Reviews (1)

Come to My Tea Party: Fun and Friendship for Young Ladies
I am absolutely delighted with this book - it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise. My granddaughter is having a tea for her fifth birthday party, and I wanted to get her a book on tea parties to make it more fun for her. I'm not sure how I chose this book, but I am so happy with the choice. It is about a little girl named Colleen who goes to Miss Sandy's Tearoom for a very special birthday surprise. She is given a tea set, three stuffed animals and suggestions on how to have tea parties with her friends to make them feel very special. There are food and project suggestions, as well as reference to some Bible verses. The illustrations combine with the stories to make a very beautiful book. I've decided to keep this book at my house to read to my granddaughters when they are with me so I can enjoy it with them. ... Read more

Book Description

All those who enjoyed shuddering their way through Alvin Schwartz's first volume of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark will find a satisfyingly spooky sequel in this new collection of the macabre, the funny, and the fantastic.

Is it possible to die -- and not know it? What if a person is buried too soon? What happens to a thief foolish enough to rob a corpse, or to a murderer whose victim returns from the grave? Read about these terrifying predicaments as well as what happens when practical jokes produce gruesome consequences and initiations go awry.

Stephen Gammell's splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories -- and even a scary song -- all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark.

Reviews (32)

This Amazing book More Scary Stories to tell in the dark
If you like scaring people out of their mind this is a book you would want to read. More Scary Stories to tell in Dark by Alvin Schwartz is a great book.
One story called 'The Wreck' takes place in the woods. Fred and Jeanne are at a dance and Jeanne wanted a ride home. She had run her car into a tree on the way to the dance and Fred ended up giving her a ride home. After he dropped her off he realized he didn't know her last name or her phone number, so on the way back something amazing happened. If you want to find out what happens remember to read this amazing collection of scary tales.

More Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark
Alvin Schwartz can write some really scary stories. While I was reading this book I kept getting scared. Some parts in this weren't very scary though. But most of the time the stories were scary or funny. I would recommend this book to people who like getting scared or like to read funny stories. I like the fact that this book has lots of short stories. They leave you wondering what will happen next.

this is a book for all ages , excitingly scary yet wonderful
Alvin Schwartz has created his folklore masterpiece that you can enjoy alone or with family . this book is way bettere than the first but not overshadowed by the third . all three are good but this one is the best by far . Stephen Gammell's art is one of the key parts that make this a classic . this gives a good look at the american horror mind . this is good for first graders and collage studants alike . buy this book .

The scaries book
This book is one of the books I enjoyed the most because it had many different kind of scary stories that had read in the past and made into one book. Some stories had picturess in them, and they lookedvery scary. The pictures help to tell you to know what going on in the book. It is best to read it in the dark whith your friend or whoever you read it to will be shaking and shivering from the first stories to the end of the book. I try it once and it made the book scarier. Tis is one of the scariest book I had read in the past two years. This book is terrifying, it's scarry and it will chill your bones.

More Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark
This book that I read is a magnificent book. It is also scary because I think some of the stories are real and some of them are fake. They also have many diffrent kind of stories, but the absolute favorite story is called The Drum. It's about a haunted house and two people that died there. Their souls are captured in the house then two people moved into that house every night they come out beating a drum. Every time the people that moved they never see nobody beating a drum. Every time they get out of bed they stop druming and when they go back to sleep they start to do it again. While they are beating the drum as hard as they can they also scream GET OUT OF OUR HOUSE! ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Past Perfect, Present Tense, Newbery award winning authorRichard Peck ruminates on the finer points of short story writing in concise but curmudgeonly prose.Peck provides introductory notes for each of four sections; "The First" explores his well-known early work "Priscilla and the Wimps;" "The Past" includes Peck's historical shorts; "The Supernatural" is a collection of four well-crafted ghost stories; and "The Present" showcases Peck's more recent contemporary fare. Peck rounds out the four sections of stories with two brief chapters of writing advice that speak to the reader with the clarity of personal experience. Notable excerpts include: "You have to read a thousand stories before you can write one;" and "The only writing is rewriting, and I write each of my...stories six times because I can't get them well-wrapped in the first five tries."

Peck never condescends to his audience of aspiring young writers. Instead, his tone will remind readers of their very favorite English teacher, the one that respected and encouraged their clumsy first endeavors. Peck is, and has always been, the standard against which other Young Adult authors have been measured, and any aspiring teen writer would do well to study the pages of Past Perfect, Present Tense before embarking on their first piece of fiction. (Ages 10 and older) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Book Description

Nice is Overrated.

"The perfect book for the budding Count Olaf or Sauron in your family... or for you." -- Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline

NASTY ('nas-te) adj. 1. Twisted. 2. Spitefully unfair. 3. Causing dangerous and severe laughter. SYNONYMS: Hilarious. Deliciously fun. Sample usage: "What a nasty, wicked book, filled with mayhem and mischief." "Only nasty criminals would kidnap a cuddly teddy bear!" "Monsters attacking 'cause a kid picks his nose? That's nasty." "A witch on the Internet, a superhero who farts? All nasty too!" ANTONYMS: Nice. Boring. Plain old ordinary.

Why can’t really cool parents dump their uncool offspring?
Why can’t talented imaginary friends desert their boring creators?
Why can’t pop stars be changed... into rodents?

Well, here they can! Barry Yourgrau’s NASTYbook is jam-packed with delightful wickedness for the kind of readers who can’t get enough of bad endings, rude twists, and assorted nasty mischief... (And don’t think we don’t know who you are.)

Reviews (1)

If you have a brain, u will buy this book!
I read this book and just thought it was the most hilarious book EVER! Even if you are an adult, read this book! You will LOVE IT!!!!! ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Provides fun situations and entertaining tales
In The SOS Files, Arthur Howard provides the zany cartoonish illustrations to this set of twelve short illustrated stories about students' 'biggest emergencies'. From a Pink Panther adventure to an encounter with the neighbor Mrs. Meany, The SOS Files provides some fun situations and entertaining tales for beginninger readers. ... Read more

Book Description

In a young-readers’ world dominated by Harry Potter and hobbits, parents and educators are looking for fantastic tales that nourish children’s spiritual development. Faerie Gold appeals to the imagination while directing hearts and minds toward truth and integrity. This collection of twenty-one stories is ideal for independent reading, family story hour, and classroom use.

The authors have included tales by George Macdonald, Louisa May Alcott, Christina Rossetti, Hans Christian Anderson, and others as well as a short introduction for young readers, an extended message to parents and teachers, a quotation collection, and biographies of authors featured in the book. ... Read more

Book Description

Thirty-five ancient myths and legends, including lesser-known tales from Polynesia, the Americas, the Far East, Europe, and Africa as well as the greatest stories from Greece, are brought together in this far-ranging anthology of the tragedies and triumphs of the ancient world. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent collection of classic stories for 9-14
A lot of classical myths are hard to read and stiff in their telling. These versions are told in modern prose with a sense of humour, without losing the spirit of the original tales. Some schools in New Zealand use this as one of their English texts at about 9th grade level, and it is very popular with kids and teachers. It's a well-thumbed book on our home bookshelf, returned to again and again. Recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Many years ago in Poland, there lived a rabbi who had a wife and three daughters. One day, the rabbi asks his children a powerful question: "How much do you love me?" His older daughters profess their love in gold and diamonds, but his youngest daughter, Mireleh, declares she loves her father the way meat loves salt. For this remark, she is banished from her father's home.

In this flavorful Jewish Cinderella tale, Mireleh's courageous journey is peppered with a perfect blend of magic and romance, leading to a reconciliation with her beloved father. Lavishly illustrated in Louise August's bold linocuts, The Way Meat Loves Salt will make a wonderful gift for the Jewish holidays.
... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Cindrella tale and a love test from the Jewish Tradition
"The Way Meat Loves Salt" is subtitled "A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition," but older readers will recognize a bit of Shakespeare's "King Lear" in the beginning of this story told by Nina Jaffe. The setting is many years ago in Poland where a rabbi one day asks his three daughters "How much do you love me?" Reyzeleh, the oldest daughter, replies, "I love you as much as diamonds." Khaveleh, the middle child, answers, " I love you as much as gold and silver." However, Mireleh, the youngest daughter, replies "I love you the way meat loves salt," at which point her father banishes her from the home since she has compared him to lowly salt. As to the meaning of Mireleh's comment, that is not yet explained and the rabbi, despite being a student of the Talmud who ponders questions long and hard, spends no time trying to figure out the meaning of his daughter's words.

As for Mireleh, she encounters an old man with shining eyes who gives him a small wooden stick. He sends her off to the home of Rabbi Yitskhok ben Levi, the renown scholar of Lublin, who lives with his wife and son, and explains that the stick is magic: tap in on the ground three times and anything Mireleh wishes for will appear. The young girl is taken into Rabbi Yitskhok's home as a beggar girl and allowed to stay in the attic. When the family goes to Cracow for a wedding, Mireleh longs to attend and uses the magic stick to come up with a dress. At this point we are into the familiar territory of the Cinderella story. But there is still the question of the meaning of Mireleh's words to her father and their reconciliation.

Jaffe notes that the Cinderella tale has been found in countless cultures around the world, with the earliest version being recorded in China in the 9th century. The Jewish version of the tale comes from the story "How Much Do You Love Me?" from the classic collection "Yiddish Folktales," and was apparently sent down in Poland in the 1920s. Jaffe acknowledges that the framing device of "the love test," appears in both Shakespeare and folktales from around the world as well. In Jaffe's hands this becomes a "vunder-mayse" (a wonder tale) of the sort her grandmother might have heard as a child.

"The Way Meat Loves Salt: A Cinderella Tale from the Jewish Tradition" is illustrated by Louise August, who worked with full-color oils on rice paper, providing a rather distinctive look quite compatible with the origins of this story. Teachers or parents will find this story a nice way of showing young readers how there are variations of a well-known theme to be found in literature. What I especially liked about this one is how the elements of a different story, "the love test," are combined in the telling of this particular tale. Consequently we not only have an example of comparative literature here but a look at a more complex form of such storytelling.

The Jewish Cinderella
This book is somewhat similar to the Cinderella that I know, but it has a different twist. It combines Cinderella and the Jewish culture. I will leave the rest for you, the reader, to find out what goes on the book.

A very interesting version of Cinderell
this is another interesting version of Cinderella, but it also plays off of Shakespeare's King Lear. Look for the reference, shakespeare buffs and I am sure that you will find it. I really think that this books opens up a non-western tale in a traditional way that children will understand.

salt =/ as money
Great cultural spin on "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach", and even a father's heart can be deceived by what his ears hear and his mind perceives.

cinderella rides again
Cinderella tales have been found from almost every land and culture. This Cinderella story is another treasure for those who enjoy fairy tales and studying cultural influence on them. ... Read more

Book Description

Celebrate the wonderful world of Disney with the newest edition to our ever-popular storybook collection series. Set sail with Mickey and Minnie, watch Goofy save the day on a camping trip, join Donald on his search for the best birthday present ever for Daisy Duck, and more! This charming collection, illustrated with beautiful art from the Disney archives, is certain to be a hit with Disney fans ages one to one hundred and one! ... Read more

Book Description

Sometimes it's the imprint of an ancient leaf in a rock. Sometimes it's a woolly mammoth, frozen for thousands of years in the icy ground. Sometimes it's the skeleton of a stegosaurus that has turned to stone.

A fossil is anything that has been preserved, one way or another, that tells about life on Earth. But you can make a fossil, too--something to be discovered a million years from now--and this book will tell you how.

Reviews (2)

A review of the record of fossils for children Ages 5 and up
Fossils tell of long ago is a good book for children. Brightly illustrated pictures help them grasp the facts of fossils. It includes a fun experiment, too, along with a clear explanation of how fossils were made. I give this book four stars.

Aliki's blatant attempt at political correctness.
While this book is still a decent introduction to fossils for children, I'm giving it two stars because it is a VERY different book from the original (published in 1972, I believe) that I read and loved as a child. I purchased this version thinking it would be the same as the original (except for the different cover and perhaps some updates to the information therein). Well, I was wrong. ALL of the illustrations have changed (NOT for the better, either, in my opinion). There are now children of every hue pictured, and even a black boy in a wheel chair. How nice. This is what all children's books of the future will look like, apparently. (Classic children's books that don't include pictures of kids from various ethnic groups will need to be re-illustrated.) Aliki, why did you mess with a perfectly good original?

If you've read the original edition of this book, DON'T purchase this one, as I think you'll be disappointed. Search for a used copy of the original. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

It is the Best
I think this book is a Doubble funny book it is worth every dime you pay for it

A Review on Double Trouble in Walla Walla
This book was so funny that our reading class could not quit laughing. We would highly recommend it. If you are looking for a funny book, this is the one. There are four main characters: LuLu, Mrs. Carter, Mrs. Bell and Mr. Thomas. They all got caught up in a knock'em sock'em wibble-wobble word warp!

Andrew Clements shines!
Double Trouble in Walla Walla is simply an amazing book. Andrew Clement's use of wordplay makes this book enjoyable at any age level. As an elementary librarian, turned Educational Consultant, I have read this book aloud over 90 times to both children and adults. However, I am not entirely sure which age group enjoys the book more. Many thanks to the author. This book is indeed a pure treasure!

Funny Funny read!
It was an ordinary Monday morning in Walla Walla until Lulu raised her hand in class & said to her English teacher: "Mrs. Bell, I feel like a nit-wit. My homework is all higgledy-piggledy. Last night it was in tip-top shape, but now it's a mish-mash."

Mrs. Bell replied: "Nit-wit? Higgledy-piggledy? Mish-mash? Lulu, stop that flip-flop chitter-chatter or you'll be in double trouble!"

With those few words, the day took off into one super-duper, helter-skelter, word warp!

Soon student, teacher & principal are all figuring out what to do until the school nurse comes up with a plan. Will it work? Find out as you zig-zag through the jibber-jabber & yakety-yak of this huge, funny fantasy!

Fun with words at their most absurd & I've been to Walla Walla - fantastic onions!

great read-a-loud
I love this book! I have read it to several classes and the kids think it is hilarious. It takes some practice to read it out loud and fast, but the effect is worth it. Great! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Everyone throws a shadow...
Konigsburg has written 5 short stories that each are designed to teach a lesson about life in a subtle manner. The stories are somewhat entertaining and beautifully written. While there is something that can be learned from life, none of these stories have large impacting moments; rather they are all lessons we learn from daily experiences with people. That was what I liked about it.

What I didn't like is that it was very slow moving and the stories were a bit lengthy with too much background information about characters we will not know for very long anyhow. Because of this I would not use the book as a read-aloud in a classroom environment, but some children may enjoy reading.

Why 4 stars?:
This is a beautifully written book that shows some lessons that we all learn in life through varied experiences. It doesn't suit well to read-alouds and the stories can get a bit long and bogged down with unimportant details. However, this may be just the right book for some child and if it keeps him reading then it is invaluable.

More great reading by Kongisburg
This is a collection of short stories by my favorite children's author. Although I have "out grown" her books, I will never feel that way. She is an amazing author, and although I am not Jewish, I feel like I have learned about the Jewish culture through the characters in her books. A must-have for Konigsburg fans. ... Read more

Book Description

Believing is seeing, as the title of this outstanding collection of fantasies proclaims. And reading is seeing more than you've ever imagined when in the masterful hands of acclaimed author Diana Wynne Jones. Here are seven tales -- seven doorways to bizarre, yet strangely familiar worlds -- to transport one and all. In these worlds are a child born to an ordered society but preordained to spread Dissolution...a girl who so loves the sun that she renounces her humanity for eternity...a cat and a boy, held captive by an evil magician until they can find a bigger magic of their own...a woman imprisoned in a strange country dominated by three ravenous wolves...and many other characters and stories just as exceptional. These richly drawn, razor-sharp stories showcase the skills and sheer narrative power of one of the most esteemed fantasy writers of our time.

Reviews (4)

An interesting collection
If you are unfamiliar with the author, these stories will provide an introduction to her writings. The stories have appeared previously in other collections. The seven fantasies are of different quality and subject matter, and cover 165 pages (including seven cover pages) in an easy-to-read font. I am looking at the hard-cover edition.

I especially liked "What the Cat Told Me," a 22-page story about an unusual cat that becomes involved with wizards; and "The Girl Who Loved the Sun," about a girl who turns herself into a tree. Other readers will undoubtedly have their own favorites. The stories are suitable for pre-teen to teenage readers who enjoy fantasy literature.

I read this book last summer and still love it!
I've read a whole bunch of other books from last summer to now, most of which I thought were very good. But I still love the stories Diana Wynne Jones has writen. I'm reread her Chrestomanci Quartet again and am looking for some further writings by Jones. She is all in all one of my favorite authors. I liked 'Enna Hittims'. A must for any death hard fan of Jones.

A fun variety of magic
Just to add to Eleanor's review, since she hadn't read Enna Hittims: Anne, who is home sick with the mumps (and who is very bored), makes up the hero Enna, an inch-high girl armed with an enchanted sword, who has wonderful adventures in the changing scenery that is Anne's bed (including Anne covered up different ways with her blanket). There is a wonderful twist to the story when Anne makes countless drawings of Enna and her friends which results in Anne getting a turn at being a hero!
Worth reading, because it sets one's mind working, trying to guess what might happen next, and the surprises are fun to find in these short stories.

Good book
The seven stories of the title are: The Sage of Theare; The Master; The Girl Who Loved the Sun; Dragon Reserve, Home Eight; What the Cat Told Me; nad and Dan adn Quaffy; and Enna Hittims. I haven't actually read this book, but I've read 6 of the 7 stories in other collections (I've just always thought amazon should put up short story lists for collections the way they do track lists for cds in the music section). The Sage of Theare is a very nice Chrestomanci story and The Master is one of Diana Wynne Jones' beautiful eerie stories. Dragon Reserve and What the Cat Told Me (previously only available in a multi-author anthology) are classic Jones. nad and Dan adn Quaffy is fun. I haven't read Enna Hittims yet.

Dragon Reserve, The Master, and nad and Dan adn Quaffy (man I love typing that:) were 3 of 8 stories in Everard's Ride. Dragon Reserve and The Sage were 2 of 8 stories in Warlock at the Wheel. These 2 collections also share 2 other stories, which are not in this one. Maybe we should have a collected works?

4 stars because she's so splendidly good, but only 4 stars because none of my personal utter favourites are in here, & maybe we could have seen some of the harder to find stories in here instead of the duplicates. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"And if the moon could talk, / it would tell of evening / stealingthrough the woods / and a lizard scurrying home to supper." Kate Banks and illustrator Georg Hallensleben's lovely bedtime book spins a sleepy tale of what the moon would say if it could look down at a night-swept Earth and tell us what it sees. The book begins with a cozy inside view of a little pajama-clad girl and her stuffed white rabbit. Then we travel outside to a moon's view of the night world. Back inside, from the familiar objects on the bedside table--"a glass, a wooden boat, a starfish, too"--we move to "waves washing onto the beach, / shells, and a crab resting." Each rich,color-drenched scene complements the next--as Mama hands her child the toy rabbit, a lioness licks her cubs in a faraway den. "And if the moon could talk," the book concludes, "it would tell of a child / curled up in bed wrapped in sleep. / And it would murmur / Good night." From the creators of the beloved Baboon and Spider, Spider, this beautiful book--winner of the 1998 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for best picture book--has become one of our all-time favorite bedtime stories. (Click to see a sample spread. Illustrations copyright © 1998 by Georg Hallensleben, text © 1998 by Kate Banks. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux.) (Ages 3 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A rare gem!
This is one of my very favorite picture books, as it is equally enjoyable for children and adults. This treasure of a book is aesthetically pleasing to both eyes and ears, and its message sweet, imaginative, and meaningful. The paintings are richly colorful and simply beautiful, and the text is lyrical and soothing. It's a perfect bedtime story that begs reading again and again and again.

A great book!
I love books and have a 2 yr old daugter, therefor my daughter loves books. And if the Moon Could Talk is one that we can both recommend without question to anyone.

My little girl just loves it. It is one of a very few books that she picks up again and again. The story is perfect for that "just before bed book."

Buy it, you won't be sorry.

My Favorite Children's Book!
This is a fantastic child's book! It is gorgeously illustrated with mysterious, lush, beautiful night scenes; the text is rhythmic, soothing, subtle poetry of the highest quality. I've been reading this book to my niece for three years and she loves it still! When she was four I'd read it to her and she would get to "read" the refrain "And if the moon could talk" each time it appeared. When she was five and six she'd read it with ever-increasing ease as she learned to read; now that she's seven we alternate pages, but she still has her favorite parts she will not allow me to read--she insists on having those pages to herself. We imagine we live in the beautiful town, assigning houses to grandma, uncles, cousins. This is a book to treasure!

Maybe too well written for toddlers
I bought this book for my 2 1/2-year-old twins, but a lot of it goes over their heads. Obviously the author has talent, but she's more of a poet than a storyteller. Perhaps she should be targeting an older crowd. This book has elements suited for toddlers (big pictures, only one sentence per page) but the writing is too sophisiticated and abstract for them, and the story too disjointed. I guess it would be good for a one-year-old or younger who just enjoys hearing a parent read a peaceful book (e.g., "Eyes close. There is a drowsy hush. Darkness swells into a colorful dream. And if the moon could talk..."). But my kids prefer books with stories they can understand, and even repeat. This ain't that.

By all means, get this book!
This is my 21-month-old son's absolute favorite book. Since finding it in our library a week ago, it is the only book that he lets me read to him at bedtime. Hallensleben's lush and dreamy illustrations, along with Banks' carefully chosen text works like magic to lull our little guy into a deep, peaceful sleep. If I dare put the book down for a second or suggest another book, he gestures wildly until I return to his favorite. Hallensleben is a remarkable artist, and adults and children alike are transported into his magical world. I can't wait for this and two other Banks/Hallensleben collaborations to arrive in the mail. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Speaking to the heart
As a retired Teacher,College Professor, Clinical/Counseling/ School Psychologist in private practice for over 25 years, I have had the opportunity to read many texts on children, parents, & how to help them. This one speaks directly to the childs unconscious, much like the fables of Hans Christian Anderson did, and carry powerful messages of good role model behaviour. For the child it's an easy read of recognizable situations which are instantly remembered for reference.This gives the parent a wonderful opportunity to share the stories and to discuss the implications as similaritiesimpact on the childs real life.I wish it had been available when I was working-it would have been of considerable value to my students and patients. Highly Recomended.

Wonderful Reading
Marcy and Her Friends is a very realistic and touching book. The situation are so real that it seems like they are written about each one of us. I can see why children can relate to these stories. It takes a great insight to be able to write a book about children from their points of view. Reading the stories,we the adults can learn a lot about situations that our children are facing and dealing with. I highly recomend it. And maybe someone will take the challange to translate it to Hebrew.

Should be Required Reading
Deeply insightful.Kids can identify with problems presented in this book and gain strength from the situational analysis.Adults can re-visit childhood events and place them in perpective.It is a powerful book with positive messages, conveyed in easy to understand language.Strongly recommend this book!

A Must Read!
"Marcy" is a wonderful and worthwhile book filled with exquisite life lessons in each story for both children and parents. The stories are creative, enjoyable and deal effectively with life situations that parents and children face. It allows an adult to really understand and appreciate a child's experience through a child's eyes. Your child will love these simply sweet stories while learning powerful lessons. If you're interested in being the best parent you can be, this book is a great tool.

Bravo for a job well done to NEC Iankowitz
I must say that, as the mother of two, I greatly enjoyed the way in which the mother in this story approached and handled so many familiar situations.In addition, I was amazed when my 10 year old daughter (a toough customer) actually sat quietly and read through this book!She was engrossed!Bravo to NEC !I think every mother should have this book! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Author and illustrator Calef Brown is a blue elephant, we're told on the back flap of the book, and we half-believe it, judging from this exuberant, unforgettable collection of 14 ultra-hip rhyming stories about everything from sleeping fruit to a funky--and we mean funky--snowman. Incomicalfolk-art paintings, bathed in truly delicious colors, we meet Ed. "Introducing Ed, / with cherries on his head. / He says, 'I like the color,' / So all his stuff is red..." One odd hamlet is described like this: "Clementown is greenish, / the people tall and leanish, / the dogs bark very loudish, / but not because they're meanish." Brown sings the praises of "Snails" as well: "...they don't make threats, / they don't eat meat, / they don't place bets, / they almost always pay their debts / and never puff on cigarettes." These poems are as nonsensical as Edward Lear's, but clearly for modern hipster kids, and, well, adults, too. (Click to see asamplespread. Illustrations © 1998 by Calef Brown.) (All ages) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (29)

My son's favorite book!
My son, age two, received this book for Christmas last year. He loves it! We read it almost everyday. His favorites are Polka Bats, Snails, Ed and Eliza's Jacket. Calef Brown is a very unique and funny poet. The poems are upbeat and fun to recite. My family and I find ourselves reciting various lines at the simple mention of a trigger word..such as "pocket". I just bought my son his second Calef Brown book, Dutch Sneakers and Flea Keepers. So, grab this book and some chocolate pudding, remember check your house for those "pesky snails" and "kick it" with the "funky snowman"!!

Can't stop laughing...
I discovered this book on one my regular bookstore trips with my granddaughter, 3, who already loves books and bookstores. While she picked a "Pooh" book, I chose this one.

Later in the day, we had to take her to the hospital with a mild asthma attack. "Polkabats and Octopus Slacks" went with us. By the time we were done (she's ok), my wife had read her every story/poem at least a half dozen times. She loves the drawings and the wonderful cadence of the poems, in addition to the silly thoughts. It quickly became part of the bedtime story reading list.

"Polkabats" is her favorite poem, followed by "Ed", with the cherries on his head. I love the "Kansas City Octopus" and "Ed." But they're all a hoot, and after my granddaughter has gone to bed, I'll reread them myself, just for fun.

My 5YO son's favorite books!
The two books of poems were given to us as gifts and now they are the books that my son always chooses first when we sit down to read. That's saying A LOT since he's usually only into dinosaurs, superheroes, and other macho things. But these poems are fun and silly and brilliant and the illustrations are crazy works of art.

If reading were more fun it would be illegal
My daughter grabbed this book at the library and being some kind of reading- Nazi, I was hesitant. "Those don't look like OUR kind of illustrations," said the little censor in my head. But I let her toss it in the bag and I am so glad I did.
We read this nightly and after I've used up all our renewals on its checkout, I think I'll have to buy it. And one for my funky parents, one for my funky brother and sister-in-law and their funky new baby, etc etc.
The poems are so catchy and fun and this is one bedtime book you will not tire of reading (!!!). The illustrations are a perfect match for the incredibly vibrant world Brown paints with his words. I'm guaranteed thatif I call out, "Does that stop Funky Snowman?" my daughter, if she's within earshot will yell enthusiastically , "NO!" If she's not within earshot, my husband just looks at me like I'm an idiot.
Brown's poetry is wonderful nonsense and I look forward to getting my hands on Daniel Pinkwater's audio production of it.
Thank God for unbiased children.

Fun for kids, funny for adults
In enjoy reading these poems as much as my son loves hearing them. We were at a potluck with some friends, and my boy (just turned 3 at the time) comes out with a spontaneous recitation of "Funky Snowman", word for word. My jaw just about hit the floor. These poems are really lots of fun, and several have the rhythms of popular song. One of my favorites is about a traveling salesman who goes around in a bathtub on wheels hawking shampoo and soap with his one-legged duck (named Alphonso). As kooky as it sounds, you can almost sing this poem to the tune of "The Times They Are A-Changing". And another one called "Skeleton Flowers" sounds like the Addams Family theme song. Or maybe I'm just not getting enough sleep. Anyway, this is one of our favorites. We have another one of Brown's books, Dutch Sneakers and Flea Keepers. It's also good, but I like this one better. ... Read more

Book Description

0nce upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . CLOMP, CLOMP, SHAKE, SHAKE, CLAP, CLAP. And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life!

Reviews (9)

Who's afraid of the big floating pumpkinhead?
At last! The rare Halloween children's classic! Every Halloween seems to bring a rash of holiday centered picture books. Some are okay and most are simply terrible. This Halloween, I ask that you consider a story where the word "Halloween" never even enters the text. In "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything" we read a story that has all the markings of a classic folktale.

As a little old lady makes her way home through a dark and scary forest, she comes across a pair of old shoes that walk all by themselves. Assuring the shoes that she is not afraid of them, she next comes across a floating pair of pants. A shirt follows the pants, gloves and hat follow the shirt, and finally a huge scary pumpkin head follows them all. In the end the brave little old lady finds a use for the floating objects and everyone ends happily.

The book conjures up images of other pop culture touchstones where clothing floats all of its own accord. The well-known "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" for example. And like "Bedknobs", the clothes in this story are definitely malevolent. Stalking the nice old lady through the woods, each article has its own specific sounds. The boots go "CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP", the shirt goes, "SHAKE SHAKE", and the pants (for reasons best left to the author) go, "WIGGLE WIGGLE". As the number of objects increase, the number of sounds increase as well. A good oral reading of this story will give each sound a scary touch to drill the point home. The illustrations accompanying the story are rather nice. They are equally adept at displaying the old lady's grey skied country home as they are the dark bleak autumnal night where she meets the frightening accoutrements. It's a great story with a rousing plot. Anyone familiar with fall in the countryside (and anyone who just loves Halloween in general) will enjoy this great old-fashioned book.

When I was a child....
I'm 18 years old now, but when I was a toddler, I loved this book. I still have my original copy of the book. When I was in girl scouts at the age of 6, we had a campout where each set of mothers and daughters would do a skit. My mom and I did ours on this book. We brought all the props, the glove, the hat, the shoes, everything. It was so much fun. I think that every toddler should have a copy of this book. It is a very fun story and is illustrated well.

Gets their attention
Although you won't look back at this book as one of childhood's greatest treasures, it is a fun book and really can grab the attention and interest of a whole classroom full of kids (teachers, take the hint).

Also, there's something delightful and mischievous about the illustrations that makes kids keep asking for it again.

ANY child would love this book!
My 18 month old loves this story! My "slow" student in class loves this story----read it to the kids with props---someone in the shirt, someone wearing the hat, and someone lifting up a jack-o-lantern! Read it to them just TWICE and see how much they remember and enjoy! A little old lady goes for a walk in the woods and finds the objects of a scarecrow attempting scare her---she persuades the objects to scare the crows out of her cornfield instead! Read it on Halloween day! A must for classroom and at home! Any time of the year!

Librarian and Teacher!
I use this book with my Kindergarten and First grade students. I have a T-shaped wooden frame that I use with my lesson. I pass out articles of clothing...a pair of boots, a pair of gloves, a shirt, a pair of pants, a top hat and a plastic Jack-0-lantern. I encourage participation, chanting and acting out of the story from the students for each part as we read the book aloud. Finally, I place the items on the wooden frame to make a Scarecrow as the grand finale!!!!! They predict the outcome and enjoy the excitement of discovery as we read the book. It is both scary and fun! This is one book I look forward to reading each year!!!!! My students LOVE it! ... Read more

Book Description

In today’s society, perhaps more than ever, young children need to develop empathy. In this simple book, the author begins by helping children see that when they are sick, hurt, or unhappy, others care about them. Children can then begin to see that others need to be cared about as well. Common situations will further a child’s appreciation for and understanding of what others feel and need. ... Read more

Book Description

Murphy, the yellow Labrador who needed to watch his weight, is back and this time he's jetting off to an exciting vacation in Paris. Traveling on a four-star "Heavenly Pets" package, Murphy and his owner, Cheryl, visit the Luxuembourg Gardens, tour the Louvre, enjoy a night on the town, and, last but not least, climb the Eiffel Tower. Will Paris ever be the same? Emily Bolam's paint and ink artwork is perfectly calibrated to this loving, through-a-dog's eye view of the City of Lights. With only the sparest of line work, she coaxes all sorts of expressions from Murphy—from complete annoyance to magical delight. A cultural experience expressed in a way that will captivate even the youngest reader. Dog lovers, young and old, will be enchanted by Murphy's exploits. ... Read more