggies." Unfortunately, he was not the only vegetable lover in the neighborhood. That night three hungry bunnies found Mr McGreely's garden and made themselves at home. "Tippy- Tippy- Tippy, Pat! Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!" The next morning, when Mr McGreely saw the damage, he was angry. So he built a nice wire fence around his garden to keep the bunnies out. But would this simple solution work..... Candace Fleming has written a wonderful chain of events story with a clever and surprising twist at the end, that's sure to keep little ones giggling with each page turn. Her delightful text, full of energy and marvelous sound effects, is enhanced by Brian Karas' bold, expressive, and humorous artwork. Youngsters will revel in all the fun as they watch the battle between gardener and bunnies escalate to the ridiculous, from simple, small wire fence, to taller wooden fence, to moat, and finally maximun security tower complete with barbed wire and lights. Perfect for kids 3-7, Muncha, Muncha, Muncha is a rip roarin', manic, crowd pleaser, and a picture book children will beg to read over and over again.

Three hungry bunnies.
How does Mr. McGreely keep three hungry bunnies away from his garden? Well, in MUNCHA MUNCHA MUNCHA he finds an answer -- or does he? This book is just meant to be read aloud, as the repetitive words become fun sound effects. The colorful illustrations of the three bunnies are consistently drawn throughout, letting you follow them one at a time if you want. It's a short, oversized book. And it's really funny. Kids (recommended for ages 3-7 but you'll have just as much fun as they do) will want to hear it again and again for the sounds. Ham it up!

great sound narrative
My 18 month old son likes this book and the repetitive nature of "tippy tippy tippy pat" is great - when we get to that part, my son always starts saying "tippy tippy tippy..."

The illustrations are lovely too and we use it as a game to find the bunnies (they hide in some of the pictures). Overall, it's a nice book and a nice break from all the Dr. Seuss we read (although we love him too!).

It is I, captain vegetable...
At last! A book that secretly promotes the benefits of "yummy vegetables" without drumming the lesson into the heads of innocent children! Candace Fleming has penned a fun frolicsome tale of bunnies, gardeners, and ingenious methods of munching. In this tale, Mr. McGreely (why is it that bunnies always run into conflicts with men sporting Irish or Scottish names?) decides to fill his tiny backyard plot with vegetables of his own growing. As his veggies grow, however, three inspired rabbits set about eating the delicious greens. The more complex Mr. McGreely's defenses grow (walls, moats, and eventually an enormous maximum security system that defies belief) the more adept the bunnies become at scaling, burrowing, and otherwise getting past the blockages.

It's a little amazing that Mr. McGreely even HAS any vegetables left at the end of the tale, if the bunnies are so doggone hungry. I half expected the moral of the story to disintegrate into some preachy morality tale where Mr. McGreely learns that walls may keep out the bunnies but they also keep out the sun and the veggies die. As it happens, veggies aren't particularly upset by walls, though it becomes clear that Mr. McGreely truly has built them in vain. This is really just a classic story of the little guys beating the big guy through style and cunning.

Candace Flemings text is jumpy and bouncy (just like the hares themselves). Here's a two page spread of the text accompanying pictures of bunnies swimming the moat, scaling the walls, and settling down to eat.

"Tippy-tippy-tippy, pat!
Dive-paddle, splash! Splash! Splash!
Dig-scrabble,
Scratch! Scratch! Scratch!
Spring-hurdle,
Dash! Dash! Dash!
Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!"

That's catchy stuff. Sadly, I wasn't as taken by G. Brian Karas's illustrations. They're cute enough, sure. Just not particularly grabbing. The three bunnies are fairly indistinguishable from one another, save for their different colored shirts. The pictures don't really detract from the reading but they don't add anything either. My advice is, come for the nice story and catchy phrases. Stay for the messages about carrots being nummy!

Muncha Muncha noise & not much else
The flow of the book is very disjointed, jumping from narrative to sound effects with no explanation for the listener. So, younger children may not easily follow the story line without the reader stopping to explain that, "And the sun went down. And the moon came up. And - Tippy tippy tippy pat, Dive-paddle, Splash! Splash! Splash! Dig-scrabble, Scratch! Scratch! Scratch! spring-hurdle Dash! Dash! Dash! Muncha Muncha Muncha!" means that the rabbits tip-toed to the garden, jumped into a moat, swam across it, climbed over a wall, jumped over a fence and ate the vegetables. The illustrations are cute but again, (for younger listeners) don't lead the children through the story very well. It's an empty story with not much other than pesky rabbits and a weekend gardener who attempts to find new ways to keep the rabbits from eating his vegetables. ... Read more

Book Description

In nature, we often hear the sound of a bird or an animal before we can see it.Our new Hear and There Books have the same effect.After reading a short riddle, children are asked "What am I?" By pushing a color-coded button on the sound strip, they can hear the call of the bird or the animal.When they pull the tab on the right page, the animal is revealed. To find out more about the featured bird or animal, readers can lift the flap on the left-hand page for more detailed information on its habitat, its young, and its behavior.Written by a professional naturalist, these books are beautifully illustrated, fun to listen to, and filled with interesting facts!

This book introduces the calls of eight different North American birds that children can easily imitate. By reading the clues about each bird, hearing its call, and pulling the tab to see its colorful feathering, children are soon able to identify the sounds and appearance of the killdeer, American robin, barred old, eastern towhee, northern cardinal, black-capped chickadee, red-winged blackbird, and northern bobwhite. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

enchanting introduction to the night's mysterious animals
This is a fun, entertaining and informative introduction to nocturnal animals for city or country kids. Each of eight animals is given a double-page spread that includes a large pull-tab that reveals the animal in a natural setting; a large lift-the-flap that reveals the animal's identity, picture and several well-chosen paragraphs of interesting information; and a 2-3 second push-button recording with decent sound quality -- the sounds are authentic but a little fuzzy. The eight animals are the coyote, spring peeper, great horned owl, American toad, whippoorwill, field cricket, bullfrog and katydid -- one mammal, two birds, three amphibians and two insects.

This is the kind of book that excites children's interest in nature. It is thoughtful and beautiful.

Night sounds
What a fun book! The night is such a fascinating time for children (and adults). The squeaks and squawks and hoots coming from the mysterious shadows can either draw you in, or cause you to run into the house and hide. Gallo's book leads a child to do the former. He starts us all on familiar ground - guessing - what was that noise (supplied by crisply recorded sounds in the book)? Pull the tag, and your question is answered.

What sets this book apart, though, is the information Gallo shares once you lift the flap. The more you know about a creature, the more you want to know, and he supplies us with the important, and often fascinating, tidbits about each animal covered. The writing belies the author's personal experience with the animals. For example, "The song of the whippoorwill is something you will never forget." You know he's heard this bird and knows what aspects about it to share in order to engage the young reader.

Using this information, the readers can then go out on that night, or the next morning, to seek out their nocturnal neighbors.

A good book to kick off the collection in your child's nature library!

Fantastic reading experience
As an early childhood educator for 25 years, and a mother of nine children, I can say this is one of the best books I've experienced. The sights, sounds and activities keep my children enthralled. And even I enjoy learning the sounds that nature makes!

Here is a great book to keep young kids mesmerized & reading
I am a book buyer for a community center with a large preschool program. This book is a hit! The kids can see the vivid colors bird (or other animal, reptile etc.), they can hear the sound it makes and the can read or have read to them a lot more fascinating and at least to me, unappreciated facts about nature. Their are many other activities to keep even the busiest child engaged, such as lift the flap or pull the tab. I am ordering the other title now as well as additional copies of this title and look forward to it as well. Congratulations to Mr.Gallo as well as to Ms.Lohstoeter for a book that is so beautifully written and illustrated! ... Read more

Book Description

Two years ago, Sam ran away from New York City to live in the Catskill Mountains. Now his younger sister Alice has joined him and is quietly living in a tree house of her own nearby. Their peaceful life is shattered when a conservation officer confiscates Sam's falcon, Frightful, and Alice suddenly vanishes.Sam leaves his home to search for Alice, hoping to find Frightful, too. But the trail to the far side of the mountain may lead Sam into great danger.

"Surpasses the original in style and substance . . . This story [is] a jewel."
-Booklist

"George has outdone herself here."
-Kirkus Reviews ... Read more

Reviews (27)

A great adventurous book.
On the Far Side of the Mountain is a great book. It's about a boy named Sam Gribley who lives in the wilderness in his tree home. During the few years he was here, he learned how to build so many devices involving the brook that flows through his mountain. Everything is great, until a few days later Frightful, his pet falcon, gets confiscated, and his little sister, Alice, runs away.
Half this book involves Sam and his friend Bando looking for Alice. Since she thought that they might look for her, she gives them clues along the way. Once they find her, there's tons of suprises awaiting them.
I decided to read this book because I read the prequel, My Side of the Mountain. However, On the Far Side of the Mountain is a much more adventurous story. This book has tons of adventure with crooks, and birds, and getting away from danger. You can learn a lot, too.
I think wilderness guys would love this book. So read On the Far Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

BOOK REPORT
In my personal view I thought this was a pretty good book. Ialso read the the first one(MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN)last year. Ithought it was better then the sequel. This book had a lot ofinformation on the wilderness in it. If I ever got stuck in the woods I would think back to when I read these two fine books. It gave you instruction on how to make a sling to hunt for food with. The book also gave information on how to make traps to [catch] various animals. I thought it was interesting when it talked about falconry and gave you descriptions of plants you could eat and couldnt eat. There were times during this book where I couldnt put it down. there were also times in the book where I wanted to put it down. The book was about a boy named Sam who lives in the mountains with his sister Alice and of course his Perigrene falcon named frightful. When Sam was outside a conservation officer came and took frightful because Perigrene Falcons are almost extinct. He is devasted. Frightful is the one who caught almost all of his food. Later in the day he thinks his sister ran away. That day was not his day. ...While trying to find Alice he is also trying to get Frightful back at the same time. There are all types of adventures in the book while trying to find Frightful and Alice you will have to read the book to find out the ending. If you read My Side of the Mountain and Hatchet you will love this book.

One great book
On the Far Side of the Mountain is an excellent sequal to My side of the Mountain. It is about a boy named Sam Gribley who runs away from New York City to live on his own in the Catskill Mountains. He lived there for over two years before his family came to live with him. After finding out the land was unsuitable for farming, the whole family leaves except for Sam and his sister Alice. Alice makes herself at home. One day she's gone but she leaves clues about where she's headed. Sam and his friend Bando track her so they can check up on her. The book explains their tactics and treks.
I first came upon this book about a month ago. My english teacher knew I had read the first book in the series so she recomended that I read the second one. I read the book in class and it turned out to be just about as good as the first one.

On the Far Side of the Mountain
On the Far Side of the Mountain is a great book! I thought it was just as good as the first book, My Side of the Mountain. The author is Jean Craighead George and I wish there were more books to the series. I especially recommend it if you like action and adventure. There are lots of parts when you don't know what's going to happen. It is very exciting. It is about a boy who has to live in the wild. You should read the first book before you read this one. I give it 5 stars!

My Side of the Mountian
The book My Side of the Mountain written by Jean Craighead was awesome. My favorite character was Frightful. She is Sam's pet bird. She dive bombs birds and animals very gracefully. Frightful helps Sam with his food supply. I enjoy her attitude. This book was great and I would recommend it to you. ... Read more