Book Description

Runny Babbit lent to wunch
And heard the saitress way,
"We have some lovely stabbit rew --
Our Special for today."

From the legendary creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, Falling Up, and The Giving Tree comes an unforgettable new character in children's literature.

Welcome to the world of Runny Babbit and his friends Toe Jurtle, Skertie Gunk, Rirty Dat, Dungry Hog, Snerry Jake, and many others who speak a topsy-turvy language all their own.

So if you say, "Let's bead a rook
That's billy as can se,"
You're talkin' Runny Babbit talk,
Just like mim and he.

Book Description

The Spanish edition of Brian Wildsmith's Animals to Count. Asexuberantly colored animals cavort across the pages, children learn to count andalso learn the names of the animals. Ages 6 mo-3 yrs. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Fantastic!
A beautiful little book, great fun for my kids and me. Has held up over 4 children.

Good Pictures, Binding poor
Illustrations are excellant. Manufacture of book is poor quality ... ... Read more

Reviews (82)

A delight for "poopers" of all ages and species
"An elephant makes a big poop--a mouse makes a tiny poop." These straightforward observations mark the beginning of Taro Gomi's wonderful picture book "Everyone Poops." Not only is this beautifully illustrated book a great way to teach kids about a basic body function, it's also a wonderfully funny treat for adult readers.

I imagine that some prudish parents will be put off by Gomi's explicit (but charming) pictures of animals and humans taking "poops" of all shapes, sizes, and colors. But Gomi's basic message is sound: relieving one's bowels is a normal part of our everyday lives. In a world where too many people are too embarrassed to ask their doctor about colorectal cancer and other "poop"-related health problems, Taro Gomi's book is especially valuable. If the child (or parent) who enjoys this book feels less squeamish about discussing colorectal health concerns at a later time, than Gomi will have done more than just entertain; the author may have also helped save a life. So buy "Everyone Poops" and share it with the ones you love.

One of my two-year-old's favorites: "Poop book! Poop book!"
My daughter first found this book while using the bathroom at my friend's house. It was part of the "bathroom literature" collection there. She loved it so much that she made me read it three times to her while she sat there. (She was toilet-trained early).

So, for her second birthday, my friend got her this book and she loves it. She makes me read it over and over. It's a favorite bedtime story and she really gets a kick out of it. When the book shows a snake and asks "Which end is the snake's behind?" She says "This!" and points. When the book asks "What does whale poop look like?" she answers "Stinky!"

I am less intrigued by this book and find the pictures somewhat freaky, but since I'm not the target audience anyway, who cares? If you're trying to teach your children not to be embarrassed or ashamed of bodily functions, it's a great book. The "everyone poops" message is definitely communicated and my daughter seems to get some satisfaction knowing that she is just like everyone else.

even my therapist loves it
thank god for this book. i used to only poop in jars in the safety of my dark closet and then i would quietly hide the jars over the ceiling tiles in the northwest corner of the house.
my therapist gave me this book and now i can use a bedpan without fear of retribution. once they write a book on urine, i'll be all set.

Cold Hard Truth
A wonderful book for the entire family. Great for children!

A Potty Literature Classic
i think any child beginning potty training should have this book. it's humorous, has appealing illustrations, and (i think) teaches we shouldn't be ashamed of natural processes. it's a good supplement to other potty literature. ... Read more

Book Description

A nose for digging? Ears for seeing? Eyes that squirt blood? Explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this beautifully illustrated interactive guessing book bySteve Jenkins and Robin Page. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Got a whale of a tale to tell you friends
"What Do you Do With a Tail Like This" has the dubious honor of being the only Caldecott Honor Book from 2004 that was a serious contender in the first place. Informative, lively, and easy on the eye, authors Steve Jenkins and Robin Page have created quite a nice little piece of work. For those kids interested in the wide variety of animals, this book is a humdinger. Using a unique series of collage animals, each individual creature has been painstakingly cut from beautiful handmade papers. Sometimes these creatures are done exceptionally well. The skunk resting on its front legs has a furry white stripe made from what looks to be carefully teased paper fibers. Some creatures could have used a little more work. The blood that gushes from the horned lizard's eyes looks like nothing so much as a red/orange Rorschach test. Each section shows a section of the creatures to be discussed with such leading questions as, "What do you do with eyes like these?" or "What do you do with a tail like this?". The next spread shows each animal doing its thing with interesting facts and information. For those kids who'd like to learn a little more about a particular animal, the authors have included in-depth facts at the back of the book.

It's a beautiful book. One suspects that Page & Jenkins may have even gone so far as to hand dye the papers themselves to get just the right shades. How else could they have found a blue that matches so well the blue footed booby's webbed toes or the scarlet pink of a scorpion? Perhaps most impressive in some ways are the different methods employed to fool the reader into believing they're looking at fur, when in fact the page is full of paper layered on paper. There are flaws. Oddly, every animal in this book gets a short synopsis of its abilities, with the exception of one. I don't know what the egg-eating snake did to insult the publisher, but for some reason it does not have a catchy answer to "What do you do with a mouth like this?". There are some factoids about the snake at the end of the book, but such a huge typo is bizarre, and keeps me from granting it the five Amazon.com stars it so richly deserves.

To my mind, "What Do You Do With a Tail Like This" is the most technically complex 2004 Caldecott Honor book to win the award in quite some time. Regardless of how emotionally attached you grow to the book, you cannot help but enjoy looking at the complex and well rendered animals that appear in every shape and form in these pages. This is a book that was well loved during its creation. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (11)

WOW, even better than reading the "adult" version!
Over the years, I have thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Herriot's wonderful stories. When I found this book for my 7 year old daughter, I wasn't sure if she'd be able to follow along. What makes this book stand out is the fabulous drawings--they are full paged drawings, with not too much writing on each page. Each drawing is very detailed, perfectly matched to the accompanying text. I can't get over the talented illustrators (this book has two different ones, although the drawings are similar in appearance). I've loved re-reading these familiar stories and sharing them. This is one of the best books we've read this year, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it for a permanent library collection.

My children were mesmerized by these warm stories.
My children have loved this book for years (they are now five and seven). Because the stories use words from far-away places, and an earlier time, reading them together has been a painless way to introduce many new and wonderful words into their vocabularies. If you are a parent who likes to read to your children, buy this book! The beautiful illustrations and language will keep you interested as well as the kids.

Settle in for a Great Read!
James Harriot's story telling style conveys the life of an English country vet in vivid language at a pace that makes you and your little ones settle in for sheer enjoyment. His word choices connect with the reader on multiple levels engaging the mind and emotions. The illustrations are both beautifully realistic and immaginative. My children love the stories and frequently ask to hear them again. As a read aloud, it is appropriate from 3 years-old and up. Neither you nor they will ever tire of reading these stories.

All time favorite book for any age
This is our family's all time favorite book. James Herrriot's true stories paired with magnificent illustations make this a wonderful book to read to a variety of ages of children; adults find the stories equally enjoyable. We have frequently given this book as a "family gift"(a spread of ages and boys and girls), gift to siblings of a new baby and even to babies who have everything, but will later appreciate this lovely book.

James Herriott.. the most wonderful writer
I think I have not had a more pleasant reading experience than sitting down next to a burning fire place, listening to my favorite antique clock ticking.. the patter of rain on the window panes and reading James Herriott. It is a memory of that afternoon that all these years later I have never forgotten. James Herriott is the most pleasant, relaxing, refreshing writer. Forget all the worries and cares and escape for a few minutes into a quiet world where the animals speak their own language.. A wonderful book, a wonderful writer. Thank You James Herriott for the memories. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Wonderful, classic children's instruction book.
As a kid, I loved to draw, and I loved this book! The author provides simple, step-by-step pictorial guidelines easy enough for young children to follow: if they can read the instructions, they can draw the animals in the book. At each step, there is a basic instruction such as "make a green triangle" or "add two squiggly lines." The instructions are accompanied by both a drawing of whatever it is to be added and a drawing of the animal-in-progress as a whole. Not only is this book fun for children, it's great for book reports and other school projects. Even adults will appreciate the ease at which this book helps them to produce realistic-looking animals while also enjoying the author's humorous style. This favorite book of childhood has become a cherished adult possession.

This is a wonderful book!
I remember owning and using this book constantly when I was a kid. I recently got it for my two young ones and now they are drawing all the time! They would get so frustrated when they couldn't make something look like it was supposed to, but with this book it is easy and teaches them about using basic shapes to draw anything. It is so easy to follow, my two are both five and are doing great! Looking forward to getting some more of his books for my kids to use and enjoy.

A Champion of Creativity
Those wretched art classes to which we were all subjected as children left me in daily agony - and of course wouldn't my older sister just have to be a spectacularly gifted artist. My mother took pity on my suffering and bought me this wonderful book when I was six. It was a balm to my artistic handicap and an immeasurable boost to my confidence when I finally drew the dragon! Looking back now, I believe that Mr. Emberley's books would benefit any child, whether naturally artistic or crying over watercolor class. In an era when children's imaginations are saturated with Disney and TV cartoon notions of art, Mr. Emberley can give them simple tools with which to carve a path back to their own creativity.

Excellent book that kids will love
I too loved this book as a kid, as opposed to other art books, this is easy to follow. I was imersed in every one of his art books and my greatest accomplishment in the 2nd grade was drawing that dragon! It took hours.

Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Animals
Emberley's dedication of this book reads "For the boy I was, the book I could not find". I could not find a better description of this book if I tried! My six year old son longed for art books that would teach him how to draw. This book more than satisfied that longing. Emberley's animals are fanciful, fun and easy to draw. I have just ordered two more of his books. We can't wait to get out the colored pencils and start drawing! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

My baby loves these!
My baby loves his cards. We use them many times throughout the day. They are usually all over the place as he uses them to communicate with us as well (we saw fish at the aquarium and he pulled out all the fish cards). I wish we had purchased these sooner. My son is 12 months old but would have enjoyed these months ago. They are especially interesting if you have the accompanying DVD's.

We use these cards almost everyday.
I love that the cards are made of heavy paper and the pictures are very colorful. We own the whole series and use them almost everyday. The one thing that I did notice is that we seemed to lose them after they would get thrown everywhere. I solved this problem by single hole punching them and then using a binder ring to hold them all together. Now my son and I can just flip through the pictures.

The pictures are brilliant!
I love these cards! The pictures are great and the information on the back is wonderful. I only wish that the author had put the names of the animals in different languages as she did on the Language Discovery Cards. One small point, I am not sure why she has some broad category animals, such as "dog" and then more specific ones, such as a particular type of fish. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Perfect size for families on the go!
A smaller version of the full sized I Spy books, these books are just great. They include cropped pictures from the regular I Spy books and are printed on durable cardboard - just right for little hands!

My two year old loves this collection of books - they are just the right size for her to hold, are sturdy enough for her to play with, and there are lots of interesting pictures to hold her attention.

The pictures are lots of fun to look at. They give parents the opportunity to sit with their children and discover the different things in the pictures and to help their children identify them.

These are all very good books!! I highly recommend.

Good Way to Teach Observation Skills
These board books are a smaller and simpler version of the original "I Spy" series. If you are not familiar with the "I Spy" series, the basic concept is similar to "Where's Waldo" in that you "search" for specific objects. But in this case, the searching field is a series of photographs that depict varied and interesting items. Each photograph has a particular theme and is full of colorful and inventive objects.

The original "I Spy" books ask you to find many objects in each photo and can be very challenging. My husband and I got a kick out of finding the objects ourselves and by no means breezed through the books. These simplified board books are geared toward a much younger audience--they offer toddlers and younger children a way to play the same type of game. The photographs contain only a handful of objects, and the reader is asked to find only two objects per page.

My daughter really enjoys these types of interactive books. They give her a chance to be "proud" when she finds whatever she's looking for. There is also a similar series I would recommend called "Find the Duck (Puppy, Piglet, Kitten, Teddy)..." books. In the "Find the..." series the child is looking for the same object throughout the book. . If you are interested, I wrote a review on that series where I go into more detail about them.

Overall, these are a nice way to interact with your toddler--they offer an opportunity to teach patience and to carefully investigate things. My only criticism is that I noticed that the photos that they use are just blown up portions of photos taken from their original series. I wish they would be more creative and use entirely new photos.

FUN!
We have all the I Spy books to date and this is my 3 year old's favorite. He LOVES searching for the certain animals, identifying the other animals, and even attempts to sound like the different animals. We've had this book since before my son was 1. Don't wait until your child is a toddler to buy this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Packed with striking animal photography and more than 15 exciting textures, the Touch and Feel Animals Box Set is the perfect gift for the curious toddler.

Contains: Touch and Feel: Farm, Touch and Feel: Baby Animals, and Touch and Feel Wild Animals ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My daughter LOVES these books!
My 10 month old loves the "Touch and Feel" books! We read some every night before bed and often during the day. She will even turn the pages and babble/read by herself! She loves the different textures (although she isn't a fan of the sticky paint or frogs feet) and pictures. I would recommend any of the "Touch and Feel" books. ... Read more

Book Description

A new addition to the critically acclaimed mini-sized reference series DK Pockets, Animals of the World is packed with facts and pictures arranged in a clear, logical way. Thousands of animals are shown in glowing full-color photographs, and brief text gives key information on the animals' habits, feeding, and migration patterns. ... Read more

Book Description

In Hide and Seek, ingenious action spreads show how animals use camouflage to hide from enemies or hunt for food, whether in the Arctic or Africa, the forests or the fields. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

HIde and Seek (National Geographic Action Book)
My 12-year old daughter got this book 10 years ago and it has survived three children. Each of my children have enjoyed the National Geographic Books. This one is particulary fun because the kids get to search for the hidden creatures; they don't seem to tire of looking again and again. Our set is finally showing its age so I am purchasing new ones - my 4-year old likes to look at them before she goes to sleep but calls them the "broke books" now.

A pleased reader from Cambridge, MA
Tabs, flaps, surprises and a scary owl are part of the fun of this well-conceived book. The pop-up engineering is really amazing and the illustrations are scientifically accurate as well as beautiful. Children love finding the hidden animals and there is so much variety and excitement in these 12 pages, that it will be enjoyed as much by adults as by children. It is a wonderful book for a parent or grandparent to share with the young ones. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A priceless resource on the fundamentals of drawing animals.
This book is a clearly written and easy to follow step-by-step guide to drawing animals by applying a comparative anatomy system using geometric shapes to help you understand how animals are put together. This fully illustrated reference contains over a thousand diagrams and illustrations and is structured into twenty carefully organized sections in which the author covers the basic and not-so-basic concepts, principles and techniques you need in order to produce realistic, three dimensional and anatomically accurate renderings of animals.
His topics on specific animals include: the cat family, the bear family, the horse family, the elephant, the dog family, the camel, the giraffe, the hippopotamus, the rhinoceros, the deer family, the buffalo, the cow, the pig, the monkey and the ape family, the kangaroo and the rabbit. As an added bonus he includes other topics: Odd and Unusual Animals, Miscellaneous Small Animals and Animal Interpretation and Abstraction, as well as an Introduction to Animal Drawing in which he focuses on animal simplification, structure, construction, poses, gaits and movements, comparisons and techniques on how to make animals look more natural. As a warning, note that this book only explains how to draw mammals and doesn't include mollusks, amphibians, insects, reptiles or birds.
By studying this book as if it were a textbook on a course, doing all the exercises and reviewing each section afterwards, I have steadily improved my drawings of animals in such a short time that I am now constantly rewarded with praise from my friends and family.
This book will give to the beginner the fundamentals of drawing animals, and will give to the seasoned artist and professional new principles and techniques to try. For both, this book is a must buy.

Jack does it right
Jack's book here is one of the best and most useful. Animals can be tough, admility, and Jack clears up some commen problems faced when drawing these beauitful creatures. Topics range from drawing horses, dogs, big and small cats, elephants, and bears. There are literally hundreds of clear and precise images in this book! Give this book a try, you can't go wrong. The pricetag and content are unbeatable!

The Wham Of Hamm
Jack Hamm is a solid, versatile, and fundamentally sound artist with a rare knack for organizing and presenting information in a simple and clear way. This book, one of his four classic how-tos of drawing, has already been a gift to artists everywhere for generations, and is a priceless resource of knowledge and information. Along with Hultgren's similar book, this is the classic workbook on the subject.

Hamm stresses a solid approach to the construction and anatomy of animals, but also helps the reader grasp the conceptual aspects of how animals are put together and what similarities and differences are important to comprehend. The book is very thorough in grouping animals into basic families, such as big cats, monkeys, elephants, etc., and the organization of the book is a major plus. Hamm is sharply focused on construction, solidity, and three-dimensional views of animals and how they move. A college art course could be taught from this book.

Hamm's greatest admirers have always been his peers- fellow artists will tell you that this is the right aproach to drawing animals, and this book will remain in print and in use forever.

Great Reference for Drawing Animals!
This book is a great reference book for drawing animals and is relatively thorough in showing the different types and their common similarities across, and within, species. I thought it was very good in explaining animal anatomy and smaller details such as how to correctly stripe a tiger. However, you will definitely need to see the animals in person or have your own photo resources because there are no accompanying photos.

Canned Hamm
It's a good book about learning the natural poses of animals. If you like to swipe material to use for sketches this is the book for it. It teaches you how animals look in the wild. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Nice book, but not a favorite...
Pictures are rudimentary - well, just not so great, let's say and the wording could have been more pleasing to the ear.Nothing for readers/listeners - especially very young ones - to catch on to!

Beautiful, large pictures and simple text.
This book was the only one my daughter wanted me to read to her formonths, even when she was under one.I would just recite the simple textof the book and it would make her smile.The book is great because of thelarge colorful pictures of adorable animals andthe unclutteredpages areeasy for a toddler to focus on.Be prepared to read it over and over! ... 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

In this hilarious collection of twenty-one original animal poems and paintings, the animals are out in all their finned, furry, and feathered glory. From lobsters to rheas to fireflies, kiwis to camels to chameleons, here’s a beast for everyone to love!
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Beast Feast
It is very funny. I'll give the The Walrus In His Chair a "two thumbs up." I memorized The Bat for a Poetry Reading for school. I give The Barracuda some very earth-eating competition. niknnik (Evan, 9) ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Super Stickers
My twin sons are 3 years old and it is impossible to get them both to sit quietly for more than a few minutes. However, since we discovered the sticker books that Priddy Books make, I now have a bit more peace and quiet! Really beautiful quality publications, stickers that don't tear despite rough handling and just lovely pictures. ... Read more

Book Description

-Ideal for babies and toddlers.

-Stunning large format brings images to life.

-Helps to build a child's vocabulary.
... Read more

Reviews (6)

Engaging and educational
My 18-month old son loves this book, and it has really helped him learn about animals. He likes to read it with us over and over again, and it's so big and sturdy that he can look through it by himself when he wants to. It always goes on long trips with us, even though its size makes it a little less convenient to pack.

One of the best Animal books
I got this for my one year old twins, and they simply love it! They enjoy looking at the bright and colorful photographs of all the animals and this book enables me to make it a fun way of teaching them what different animals look like and the sounds they make. One of my twins always wails when I am finished and I close the book -- she simply wants to look at the book some more! I highly recommend this book for parents with young children.

My Big Animal Book
My Big Animal Book is a good book because it shows a lot of great animals. It shows you baby animals, pets and a lot more. I would recommend this book for kids about 2 to 3.

A must have for animal lovers
My son (13 months) loves this book. He pulls it out several times a day and flips through it over and over. The pictures are fantastic and include a variety of animals which many other board book fail to include.

Great Pictures!
This book is a favorite for my 2 year old daughter. She knows almost all of the animals now, and loves to look at all of the bright pictures. It's made of that great board book material, but it's a big size for little eyes to see all of the details. It's really helped her learn her animals! ... Read more

Book Description

A creature whispers:

If not for the cat,
And the scarcity of cheese,
I could be content.

Who is this creature?
What does it like to eat?
Can you solve the riddle?

Seventeen haiku composed by master poet Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by renowned artist Ted Rand ask you to think about seventeen favorite residents of the animal kingdom in a new way. On these glorious and colorful pages you will meet a mouse, a skunk, a beaver, a hummingbird, ants, bald eagles, jellyfish, and many others. Who is who? The answer is right in front of you. But how can you tell? Think and wonder and look and puzzle it out!