Reviews (10)

When a Giant Chicken Falls Flat
Before I ordered this book, I read the reviews. I bcame convinced this must be a zany, funny book -- just the thing for my children. So I went ahead and ordered not *The Hoboken Chicken Emergency" only, but a volume of novels by Pinkwater. Oh, well. It's only money (though it could have been better spent elsewhere).

*The Hoboken Chicken Emergency* does have a wonderful premise and some satire as well (hence my pleasure at reading its reviews). I suppose it also has lessons to be learned about fearing the unknown -- but didacticism is not enough to make a good book. Nothing covers up for the fact that this book just plain isn't very good -- not for a modern child to read. I knew I was in trouble when I began reading it aloud to my son: each sentence had a dying fall, and the wit was strained, not spontaneous and fetching. "What am I getting into," I thought. Henrietta the chicken is lost and Henrietta is found, but the whole thing was a contest to see if I could finish the book before my child rebelled -- or I did.

Sad to say, this book shows its age. Some of the writing, too, needs polish. If you are tempted to buy this self-consciously zany book, buy *I Was a Rat* instead. *I Was a Rat* is all heart. *The Hoboken Chicken Emergency* is all lumpy prose. I'm hoping for better things with the other Pinkwater volumes I purchased, but we shall have to see. I love older rediscovered books, but this one doesn't work. Children expect more depth of story, not just cleverness at the expense of story. I'm very sure readers have fond memories of this book, but memory alone cannot bring the book alive for a modern audience. Give *The Hoboken Chicken Emergency* a pass, and go for a funny book that's meaty with heart and soul. If *I Was a Rat" doesn't appeal, you might try *The Little Prince* (Antoine de Sainte-Exupery) -- my son doesn't really understand it, but he loves it and seems to recognize that there are real issues underlying the surface.

Chickens Need Our Love!
The Hoboken Chicken Emergency was a really good book. It is a good book for third grade and up to read on their own. It takes place in Hoboken, New Jersey around Thanksgiving. It's about a boy named Arthur who goes to look for a turkey for Thanksgiving. The problem comes when he can't find one. Instead he ends up getting a 266 pound chicken named Henrietta. Arthur tries to keep the chicken as a pet but it runs away. Henrietta (the chicken) feels unwanted and creates diasters all over town. Read the book to find out what happens next. We thought the book was hilarious, funny, and exciting. We are nine and ten years old and we liked the book alot!

Not the best of Pinkwater, but still a great book
I didn't enjoy this book as much as Lizard Music or the Snarkout Boys and the Avacado of Death, but I found it on the whole to be a very enjoyable read... Much reccomended for Pinkwater fans, and seems to be a popular first book for people who've never read any D.M.P.

Started out well, but lost something near the end
This started out very funny in the first chapter and then never came close to that again. My son liked it, but he's 7. It was good to read around Thanksgiving time which is when we read it, and it plays into one of the Time Warp Trio Books, Summer Reading is Killing Me, which is why we got this book.

i want to read this again...
i remember reading all the daniel pinkwater at the public library from 2nd to 3rd grade. hoboken chicken emergancy was the first one i checked out. i liked arthur, and i really liked henrietta. i wanted a chicken too. if you're a parent, i totally recommend buying this book and reading it to your kids. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Lizard Music is awesome!
This is the second book I read by Daniel Manus Pinkwater. I loved it! It's a great story, and one that kids will definetely like.. It's just got the exact mix of realistic adventure and silliness that makes a good read. Plus, it's got the Chicken Man, a character from several of Pinkwater's books, it features large lizards, and a healthy dose of Walter Cronkite. I don't think it gets much better.

Incredible and mind-bending story.
This is one of those books that you read, and because of its originality, it makes a lasting impression and you never forget it. I, like many other reviewers first read this book in the third or fourth grade. Our little private Catholic school got two D.M. Pinkwater books added to the library, and everybody in my class wanted to read them. I actually wanted the other, Fat Men From Space, but it was taken, so I picked up Lizard Music. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made! This book is amazing, it's funny, fascinating, and very strange. Everything from the Chicken Man to Raymond the Lizard(s), to some island made invisible because of... refraction of light... or something. (It's been a while.) Anyway, my point is, this book has made a great and long-lasting impression on me, and if you like strange and semi-eerie things, or just great fiction... this is a MUST READ!

Lizard Music
The book that i am going to tell you about is called Lizard Music. It was a pretty good book. The setting of Lizard Music is in more than one place. The setting helps to make the story more exciting because because where victor goes is a little weird. Especially the the people. The Chicken man was a really weird character. He would walk around with his chicken Claudia on his head. Victor the main characterwent from being a scared little boy to a brave little boy. In the beginning he kept on getting scared because ke kept on seeing lizards all over the place. In the end he didn't mind seeing the lizards. I think that the moral of this book is do not judge a book by it's cover because the cover that I saw was a really boring cover,but if I saw the new cover I would probably want to read it. It ended up being a good book though. The end of the story ended up being very predictable. If Victor kept on seeing lizards everywhere then you could assume that he was going to meet them.

Read this book about 15 yrs ago
I read this book about 15 yrs ago when I was in Elementary, and I loved it. Even as a little kid, I had a weird sense of humor, and this book appealed to that bizarre little brain of mine. I dug it, and I still think every kid should read it. If they don't like it, they will grow up to be boring and humourless adults. Some boy I went to school with did a book report on this book every year from 2nd grade until middle school.

This is the coolest book ever!
I started reading Daniel Pinkwater books when I was 7. The first book I read was Lizard Music. I like it the best. I think it's cool because it's a magical book and I like magic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

There are many words that could be used to describe Daniel Pinkwater's books. Wacky comes to mind. Outrageous. Lively. Real. Unreal. Comic genius Jules Feiffer, in his foreword to 5 Novels, says, "Pinkwater's thoughts don't connect like yours or mine. His 'tab A' does not fit into 'slot A' the way it's supposed to in a well-thought-out thought. More likely, his 'tab A' will fit into 'slot 14' or 'slot X79,' the kind of fit that might drive you or me crazy if we tried it, but when Pinkwater does it, you read it and say to yourself, 'Why, of course, this is how it should be.'"

Performing chickens, a New Jersey Martian, an orangutan orchestra conductor from Ceylon ... the details are what jump out of his novels. The ice cream dish in Slaves of Spiegel, for example, consisting of an eggplant, two slabs of whole-wheat pizza dough, 16 flavors of ice cream, fresh figs, pistachio nuts, a lobster, and assorted fresh garden vegetables and fruit. (It's served piping hot from the microwave, in a freshly laundered regulation army knapsack, to the accompaniment of Franz Liszt music.) This is what Pinkwater is all about. A junior-high schooler's dream of an author.

In 5 Novels, you can feast upon five beloved and quirky favorites: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars, Slaves of Spiegel, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, The Last Guru, and Young Adult Novel. And if you still need more Pinkwater novels (and you definitely do), explore 4 Fantastic Novels. (Ages 9 and much, much older.) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (53)

What if HE'S the sane one?
I loved Pinkwater when I was eleven and I love him at least as much now. He treats his readers with respect, rather than talking down to them, and he is one of the funniest writers I've ever read, for any audience. His characters are some of the best in fiction, and his ideas are far-fetched enough to make anyone wonder a little about the fine line between brilliance and insanity. Having five novels in one volume was almost more excitement than I could handle. A warning to kids: you may want to keep two copies of this one around, because you'll never pry this book out of the hands of the adults around you. A warning to adults: once children are introduced to Pinkwater, there are reading flashlights to be confiscated in the middle of the night. One last note: Pinkwater has written for all ages, from some wonderful picture books to at least one book of essays for us grown-up folk who have loved him on NPR. Try them all.

The warped genius of kids' fiction
Whenever I go to a bookstore with a new friend, I check out the Daniel Pinkwater section. The ones who turn out to be the best friends inevitably remember _some_ Pinkwater book from their childhood--Lizard Music or Fat Men From Space or The Magic Moscow--but the best and most resonant are Alan Mendelsohn, The Boy From Mars and The Snarkout Boys And The Avocado Of Death, and they're both included here. The former is about the best teenage-friendship book ever written, the latter drives a stake through the heart of the teenage-detective genre, and this anthology also includes the ridiculously brilliant Young Adult Novel. I want my kids to have this book. More to the point, I want my kids to think they're not supposed to be reading this book, but to read it anyway.

Fun for all ages!
I was a huge fan of Mr Pinkwater as a young adult, voraciously reading all of his work that I could get my hands on. The strange, yet appealing stories, clicked with me in my awkward teen years. As I grew up I forgot his work, but to my delight rediscovered his work one day in my favored book store with this book. 5 Novels contains some of his BEST work, and it was a grand way for me to relive my earlier years. His stories are relavent to young and old alike, and I highly recommend you pick up this book!

4/5ths of a really great collection
I hadn't heard of Daniel Pinkwater until I got this colelction from my aunt, so I reluctantly began reading "Alan Mendelsohn". The five books are:

"Alan Mendelsohn: The Boy From Mars": Loner meets friend, loner and friend use mind control, loner and friend go to "lost continent". The best of the best, it combines humor with the not-so-supernatural but not grounded in reality. That's what's the best with all of Pinkwater's books. Most of them aren't fantasy, so technically, they can happen. You COULD have something called "Green Death Chili". "Alan Mendolsohn": 9/10

"Slaves of Spiegel": I read about one page of it and I couldn't read any more, it was just plain horrible. Sorry, but I could not bear to read any more. "Slaves": 1/10

"The Snarkout Boys and the Avocodo of Death": Yet again, loner meets friend. Loner and friend sneak out to movies. Loner and friend meet another friend. Then they go looking for someone's Uncle. Not the greatest, not the worst. It seems too muddled, but I still award "Snarkout" a 7/10

"The Last Guru": 12 year old Harold Blatz becomes a millionaire. That usual story. Another one of those "fiction/supernatural" books: 7/10

"Young Adult Novel": A weird group at school decides to exult one student as being superior. Funny yet weird, I enjoyed this one a lot. 8/10

Unique
I was going to write that Pinkwater is not your normal young adult author and then I got to thinking--what is your normal young adult author? Lewis Carroll had his thing for photographing young girls, C.S. Lewis was a bit of a hermit, Roald Dahl played with perversity (if you think his children fiction are dark, try some of his adult stuff, which I couldn't finish). The women might be sane, for I've never heard a nasty story about Madeline L'Engle, Diana Wynne Jones, or E. Nesbit (well, she was a bit of a socialist radical). It does not matter. Pinkwater is akin to all of these in that no one else could quite copy the things that he writes.

This is a collection of Pinkwater novels that have been out of print for years (the original copyrights on these range from 1978 to 1982), but not out of mind. Alan Mendelsohn, in particular, seems to be well-loved and is often mentioned as a favorite of the younger set. I'm glad to finally have this opportunity to read it, for it is indeed a fun book, full of exceedingly strange twists and turns. You aren't sure if Alan is from Mars, or if he's just playing, and then you are sure, and then you aren't. It's Philip K. Dick lite, but it's fun.

Slaves of Spiegel and The Last Guru are much more simple (I would even think that they are meant for less mature readers than for the other three in this book), but like the best children's literature, they have something for everyone. I chuckled through Slaves of Spiegel, finding the contest quite amusing, especially the description of some of the delicacies concocted in the name of food, and I thought the satire, while obvious, in The Last Guru quite effective.

The Snarkout Boys resembles Alan Mendelsohn in its convoluted plot, but it seems much more grounded in reality, if a particularly eccentric reality, at least until the last quarter of the book. Its depiction of high school is stiletto sharp, but nothing as cutting as in Young Adult Novel. All the books have a jaundiced view of school, noting the common problems of cliques, moribund teachers, and the energy of youth (yes, that last is a problem--hey, you didn't think, as a teacher, that I would side totally for the kids, did you?). All of these novels were fun, and I would recommend them to your local dissident youth. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A Great Book
This was a childhood favorite of my family. I can't believe it's out of print. It's a great book for kids (and adults) of all ages.

The Absolute Best Picture Book Around!
My mom used to read this book to my younger brother and I all the time when we were little (I'm 13 now...still love the book..). We used to laugh and laugh. I still do when I read this at bedtime, just for kicks. It's great! The names of the characters are hilarious and the dad plays a whistle made out of a carrot! C'mon now, that's awesome!

The Wuggie Norple Story
THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ! For the last 6 years, I have only been able to locate ONE copy of this book, and that was at our public library. My son's school library does not even have a copy (shame, pitiful shame). What a treasure we stumbled upon when we first checked this book out some 2001 trips to the library ago. Daniel Pinkwater has an uncanny imagination that sucks readers of all ages in with his witty, nonsense storyline. Today I'm presenting this story to my son's second grade class...and I'm sure my son will spew the words of the book from memory. Check it out for yourself~ plenty of laughter and smiles are sure to follow.

We named our cat after this book
My family took this out of the library and kept it for over a year. This is really more of an endorsement of The Wuggie Norple Story than our actions, but I cannot recommend this book highly enough for both its writing and illustrations. Too many of Mr. Pinkwater's books are out of print right now and THEY MUST BE BROUGHT BACK!

A laugh a minute
I bought this book years before having children and read it aloud to my friends. We roared laughing. What a GREAT book. Now I read it to my kids. They love it too. ... Read more

Book Description

They were on their own -- three kids and one giant chicken. Stuck in Hoboken for the summer, Nick Itch, Loretta Fischetti, and Bruno Ugg are really, really bored. After whiling away their time spitting in the Hudson River and trying to teach Henrietta, Nick's 266-pound chicken, how to juggle marshmallows, they're ready for something -- anything -- to happen.

When a mysterious and brilliant chalk artist starts decorating Hoboken's streets, the three friends are blown away. They set off to explore the art world in a frenzy of adventurous drawing, screeving, and eggplant picnics.

Book Description

When Nick moved from the leafy suburbs to muggy, urban Hoboken and his bike was stolen, he wasn't pleased.

Then he found

• a place where he could listen to pirate radio
• friends with a stack of Classics Comics
• newspaper reports about a kid named Arthur Bobowicz and a 266-pound chicken named Henrietta
• the secret entrance to Sibyl's Cave
• and much, much more, all of it practically true.

Get an ice-cold Dr. Pedwee's grape soda and prepare to enjoy this Pinkwater Special, complete with saucy dialogue, snarky wordplay, more than a few red herrings, and one bowl of disgusting oyster stew.

Reviews (3)

Pinkwater's back on the Hoboken Beat
Nick Itch's mom wants him to have "an urban experience" so the family moves from Happy Valley to an old house in the waterfront city of Hoboken. Nick bonds with the kids next door over over bottles of Dr. Pedwee's soda and Classic Comics. Soon the friends get caught up in a search, not for meaning, but for Bobowicz. Delivered in Pinkwater's seemingly effortless, jazz-like prose style, this sequel to his classic HOBOKEN CHICKEN EMERGENCY is a delight.

Hoboken Hijinks
The Pinkwaters at work -- always a cause for celebration. Like its 20th century predecessor, "The Hoboken Chicken Emergency," this book is full of wit, wile, and the kind of assorted nonsense that fans young and old will appreciate.

A Welcome Return to the Old Neighborhood
I yelped with delight when I saw this on the shelf, and tore into it without further ado. Two minutes in, I was wearing a wide grin-- this is classic Pinkwater.

Pinkwater's Hoboken, like his Hogboro, is a dream city, one that opens itself up to explorers, revealing eccentric locals, funky hangouts and esoteric eats and drinks along the way (Avocado-Lime Soda, anyone?). Books, comics and pirate radio abound-- and there's nary a website in sight. In Pinkwater's hands, Hoboken has a timeless, shopworn feel, grounded in history (fictional and not) but glowingly alive.

The story's not much-- mostly a means of propelling the protagonists through the city-- but it provides a strong framework on which Pinkwater hangs his characteristically sharp dialogue, insightful kid's-eye observations, and obscure cultural references. Figures from previous Pinkwater stories appear here, sometimes with altered names. And you may want to consult your local Blockbuster's collection of Italian Neo-Realism when you're done reading.

Bobowicz certainly feels like late Pinkwater. The book starts with the narrator's family moving out of the suburbs and back into the city, and the characters from The Hoboken Chicken Emergency loom in the background as hazy figures from the past. Still, it's nice to know that, at least in Hoboken, Classic Comics will always be read in basements and librarians will always provide useful, if loopy, assistance to questing urbanites. ... Read more

Book Description

Irving and Muktuk are polar bears in the Bayonne, New Jersey, zoo. They wish they had privileges like their polar bear friend Roy, who goes home every night at six o"clock. But they are known as bad bears. The Zoo Director thinks Irving and Muktuk are not to be trusted.

One morning a small white bunny shows up, eating grass at the edge of the polar bear enclosure. Irving and Muktuk aren"t sure what to make of it. They don"t know how to behave. They make the bunny mad. Trouble is brewing at the zoo.

When their friend Roy invites them to a party at a fancy hotel, Irving and Muktuk are asked to behave themselves. They assure Roy that they can be trusted. But trust doesn"t come easily, and when the bears arrive at the party, they are soon put to the test. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

If you only buy 1 kids' book ever...
Doodle Flute should be the one. Pinkwater has an ear for what matters and an eye for making it clear on a wide variety of levels. The book appeals to the very young kids it gets rated for, but picks up a fresh audience again in the early teens. As an adult, I loved it the first time I read it aloud, and every time since. Mason's stock, "Because that's just the kind of guy I am," has long since become a catch phrase in our family, and stands as a great summation of the book. Read it. Your day will immediately improve!

More than just a simplistic book about sharing
This is my favorite kids book and really, it's much deeper than the usual 'morality lite' type of sharing message. I have read "Doodle Flute" to most of our nine kids dozens and dozens of times. We never tire of it. Some of my kids have adopted weird kid, Mason Mintz, as their personal hero because the guy has guts-- real guts to be exactly who he is, no apologies. I have read "Doodle Flute" to high school catechism classes teaching the tpoic of human dignity. The highschoolers loved it and discussed it at legnth. Daniel Pinkwater infuses some solid truths about human dignity into this book in a nearly brilliantly understated way. Our family owns at least a thousand books, hundreds of childrens books. "Doodle Flute" should be on every book shelf-- children's and adults' alike.

A pretty good book
Review by 6 yr old. A good book about sharing. Teaches you about being nice and the importance of friendship. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Whether you know Daniel Pinkwater as a children's book author (and youshould, he's written over 40 fabulous books) or as a National Public Radiocommentator, you must agree that he is a very, very funny guy. Though his booksare perfectly nonsensical and absurd in all the best ways, they leave youfeeling strangely serene about the universe. Whether his books introduce us tomuffin-eating polar bears (Larry), really old time-traveling men (Uncle Borgel),or 266-pound chickens (Henrietta from The Hoboken Chicken Emergency),they each reflect a polite world where people (and other species) basicallyrespect each other--warts, multiple heads, foul smells (we're thinking of theBloboform), and all. As luck would have it, four of Pinkwater's previouslypublished novels are now combined in one delicious and aptly named paperbackvolume, 4 Fantastic Novels. In it you'll find Borgel,Yobgorgle: Mystery Monster of Lake Ontario, The Worms ofKukumlima, and The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror, none ofwhich will disappoint. Fans will want to pick up 5 Novels as well, a collectionwhich includes Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars, Slaves ofSpiegel, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, The LastGuru, and Young Adult Novel.

What are Pinkwater's novels like? Imagine the wondrous science fiction classicA Wrinkle in Time withoutthe heavy cosmos stuff--and seventy times funnier. (In Borgel, forexample, 111-year-old Uncle Borgel compares the concept of time to a map of thestate of New Jersey and describes space as "sort of like a bagel, but anelliptical one, with poppy seeds.") His fast-paced and funny adventure storiesare philosophical and moral, though undercut with such delightfully irreverentgoofiness that they never lose their buoyancy, not for a second. Pinkwaterreaches out to the kids all over the planet who feel like "the boy fromMars," and shows them that everything is not only going to be just fine, but thatlife is pretty darn magical. (Ages 9 to 109) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Chickens, Avacados and Interspace Travel
Daniel Pinkwater is a fabulous author. His skewed take on life is not only funny and entertaining but reminds every reader that there's more to life than meets the eye. You'll discover something new each time you read (and re-read) Pinkwater's stories, making Pinkwater loved by kids and adults alike. If you buy this book, prepare to have your views on life broadened -- all while being wildly entertained.

The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror, by D. Pinkwater
Daniel Pinkwater's excellent formula of humor and imagination makes among the funniest but exciting books. I have found that in almost every book of Mr. Pinkwater's, his imagination can take you anywhere from halfway around the globe to a magical backyard. Here lollipops can dance and time is like a map of New Jersey. Humor dominates in the Kingdom of Pinkwater. Two books that I read were: The Worms of Kukumlima and The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror. In The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror: Winston Bongo and Walter Garr are two teenagers who snarkout. Snarking is when you sneak out of the house to go see a movie. At the Snarkout Theater, the two boys meet a girl named Rat. When something horrible happens and secrets starts to damage things around the city of Baconburg, it is up to the three friends to figure out what is happening. The strange thing is shredding things with what seems to be claws. Meeting odd characters and people who can help them makes a perfect plot and an exciting story. You never know what is lurking around the corner, and it's up to you to decide who is friend and who is foe.

Who needs Prozac?
If only all teens could read this book...there would be a whole lot less depressed teens in the world today! Like most teens, I have gone through depressing times in my life, but since I got this book, I certainly have had less of them! Just read "Borgel" and meet the great-great-great-great-grandfather you wish you had. Or open up to "The Snarkout Boys and the Baconburg Horror" and go to pieces as you read the escapade of the Snarkout Boys (one of whom is a girl) all through Baconburg and Hamfast. If you prefer 'classic literatur,' then read "Yobgorgle," a wonderful mix of the Loch Ness Monster and "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" and the legend of the Flying Dutchman. Seriously (not really, it is impossible to be serious where Pinkwater is concerned), this book can bring you out of depression in an instant. (Try some chocolate, too.) And as Stephanie said in her review, IGNORE THE AGE LIMIT! YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD FOR PINKWATER!

hate to rain on the parade, but
OK, first off I consider myself to have a decent (even above average) sense of humor. I'm always biting my lip to stifle giggles because my companions wouldn't get the joke. I love Lemony Snicket. I worship at the altar of Dave Barry. But, unlike a lot of readers here, I'm only mildly amused at most of Pinkwater's stuff. I enjoyed the "Borgel" story, but I was crushed at how lame [sorry] the "Snarkout Boys" sequel was. I loved the first, thought it was great. But I think it was the constantly switching viewpoint that sank the sequel. It also read like a first draft, particularly the werewolf monologues. That's what bugs me, how much better a lot of the stories could have been. Please, make them just a bit more accessible to new readers; sometimes the wackiness really goes into overload and it's too much to stay with the story.

Secondly, and this only really mattered in the "Snarkout" sequel, teenagers (at least the ones I know) don't talk like that! Even the biggest [nerd] at my old high school didn't sound like Scott Feldman, or really, Rat or Winston, for that matter. Though maybe they sounded like Pinkwater's high school peers. But if this doesn't matter to the majority of readers, maybe I shouldn't complain either.

A book you will LOVE...
Daniel Pinkwater is probably one of the four or five most brilliant people living on this or any other planet. His books combine humor with space travel, mystery, Yiddishisms,philosophy, and handy tips on dog rearing. You will treasure this and any other Pinkwater book you purchase! And not only is he brilliant, he is also friendly! I have communicated with him via the "Net several times, and he is alway helpful and engaging. It's just too bad he and I both married other people before we met (these are my feelings only, as far as I know!) ... Read more

Book Description

First published more than 20 years ago, Superpuppy was instantly
celebrated for its unique approach to dog training, which emphasizes the importance of understanding a dog"s personality.Clarion is proud to announce the publication of a revised edition, updated for
contemporary readers and featuring brand-new cover art.
Award-winning authors Jill and Daniel Pinkwater share their enthusiasm and knowledge in this accessible guidebook. Readers will find advice on all aspects of puppy care, from how to pick the right puppy to the proper way to housebreak and train it. Enlivened by
personal anecdotes and enhanced by black-and-white illustrations, the new Superpuppy is sure to be embraced by loyal fans as well as a new generation of dog enthusiasts. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

THE best puppy book written!
Before you get a dog, buy this book! From a terrific "Puppy Scoring" test to help select the right pup for you out of a litter, to practical tips on teething and house training, this book is the best. Used it extensively to raise what became The Best Dog in the World -- their tips helped her be house trained within 2 weeks of coming home (never another accident!). I have given 15 copies of this book as gifts when friends have said they were thinking about getting a dog. If you buy a dog book, buy this one!

The best puppy book I've ever read
I read this book when I was a little kid with my first puppy, and I checked it out at the school library. I read it from cover to cover about 20 times. It was amazing, and it helped me as a 12 year old to raise my dog. I loved it so much that I am recommending it for my Mom to use for her new puppy. It was very friendly and very helpful, and so appropriate to raising happy healthy dogs. This book is timeless. I can't wait to read it again.

Every first time puppy owner should have this book.
This is the first of what is now have a whole shelf full of dog books, and it is still my all-time favorite puppy raising book. It was a wonderful book to have handy while raising my first puppy, and I used it a lot. The training information and common problems section is quite good. I really like thier information on choosing a dog, and if you should even have one. It's a very understandable, and easy to use introduction to responsible dog ownership and how to have a happy, healthy puppy, all written in a very friendly tone. It gave me a great foundation to help my now adult dog be such a wonderful, very well behaved dog, and the envy of other dog owners.

best puppy raising book ever!
We used this book to train our puppy almost 6 years ago. today she is known all over the neighborhood as the best, most sweetest dog ever! Believe me, she didn't come that way!

Very good book for young people with puppies
I found this book very interesting and good for young readers with puppies ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Cool cool cool
Lawrence Talbot turns into a werewolf and nobody notices! Still, he had a pretty good time, staying up all night and howling at the moon. Perfect second grade stuff. I re-read it all the time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Larry is a polar bear who, as we discover in Young Larry, falls asleep on a chunk of ice in Baffin Bay and wakes up in Bayonne, New Jersey. Stranded on a beach, what else can he do but become a lifeguard to earn money to buy the blueberry muffins he loves? Fortunately, just as he is about to be fired for being a polar bear, he saves the life of Martin Frobisher, who is so grateful to his new hero that he promises to buy a hotel with a swimming pool where Larry can be a lifeguard for the rest of his days. The affable polar bear's comical adventures continue to unfold in At the Hotel Larry, Bongo Larry, andIce Cream Larry. In this endearingly odd picture book, Larry goes to Cohen's Cones, the ice-cream shop, where he complains of overheating and is allowed to sleep in the walk-in freezer. Of course, while he's in there, he eats 250 pounds of ice cream.

"I don't see how you can let a bear into your freezer and not expect him to eat ice cream," I said. "He ate a lot," Mrs. Cohen said. "Well, he's a bear." "I suppose." "I didn't eat any of the almond crunch," Larry said. "Could I have some now please?"

Reviews (4)

The Birth of the Cold
The former "Bongo Larry" returns as "Ice Cream Larry" in this delightful continuation of the Pinkwaters' series about the multi-talented polar bear. Jill Pinkwater's vivid, varied colors (pen and ink, and colored marker) and Daniel Pinkwater's droll prose combine for another hit. Here, Larry gets in trouble after eating 250 pounds of ice cream from the walk-in freezer at Cohen's Cones. Larry is full of excuses, including a claim that he ate the ice cream in his sleep! After hearing of his exploits ("Bear eats 1/8 Ton Ice Cream"), Mr. I. Berg comes to the Hotel Larry with a proposition to enhance the reputation of the Iceberg Ice-Cream Company: A new line of Larry ice cream bars, including codfish flavor. Somehow it all goes well, even with the company's dubious new slogan--a quote from Larry--"I do not feel sick!"

This is a simple yet very entertaining story that succeeds because of the dry humor that Pinkwater injects throughout the book. There's a bit of a wink to the reader, but it's never too obvious or condescending--Pinkwater plays it straight. Just about as good as "Bongo Larry," and printed on high quality paper with excellent illustrations, this would be an excellent gift for any animal/ice cream lover that you know.

My favorite picture book
I am a kindergarten teacher, and while my students enjoy this book, I don't think they like it more than I do. I read this book to my husband and teen-aged sons, and have read it for my own pleasure many times. I think this book could be well used in a high school English class when discussing tone or comic timing. I only wish that the Larry books would come out in paperback so that more people could enjoy them, and that another old Pinkwater favorite, Roger's Umbrella,were still in print.

Larry is Cool, Not a Fool
Ice Cream Larry is one of a series of books about Larry, a polar bear, who lives at a hotel and works as a lifeguard at the hotel pool. Larry has never eaten a human being, but he is always hungry, and in this book he eats 250 pounds of ice cream and wants more. His greed leads him to fame as the spokesbear of the Iceberg Ice Cream company and a new product is named after him. The Larry Bar comes in many flavors including blueberry and codfish. The Larry books are hilarious, and the illustrations colorful and engaging. I have read this book many, many times to my 3-year old, who never gets tired of Larry's antics with his brother Roy and his friends at the hotel, the Frobishers... The phrase "And I don't feel sick!" has become one of our standard jokes when we eat ice cream (or anything else we like a lot!)

Larry Adapts
In Canada, we hear of Polar Bears invading the towns close to the North Pole. As global warming becomes more of a reality each year, the Polar Bears actually have to be escorted out of Churchill, (Alberta?) so that small children or pets aren't attacked. Back to the book -- this is a sweet look at emotions that children can relate to, when this polar bear finds himself in unfamiliar territory, trying to survive.

Children love the silly paradox of a polar bear at the beach, and I love reading the book to them! ... Read more

Reviews (28)

The Big Orange Splotby Daniel Manus Pinkwater
The Big Orange Splot is a marvelous example of individuality.
In an ordinary neighborhood, each house is like a replica of the previous house. Mr. Plumbean, an ordinary guy living in this ordinary neighborhood, lives on the street of the neighborhood and accepts that it is unadorned. But as soon as a seagull flies over and drops a fairly large bucket of bright orange paint on his rooftop, Mr. Plumbean takes this accidentally made blot, and enhances it. What will the others on his street think? Read this amazing story and figure it out.
The author did a good job writing this book and making it understandable. I like the main moral of the story; when you're a rebel, you can change things. I also like how Daniel Pinkwater described this situation. However, I really wasn't sure about the part with the bird. Pinkwater did not specify why the bird had the pail and why the bird dropped it.
I would give this book five out of five stars because of the magnificent pictures and the moral of the story. When I see the eye-popping pictures of the houses, I sit straight up, pay attention to only what Mr. Plumbean is going to do and read on.
I would suggest that people who listen to others and are not independent should really read The Big Orange Splot. Chancing what others are thinking,like Mr. Plumbean did, is a difficult thing to do. Reading this book can inspire others to be different. Not only is this book appropriate for little children, but for any age. Listen to me, read The Big Orange Splot and get the courage to stand out.

by: tooshort

Favorite Childhood Book
This wonderful book about self expression is a great way to teach your child the importance of individuality.My son, who just turned 16, recently mentioned how much he used to love reading "The Big Orange Splot."So this year, for his 16th birthday, I bought him a new copy of the book.He received a variety of gifts, as usual, but had the happiest response upon seeing the new copy of "The Big Orange Splot."If that isn't a testament to the life-long lasting impressions of this book, I don't know what is.

Fun and Memorable: A Great Gift!

We first read this book to our son when he was a toddler, now that he's ten, we still use it as a way to encourage his (and our) appreciation of others' choices. Pinkwater is one of the great storytellers and educator its around, and this book deserves as wide an audience as possible. It's that good. As usual, Pinkwater doesn't spend much time on developing a plausible plot: Things just happen, and, because of his dry matter-of-fact tone, you accept it. One day a seagull with a can of bright orange paint "dropped the can (no one knows why) right over Mr. Plumbean's house." The resulting big orange splot upsets the neighbors, who all live in identical brown housed with gray roofs and green shutters. When they ask him to paint his house (to get rid of the orange splot), Plumbean follows the letter--but not the spirit=-of their request. He paints the house red, yellow, green, and purple. He adds more splots, strikes, and "elephants and lions and pretty girls and steam shovels."

The neighbors are aghast. In a recurring motif, the neighbors exclaim that something must be wrong with their neighbor: "Plumbean has gushed his mush, lost his marbles, and slipped his hawser." Mr. Plumbean resists their pressure, explaining in one of many memorable lines from the book: "My house is me and I am it. My house...looks like all my dreams." One by one, over tall glasses of lemonade, Mr. Plumbean casually talks to the other neighbors, one by one, about their own dreams.The following day, each neighbor expresses those dreams through his or her house.

The book isn't so much about nonconformity as about self-expression, or what Maslow called "self-actualization." That everyone eventually paints their house in wild colors is not so much a new form of conformity, but rather the flowering and unafraid celebration of their individuality, and an acceptance of this in others. Very highly recommended; it may be a book you'll treasure for years to come.

the best book for original thinkers
This book was a joy to read!It shows how rewarding it is to be an individual.The plot: Mr. Plumbean lives in an Edward Scissorhands type of neighbourhood until a seagull drops a can of orange paint onto his house.After some thought, Mr. Plumbean decides to ignore the requests of his neighbours to keep the neighbourhood "neat" (thus painting his house back to the original colour).He, instead, decides to create his own space where "he likes to be and (that) looks like all (of his) dreams".His joy is infectious.In the end, all of his neighbours decide to paint their houses to reflect their own dreams.What a great ending!A good book to send to your neighbourhood CCNR. (Oh, and my 4-year-old loved it too!)

Terrific book for younger kids
I loved this book as a child. It's frequently rhyming statements and bold colors always captured my imagination. It's message about diversity wasn't lost on me either.
As an adult I was happy to see it back in print and bought it for some younger family members hoping that they too would enjoy it as much as I did.
I have to admit that I did flip through it quickly before wrapping it up and it still brought a smile to my face. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Band of Bearthren
Daniel and Jill Pinkwater have another winner in this book from the enormously funny "Larry" series. Larry is a huge but friendly polar bear who lives in a hotel and hangs out in the icy cold pool. This is a jokey-book, but even when the humor is predictable, the Pinkwaters' dry as ice delivery is irresistible: "NOTICE TO GUESTS: MAKE SURE THE BEAR LIKES YOU BEFORE USING THE POOL."

"...Guests ask [my mother] 'How can we tell if the bear likes us?'
"...oh, the bear likes everybody."
Very few guests use the pool.

Later the narrator (a young teenage girl) takes a mildly disguised Larry out for blueberries: "people think he is just a big fat man with whiskers, wearing a pair of slippers that look like fuzzy bear paws." Then the rim-shot:

"If anyone were to ask I would say that Larry is my uncle from Milwaukee."

The one potentially tricky part of the book occurs when Larry takes his first trip to the zoo and sees his brother Roy. But the zoo is a fun place for them to meet and swim together and fool a few visitors as well. The zookeeper even lets Roy and his two pool mates out for the night, and they have codfish cakes and blueberries at the hotel Larry. Although I paused for a bit, the gentle good-natured tone drowns out any dissonance regarding free and captive polar bears: It's a kids' book, and the Pinkwaters' combination of deft prose, and bold, colorful pictures set a happy tone of fantasy and bearish camaraderie. Also check out Larry in "Bongo Larry," in which he eats (what else?) blueberries and plays the blues at a local club. Good fun, and definitely recommended.

pinkwater, hilarious as always
At the Hotel Larry is just hilarious. Larry is a polar bear who has drifted from the polar regions to New Jersey. Pinkwater's trademark humor is in full effect. A great picture book for ages 3-103 !

Funny and great to read aloud
The narrator of this story is a girl who lives in a hotel with her father and mother. Larry, a polar bear, once saved her father's life, and as a reward, Larry wanted to live in a hotel with a swimming pool. So her father bought an old hotel, and Larry is the lifeguard. Every now and again, the girl disguises Larry in a very large coat, hat, and sunglasses, and they go to the Pancake Palace to eat blueberry pancakes. One day they go to the zoo, and I won't spoil the story by telling any more! The humor is wacky and sophisticated but will appeal to all ages.The style is simple and the book is fun to read because Larry is so clever and droll. I have read this book aloud countless of times to my 3-year-old. Larry has really captured the imagination of my son. Highly recommended for its humor and great illustrations. ... Read more

Book Description

A classic horror movie on TV inspires Morty and Ray to paint a picture of themselves for all the wrong reasons. You may be tempted to cry out, "Stop!" But the boys are having too much fun to listen.

Bubbling with questions of pickle juice and Art, Daniel Pinkwater's riotous tale tells of nice boys heading for trouble and friendship put to the test. Visual virtuoso Jack E. Davis pulls out all the stops to give readers a wild ride.

Were this a movie, it would win an Oscar.

Reviews (3)

Wicked Fun
Inspired by "The Portrait of Dorian Gray," this book retells Wilde's classic story for children. The illustrations are enjoyable, if a bit gross. The storyline feels a lot like something that Pugsley and Wednesday Addams would do. The mischief that Morty and Ray get into is appropriate for 1st through 4th graders - if your kids are going to do it anyway, you might as well impress upon them the effect poor behavior has on one's character early. The moral of the story is left for parents to impart as needed, or for the reader to infer on his or her own.

I bought this as a gift for a friend's son, a 1st grader, and he really enjoyed it. I will probably buy another to add to my son's library in a few years - I may buy it now and just enjoy it myself until he gets old enough to appreciate it.

A Great Picture Book
Pinkwater gets inside the heads of two friends who discover the joys of an old black-and-white movie on TV.It's The Picture of Dorian Grey, hilariously depicted in monochrome by Jack E. Davis.The boys decide to create their own dual-self-portrait, and then misbehave to see if the picture becomes hideous like the one in the movie, (and the Oscar Wilde classic).It does!But their delight turns to dismay when they, and the ghastly picture, go too far.They then learn a basic lesson about differences in taste.I heard Pinkwater immodestly review his own book with Scott Simon on NPR--but I forgive him.Pinkwater and Davis have created a masterpiece.

A Wilde Adventure!
Best friends Morty and Ray have a great idea after watching a "Picture" on TV, but their hijinks may have unforseen effects. Pouring pickle juice down anyone's pants really isn't very nice!

Pinkwater and Davis are a great team. The illustrations are a work of art and the surprise ending will really get you thinking! ... Read more

Book Description

Irving and Muktuk have arrived from Yellowtooth in the frozen North to their new home in the Bayonne, New Jersey, Zoo. There they meet another polar bear, Roy, who tells them about his life outside the zoo. Roy goes home every night at six when the zoo closes. After a week of swimming, eating fish and the occasional muffin thrown to them by zoo visitors, playing, and taking naps, Irving and Muktuk feel bored and restless.They decide to explore life outside the walls and go in search of Roy and more muf-fins. Soon their escape is discovered and the zookeepers, the zoo director, and the police are called. Are these polar bears to be trusted? ... Read more

Book Description

Every year the little town ofYellowtooth celebrates the New Year with a Blueberry MuVin Festival. The festival is fun for all until the year Irving and Muktuk, muVin stealers of the worst kind, show up to crash the party. The bad bears are foiled by OVicer Bunny, but they show up again the next year, and the next, and the next. How will OVicer Bunny keep the bears away for good? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Joy
I read a lot of childrens books and this one is at the top of the list. It is hilarious, has big, bold, colorful illustrations and is filled with great one liners to entertain the both parents and children alike. Get this book, you won't be disappointed. Better yet the book on tape with d. pinkwater reading!!! Now that's quality family entertainment.

Twin Polars; bring the muffins
It's got polar bears posing as penguins. It's got polar bears posing as girl scouts.The primary law enforcement officer is a bunny. The setting is a town called Yellowtooth.

Welcome to the twisted and hilarious world of Daniel Pinkwater.Irving and Muktuk are polar bears who want to steal muffins.In jerky and often funny prose, Pinkwater describes their repeated near-exploits.Always foiled by the bunny (who even utilizes a helicopter and a net to capture the villains), Irving and Muktuk never flag in their optimism or their enthusiasm for thievery.In the end, the ursine ladrónes are shipped off to Bayonne, New Jersey (The Muffin Capitol of the World, in case you failed to notice).

This is Pinkwater at his near-best (I still prefer the novel LIZARD MUSIC), so put your hands on a copy of IRVING AND MUKTUK today.You'll laugh until your ribs ache. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Klugarsh Mind Control for all of us!
I was reminded of this most excellent book yesterday when I heard an interview with the author of *Mind Wide Open* on the radio. He apparently tested a bunch of "brain machines" to write about in his book, and one of them was a video game sort of thing, in which the player must learn to enter the alpha brain state at will in order to succeed at the game.

Of course genius Daniel Pinkwater had this idea years ago!! I kept thinking, "You just have to fall back laughing, saying 'I give up,' of course!" Readers of *Alan Mendelsohn* will have an early advantage if this game hits the big time.

As is the case for many other reviewers, this book was one of the most important of my adolescence, one of the few that I read and re-read. My brother and I would repeatedly crack up reminding each other of a certain unorthodox loudspeaker incident in it.

What I most admire about this book when I think back about it now is that it keeps moving forward into surprising territory---it has a satisfying revenge fantasy plot, a self-actualization plot, an adventure/alternate reality plot, and a refreshing sense of "larger mystery" throughout. As a young adult, it helps to be reminded that there are uncharted realms outside of school's hideousness!

The world needs more subversive children's authors...
I am a Pinkwater fan from way back. So when I was bored, without any reading material at hand, I picked up this gem and read it. Pinkwater was still as great as I remembered, and I wish that I'd had this book in particular when I was in junior high. You see, I only now realize that I attended Bat Mastersom Jr High. Sure, it wasn't called that, but everything matched. Even from my current place in life, as a college sophmore, my junior high school experience is still a difficult question for me, and this book has helped me to put it into perspective. A must for any young person who is struggling with a world that won't accept them for their own strengths. We need more authors for catering to the intellegent youth, offering the message that even though your life seems so much harder than those who choose to remain ignorant, you can hold your head high, and you will be happier in the long run. Pinkwater deserves a spot next to Roald Dahl, Madeline L'Engel, Dr. Seuss, and the other greats of children's literature.

THE BEST BOOK EVER
I read this book and, was doomed to a wonderful life of reading Daniel Pinkwater Books. This book was and is my favorite book and I am sure it always will be. Alan mendehlson is a book that could only be written by the mind of a genius, tried and true. Daniel has changed my life and will continue to change our outlook on life for generations to come. I like to call myself a Pinkwater addict and I am proud of it. All you intellegent kids out there, get it while it's hot!!!!!

best yet
this might be one of pink waters older ones but it is on of the best

basically what happens is two boys go to a used and weird book store spend some cash and get a mind nd state enchancing book. then they finally get to sate 26 then they go back to the book shop. the book shop owner mr kulklash tells them that they can go into state 26. then they get a book that mentions in waka waka lore that they will save them. they have a few more things happen and then they save the waka wakaians and allen mealstorm gos back to mars and invites the narrater to stay with him for the summer

The most important novel in the history of mankind.
I checked this book out of my public library at the age of 10, and renewed it every week thereafter for another reading. All told, I probably read it over 200 times; it has had more of an influence on my life than my parents, television, Bill Gates, and God combined. It's what kept me out of all the really good schools. ... Read more

Book Description

Even a child who is pure of heart
And does his homework neatly
May become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms
And the moon is full completely

What's small and round and smells like knackwurst, and is very, very scary? The Werewolf Club is about to find out! After a stop at the Local Yokel Diner to eat jitterbugs (you don't want to know), the young werewolves are off to Basketball Hall, the ancestral home of their teacher Mr. Talbot's uncle, Hugo Basketball. Generations of Basketballs have been cursed by their servants, the peculiar Barrymores, (it's so hard to get good help) not to mention by the monstrous Hound of the Basketballs.

Who better to vanquish the frightful hound, Hugo figures, than a pack of werewolves? So, with the moon full (and their bellies full of knackwurst and sauerkraut), our intrepid heroes are once again risking their young lives to rid the world of evil.

But what about the haunted pastrami? ... Read more