General Books - Page 4

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

Bill Martin Jr., John Archambault

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 183 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

I love it, younger niece loves it 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The older niece (5) has recently stopped liking this book, and will leave the room when I read it. Not sure what's up with that, she used to like it well enough. Her little sister, though, will stand by her desire to have it read when *normally* she caves to Big Sister Pressure.

This book has a very bouncy rhythm and tune (if you know the tune), and very colorful illustrations. It's just fun to read, and it's quick, too.

I definitely recommend it to young kids, especially any in the age where they're learning about letters.

Editorial Review:

A told B,

and B told C,

"I'll meet you at the

top of the coconut tree"

Countless children -- and there parents -- can joyfully recite the familiar words of this beloved alphabet chant. The perfect pairing of Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault's lively rhymes, and Caldecott Honor artist Lois Ehlert's bright, bold, cheerful pictures made Chicka Chicka Boom Boom an instant hit and a perennial favorite.

This full-sized, quality paperback edition will bring even more fans to this endearing, enduring classic.

Chicka chicka boom boom

will there be enough room?

There will always be room for Chicka Chicka boom Boom on every child's bookshelf!

Wabi Sabi

Mark Reibstein

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Animals -> Cats -> Fiction

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Not to be confused with "wasabi" 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.

Credit author Mark Reibstein with this much. He sure doesn't shy away from trying to teach kids complex philosophical concepts. Here he is writing his very first picture book and does he select something easy like being the new kid in school or losing your first tooth? No, Reibstein decides to write a book about the ancient Chinese concept of wabi sabi (later adopted by the Japanese), working in thoughts on Taoism, haiku, and even the works of Basho on the sly. Paired alongside the remarkable Ed Young's artwork, the final product is a quiet, deep, moving story that may require a special audience, and yet has many uses.

One day Wabi Sabi the cat overhears his mistress discussing his name with a pair of visitors. When asked what "wabi sabi" means, the young woman replies, "That's hard to explain." Curious, Wabi Sabi sets out to find the true meaning of her name. Each creature she asks explains how difficult a concept it is to explain, and they often end their thoughts with a little haiku (each one describing wabi sabi in some manner). It isn't until the cat meets a wise monkey and partakes of tea in a plain and beautiful bowl that the phrase begins to take on a real meaning. Wabi sabi is the feeling you get when you find harmony in the imperfect that is beautiful. Stopping at a temple on her way home, Wabi Sabi creates poems in its honor and truly understands her name by the time she meets up with her mistress once again.

The book bears some surface similarities to Jon Muth's Zen Shorts, though the tone feels a bit different. In both cases, however, you find yourself wondering idly about audience. The idea of a cat searching for the true meaning of its name is something kids will grasp easily. But with the added haiku in the text, the book appears to be aimed at older children. Maybe if a school had a class assignment on haiku this would make for a natural companion piece. Normally when a child has to learn about haiku they are handed a book of poems that are separate from one another. A title like If Not for the CatIf Not for the Cat by Jack Prelutsky is fun for kids but doesn't always make plain haiku's power to set a moment in time apart from the busyness of life. What Wabi Sabi does is to place these haikus within the context of a larger tale. When that happens, the little sayings and moments are set apart. They are shots of quietude in the midst of a busy narrative. As a result, the entire book has a kind of calming effect on the reader. Whether that effect will touch children as often as it touches adults remains to be seen.

I wouldn't call my relationship to Ed Young's work a love/hate relationship because I've never really hated anything he's done. I just feel that his art varies to a great and grand degree. When Ed Young created Lon Po Po it was justly given a Caldecott Medal for a title that was inarguably the greatest children's art of that given year. Lon Po Po was a triumph. Since then Mr. Young has done personal tales like My Mei Mei and grand sweeping visions with eclectic techniques as in Beyond the Great Mountains. These are all fine and good but few have them have really touched me in any way. Really, I haven't found an Ed Young book I really liked since I, Doko. Wabi Sabi, however, grabbed my attention. It could have been another run-of-the-mill book, but there's something extra here. Something special. Maybe it's wrapped up in the story of these illustrations' creation.

Here is the true story behind the pictures you will see in Wabi Sabi. When Mr. Young was asked to create the art for Reibstein's book he produced a series of beautifully simple images. When the pictures were done he went to visit his editor (or was it his agent?) and left the images on the front porch of the home. When he went outside again to retrieve them, they were gone. Poof! "It was a wabi sabi moment," says Mr. Young. And rather than bemoan his fate, curse the heavens above, and fall into a funk, Young resolved to make the pictures again, "and make them better." The result is what you hold in your hand now. Rather than use the same style (and this really was a case of starting over from scratch), Young went in a new direction. They'll call this artistic style mixed media and I guess that they aren't wrong, but there's something about Young's combinations here that gets at the heart of the story better than any random smattering of pulp on paper could. The epilogue to this tale is that six months or so after the disappearance of the art, it reappeared anonymously at a local church and was returned to Young's possession. And if you do a side-by-side comparison of Young's first try and subsequent re-illustration one thing is patently clear. The new images are better than the originals. Just as Ed Young said they would be.

To talk a little more about the art, can I confess to you that I'm not actually a fan of collage? I'm not. I have nothing against pasting random bits and pieces together in the hopes of creating something new and different, but it's not my favorite style in the whole wide world. And so the single most impressive and interesting image in this book is not, to my mind, the cat or the creatures he encounters but in fact the photograph that lurks behind the publication information at the end of the book. It's a shot taken in low lighting of what appears to be a stone garden. The sand is even, possibly after a recent rain, but breaking it up natural as you please is a set of small and precise cat footprints. The combination of perfect smooth surface and the playful remains of kitty feet is what this book is all about. The perfection of imperfection.

It is not an easy book to describe. I keep trying to give you some vast sense of the whole, and instead I keep finding myself returning to descriptions of single moments. How could I review this book without mentioning the image of Wabi Sabi staring out over a busy city at dusk? Young perfectly captures in a visual sense the accompanying haiku's description of the darkening city, "before the shock of new light", that will come with electricity. I was particularly intrigued to find that though I started the book by imagining that it took place in the past (Wabi Sabi's mistress wears a kimono), the shot of the city places it squarely in the present. This is not a jarring realization, however, and few will have any problems with it.

If people dohave any difficulties with the book, it may lie in the design. Wabi Sabi is a vertical book. To read it, you must turn it so that the pages move from down to up rather than from right to left. Some people find such books too difficult to read to children though, if Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens is any indication, this is something adults object to. Not children.

If you find the song Simple Gifts running through your head, do not be surprised. Heck, you could even pair this book with Chris Raschka's picture book Simple Gifts for a cat-related, simplicity-centric storytime. Concept books are hard enough when you're trying to teach a kid why sharing is bad or why homemade things have more meaning than store bought. Trying to teach kids about why the simple and plain are also beautiful is a task few would willingly select. Reibstein and Young, however, have hit upon the one way it can be done. I suspect that the world will recognize their achievement accordingly. Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

Wabi Sabi, a little cat in Kyoto, Japan, had never thought much about her name until friends visiting from another land asked her owner what it meant. At last, the master says, "That's hard to explain." And that is all she says. This unsatisfying answer sets Wabi Sabi on a journey to uncover the meaning of her name, and on the way discovers what wabi sabi is: a Japanese philosophy of seeing beauty in simplicity, the ordinary, and imperfection. Using spare text and haiku, Mark Reibstein weaves an extraordinary story about finding real beauty in unexpected places. Caldecott Medal-winning artist Ed Young complements the lyrical text with breathtaking collages. Together, they illustrate the unique world view that is wabi sabi. Wabi Sabi is a unique picture book that clearly explains a new way of seeing the world to readers.

A Very Marley Christmas

John Grogan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Hilarious Christmas Story 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Reviewed by Cayden (age 4) and Max (age 2) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (6/08)

"A Very Marley Christmas" is the fun holiday story of Marley the dog's first Christmas. Marley is a very mischievous dog and decorating for Christmas with him around can be very interesting! He gets into everything from the Christmas lights that the mom is hanging, to the paper snowflakes that Cassie cut, to the paint that baby Louie is using to paint a snowman, and makes a huge mess!

Cayden: "Look at the cover! I think that dog was naughty! He has wrapping paper in his mouth. I hope he didn't open all of the presents!"
Max: "No!"

Cayden: "He knocked over all of the ornaments that you are supposed to hang on the Christmas tree! Some are broken!"
Max: "Oh no!"

Cayden: "He knocked the tree over!"

Cayden: "Why does he keep knocking things over and breaking things?"
Max: "Break!"

Cayden: "I like this book! It is real funny! Can we read it again?"
Cayden: "Marley is a funny dog! He does lots of naughty things!"
Max: "Naughty dog!"

Parent's comments:

"A Very Marley Christmas" was definitely a hit with both of my children! They really enjoyed the adventures of Marley and all of the trouble that he got into. The story is very amusing and Marley's antics had my children laughing on almost every page. The illustrations in the book do an excellent job at conveying the humorous situations. We definitely recommend this book for the holiday season and we look forward to reading more Marley books in the future!

Editorial Review:

With all the excitement of Christmas approaching, it's no surprise that Marley, the lovable pup with a nose for trouble, wants to get in on the action. Anticipating his very first snowfall and Santa's arrival, Marley jumps in to help his family every way he can. But Marley, being Marley, always ends up on the wrong side of right. It's not long before he tears down the twinkle lights, attacks a chain of paper snowflakes, and mistakes the Christmas tree for . . . well . . . his very own indoor bathroom. Will Marley's good intentions ruin everything before Christmas begins? Or will he manage to share some Christmas magic with his family after all?

This follow-up to the #1 bestselling Bad Dog, Marley! delivers a heartfelt holiday story with many hilarious Marley mishaps along the way.

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy (Fancy Nancy)

Jane O'connor

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 57 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Must for Little Girls 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

It's not bed time without hearing my four year-old beg for Fancy Nancy. Delightfully written, these books introduce great vocabulary and the illustrations are beautiful. We have spent a lot of time getting "fancy" at our house, which has truly helped develop my daughter's creativity and imagination. Makes a great gift paired with an outfit for dress up!

Just sometimes, Fancy isn't really Fun! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fancy Nancy is about to get a new dog! Of course, her dog must be the fanciest -- a really Posh Puppy. When Nancy dog-sits a really Posh Pup, she realizes that he's not the right dog for her. (I guess those visits to the salon can get pretty old!)

There's a great lesson here when Nancy and her family go to the animal shelter to find a dog to rescue. Oh, his name is Fancy because it's Frenchy, and all's well that ends well.

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy is a wonderful example of the beautiful writing and illustrations that make this series so popular with young readers. Very, very recommended!

Editorial Review:

Fancy Nancy is back! And when her family decides to get a dog, she's certain she can be fancier than ever. After all, a papillon—a small, delicate, fluffy dog—is the ultimate accessory. But her family wants a large, plain dog. How unglamorous!

With Fancy Nancy's trademark humor and warmth, Nancy discovers that real fanciness does not depend simply on appearance but more on a genuine joie de vivre, which is a fancy phrase for having lots of fun.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Dr. Seuss

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A Holiday Classic 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The holiday season would be incomplete without the annual reading of this delightful tale that introduces the little ones and many of the big ones too, to the residents of Whoville. A timeless tale where one will meet Little Cindy Lou Who, Max the Dog, and the Grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small. In the end, the Grinch is not the only one that discovers the true meaning of the holiday. Another Dr. Seuss classic.

Classic 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A classic story that everyone who even slightly appreciates Christmas. Dr. Seuss tells a convincing story of the true meaning of Christmas and gives us a surprisingly complex character at the same time, someone who discovers he hates Christmas for all the right reasons. The illustrations are Sessian-wonderland, and the lyrical read is an artistic blast.

Editorial Review:

The Grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small, hates Who-ville's holiday celebrations, and plans to steal all the presents to prevent Christmas from coming. To his amazement, Christmas comes anyway, and the Grinch discovers the true meaning of the holiday.

pat the bunny Collector's Edition (Touch-and-Feel)

Dorothy Kunhardt

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 156 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

attracts attention - a timeless classic 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This little book which I bought on impulse turned out to be the best of the activity books for my son, now 13 months old. He is easily distracted and this book (coupled with his father's additional stories about the bunny) helps him stay focused and stimulates imagination. It is also very helpful at the evening meals, when he is so fascinated that even the tiredness does not make him fuss over his cereal. He literally screams in delight whenever we take the book out.
The simple drawings, mild colors and especially soft fur of the bunny make this book an essential for every baby. I cannot recommend it strong enough. A classic, it will sure be a great gift for many generations of babies.

Needs better construction 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My son does love this book...especially the peek-a-boo page. However, I don't know why it's not constructed better. This book was about $10, and the pages are a thick paper instead of board book material. Since this book is geared towards the little ones, they really should make this into a board book. How much more expensive can that be? There are other touch and feel books that are board books that sell for $5 or $6.

Editorial Review:

This special edition book is double the size and has two additional touch and feel features that were taken out of the book 40 years ago!

10 Fat Turkeys

Tony Johnston

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Silly & Fun! 4 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

If you're looking for a serious book about Thanksgiving, then 10 Fat Turkeys is not the book for you. This book is about ten fat turkeys walking along a fence, when one by one they fall, break the fence, and perch on a tree instead. It's funny, and intended to appeal to the very young, or young at heart. The illustrations are bright, and bold, and will appeal to young children say 1 to 5-years. My son laughs when I read this book, and now at five he's starting to read it to himself.

10 Fat Turkey's mimics the pattern in Melanie Gerth's, Ten Little Ladybugs, although Gerth's book is sweet, this work is just plain silly.

10 fat turkeys fooling on a fence.
"Looky!" says a silly turkey, swinging from a vine.
GOBBLE GOBBLE WIBBLE WOBBLE whoops! Now there are...9.

It's a lesson in simple subtraction, and one we enjoy reading after Halloween. It's not a Thanksgiving book per se, there is no mention of the holiday, or even the season. It just a fun, nonsense book for little tykes.

Editorial Review:

"Looky!" says a silly turkey swinging from a vine. Gobble gobble wibble wobble.Whoops! Now there are nine.Girls and boys will gobble up this hilarious story about ten goofy turkeys and their silly antics: swinging from a vine, strutting on a boar, doing a noodle dance, and more. Veteran author Tony Johnston has written a joyful text, which first-time illustrator Richard Deas brings to life as wild and wacky fun!

Inkspell (Inkheart)

Cornelia Funke

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 221 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Audio Edition: Brendon Frasier does a really bad job as narrator 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Listened to to Inkheart and loved the book...Redgrave does a fantastic job as the narrator. Unfortunately, Frasier does not!! Could not finish this one. Shame on the publishers for not contracting with Redgrave again.

Editorial Review:

Although a year has passed, not a day goes by without Meggie thinking of Inkheart, the book whose characters came to life - and changed her life forever.

But for Dustfinger, the fire-eater brought into being from words, the need to return to the original tale has become desperate. When he finds a crooked storyteller with the magical ability to read him back, Dustfinger leaves behind his young apprentice Farid and plunges into the medieval inkscape once more.

Distraught, Farid goes in search of Meggie, and before long both are caught inside the book, too. There they meet Inkheart's author, Fenoglio, now living within his own story. But the tale is much changed, and threatening to evolve in ways none of them would have ever imagined. Will Meggie, Farid, and Fenoglio manage to write the wrongs of a charmed world? Or is their story on the brink of a very bad ending?

The Night Before Thanksgiving (Reading Railroad Books)

Natasha Wing

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Thanksgiving fun 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Our whole family enjoys this book, which makes us giggle and feel the warmth and love of sharing a holiday with family.

Thanksgiving bliss. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's along the lines of A Night Before Christmas. It's family harmony at T-giving.

Fun, entertaining rhyming book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My 2 year old twins love this book.
The rhyming text captures their attention as well as the lively pictures. There are lots of items I can ask them to find and count on the pages. Additionally, there are places in the text that are perfect for asking them to predict what is going to happen. Also, at the end of the book the family says a prayer of thanks which is a great place for me to show my children that other people pray to God, too.

Thanksgiving book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is patterned after the Night Before Christmas. I had previously given a copy to my 2 granddaughters and this one was for a grandson. It's a good book to read in preparation of Thanksgiving.

Editorial Review:

A creative spin on the Clement C. Moore classic, The Night Before Thanksgiving is a warm, whimsical celebration of everyone's favorite fun-filled, family-filled, food-filled holiday! Follow along as the feast is prepared, cousins are greeted, and thanks are given, all with an extra helping of holiday fun.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

Mem Fox

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

This one should get 6 stars! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

As an early childhood professional, I am always looking for new books to share with children, their parents & teachers. When I saw this one reviewed in the National Association for the Education of Young Children's magazine, I immediately ordered several copies. I have already used them for teacher training & as baby shower, welcome-to-world new baby & now-you-are-grandparents gifts.

The book includes all of the elements of appropriate books for young children. The story/text is simple and incorporates rhyme, repetition & interesting vocabulary. The illustrations are soft yet colorful & clear, subtly addressing similarities & differences.

The book provides opportunities to initiate discussions about numbers by counting the fingers, toes & babies. It also addresses social/emotional aspects of development by illustrating empathy & caring interpreted through the faces & actions of the characters.

I have yet to see anyone look at this book & not melt into the long "awe" we often hear when looking at something that truly touches our hearts.

Editorial Review:

As everyone knows, nothing is sweeter than tiny baby fingers and chubby baby toes. . . . And here, from two of the most gifted picture-book creators of our time, is a celebration of baby fingers, baby toes, and the joy they—and the babies they belong to—bring to everyone, everywhere, all over the world!

          This is a gorgeously simple picture book for very young children, and once you finish the rhythmic, rhyming text, all you’ll want to do is go back to the beginning . . . and read it again! The luminous watercolor illustrations of these roly-poly little ones from a variety of backgrounds are adorable, quirky, and true to life, right down to the wrinkles, dimples, and pudges in their completely squishable arms, legs, and tummies.