Book Description

In this introduction to polygons, a triangle convinces a shapeshifter to make him a quadrilateral and later a pentagon, but discovers that where angles and sides are concerned, more isn't always better. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

The Greedy Triangle: A Great Find
I am currently a student (...). I read The Greedy Triangle to a second grade class and they loved it! This book is great for elementary age students because it indroduces geometry in a fun way. The story begins with a triangle not being happy with himelf and wanting to change into another shape. The triangle then on each page gets another side which changes him into a different geometric shape. The book also gives the names of the different geometric shapes and associates the shapes with everyday items that kids can relate to. At the end of the story the triangle decides he was happy just being a triangle. This book gives a message to kids to be happy and proud of who they are. I would recommend this book for elementary school teachers, it was a great find!

The Greedy Triangle
I am a student at Pima College and recently had to read this book to a group of younger students. Let me tell you that the group of 3rd graders loved this book more than I did. It kept them focused and amused, and I don't even think they realized they were learning a little geometry. I think this book was easy to get the children involved in and ask them questions. I also think this book was perfect for 3rd graders, but could be used with younger or older students also. Not only does it help with math, but it sends out a valuable message to be happy with who you are.

MAT 146 Review
I am a Pima College student, majoring in Elementary Education. This book was a great book, to read to resource room class. Since there are so many different ages in the class everyone was able to enjoy and understand the book. This book also allowed the first graders in the class to participate along with the older students. I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it for use in elementary classrooms.

The Greedy Triangle
I loved the Greedy Triangle, so did a tough group of 4th graders.I think it's an excellent tool to introduce Geometry in the classroom. It has a nice way of looking at everything as a shape and that shapes are Geometry, even though many students think they are just shapes. I would recommend this book to for all elementary grades.

Great book to help teach children shapes
I read this book to a group of second graders and they enjoyed it. This book is a wonderful book that teaches the names of shapes, points out different ways shapes are used and different places shapes can be found. When teaching children about shapes this is a good book to read to them. It could lead to a great discussion about shapes later.

It also has a good story line about being content with who you are and what you have. The Triangle changes shape several times in the story because he is unhappy and in the end he wants to go back to being a Triangle. He learned that he needed to be happy with who he his.

The pictures in this book were also very fun and colorful. It is nicely illustarted.

This is a great book to read with young children learning shapes and learning about growing a changing. I would recommend this book to anyone who has children or teaches children. ... Read more

Book Description

Can you find what is round? What is square? In this timeless new split-pageboard book, children can find the bottom half of a page that matches the top half. Find the rightpairs, and you will learn to identify all kinds of shapes. From dome-shaped ladybugs to diamond- shaped kites, this clever board book makes learning fun. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tana Hoban has created an elegant solution for those who want to initiate children into the infinite wonders of reading. This picture book compels parents to talk to their babies as they share the wordless pages with their little ones. Black illustrations on a white background provide high contrast for infants' underdeveloped eyes. Soothingly familiar, silhouetted shapes--a leaf, a key ring, a bib, an elephant--will be recognized by the very young, and through these simple pictures, aspiring readers will begin to identify the link between the objects they see and the words their caregivers say. Hoban, beloved author of many childhood favorites, including Black on White's companion piece, White on Black, as well as Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue? and What Is It?, has struck gold again--black gold, that is. It's the perfect baby gift! (Baby to Preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Perfect book for newborns
Who says babies are too young for books? This book (and Ms. Hoban's other similar books)is a shining example that we're never too young to be introduced to books and reading. The bright, crisp, contrasting images are perfect for new babies. My baby loves this book, and will sit entranced for quite a while as we talk about the images we see. My only complaint would be that it is too short! (Of course, so are babies' attention spans) I think this book is a great baby shower or 'new baby' present. Their first book, what could be a better gift?

A great book to stimulate your newborn!!!
This book is great! No words, just contrasting black and white pictures. My newborn loved it. He couldn't really concentrate on anything visually, as most newborns are that way, but the minute he saw this book, he just stared and stared at it. I recommend it to all new mothers!

Still one of baby's favorites
Baby's had this book since birth... and after 4 months, it is still one of her favorites. The pictures really grab her attention, and she likes to study them. Also since there are no words, you can make up a new story for the pictures each time if you want!

HIS FAVORITE!
Granted, my son is only four months old, but this book is a big hit. I'm sure he'll outgrow it eventually, but that's the case with any book! If you have a very little one, this is a great book to start with. My son has only a dozen or so books so far, and out of all of them, this is the one he kicks and coos at the most. I'm attending a baby shower in a couple months and I'm definitely going to throw in a copy of "Black on White" for her.

Black And White...
Black and White is a sweeeeeeeeeeeet game and i mean sweet.It is about u becoming a god and this other god Nemesis Is Determined to be the only god.He wants to destroy all other gods.The rest youll have to buy the game to find out! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Hands on Book for the Creative Minded
I just used this book to teach my daughter (8) and son (5) the same exact lesson on two different cognitive levels. Late last night, I sat down with a paint program and drew two diagrams just like Mrs. Comfort's. I folded and cut a piece of paper into eight squares of approximately the same size. I used multicolored paper clips as chairs. Tonight, we had so much fun that we spent almost five minutes per page, counting guests as they arrived, counting chairs as they dissapeared and reappeared from around the table perimeters and following the detailed chaos as garlic bread, salads, vases and pasta flew around the room. I have one question. Did Mrs. Comfort get the last meatball?

Variable Perimeters and Fun, Practical Problem-Solving
Ah! If spatial relations had been taught like this when we were all young, everyone would be fluent mathematically.

Instead of all those problems about two trains rushing towards one another, this book takes a practial problem and uses it to illuminate spatial problem-solving.

Mr. and Mrs. Comfort decide to invite their family and neighbors over for dinner. Pretty soon, 30 people have accepted so they will be feeding 32, including themselves. In a role reversal from the sexual stereotypes, Mr. Comfort is the cook and impractical one while Mrs. Comfort is the left-brained problem solver. She knows what needs to be done, but everyone else has to work it out for themselves by moving the furniture around.

Mrs. Comfort figures out that they don't have enough tables and chairs for this many people. So she rents some. She correctly figures out that 8 tables seating four people each will do the trick (8 times 4). She rents 8 tables and 32 chairs (but they deliver only 31, and she has to find an extra folding chair).

All is well, until the guests start to arrive. They don't want to sit at separate tables. They want to eat at one big table so they can be closer to everyone else.

That creates a problem. Each time two tables for four are put together, two places are lost (you now have only two ends, while you had four before with separate tables). That's not immediately obvious to the guests, because most of the chairs and tables are unused in the beginning and they don't know how many people are coming.

Mrs. Comfort tries to warn everyone that it won't work, but they ignore her. She finally gives up.

When most of the people arrive, there are not enough places for them at the table (even though there are enough chairs), so they begin pulling the tables apart from one another.

Sure enough, in the end, the guests are seated at 8 separate tables for four. Isn't logic wonderful?

Mrs. Comfort could have ordered more tables and had everyone sit closer to one other. But she wanted to save money. That makes sense, doesn't it?

There is an adult's guide in the end for how to work with your child to make this a problem that she or he can work on. The suggestion is to make 8 little cut-out squares, and to move them into different configurations to handle the various numbers of guests. From this, the child can see that the perimeter varies for the same area, depending on how the area is configured. That lesson will never need to be taught again.

You can also use some of the cooking quantities in here to do math as well. Assuming the children eat so much, and the adults so much, how much will be left over of the meat balls?

Having seen how such a problem can be constructed, I suggest that you develop your own story puzzles. I can guarantee that your child will remember you as a cross between Einstein and Diderot if you do. Here's a hint: How would you go about planning a trip for your family if you were going to have to use frequent flyer miles and the number of miles you had to use varied with when you flew? You can complicate that one for older children by introducing variables like the cost of hotel room nights and car rental days, and having a fixed number of frequent flyer miles to work with in order to find the solution that optimizes the trip and its cost.

But I'm sure you will have even better ideas!

Math teachers: This book will bring the gladness back into your heart, as well as create dedicated, happy students. Do yourself and your students a favor and use this book as a teaching aid.

Think carefully about the periphery to get to the heart of the matter!

My students thought it was "awesome"
I used it in my 4th grade classroom as the basis of a formal observation by my prinical. The kids were enthralled by the book and activities I made using this book to reinforce ideas about area and perimeter. Just as important, my principal liked it too!

Great for introducing perimeter and area!
This book is an excellent tool for introducing perimeter and area to an elementary school class. The story is engaging and funny. The children can easily move colored tiles to imitate the movement of the tables in the story. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Learning and playing, playing and learning--it's all one and the samewhen you're a tot. So this big box of block books is an ideal toy and learningtool for very young children. An appealing and colorful cardboard carrying case(with flip-top construction and cheery red string handles) is packed with 26extra-sturdy little board books that teach kids about colors, numbers, shapes,and animals. Each 8-page book focuses on one concept or theme--"Orange," "Four,""Circle," "Bugs," etc.--with a word or two on each spread, along with a simpleillustration. The chunky books are just the right size for tiny hands; readerscan stack them up to build a tower--or a foundation for learning! Consider it anupdated version of the classic wooden alphabet blocks children have grown upwith for generations. (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

4 months and still going strong
I bought these for my daughter not knowing how much she would love them. Granted, she is only 11 months, but like the other reviews have said, the books are small enough to fit in her hands. She carries them EVERYWHERE! She even sleeps with a book or two. I love the colors, and the texture as well. With some board books, my daughter has gotten paper cuts, weird I thought. But not from these! They are awesome. I had just bought the ABC ones to start with but now I am getting the learning ones too.

The best first birthday present ever!
My daughter received this for her first birthday. At first she loved reading the little books - which are sized perfectly for a toddler's chubby little hands. After a couple of months she became obsessed with stacking things and would spend time every day stacking and re-stacking the books. They are shaped just right for a young toddler to stack, and are much less frustrating than square blocks.

At about 18 months she got into colors and numbers and loved to sort the books by color and count them. Now at 21 months she is STILL playing with this toy - long after every other first birthday gift went to the attic or the thrift store. And the books and the box are still in great shape - this has to be the sturdiest toy we've ever owned.

I now give this box of books to every one year old I know. I can't say enough wonderful things about this toy!

CAPTIVATING
I bought the Learning Block Books as a gift for my 13 month old niece. Although she was a bit tired (read cranky) at the time, it instantly captivated her. The box that holds the little books is very sturdy and has plenty of extra room to hold them (no struggling to fit them in). She immediately started to put the books in and pull them out. She then began to open them and look at the pictures. The books are color coded (and thick cardboard) so that the shapes and animals follow the same color theme. Since then she has continued to play with them daily and as she grows older the books give the opportunity to continue to learn.

A great companion to the classic ABC Block Book set
Our daughter received the author's set of ABC Block Books as a gift when she was 8 months old, and it has been a beloved staple ever since. These are incredibly versatile book/toys which are effortlessly educational. Stack them, put them in and out of their box, look at the pictures, learn the letters, sort them by color, and of course read them out loud! Hours and hours of fun.

As soon as I saw this new collection I knew we had to have it. My daughter (now 18 months) was so excited! A whole new set...it was like finding the dead sea scrolls. And the books do not disappoint. I particularly like the shape and numbers books. The shapes encourage kids to look at everyday objects in different ways (e.g. pillows and doors are rectangles), and the numbers all conclude with the nice touch of a birthday cake with that number of candles. A winner all around. But if I were to buy just one, I'd still choose the ABC books, just because they're such a simple, natural set. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very clever, well-illustrated book!
This is a very clever book, with comparisons such as "Ladies are big, lady bugs are little". The illustrations are beautifully hand-painted, and kids like that they are simple, colorful and cute. This makes a great set with the author's other books (Yummy Yucky, Quite Loud), and I hope that they're offered together in a boxed set soon.

makes my baby smile
Colorful and clear illustrations. Quite enjoyable! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Kids love to hammer, saw, turn bolts, and build things. But of coursereal tools are a little too hazardous for those tiny fingers. So Caldecott Honorartist Stephen T. Johnson (Alphabet City) came up with afun and educational solution: a combination toolbox and book! With its sevensturdy cardboard tools, bolts and screws that really turn, and erasable slate,this handy kit will provide hours of entertainment--and may keep thoseyoungsters out of the grownup toolbox. Each two-page spread features a removableworking tool and a different shape to work on. Turn the hand drill in thepremade holes in a triangle. Pound pretend nails into a star shape. Cut a pieceof "wood" into two rectangles--with a satisfying rasping sound! While they'rebecoming amateur carpenters, children will learn some basic skills in counting,shapes, and colors; on each colorful background, readers see one piece of paper,two pieces of wood, three holes, and so on up to six nails. This handsome redbook includes a pencil, ruler, saw, drill, screwdriver, wrench, hammer, andslate for drawing up plans. Smaller children may need some help prying the toolsout of their snug compartments, at least until the tools get a little worn in.(Ages 3 to 6) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The Most Favored Christmas Gift!!
I'm a big fan of interactive and pop-ups and this book is no disappointment! My 4 year old son loves this working tool book, and true, if you want it preserved, supervise, but what fun is that? I'd say it's for ages 4 to 9 - to age 94! I had fun with him. The cardboard is as sturdy and thick as possible - get two if you really care about replacing parts. The Sketch pad in the front of the book created all types of creative imagery play for my son. He definitely favored this gift over modern commercial type toys. FUN FUN FUN!!

Great Idea, But Breaking Tools Far From "Toddler-Proof"
A terrific concept, clever and visually appealing, teaches children not just how tools work but also about shapes, colors and counting. Parents and children alike want to love this book, which is why it is so disappointing to find that the "sturdy cardboard" tools break quite easily after being played with just a couple of times by a typical toddler.

My 3-year-old boy was in tears when both the wrench and hammer broke during the first day of use because he bent them. Toddlers will bend toys if they are bendable! When we taped the tools back together, they no longer fit into their slots.

This seems to be a book that evolved from the author's great idea into the publisher's slick package. In the end, it is frustrating and sadly impractical for its recommended age group.

This is a great interactive book
I am a nanny. I get this present almost every year for any family I work with that has 3yr to 5yr old children. This book is not for children who are hard on their toys. This book is great because children can play with the thick cardboard toy tools in the book or around the house. Any child that I have ever sat for has played for about 30 min with this book at a time. You have to remember that this book is not a toy, but children love to play with the tools so much that you would think it was one. Any book that can keep a 4 year olds interest for 5 min. is a keeper in my book. Plus they are learning at the same time...without something that requires batteries!! Goodluck and I hope you find this book as enjoyable as I know your children will.

Boring!
1. It needs an adult to get the pieces out of the book.
2. Once out, they held the attention of our 4-year-old for about 5 minutes. They don't "do" anything.
3. Would have been a complete waste of money, apart from the fact that it kept our 16-month-old amused for 30 minutes.

rapidly destroyed
If you like toys which won't hang around for years this is perfect for you. My son wanted to really screw and pound and had a little difflculty at first understanding the limitations of these tools and keeping them in the context of this book. There are many better choices for play tools out there, save yourself from having to deal with the disapointment of your child when his screwdriver or drill tears in two. ... Read more

Book Description

Bring your own Cheerios!

On every page, there are pictures that need to be completed by adding Cheerios to just the right places. (No milk, please!) Teddies need Cheerios buttons, mice need Cheerios glasses, and fish need Cheerios bubbles.

Pages are recessed to help children successfully place their own dry cereal pieces within the scenes.

Tasty, interactive fun that toddlers will love! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Excellent
I don't normally buy into advertising type of items such as this. However, this is such a well put together book I bought it. I'm glad I did. My son (2 years old) has loved this book and enjoyed for almost a year now. He is passing on the fun to his little sister as he helps her learn to do this book.

It works with eye and hand coordination which is great. It deals with missing pieces which is an important skill for pre reading and math. It is fun to do with a mom and child, two children or just by yourself. It's a great book.

I'm getting another one we like this one so much.

Enjoy

Lots of fun for baby & mommy!
This book was designed to bring out the cutest in your baby!

My little ones have had so much fun filling up the little holes with cheerios. It's a "find the missing part of the picture" game, and encourages their coordination, as they put the cheerios in the empty spaces. It's really a very fun book, part game and part learning, and then there's the eating involved...

We have had lots of fun with this one. It's really a game for both the mommy and the baby to play together.

A Nice Treat For Toddlers!!!
This book is a special treat for my toddler. It is very bright and colorful and pretty short. It emphasizes counting and eating cheerios, LOL.

My daughter loves to get this book out a million times a day so I will go get some cheerios. I have had to start putting it up after reading it twice, or she will just want to read it all day long and the eat the cheerios that go along with it too!

A neat book that you are sure to get alot of use out of!

Cheerio A+
This book is great for baby's and toddlers. There are holes on each page just right for cherrios to be placed. We put them in, we take them out, and of course we eat them. Excellent for keeping busy when in a waiting area. Just don't forget the Cheerios!

Tasty book for toddlers
This book is a wonderfully interactive board book that allows children to use Cheerios cereal to complete various illustrations. It is written with simple language for young children to understand and respond to easily. We discovered that my niece, who hardly eats a thing, was delighted to interact with and eat the Cheerios after each page was to be turned. Lots of fun! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Even infants love it
Even when my baby was under one month old, he would stare at the colorful pictures on the pages-- he would stare at the left page and then the right. I knew the book was stimulating his growing brain and I was giddy with excitement!! Now that my baby is 8 months old and he likes to hold the book himself, I appreciate the rounded corners and thick cardboard pages (so baby won't get paper cuts). My baby likes to gnaw on the book so I guess it's also a great teething toy!

BABY EINSTEIN GREAT STARTER BOOK
This book was one of the first books that my daughter would make me read it over and over again. She was about 8mths old and now she is almost 4 and still drags it out of her endless pile of books. The big difference is that she reads it to me now. Your little one will love the characters and vibrant colors of this book. Get it you both will love it.

Awesome
When I was majoring in education, I bought a bunch of books for my classroom. I bought this book because I thought it would be a creative way to teach SHAPES.

Each page has a little 4 line rhyme that really got my attention. It was kind od sing-songy and describes the shape.

The pictures are very bright and colorful. The pictures are also of the shape the poem was about.

The best way to encourage a child to read is to have books in the home.

Fun book
My 4 month old loves this book. The bright pictures and rhyming prose make this a hit with him. Love it.

Wonderful!!!
My daughter is in love with this book and she is only 8 months old! The poetry is wonderful and this book also incorporates counting and colors with the shapes ("find 5 more shapes like mine" etc). The illustrations are great and keep her attention. All of the Baby Einstein series are wonderful! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great shapes for kids to see
I use this in my child care center to teach shapes. The shapes are big and colorful, and children learn them fast.

Animalia
Fabulous! What a wonderful way to teach alliteration. My fifth grade students couldn't get enough. The pictures are just beautiful. It was a great way to teach alliteration before Stanford 9 Testing. ... Read more

Book Description

This beloved Eric Carle classic returns once again in a colorful new board book format. For generations, The Grouchy Ladybug has delighted readers of all ages with the story of a bad-tempered bug who won't say "please" or "thank you," won't share, and thinks she is bigger and better than anyone else. As children follow the Grouchy Ladybug on her journey, they will learn the important concepts of time, size, and shape, as well as the benefits of friendship and good manners.

Reviews (38)

Great for all ages!
I am a mother of 3 aged 5,3 & 1 year. All three of my children love this book. They think the Grouchy Ladybug is a silly bug. They enjoy "reading" along with me because the book is so repetitive! Even my one year old sits & listens intently to the pattern. "Ya' wanna fight! " "If you insist..." "Oh- you're not big enough." Repetition is the best tool in teaching to read & Eric Carle books are PERFECT for that! The other concepts he introduces in his books such as TIME & DAYS are helpful in teaching too. GREAT WORK, MR. CARLE!

The Wonderful World of Insects
The Grouchy Ladybug is a wonderful Eric Carle book. I love his mosiac illustrations, and the moral he projects. The grouchy ladybug is mean to all the other insects that he meets. He does not want to share the aphids on his leaf with the friendly ladybug. He ends up making no friends at all, and the animals he is rude to are getting bigger and fiercer as the book goes on. In the end the grouchy ladybug ends up on the same leaf he started out on, and shares the aphids.

Note to teachers: This is a great book to introduce a unit on insects. Most students probably don't understand what aphids are, and the ladybugs feed on them. You could also incorporate all of the other animals in the text to do a unit on animals. There are so many wonderful teaching oportunities with all of Eric Carle's books, but this is one of my favorites.

Wonderful book--one of my child's favorites
This is a great book and the repetition is great for a emerging young reader. My 3 year old can "read" this book to himself and his baby sister because he can anticipate what will happen when he turns the page. He has language delays due to hearing problems when he repeated ear infections and these repetitious books that Eric Carle has done have been wonderful with slowly introducing him to language.

Repetition, repetition, repetition....
After reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar to my son enough times to have it memorized, I bought this book thinking that it would be a nice change, and expecting The Grouchy Ladybug to have a moral somewhere along the lines of Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (if you haven't read that to your kids, get it). I found The Grouchy Ladybug to be repetative to the point of parental abuse. Eric Carle has good children's books, but this one was definitely not my favorite. The only thing my son has learned from it is "Hey, You, Wanna Fight?" It was okay to read once or twice, but the next garage sale, it's going to mysteriously vanish. I would suggest The Very Hungry Caterpillar instead, if you don't have it.

This book is crap
Eric Carle has done better. Read the "Very Quiet Cricket". This book is extremely repetitive and isn't really even a story so much as an excuse for the mediocre illustrations and a kind of irritating gimmick of having differently sized pages. These pages are have for my son to turn also.

I love reading real children's stories to my kids, and I don't mind some repetition (e.g., "Guess how much I love you" and "Are you my Mother?" are great...) But the ladybug keeps saying the same thing over and over and over. Yeah, I've hid the book from my kids and they don't miss it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A companion to the popular One Yellow Lion and Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings, Matthew Van Fleet's Spotted Yellow Frogs is an engaging fold-out book for babies and preschoolers. Each spread introduces a new pattern, 3-D shape, and color. For example, one set of pages has the words "Striped Orange" on the left, and on the right is a striped orange cube entitled "Cube." Fold out the cube, and voilà! A pride of tumbling, striped-orange tigers appears. Young children will love the peek-a-boo approach of the book, but parents and teachers should let kids know that the patterns shown in the book are not necessarily the only patterns one might find in the animal kingdom. For example, beetles are not always "zigzag red" and butterflies aren't always "swirly purple." The book closes with a 36-inch-long, fold-out page featuring all seven shapes. Readers are asked to call out the names of the shapes, colors, and patterns, and to guess which animals hide behind each. The flip side shows a jumble of all the animals, so kids can pick out which animals are matched with the "wrong" pattern. Spotted Yellow Frogs is an excellent learning tool, and a book that children will want to read again and again. (Baby to preschool) --Aimee Damman ... Read more

Reviews (6)

a 2 year olds favorite
My son calls it the sticky tongue book. I like to call it a wonderfully illustrated and educational book for young children. 3d shapes are shown in different colors and patterns and then open up to show a scene of different creatures underneath. A red zig zag ball turns to a family of red zig zag beetles tickling each other and playing, one is eating and one is sleeping. My 2 year old loves the humor in the pictures. He asks to read this book every day.

Perfect for squirmy babies!
We got this book with a bunch of other hand-me-downs, and now I'm planning on getting the others from this author. My daughter is almost a year, and she gets squirmy every time we try to read any book but this one. With this book, she sits still, and looks so intently at the pages, laughing as we open each flap. Every time I say "the end", she signs "more". She could sit and read it over and over. While the shapes are more advanced than a baby will understand, I highly recommend this book for little ones, as well as preschoolers!

My 3 year-olds new favorite
It's a good thing I love this book, because I've had to read it every day for the past two weeks and there is no end in sight to my son's enthusiasm. Not only is it a good introduction to complex shapes, but the illustrations are phenomenal. The animals are drawn with complex emotions on their faces that are fun to discuss with my child. From bored to exhausted to annoyed to surprised to delighted to perplexed and on and on, with small details in the background that my son loves to look for over and over. This one will be a gift to other children from now on.

Very clever and fun to read
My 25 months old daughter liked the "Fuzzy Yellow Duckling" book she discovered at playgroup, and I decided that it was worth ordering from Amazon.com. While reviewing the selection by the same author, I ended up buying this one too. It hasn't been a disappointment, my daughter loves both books although I feel that this one is more suitable for slightly older children since the shapes it teaches are things like cubes, columns, wedges etc. Still, it's a great and very clever little book with a wonderful "ending" of double sided long "synopsis" of the book. I think I will buy the 3rd book by this author soon.

3-D Shapes Center Resource
I used this book in a learning center for a second grade class to reinforce the concept of 3-D shapes. They loved the illustrations which provided an excellent visual format for the concept. The minimal text makes it very readable yet the vocabulary is challenging enough for all reading levels. Considering it was written for preschoolers, the older kids loved it. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A great book that allows active child participation.
"Go away, Big Green Monster has delighted my preschooler for nearly a year now. After reading it to him only 2 or 3 times he had memorized nearly every page. Now when we crack open the book, he reads it to me first and then I read it to him. He especially likes the last page because he can firmly state with power, "Go away, Big Green Monster and don't come back, until I say so!" This book is also a good tool in color and shape recognition.

Alredy a classic
I'm a children's librarian. This book is so incredibly popular with my library children that I order a dozen copies at a time. Its simple, bold graphics are extremely pleasing, and the children love the cutout pictures.

I frequently use this book for story programs. The first part of the book builds the monster by adding one facial feature at a time. I usually ask the children what the facial feature is or what color it is. The hair is purple, the face is green. When the monster is complete, I ask if they are scared. They never are. Then we get out our pointer fingers, shake them at the book, and in our bossiest voice chase that monster away. The book ends with the children telling the monster not to come back until we say so.

Whenever I read this book to a group, I invariably see children rereading the book on their own. Usually half the children want to check out a copy of the book. Because the graphics are so good, and the story so strong, even very young children can "read" this book to themselves. I love to see the children sitting at tables, shaking their fingers at the book, and gruffly telling that bad monster to "Go away."

I highly recommend this book because it is empowering, it's fun, and it's a great book to teach your child to love books.

Come back little big green monster!
I've enjoyed reading through the vast variety of responses to this book, and mostly they bring up some interesting points. 'Go Away Big Green Monster' is ostensibly a book that is meant to (and I'm quoting the back of the book here) 'chase away their (kids') nighttime monsters'. All well and good. This doesn't give the book much in the way of plot development or character analysis, but it sure does create one heckuva scary bed time monster. By flipping through the pages the book slowly creates, then disposes with a big green boogie man.

I was a bit amazed at the cut out construction of this tale. It's cleverly done and expertly woven. But as some reviews of this book have pointed out, it's probably a book best written for kids who ALREADY are afraid of big green monsters. If you've a child who's never considered that monsters might be out there with 'a big red mouth with sharp white teeth' this might suddenly inspire them to become afraid for the first time. Sort of the antithesis of what the book is supposed to accomplish. I mean, it's a cute book. No question. Just make certain that you're handing it to a little one that is not innocent in the ways of monsters and monster appearance.

Oh, and as a personal side note, I love the cover. The big green monster stares out at the viewer in a perfect Kilroy-esque appearance (his big ole nose hanging like a blue cucumber over the yellow wall). Any book that references Kilroy is a-okay by me.

I love this book
I love this book, not only is it a fun book to read, but it helps children learn how to make the monsters go away when they are scared. I not only read this book to all my children at school but I also read it to my five month old son. He listens to me and the colors really catch his eyes.

Jack's Monster Book
This is the favorite book of my son's pre-school two year old class. They are not frigtened by the story and seem to like retelling the story back to the teacher. My son enjoyed this book so much at school we bought it for his Christmas present and likes to look at it most days. Very good for children 2-6 years of old. ... Read more

Book Description

With four sturdy tool-shaped board books -- a hammer, saw, screwdriver, and wrench, little helpers will have fun building along with Bob! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Baby Einstein: Numbers and Shapes Discovery Cards
I would not recommend these cards. They are too abstract and very confusing for young children. Some cards you do not even know whether you are reviewing colors, shapes or numbers. If I had seen them before I would never have purchased them!

Don't waste your money!
We own all of the other Baby Einstein cards but these are terrible! We were so very disapointed with the quality of the pictures on these cards that if we could have returned them we would have. The other cards sets are a great quality, this set of cards is simply a plug for other Baby Einstein products. Please think twice before purchasing these.

Great Cards- Printing is Upside Down
I have purchased two other sets of the Baby Einstein flash cards and this is the first set where the writing on the back is upside down. It is very disappointing because the cards are on high quality stock and are very vibrant. These cards could have easily been a 5 star rating but either the company cut the QA person or s/he was gone the day the proofs went out. ... Read more

Book Description

The white shape silhouetted against a blue background changes on every page. Is it a rabbit, a bird, or just spilt milk? Children are kept guessing until the surprise ending—and will be encouraged to improvise similar games of their own.

... Read more

Reviews (5)

good for either ESL class or music class
Since the text follows a simple pattern, the book is good for teaching English as a foreign language. Here in Korea, I have had students ask me to read it again.

It is also good for a lesson on spoken intonation. The children enjoy playing the xylophone on C-E-A-G-G-G while I read "but it wasn't spilt milk."

Oldie but goodie
Got this book for my children and also my niece. Remembered it from a long time ago. Encourages use of imagination.

It Looked Like Spilt Milk
I'm a new elementary educator, and I found this book very useful for promoting creativity in the classroom. Not only is it a good book to read before introducing a unit on clouds and weather, but also it can be used to increase artistic expression. You will not be disappointed with this title.

beginnig reading
I am a pre-school teacher and have found this book lends itself to many other project such as allowing children to make their own book showing what they think the clouds look like. It is a very easy book for children to memorize and then "reread" over and over. My children love to "read" this book to anyone that will listen. I recomend this book to anyone that has a child with emerging reading skills or wonderful imaginations!!

It looks simple, but children love it.
My 2 year-old son first read this book at daycare. He loved it, and his teacher recommended I buy it for him. The drawings are simple, and the rhyme is repetetive, but it is a story that is very easy for children to join in on "reading." It also teaches toddlers new words like "squirrel" and "ice cream cone" that other books for this age group do not contain. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

We love the teddy!
This book is a fantastic read for both child and adult. We bought it when my daughter was about 1 1/2 years old and she's just fascinated by the text and pictures. We use silly voices to tell the story and have fun looking at the pictures...if you look really hard you'll see lots of tiny animals peeking down from the trees! I missed those...the one year old is more observant! A gem!

Will want to read again and again
My son likes this book and it's one I don't at all mind reading again and again. Beautiful artwork, cute rhymes, cute story. Not too wordy, great for one-year-olds and up. We saw this book at a friend's house and it's also featured in the Children's book of the month club. I highly recommend it.

Simple & cute with original illustrations
My daughter likes this book a lot. I like the rhymes and the illustrations have a neat 3 dimensional quality.

Great book!
Where's my teddy is a great book I liked when I was younger and I still do now. It has great pictures and is a great story. It is a book I like to read over and over again! I am 9 now and I still love it!

What a Concept!
Wow, this is one of our favorite books. The author covers the concept of big and small, but even more importantly makes children understand that just because something (or someone), seems very different than you doesn't necessarily mean you won't have something in common. And, just because something (or someone) is bigger than you doesn't mean they aren't feeling scared, too. I love reading this book to my children. ... Read more

Book Description

It is Tim's birthday. Instead of a package, Tim gets a mysterious letter -- written in code! Tim -- and the reader -- are off, following the clues. And at the end of the treasure hunt is a wonderful birthday surprise!

Reviews (3)

Toddler Fun!
This book is about a boy (Tim) who had received a secret message for his birthday. You must follow the message, which is teaching shapes and through the wonderful illustrations catches the concepts of these shapes associated with this world. The pictures wonderful as all of Eric Carle's are and this is a fun adventure!

Pointy Star
I love this story, but the board book version of it worries me because there is a page with a cut out star that is very pointy. The way my little guy examines books makes me afraid that he would poke himself in the eye.

This is a wonderfully engaging book for children!
My daughter received this book for her 1st birthday and although she was too little to "follow" the symbols of the "secret message" she adores the shaped pages, the large pictures of easily identified objects - moon, stars, rock etc. and the birthday present at the end which you can peek through to see the page before was her absolute favorite. I need to purchase another copy for her because she has just about worn it out! ... Read more

Book Description

A little girl's neighborhood becomes a discovery ground of things round, square and rectangular.Many of the objects are Asian in origin, other universal: round rice bowls and a found pebble, square dim sum and pizza boxes, rectangular Chinese lace and very special pencil case.Bright art accompanies this lively introduction to shapes and short glossary explains the cultural significance of the objects featured in the book.Perfect for read-alouds or one-on-one sharing. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

sweet shape book
this is a nice book just as a shape book but also for the chinese and american objects - nice combinations of pizza and dim sum in the square section. all kids will recognize shapes and be introduced to new objects. we're using it for a family literacy night highlighting diversity - it's short enough and interactive.

Great for older kids too
This is *not* a toddler only shape book at all! I read this to a mixed age 6-9 year old class & they got alot out of it. It was for Autumn Moon Festival but you cd/ do it for any China intro. I also passed around things from the book: a Chinese teacup with no handle, an abacus, a chop, the chop ink's square box was 'the box my cats sleep in' although mine were plastic tiger, panther & lion! Even if you had nothing I don't think it wd/ be difficult to buy a few cheaply at your local Asian food store or borrow things from friends & parents.

Beautiful pictures and words
I have a 6 month old daughter and she loves this book! The colors are bright but not too busy and the words flow easily. I love the fact that the narrator is Chinese-American and is able to blend traditional Chinese culture with contemporary American culture. I can't wait until my daughter understands what it is saying and can begin to pick out shapes!

Captures The Joy of Childhood
Round Is A Mooncake captures the joy of childhood. Roseanne Thong's delightful story combined with Grace Lin's bold and beautiful use of design make for a wonderful gift for young children. Lin expertly creates visual interset on every page and therefore, children will want to read this story again and again. Thong's glossary at the end of the story provides another great opportunity for discussion between parent and child.

Our 15-month old daughter loves this book!
My sister ordered this from my nephew's school's booklist and Jaida, our daughter, just loves it. She got it at 13 months and brings it everywhere for us to read with her. She loves looking at the beautiful art and the story and rhymes are short or long enough to keep her attention, again and again. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Tutti Fruity
Someone forgot to tell this duo not to play with their food. Thank goodness, or kids wouldn't have such startling sculptures of bok choy fish or cauliflower sheep to teach them basic concepts: colors, shapes, numbers, letters and opposites. Eye-catching colors and uncluttered layouts keep this fruity menagerie moving along.

The foods are real -- and after several readings, I'm still scrutinizing the pages to see just how the artists did it. Even knowing they used black-eyed peas for eyes doesn't affect the magic: How did they find all those peppers with silly faces? How come my bruised bananas never look like giraffes?

I brought this book to my son's pre-school and the teacher didn't want to part with it: the kids wouldn't let her put it down. You'll never look at salad the same way again.

Charming vegetable characters
This is a book that I never tire of reading again and again. The characters are so lovely and yet they are all real - all cleverly put together from real fruits and vegetables. I particularly like the mushroom "michelin man" and the "shouting" orange. It is unbelievable that there are so many weird peppers that naturally show convincing expressions. Wonderful book full of surprises. ... Read more