Book Description

One of the first books for countless children, this story of a free-spirited Cat who, with his high jinks and mischievous friends (Things One and Two) turns the house upside-down for two bored children on a rainy day is retold in Latin in Cattus Petasatus.

This edition features the original artwork of Dr. Seuss and a translation in rhyming verse that echoes the sound of the original Cat in the Hat.

The wonderful, whimsical, and thought-provoking stories of Dr. Seuss have been published in twenty languages. An excellent addition to Seuss collections the world over, this Latin-language edition of Seuss' timeless first reader is a welcome, all-occasion gift, a delightful way to revisit a treasured tale, and an enjoyable way to refresh your high school Latin. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great for Latin Students
I am a Latin minor at a California University, and have studied Latin for about three years. This book was part of my class curriculum of Latin poetry, and was a nice break from the works of Ovid and Virgil! It is a simple book to translate, though some of the gerunds can be a little tricky. This book is a lot of fun, and is helpful in learning new vocabulary. If I remember correctly, all of the words used are given English meanings in the back of the book. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is learning Latin. Though you may get annoyed by comments made by bystanders who think you are reading "The Cat in the Hat."

Appeals to any audience
Having studied Latin throughout high school, I could appreciate the innovation and creativity necessary to translate Dr. Seuss' classic story while still preserving rhyme and meter. However, my little sister, who has just recently learned to read on such classics as "The Cat in the Hat," perhaps enjoyed "Cattus Petasatus" even more than I did. Not automatically looking to identify subject and verb, she giggled with delight at the new words that roll off the tongue with the catchy meter and bragged to my parents that she was able to speak Latin! Because the pictures are the same as the English, she was able to follow the storyline and give expression to the words.

Whether as an introduction to Latin or an amusing twist of the Dr. Seuss classic, "Cattus Petasatus" is a wonderful variation that will make the reader and audience smile.

A new spin on a classic
It's well known that Dr. Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat in response to a challenge to write a children's book only using 40 basic vocabulary words. Now a new spin brings basic vocabulary to another language. Latin, often thought to be the "dead" language, is brought alive with something other than the so called "dead guys." Here the reader can have a basis in the book, and verse, beforehand and see it and Latin anew in this translation. The translators do a marvelous job of mimicing the rhythm and meter of Seuss's charming tale. And with the Seuss drawings intact the connection between the text in Latin and the story is there to help you along. It makes Latin accessible and that's not a small feat. Read it aloud and you feel so very intelligent. Try this book - it's fun.

A good intermediate practice to Latin
Having tried to learn Latin, I found reading the Classics was extremely difficult. Afterall, it is written by a native speaker, and I am no Latin native speaker. So I found this book to be very useful. The only problem is that it emulates Dr. Seuss's writing so well, that the whole book uses pretty much once case in Latin. You will learn that case very well, but won't be able to practice other cases in normal writing. However, I think it was a terrific idea, and I like the fact that all the words are listed in the back (as well as the context). The fact that it uses more mundane words (compare with Caesar's Gaelic Wars) is also great for intermediate readers.

All in all, I consider it time well spent, not to mention, its just fun reading Dr. Seuss in Latin.

Qui Bono from this book? Anyone who must study Latin!
I wish, oh I wish I had this book back in middle school where we had two years of Latin. What a good idea this is, to take a familiar story and have it so you can compare it to the Latin, especially the grammar. The fact it is a kid's book makes it even simpler; the sentence structures are more or less straightforward. We translated Beatles songs like "I wanna hold your hand" into Latin but I wish I had had this book!

This is a great idea. Why didn't someone do it before? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Gaily tied up with two red ribbons, Lucy Cousins's unusual, delightful, virtually wordless "book" is in fact a triple pop-up. When you open the covers (vertically, like a door, rather than horizontally), you are introduced to this endearing rodent's kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, like three little dollhouses. In the boldly colorful kitchen is a pop-up table and chairs, and a pop-out-from-the-wall set of cabinets, complete with a range that opens to reveal a baking pie, and many other distractions. Turn the "page" and you come to a bathroom complete with a mirror on the wall, a liftable toilet seat, and a little figure of Maisy to stand in the shower stall. Each room comes with a sheet containing cut-out objects like clothing and small furnishings, to be arranged at will. In the bedroom, a tab turns a window scene from day to night and back again, and a clothes chest has real sliding drawers. Maisy is a character small children can fall in love with. Ingenious. (Ages 3 to 6) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (14)

My 2 yr old LOVES this book
We just received this book as a birthday present last night and I can't tell you how much my daughter loves it. She played endless for HOURS with it. We finally had to go to bed and she cried for 30 min! She woke up this morning asking for it. If your child loves Maisy, this is perfect. You get to be in Maisy's world. I love that it's not electronic and high tech-it's perfect for little imaginations to explore and invent.

Wonderful playhouse!!!
I was actually pleasantly deceived by this "book" I purchased this via Amazon over the star reviews and the fact that my daughter LOVES Maisy and her books. I didn't even realize that this is a pop up house of Maisy's bathroom, kitchen and bedroom. There are pop out food and plates to put it the cupboard, fridge that all really open. A stand up Maisy doll with multiple outfits to change her in. Even a pop out bed with a cover for her! This is a wonderful toy for a preschooler and enhances their imagination. The only problem that I truly see in this "book" is no where to store all the little pieces it comes with. I just attached a ziplock to the book to prevent the tiny pieces from getting lost. This was my 2.5yr old daughter's favorite Christmas present - I don't think she was quite old enough to keep it very neat but she has played for hours and hours! I purchased another one for when she is a little older. Very reasoable price and a sure pleaser!!

independent play
My daughter received this book when she was just a little over two years old. She was already a Maisy fan. What shocked me was that she disappeared into the bedroom one day, and when I went to go check on her, she was quietly playing all by herself with this. I didn't figure it would last long. Finally, almost an hour later, I had to go in and get her to go to the grocery store. She is almost three now and STILL loves to play independently with this book/toy - it's the only toy which occupies her independently for hours on end. I bought her the farm version too, which she also likes. A definite winner!

A toy not a book
This is a "book" that folds out to a house - complete with kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. It has accessories, including Maisy, her toy panda, sailboat, rubber ducky, clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush, food, drinks, etc, etc. The cupboards and fridge open to reveal food, dishes and more. The bathroom has incredible attention to detail, including toilet paper that actually rolls out a little. I have a 3 year old daughter and she will play with this for hours. The toys are made of paper which is pretty durable, but are showing some wear. It doesn't bother her. This is one of her favorite toys and she plays with it every day. At first I was worried about the set getting ruined by little hands, but it is holding out very well. I highly recommend this toy for Maisy fans. There is a Maisy Farmhouse which is a great companion to this one.

Our 2-year Old Always Asks to Play With This Book/Toy
I got this for my daughter's 2nd birthday and she adores it. She always asks for "Mady" (Maisy), so I tie the red ribbons and set up the whole house for her. The only annoying thing about it is the clean-up of all the tiny little cardboard accessory pieces. I think some of them are in our vacuum now. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This Books Gives a Priceless Smile
The color and story of Maisy books are just right for a child of a young age. Each page is bright and creative. When reading this book to my nephew, (who is less than 1 year old), and seeing his mother reading it to him, there was something about this particular book that made him smile above any other book read to him. In fact, every Maisy book brought on a smile. Other books didn't make him smile so widely.
There were even pages he seemed to love more than others. Perhaps he found the name Maisy to be funny or the colorfull pages with animals was cute to him. He can't tell me exactly what it is he loves about it, because he is too young to tell me, but the smiles and laughs says it all.
This is a great book, and there are so many Maisy books to choose from. If reading to a child about cleaning as this one is, isn't good enough then there are plenty of other Maisy books to choose from. However, this one in particular made him smile more than ever. I recommend this book, and so does my nephew. :D

I am sure someday he will be reading these books out loud as he learns.

This Book Gave A Priceless Smile
The color and story of Maisy books are just right for a child of a young age. Each page is bright and creative. When reading this book to my nephew, (who is less than 1 year old), and seeing his mother reading it to him, there was something about this particular book that made him smile above any other book read to him. In fact, every Maisy book brought on a smile. Other books didn't make him smile so widely.
There were even pages he seemed to love more than others. Perhaps he found the name Maisy to be funny or the colorfull pages with animals was cute to him. He can't tell me exactly what it is he loves about it, because he is too young to tell me, but the smiles and laughs says it all.
This is a great book, and there are so many Maisy books to choose from. If reading to a child about cleaning as this one is, isn't good enough then there are plenty of other Maisy books to choose from. However, this one in particular made him smile more than ever. I recommend this book, and so does my nephew. :D

I am sure someday he will be reading these books out loud as he learns.

Spring Cleaning at Maisy's
If you are the parent of a young child, you probably know who Maisy is. She's a mouse with a duck, a squirrel, an elephant, and a crocodile for friends. Why the crocodile isn't trying to eat the others is beyond me, but that's life in Maisy's world.

Both of my daughters love the Maisy books; there's something about their simple stories and colorful pictures that even appeals to adults. The books are short and easy to read. But, the stories are never obnoxiously simplistic, like so many other books for small children.

However, this is one of my daughters' least favorite Maisy books. Perhaps because they aren't too keen on cleaning up themselves (what two year old and four year old are?). Anyway, Maisy is cleaning her house when she gets some help from a surprise visitor. Who could it be? Hey, read the book if the suspense is killing you. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Watch out - Small Size
Watch out, this 3-in-one comes in a smaller size than the regular single adventures. Makes it harder to read and harder to enjoy the graphics.

I am not a Stranger here!
Tintin has lived within me for a long while now, in my fond memories of childhood it has a special place. I can remember days spent under an apple tree reading longingly from the black and white pages of my trade paperback edition of Tintin classics like Red Rackham's Treasure, Cigars of the Pharaoh and the Seven Crystal Balls, which is my favorite Tintin adventure, bar none. In the community of Tintin afficionados, i know it is a large community, nobody I think would be more full of joy returning to Tintin again after so many years in exile.

These editions of Tintin give me a great pleasure not only because I am a Tintin-afficionado, or TA, but also because of their compact size and comprehensive format. I read them sometimes on the subway, at school, at work and home, savoring every reality-infused slide of creation, delighting in the allure of those places like the deserts of Africa, wild jungles of the South Seas, Latin America and France that come out of every Tintin page.

And why not? Intricacy of its creation comes from a mind as complex as Borges and nearly as adventurous as the blind sage. Herge is a universal mind: he is one of few artists who could blend a penchant for fun and adventure with complex characterization and some very cherished stereotypes--Haddock, Professor Monocle and many more which made these stories worthwhile. His main character, Tintin, almost pales against these characters but Tintin will endure because he is the centerpiece of all the action, all the adventure, all the utopian fantasy of various characters that revolves in a web to encompass our entire world.

VERY HARD TO READ
The print was very small and not black...I think it was light red, maybe? My son is 9 and he wouldn't even try to read it. He found the type so confusing that I returned the book. I see that alot of kids liked the book but they seem older than my son. Consider the age of your child and the size of the print that your child usually reads from before buying this book. The type size is very small...very close together...and light in color. It was confusing to my child.

Why's Tintin so unique in the world of comic books ?
Of course we've all grown up with so many fiction characters from DC/Marvel comics, Disney, Archie's`etc., each of them with its own appeal and flavour ...

What sets Tintin apart from all the rest, I feel, the brilliant quality of the artwork. The level of detail, right from the wheels of flight 714 about to land on that tiny island (flight 714), to the shadow effects of walking in a hidden passage to the Inca empire (prisoners of the sun), to the shape of the waves on which Tintin in a coffin is floating (cigars of the pharaoh), or the jaguar in which Tintin chases the gangsters (the calculus affair), the details are just fantastic and the right amount, without creating too much noise and distraction - as is the case with many of the DC comics - iron man, the incredible hulk, etc.

The stories range from contemporary to looking ahead in the future - swing wing planes, rockets to the moon, hidden cameras/espionage. The subject matter is political, and in my opinion slightly controversial at times. Especially the way Herge stereotypes native people in India (Cigars of the Pharaoh, Tintin in Tibet), or in the jungles of Amazon (The Broken Ear). But even here, Herge is way above the shady and simplistic plots of the like of Phantom and Flash Gordon.

The collection is more readable towards the later comics, some of the earlier ones contains situations which are too improbable and rely far too much on luck for Tintin to get himself out of danger.

the Funniest!! :)
in my opinion among the Funniest Tintins, are these three. Captain Haddock is in inimitable style, and Prof. Cuthbert Calculus, is as deeply unfathomable as his subjects! :) Funny, and Fun if you enjoy the adventures of Tintin and Snowy you'll not stop grinning with these three! awesomely illustrated and penned..really nice. ... Read more

Book Description

You may think you know this story I am going to tell you, but you have not heard it for true. I was there. So I will tell you the truth of it. Here. Now. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

I like it because the pictures and the writing are great
I am giving the book Cendrillon 5 stars because there are words in French, there are excellent pictures, and San Souci has a very good way at making the story make sense.

I liked that they put in French words because it tells the reader that the people in the story speak French.

The author, Robert D. San Souci, is excellent at writing. I have read more of his books and they are all great.

The illustrater, Brian Pinkney, has a great way of making the pictures stand out. Pinkney has a nice way of drawing the outlines of things. You can almost see things jumping out of the pages. You can see he mixes in colors, so he gets the colors he wants.

The book is great.

Kudos!
This is a wonderfully rich retelling of the traditional French Cinderella story, set in the Caribbean. As a school librarian I've shared this title with students to compare it to the traditional version. They love it! The pronunciation guide in the back is most helpful. The story is unique because it is from the point of view of the spunky godmother. Pinkney's scratchboard illustrations are perfect!

We liked this story because some words were in French.
We rated it number four because we liked the drawings. We thought the drawings brought out the book. We thought the illustrations were very colorfuland very interesting because it was by the Carrabien Sea. We, also, liked it because some words were in French. There should not have been servants in the story. We thought it was like the other Cinderella stories. The author should have changed it a little bit. We suggest younger school aged pupils would enjoy this book better that upper elementary pupils. We have enjoyed reading this book a lot. By : The Four Recess Lovers*

We rated it a two because we did not understand it.
The story is about a lovely girl whose mother dies and her father remarries a evil lady. Her father worked alot and her stepmother made her do all of the work. All the girls in the town got invited to a ball that the Prince was having. There he would pick one lady to be his bride. The housekeeper of the house had a magic wand that her mother had given her. She uses the wand so that Cendrillion can go to the ball. She and the housekeeper got to go to the ball, but they had to be back at 12:00pm. They got sidetrack and the 12:00pm clock rang.Then they ran home but the Prince found that she had lost her shoe. He looks all over town. Then he goes to a house which is Cendrillion's house. Then her evil stepsisters tries to fit the shoe on their big feet,but the shoe wouldn't fit their big feet. Then her mother tried the shoe on, but it would not fit her foot either. Then Cendrillion tried it on and it fits her just fine. Then ,the Prince and her got married,and they lived happily ever after in the Prince's big catle with all their riches.

We rated it a 4 because it had good pictures and a plot.
There was once a girl and her god mother and they worked for the girls step mother. Her step mother was really mean. Her step mother was very mean. The step mother didn't want Cendrillion to go the ball. The washer woman turns into a fairy god mother, and sends Cendrillion to the ball. She looks as a princess would look when she went to the ball. She had a very nice dress. She road in very fancy carriage. She danced all night until twelve o'clock. She was leaving and lost one of her slippers. The prince goes through out the town looking all over for his bride to be. He tries to find out which foot fits the slipper. Her step sister tries the slipper on. The god mother says "It would only fit you if you cut off your toes". The god mother ran all the way upstairs to find Cendrillion. She found her in her room, and dragged her down the stairs. She went and saw her beloved the prince. The prince asked her to try on the beautiful slipper. She said yes. It was a perfect fit! Then they asked to get married. They got married at the princes kingdom. They had a party after the wedding. They lived happily ever after!We suggest this book to people who like fairy tales.

By:The Snowboarder Kids ... Read more

Book Description

This special retelling of The Wizard of Oz contains within it 1850 SAT-type vocabulary words, which appear in bold type throughout the story. At the bottom of each page are thorough but easy-to-understand definitions and funny or informative illustrative sentences for each of the highlighted words. Includes index. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Innovative and Fun Vocabulary Builder
By weaving vocabulary words into the classic story of "The Wizard of Oz," Mark Phillips enables readers to greatly increase their vocabulary in a fun way, while eliminating the drudgery so commonly associated with the standard approaches. Because you're engrossed in the story, it's easy to forget you're actually learning.

An aspect of this book which makes it especially user-friendly is that all definitions for the vocabulary words (which are bold-faced and footnoted) can quickly be found at the bottom of the page they appear on. This is in sharp contrast to other books of this type which force the reader to constantly turn to the back of the book, something no one wants to do when they're in the midst of reading.

The definitions, themselves, are extremely helpful as they are always clear and concise, and oftentimes witty and educational. (You'll learn a lot of the history you forgot just by reading them!) And whenever there might be a question, pronunciation is made clear.

This book is great for those who are studying for the SAT's and would rather not rotely memorize lists of vocabulary words, or for anyone who simply wants to build their vocabulary in an absorbing and fun way. Most importantly, having the words already in context makes remembering them a whole lot easier. Highly recommended!

A must read for everyone!
Mark Phillips uses a universallly familiar tale in "The Wizard of Oz", and retells it substituting challenging vocabulary words, for the language the book was originally written in. This is performed masterfully, without losing any of the context of the original story, while still instituting a new verbal element in almost every sentence. This unique method creates a lasting effect, allowing vocabulary to seamlessly enter your psyche. Mark calls on his own incisive wit on the bottom of each page, where he defines each word that has been added, and goes on to add yet another memorable example of the words usage. This creates a doubly indelible impression, allowing for immediate delivery of new words into your everyday language. Impress your friends, ace your SAT's, or just enjoy reading on a higher level, as this book truly carries your language mastery to the next level. A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!

The best vocabulary book available
I've seen many vocabulary books -- those that contain lists of thousands of words, and those that imitate Phillips' technique. The imitators are all (as of this writing) cr*p. Many of them are quite useful if you regard "book", "chair", "indirect", etc. to be vocabulary words. I hope that Phillips comes out with another book of more advanced words for the ultimate GRE preparation.

The only problem I have with the book is that it needs to be larger. Sometimes the words come at you so quickly that they lie adjacent to one another -- in some cases three at a time!

Great idea
This book is a excellent idea and it works! The only comment I have is that sometimes many similar words are used at the same point in the story (e.g. listless, enervating, langour). This makes the reading not so interesting and the definitions confusing since they're so similar. Another example, "trite cliche". Perhaps this is the authors intention, to group the synonyms. But maybe greater separation of the words will help the reader better appreciate the nuances of their meanings.

Works like magic
I purchased The Wizard of Oz nearly two months ago and it has given me fabulous results. Every day, whether I hear it on TV or in person, I recognize at least one of my new words. My vocabulary has extended tremendously and I could not be happier. I previously tried many methods. I even tried reading the entire thesaurus! Yet my vocabulary did not seem to make any progress. This book works like magic. It would be great if schools all over the nation became aware of this and bought them for every student. I strongly recommend this book. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A must-read for Tintin's fans!!!!!!
My brother and I are MAGOR Tintin fans, and have both read all the books. These three tales are my alltime faves. I like the part in the Land of Black Gold when Thompson with a P as in "psychology" falls asleep and drives the Jeep into the Arabien city! The moon adventures are just awesome. Great, exciting book.

Ven Kanuparthi
I have read each of these titles about 20 times, the lowest number of times among all the Tintins. I still read them and am collecting all of them for my kids. I still laugh the house down reading each one of these that I strongly recommend as collectibles for eternity. A really good, healthy reading for all ages.

THE Euro-man of the 21st century.....TinTin
I love all TinTin adventures. I started buying the books in France on travels and have almost all the adventures. I wish you sold the individual books as I have need of three more stories to complete the set. TinTin is the Don Quiotte of the 21st century. The righter of all wrongs, the protector of more fragile beings. The way he dashes about, part boy, part man in a very European way is very charming. By the way, I'm over 12.

True to Childhood Memories!
I first read this(these) book(S) when I was 8. I was in Belgium at the time and there TinTin books were HOT! Of course they were written in French, but that didn't stop me, I read them anyway, with the help of a English/French dictionary:) Allthough this book is in English, there is still something quite un-American about it, I think it adds to the charm. (Not that we Americans arn't charming!:) The TinTin series is great for kids and nostalgic for adults, a must have.

Excellent
I first encountered Tintin as a child of 10 or 11, and now that I am grown, I collect Tintin titles for my own children. Tintin is subtle, entertaining to children, and to the adults that read to them. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. Favorite Scarry animal characters introduce simple learning concepts and over 700 words. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

My Fav When I Was Little!
I had several Richard Scarry books when I was teeny tiny, and I remember loving each one! I am now 29 and about to have my first child and was so excited to come across this book. It will be a great addition to my collection that my mother has saved from when I was a child. I can't wait to share this book with my little one. I hope you and yours enjoy Mr. Scarry's line of children's books as well.

This Book is Fabulous!!
My daughter is 2 and absolutely LOVES this book! She's learned so much from it!! Every night this is the book she wants to read! What I love about it is everytime we read it she learns something new--the latest she's learned is the 12 months! I recommend this to everyone---it's also a GREAT gift!

Best Kids' Books Ever!
This book and the First Word Book were my first Richard Scarry books, and two of the first books I ever had. They were wonderful! Each page is full of detailed illustrations of everyday items and their names. I had most of the Richard Scarry books, and they really helped me to learn vocabulary, and quite a few important lessons on behavior along the way! Now I am a mommy, and I can't wait for my little girl to be old enough to get her Best First Book Ever!

Not best FIRST book
This is a great book, I agree. However, it is not the best FIRST book unless your child isn't seeing any books until age 2. My daughter just turned one, and for her the pictures are still too busy. Also, it's not a board book so she can't "read" this book herself without risking the pages. I know we'll enjoy it later, but for now this book has been put away.

Daugher loves it!
My 3 year old recieved this as a birthday gift and she loves to look at all the busy things going on it it! Its one of my favorites too! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

In this, the original book about the curious monkey, George is taken from the jungle by the man in the yellow hat. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

One of My Favorite Books When I Was A Child!
When I was a child in the 1970's I loved The Curious George books by H.A. Rey and this is the very first book in the series and it is a very entertaining book about an adorable monkey named George who's curiosity gets him into all sorts of adventures and trouble. I checked this book out all the time from the public library and from the bookmobile that used to come to my school and I was very happy when I was finaly given my own copy to keep and I very highly recommend this cute book and all the rest of the books in The Curious George series!

What's wrong with being curious?
This famous children's book was the first of seven books by Rey about a monkey who is brought to the U. S. from Africa and who seems to have a penchant for getting into trouble. But, his curiosity keeps leading into new adventures and learning new things. The Ann Arbor reviewer of Oct. 7, 1998, clearly is angry at George. If that is the case, why not use the story to teach about rule breaking? I think it is very interesting to learn that the Reys had arrived in New York in 1940, having fled from the Germans invading France. In a way, they were just like George, forced to come to a new world and a new culture. I'll bet they got into trouble every now and then just because of their innocence and their curiosity.

Curiouser and curiouser
The world's most famous literary monkey. I hadn't read "Curious George" in years, and I was admittedly a little hesitant to do so when I saw the copyright date. 1941. Now due to the fact that George is originally from Africa, I had a sneaking fear and suspicion that there would be some terrible racist images to contend with. Imagine my surprise when I found that, as it happens, not a single horrid stereotype appears! Just the same, I have to point out that at the same time not a single positive stereotype appears either. This is a book bereft of people with skin that isn't white as newly driven snow. Bear this in mind.

Curious George does his darndest to live up to his name. A naughty little monkey, he is swiftly captured in Africa by the Man in the Yellow Hat (one prays he's no relation to "Tuck Everlasting"'s Man in the Yellow Suit). George is taken from his jungle paradise en route to the zoo. Along the way, George has a series of wild adventures. He takes a dip in the ocean (throwing up an amazing amount of saltwater and fish while he's rescued). He calls the fire department and is jailed. He escapes and flies around, balloons in hand. In the end, George is reunited with the Man in the Yellow Hat (who, despite the damage George has inflicted on the world and its civil servants, compensates only the balloon man). In the final parting shot of George, the monkey is happily ensconced in his new zoo life with the caption, "What a nice place for George to live!" This is definitely a pro-zoo book.

Personally, I've always been kind of taken with The Man in the Yellow Hat. Who the heck is this guy? Apparently he's a jaunty world adventurer with a penchant for monkeys. Most interesting is his striking resemblance to the pop on "Father Knows Best", pipe stuck squarely between his teeth, wise countenance advising his monkey ward. He isn't the best monkey watcher. Some might even argue that he's a bit lax in his attention, but he gets the job done. And you just gotta love the hat. Faaaabulous hat, yellow guy. All in all, it's a fine story. For kids who're interested in either monkeys or fiascos, this is a good monkey/fiasco tale. I'm a fiasco fan myself, so this book suits me fine. It's not, admittedly, my favorite but it has its charms.

Made me physically ill to read this book.
How anyone could like this book is really beyond me. This book should stay a relic of the past. My 4 year old picked this book out at the library and I read it to her. I really didn't remember the story. I was sick. Little George is kidnapped just because some man took a fancy to him, put in a bag and tied up and taken half way around the world to be imprisoned in a zoo?! How horrible. How can you explain to a little child about being tied up in a sack, first of all? Also, he goes to JAIL for making mistake by summoning the fire dept in error? This is also terrifying. Oh yes, he smokes too, but that seems to be the least of all of the horrors. Just because it's old doesn't mean its good.

great choice
In this book curious george goes on an adventure and gets into a little bit of trouble, as always! Read this book and get lost in the journey with the man in the yellow hat, george, and many other unsuspecting people in this book, I like it! ... Read more

Book Description

Generations of children have grown up reading and rereading A. A. Milne's verses, hums, and rhymes from his Winnie-the-Pooh storybooks and two volumes of poetry. This lovely gift collection gathers ten of these delightful verses, carefully chosen for the very youngest of Pooh's fans, accompanied by Ernest H. Shepard's beloved drawings in full color. Here are such favorites as "Furry Bear," "Us Two," "Vespers," and more.

Elegantly designed with a special padded cover and gold edges, this charming volume is the perfect introduction for a whole new generation to the Best Bear in All the World-Winnie-the-Pooh. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A favorite of my two year old daughter
What a pleasure to have well written poetry that appeals to my 2 year old daughter! This book is a current favorite of hers, and we read it to her every night. The classic poems by AA Milne are as appealing to me as they are to her, and the illustrations by Ernest H Shepard make me look forward to my daughter growing up with all of AA Milne's books.

One disappointment - nowhere in the book does it point out (for the parent reading them over and over) that the poems contained in the book are often parts of larger poems written by A.A. Milne. You'll need to find a different book if you want the full poems of "Us Two", "Vespers", and "Nursery Chairs" for example.

Otherwise, a great book to add to your child's collection! ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. "In Seuss's familiar rhymed couplets and illustrations, the Cat in the Hat shows Young Cat some wonderful stuff about reading with both eyes open."--School Library Journal. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

This book was dedicated to my father
I may have a biased opinion, because this book was dedicated to my late father, David Worthen. My father was an ophthalmologist and operated on Dr. Seuss' eyes in the late 1970s. To me, this book is about the importance of sight, which allows us to read, learn, explore, and imagine. I hope that someone will duplicate it in braille so that non-sighted people can enjoy it too.

Brilliant Encouragement for Memorization to Help Reading!
This is a fabulous book that every parent should read with their children!

Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. I Can Read with My Eyes Shut! was one of her picks.

To me, the brilliance of this book is in its title. This book encourages children to memorize this book. My four children all began to learn to read by first memorizing books. Then they could begin to match what they had memorized with words on the page. The next step was to then identify the word and be able to say it in an unmemorized book. Finally, they could read alone. Memorization is a key step, and I notice that many first-time parents don't realize that. Dr. Seuss provides the big clue here for children and parents. The choice of long words with funny sounds is particularly clever as a way to encourage memorizing. Who could decode Mississippi, Indianapolis, Hallelujah, Schenectady, and Wilkes-Barre the first time they saw them? Putting the place names on signs on a road emphasizes the child's obvious interest in becoming a driver some day. Brilliant!

Aside from the theme, the book has the great qualities of all Dr. Seuss's books for learning to read. There's lots of repetition. The adjectives can be translated into pictures, and the stories are humorously illustrated. For example, "I can read in red. I can read in blue. I can read in pickle color too." The four color words are all printed in a larger type size in the color described. The Cat in the Hat is wearing pickle color glasses that match the words "pickle color" in the sentence above. The rhyming scheme used throughout also makes it easier to memorize and progress.

The book also has wonderful conceptual material such as left and right examples, being upside down, and how the order of words in a sentence affects their meaning (mice on ice, and ice on mice).

Then lest your child get a subliminal message to ignore what is going on around you, Dr. Seuss points out the advantages of having your eyes open. "You'll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut."

After you have helped your child to memorize this book and begin to notice these words around her or him, I suggest that you try writing a book like this with your child on the same theme. You will probably have to do the writing down of words, but your child can certainly do the illustrations. In the process, you can begin to help your child learn about rhyming if you want to be ambitious. Afterwards, I suggest that you ask your child to tell you how he or she is learning to read, to encourage more consciousness of the role of memorization. Your enjoyment of poetry will always be enhanced by memorization. I suggest you try some for yourself as well.

Remember this advice!

What Can YOU do with your eyes shut?
What I appreciate about this book is it encourages reading and conversation between parents (or adult) and child who I think would be great to read this one together. It also stretches the imagination: "reading with eyes shut? How does the Cat in the Hat read 'Mississippi' with his eyes shut? Can YOU read with your eyes shut?"

...

Read this one WITH a child (and with creative humans of any age!) and talk about it... stretch the concept.... And see what else will open up with our eyes shut.

a great rhyming book
this book is another Dr. Seuss classic that uses rhyme in it and really catches your thoughts and eyes and makes you wanna keep on reading. It is a great starters book and i loved it

A child's laughter
This book by Dr. Seuss made my child laugh, and it caught her attention. She read it only as a child would, and she understood without question what it meant. An imagination is all you need, and she has plenty.

The words play around. The pictures grabbed at your attention. This is a great book, and I recommend it to every child and parent, as well.

Many thanks to Dr. Suess for enriching my child's imagination and sparking her love to read. ... Read more

Book Description

Jouanah's shocking introduction to her newly-translated mother is the unforeseen crisis point where her young life takes a sudden and decisive turn. Her story takes readers to the remote mountains of Southeast Asia, to the traditional home of the Laotian Hmong. All essential Cinderella elements are here to enthrall readers of all ages. Gorgeous artwork remains faithful in the depiction of the Hmong lifestyle and the high mountain villages. Now in its 4th printing, this book has been a classic addition to children's literature everywhere. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

an enjoyable variation of cinderella
Jouanah is a Hmong folktale which encompasses many of the elements of the oft told Cinderella, however, it also has unique variations which reflect the Hmong culture. In this tale, Jouanah's mother plays a crucial role as well as the evil stepmother and her daughter. It leaves the reader with the warm feeling of good triumphing over evil. The illustrations capture the style of the Blue Hmong Clan and the terrain of Southeast Asia in a dreamlike way. ... Read more

Reviews (68)

OK, so they totally leave you hanging.
I'm always ready to buy a new Jedi Apprentice book! This one was no exception, even though I'm a year over the "recommended age level" (9-12). But anyway! You aren't here to read about me, you're trying to find out more about this book, right? OK, here's my input.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are on Melida/Daan, where two "tribes" of people are always fighting each other. They can't find anyone, except "The Young," an underground group of teens, who want to make peace. Unfortunately, student and master disagree on so many things that eventually, Obi-Wan decides to stay with Cerasi and Nield, his new friends. This leads you to wondering: What's going to happen to Obi-Wan? Does Qui-Gon want him back? (Which, of course, is why you go on to read The Uncertain Path {#6})!

All in all, this was a pretty good read - the cover's pretty cool - and you'll have to read it so you can understand what happens in 6. So buy it if you think you want it! Then go get #6 and it'll leave you hanging for #7!

Perspective of The Defenders of the Dead
Excellently written, and an incredible and ironic ending give this book a total punchline for suspense in the Jedi:Apprentice series. Neild and Cerasi are two corrupt characters that when reading about their hatred, and Obi-wan's view of their passion, gave me a sense of thought that I have never had before. Explaining so much detail, not repeating information and a excellent description of Qui-Gon's emmotion when Obi-wan decides to stay on Melida/Daan. Although one thing that I must worry about is the future elements of the story in Jedi Apprentice #6. Jude Watson displays a cunning view of how kids can make so much of a difference. Never have I seen a series of books like Jedi: Apprentice. The Young and the truce of stopping the Melida and Daan from any more war is nearly a metaphoric moral that has been intrecated into the story to the point where it displays an interesting point. It's almost as if, the kids live under abusive parents, and their emmotions are so stirred up with hatred that they will stop at nothing to fix their parents relationship. In this story it's much the same. For this reason, I love the story, the book, and the moral. I have also read every other Jedi:Apprentice book except for #6. This one is the best I have read out of the entire series.

The planet Melida/Daan is under constant war
The planet Melida/Daan is under constant war. Living in the past, they take constant vengance for things that happened 100 years ago. A band of children led by 13 year olds Nield and Cerasi known as the Young are revolting against the Elders trying to save their planet. The fight has become personal to the Jedi's Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon and they're on different sides...

I liked the Defenders of the Dead because it's about fighting for a cause you believe in even if it costs you everything. It also has strong well-developed characters as well as a great plot and of course the fact that it's set in the Star Wars universe all these things combine to make it a great book.

This book would be great for almost anyone. Its story is flexible and could please fans of many genres. The person I would most recommend this book to is the Sci-fi/Adventure fan as those are the most prominent genres in this or any other Star Wars book. I give Defenders of the Dead 8 out of 10 stars.

WOW! great stuff
this book is about qui jon and obi won going on a reshue missoin to a war torn planet, the 2 sides in the conflict just keep on killing each other and jedi and padawan cant agree on anything! if ur child likes star wars and has read 1-4 no. 5 will be awosome!

Motivating
This one book was the reason of all my Star Wars craziness. I wanted to know what happened to Obi-Wan after he left the Jedi for the Young, so I borrowed all the others from my friend E-Dean, and got hooked. I like Star Wars books by Jude Watson, like the Episode I journals, Jedi Apprentice and Jedi Quest, though I still read other Star Wars books. I actually prefer the books to the movies. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Bartholomew and the Oobleck easily qualifies as a Seuss classic, first told way back in 1949. And its message--the importance of owning up to your mistakes and saying that you're sorry--is as timeless now as it was then.

Bartholomew Cubbins serves thanklessly as pageboy to King Derwin of Didd, a headstrong man who's decided he isn't satisfied with mere sun, fog, rain, and snow. ("Humph! The things that come down from my sky!") He wants something else, something uniquely his own, so he calls in his royal magicians ("Shuffle, duffle, muzzle, muff. Fista, wista, mista-cuff. We are men of groans and howls, mystic men who eat boiled owls"). Happy to oblige, the magicians tell the king they can make "oobleck" fall from the sky, only nobody--not even the magicians--knows just what oobleck is.But after a night of arcane incantations, everyone in the kingdom gets a taste of the stuff (in the case of the Captain of the Guard, literally!), as the green, gluey goo gums up everything in sight.

Of course, Bartholomew tries to help, but it's up to the king to save the day, as he learns to utter not magic words but simple words with magic in them: "I'm sorry." (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Science is fun, but not always
Bartholomew and the Oobleck is my favorite Seuss. The King wants something new to come from the sky. He's tired of the sun, the rain, the wind and the snow. He sends his magicians to their secret cave in mystic mountain Neekatave. In the morning green sticky oobleck falls from the sky and gums up the entire kingdom. It's great fun watching everything get stickier and sticker. Even the King gets stuck to his throne. Of course Bartholomew saves the day. And the King learns that the right thing to do when you've messed up other people's lives is apologize. Silly me, I'd hoped that my daughter would learn to apologize when she's made a mistake -- if kings can do it --- but she didn't get the message. Still, the book is delightful. I don't see it as an anti-science tale. Yes, lots of folks tried to talk the King out of his experiment, but scientists get that anti-science fear all the time. They have to ignore it or they can't do their jobs. The King didn't fire the magicians. This experiment was a failure. That didn't mean he should give up his throne and quit trying. He apologized, and went on with his life. That's the way life is.

Growing together,

Lois...

The power of two little words!
Boy, this book takes me back when I was very young. I really enjoyed it. And, now that I'm considerably older, I still enjoy it. It is a story about a king who is bored with the things that fall from the sky (for example, rain, snow, etc.) and orders his magicians to make something new. They come up with oobleck, a green, gooey substance. But, when it begins to fall, it messes up everything and the king's page, Bartholomew, teaches the king the power of the words, "I'm sorry." The book was a 1950 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustration in a children's book.

A great story for making up voices...
Although "Bartholomew and the Oobleck" is different in style than the Dr Seuss books most people are familiar with, it is still a good story. Bartholomew is pageboy to the king, and apparently the smartest person in the kingdom. When the king orders his magicians make "something new" fall from the sky, with disasterous consequences, which threaten to bury the kingdom under an ocean of green sludge, only Bartholomew takes action.

I love doing different voices when I read stories to children, and this book certainly lends itself to that as Bartholomew runs through the castle trying to alert people of the danger, and get help from anyone, exchanging dialogue with a large variety of people along the way.

I'm only giving this book 4 stars, instead of 5, because it doesn't hold the attention of my kids as well as many of the other books we own, but we certainly have a lot of fun with it anyway.

A timeless classic for children and adults
Bartholomew and the Oobleck begins with the King of Did being irritated and bored with the weather. His page, Bartholmew, tries to enlighten the king with simple common sense. The king ignores him and turns to (literally) magical solutions for his current peeve. When the results turn disastrous, Barthlomew tries to warn his friends in the castle. No one listens to him, being more concerned with their own business and as a result, they all end up worse off. Then, when the king finally listens to him, a ray of hope appears amidst the crisis.

Written in 1949, "Batholomew and the Oobleck", like its prequel, "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins" hardly feels like a Dr. Suess book. The illustrations look like charcoal sketches (except of course for the green oobleck) and the text lacks the sing-song poetry commonly associated with Suess books. Despite this, the Bartholomew books have withstood the tests of time and tastes because they touch on a subject that is near to the hearts of all children, but which is rarely addressed in children's literature. Many times children find themselves surrounded by adults hurrying about, fixated on their own agendas. When a child is in the thick of such a situation, he or she will often be ignored. After all, why should adults listen to children? BATO tells us why; children can sometimes see situations as clearly or moreso than adults specifically because they are not distracted by adult agendas! The lesson of BATO stands for all generations, and that is what makes it a timeless classic.

Scary!
This was without a doubt my favorite of all Seuss books.l It is different than the others, darker in tone and more daring.

The Oobleck might be a metaphor for nuclear proliferation, but whatever it is, it's sticky, nasty, green and scary. It rains from the sky (fallout?)and it gums up everything.

A brilliant book, and one that has kids shivering and adults wondering at the skill of Dr. Seuss to tell a kid's tale and at the same time, make some acerbic commentary. HIGHLY recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

‘Climo and Heller conflate several Korean variants of Cinderella to offer up the story of Pear Blossom, a lovely girl who is sorely mistreated by her nasty stepmother and stepsister.… At once comfortingly familiar and intriguingly exotic, the text is especially noteworthy for its instructive but unobtrusive incorporation of Korean words.’—Publishers Weekly. ‘Heller’s paintings are exotically lush and colorful as well as engaging.… An agreeable retelling of the Cinderella story.’ —BL.

Notable 1994 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A decent story with somewhat offensive illustrations
On one level I enjoyed this picture book-- the story is engaging, the illustrations are rich, vibrant, and seem to jump off the page, and it's apparent that the author did some research before writing this book. However, on another level, I was offended by the subtle racist undertones of one Westerner's portrayal of an "ethnic" Cinderella story. The feel of the story is "exotic"-- indeed, the story begins: "Long ago in Korea, when magical creatures were as common as cabbages..."

(The exotic East as seen through the eyes of the West-- and so the story continues.)
The illustrations, while they try to be faithful to the feel of traditional Korea, also exude a subtle racist undertone-- the illustrator clearly does not know how to draw Asian faces. The facial features are distorted and the eyes are too slanted. The illustrator drew from her perception of what Asian faces should look like-- yellow skin, slanted eyes-- and exaggerated these features.

I'd rather read a Korean Cinderella story written and illustrated by a Korean writer and illustrator.

As a sidenote-- Shirley Climo and Ruth Heller have also written/illustrated an Egyptian Cinderella. I have many of the same complaints with this story as well. Once again, there are racist undertones in both the story and the illustrations.

As a second sidenote-- if you're looking for an "ethnic" Cinderella story, _Yen-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China_ is excellent. It is a retelling of the first recorded Cinderella story (written some time during 618-907 AD). Thus, as the forward states: "Cinderella seems to have made her way to Europe from Asia."

A Longer Cinderella
This is one of the longest text versions of the Cinderella story I have ever come across. It is a wonderful telling of the tale, and works nicely to illustrate how this tale is part of many cultures the world over. I can't speak to the accuracy of the details of Korean culture, but the artwork is fascinating. Due to length of the story, however, I tend to wonder how well it would hold younger children's attention. It works well, though, for illustrating cultural difference to college students.

A beautifully illustrated book with authentic Korean details
A delightful retelling of a story that is found in many cultures. This book is beautifully illustrated with examples of traditional Korean architecture and clothing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Baby bat Stellaluna's life is flitting along right on schedule--untilan owl attacks her mother one night, knocking the bewildered batlet out of her mother's loving grasp. The tiny bat is lucky enough to land in a nest of baby birds, but her whole world has just turned upside down. Literally. Stellaluna's adoptive bird mom accepts her into her nest, but only on the condition that Stellaluna will act like a bird, not a bat. Soon Stellaluna has learned to behave like a good bird should--she quits hanging by her feet and starts eating bugs. But when she finally has an opportunity to show her bird siblings what life as a bat is like, all of them are confounded. "How can we be so different and feel so much alike?" one asks. "And how can we feel so different and be so much alike?" asks another. "I agree," Stellaluna responds. "But we're friends. And that's a fact." Anyone who has ever been asked to be someone they're not will understand the conflicts--and possibilities--Stellaluna faces. This gorgeously illustrated book is sure to be an all-time favorite with readers, whether they've left the nest or not. (Click to see a sample spread. Illustration from Stellaluna, © 1993 by Janell Cannon, reproducedby permission of Harcourt Brace & Company) (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Bats in a bird's world
I bought this book after a fellow classmate showed it to our Early Literacy Learning class. The illustrations were so beautiful I went out and bought it that day. I now use the book when I am substitute teaching and the children love it.

The story is of a bat that falls into a bird's nest and is raised as a bat. The differences between the two kinds of animals are explored and explained. The comical episodes of a bat trying to live in a bird's world are done in an expert manner. The book has a happy ending and afterwards there is a section of notes and facts on bats. I have used this book to kick-off lesson plans on bats and birds, and also in planning a unit lesson on the rain forest.

If for no other reason, this book will appeal to your children, because every one of us has been in a situation where we felt we didn't belong, or we were embarrassed because we were different in some way. Cannon shows children how they can be more like Stellaluna and find comfort in themselves and who they are as individuals, even when they feel like a bat in a bird's world.

Why 5 stars?:
This book is worth buying simply for the illustrations. But, the story is one that shows not only compassion on the part of Mama Bird, but Stellaluna learning she does not have to change who she is to fit in. The information provided about bats at the end of the book is a great resource for children wanting to learn about the title character. This book will make a great addition to any classroom or home library.

A book worthy of owning
My first reaction to the book when the owl swooped down on the bats was "Oh, no, another Bambi, mother-abandonment story." It was a good thing it all ended happily. The story had nice, heartwarming elements, from little Stellaluna anxious to please the mother bird, and the baby birds trying "bat tricks" to the final reunion of the bat and the birds, and all of them still getting along.

I read this to my two-year old, and she loved it and she learned things from it. I would recommend it for an audience younger than 4.

I judge a book as well-written if the parent can read it over and over again on request and still find the book appealing. This book passed the test.

Not for adopted, orphaned, or step-kids!
I was shocked at the ending-Stellaluna is reunited with her birth family. That never happens to adopted or orphaned children, nor do stepchildren ever see their original family reunited. I'm not sure who this book is for-I don't see anything in it that children who have never "lost" a parent can identify with. For children that have "lost" a parent, the book just reinforces magical thinking. There are too many other great books out there-skip this one.

Stellaluna Review
This book is about a young fruit bat, who gets separated from her family and has to learn how to live like another bird. She has to overcome sittin