Reviews (63)

Excellent book for girls and women..
I adore this book. It is about Princess Elizabeth who has to defeat a dragon when the Prince is kidnapped. Elizabeth has to rely on her own strengths, creativity and ingenuity to win the battle with the dragon. Every female I've read this book to has loved it, from my 3 year old niece to a group of 12 year olds to my university Women's Studies class. The book has a fantastic message about women's potential to break through sex-role stereotyping. The book boosted the self-esteem of the girls I was working with and led to some great discussions about the fact that they don't need to have a boyfriend to be happy, and the need to accept themselves and recognize their strengths. I think this book is empowering and uplifting and I reccommend it to anyone who is in contact with young girls. Heck, get it for yourself. You deserve it.

A Must Read for Four Year Old Girls
I am so happy I got this book for my four year old daughter. It's the perfect antidote to those unrealistic Disney stories (i.e., Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty). And don't get me wrong, I think that those Disney stories can be fabulous, but the subliminal messages are somewhat 18th century. The Paper Bag Princess, on the other hand is decidely modern. Its message is: if a guy isn't nice to you, he's not worth it, leave him. Really, is there a more important message about relationships that we ought to be sending to our daughters? There are other wonderful messages in here for girls: you are resourceful, be strong. And, as an added benefit, this is a great and funny book, both of my daughters love it. This would make a great gift to all of the young girls in your life (and I think the age range should start at 2, not 4).

Very Spunky!
Hoorah for a princess story where substance counts over good looks!

Not the Ordinary Princess.
This is a fantastic feminist tale for any age or gender. Once again, Munsch fails to not please. The Princess' ideals are modern, her feeling she doesn't need a prince.

This may be my favorite book!
What a brilliant story to encourage girls to be strong, smart, and realize beauty comes from within!

I have bought this for all friends with new babies...girls and boys. What a gift when we grace our children with the power of confidence and imagination. ... Read more

Book Description

Countless children -- and their parents -- can joyfully recite the familiar words of this beloved alphabet chant. The perfect pairing of Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault's lively rhymes, and Caldecott Honor artist Lois Ehlert's bright, bold, cheerful pictures made Chicka Chicka Boom Boom an instant hit and a perennial favorite.

This full-sized, quality paperback edition will bring even more fans to this endearing, enduring classic.

Chicka chicka boom boom!
Will there be enough room?

There will always be room for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom on every child's bookshelf! ... Read more

Reviews (75)

Go ahead and emphasize the rhythm!
"Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom! Will there be enough room?"

The simple, rhythmic text of this book just begs to be chanted as you read it to your young child. Go ahead and lose your self-consciousness and do it: Your child will love the book and learn the alphabet to boot!

The story line is simple: the lower case letters pass along the word that everyone is going to climb to the top of the coconut tree. Just after z makes it up the tree, "Uh-oh! Oh, no! Chicka chicka BOOM BOOM!" The uppercase letters come along to "hug their little dears and dust their pants." I understand this is where the board book version of this story ends, but I would highly recommend that you buy the regular version instead.

In the full-length version, the lower case letters get up from the jumble with all their bumps and bruises and head home. But after the sun goes down, "a gets out of bed and this is what he said, 'Dare, Double Dare! You can't catch me! I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree!' Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!"

If you have fun with it, your young children will love to listen to it. The alphabet is printed in its entirity (upper and lower case letters) in the fly leaves of the book, and these are great to point to while singing the alphabet song or play a quick game of "What's that?" before or after reading the book. And your child will quickly start to chant the story along with you, I'm sure!

I, for one, was thrilled when my two-year old started bringing it to me and saying, "Read it, Mommy! Read it, the Boom Boom!" He's learning his letters and having fun. For what more could I ask?

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
This is hands down the best book for children age 3 and under that I have ever encountered (and we have over 1,000 children's books in our home!). I began reading it to my oldest child when she was 2 months old, and by 16 months, she could recite the alphabet AND identify all 26 letters of the alphabet-- upper AND lower case! I give most of the credit to this wonderful book (but keep in mind, we read it EVERYDAY, often times, several times a day!) My youngest child picks this book out of the shelf first and foremost. He is only 13 months old, but he absolutely loves this book and prefers it over most toys. Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault have more than a classic here, not to mention the great illustrations by Lois Ehlert. If you're looking for the perfect book to teach your children the alphabet or you just simply want an entertaining book that is sure to be a hit, look no further. This is it!

Toddler's Loving it!!!
This is now our regular nighttime read. My 18 month old daughter gets an absolute kick out of it! She says the BOOM, BOOM! part when we get to it. While I read the part "up the coconut tree", I walk my fingers up the tree. It really seems to get and keep her attention. Every parent should own this book!!

Ellamennow P
A word of warning. If you haven't a rhythmic bone in your body, you'd best not be reading "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" anytime soon. This book is arguably the best known alphabet book on the market today. Telling a tale of alphabetic foolhardiness, a troop of lower case letters (all of them, in fact) go bounding up the nearby coconut tree for a variety of reasons. When the tree can no longer support their weight the little letters find themselves splayed out on the ground. Fortunately the big letters come along to comfort the little ones, though it's obvious by the end that not all have learned their lesson.

Verses of the letters' exploits are intermixed with chants like so;

"Chicka chick boom boom!
Will there be enough room?
Here comes H
Up the coconut tree"

The text has a nice rhythmic quality to it. A kind of onomatopoetic elegance. And the illustrations, while not particularly stunning, fulfill their purpose excellently. It's a good read-aloud story for kids learning their alphabet, and would fit into any storytime excellently. A fun feisty book.

alphabet
this book is great for little children because it teaches them their alphabet. the author of the book did a good job rhyming words that match the letter. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although this book was around when many of today's parents wereyoungsters, it has remained a steadfast must-have in every toddler's library. For starters, it's a great vocabulary guide that names the many things that go (and some that haven't a prayer of going, but are great fun to imagine anyway). It's also teeming with detail-rich scenes and characters on every page, teaching children the rewards of looking long and closely (such as finding the hidden "Goldbug" in each spread). Along the way it entertains with the silly and slapstick--everything from toothpaste and toothbrush cars to six fire department vehicles that show up to extinguish a ladybug-size fire in a miniature pink convertible. What's most amazing about this book, however, is its longevity. When you purchase it for your fledgling talker, you should consider it an investment. Even 11-, 12-, and 13-year-olds are known to pore over the book nostalgically, cooing at Lowly Worm and eagerly tracking Officer Flossie's book-long chase after that irresponsible, speedster driver in a cowboy hat. (Ages 2 and older) --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Reviews (55)

I agree - thank you Richard Scarry!
I started reading this book with my son when he first learned to talk a few years ago. He's not tired of it yet (and neither am I). There are so many fun illustrations (I especially like the "pickle car"), and so much going on that this book can be read again and again. Now that my son is familiar with all of the vehicles, and able to point them out when we go driving in our car (although we have yet to see a pickle car in our area) we have fun not just reading the story, but looking for the tiny "Goldbug" on every page.

My 2.5 year old son's FAVORITE book
We were given this book when my son was born; he has always enjoyed the colorful and imaginative pictures, and has been finding Goldbug on each page since he was about 18 months. However, his early love for this book pales in comparison to his obsession with it now -- it's the only book he wants to hear at story time, day after day ... Luckily for Mom and Dad, it's also whimsical enough that we enjoy it, too, day after day.

My Son's FAVORITE Book
I have just purchased my SECOND copy of this book. My 22 month son loves it so much that it has been through the ringer in the past months, with his favorite pages ripped out because of over use! I had it when I was little, and it brings back great memories. But, I never expected the reaction that he would have to this book! It is perfect for any who loves PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES!! If only there was a board version!

Great Book for Generate Interest in Reading/Focus of Toddler
This was the first book my son received in 1992. I started reading it to him before he was 1 years old. He loved to sit quietly and look at the book. He continued to look for Goldbug until he was in kindergarten. Great book for spending quality time with your child and get the added bonus of an educational foundation for reading.

A tradition continues
This book was a favorite of our youngest son, age 31. Now our well loved copy is a great hit with the grandchildren. I have to buy three new copies. In this day of DVD, VCR it is a thrill to have children so engrossed looking for Gold Bug. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Who would ever suspect that a tiny little mouse could wear out anenergetic young boy? Well, if you're going to go around giving an exuberantly bossy rodent a cookie, you'd best be prepared to do one or two more favors for it before your day is through. For example, he'll certainly need a glass of milk to wash down that cookie, won't he? And you can't expect him to drink the milk without a straw, can you? By the time our hero is finished granting all the mouse's very urgent requests--and cleaning up after him--it's no wonder his head is becoming a bit heavy. Laura Joffe Numeroff's tale of warped logic is a sure-fire winner in the giggle-generator category. But concerned parents can rest assured, there's even a little education thrown in for good measure: underneath the folly rest valuable lessons about cause and effect. Felicia Bond's hilarious pictures are full of subtle, fun details. Fans will be happy to know that this dynamic author-illustrator pair teamed up again for If You Give a Moose a Muffin and If You Give a Pig a Pancake. (Great read aloud, ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (76)

She wants it read again and again!
Simply put, this is a wonderful book. Our 19 month old daughter has enjoyed this book since she received it on her first birthday. The story is simple and easy to follow and the pictures are big and bright and wonderfully drawn. There aren't alot of words on every page so if you have a younger child that likes to turn the pages frequently, this makes it easy to keep the story going. Although the story is whimsical and involved enough for an older child to enjoy as well. We have read this book so many times that my daughter has memorized some of the words on every page and pretends to "read" it herself. Personally, I feel this is the best of the "If you give a ....." book series (we have them all). I think the only improvement this book could use is if it came in a board book version as the paper pages in our hardback version are quickly becoming worn from all the frequent reading and toting around! A true classic that I feel any parent with a young child can't go wrong with.

If You Give Your Child This Book --- You'll Read It Alot!
Felicia Bond has a book that works for kids in the 2-5 age set. This is a nice story that leads from one object to another ("if you give the mouse a cookie, he's going to want some milk. If you give him some milk, he's going to want a napkin" etc., etc.)

The art is well drawn and holds my kid's attention well. The story is whimsical and teaches about twenty objects (milk, cookie, crayon, tape, pillow, etc.) to young kids. They memorize the lines fairly quickly and the book can help with sight reading for the pre-school set.

If you give this book to your child, he's probably going to want you to read it over and over again.

Cookie cookie cookie starts with C
"If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" really has been the "It" book for some time. Parents love this story, and their children really get into it as well. On and off, I'd heard various things about it, but nothing that so sparked my interest that I ran to my nearest library to peruse its pages. Now, however, I've grown old and wise in the ways of kiddie lit. and I found myself wanting to know what all the fuss was about. Was this book really as overwhelmingly fantastic as everyone said? Was I doomed to fall desperately in love with it like 98% of the population of known Western Civilization? The answer is a resounding yes yes yes. I had counted on finding some mild enjoyment with a fun story. Was I got was extreme enjoyment from a sly, understated, exceedingly clever story.

As we open, a small mouse treks down a hill on its own as a boy contentedly reads his comic book, munching on a bag of delicious chocolate chip cookies. After the boy offers the mouse a cookie (not knowing what such an action has wrought) the mouse asks for milk. Milk leads to a napkin. A napkin leads to a mirror (to check for a milk mustache, of course). A mirror leads to a hasty haircut. A haircut leads to sweeping up. And so on. All the while the boy gamely follows his rodent friend over, around, and through the different parts of the house, ever supplying the guest with whatsoever it may require. By the end, the house is in shambles, the boy exhausted on the floor (parents will relish this picture above all) and the mouse has just started in on a second cookie.

Some books expertly place kids in the position of their parents. In the picture book, "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus", kids are allowed to finally tell someone (the someone in that instance being a naughty pigeon) no. In this book, the kids are now the patient parents, forever cleaning up and amusing the endlessly enthusiastic and hepped-up mousey. The pictures are deceptively simple, drawn with pure pen and ink. Just the same, millions of tiny details are apparent in every shot. The boy's refrigerator displays (oddly) a newspaper clipping of a car crash. The mouse's drawing of his family displays some pretty original dresses on his mother and sister. And I'll leave up to your imagination the variety of odds n' ends surrounding the depleted boy at the end of the story. Suffice to say, ladies and gentlemen, this book has it all. And it's a delightful story to boot.

I know this book by heart now...
My seventeen-month old son will search through his vast library to find this book (and the others in this series), protesting when I try to compromise with another selection. He loves the story, knows when to turn the page (which is no longer necessary, as I can recite them all from memory) and will accept no subsitute. I even tried burying the books away so that I could read something new to him, but he dug them out, carried them down the stairs and insisted I drop everything to recall what are apparently his favorite stories.

Great Book
This is a great book about a greedy type mouse who wants one thing after another jsut like a kid.....this book has the mouse acting jsut like kids when we are little its great..one of hte best chirldrens books out next to green eggs and ham. adults will love this book just as much as kids will... ... Read more

Amazon.com

If a tree falls in the forest... someone or something will always be there to hear it. Many, many creatures will feel the effects when their source of sustenance and shelter falls to the earth. So when a man is sent into the Amazon rain forest one day, under instructions to chop down a great kapok tree, many eyes watch him nervously. It's not long before he grows tired, though, and the "heat and hum" of the rain forest lulls him to sleep. One by one, snakes, bees, monkeys, birds, frogs, and even a jaguar emerge from the jungle canopy to plead with the sleeping ax-man to spare their home. When the man awakens, startled at all the rare and marvelous animals surrounding him, he picks up his ax as if to begin chopping again, then drops it and walks away, presumably never to return.

Unfortunately, there's always someone else who is willing to take his place, but the message of this environmental book is plain: Save the rain forest! The story itself is not overly compelling, but each personalized entreaty from the animals provides an accurate and persuasive scientific argument for preserving nature's gifts. Lynne Cherry's fertile watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations, including a map of the tropical rain forests of the world, are vivid and colorful. A fine starting point for a discussion about conservation. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Beautiful pictures with a beautiful message.
My son and I love this book. We received it as a prize at an Earth Day celebration and have gotten a lot of use out of it. I love the beautiful pictures and my son loves it when I make up voices for each of the animals. I feel good about reading this book to him, because the message is clear. We live on a planet with many cultures and many other living creatures. We should respect that. I have gone out to check out other books by Lynne Cherry and love them all. But The Great Kapok Tree remains my favorite.

The Dream
Beautiful, wild places inspire and I love to introduce this concept to young children who are so very sensitive to the beauty around them. Children love to produce images of a world butterflies, rainbows and flowers. Lynne Cherry uses this love to capture and intrigue children in her book about The Great Kapok Tree set in the heart of the Amazon rain forest.

Ms Cherry is an author and illustrator of children's books who has a sensitivity for ecological issues. In The Great Kapok Tree she presents a jungle teaming with life. A man tires as he begins cutting the great tree down with an ax. He tires and sleeps. While he sleeps the animals come out of the rain forest to give him a lesson about the importance of the tree. Snakes, monkeys, butterflies, parrots, toucans, frogs jaguars and sloths all give him a pitch. Each tree is important in the rain forest.

Lynne Cherry's illustrations are gorgeous, green and so alive. Her inspiration was the Amazon rain forest which she traveled to and sketch while researching this book. Each page impresses the reader with the lushness and beauty of the region.

While it may seem that the concept of ecology is a bit sophisticated for a four year old it is important to remember that our early values shape our lives. It is my hope that the children of today will have of deep love of nature that will inspire them to take the necessary care of the earth ion their future.

This book is a wonderful gift to a child. I have read it to children numerous times and they are always mesmerized by it.

Activism disguised as children's literature
While beautifully illustrated and highly imaginative, The Great Kapok Tree is a heavy-handed attempt to create environmental activism in young, impressionable children. It is utterly one-sided, and places the welfare of animals above that of humans. At no time is the human story told. Instead, the "right" side of the issue (the politically correct side) is presented as the only possible way to think. It attempts to place on the shoulders of children the responsibility for "saving" the rain forest. Saving endangered species, environments, etc. is not the job of children.

The Great Kapok Tree [The Destroyed Rainforest]
There once was a book that was good and it was The Great Kapok Tree. It was about a man who wanted to cut down a tree in the Amazon Rainforest. All animals wanted the man not to cut down the tree. One by one each animal had a reason why not to cut down the tree. Finally the man realized this tree meant a lot to them because all animals depended on the tree. The man did not cut the tree down because all the animals had asked him not to.

I think this book is really good because it was very interesting and it was a good book. I liked the animals that were included and how they each had a reason.

The Great Kapok Tree
I like the color of the book and i like the story. I like the author of the book and the animal's of the story. There were some funny parts to the story and some sad ones too. I like the way the aninmals were talking. It kept me interested in the story. I reccommend this book because it is good. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When Dr. Seuss gets serious, you know it must be important. Published in 1971, and perhaps inspired by the "save our planet" mindset of the 1960s, The Lorax is an ecological warning that still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear-cutting, pollution, and disregard for the earth's environment. In The Lorax, we find what we've come to expect from the illustrious doctor: brilliantly whimsical rhymes, delightfully original creatures, and weirdly undulating illustrations. But here there is also something more--a powerful message that Seuss implores both adults and children to heed.

The now remorseful Once-ler--our faceless, bodiless narrator--tells the story himself. Long ago this enterprising villain chances upon a place filled with wondrous Truffula Trees, Swomee-Swans, Brown Bar-ba- loots, and Humming-Fishes. Bewitched by the beauty of the Truffula Tree tufts, he greedily chops them down to produce and mass-market Thneeds. ("It's a shirt. It's a sock. It's a glove. It's a hat.") As the trees swiftly disappear and the denizens leave for greener pastures, the fuzzy yellow Lorax (who speaks for the trees "for the trees have no tongues") repeatedly warns the Once-ler, but his words of wisdom are for naught. Finally the Lorax extricates himself from the scorched earth (by the seat of his own furry pants), leaving only a rock engraved "UNLESS." Thus, with his own colorful version of a compelling morality play, Dr. Seuss teaches readers not to fool with Mother Nature. But as you might expect from Seuss, all hope is not lost--the Once-ler has saved a single Truffula Tree seed! Our fate now rests in the hands of a caring child, who becomes our last chance for a clean, green future. (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Reviews (58)

The Lorax - Still Powerful After 30 Years
Children used to Dr. Seuss' lighthearted, whimsical stories filled with wacky names and places will undoubtedly perceive a vast difference with "The Lorax". It still contains the wacky names, places, and rhymes, so characteristic of Seuss, but with one blatant overtone. This story goes all out to show the devestating consequences of human greed, and what can happen to the environment when humans misuse and take advantage of nature and natural resources.

The story begins when a boy comes to the home of a peculair creature called Once-ler. The boy wants to know about something called the Lorax; "what it was", and "why it was there". After paying the Once-ler a small fee, he narrates the story for the boy. The pictures incorperated into the story are also poignant; for, as we see in the beginning, the small town in which the Once-ler lives is very grey and barren.

However, as the Once-ler begins his story, the pictures become brighter, more cheerful, and colorful, as we see how the town once looked, long, long ago. There were animals, birds, green grass ... and trees!

The Once-ler says, "I came to this glorious place. And I first saw the trees. The Truffula trees". Transfixed by these trees, the Once-ler cuts one down to make a "Thneed". Now, a Thneed is supposed to be a useful thing, which people can find many uses for. Shortly after the first tree is cut down, the Lorax appears. He explains that he talks on behalf of the trees, because the trees cannot talk for themselves. "They have no tongues".

The Lorax is very upset at what the Once-ler has done. But the Once-ler ignores him, and continues to cut down the trees to make Thneeds, until all the trees have been cut down. This action, of cutting down the trees, building a factory to make the thneeds, and releasing waste residue into the water is greatly illustrated in the pictures, showing the cause and effect of polluting the environment.

Eventually the pictures return to the grey, morbid colors we see in the beginning. The Lorax has had to make all the birds, animals and fish leave the town before they die of hunger and starvation, and before they choke to death on all the smog generated by the Once-ler's factory.

As we can clearly see in "The Lorax", Dr. Seuss is making a very defined political statement about how humans have manipulated and destroyed our natural surroundings for their own personal greed. "The Lorax" was written in 1971, in the hayday of environmental activism, and one year after the first Earth Day.

Still, Dr. Suess does not make this story into a gloomy one. He gives us hope. The Once-ler tosses down a seed to the boy; the one last remaining Truffula seed. With this one seed, Dr. Seuss tells us the possiblities are endless, and hope is not lost.

A Serious Message in Classic Suess Style
I grew up on Dr. Suess books(I even learned to read with one), and I think he is one of the greatest children's authors ever. His hypnotic phrasing and wonderful illustrations are enough to delight children and adults as well (my brothers and I still enjoy looking through our old Suess favorites). In my senior year of high school, I had the opportunity to go with two other classmates to a local elementary school on a weekly basis to teach basic lessons on honesty, friendship, etc. When we taught our lesson on the environment, I brought "The Lorax" to read to the class. To my surprise, when I asked who in the class had read the story, only three out of the 28 students had. Many looked skeptical, thinking it was a little kid's book, but once I started reading, the entire class was mesmerized. After I was finished with the story, we had the most lively question-and-answer session that we had ever had-the story really hit home with the kids and brought our planet'! s ecological crisis into terms that they could understand. Afterward, many of the children asked where they could get a copy of "The Lorax". Thank you to Dr. Suess for a masterpiece of children's literature!

Inspiring for a lifetime
When I was in elementary school in the mid-1970s, probably around the age of 7 or 8, all the students in the school were assembled and shown the film of the Lorax. The film was very similar to the film of The Grinch that was made at about the same time and is now a video classic - - wonderful animation and great word-for-word narrative reading of the text. I had been unaware of the book before that. I remember very clearly being very moved and inspired by the tale, and I can trace part of my development as an environmentalist to it. I now work in environmental outreach/education, and every once in a while I get out the book of The Lorax and get re-inspired, especially by the line "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." I still find the book very relevant to today. It's not extremist in any way. Even its depiction of the Once-ler is not as an evil man, but someone very recognizable. He doesn't mean harm, but "Business is business, and business must grow." Sound familiar? He doesn't recognize the damage he's causing, or understand just how painful and permanent it will be, until too late. This book reminds all of us to not take our beautiful world for granted, but to take responsibility for it.

One of the best Seuss books there is!
This story about being a steward for our world and environment is a job for parents and kids alike. My two year old has is memorized (as I do) but we never tire of reading it.

The Lorax
My children love this book. By the time my son was two, I had read it to him so many times that he had memorized it! He, as well as my daughter, just love this story. ... Read more

Book Description

All the sweetness of a daddy's special relationship with his little girl is captured in this charming picture book. With his signature wit and warmth, Garrison Keillor turns everyday events -- from diaper-changing and sharing favorite foods to a walk down the street -- into celebrations.

Lively illustrations bring to life the songs Keillor wrote for his own daughter. This delightful package also includes a four-song CD of the author's live performances. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cute Book
This is a very cute book!The sentiment is sweet, the wit is classic Garrison Keillor and the illustrations are wonderful. My 2.5 year old daughter loves to dance to the songs on the accompanying CD.You won't be disappointed.

Keillor is a national treasure!
I saw Mr. Keillor at a reading of this delightful new book in New York, and he's one of a kind! This book is funny, clever, and truly captures the spirit and depth of feeling that a father can have for his child. The illustrator captured the Upper West Side gorgeously - like Woody Allen makes you see the City with charm. The CD that comes with the book of Mr. Keillor singing these songs will have you singing and dancing along with with the text. I will be buying this book for Father's Day for my Dad and all the other great Dads I know to share with their daughters. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A frustrated grade school artist, Vashti sits slumped over her blank piece of paper at the end of art class. "I just CAN'T draw!" she tells her teacher. Her teacher first uses wit, then subtle yet clever encouragement to inspire her student to go beyond her insecurities and become, in the words of a younger boy who "can’t" draw either, "a really great artist."

Peter H. Reynolds crafts a quiet, pleasing story in The Dot--one that will strike a chord with children who have outgrown the self-assurance of kindergarten and begun to doubt their own greatness. His marvelous watercolor, ink, and, yes, tea illustrations are appealing in a Quentin Blakey way, especially as Vashti begins to go wild with her dots. The delightfully open-ended conclusion will have readers of all ages contemplating how they can make their own mark in the world. Highly recommended. (Ages 5 to 9) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Help your kids learn creativity
Reynolds does a fantastic job showing how someone can be creative or artistic and not even know it. I picked up this book at an elementary book fair first because I thought it was well written and illustrated. Second because I want to help my children realize they have hidden talents. And third because my husband is an art teacher in high school and his students are constantly telling him they can't draw.

This book not only teaches that anyone can be artistic but it teaches that creativity is not something only some of us are born with - it is something we all have inside of us, we just need to find a little bit of inspiration to bring it out. In Vashti's case, it was her teacher framing her dot and hanging it by her desk.

I recommend this book for anyone: kids, adults, teenagers.

A Must for Any Elementary Library
This book was delivered automatically in our Junior Library Guild order, and it has become one of my all-time favorites as a librarian.

When Vashti angrily stabs a dot onto an empty art class assignment, her teacher wisely follows through with a lesson in life by framing her dot for all to see.

This little bit of attention takes Vashti to new heights by allowing her to take that dot and see where it leads her. She paints all sorts of dots and gains new confidence.

What the story really teaches us is to try, and to start with the tiniest of dots to begin our journeys. As my library class discussed the theme, many of the kids brought up "dots" in their own lives, such as learning how to roller skate, sink a free-throw, or turn a cartwheel. We all have to start somewhere!

And as Vashti's teacher told her when she finished that first dot, "Sign it!"

This little book is truly an inspiration, and the kids loved it. I want my own copy!

A Delightful Book
Vashti thinks she's a terrible artist. Her art teacher challenges her to draw a dot. When Vashti sees her finished dot on display behind the teacher's desk, she decides she can do better. The beautifully simple illustrations add to this sweet book about finding hidden talents.

Ageless Appeal!
This book actually has an ageless appeal to all of us who feel 'I'm not an artist'. I'm a middle school art teacher, and it also charmingly shows how a gentle nudge by a teacher can start a snowball of creativity! ... Read more

Book Description

It started the summer of 2002, when the Springfield librarian, Molly McGrew, by mistake drove her bookmobile into the zoo.

In this rollicking rhymed story, Molly introduces birds and beasts to this new something called reading. She finds the perfect book for every animal—tall books for giraffes, tiny ones for crickets. "She even found waterproof books for the otter, who never went swimming without Harry Potter." In no time at all, Molly has them "forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks," going "wild, simply wild, about wonderful books." Judy Sierra’s funny animal tale coupled with Marc Brown’s lush, fanciful paintings will have the same effect on young Homo sapiens. Altogether, it’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Doreen Cronin (Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type) and cartoonist Harry Bliss (illustrator of A Fine, Fine School) shed a whole new light on a creature that spends most of its time underground: the earthworm. Written in diary form, this truly hilarious picture book tracks the ins and outs of a worm's life from the perspective of the worm family's young son. Take June 15's entry: "My older sister thinks she's so pretty. I told her that no matter how much time she spends looking in the mirror, her face will always look just like her rear end. Spider thought that was really funny. Mom did not." Except for the fact that he can't chew gum or have a dog, the boy likes being a worm. He never has to go to the dentist ("No cavities--no teeth, either"), he never gets in trouble for tracking mud through the house, and he never has to take a bath. As long as he can remember Mom's rule "Never bother Daddy when he's eating the newspaper," all is well. Bliss's endearing cartoonish illustrations of anthropomorphized worms are clever visual punchlines for Cronin's delightfully deadpan humor. For example, "June 5: Today we made macaroni necklaces in art class" sounds normal enough until you see the worms wearing one piece of macaroni around their necks, taking up a good part of each worm's body. Children and adults alike will adore this worm's eye perspective on the world. (Ages 6 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Humorous and different
My 3 1/2 year old son loves this book, and so do his parents! I bet my son will think twice next time he wants to step on a worm. I really recommend this book because it's really funny; some of the things I have to explain to my son, in a humorous way of course, but that's part of our bonding while book-reading. It's a great book.

Worms aren't so "oooo-yucky" after all
This is an excellent book for both boys & girls. In a whimsical manner the reader/listeners are taken through a worm's world showing all from the trivial to the most important aspects of their lives. With his little red baseball cap, our subject says good morning to a line of ants one at a time taking him all day. He points out the dangers he faces and explains his most important jobs. What an excelent way to learn about such an unusual creature in our world. Good for story times for 5 & 6 year olds as well.

Why Play on Fears
The author and illustrator are both terrific in imagination and talent. My only criticism is in the one part that plays on children's minds in a negative way. We are told that there are "three reasons" that it is good to be a worm - 1- you don't have to worry about tracking in mud (Fine - that's fun!); 2 - you don't have to take a bath (but kids love baths, until we start to instill this cultural idea that one should resist taking a bath ); and 3 - you don't have to go to the dentist (this is really annoying. Children are so afraid of dentists as it is, why make it worse) Surely there could be 2 other items for this scenerio besides dentists and baths. Just my opinion and, yes, it may be a cultural norm for kids views, but why botch an otherwise fun book. Not for me.

Hilarious!
My daughter and I borrowed this book from the library yesterday and I have to say it's the first book in a long, long time that has sent the both of us into giggling fits. It reminded me of Gary Larson's The Far Side, but for kids. Also some of the humour is pretty subtle for a new 4 year old, but knee-slappingly funny when you get it. The illustrations are a perfect fit for the story in terms of style and content. Don't forget to check out the inside covers of the book - the snapshots and captions are just as hysterical as the rest of the book.

We both highly recommend this book!

Great for beginning readers
My grandson is a beginning reader. He loved Diary of a Worm. He read it with some difficulty at first and then reread it about 5 times,with much laughter each time. After the 2nd time he could read it easily. This is the kind of book which makes a child want to read. ... Read more

Book Description

Walter’s family is holding a yard sale, but there are few customers. Walter, fartingcontentedly near Father, wonders why. When a man offers ten dollars for Walter, Fatherreadily agrees. Walter wonders why. Walter is sad to leave his family behind, butrelieved to discover that his new owner is a clown. Walter figures he will help the clownbring joy to children on their birthdays. But the clown has a dastardly plot: he will useWalter’s gas to inflate balloons and then pop them to stun guards during bank robberies.Will Walter turn to the dark side? Of course not! He comes out a hero and is reunitedwith his family by doing what he does best. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

It is about FARTS!
To all of those reviewers who have panned or have been offended by this book, all I have to say is:

"I fart in your general direction"

The name of the book is Walter the Farting Dog.
If farts offend you, DON'T READ THE BOOK!
Did you think it was going to be about making cookies?!?!?

The book is strange, weird and silly.
The drawings are abstract and fun to look at.
The story is weird at best, but a story about a farting dog, come on, this ain't War and Peace.

If you like farts, buy the book. My kids LOVE it, and isn't that who the book is written for?

Craig

Loses the first book.s sweet spirit
From the moment Dad sells Walter at the garage sale without so much as a second thought, this book heads down the wrong path. It does not have the goofy sweet spirit of the first book. The kids I read it to were really upset that not only Dad sold the dog, but he lies without even a blink. Boo Hiss!

Walter, Canus Inflatus
I ran across the first two Walter books while I was at the mall waiting for my husband to finish looking at every single DVD in stock (there must have been thousands.) So I had plenty of time to read both books. I loved them!

I rarely have occasion to look at childrens' books, so I was a bit surprised at the title. It's a far cry from Wishbone and Clifford the Big Red Dog. But this is a very funny book. Yes, it's lowbrow and coarse. So are the Three Stooges and most children. And behind their sophisticated, mature exteriors, so are most adults. So relax and enjoy this well-written (by William Kotzwinkle, author of E.T.) story of a stray dog whose family loves him even with his one major flaw. Find out how Walter triumphs despite being sold at the family yard sale to an evil clown who uses Walter to inflate putrid balloons to use as weapons during a bank robbery.

And for those over-educated lowbrows among you, check out the Latin translation (really!), Walter, Canus Inflatus.

Kick Back and Laugh!
If you enjoyed the first "Walter the Farting Dog," you'll fall off your chair laughing at this second book in the series. William Kotzwinkle's imagination is one to admire to come up with such a creative and cute use of a bodily function that we all have to address at some point in our lives. If you're offended by farts, don't buy the book. But if you have grown up in an environment where you can joke about these acts of nature, you'll laugh you head off while reading this book! I say, "Laugh, and laugh out loud!"

a dog lover's special
If you don't have a sense of humor, don't buy this book. If you want to laugh outloud, buy it. If you're a dog person, you'll want to buy copies for your friends. ... Read more

Amazon.com

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

Reviews (36)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Description

It's hard to be five.
Just yelled at my brother.
My mind says do one thing.
My mouth says another.

It's fun to be five!
Big changes are here!
My body's my car,
and I'm licensed to steer.

Learning not to hit? Having to wait your turn? Sitting still? It's definitely hard to be five. But Jamie Lee Curtis's encouraging text and Laura Cornell's playful illustrations make the struggles of self-control a little bit easier and a lot more fun!

This is the sixth inspired book from the #1 New York Times best-selling team of Today I Feel Silly: & Other Moods That Make My Day and I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self Esteem.

Book Description

A true classic with a timeless message, The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936. All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. So what will happen when our pacifist hero is picked for the bullfights in Madrid? This new edition contains the complete original text of the story and the original illustrations with watercolor tones added. ... Read more

Reviews (37)

Bully for you, Ferdinand!
I love Robert Lawson and I love Munroe Leaf, but ladies and gentlemen these two men are definitely less great unless paired together. In undoubtedly my favorite children's book from the 1930s (so sorry, "They Were Strong and Brave"), these two titans of the picture book world created the most adorable story to have ever involved cork trees, bulls, and sweet smelling flowers.

Ferdinand is none too different from "The Reluctant Dragon". He may look fierce and strong, but underneath that hard exterior lies a bull that is perfectly content to just sit beneath his favorite cork tree and smell the flowers all day. Ferdinand was gentle even when young, and he has no desire to go needlessly ramming his head with the other bulls in the field. When some wonderfully illustrated men arrive to find a bull worthy of their bull-fighting arena, Ferdinand is accidentally selected as their choice. Once in the arena, however, Ferdinand proceeds to humiliate the matador and his cronies through simple peace-loving flower-smelling. In the end, Ferdinand is returned to his cork tree and the world is as it was.

There's a definite pacifist feel behind the old Ferdinand tale. In what other story will you have a creature not fight back despite all provocations, only to win in the end? Moreover, a male character that prefers pretty sights and smells to violence and uber-masculinity. Lawson's pen and ink drawings expertly compliment Leaf's tale. Through them we see the high balconies of Spanish towns, and the serene fields where little bulls may play. I was especially amused by the cork tree, from which actual wine corks hang. I suspect many a child has subsequently believed for years that corks really do grow on the vine as Lawson displayed them. Lawson isn't above other humorous tweaking beyond that. On the front and end papers of the book is an image of children gawking at a ferocious picture of "angry" Ferdinand. The poster goes on to advertise treats at the bull fight including "hot dogos" and "chocolato". Apparently any word with an appropriate "o" tacked on the end is instantly Spanish.

"Ferdinand" is the sweetest of the Leaf/Lawson tales. However you feel about the nature of violence (and about how it is almost required of the males of society) this is the quintessential story about being yourself. The angry over-masculine bulls may fight and brawl but peaceful Ferdinand is the one to outwit the men in the end.

One for the ages
"Ferdinand" is one of the best-loved children's books of all time, and with good reason. This timeless tale of a little bull in Spain who doesn't mind being different from the rest of the herd strikes an instant chord in youngsters and oldsters alike. Ferdinand is a gentle creature who would rather sit around and smell the flowers than butt his way through life; but when he planks himself down one day on a bumblebee, he gets a jolt that propels him into the bullring in Madrid. The story is funny and endearing, and the illustrations are hilarious. Generations of preschoolers have loved this book, and it looks good for generations to come.

Shocking and inappropriate for young children
Upon reading this book, I found it to be very shocking and inappropriate for young children. My students thought it to be a "bad story." They "did not like it because the men wanted to hurt Ferdinand. They wanted to keep sticking him with spears and a sword." My students asked me to stop reading the story because they felt very sad.

simple, sweet story of nonconformity for little ones
Originally published in 1936, this simple story of the pacifist bull still rings true for children and adults, as ferdinand refuses to fight even when he is chosen to face the matador in Madrid. Ferdinand would rather sit under a tree and smell the flowers, and his mom thinks that's just fine. this is a comforting story for kids who feel they don't fit in. the message is simple and direct, and makes for great discussions after reading. The original illustrations are quite charming as well.

ONE OF THE BEST EVER
This book has been one of my favorites, if not my favorite for years. I did not discover it until after I saw Disney's short of the story about 20 years ago. Disney's short was made in the 50s or 60s, I think. Ferdinand is the most endearing character and a great messege to tell children that they don't have to follow the crowd to be happy and we can break the mold and be peaceful and non-violent. This is only part of the greatness of this book...the illustration are the absolutely most wonderful illustrations. Robert Lawson is a genius of catching the most adorable expressions and humourus faces. My daughter (3yrs) LOVES this book too. WE HIGHLY RECCOMMEND IT! ... Read more

Book Description

Introducing a unique book every one should have to help him or her learn to love reading.With type set in three columns and three colors for easy readability, each short, rhymed story in this collection is like a little play for two voices.They are about all kinds of thing: bears, birthdays, puppies, snowmen, friendships, and more.But no matter what their subject, they all feature traditional reading techniques-rhyme, rhythm, and repetition-and finishing with a satisfying refrain. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Stories
This is an excellent book. My 5-year-old son, knowing all the sounds of the letters, was reluctant to try reading words. In part, I think his fear was that if he started reading, I would quit reading to him. This book is wonderful - he is thrilled to be able to read most of the words, and the fact that we do it together shows him that reading will not necessarily be a solitary experience for him. It has increased his confidence dramatically.

A Joy to Read Together.....
As the Mary Ann Hoberman explains in her introduction: "Here's a book/With something new-/You read to me!/I'll read to you!/We'll read each page/To one another-/You'll read one side,/I the other..." This clever and unique picture book includes 12 very short stories, written like a dialogue, and based on simple, lighthearted, friendly themes, that are perfect for emerging, and early readers. Each part is color coded for sharing and fun. I read the purple lines, you read the red, and we read the blue lines together, and then maybe switch. Ms Hoberman's joyous, rhyming text is full of rhythm, energy, and repetition and complemented by Michael Emberley's charming and humorous illustrations. You Read To Me, I'll Read To You is a delightful introduction to the joys and wonders of both reading, and reading together. As the author reminds your young reader at the end: "...But there are other/Books to read./Hundreds/Thousands/All we need./Any time/In any weather/We can sit/Right down together./In the shade/Or in the sun/Choose a book/That looks like fun./One that's old/Or one that's new./Make-believe/Or really true./I'll read one line/I'll read two./You read to me./I'll read to you."

Educators Recommend
Not long ago I was attending a conference for reading teachers. The main topic of conversation was, as you might imagine, books. After the third person told me You Read to Me is "simply wonderful," and "a must-have," I decided I'd better check it out.

My colleagues were not exaggerating. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You is one of those rare "must-haves." The book, as the title implies, is created for two voices. Thoughtfully, the text is divided into three columns, each done in a different color print. One reader reads the left-hand passages. The second reader reads the right-hand passages. Both readers, of course, read the text in the middle.

The dozen stories in the book are original, fresh, and funny. (Hoberman refers to them as little plays for two voices.) Each is short, rhythmic, and rhyming. Topics include: mice, cats, dogs, bears, snakes, snowmen, friendship, hats, and more.

Emberley's illustrations, done in pen, watercolor, and dry pastel, perfectly compliment and enrich the text. The character's actions and facial expressions are priceless.

The book works exceedingly well in the classroom. Perfect for "buddy reading," it also provides teachers a perfect vehicle for working one-on-one with students. As we know, reading aloud helps to build fluency-which in turn helps with comprehension. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You is the perfect fluency-building book.

You Read to Me receives our highest recommendation.

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff

Perfect!
This is a must have for every beginning reader. It's so much fun to have others share in reading it with your child.

kbyrdCR Fin

English 385.150
5/23/02
Dr. Michelle H. Martin
Book Review
Doberman, Mary. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You. Illus. Michael Emberley. Boston:
Little, Brown and Company, 2001.
You Read to Me, I'll Read to You contains many different short stories that two people can read together. All containing positive lessons, each story has at least two characters who face a problem or experience an adventure. For example, in "The Dime," the pig finds a dime, but his friend the cat feels that the money belongs to him. Instead of the characters keeping the money and destroying their friendship, they decide to purchase a book and take turns reading the book to one another. Another story that has a positive lesson is "I Hate My Hat." The characters in the story are raccoons, and one raccoon continually says, "I hate my hat." The other raccoon says that "hate" is not a nice word to say and compliments his friend for wearing the hat so that no one needs to speak the word "hate" at all.
The book also possesses characteristics of a play because the text offers two speaking part. One reader reads the purple colored sentences, the other reads the pink colored sentences, and both readers read the blue sentences together. The color-coding also teaches the concept of following directions. Children of all ages need to know how to follow directions because they will encounter many areas in their lives that will require them to follow directions both at school and at home. ... 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

Reviews (3)

ONE MOUSE TOO MANY
.

This book has the simplest of plots but it is very charmingly told.

Imagine a pig carrying an umbrella, a sheep doing knitting, and a cow and a donkey and a mouse, all walking along on their back legs in single file.

What else is there to do on a fine sunny morning but to go for a row in the boat?

But there is one big question. "Who sank the boat?"

We are told the outcome right up front, but who was the culprit? The tension and suspense is fantastic as each creature in turn gets aboard. The donkey is a smart critter since he knew how to balance the weight of the cow. The sheep was just as smart since he got on the opposite side to the pig. We are now very low in the water now, but still afloat.

The smallest and the lightest of the friends now gets on board. Glug, glug, glug - Time to swim. "You DO know who sank the boat" - don't you?

This is a classic children's story, beautifully illustrated.

For the thoughtful child it is a good introduction to some interesting physical phenomena. The straw that broke the camel's back is an overworked (and unpleasant) metaphor. Our mouse friend is a good analogy to that one snowflake that triggered the avalanche.

Everyone did!
Lovely illustrations, and a good text, which has some good rhymes. A reading aloud book, definitely, as some of the words ar