Reviews (9)

Look out--quite inappropriate
I hate to write a negative comment because this is basically a fun book with great illustrations. I was looking to buy this for use in my classroom. OOPS! Thank goodness I read through it first. The, "Oh, Poop" comment wasn't too bad, but the reference to grandmother's bosom, which I could live with in and of itself, comes complete with illustration. YIKES! (...)-cleavage and all! Perhaps for reading at home this would be a fun book, but not for a group of children.

What are YOU So Grumpy About?
I was very disappointed in the "Oh Poop" comment written out to the side of the picture where the boy received underwear for a present. I was also disappointed in the suggestion that the boy had been lost in his grandmother's bosom. I guess I am just old fashioned but I didn't find either one of these things appropriate for what I want to show to my child. As a result, I returned the book for a refund. It was cute but those two things in the book offended me.

my son laughed until tears were running down his face
we just read that one page where the boy gets a birthday present over and over and over again at least twenty times and my four year old laughed and laughed and laughed. i only have the recite the line "oh poop" and he laughs and laughs. it is a lovely lovely book. i love it when someone comes up with abook for kids that is just funny, no educational bits, no fights in it, no conflicts,- just silly funny.

Who are YOU kidding...?
You guys are all nuts! This book is not just for kids! My aunt showed me this book (she had bought it for her grand-nephew) and I couldn't stop laughing! I'm now ordering it for my girlfriend to give her for her 18th birthday! This is a great book for ANY age!
Sure to cure any bout of grumpiness, keep this one in a safe place for those bad days!

Excellent Book
This book is hilarious for young children and adults. My 6 year old Grump asks me to read it to him repeatedly. He loves it! The illustrations are beautiful. The inside cover with tips on curing grumpiness are an ingenious bonus to the story. As a teacher and a parent, I highly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

For twenty years, Cynthia Rylant's story of childhood in the Appalachian Mountains has been an enduring favorite. Growing up in the mountains is depicted with a spare, lyrical text and beautiful, tender illustrations by Diane Goode. The book was awarded a Caldecott Honor Medal.

To celebrate its twentieth anniversary, When I Was Young in the Mountains is being released with a commemorative copper-colored band.

Illustrated by Diane Goode ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A wonderful story!
I read this book to my children (then ages 3 and 6) and they both loved it. I always look for stories about people who live or lived differently than we do today to help my children realize how EASY we have it today. They were especially interested (and amused by) the "johnny house" (my son still paraphrases the part about the child promissing not to have more than one serving of okra again after having to make repeated trips to the johnny house at night).

The illustrations were charming and complemented the text beautifully.

Appalachia never looked so good
Author Cynthia Rylant has written a tender story of her childhood days, living in the Appalachian Mountains not so long ago. Accompanied by the excellent illustrator Diane Goode, the book is a straightforward look at life amongst the best-known American mountain folk. Scenes of daily life include everything from needing a brave adult to accompany you out into the dark scary night (on your way to the outhouse) to getting baptized in the local swimming hole.

The book is remarkable for its lack of overt sentimentality. Some might disagree with me, but I was struck by how this book did not fail to note the less than desirable elements of living in the wilderness. Swimming in a swimming hole of your own might be fun. Just watch out for snakes. And baths required an awful amount of work. Pumping the water. Carrying it to the house. Heating it. Goode's delicate illustrations accompany the text of this story perfectly. If Rylant says that the proprietors of the local store (Mr. & Mrs. Crawford) were identical, then gosh darn it, the people look identical. And I especially adored the moment when the narrator's grandmother kills a big nasty snake in the woods. The next picture displays the narrator, her brother, and two other red-headed childred posing sheepishly for a traveling photographer, gigantic dead snake draped across their heads.

I cannot think of many other book that take place in Appalachia. And I certainly can't think of any that are better than this. A sweet good-hearted story, "When I Was Young In the Mountains" understands what it meant to live a difficult life with pleasure and human warmth.

When I Was Young in the Mountains
This is a magical book for those of us who remember grandmothers who were just like this. For me, a nostalgic evocation of time spent years ago in the West Virginia mountains with my grandmother doing the very things that are mentioned in this book. A very special book.

A love song to the Appalachian region
Cynthia Rylant's enduring favorite "When I Was Young in the Mountains" is the tale of her own childhood growing up in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. The gently repetitive text details her everyday life, from swimming in a swimming hole (even if there were snakes!) to taking a bath to drinking cocoa made by her grandmother. Each page starts off with, "When I was young in the mountains . . . " By the final page, we see that not only did Ms. Rylant appreciate her low-tech, memory-making childhood, but she wouldn't have traded it for anything.

Diane Goode's softly colored illustrations beautifully dovetail with the text, whether she's showing a river baptism, a nighttime trip to the "johnny-house" after too much fried okra, or a stint at the water pump. It's a lovely ode to the simple life, and to being happy with what you have instead of worrying about what you don't have.

Wonderful Memories
Reading this book was truly a joyous experience for me. I grew up in southern West Virginia and spent many days with my grandmother at her house out in the hills. Ms. Rylant's book reminded me so much of my own childhood! This book is beautifully written and illustrated, and brings to the reader a wonderful feeling of warmth and friendliness. Her descriptions are true-to-life, heartfelt, and easily understood by young children. ... Read more

Book Description

In this tender sequel to the New York Times bestseller and children's classic, The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn provides parents with another tale of love and reassurance to share with their children. Chester Raccoon has a baby brother--and the baby is a bit more than Chester had bargained for. "Please can we give him back?" he begs Mrs. Raccoon, to no avail. The last straw is when Chester sees his mother give his baby brother a kissing hand--his kissing hand, Chester thinks. His mother assuages his fears with her own special brand of wisdom, finding just the right way to let Chester know that he is deeply loved. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A delightful story about raccoons and love.
As a book reviewer for Funseeker's Radio Network I come across a lot of delightful children's book, but this one has to be in the top ten. A mother raccoon has two cubs, with Chester being the older. His mother gives him a kiss in his hand, a "kissing hand" and he is delighted, until he sees her give one to his baby brother. His mother lets him know that he is loved just as much as his brother and that she has enough love for both of them. The illustrations by Barbara Leonard Gibson are some of the best I have seen and remind me of Harry, my own pet raccoon I had when I was younger. This book needs to be bought in pairs, one for the adult buying it and one or more for the children who will love the story and the message it gives. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Very disappointing
The story is REALLY silly.
Moreover, throughout the book the value given to Pi
is WRONG (it is stated to be 22/7, and only at the very end is it casually mentioned to be an approximation).
This book is a perfect example of how NOT to attract kids to Math.

Good Intro to Pi
Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi is the story of a boy that must use math to save his father. Most of the character's names are terms found in math, like Sir Cumference and Radius, which cleverly adds to the effect of the story. The use of a dragon gives the story more of a fantasy feel which appeals to the younger audience. The illustrations in the book are done well and add to the medieval setting of the book because they look like oil paintings. The goal of this book is to introduce kids to the concept of pi in a fun and easy to understand way. It pulls this off by having a fairy tale setting and actually having a reason to use pi that kids can understand. This book is not a quick read, yet it's not long enough to lose the attention of a child. Even though this is a children's book, it should only be used for older children since it involves division with fractions. Because of this, it works as a great educational tool for those older children by introducing them to a fundamental math term they will most likely use later in life.

Excellent Conceptual Intro
The Dragon of Pi is an excellent conceptual introduction to Pi, a concept not even clear to most adults, for children. The ideas are clear and playfully woven into the plot. Using the globally favorite dragon as a character, this book is animated, informative, and an effective educational tool.

Silly motivation of pi
Of all the reasons to be interested in pi, surely curing your father's belly ache is the least inspired. This book is about politics not mathematics.

Nice idea, but ...
A young boy gives his father the wrong potion to cure a bellyache, and must solve the riddle of the ratio of a circle's circumference to it's diameter to get the dosage to cure him. I enjoyed the fun names (Geo and Sym, the Metry brothers), but I was disappointed in the author's choice to use 22/7 as the value for pi. If the story hadn't made such a big point of getting the dose correct (or Dad would never be cured), I wouldn't have had any trouble with introducing an approximate value. ... Read more

Book Description

How many tickles does baby need to start the day? Cuddle and laugh with this count & read book! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

not just for preschoolers or babies
I will run as fast as possible to try and grab the book first to read it to my baby brother but I love it just as much.All of her books are funny and easy to read making it fun. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Exotic, beautiful, and instructive, this "mathematical folktale" by author-illustrator Demi emerged from her love of India. The narrative and the evocative illustrations combine to create a real sense of the culture and atmosphere of this romantic land.

It's the story of Rani, a clever girl who outsmarts a very selfish raja and saves her village. When offered a reward for a good deed, she asks only for one grain of rice, doubled each day for 30 days. Remember your math? That's lots of rice: enough to feed a village for a good long time--and to teach a greedy raja a lesson. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Beautiful Math, Eloquent Ethics
Demi sweeps us away with this story of a little girl whose quick thinking and knowlege of mathematics teaches a raja a lesson and saves her village.

This story touches on many levels, the first of which is the visual. A few of its glossy pages, each the quality of a fine color print, unfold to over two feet in length for the purpose of illustrating a mathematic principle that could never be explained as well only in words, no matter how many. It also serves up a well-told tale, set in India, that holds a child to the last. Finally, it offers lessons in generosity, keeping one's word, providing for the future, and helping the poor. "A Grain of Rice" is truly original, however, in the way that it brings all of these elements, particularly the mathematic and the humanitarian, together in one arrestingly beautiful book.

This would make a touching gift to anyone who enjoys Indian art and design or mathematics, regardless of age. It is also a perfect gift for a child as it is both aesthetically pleasing and educational--what parent could want more in a children's book?

My daughter loves this book!
We checked this book out from the library 3 years ago when she was five. That year it was at the top of her Christmas wish list. Now three years later it is still one her favorite books. This book has a positive moral about greed and courage. It features a smart, courageous and generous female character who uses math to out whit a greedy raja. It also shows children that sharing and kindness are rewards in themselves. Plus the math lesson is fun and educational. What more could a parent ask for? We could ask for fantastic Indian art illustrations which the book is filled with. So this book does have it all. A positive moral, a brave heroine, an educational math lesson and wonderful vibrant illustrations.

Wonderful Story!
Just wondering if anyone can give us all information on when this book will be available again. It is one of the best storys with the most beautiful pictures for young and old alike. It is a classic that will always be on top of my list!

A lovely book. But why is everybody WHITE?
This book has many strong points. It features a strong and clever female heroine. It makes mathematics fun. The sumptuous illustratations imitate the style of Classical Indian miniatures. But I have a major reservation: all the characters appear Caucasian, with very white skin and very rosy cheeks, even though the book is set in India, and the characters wear Indian clothing. We bought this book for our daughter, whom we adopted from India. I wish that she could see in this book a brave and resourceful heroine who is BROWN like her.

A great book for young kids!
When I was little, this was one of my favorite books. I loved the way the one grain of rice would turn into over ten billion! Every kid from 1st-4th grade will love this! Its fun to read and a great math lesson! Hope you enjoy this sweet book! ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A spunky role model!
I missed the Madeline books completely when I was a child, so my daughter and I discovered them together. It's an education seeing Madeline through her eyes. In Madeline, my daughter, who is somewhat shy and leery of new experiences, has a heroine who is smart, spunky, and completely in control of every situation.

I like Madeline the character a lot more than I like the books. I've found that very few writers can write wonderful verse, and I don't include Bemelmans in that august company. Some of his rhymes flow nicely together, such as the opening lines of the first book:

In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. Some of his rhymes are jarring:

and soon after Dr. Cohn came, he rushed out to the phone, and he dialed : DANton-ten-six --

'Nurse,' he said, 'it's an appendix!' Everybody had to cry --

not a single eye was dry. . . . Madeline woke up two hours

later, in a room with flowers.

Still, the story isn't bad. A brave little girl is rushed to the hospital, has her appendix out, then shows off her scar. She makes it so exciting that all the other girls want their appendix out, too. Even my daughter wanted to have an appendix scar, until I explained just what that would entail.

Essential!
As a child, some of my favorite books were the Madeline stories. This is the first in the series, and it sets a wonderful tone. The illustrations are wonderful, and it's fun to see illustrations of actual Parisian landmarks such as the Opera, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Tulleries. The story is fun, fast and catchy, and I used to wish that I was one of the little girls standing amongst the two straight lines lead by Miss Clavel.

This book is not just for little girls. Boys can enjoy the story as well.

don't read
I am taking a class at West Viginia State Univesity and it used to be known as West Virginia State College. The class is children's literature and Mr. Roger Samples teaches it and he keeps it interesting the way he teaches the class. The book Madeline I did not like because it reminded me of a military school the way they had to eat and walk in squads every where they went. It also reminded me of an old boarding school where you had those mean teachers hitting the kids with a ruler when they answered a question wrong. I did like the rhyming words and would read this to my class. It tells you that her friends want to be cut up just so they can have a scar just like her. It does not tell they pain she had after the surgery or the painful recovery of rehab. The book makes you believe that having surgery is fun.

Two-thumbs up!!
MADELINE is definitely my 3yrs.old daughter's favorite character.I got this copy as a free gift from Vermont Council of Humanities(Thanks a lot to them)and ever since then,this little girl from Paris has captured our hearts.I intend to keep all the books by Ludwig Bemelmans as a part of our collection.Not only the books...the Madeline rag-doll is also a must for any Madeline fans!!!

I still love this book after so many years...
Ever since I was old enough to read I've loved Madeline! I remember going to the library and checking out this book and all the other ones in the series (Madeline and the bad hat, Madeline to the rescue...) I was always disappointed that they were checked out. I am 21 years old now and still have an infactuation with Madeline! She is a great role model for children of all ages and the stories and lessons learned from them stick with you!

I'd recommend this book for new mothers and small children alike! ... Read more

Book Description

This rhythmic read-aloud par excellence follows a clever mouse on a walk through the deep dark wood, where he encounters several hungry inhabitants who want to make him their main course. Lacking size or strength as defenses, quick-witted Mouse instead taps the powers of his imagination to create the gruffalo, a "terrible creature with terrible claws, and terrible tusks in his terrible jaws." But will Mouse's frightful description be enough to ruin the appetites of his determined foes? After all, there's no such thing as a gruffalo. Oh, no?? ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The Gruffalo
This is a wonderful and engaging book to have in a classroom library. You can teach various writing and reading concepts such as: inferences, dialogue, patterns, punctuation and rhyme. Kids simply love it and are eager to participate in the reading.

Good for confidence-building
My 3 year old daughter loves this book. Within a week she knew most of the words and she now 'reads' it to herself while looking at the pictures. The rhymes are well written with plenty of repetition, making them easy for a child to learn. We read it together most days. It ranks with the Dr Seuss books for popularity on her bookshelf.

The message of the book is that size doesnt matter, that it is more important to use your wits. I particularly like the chorus 'silly old fox (snake/owl), doesnt he know, there's no such thing as a gruffalo', as it makes the reader feel that they are outwitting the fox/snake/owl, and finally even the Gruffalo itself.

Outstanding Book
Wonderful story of an imaginative mouse who while taking a walk through the woods makes up a story about a animal he calls a Gruffalo , he makes up this animal to protect himself from the various predators (fox, owl, snake ) that want to eat him .He succeeds in frightening away the animals ,but than he meets the animal of his imagination a Gruffalo. Now he has a bigger problem the Gruffalo wants to eat him, so he tells the Gruffalo to walk behind him through the wooods and see how afraid the animals are of him (the mouse that is ). The Gruffalo of course doesn't believe that the animals could possibly be afraid of a mouse so he walks behind the mouse , and when the animals of the woods see the Gruffalo behind the mouse they runaway in fright and the Gruffalo believes that the mouse was telling the truth and runs away from the mouse himself. Very enjoyable for both parent and child. Wonderfully illustrated, I highly recommend the Gruffalo

Amazing!
This was a gift to my daughter a few months ago. She recently turned two and asks me to read this book at least three times a day. She loves all the characters in the book and even identifies the mushrooms, pinecones, woodpecker... and she now says "Amazing!" and "Astounding!" She can also describe the gruffalo in great detail, just like the book does. I plan to give this as a present to all her cousins!

My 3-year old's favorite book
When my daughter was 3, she could literally "read" this book to us from memory. The story is that catching, the illustrations great fun. It was her favorite, favorite book! Highly recommend. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Story of Babar--the early adventures of the enduring, endearing elephant--was written in 1931 by French writer Jean de Brunhoff (1899-1937). Since then, it has been translated into at least 12 languages. It's amazing how much can happen to one little elephant in the course of one little book: Babar loses his mother to a hunter, wanders into the city, gets a new wardrobe, becomes the hit of high society, marries his cousin Céleste (totally acceptable in contemporary Elephantine society), and is crowned King of the Elephants.

The Story of Babar is essentially the tale of a country boy who comes to the city and, while there, comes of age. In the end, he returns home to share his knowledge and experiences with family and friends. The beautiful, delightfully detailed illustrations--de Brunhoff was a painter by trade--never fail to amuse. (Although none of the characters seem to notice, the sight of Babar in a suit leaning against the mantel while he regales his audience with tales of the jungle is plainly hilarious.) All of the Babar books are notable for their ability to tell larger stories with simplicity and style, and The Story of Babar is no exception. Potentially troubling moments--the death of Babar's mother, for example--are handled with taste, emphasizing Babar's unique gift for uncovering a silver lining in the most persistent of clouds. (Ages 4 to 8, though the cursive writing makes it best for reading aloud.) ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Interesting Classic
I had a beach Babar book as a child, so I bought this to share with my daughter. It is kind of bizarre, so keep in mind that it was written in the 1930's. First, Babar's mother is killed, as was the fate of most classic animal stories. Then, he decides to become more like men, HOW ODD! He wears clothes and walks on his back legs. Any time any of the elephants in this book wear clothes, they gain the instant ability to walk on their hind legs. When he returns to the elephants, he is crowned king, which is unlikely since elephants are matriarchal (they are led by females and grown males are banned from the group except during mating times). Then he marries his cousin, and they live happily ever after. In the spirit of Curious George, who was kidnapped from his home and forced to conform to human ways, this is a charming but very out-dated tale.

A childhood's classic.
Some children's books can be read over and over again, and Jean De Brunhoff's book about Babar, the little elephant is among them.
The copy we have in our house were purchasted in 1988 and has survived 4 kids. Out Marta is the forth one, and at age 6 she still loves to cuddle up with a smile on her face listening to the story of Babar. The very sad part for a six year old is the beginning where Babar's mother dies and Babar runs away. But Babar is lucky and meets an old lady who takes care of him. And the joy is always big in the end when Babar meets his childhood friends and cousins again in the end of the books. And even becomes a king and marries his cousin Celeste.
The book was written in 1939, but is still well worth reading for any child, and should be part of every lucky child's book collection. It will still be read again and again here in Norway, though the pages in the copy we have almost fall apart now (they can always be glued together again though)

Britt Arnhild Lindland

If I were king of the foreeeeest
Thank God for the French speakers of the world. Were it not for them, Babar might not have ever been created and we would have to live in a wretched Babar-less world. As it is, however, we are blessed to have this delightful story at our fingertips at any time. The story of Babar was originally published in 1933, and it has stood the test of time with dignity and flair.

The story of Babar is simple. After his mother is shot by a cruel hunter, the little elephant runs away to a metropolitan city. Once there, he is taken under the wing of a kindly older lady. Babar then proceeds to become the greatest dandy of children's literature today. Here is the section I love the most:

"Babar then buys himself: A shirt with a collar and tie, a suit of a becoming shade of green, then a handsome derby hat, and also shoes with spats".

Contrary to popular thought, an elephant in spats is the most dignified thing in the world. With these purchases Babar has transformed himself from rural rube to the original metrosexual. He becomes cultured, learning the rudimentary aspects of human civilization while regaling party guests with his tales of the forest (note his pin-striped pants and casual dinner jacket). Eventually Babar is lured back to his jungle home and is swiftly crowned King of the elephants.

The 1933 setting in which Babar acclimatizes himself has grown more charming over the years. And most remarkably? Most older picture books contain at least one racial stereotype somewhere in the midst of a picture. Not so our darling "Babar". I feel safe in saying that you might search through any future adventure of the winsome elephant and not stumble across a single picture or piece of writing that causes you a twenty-first century gasp of disgust. This isn't to say that there aren't some rather peculiar dated aspects to the book. I read this book as a child and had a vivid visceral memory return to me when I saw the sickly state of the former King of the elephants who passed away after eating a bad mushroom. That is a grotesquerie unknown to the kiddies today. But all in all, "Babar" is without fault. Certainly he's the essence of capitalism. One might believe the elephants crown him king as much for his pretty red convertible as for his brains. But Babar is still a unique and moving tale that will continue to entertain the masses of children for years and years to come.

A Classic
From the beautiful illustrations, to the charming characters, everything about Babar reminds you of a time when we took the intelligence of our children seriously. The first thing anyone who grew-up on more modern fare will notice is the delightful and literate prose. The reason children could speak latin by 5th grade 80 years ago, was that they weren't condescended-to; and Babar doesn't either. You won't get the modern "barney-speak" here, this generation had more confidence in your children, believe me. Although the prose may be too difficult for the average 5 or 6 yr-old to read on their own, they will have no difficulty at all in understanding it perfectly when read to them. Now my 5 yr-old daughter knows what a "perambulator" is, you won't get that from the Wiggles. As far as the complaints in regard to "scariness", all I can say is, if this is scary because Babar's mother is killed by a hunter, then you'd better take Bambi, The Lion King and close to all of the fairy tales off of the reading list as well. The subject is handled compassionately and tastefully. Of course I want to sheild my child from horrific content, but if we refuse to gently ease them in to life's realities, such as the loss of loved-ones, then their entertainment turns from safe into vacuous pretty quickly. I won't even waste bandwidth on the silly, leftist nonsense regarding imperialism. There is no political content here, subtle or otherwise. If you really want the kind of western culture "self-flagellation" that these aging hippies seem to thrive on, try Disney's Pocahontas, or a Cartoon version of The Life of Che Guevara. Assume the best of your kids and try the Babar series, particularly the older ones.

imperialist propaganda for the kiddies
I don't know why this book is a classic. Foreigners come to Babar's home and kill his mother. He goes to the land of the foreigners to learn to be just like them because the are so swell and all. He then takes their ways back home with him. marries his cousin and gets everyone to wear clothes like the foreigners. This is a nightmare, not a children's book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

We Liked This Story
This story is about Arthur going on vacation with his family. Arthur didn't really want to go away with his family. He wanted to be with his best friend. At the end of the story, Arthur really does have fun and comes back to show his friend all the pictures. We liked this story because Arthur did a lot of fun things with his family.

Arthur's Family Vacation by Marc Brown
It's the last day of school and Arthur wants Buster to come with him on vacation instead of going to camp. Arthur's mom and dad say that he can't come so he's disappointed. Everybody packs their stuff and they load the inside of the car and the roof. Arthur's family gets to the hotel. They only have one tiny little room for all of them and the pool is smaller than D.W.'s bathtub, she says. They have problems on their vacation. First, only the parents enjoy their dinner, then they try to write postcards, but they haven't done anything yet. Next it rains. Arthur fixes their trip by planning out a whole bunch of fun stuff for the family. On Friday it stopped raining and it was the best day yet. They went to the beach. When they got home, Buster was already there. Arthur and Buster had missed each other, but Arthur had a great time with his family on vacation. This was a good book, but not the best I ever read. Marc Brown is one of my favorite authors. I'd recommend this book to a second or third grader who likes to watch the Arthur T.V. show. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One day, Kansas wakes up grumpy. The other 49 states are stretching, yawning, and pouring maple syrup onto each other's pancakes, but irritable Kansas announces to his kindly neighbor Nebraska that life is dull and changes must be made: "All day long we just sit here in the middle of the country. We never GO anywhere. We never DO anything, and we NEVER meet any NEW states!" Nebraska, sick of hearing North Dakota and South Dakota bicker all the time, agrees to help organize a party for all the states. It's a hit! Late into the evening, Idaho and Virginia get up onto the stage and suggest that all the states change places.What a state of affairs. Minnesota, who switches places with Florida, gets a sunburn. Kansas, having traded places with Hawaii, gets lonely and sings some soggy blues so sad that a shark sheds a mournful tear offshore. Nevada and Mississippi fall in love. Despite the initial excitement, the new arrangement just doesn't feel right. The states manage to swim, fly, bike, and hitchhike their way home, and everyone goes to bed in the right place--even Kansas is happy to be home after such an adventure. This wacky, thoroughly engaging tale of mixed-up geography is a good bet for some awards.Perhaps best of all, the large format and riot of detail allow for plenty of amusing asides. Books that claim to "make geography fun" usually have to be taken with a dose of skepticism: so often, the teaching is there and the entertainment isn't. This delightfully quirky and original book shows how it should be done. (Ages 4 and older) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Colorful illus. & fun story cleverly mask geography lesson!
It isn't often you come across a children's book that's unique in it's story, fun in it's presentation, and a delight to read. Laurie Keller accomplishes this with "The Scrambled States of America". The unique idea of each state having it's own personality and voicing it's opinions on his place in the country, is both comical and creative. This book brings together colorful illustrations and a geography lesson, which will have children learning the names & shapes of the states after reading the book for just the first time! I highly recommend this book as a source of knowledge, imagination, & fun.

Joi M. Lasnick

An educational laugh-fest!
I don't know who loved this book more--me or my 3 year old son!
It's definately a fun way to learn a little about the states, and introduce youngsters to the USA. This was one book he wanted to read again, and again, and again & I was happy to read it each time. It's silly & fun for kids & adults!

Very Funny and Educational Book
The Scrambled States of America is a great book because it's both
funny and educational. It helped me learn the names of the fifty
states. My little brother who can't read yet, can identify all
of the states because of this book. We also enjoy the card game...

The Scrambled States of America
The Scrambled States of America
By Laurie Keller
Reviewed by Jason P. (age 8)

"There's no place like home". That's what all 50 states learned in this hilarious, slightly romantic tale.

It all starts when Kansas (who was very angry) decides to invite all the states to a "states party" to meet new states.
At the party, Nevada and Mississippi fell in love. Later, Virginia and Idaho suggested that all the states switched places. All the states agreed to this, so they all changed places through the day.
Will our fair country stay like this? Find out in The Scrambled States of America!

I liked this book because (like I told you) it was hilarious! I really liked the part when all the states went home.

I recommend this book to kids who: 1) like fiction, 2) can read picture books.

Read this book to find out the funniest U.S. story ever!

FUN BOOK
Fun pictures, fun words, fun everything! if you like the "scrambled states of america" then you'll like "open wide tooth school inside" witch is by the same author
FUN FUN FUN!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Gerald the giraffe doesn't really have delusions of grandeur. He justwants to dance. But his knees are crooked and his legs are thin, and all theother animals mock him when he approaches the dance floor at the annual JungleDance. "Hey, look at clumsy Gerald," they sneer. "Oh, Gerald, you're so weird."Poor Gerald slinks away as the chimps cha-cha, rhinos rock 'n' roll, andwarthogs waltz. But an encouraging word from an unlikely source shows this glumgiraffe that those who are different "just need a different song," and soon heis prancing and sashaying and boogying to moon music (with a cricketaccompanist). In the vein of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Gerald'sfickle "friends" quickly decide he's worthy of their attention again.

With this rhyming, poignant (in a cartoonish way) tale, Giles Andreae, author ofRumble in the Jungle, andnumerous other picture books, shows insecure young readers that everyone can bewonderful, even those that march to the beat of a different cricket. The rhymesare somewhat awkward, but the bold, bright watercolors by Guy Parker-Rees willinvite readers to kick up their heels and find their own internal harmony. (Ages3 to 6) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (21)

This is why we liked this book:
The kindergarten class at Eliza Kelly School liked this book very much. We liked when Gerald did the backwards sommersault in the air. We like to dance too! We also liked the part when Gerald closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the jungle. The cricket was a good friend to Gerald.
The illustrations were colorful and beautiful.
Gerald is a great dancer!

Kindergarten at
Eliza Kelly School

There is something special in all of us
This book is wonderful. It demonstrates, in its storyline and text, that there isn't always just one right way to do something. In other words, we may all have a unique approach. In this case Gerald thinks he's a bad dancer. His negative perception is reinforced by the other jungle animals whom Gerald thinks dances perfectly. The other animals tease Gerald. He doesn't seem to "fit in" with the crowd. Gerald's problem is, he is trying to dance their way. He needs to find his own style.

Good and bad examples abound in real life, and with our guidance they all provide rich learning experiences for our children. Given that, with your guidance, this book imparts to children a) There is often more than one way to do something, b) courage and perseverance pay off, and c) teasing hurts. Not bad for 29 pages of delightful rhyming text and colorful illustrations.

A Wonderful Lesson!
This is the most precious story about how being different is okay and how you can still be good at something even though you have to go about it a little "differently." I bought this for my 4 yr old son with cerebral palsy who can't walk and he absolutely adores it! "We can all dance if we find the right music." Gerald, who initially was ridiculed by the other animals for being a terrible dancer, gets a little help from a friend in finding the "right music." His dancing is admired by the other animals in the end. My husband demonstrates the different dances with my son as he reads the book to him which my son thoroughly enjoys! We have a very extensive book collection for my son, but this would have to be one of his (and my) all-time favorites. I have also bought several copies of this book for my son's school. The illustrations are the best that I've ever seen in a children's book. Can't recommend this highly enough!

Boogie on, Gerald!
Gerald the Giraffe is one clumsy animal. He's good at standing still and munching shoots off trees but when he wants to join the other animals at the Jungle Dance, they only laugh at him. Not for long, though. His friend the cricket knows how to play the music that inspires Gerald to dance like John Travolta in his best days. Gerald is transformed because "we all can dance ... when we find music that we love."

"Giraffes Can't Dance" is my personal favorite among Max's books. The story is familiar to many kids who go to kindergarten and learn that their peers can be picky about who belongs to the pack and who does not. In the book, the exuberant illustrations of Guy Parker-Rees take the sting out of Gerald's initial rejection by the other animals. Watching the Rhinos rock'n'roll and the lions "dance a tango that was elegant and bold," balances Gerald's sadness. The emphasis of the story is on Gerald's joyful transformation, anyway. Just read Gerald's jubilant "I am dancing! Yes, I'm dancing! I AM DANCING!" with enough liveliness and watch the kids identify with a flying giraffe. After all, the lesson is that you can excel and enjoy who you are even if, at first, the world does not play your tune. With a little help from his friends, Gerald finds out that "sometimes when you're different you just need a different song."

Let me add one short paragraph on Gerald's helpful friends, the cricket and the three small bugs that are hiding on every page. These four little fellows are an ingenious device to soften the impact of the emotional story. Kids are in love with details; once they know what to look for, they will tirelessly search for the bugs and the cricket, and point them out to you. Hint: play dumb and they will have a party.

I read this book to my disabled child (4 years old)
This is a wonderful book about a Gerald, a giraffe who attempts to dance at the yearly jungle dance, but shies away from the stage when other animals laugh at him. This book express beautifully how it feels to be different - 'Gerald had never felt so sad and so alone' - and ends on a very positive note: 'Sometimes when you're different, you just need a different song' and 'we all can dance, when we find music that we love.' It was a perfect book to help my child with his feelings towards his weakness. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

My Favorite Bedtime Story to Read to my Children!
This book is my children's fav. One of my daughter's first words was "Opus" (requesting this book night after night). To be honest it's still amusing to me after reading it 210 times. This book also helps me remember that life does not have to be "by the book".Thank you Berkeley Breathed.

Love It
I love reading this book to my kids it has fantastic illustrations and is a very clever story. My 6 year old son loves it and I recommend it for children aged 5-8+. It is one of the best childrens books I have had the pleasure of reading.

Get your Bunnie Jammies and enjoy the perfect Goodnight Book
There is something gently comforting about a well-written rhyming children's book. Margaret Wise Brown recognized that, and so did Dr. Seuss. Berkeley Breathed knows it too, and in this book he pays tribute to Ms. Brown's classic bedtime story "Goodnight Moon".

But Mr. Breathed knows about more than rhyming. He is still plugged into that part of his child brain that can imagine as big as all outdoors. He remembers when a blanket stretched across a couple of chairs could be a "fort", or when the best toy that could show up in a neighborhood was the big cardboard box that somebody's new fridge came in.

So Goodnight Opus combines those two elements - paying tribute to "Goodnight Moon" while not ridiculing it, but also inviting the reader to "leave the text" and let our imaginations run wild.

Sometimes the simplest and most gentle lessons are the best. If you've got a little one anywhere around you, ESPECIALLY if you've read them "Goodnight Moon" two hundred and ten times do both of you a favor and read them "Goodnight Opus" next.

buy it for yourself...and your kids
This was the first of Berke Breathed children's books that we purchased (we now have them all). All of his children's books are wonderful- filled with the whimsical characters we love, and uplifting messages as well.

As new parents (and not the sort to register for gifts) we recieved 5 or 6 copies of Goodnight Moon. For anyone who has read that book a million times, this one is welcome relief. That said, I bought the book for us, but, our kids love it too (as well as his other kids' books- the last basselope in particular).

All his children's books are great.
Excellent BIG picture books all with a wonderful message. I am as big of a fan as my kids are. ... Read more

Book Description

Today everyone is talking about peace. But how do you explain this abstract conceptto young children? Todd Parr is here to help. Like his bestselling title Itís Okay to be Different, The Peace Book gives parents and teachers a valuable tool in talking about a challenging subject. Toddís bright, child-friendly pictures and simple, inspiring text tell kids just what they need to know:Timeless and universal, this primer about peace belongs in every home and classroom all over the world. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tossing his hat in the ring of celebrity children's book authors, Ray Romano of the popular TV show Everybody Loves Raymond pens an affectionate tribute to his own boyhood with help from his two brothers Richard (Dickie) and Robert (the Bean). The good news is most everyone will still love Raymond after reading his children's book debut, a nostalgic vignette of sibling rivalry and revelry.

The story begins when the narrator (his family calls him Raymie) is 10 years old and the boys' parents are taking them to the amusement park:"Finally, after what seems like four hundred hours, they get in the car and we are on our way. Dickie is so excited that he gives me some noogies. I hate that, but he and Bean think it's hilarious." Kids with younger siblings will relate to having to ride on Chuckie the Choo-Choo before cool rides like the Vomitizer and thinking that the youngest is faking being asleep so he doesn't have to help unload the car.Because this is a book about three young boys, farting is inevitable (complete with green wafting gas), as are bathroom antics, good-natured insults, and rampant silliness. Gary Locke's skillful oil painting caricatures of the slightly (disturbingly) adult-headed boys are expressive, comical, and varied by interesting perspectives. If you can't get enough of Ray Romano, listen to the audio CD of the story included in the back of the book. (Ages 6-8) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Ray's Sense of Humor
I love EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, so this book really made me laugh. My sons found it funny but some of the drier humor went over their head. Still, a very funny book.

Really not...good.
I picked this up at the bookstore I work at and read it on my break one afternoon. Having been delighted in the past by Raymond, I expected a lot more from him. This truly was one of the worst children's books I've read. The Borders I work at is huge, filled with talented artists and writers whose children's picture books will continue to go unnoticed. However, a celebrity can write anything and get full recognition for it. This book plays out merely as a remembrance of a day he took at a family outing. No redeeming quality or sense of entertainment to keep a child's interest in here. Just randomness of a charicature of his childhood that had potential of being interesting, yet fell very short of being just that. Stick with Sendak, Rey, Yolen, or Eric Carle if you want something that will peak interest. ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Everything you would want for your kitty is in "Cat Heaven"
Thank you Cynthia, for such a sweet, touching, loving book. I have read it many many times - although I have yet to get past the page of kitty coming back and watching her family from outside without getting teary eyed!

I also read this book with my 3 1/2 year old daughter, and it always sparks more wonderful conversation and questions about God and Heaven and angels. She is very pleased that the kitties in Cat Heaven have lots of "little pink fishes" to eat, lots of toys to play with and lots of love!

Your whimsical, wonderful illustrations are refreshing and uplifting, and although the words are simple and few, they speak volumes to anyone who has ever loved and or lost a special cat.

a must-read for cat lovers
I read a review of this book in a magazine and decided to purchase it. I ended up buying 2 copies - one for myself and one for a close friend whose cat is terminally ill. She found it so touching and comforting, and her son enjoys the story as well, particularly the pictures of cats sitting in God's lap and on top of God's head. I purchased it for my own family because we too have a terminally ill kitty. I knew it would be a wonderful way to prepare my daughter for our kitty's eventual passing. Of course losing a beloved kitty is tragic and heartbreaking. But this book does provide true comfort by encouraging the readers to envision their cat in a wonderful, loving place that truly is cat heaven.

A beautiful gift for the grieving cat owner
I bought this book after loosing my kitty Juliet and it was such a comfort. It is a children's book, but it also comforts the adult heart after the loss of a beloved cat.

I have given this book as a gift countless times to friends who have suffered a loss and also to adults whose children are having a difficult time understanding why their kitty is no longer with them. This is a real comfort when it comes to pet loss.

There is also a version called Dog Heaven that is equally beautiful.

This will touch your heart!
I bought this book after loosing my kitty Juliet and it was such a comfort. It is a children's book, but it also comforts the adult heart after the loss of a beloved cat.

I have given this book as a gift countless times to friends who have suffered a loss and also to adults whose children are having a difficult time understanding why their kitty is no longer with them. This is a real comfort when it comes to pet loss.

There is also a version called Dog Heaven that is equally beautiful.

Wonderful for all ages
We lost our cat several weeks ago, and I bought this book to help my young daughter with her feelings of grief. *I* was the one who ended up crying while reading it aloud to her, not because I was sad, but because the words and illustrations are so comforting. My daughter and I talked after reading it, and agreed that now we can picture our beloved kitty doing all of the wonderful things in the book. Cynthia Rylant was already our favorite author (the Mr. Putter and Tabby series is fantastic, as is the better known Henry and Mudge series.) She has captured our feelings once again with Cat Heaven -- it's just perfect. ... Read more

Book Description

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

Reviews (34)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazon.com

The tale of a little duck alone on the Yangtze River, The Story About Ping is a sweet and funny book with wonderfully rich and colorful illustrations. On a day like any other, Ping sets off from the boat he calls home with his comically large family in search of "pleasant things to eat." On this particular day, he is accidentally left behind when the boat leaves. Undaunted, the little duck heads out onto the Yangtze in search of his family, only to find new friends and adventures--and a bit of peril--around every bend.

The exceptional illustrations bring the lush Yangtze to life, from Ping's family to the trained fishing birds he finds himself among to the faithfully rendered boats and fishermen. Certainly intended to be read aloud, The Story About Ping deserves a place on every young reader's (or listener's) shelf. (Picture book) ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Ping! I love that duck!
PING! The magic duck!

Using deft allegory, the authors have provided an insightful and intuitive explanation of one of Unix's most venerable networking utilities. Even more stunning is that they were clearly working with a very early beta of the program, as their book first appeared in 1933, years (decades!) before the operating system and network infrastructure were finalized.

The book describes networking in terms even a child could understand, choosing to anthropomorphize the underlying packet structure. The ping packet is described as a duck, who, with other packets (more ducks), spends a certain period of time on the host machine (the wise-eyed boat). At the same time each day (I suspect this is scheduled under cron), the little packets (ducks) exit the host (boat) by way of a bridge (a bridge). From the bridge, the packets travel onto the internet (here embodied by the Yangtze River).

The title character -- er, packet, is called Ping. Ping meanders around the river before being received by another host (another boat). He spends a brief time on the other boat, but eventually returns to his original host machine (the wise-eyed boat) somewhat the worse for wear.

If you need a good, high-level overview of the ping utility, this is the book. I can't recommend it for most managers, as the technical aspects may be too overwhelming and the basic concepts too daunting.

Problems With This Book

As good as it is, The Story About Ping is not without its faults. There is no index, and though the ping(8) man pages cover the command line options well enough, some review of them seems to be in order. Likewise, in a book solely about Ping, I would have expected a more detailed overview of the ICMP packet structure.

But even with these problems, The Story About Ping has earned a place on my bookshelf, right between Stevens' Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment, and my dog-eared copy of Dante's seminal work on MS Windows, Inferno. Who can read that passage on the Windows API ("Obscure, profound it was, and nebulous, So that by fixing on its depths my sight -- Nothing whatever I discerned therein."), without shaking their head with deep understanding. But I digress.

Provokes Young Readers' Imaginations Without Oversimplifying
Like many of the reviewers, this is a book I loved as a child and that I've returned to now that I'm a parent. While it has a moral--that many times, simply accepting an umpleasant consequence is better than trying to avoid it--it's not preachy about it. In fact, what's really nice about the storyis that it's not Ping's fault that he will be the last duck to board the boat (and thus get a whack upon his back). His head was below the water at the time, and he couldn't have heard the boat master's call. I think this is what gave me a thrill as a boy. I knew that the world wasn't fair and that sometimes punishments were unjust. This is what made me identify with Ping.

And the book really taps into a young child's fears. I remember being thrilled that Ping ran away instead of accepting his punishment--what small child hasn't fantasized about running away? And I remember thinking how terrifying to wake up and find that you were totally lost in the wide world--what child's greatest fear isn't that sort of separation?

I think that's the greatest thing about this story. It's not a tidy, pat treatment of issues like children's anxieties or the value of accepting the consequences of your actions. Rather, it's a tale that provokes imagination--that taps into those fears and ideas without simplifying them. And there are too few books that do this well.

Incidentally, in terms of age, I've just begun reading this book to my four year old, and I think that's been a good age for him to start appreciating it. But I can imagine a much older child enjoying it as well.

A Story About the Importance of Home
This is a delightful little story of the misadventures of a duckling named Ping. Ping hides in the weeds along the banks of the Yangtze River rather than face the spank the last duck to boa