Book Description

Bringing the amazing world of words to children ages five and older.

This exciting photographic encyclopedia is packed with clear, well-researched information and quizzes for curious minds. Lively photographic design makes it especially appealing for children ages 6 and up. Bite-sized key points, fact buttons, and quiz questions bring information to life. Exciting project ideas and games boost learning and capture children's imagination. Also supports school curriculum. ... Read more

Book Description

Master the SSAT/ISEE provides comprehensive preparation for the two most common private school admission exams, the upper-level SSAT and ISEE tests. The book includes in-depth subject review for verbal, math, reading comprehension, writing skills with extensive examples and practice questions. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This is why we homeschool
I've put 5 kids through public school, and even those kids, now parents themselves, think this book is a bit over the top. I'd ask my 11 year old, but there's no way he'll be seeing it any time soon. This book is most appropriate for older kids, 9th grade and above. It's troubling that 12 year olds are quoted about issues such as "making out" and oral sex. It does contain some good advice about things like dealing with peers, dealing with sexual harrassment, handling the different school setting, and other things, but it isn't appropriate for middle schoolers, regardless of the title.

This is a great book!
This book is the perfect guide for any kid who's entering the challenging years of junior high. The author handles difficult topics in a humorous and informative way. Plus, there's lots of advice from other kids who have already been there. So along with the pens, notebooks and lunch, slip a copy of this survival guide into your middle-grader's backpack.

An absolute MUST!!!
I found this on a bookstore shelf by pure luck. After skimming through it and seeing the wide range of topics it covers, I grabbed two copies for neighbors entering Middle School next month.

MSSG is a plain-speaking book written with honesty and wit. It deals with pretty much any problem adolescents may face, not only in school, but in life: the harder work load in MS, acne, dating, drugs, handling bullies, sexual situations, divorce and much more. Let's face it. Kids don't always want to talk to their parents, even (maybe especially?) about important things. They ask their friends for advice. Now they have this book.

If you think you might benefit from this book, you WILL!!! ... Read more

Book Description

One of the oldest and best ways to teach kids languages, updated for the 21st century

Grownups have been using simple songs to teach young children the rudiments of languages since long before people danced sur le pont d'Avignon. Now the Let's Sing and Learn series, CD Editions brings that tried-and-true method up-to-date for today's modern kid. Each book/CD set contains collection of 20 original songs that combine catchy melodies with simple, cleverly-disguised lessoning vocabulary and expression.

Written by accomplished songwriter-linguists, the songs cover a variety of subjects, including greetings, colors, counting, the alphabet, the days of the month, relationships, and more. And most importantly, the songs are easy to learn and fun to sing, making them the perfect medium for introducing children, ages three to six, to the words, accents, and rhythms of other languages.

Each book/CD set includes:

• 20 original tunes covering an array of everyday subjects
• A CD recording of the songs that provides a model of proper pronunciation and rhythm
• Simple musical scores that parents and teachers can use to accompany young learners
• English translations for each song and suggested actions

Reviews (4)

Easy to sing along!
I just love the CD to sing along with my baby. The quality of the CD is very good, the words are clearly spoken and repeated, and the melodies are fun and playful. I also liked having the book to follow along and make sure I have understood the words. I highly recommend this book/CD for those who want to make it fun for their baby to begin to learn the melody and words of a new language.

Great for classroom use!
I have used this book and cassette of Spanish songs in elementary classrooms to supplement our learning of Spanish. I have also recommended it to the teachers I work with during in-service sessions. The songs reinforce the material covered in the classroom: days of the week, parts of the body,colors, saying your name, sounds of the vowels and much more. The tunes are catchy and easy to learn. You find yourself humming them all day long which of course means you're menatlly "practicing" Spanish too! I appreciate this book so much I have recommended it in the reading list of my own book, "Say It in Spanish! Language and Activities for the Elementary Classroom."

FUN, BUT NOT TOO INFORMATIVE OR INSTRUCTIONAL
I PURCHASED THIS BOOK/CASSETTE IN THE HOPES THAT MY SON WOULD LEARN SPANISH (OR A BIT OF SPANISH AT LEAST) WHILE HAVING FUN SINGING THE MUSIC. HE NOW KNOWS THE WORDS TO ALL OF THE SONGS IN SPANISH, BUT HE HAS NOT A CLUE TO WHAT HE IS SINGING. IT IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED. THERE IS NO INSTRUCTION OR TRANSLATION. I WOULD ONLY RECOMMEND IT TO SOMEONE WHO WAS LOOKING FOR A SPANISH CHILDRENS CASSETTE, NOT TO ONE WHO IS LOOKING TO LEARN SOME OF THE LANGUAGE.

This book & cassete set is fun, easy and imminently helpful!
I purchased the book and cassette set when I was trying to teach myself spanish. I was 16 at the time, and though the songs on the tape are definitely geared toward younger kids, the music is very catchy, and 7 years later I can still sing those songs. (To be honest, when I had Spanish tests in High School, I could sing the songs in my head and remember what I needed to know!) In addition to sentence structure, the set teaches a vocabulary including colors, animals, verbs, numbers, clothing, and more. I *strongly* recommend this book and cassette to anyone learning, refreshing, or teaching spanish. I found it to be an invaluable tool. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Easy Grammar for 20 years!!
I have been teaching in a private school for 20 years. I have been using this workbook since the beginning. It still holds up as the most solid workbook for language arts skills. My original teacher's edition is falling apart, but continues to be my most used workbook. Its approach is simple and straight-forward. It is easy for the students to understand and provides logical sequence of language arts skills. The children enjoy working from this book better than any of the other various publishers I use. I have used these practice pages for fourth graders through high school students. It is what the title says: Easy Grammar.

From a Homeschool Mom
This book approaches teaching parts of speech and grammar by first introducing the preposition and prepositional phrase. Once the student can identify and eliminate the prepositional phrases in a sentence, determining the subject, verb and other parts of speech is then made much easier. I have found that going through this book with my children has helped improve my understanding of this complex subject.

Preparing perfect writers in your classroom
Are you a language arts teacher? Do you want to be sure that you are teaching grammar, tenses, punctuation properly? Do you ever have questions about parts of speech, clauses? Methodically using this book will ensure that you are teaching the necessary conventions to enrich your students' writing. It is a book every intermediate teacher needs in his/her professional library. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (4)

Spiral binding is NOT a good idea for little fingers...
I'm giving this book 1 star with great sadness because my 13-month-old loves it. However, the spiral binding is a terrible idea. We have some of the other Priddy Bicknell books, and they've held up just fine. For 13 months, she's actually very careful. But even adults have some problems with spiral bindings (think of those photo albums with pages starting to tear out), so it was no great surprise when some of the pages ripped. And because of the binding, you can't tape them back in. If you want to read this with your child, fine, but what kid doesn't want to turn the pages herself?? Either plan to replace this---FREQUENTLY---or buy some of the other Priddy books instead.

Best Picture Book I have Found to date
While "My Big World Book" is also terrific, this is even better, no questions asked. More relevant to daily life and words children NEED to know at the preschool age, this book helps children from all walks of life learn new words daily.
The picture quality is also excellent.

I would recommend this book most of all for all parents wanting to spend time with their child, teaching them to label and learn new nouns. It's fun!

Great book!
I got this book for my one year old twins, and they simply love this book. I also have Roger Priddy's "My Big Animal Book" which they also love. My Big Word Book is not a board book, but I still show this book to my girls. I like how this book contains a large variety of things we see everyday, and I use it to complement the animal book. My girls love looking at bright and colorful photographs, and I think this book is a great teaching tool for parents. I highly recommend this book for parents with young children.

The best word book I have seen!
I have gotten numerous first word books for my two toddlers, and this one by far is the best. The pictures are fabulous, the words are words that are genuinely applicable, not wierd things that kids never use. The book also has a section with colors, the alphabet, shapes, and numbers. It is well organized and the pages aren't crammed so full of pictures and words that the kids can't focus on anything. There are several pictures/words on each page, but not too many. The pages are thicker than normal pages so they don't rip as easily, and it is spiral bound, so they turn easier. My little boy and little girl both LOVE this book, and I like it a lot better than other first word books that I have gotten for them. It's a high quality book, definitely worth getting! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Superb
I can't imagine a better way to help young people put their"if only's" into action. Kids can choose from small orlarger time involvements, but this book will help them not WASTE time as they begin helping others in their communities. Many specific ideas and even templates to help the first-time volunteer feel comfortable reaching out, giving, and maybe even changing the world a little.

how kids can practice their idealism
This upbeat, engaging book tells young adults --say, 10 and up-- specific ways they can make a difference. Even those vaguely wanting to "do something" may get inspired by the book's stories of caring kids, their ideas, and what skills they developed to get results. My 12-year-old glued herself to the book for several days, then organized a neighborhood campaign to help the homeless in our town. The book helped with ideas for letters, interviews, speeches, surveys, and many resources and contact info. Now I'm reading it! ... Read more

Book Description

This is the definitive thesaurus for middle school and high school students. No other book at this level offers as many synonyms, example sentences, or features.
• 6,000 main entries, with more than 70,000 synonyms in all
• Clear example sentences for every meaning of every entry word
• Word Group features include related vocabulary for words with no true
synonyms ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Just what we needed
As a homeschooling mom I was furstrated with the old edition we were trying to use. This one has been perfect though I know we will have to get a more advanced one as the kids get older.

If you teach children you must have this book!
This book is an amazing resource for children. My children literally fight over who gets to use the book next. I highly recommend it for any classroom grades 4-7.

If you teach children you must have this book!
Teaching fifth graders English is a large task. It is hard to find meaningful resources to assist in the writing process. I highly recommend this thesaurus for any teacher wanting to improve student vocabulary and teach reference skills. My children literally fight over who gets to use the book next! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good book but did history stop in 1949?
Both of my children have found this book (and others in the series) extremely helpful. The language is clear and concise. The illustrations and timelines are most helpful. I like the short biographies in each section about not well known, yet important people.

I have the "Updated Edition, 1997" book. My one complaint is that this book's details and explanations of history stops at 1949. There have been many American history moments since then which are acknowledged in an appendix outline. However, many of these events deserve much more attention, like the history before 1949 gets. Shoot, the 1960's alone are a whole chapter! Maybe in the next edition the publisher could include details on the last 50 years.

This Book Was Great!
I am studying for the MSAT and this book was an excellent review for the history section! It is written in simple words and the illustrations were very helpful! I also have the one reviewing world history! =o) ... Read more

Book Description

Tomás is a son of migrant workers. Every summer he and his family

follow the crops north from Texas to Iowa, spending long, arduous days in the

fields. At night they gather around to hear Grandfather's wonderful stories.

But before long, Tomás knows all the stories by heart. "There are more

stories in the library," Papa Grande tells him.The very next day,

Tomás meets the library lady and a whole new world opens up for him.

Based on the true story of the Mexican-American author and educator

Tomás Rivera, a child of migrant workers who went on to become the first

minority Chancellor in the University of California system, this inspirational

story suggests what libraries--and education--can make possible.Raul

Colón's warm, expressive paintings perfectly interweave the harsh

realities of Tomás's life, the joyful imaginings he finds in books, and

his special relationships with a wise grandfather and a caring librarian.




... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Hearwarming, True Story.....
"It was midnight. The light of the full moon followed the tired old car. Tomas was tired too. Hot and tired. He missed his own bed, in his own house in Texas. Tomas was on his way to Iowa again with his family..." Tomas' family were migrant workers. As his parents toiled in the fields during the day picking corn in the hot Iowa sun, Tomas and his brother, Enrique, tried to stay cool under the shade of trees, listening to the old stories told by their grandfather, Papa Grande. "Tomas, you know all my stories, " he said. "There are many more in the library. You are big enough to go by youself. Then you can teach us new stories." The library was large and cool, and had more books than Tomas had ever imagined. But more importantly, the librarian was very kind and took the young boy under her wing. And with her help, opens up a whole new world for Tomas; the love of books and learning..... Based on the story of Tomas Rivera, a migrant worker who grew up to become an educator and eventually chancellor of the University of California at Riverside, Tomas And The Library Lady is a heartwarming and inspiring story. Pat Mora's sweet, simple, and quiet text is complemented by Raul Colon's gentle and evocative illustrations and together word and art detail the joys of reading, and the wonderful impact one person can have on a young life. Perfect for children 4-8, Ms Mora includes a short biography of Tomas Rivera at the end to complete the story.

inviting-like the library!
This is a short story of a boy named Tomas, who needs more stories than his grandfather can tell, and so he goes to the library. Poor, migrant and Hispanic, he finds a friendly, caring librarian who provides him with the books he needs to nurture his spirit. The illustrations are warm and textured, lending a rich (almost biblical) quality. The experiences of Tomas, and his fertile imagination, are easily recognizable to children of all ages. The historical note on his later success in life is added incentive to keep going to the library for good books, like this one!

Tomas makes reading a life changing experience
This book is the wonderful true story of Tomas Rivera who was the son of migrant workers and became the chancellor of the University of California at Riverside.

My sister and nephews were in town and they took a trip to the library with their Nana(my mom). I believe that my sister grabbed this book, because it mentioned the library lady. I liked the fact that the author dedicated this book to Tomas Rivera and "for librarians who lure us in."

I read this book to my oldest nephew while he was here. He was absolutely mesmerized by this book. The author draws you in with the tale of Tomas Rivera's life and how his life changed when he discovered the library. The illustrations in the book were beautifully drawn and colorful.

Tomas lived with his Mama, Papa, Papa Grande and his little brother, Enrique. His parents were migrant workers. They picked fruit in Texas in the winter and in Iowa in the summer. They were on their way to Iowa for the summer.

Tomas had always enjoyed listening to his Papa Grande's stories, and he knew all of them by heart. So, Papa Grande encouraged Tomas to go to the library in Iowa and tell them more stories. The next morning when he reaches the library he becomes very intimidated by the big library. Well, things change once he meets the library lady.

She is so warm and inviting to Tomas that Tomas spends the whole day at the library reading. Using her own card, the library lady checks out two books for Tomas to take home and read. While reading, Tomas gets lost in adventures with dinosaurs.

During the course of the summer, Tomas teaches the library lady some Spanish, while she encourages him to read more books. There is a tearful goodbye as Tomas gives the library lady some pan dulce(sweet bread) and she gives him a book.

I'm glad that the author put a note about the story at the end of the book. The note gives a brief synopsis of Tomas Rivera's life.

The major reason I liked this book is the fact that it is encouraging children to read. Reading is the big key to education and success. Also, I think that it is encouraging adults to read to their children, which is definitely important. This book is definitely designed for four to eight year olds.

Tomas and the Library Lady should be a part of every child's life.

A story inspired by a true-life hero!
Attention teachers! Add this one to the classroom library. All students will find a true hero in this story. Many of my ESL students identified with Tomas and his struggle for literacy. This book invites the reluctant student to read ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great for kids of all ages!
My kids have all loved this book from the age of 16 months. Most toddlers love to find the "banana" (or many other items on each page) when asked to find the banana. Every year they will find some new picture that they never noticed before. My five-year old is into "pirate", while my 18-month old loves the "hundred" stars. There is so much to look at on every page! I will give this book as a gift to my nieces and nephews for years to come.

Great dictionary for young children!
The best thing about this dictionary is that it has a picture for EVERY word. It allows children who are not reading yet to identify the words by themselves. In addition, this dictionary is in alphabetic order. I have looked through numerous 'picture' dictionaries which group words in subject (i.e. science, nature, body, etc.) To me, this is confusing if you are trying to truly look up a word. As well as the other 'picture' dictionaries did not have pictures for every word. This is wonderful for my kindergartener to be able to look up words on her own. In addition, her school is working on letters each week and she is able to look up words for the letter of the week to get ideas of items she can bring in! I think this dictionary should be a required book for children starting school, it's GREAT! ... Read more

Book Description

A startling amalgam of Zulu war-cry and Sherlock Holmes, of practical tips on health and hygiene and object lessons in woodcraft, Scouting for Boys (1908) is the original blueprint and inspiration for the Boy Scout Movement.An all-time bestseller in the English-speaking world, second in its heyday only to the Bible, it is one of the most influential manuals for youth ever published, known and loved around the world. Including all of Baden-Powell's original illustrations, this new critical edition of Scouting for Boys serves up a wonderful hodge-podge of true crime stories, stern moralizing, stock adventure tales, natural history, first-aid tips, advice on observation and tracking, and much more. Readers will find a roughly composed pastiche of jingoist lore and tracker legend, padded with lengthy quotations from adventure fiction--from Rudyard Kipling and James Fenimore Cooper, to Alexander Dumas and Arthur Conan Doyle--and seamed through with the multiple anxieties of its time: fears of degeneration ('the fall of the Roman empire was due to bad citizenship') and a constant worry over imminent war. Alongside practical instructions on how to light fires, build a boat, or stalk animals (or men), it includes sections on chivalry, self-discipline, self-improvement, and citizenship. Indeed, the book brims with Baden-Powell's philosophy of life, one that replaces self with service, puts country before the individual, and duty above all.The introduction by Elleke Boehmer illuminates the book's maverick complexity and her notes clarify obscure references. Though almost a century old, Scouting for Boys continues to fascinate, surprise, and motivate readers today. It will delight anyone interested in popular culture, Victorian history, and literature for children. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"The British Empire wants your help"
At the very beginning of the twentieth century, retired General Robert Baden-Powell, the hero of the siege of Mafeking, coalesced his ideas for an organization to train young British boys in scouting for the British Empire. Not a very organized thinker, Baden-Powell borrowed heavily from all sorts of unrelated resources - newspaper articles, military dispatches, fiction, and much more - and produced this, his first book on scouting. Originally published as six separate books, this book brings all of them together, complete with original illustrations.

Now, as might be expected from its roots, this book reflects a lot of the biases and ways of thinking from Edwardian England. But, leaving that aside, this is a fun and interesting book that shows clearly the forms that have stayed with the Boy Scouts movement to this very day. The introduction was written by Elleke Boehmer, a professor of Colonial and Postcolonial literature, and is a fairly predictable deconstruction/analysis of B-P and his movement.

Now, as a newcomer to Scouting (my son is a Tenderfoot) did I find anything useful in this book? I sure did. Robert Baden-Powell was very knowledgeable about the subject, and this book sure shows it. (I never thought of tying my shoes like that!) Of course some of the information is out of date, especially the first-aid information, so it isn't really usable by the boys "as is." But, this is a nice resource, one that shows you where Scouting started.

Oh, and I must say that I actually enjoyed the somewhat jumbled organization of this book. It isn't as scholarly and antiseptic as modern Boy Scout books, and the stories and tales laced throughout make the reading much more fun. Plus, I did find the focus on some subjects, such as logic and deductive reasoning, to be quite interesting. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to you! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A+ for Foreign People
I've recommended this book for people, who want to improve the writing skill. I found this book very helpful for foreign people. The book contains the basic ideas and good examples.

A Must Read Book on Grammar!
This book is a masterpiece that everyone, student or adult, shouild read. It clearly illustrates the fundamentals of good writing and conveys complex ideas in an understandable way. Mr. Terban has clearly written the best grammar book on the market and every classroom should have a copy. Plus, it is a very useful tool for highschool student studying for the SAT's or SAT2's in writing. I highly advise anyone who wishes to improve his or her grammar to pick up a copy.

A must for students of grammar
This is a wonderful reference for both children and adults alike. In fact, I am ordering 6 copies for my classroom so that my students can have an easily understood, well written guide to use as they muddle through all of the eccentricities of English Grammar. ... Read more

Book Description

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

Reviews (2)

EXCELLENT RECOMMENDED READING
This wonderful book of elementary school life poems was a recommended summer reading for my 5th grader. I thank the one who recommended it. She loves it. I recommend it for all ages...I love it too and I'm a few decades past the 5th grade. Get this one for your child and he/she will thank you with their pleasure of the book and their reading to you.

If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand
This book, so acurately subtitled "Poems About School," is a hit with students and teachers alike. Ms Dakos takes everyday elementary school situations and problems, and -- through her poetry-- manages to pinpoint the goings on in every classroom in America using humor and sensitivity. The student with the messiest desk, the boy who cries at the drop of a hat, the new kid who hates math, the child who comes to class with more alibis than homework assignments, the children who just can't follow the rules, are all members of the class in Ms Dakos' first book, "If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand-- Poems About School." This is truly a "class" anthology! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Packed full of great info!
This book, like the others in the series, is full of bright pictures, diagrams and charts.

The chapters are:

What's Life All About? (with an easy to understand description of the various plant and animal kingdoms)

The Animal Kingdom

The Plant Kingdom

Ecology and the Landscapes of Life

Planet Earth

Outer Space

The Physical World

The basic concepts are simply explained, with helpful graphics, so it is very easy to understand.

From the history of plants on earth to the effects of erosion on the earth and oceans, to the table of elements and the laws of motion, every concept is easy to grasp.

This is a wonderful book, and my kids really enjoy it.

Highly recommended for children from 2nd through 8th grade. (Although the book says 4 - 6 grades.)

Everything You Need to Know About Science Homework
I am an educator, and in my opinion, this book is an excellent, entertaining resource chockful of scientific information. It covers topics in biology, earth science, chemistry and even physics. The color, interesting illustrations are well done and informative. ... Read more

Book Description

New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

Here is a spectacular and informative guide to the life and times of the medieval knight and his followers. Superb color photographs of everything from suits of armor to the lord and lady of the manor in full costume offer a unique "eyewitness" view into the lives of medieval people at peace and during wartime.See a horse's armor, medieval siege engines, how armor is made, how a castle is attacked and defended, how a knight put on his armor and the weapons of a Japanese samurai. Learn the rules of jousts and tournaments, the language of heraldry, how the sections of a suit of armor were joined together, how a falconer trained his hawk and why the Crusades were important. Discover who treated the wounded on a medieval battlefield, how knights hunted for deer, the way the first guns worked and how a knight recruited his followers, and much, much more! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Got out of knights
It was pretty good, but it was kind of showing out of the knight period. They wrote a lot about castles and it was titled knights. This bothered me. I really liked how it showed what a knight has as his duty.

Interest your children in REAL history
DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other nonfiction picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful museum-quality photos of all things related to knights, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about medieval life, knights, armor, etc. If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated by medieval times and knights, then you must introduce them to this book!

Captured his interest for days! He keeps going back to it.
My 10 year old son is fascinated with all things midevil. This book shows the armor, weopons, and lifestyle of knights. The photos are excellent and the copy is interesting. Your child may need a little help with some of the vocabulary.

Not the best.
Boring, boring, boring. This book wasn't good. It had anlmost no imfo. I didn't like this book.

For grown-ups AND kids alike
I own several books from the Eyewitness Series and I am imprssed with them all. Why weren't these used as textbooks when I was in elementary school :)

The pictures are quite vivid and there is so much content inside the book. You WILL come away with a greater knowledge and better appreciation of history of knighthood! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Homophone fun with Mr. G!!
Most people over the age of, say, 28 will remember Fred Gwynne most for his role as the flat-headed, bolt-necked Herman Munster on the TV show, "The Munsters." He also starred in a number of miscellaneous movies and "Car 54, Where Are You?" However, many people do not know that he is a gifted and very humorous author of children's picture books. "The King who Rained" is but one of his fine works for children that plays with language, especially homophones.

Homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled differently or have multiple meanings, and this book is full of 'em!! A little girl explains all the odd things she hears her family say, like "Daddy says he has a mole on his nose". The accompanying illustration has a tall, thin man (who looks profoundly like Mr. Gwynne himself) with a small, brown, furry subterranean mammal perched on his nose. Similarly, the girl's mother is "a little horse" sometimes and asks for the throat spray ("when I bring it to her, she calls me a little deer"). The title of the book itself is a wonderful play on words as well.

Mr. G. has written and illustrated three books of homophones, "The King Who Rained" as well as "A Chocolate Mouse for Dinner" and "A Little Pigeon Toad". He's also written a beautiful and very funny book about a girl taking her mutt dog to a dog show, "Easy to See Why."

All these books by Mr. Gwynne are easy to read and lavishly illustrated with large pictures. They're perfect choices to bring into any classroom to illustrate English homonyms and idiom. When I use them in class, I encourage students to create their own (of course, I also love to tell them a bit about Mr. Gwynne the actor, too!!). This and other works by Mr. G. come highly recommended!!

Excellent Book for Fun & Teaching
"The King Who Rained"" written & illustrated by Fred Gwynne, Aladdin Paperbacks, / Simon & Schuster 1970

Homonym is the term for words which sound alike but mean different things. Because of its historical roots in both the Germanic and Latin branches of the Indo-European language family, the English language is rich in homonyms. Fred Gwynne, the noted TV actor, plays upon "reign", (from Latin/French roots, and meaning to rule), and the word "rain", from the Old Anglo-Saxon, and meaning "water dropping from the heavens". His front cover shows a king in ermine robes contentedly raining on the countryside, while a young girl, with an umbrella, gazes up at the ruler. This kind of thing continues through the book, making every page funny and interesting.

The illustrations are colorfully done in what appears to be pastel chalks, and Fred Gwynne has probably included some autobiographical drawings as, for example, the Daddy with the mole on his nose is easily recognizable as the TV actor. This book is nicely illustrated and will provide many hours of reading enjoyment and learning.

Personally, I found that the child-reader has to be in the first or second grade, or at least fairly well exposed to the nuances of the English language, or else the play on words, using homonyms, will be lost. The younger children appeared to be interested in the illustrations alone, which are stand-alone funny.

Gwynne makes me Grin!
I knew about Fred Gwynnes'writing and artwork in children's books. This was the first one I bought, what a delight!.. I'll be back for more!

this was so funny
that was one of the funniest books that i ever read!!! such work

The King Who Rained
This book is about a girl who will take what people say and tell the reader how she sees it. Like when her mom says she has a frog in her throat, so she thinks her mom has a real frog in her throat. This book is a realy easy reader for young children and a fun one that you can laugh at . ... Read more

Book Description

Beginning drawing and writing lessons for children ages five to ten. The Boxed Set includes Books 1 through 8 of the Draw Write Now series. The books are simple enough for a young child to do independently, but a teacher or parent may present the lessons. Each drawing lesson includes a colorful picture and step-by-step instructions, while the writing lesson includes four simple handwritten sentences. The teacher or parent may introduce letter formation, have the children copy the sentences for handwriting practice, or use the lessons as a springboard for creative writing or report writing. Developed by an elementary school teacher and co-authored by her daughter. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Can't Keep Them On the Shelves!
I am a teacher-librarian and I can't keep these drawing books on the shelves! I am always looking for drawing books and these are perfect for the primary and early elementary age group. The simple instructions and diagrams help the children to produce realistic drawings which are the starting point for a host of creative projects! I've noticed that the children are becoming more confident in their ability to draw and they are developing a LOVE of drawing. Tell me where to get more books like these!

Grab the colored pencils!
Colored pencils and a pad of paper are all your children (ages about 7-12) will need to get started making fun recognizable drawings. Simple line art - in a "draw this line" ... "now add this curve" format will guide your child to succesful illustrations for school projects or just for enjoyment.

The format for each drawing also includes a simple (grade 1 or 2) story in 2-3 sentences about the drawing (hence the "Write" part of the title) which your child can include in his final drawing.

But the best part is the grouped topics which provide lots of examples of items to draw within a given subject area (artic region, deserts, farm animals, pilgrims, etc.) 2nd-3rd graders and up can combine various components parts to build fairly elaborate scenarios, and all the items in the drawing will be recognizable (no more, "Mmm, Johnny. Very nice. Please tell me about THIS part of your picture") and so the satisfaction level on the part of the child is high.

This is not a comprehensive drawing curriculum. It probably isn't going to be helpful for an artistically gifted child, but us average joes who want to make a horse look like a horse and not a dog, it's a great tool and will provide many hours of drawing enjoyment for a child who likes to work independently.

This multi-volume set includes all the titles, but each title is also available separately. ... Read more