Amazon.com

Who hasn't looked at a fruit or vegetable and seen a funny face? In How Are You Peeling?--by the creator of the whimsical Play with Your Food--the "natural personalities" of produce are enhanced with black-eyed pea eyes and the occasional carved mouth--then photographed in vivid colors. One page reveals a wistful-looking poblano pepper being comforted by a cheerful red tomato, while another shows the amused, confused, frustrated, and surprised expressions of a green pepper, red pepper, orange, and apple. Adults and children alike will marvel at the range of expressions these fruits and vegetables possess--did you know just how many faces a kiwi could have? With simple rhymed text describing the emotions ("How are you when friends drop by?/ With someone new... a little shy?"), this appealing picture book is bound to spark discussion with young children. Parents can use it to talk about different emotions or to help children to identify and articulate their mood of the moment. Adults will just plain be amused. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by Play with Your Food, LLC. Used by permission of Scholastic Inc.) (Ages 2 to 6) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Amazing
Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers are playing with their food and we are the lucky recipients of their charming and amusing latest effort, How Are You Peeling? Foods With Moods. The simple rhyming text discussing emotions we all feel at times...happy, sad, grumpy or worried, shy, insecure, amused or confused...to name a few, compliments the amazing fruit and vegetable sculptures. It's hard to believe an onion, kiwi, radish or mushroom (to name but a few) could express such emotions, but they do. A vibrant, visual treat the entire family will enjoy reading and discussing, this is a book that should find its way onto everyone's bookshelf!

A captivating, absolutely beautiful book!
From the moment I opened this book I was in love. It is amazing how the artists transform ordinary fruits and vegetables into loveable and wildly different characters. The text is simple for a child to understand, and wonderfully written. If you're looking for a way to talk with your children about emotions, look no further. I read this book to my daughters preschool class and we loved it! I never thought a book could make me want to give an affectionate hug to a green pepper, but this one does! Buy it for every child you know. Heck, buy it for every adult you know too!

Such a Fun Unique Way to Discuss Emotions with Young Kids!
I was reading how important it is for parents to help thier young children identify the different feelings that they experience. This is the first step in the process of planting the seeds of compassion and empathy for the feelings of others. Who would ever think we could turn to fruits and veggies to teach the lessons! These are truly works of edible art portraying such feelings as anger, fear, surprise, joy, pride, sadness, and jealousy. My two sons love this book and so do I. We read it all the time and sometimes use it to open up discussion about specific reasons that they are feeling a certain way and what they can do or say to others. Even my 3 year old "reads" it to me all by himself. I'm so glad that I found out about this book in my favorite source of quick-read parenting sanity, called "The Pocket Parent." This A-Z guide (written exclusively for parents of preschoolers) offers hundreds of tips to try when the kids challenge your sanity. If you have a 2, 3, 4, or 5-year-old, consider adding these two books to your personal library to refer to again and again.

I'm Peeling Fine, Thank You...
"How Are You Peeling" is an incredibly artistic and imaginative book that is fun for ALL ages. The bright colors and clever transformations of these foods are sure to leave you Peeling Great!

Entertaining and unusual
I finally purchased this book because my preschool aged grandsons wanted me to bring it home from the library all the time. They just love this book. It's a good way to talk about feelings and the pictures of the "veggie people" are very clever and interesting. The photos have inspired us to create our own veggie people which is loads of fun for little children. I recommend it highly. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"I spy a heart, a starfish, a frog, / A towel, a trowel, a taxi, adog;/ Seven horses, a barrel, a duck that is teeny, / Two real feathers, and a surfer's bikini." Now, all you have to do is find these objects in Walter Wick's masterful, crystal-clear, boldly colorful photographic landscapes. I Spy Gold Challenger! collects author Jean Marzollo and Wick's 12 favorite photographs from previous I Spy books, and invents a new series of ways to make children scratch their heads. A fantasy castle with a sand dragon and a medieval battle in progress; a complex city intersection made from wooden blocks and assorted toys; an attic stuffed with junk--each page seems more complex than the last. The seeming simplicity of the task at hand, and the surprising difficulty in finding all the items mentioned in the accompanying rhymes, remains a winning combination. (Click to see a sample spread. Text copyright ©1998 by Jean Marzollo. "Patterns and Paints" from I Spy School Days copyright ©1995 by Walter Wick. Permission from Scholastic Inc., Cartwheel Books.) (Ages 3 to 7) ... Read more

Reviews (6)

hours of fun
Like all of the I spy books, this one offers hours and hours of fun for all ages. Some of the things to be found took days to find, which can be a bit frustrating for some people.

The best trip companion for a little kid
This book is as exciting for kids as it is for parents. I bought our first I Spy book for a long (17 hrs) plane flight with my 3.5 year old and it really did the job of entertaining him enough. Without it the trip could have been a nightmare. I recommend it to anyone who needs to keep a child entertained and occupied for a longer period of time.

Each page is a picture if multiple little objects. Under the picture there are several riddles, and kids can spend quite a lot of time looking for the objects. But parents can make addititional riddles--so many objects are hidden or not obvious. And they can have fun too.

The artwork is beautiful and sharp. While older kids can learn to be more observant, younger ones can enhance their vocabulary by learning the name of the objects (with an adult's help , of course).

Terrific book, challenging for all ages
We have a 2-1/2 yr old daughter who absolutely LOVES the "I Spy" book series. This book is much more involved and difficult than the smaller board books designed for little ones. However, she got the idea of searching for things from the easier board books and soon got bored (pardon the pun). Using this larger version, we can make up lots of games to keep it interesting. Now, she asks us "I spy a ___" and we have to find it. Hard to do with only a few pictures on each page.

We have a lot of fun with it too - and haven't found some of the things after several months! Bottom line: Great book - start with the board books for younger ones and move up to this. make up your own games to challenge them. Enjoy

A great book!
This is a book of kids' games. It was really fun to play with. The whole book was very hard to do. I had fun with the book.

I love this book because of all of the creative pictures.
The page I like the most is Levers, Ramps, & Pulley because everything is put together & makes a Balloon Popper. ... Read more

Amazon.com

What could be better than a magic cupboard that turns small toys into living creatures? Omri's big brother has no birthday present for him, so he gives Omri an old medicine cabinet he's found. Although their mother supplies a key, the cabinet still doesn't seem like much of a present. But when an exhausted Omri dumps a plastic toy Indian into the cabinet just before falling asleep, the magic begins. Turn the key once and the toy comes alive; turn it a second time and it's an action figure again.

The Indian in the Cupboard is one of those rare books that is equally appealing to children and adults. The story of Omri and the Indian, Little Bear, is replete with subtle reminders of the responsibilities that accompany friendship and love. For kids, it'sa great yarn; for most parents, it's also a reminder that Omri's wrenching decision to send his toy back to its own world is not so different from the recognition of their children's emerging independence.

The Indian in the Cupboard is also available in Spanish (La Llave Magica.) (The publisher recommends this book for children ages 9-12, although younger kids will enjoy hearing it read aloud.) ... Read more

Reviews (73)

This book is a magical return to childhood fantasies
One of the best read aloud books ever, Indian in the Cupboard takes us on a magical journey to childhood where fantasies seem real. A young boy is in charge of a tiny, feisty indian whom he keeps in a special cupboard with a key that only he holds. He learns the excitement, value and caretaking responsibility of another human being. The imagination and detail draw the reader right into the story. As a school teacher and mother, I have experienced an emotional bonding with my students and son through this book. My son, 9 at the time, put his hands over his face and said, "Mom, this is my favorite book in the whole world." I felt a surge of joy as I watched my son become hooked on reading. One student unknowingly gave Lynne Reid Banks a wonderful compliment when I attempted to show the class a sketch of a picture in the book..."No! Don't show us the pictures!", and quickly covered his face. The descriptions and story-line of this book make it a DON'T MISS for your child's growing up years! RaNae Palme

probably my favorite kid's book ever
Mrs. Bedwell read this book out loud to my third grade class, and years later as I finish up grad school it still holds a special place in my heart.
The adventure begins when Omri discovers that a magical cupboard given to him on his birthday brings to life plastic toys. When he animates Little Bear, a plastic indian that lived about the time of the French Indian War, Omri's perspective on life changes.
What's special about this book is the how resectfully and seriously it takes the it's young characters and their conflicts. Omri and his friend Patrick discover that Little Bear is no toy, he is a real human being with actual life experiences. He has killed people, eats and sleeps, and remembers his own life and culture. As the two boys deal with the reality of keeping a real person concealed from others, they realize that they can't trifle with others' lives. It is this realization, and Omri's ultimate decision regarding Little Bear that make this a lovely coming of age story. Omri and Patrick learn to repect others and their beliefs.
Although Little Bear, the Native American toy brought to life is called an Indian, this book, I feel, is not chracterized by racism or stereotypes. Little Bear is not a western move redman, he's a real human being with a real human personality, and portrayed respectfully and realistically (as much as he can be, considering the plot).
This book is a definite must read for any kid, or kid at heart, who wonders what would happen if toys came to life.
"The Indian in the Cupboard" is one of four books, thought this one is the best. The final book, in which readers learn what makes the cuboard magical in the first place, detracts from the magic amd mystery of the first three books.

Review of the Audiobook - Educators Beware
I recently purchased the audiobook of The Indian in the Cupboard for use in my classroom. I work with students who struggle with their reading and reading along with an audiobook increases student comprehension of the material. I was disappointed to discover that the author (Lynne Reid Banks) changed parts of the audio version. At first, I only noticed a few changes, such as trousers for leggings. Then I discovered that she completely changed parts of the text by doing adding descriptions and by changing Little Bear's name to Little Bull. I'm not sure why the author felt it necessary to make these changes, but it makes it difficult for students to follow along in the book when the audiobook does not follow the text word for word. If you plan to use the audiobook in an educational setting, be aware of these changes.

On the plus side, Lynne Reid Banks has a very pleasant reading voice. It is enjoyable to listen to her.

The Indian In the Cupboard a review by Curtiss
Have you ever wished your toys would come to life? In the novel Indian

In The Cupboard the author Lynne Reid Banks tells us about a little boy

named Omri and his mysterious cupboard he got for his birthday. Omri then

places an Indian doll into the cupboard.

It is Omri's birthday and he gets an antique cupboard that can bring toys

to life. One of my favorite parts of the story is when Boone gets shot by one

of Little Bear's arrows when Omri, Little Bear, and Boone are watching a

movie about the old western times. In the movie the cowboys and Indians

are shooting back and forth until Little Bear gets frustrated and shoots an

arrow and it hits Boone.

Another one of my favorite parts in the book is when Omri and Little

bear and Boone are in the school . Little Bear and Boone are in a pouch

and Omri's friend has the pouch. Then Omri's friend is getting ready to

show a student Little bear and Boone. Omri and his friend then get into a fight.

If you want to see what happens to Little Bear and Omri, I would invite and encourage you to read Indian In The Cupboard.

The indian in the cupboard
My book I reviewed was the Indian in the cupboard. I liked this book a lot. Its about a young boy named Omri who has a poor family. For his birthday he gets a wooden cupboard for his birthday and finds a magical key to lock it. Omri finds out that the little key and the cupboard turn plastic to life. He puts a little indian in and over night it turns real. The little indian and Omri become friends, but Omri has trouble hiding him from his family and from friends. The setting takes place mostly at Omris house and school. The theme is friendship. I liked the story and i incourage others to read it. ... Read more

Book Description

Enter the magical world of Disney princesses. The Disney Princess Ultimate Sticker Book will thrill young fans of animated films. Stick Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and other beloved princesses onto full-color backgrounds to create your own stories and scenes. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nina Laden's illustrations in this simple, rhyming board book are truly magical. The format is straightforward: on alternating two-page spreads, the words "Peek a" are repeated, opposite an illustrated page with a die-cut hole, behind which lurks a cow ("MOO!"), a green ghost ("BOO!"), and a mirror (you guessed it, "YOU!"). The youngest readers will delight in trying to guess who--or what--is peeking through the window, and can easily grip the baby-fist-size holes to turn the pages for the answers. The picture of the "ZOO!" is fabulous. Through the hole, all that can be seen is a wild pattern of colors, stripes, and spots. Turn the page, and find a wild kingdom of animals, one in front of the other: peacock, zebra, penguin, cheetah, elephant, and more. Ready for more peekaboo fun? Try Nina Laden's Ready, Set, Go! . (Baby to preschool) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Perfect for a beginner "reader"!
This is our 11 month old's favorite book! The bright pictures and the simple fun text really grab her attention when many other books have too many words per page or pictures that are too complex. She loves to help turn the pages and this one seems particularly easy for her to grab each page. We think this is perfect for when you are just beginning to read to your little one. It helps teach both parents and baby the joys of storytime.

The Best Book we have!
My son has loved this book since we started reading to him at 3 or so months. He has learned to turn the pages (and since the text is so short, I can read it before he turns!) He loves the bright simple pictures and especially the mirror at the end. He always kisses himself, it is SO cute. Course, now he kisses anytime he sees his reflection. This book is wonderful for the simple text and great pictures and the predictablity (a great pre-reading skill!) Our son is 10 months and will sit and "read" it to himself now! A must have for any child's nursery.

Only book my 8-month-old picks from her pile
My daughter Giana loves to read along with this book! She's acquired about 50 books so far - thanks to her mother's love of reading and some very generous friends - but this book is the one she always grabs. The pages are colorful and easy for her to help turn, the rhyming is cute, and apparently the taste is great, too, because she often ends up using it as a teether...

A favorite!
My two children love this book. We have fun making noises that go along with the words and it's been a favorite book for four years now! A good investment.

Peek-A-Fun
Young children enjoy books that have pages to open and repeating punchlines. Peek-A-Who has both. It's also thankfully short for parents who have to read the book the large number of times. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The BEST Waldo book
If you have never seen a Waldo book before, here's a short overview:
"Where's Waldo" series consists of unique colorful picture books where the illustrations are filled with hundreds of tiny characters doing all kinds of funny things. Your goal as a reader is to find Waldo, a guy in red and white shirt on all those pictures. If finding Waldo gets too easy then you can spend countless hours trying to find other special characters and situations. Mentally, this activity is similar to assembling a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle, only it's more fun.
One great thing about Waldo books is that even small children can spot Waldo as well or even better than adults, it doesn't require any skills other than good eyesight and ability to pick out details. This makes it fun to read together and compete with your kids of virtually all ages, not just 4-8 as the Amazon reading level suggests.

Now when you know the basic idea of Waldo books but only want to get one (just one book can keep anyone busy for days!) and don't know which one to pick, "Where's Waldo Now" is definitely the best one in my opinion, being the most educational and interesting of the series. It features Waldo traveling through time from one era to another. He has to visit cavemen, ancient Rome, Vikings, Crusaders, a Middle Age European town, Aztecs, samurais, pirates, a royal court, Wild West, and finally a space colony.

Definitely worth the money.

Championship Waldo Watching . . . Past and Future!
If you haven't met Waldo before, he's a funny-looking cartoon fellow who appears amid busy scenes filled with other characters and objects. Although he's always out in the open and quite distinctive, finding him takes some careful looking.

The new edition of Where's Waldo Now? has a great feature. Waldo has been moved in each illustration from the first edition of this book! So if you loved these illustrations before, here's your chance to enjoy them all over again.

The scenes start with cave man days, and move on to ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, Viking voyages, the Crusades, the Middle Ages in Europe, Aztecs, 1600 in Japan, 1750 as a pirate, 1900 at a Paris ball, the Gold Rush, and also a future look at a space colony.

Although finding Waldo is challenging enough, this fascinating volume is filled with dozens of other people and objects to seek. There are 25 Waldo watchers, each one of whom is unique to an illustration. You also get Wenda, the Wizard Whitebeard, and Odlaw in each illustration. In addition, there's a mystery character in each illustration whom you need to find on your own. (There's a clue at the end of the book if you can't figure it out.) Woof the dog appears just as a tail in each illustration. You also have Woof's bone, Wenda's camera, Wizard Whitebeard's scroll, and Odlaw's binoculars in each illustration. At the end of the book are lists of a dozen or so characters and objects to find in each specific illustration.

If you haven't seen this book before, the illustrations are done across a two-page spread filled from the edges of both pages in both directions. The characters and objects are very small. You can profitably use a magnifying glass if you have trouble seeing small things. Bright light is a must! As always, the details are filled with lots of humorous situations that will keep you amused as you search for your goals.

This tininess is a plus for youngsters. The objects and characters seem like they are youngster size in each case!

You can also use the illustrations to teach a little world history to your youngsters.

Basically, this book can provide dozens of hours of laughter and shared fun. You can obviously set up your own searches in addition to the suggested ones.

After you finish seeing how hard it is to find a needle in a haystack that is out in the open, you should think about where else the object of your searches is hard to find. How about locating loyal, considerate friends whom you enjoy? Or a great job? Or an exciting hobby? Or a life-improving book?

Look for the best . . . all around you!

Great Reading
The samurai picture is hilarious ... Read more

Book Description

Kids can never get enough knock-knock jokes. For the insatiable riddler, here are 1,000 jokes that will satisfy the need to tease. Here are knock-knocks about names, songs, insults, sayings, puns, and many, many more, in this laugh-out-loud anthology of knock-knock jokes kids will love.
Knock-knock.
Who's there?
Dishes.
Dishes who?
Dishes your friend, open the door.
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Lena.
Lena who?
Lena little closer, I want to tell you a secret.
... Read more

Reviews (3)

Cute!
Michael Kilgarriff's Knock Knock joke book is a good book, there are a few jokes that aren't very good but most of the knock knock are cute and if your children like knock knock jokes they will probably love this book and it should keep them entertained but be prepared to hear some of the bad jokes along with the good jokes but the majority of the jokes are cute!

Not funny
This book is not as funny as my initial expectations. I was dissapointed beyond recognition

will keep you and your kids laughing
This is a wonderful book to read along with your kids.There are truly 1000 knock-knock jokes and they are all appropriate for children of any age.The book is divided into sections that have fun themes, so you can begin with some sort of reference if you prefer. My daughter and I went straight through by page. We liked this book because it's creative, easy to read, and can keep you busy ofr hours. ... Read more

Book Description

Made for those two moments in the day when parents and young children spend quality time together, here are two marvelous gifts-two innovative additions to the bestselling BRAIN QUEST series, each combining a single full-color deck with an adorable animal companion.

It's evening, the day's craziness is fading, and in bedrooms across the country parents and children snuggle up to read. Even if there's time for nothing else during the day, there's always time made for sharing a story.

With BRAIN QUEST BEDTIME, parents and young kids can sidle up under the covers and learn about the moon, the stars, owls, and Rip Van Winkle. There is a 50-card full-color deck with stories, poems, over 150 questions and answers-plus jokes and riddles, too-all accompanied by a plush teddy bear puppet. The subjects are calming, related to sleep and nighttime, and encourage the kind of quiet, wondering conversation ("Do dogs dream while they're asleep?") that's so important right before turning out the light. See also Brain Quest Bathtime. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Snowy Day, a 1963 Caldecott Medal winner, is the simpletale of a boy waking up to discover that snow has fallen during the night.Keats's illustrations, using cut-outs, watercolors, and collage, are strikinglybeautiful in their understated color and composition. The tranquil story mirrorsthe calm presence of the paintings, and both exude the silence of a freshlysnow-covered landscape. The little boy celebrates the snow-draped city with aday of humble adventures--experimenting with footprints, knocking snow from atree, creating snow angels, and trying to save a snowball for the next day.Awakening to a winter wonderland is an ageless, ever-magical experience, and onemade nearly visceral by Keats's gentle tribute.

The book is notable not only for its lovely artwork and tone, but also forits importance as a trailblazer. According to Horn Book magazine, TheSnowy Day was "the very first full-color picture book to feature a smallblack hero"--yet another reason to add this classic to your shelves. It's asunique and special as a snowflake. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Snowy Day Review
"A Snowy Day," by Ezra Jack Keats is a true classic. The story is about a child named Peter. Peter was a city kid who woke up one morning to discover yhat the entire city was blanketed in snow. Seeing this Peter begins to engage in activities that any small child who grew up with a snowy climate would engage in such as: making footprints in the snow, striking a snow-covered tree in order to knock the clumps of snow off of the branches, making snowmen and snow angles, and sliding down a snowy hill. He ultimately sets it off when he stuffs a snowball in his coat pocket. This is a great book due to it's real like partrayal of a child and the significance of snow in his life.

Magic, Wonder, and Possibilities.....
"One winter morning Peter woke up and looked out the window. Snow had fallen during the night. It covered everthing as far as he could see..." Peter can't wait to jump into his snowsuit and run outside. There are footprints to make and watch as he walks along, snowmen to build, and angels to carve into the snow with his arms and legs. There are mountains of heaping snow to climb and then slide down, again and again, snowballs to pack, and snowball fights among the bigger kids to watch. And after a long cold, wonderful day outside, there are warm and cozy snow dreams to dream until he wakes the next morning to another fun-filled snowy day..... Originally published in 1963, Ezra Jack Keats' The Snowy Day, is still as fresh and inviting today, as it was forty years ago. Mr Keats' gentle, engaging text captures the essence of the child in all of us on a snowy day, and is complemented by his simple, expressive and evocative, award winning illustrations. Together, word and art brings all the wonder, magic, and imaginative possibilities of a big snowfall to life on the page. Perfect for preschoolers, The Snowy Day is a captivating treasure, to read and share now with friends and family and future generations in the years to come. A MUST for all home libraries, this is a timeless classic that shouldn't be missed.

Very cute, and the illustrations are lovely
I agree with other reviewers that the story in this book isn't heart-stopping exciting and it does drag on a bit toward the end, but frankly, I'm not sure that's a bad thing. The slow, languid pace of this story makes it a very calming and relaxing bed time read. The chunky, colorful illustrations are adorable, and the fact that the little boy is not very detailed makes him sort of a child's "Everyman." The story is really about a little boy whose imagination is maybe a little too big for the fact that he's only 4 and not able to do everything he'd like, but it's cute and engaging and well worth reading.

Let it snow (y day)
When "The Snowy Day" first came out, it was considered groundbreaking. Unprecedented. Here, at last, was a picture book in which the protagonist is black. It's not an overtly political book, mind you. Just a nice story about a kid in the city playing in the snow. Having heard about this story for a long time, I decided now was the moment to see how well this book has stood up over time. Ezra Jack Keats has long passed from idle picture book author to a somewhat god-like figure of the children's book world, so does this early work stand out even today? If it was introduced for the first time now, would it be considered as good as it is? Yes and no. The book is both a fabulous creation, and a very simple, very normal, tale that everyone on one level or another is familiar with.

In this book, Peter wakes up to discover that snow has covered the city in the night. Delighted, he pulls on his bright red (and now world known) snowsuit and plunges into a day of exploring and playing. He makes fun tracks, and hits snow off the branches of trees. He constructs a smiling snowman and slides down steep mountains of snow. At the end of the day his mother gets him out of his wet clothes and gives him a nice hot bath. The next morning the snow is still there, and an ecstatic Peter calls up a friend to do the whole day over again.

When I was a child I loved (and still do) stories that took place in the big cities. Keats never draws an inordinate amount of attention to Peter's surroundings. So while you won't see skyscrapers or taxi cabs, there's a distinctly urban feel to the lay of the land. The text is nice and easy for the youngsters to understand. As for the cut-outs, they're a delight to look at. Picture books featuring cut-outs may be remembered best as belonging to such artists as Eric Carle or Leo Lionni, but I consider Mr. Keats to be the granddaddy of the art form. Aside from the beauty of the landscaping in this pictures, I loved the papers used in the book. The section in which Peter sits on the snow, a snowball embedded on his chest, the black sky is a-swirl in greens, blues, and browns. When Peter slides down a snow covered embankment, the sky is then a delightful twisty series of white smoke-like curlicues. And Peter's home itself is eloquently rendered. From the wrought iron bed frame to the multicolored wallpaper and tiles that enhance the setting, the book is the best possible combination of elegance and realism.

If it came out today, "Snowy Day" wouldn't garner an overly enthusiastic response from publishers and critics. Which isn't to say that it's unworthy of the praise already received. As I've tried to show, the book is a wonderful amalgamation of text, pattern, and emotion. One of the finest books written for children, and a great evocative story.

The Snowy Day
The Snowy Day is a great book for kids of the age 4-6 years old.
The book is about a little boy who has a great time out side. He plays in the snow making snow angles and snowmen and many more great things. He try's to have fun with older kids but he seemed to not fit in.
He soon learns that not all things are here to stay.
The book is not one of the best books out there but the pictures are pretty. ... Read more

Book Description

A great car game! "Made to avoid car sickness," as my prone-to-car-sickeness son explains.Generally, players look out the window to find objects described in the cards.Points for each found object vary.The very sturdy box is built to withstand the wildest, most rambunctious family! Don't travel without one of these games!(Selected as Outstanding by Parent Council) ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Great game for the car!
This is a great game to have for car trips (especially the long ones)! Plus, I've found that my kids (ages 4 & 6) are even learning new items... things they didn't know before, now they do. To make it simpler though, we just made it team game, instead of indiviually. And we don't keep score (so there are no hard feelings). We just have a great time finding things together!

For family fun in the car... buy this game! It's great!!

Road Trips can be fun!!
Where was this game when I was a kid? I bought this for a recent long car trip with the kids and we all had a great time playing it. Now even if we are driving thru town someone will call out items that they have found. It is entertaining for the whole family!

Fun Family Frenzy
I purchased this game before setting out on a cross-country trip (PA to TX and back).

We had so much fun with this game -- my husband, my teenaged son, and I. Definitely a good game for all ages!

Tons of fun in the car
My husband and I went on a road trip with my in-laws (7 hours in the car) and we had a blast with this game. It really made the time fly. My nieces and nephew enjoy the game as well. They ask to borrow it everytime they take a road trip. I highly recommend this game for any one who travels. We love the share the road cards. It always shocks me when you can actually get people in other cars around you involved. The compact size is great for keeping in the glove box.

Good for long trips
We found the game to be alot of fun. One caution however -- it does not scale down to the lower age children. I recommend for kids from 10 to 99! ... Read more

Book Description

Kids love karate, they also love to color. With that in mind, I have created the first coloring book dedicated to the martial arts. It is designed to appeal to children 2-12 years old. All pictures are of martial artists and scenes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great book,
Very good Karate book, if your children like Karate , they will love this coloring book! I looked all over for a coloring book like this, and glad I found this one. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

A "1st Place" horse coloring book
This was the first of the Dover coloring books I purchased for my four year old daughter. It features not only realistic drawings but some instructional/informational text about horse breeds, horse care, horsemanship and riding styles. The rider, both adult and child, are included in the images. My daughter liked it so much we ended up buying all the horse/pony titles by John Green we could find on Amazon including "Horses of the World" and "Ponies of the World". Mr. Green, please do more horse/pony books!

My son love it!!
It is a great book...with many drawings that help a 3 years old kid to paint it and the kids love it....my son doesn't know to read but the detailed explanations help us (parents) to explain him what is going on in each page and to create bed stories for him...
Excellent book for a kid who loves animals and horses.

Great Coloring Book For All Horse Fans
This coloring books was fun for my kids and I to color. We spent a couple hours coloring. The picture weren't too detailed for my kids to enjoy. It is great for the millions of horse lovers out there. ... Read more

Book Description

The Ultimate Finding Nemo Sticker Book will thrill young fans of the film. Stick Nemo and other images from his magical ocean world onto full color backgrounds from the movie to create your own stories and scenes. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

SARAHS REVEW
IT IS GOOD IT IS FUNNY IT IS GRAND FOR U AND ME HAVE A GOOD ONE
.FROM SARAH

Great stickers!
Lots of good stickers of all the characters, including the names. I use them on a background for my aquarium. ... Read more

Book Description

Safe, fun, and enriching summer programs are the backbone of Peterson’s Summer Opportunities for Kids & Teenagers. The annually updated guide provides complete information on more than 3,000 summer camps, arts programs, sports clinics, academic courses, travel tours, wilderness adventures, and volunteer opportunities throughout the U.S. and abroad. There are programs for every child’s interests and every family’s budget—from pre-college preparation courses held on private school or college campuses and traditional summer camps replete with lakes, to wilderness treks in the American West, community service projects in Costa Rica and bicycling, sailing, or train tours to hundreds of countries around the world. Peterson’s Summer Opportunities for Kids & Teenagers also includes detailed two-page descriptions written by camp personnel for nearly 300 summer camps and programs. ... Read more

Book Description

"Have you ever done something and then thought, "Uh-oh, that was a bad idea"?We thought so.How about the time you asked your best friend to give you a haircut?Or when you went skating with your dog (who had just been kicked out of obedience school)?What if you put all you bad ideas into one book?Then you would have...

THE BOOK OF BAD IDEAS!" ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great read aloud!
As a 6th grade teacher whose students love picture books (though they wouldn't admit it), this is a great read aloud. The kids laughed and laughed and couldn't wait to create their own "bad ideas". Great choice for any age!

Everyone has Bad Ideas
I love this book! It reminds me of growing up in a house with three little brothers. Every family has their own memories of bad ideas. Laura Huliska-Beith tells of hers with flair and creativity. The illustrations are colorful and rich in texture. There is something new to laugh about every time I read it. I'm buying a copy for each of my brothers! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Comics! Puzzles! Jokes! Laffs! Flip-O-Rama! Stickers! Sound too good tobe true? Captain Underpants (TheAdventures of Captain Underpants: An Epic Novel, Captain Underpants and the PerilousPlot of Professor Poopypants, etc.) is all about making readers happy,especially in this "really cheesy" (hey, the captain said it, not me) activitybook starring everyone's favorite wedgie-powered superhero and his fourth-gradecreators, George and Harold. Learn how to write your very own comic book, solveword-find puzzles, find your way out of Doctor Diaper's Devastating Diaper ofDoom maze, pick up a few prank tips, make flip-o-rama pictures, complete theCafeteria Ladies' Crazy Crossword, read all about Hairy Potty, the evil nuclearwaste-enhanced toilet with werewolf fangs, and so much more. The exquisitelyjuvenile humor and (intentionally) unsophisticated artwork will have evenreluctant readers clamoring for more from the very talented and irreverent DavPilkey. Pass the final exam and you can send away for your P.H.D. (PilkeyHonorary Diploma), make-it-yourself graduation cap with real artificial tassels,and a membership card. All three Terrifying Name Change-O-Charts 2000 areincluded, as well as a sheet of full-color stickers featuring Turbo Toilet,jockey-clad Captain Underpants, and the snickering troublemakers, George andHarold. (Ages 7 to 10) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Avoid bookopia
I bought a used copy of this book marked "in good condition," but when it arrived, all of the puzzles had been filled in. There was tons of writing. I had meant to give the book as a gift, but I ended up throwing it away. I was very disappointed.

A++++ Material!
This book is great, including that it has ideas to make a comic book, ideas to make FLIP-O-RAMA, and a whole new Captain Underpants Comic Book "Hairy Potty." This is A++++ Material.

Hey at least they are reading? Right?
My 8 yr old is usually glued into one of these books, I have read them and I guess you really have to be young to get into them, they are truly silly to the point of no return.
But, hey, as long as they are reading! She gobbles every Captain Underpants book she gets her hands on and the charter school she attends hands them out for reading so many books per term.
Good reading for kids!!!

Not CU
As an activity book or comic relief, this book is purty good. As CU or a novel, forget it. Withoutta doubt, no plot, no humor, no CU!

Puzzles involve characters of CU books. There's even a create-a-comic! These puzzles are, well, fun!

BUT! Beware, CU fans, the series is falling, and I think we should cherish the CUs we have

Kinda Soggy
Not as much interest in this book as the others in the series, this is more activity oriented than reading entertainment as the other books in the series. ... Read more

Book Description

Produced in association with the NBA, this fun book teaches basic basketball vocabulary as well as strengthening counting and comprehension skills in an exciting, visually witty format. Children will love learning with their basketball heroes. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent activity ideas
I am a music therapy student and I used this book in constructing activities for music classes at a summer camp. This book had so many ideas for activities with music materials and ideas that were easily adaptable to fit the groups' needs. I especially love that few of these games really have a single winner, so everyone gets to participate and enjoy. I would highly recommend this for music therapists and educators as well as anyone else looking for this type of game for children.

101 Music Games for Children
Being a music educator, I purchased this book in hopes toenhance my music program. I have found it hard in the past to find musical games that young children can enjoy outside of musical chairs! With this book, I will never have that problem. To insure that my students have FUN learning music, we spend the last part of class playing one of these games. It is easy to do because this book provides you with a guide indicating age appropriateness, how long the game takes (5 min., 15 min., 30 min., etc.), specific number of players needed, and instruments and/or props if needed. Oh, did I mention that you don't have to be a kid to love these games? Well, you don't! There are games in here for those competitive music know-it-alls like myself! Did I mention that this book is great for planning parties? Forget the clown, it's usually a rip off anyway! Besides, music and parties go hand in hand! Last, it's a totally great book! ... ... Read more

Amazon.com

In Summerland, his first novel for young readers, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon attempts an American Narnia. Inspired by Lewis and Tolkien, he's created his own magical landscape on which to paint a sweeping fantasy quest, but mixes the same ingredients--folklore and new inventions--in a distinctively American way.

The plot is simple and pure, but takes a long time to tell. The setting is Clam Island, Washington, specifically the area on the western tip of the island known as the Summerlands, which enjoys zero rainfall and yearlong fine weather. Ethan Feld, a self-described really bad ball player, is recruited by a 100-year-old scout called Mr. Chiron "Ringfinger" Brown. Ethan is needed to help the ferishers, essentially fairies, to save their world from eradication. On the great infinite tree of worlds, Summerland is on the boundary between two such worlds, and a particularly destructive fairy called Coyote and his band of warriors are nearby and threatening to destroy everything.

Heroes are desperately needed to counter this threat, and their journey involves a lot of baseball, but also encounters with giants, bat-winged goblins, sea monsters, and assorted cunning magic. The novel features an ensemble cast of equal parts that shine and fade in turn, and yet the undoubtedly fine writing fails to mask the enormity and complexities of the world in which they travel, and the bad guys getting their comeuppance always seems so far away. Readers need to savor every word in Summerland to extract the best flavors from it. (Ages 10 and older.) --John McLay, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (96)

More Magic by Michael
It was always apparent that Michael Chabon had a fantasy novel in him. From the vivid imagery of the Cloud Factory in "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh" through the fact/fiction world of Kavalier and Clay, Chabon's ability to create worlds with words has been unparralled in so called "modern fiction". What's suprising is the ease with which he leaps from serious writing to whimsical storytelling, without missing a beat.
"Summerland" was rumored to be a book for youths, but the crisp language and artful plotline are hallmark Chabon. Set in parallel worlds of Little League baseball, the story speaks to the kid in all of us that doesn't have all the talent, but finds in the end that faith can put tickmarks on the scorecard. Ethan Feld, the hero of "Summerland" is clearly a younger version of Art from "Mysteries", playing a part he feels wholly unsuited for, yet Chabon doesn't allow him to fail. One of my favorite things about Chabon's writing is his method of creating this type of character, and then nurturing him through rough waters. The other role players in this story include a legendary baseball bat ("Splinter"), ferishers, a werefox (a play on Chabon's Werewolves in Their youth?)and other fantasy sorts that are richly drawn and highly stylized. Ethan's friend, Jennifer T. Rideout is also a great character, with a knowledge of baseball lore that accompanies a golden throwing arm, and she is probably Chabon's best female creation to date (sorry Phlox), owing to her youth and love of baseball.
By the time you reach the "Home" section of this 500 page novel, you are reminded why, if you are a fan of his, you love Chabon's writing. His stories always close neatly, and leave you wondering just what happens to his cast on page 501. He's truly one of our greatest writers, and "Summerland" is a worthy successor to his achievements to date.

Clever, Imaginative Story Telling
I would have given it five stars if I loved baseball or if this book gave me a love of baseball but I do appreciate the author's, Michael Chabon, intense and passionate love of the game. A book for kids is the perfect follow-up to the wonderful Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay and it shows the author's gift for narrative to be as strong as ever and the story moves swiftly and breathlessly. The imaginary worlds he creates in Summerland come as more of a surprise, as they are both fresh and familiar as the same time. It may lack the sense of wonder of the Harry Potters or the complexities of His Dark Materials but it touches elements of both and brings in a little Americanism (reminiscent of Baum) along with it. He has turned the national sport into the stuff of myths and legends and turned the stuff of myths and legends into daily life. It is both a rollicking adventure story and a sweet meditation on story telling with (its only drawback to this non-fan) a lot of baseball. It is truly a modern American fairy tale.

Not recommended
Good fantasy/childrens' authors (Rowling, Tolkien, L'Engle, Ende, Lewis, etc.) twist or bend reality to reveal new worlds. In contrast, Chabon uses a blunt force trauma approach.

For example, there is a special creature (Cutbelly) who can travel from "Summerland" to "Winterland" and other worlds. Cutbelly can take the protagonist (Ethan) with him. Cutbelly dies or gets injured (reader can't tell) and Ethan simply picks up a really smart/nerdy grade school classmate to perform the complex task of navigating between worlds/dimensions. No explanation given as to how this seemingly normal gradeschool child without magical abilities can do this.

Characters, save one or two, did little to endear themselves to the reader.

The Ultimate Fatal Flaw: Chabon rather randomly creates characters, plot points, situations and worlds without adequate grounding, explanation, or motivation.

Unfortunately, I rarely read fiction (almost always reading work-related nonfiction) --- so this book was to be my "Summer" treat.

Avoid the dissapointment.

Summerland - makes me feel fine.
When you think of fantasy books in which characters band together to go on a mysterious quest, you think of one place. Britain. Most quest stories for children either are written by Brits or take place (as in the case of Lloyd Alexander's "Prydain Chronicles") in a European setting. Honestly, the most notable exception to this rule is also the oldest. "The Wizard of Oz" is a proudly American tale, beginning in Kansas and continuing in a land that has a particularly Yankee feel to it. So it should come as no surprise that the man to follow in the late great L. Frank Baum's shoes should be none other than Michael Chabon. An author mostly associated with books for adults, he has tried his hand at penning the ultimate American children's fantasy. And to his credit, he nearly succeeds.

"Summerland" begins on Clam Island where our hero, Ethan Feld, lives with his inventor father. The two are relative newcomers to the isle, but they participate whole-heartedly in the local youth baseball team. Ethan, unfortunately, is a horrendous player. He dislikes the sport and is perfectly aware that he is the reason the team has lost its last seven games. On one particular day, however, Ethan finds himself scouted by a local group of fairies or, as they prefer to be called, ferishers. The ferishers are looking for a hero, and their hero scout has come up with Ethan. Suddenly the boy that couldn't hit a baseball to save his life finds himself in charge of saving the universe in a world that couldn't possibly be any more different from his own.

First of all, I should state that if you do not like baseball in the least, do not read this book. "Summerland" hinges on the idea that in the Summerlands (a world like and unlike our own to which Ethan travels) baseball is a sport that absolutely everyone plays. Entire civilizations have been destroyed by the designated-hitter rule. Giants are capable of throwing thunder and lightening itself. And in the end, existence itself is decided after nine straight innings. The crazy crew of characters Ethan teams up with become his own private baseball team, and Ethan himself learns how to swing a mighty, if painful, bat.

I enjoyed all the particularly American aspects of this tale. The ferishers do not look like magical leprechauns or British elves. Instead, they bear some resemblance to Native Americans and they play a mean game of ball. Our heroes come across the ultimate trickster god/villain Coyote, and it is his plans that need to be changed for the world to keep on going. They meet up with a group called the Big Liars, a motley assortment of some of the best tall tale legends ever to walk the American soil. They befriend a sasquatch. What Chabon is doing here is incorporating a variety of enjoyable motifs and images that conjure up some of the most beloved images of the United States itself.

Which isn't to say the book is entirely a success. There is a definite trend amongst established adult writers these days to switch focus and write for children. Clive Barker, Joyce Carol Oats, Elmore Leonard, etc. Chabon is just the latest author to jump aboard the kiddie lit bandwagon, but he's got a ways to go. After all, it takes a fair amount of skill to successfully pen books that kids will not only read but also enjoy. I can't fault Chabon's ideas, plot, or characters in "Summerland" because they are, one and all, entrancing. That leaves the writing itself, and I'm afraid its just not up to par. Chabon has a nasty habit of not explaining things, a writing style that works perfectly well for adults but is a strain on younger readers. Large shifts in the plot occur from time to time without much in the way of explanation. One of the characters, for example, explains how Coyote promised her a little brother but it turned out badly in the end. A fair amount of guesswork has to go into understanding this speech and when all is said and done it's still fairly unclear. A multitude of different problems like this one sprout up all over the book. It's almost as if Chabon hasn't yet discovered his children's literature voice as of yet.

There's a lot to love in "Summerland" just the same. Ethan Feld, our reluctant hero, is nothing so much as a slightly modified Charlie Brown. Here we have a character that never succeeds without luck or a vast amount of effort. He doesn't suddenly wake up one morning and decide that he's going to be heroic or superior. And for the most part he's treated exactly like the boy he is by the other characters. Unlike almost every other person in this story, Ethan is completely normal. He has a deep wisdom that surfaces from time to time, but otherwise he's a believable child. A person dissecting this book to pieces might well argue that the entire point of the story can be summarized as, "Magical events teach a boy to love baseball", and that wouldn't be far off. It's the journey that takes him from disenchantment to a steadfast love of the game that makes the novel worth reading. Other touches, like classic Native American folktales, the fate of men that place discovery over reason, and the names of the giants, all combine to make this little epic enjoyable and a stitch.

It's not perfect, no. It's not. Michael Chabon has some practicing to do before he is included on the list of "Great Crossover Writers For Adults and Children" but he's definitely getting there. He's accomplished something with this book that most writers never come to. He's made an original American fantasy novel. It's no "Wizard of Oz", but it's getting there. And it is definitely worth your time and money to read it. If you like stories where the heroes are good, the villains complex, and the situations dire if not hopeless, read yourself a little "Summerland". It's a pip.

Chabon should go back to writing adult stories
Summerland by Michael Chabon
If I had to describe this book in 5 words, it would probably be a spin- off of the Harry Potter series. This book was not one of the best books I have read to say the least. I mean, sure it was "ok" and it did have some originality into it, but it didn't live up to its praise by Publisher's Weekly review stating that "Pulitzer Prize winner Chabon hits a high- flying home run." I wasn't impressed by Chabon's writing; the book didn't hold my attention; the most attention-grabbing parts were the color less pictures at the beginnings of each chapter. This book took me a lot to get into it and nothing to get me out of it. I highly anticipated this book when my 7th grade language teacher told me that after reading "Time Magazine" article on the adult author, Chabon is going to be the next J.K Rowling. But obviously, Chabon should go back to being an adult writer. Chabon is an adult writer so maybe adults would like to read a children's book written by an adult writer, I presume why the ratings for this book are so high. I would find it to be an insult to J.K Rowling's work because her work was being compared to his. Summerland is about a boy, Ethan, who lost his mother at a very young age, (like Harry Potter) and is having trouble playing baseball in which he is forced to play by his father. His Father is an inventor and invented a flying car. At this point the author doesn't clarify if this is in the future, past or present. From there, Ethan meets a creature by the name of Cutebelly and tells him of the other secret worlds in, which he lives in, that nobody knows of which might be vanished by an evil dictator named Coyote. Then Ethan discovered his father mysteriously disappeared (who was really kidnapped by Coyote). Along goes Ethan and friends to stop the evil Coyote from ruling the world(s) and possibly killing his Father by traveling through the worlds using his Father's old flying car and winning baseball games to defeat enemies that cross their path. This book is filled with morals, adventure and sickening amount of baseball games, so many that it makes you literally want to jump out of your chair and get a bat in order to play baseball using the book as a baseball. On a more serious note, I enjoyed how the author incorporated the metaphor of summer having its own world since during the summer it feels like a whole different place. I enjoyed his various and descriptive characters that he put in the book, but it may be overwhelming to some people. This book is arguably bad or good considering the person. My opinion on this book when recommending it would be not to read it, but if you enjoy Michael Chabon as a writer and have an obsession with baseball I would definitely recommend it. ... Read more