5 comments about Maine Coon Cats (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I liked the book. It's a good book for people who don't know a lot about the maine coon cat breed. I found out several things I didn't know. Yes the end is a little generic, but it is only talking about how to take care of a cat, which would be generic. I think it's a good book for first time Maine Coon cat owners, such as myself.



2. This is a good introduction to Maine Coon cats. Mostly, this is a "care and feeding of" book that could apply to any cat, which is what this book is really for. If you are new to cat ownership and have a Maine Coon, this will get you started.

   We have Maine Coon rescue cats and we don't plan to breed any cats (preferring to adopt orphans--there's a glut of cats out there.) But if you were planning to breed Maine Coons, you surely would need a more comprehensive book than this slim volume.

   However, if you just want some general background about the history, pictures of coat colors and information about the general qualities of this breed, this book is just fine. The most valuable page is actually in the back, describing various illnesses, with a black and white drawing and description of a cat "not doin' right", which is how a cat subtly tells you it is feeling sick. We caught our cat "not doin' right" and she was actually on the point of being seriously ill. We caught it in time--thanks to that helpful description --cats are sometimes not terribly expressive, purring even in pain and perking up if their beloved owners are around.




3. I found this informative and well rounded. Fun, not stuffy--with lots of pictures. For this price, a must-have!



4. MY CAT IS A MIX BUT ABOUT 75% MNCOON. THIS BOOK DID EXPLAIN ALOT OF QUIRKS AND BRED IN HABITS I NOW SEE IN MINE. THEY ARE CRAZY CREATURES.
   VERY INFORMATIVE AND PICS GALORE,THANKS-LBSMITH



5. This book is indeed the 'complete pet owners manual' written to prepare the reader for what's in store if you follow through on obtaining one of these breathtaking animals. I learned a lot about the history and care of the Maine Coon Cat. I recently lost my American shorthair who managed to live for 19 years and 11 months. Lyon was a great joy to me and took to my retirement very well until she became deaf and blind and could not longer take care of herself. I plane on getting a Maine Coon Cat
   
   as soon as I can find a suitable one.

5 comments about Pinky Pye.

1. This story is about the Pyes (Rachael, her brother Jerry, Mama, Papa, Gracie, Uncle Benny, and Ginger) who go on vacation so Papa ,a famous ornithologist, can figure out what a puffin is doing there. His bad memory gets him in a lot of trouble very early on in the book. Little did he know he wouldn't get much work done due to an abandoned kitten left on their cabin's door step. Pinkey Pye they called her, who would do anything just so someone will say she's cute. Mama brought plenty of coats (even though it was 90 degrees outside) just in case they were walking along the beach and a snow storm arived and matches in case they got lost. Her motto is "Be Prepared." Uncle Benny is Mama's brother even though he is 5 years younger than Rachael and Jerry(Mama's children). He wonders how his crickets are vanishing one by one. He is on a never ending quest to stop sucking his thumb. Gracie is a grumpy old cat who feins boredom through out although she is very interested in a creature lurking in the shadows of the attic... Ginger is the clever dog, but feels a little left out when Pinky steps into the picture. Will her jelousy overcome her common sense? Filled with laughs. Some of the suspence in this book will keep you laughing and crying over their detailed antics. I recommend reading Ginger Pye before this one though. All in All a good book.



2. Pinky Pye is a cute, funny ,exciting,and questioning kind of book.My favorite part is when the Pyes find Pinky.Then find out that Pinky can type on Mr.Pyes type writer.I really liked
   this book.Kathryn Arnold...>



3. Pinky Pye is a charming book about a little black cat. Pinky Pye is about the Pye family and they go to Fire Island. Mr. Pye goes to look for birds and brings the family. At there cottage they find a cat in a crabnet, there was a sign on her that said "ABANDID". It said her name was Pinky too. The Pyes decided to keep her. One day she started type writing. They started calling her the type writing cat. They found an owl in the eaves and gave it to Mr. Bish, his owner. You should read this book to find out the ending. I think this is a book for all ages.



4. Pinky Pye is yet another well written book by Elenor Estes. As appealing as both the Moffats series and the infamous Ginger Pye. This title is an excellent choice for both the traditional and creative book report formats for readers of 4th through 6th grades. If you love animals, and a solid story line of sibling relationship, this book is for you! Besides, where else could you read about a typewriting cat!



5. I read this book for a book report in 5th grade. I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed Ginger Pye. It was very entertaining. I think this book is mainly for grades 3-7 because its big and has some big words too. Loved this book overall

5 comments about Journey to the Volcano Palace (Secrets of Droon, No 2).

1. We enjoyed the magic in the story. It was a wonderful fantasy story. We definitely would like to read more books from this series. The book has funny parts, risk-taking, interesting characters and a good story. We would recommend it to anyone!
   Alex Z., Aran, Nakita, Joey, Ricarda
   Bavarian International School



2. I like this book because it has lots of magic and fantasy. And I like it! I am 8. I want to read more of these books.



3. I've been very pleased with this series as a whole. My 8 year old son is reading an average of one Droon book a week - which is very exciting to see. It is the first book that has peeked his intrest in reading. If your child likes fantasy, magic and adventure and is still in the developing stages of reading give these a try.



4. The story begins when 3 friends Julie, Eric, and Neal find a little room under the basement stairs. They closed the door and the lights went off.Then they found themselves on a multicolored stairway. To a new world called Droon. This time the three friends have a bigger problem than before. The evil Lord Sparr has stollen the red eye of dawn from princess Keeah. Eric, Julie and Neal help Princess Keeah get the jewel back.They must travel through Droons magical dunes to get to Sparrs volcano palace.



5. The Secrets of Droon
   Journey to the Volcano Palace
   
   Eric, Julie and Neil have returned safely to their homes. Princess Keeah told them they would have a dream when it was time to return to Droon. All three children have had a dream and know they will soon return.
   
   This time they are after the villian, Spar. He lives in the heart of a volcano. They have never heard of anyone who would climb into a volcano. The children must find the missing jewel. If they don't find the jewel, it will give Spar the power to enter their world. What danger could come to their world with Spar on the loose?
   
   Jill Ammon Vanderwood
   Author:Through the Rug
   Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

3 comments about The Cat's Quizzer (Beginner Books(R)).

1. True, once you have read this book once, you will already know the answers to the questions. This is no worse, however, than knowing what happens next in any other Suess book. The rhyming and the wonderful Suess pictures are still there. I still find it entertaining to read again and again, and so does my 5-month-old son.



2. One of my earliest memories is going to the library and checking this book out, My older sister and I would sit and look at this book for hours and hours and although the quizzes were easy enough to solve they were so amusing that you didn't mind repeating them time after time. I imagine that we must have worn that poor book out with all the love and attention we gave it which is just the kind of fate any great book deserves.



3. This book clearly deserves more than five stars, and is one of the very best Dr. Seuss books for beginning readers. The only thing that's missing are the rhymes!

   "Here is Ziggy Zozzfozzel with his sister Zizzy."

   "They got every question wrong.

   Are YOU smarter than a Zozzfozzel?"

   Aw, if school had only been full of challenges like that, everyone would have focused on learning instead of grades. Some may object that by setting the standard low, accomplishment is stilted. I think it is enhanced, because children will want to get as many more right as they can versus the Zozzfozzels.

   By the way, although this is a book of quiz questions (nicely feeding into the mania of shows like Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?), this is the teacher's edition. The answers can be found on pages 58-62.

   Let me begin by praising this book as a beginning reader. Each item is well illustrated so that a child can associate the words with the images. There is a lot of variety in short words (only a few words are long, like the nonsensical name, Zozzfozzel). So a youngster can learn more words from this book than from 2 or 3 of most beginning readers. That makes the book more valuable. Also, the context of asking questions makes the words and images more vivid and memorable, which should speed memorization and learning. Your child can clearly grow into this book over a period of time. The book has mostly pre-school words, but it also has words up to about 2nd grade level.

   What just bowls me over about this book is the discipline in the quiz questions. First, there are lots of them. So for most children, you will take just a few at one sitting. You could probably work on this book for a week or more the first time you go through it, doing a little bit every day. By the time you pick any page up again, it will seem fresh.

   Second, the questions test a variety of thinking methods. Mostly the quizzes fall into these categories:

   Common sense -- Are freckles catching?

   Spatial puzzles -- gears, ropes, and mazes to study

   Observing -- Do eyebrows or mustaches grow faster?

   Word meaning -- How many kings are women?

   Nature facts -- Which ends of a bee does the stinging?

   Games -- On a tic tac toe board, who will win?

   What If? -- Imagine that you jump up in the air and don't come down. What should you do?

   As you can see, these kinds of questions are perfect for using a few Socratic questions to help guide the youngster down a thinking path that can lead to a correct answer. This means you have a chance to help your child with problem-solving strategies. You can also introduce learning resources (like pictures of a bee in a book) as ways to locate a correct answer.

   Further, you will get a sense of where your child takes to things like a duck to water . . . and where it is harder for her or him. Then you can spend more time on those trickier areas to boost skill and confidence.

   Although the questions hardly make the book into a Mensa qualifying test (for high IQ people), many of them are interesting enough to keep the adults alert. Also, there is a lot of potential for more than one correct answer (especially with the "what if" questions). This provides a chance to exercise imagination and to expose ambiguity.

   After you have exhausted and worn out this quiz, you can go on to create new quiz questions for one another. I suggest that you keep it a competition against getting them all wrong, rather than indirectly setting up any other kind of comparison.

   Now, where do pineapples come from (besides the grocery store)?

1 comments about Fat Cat on a Mat (Easy Words to Read).

1. My 2 year old daughter loves this book! She has memorized it and can "read" it to herself! Fat Cat finds himself in a tree and becomes responsible for the eggs in a birds' nest. Fat Cat's friends want him to play but he declines as he is helping the little birdies hatch from the eggs. It teaches a a very timely lesson of accepting responsibility for your actions. This is not a lift-a-flap book, however there are 2 pages that unfold to advance the story. My daughter loves to open those pages. Also, with its big print and simple text, it is a great book for children who are just learning how to read.

5 comments about The Stranger Next Door (Pete the Cat).

1. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat when you read it. There is this kid and his name is Alex and he and his family just moved into this brand new house just built. The neighbour hood is called Valley View Estates. There is this new family moving in next to him and he hopes there is a boy his age moving in. This book was great and it was over in a jiffy!



2. my teacher made me read this book or i never would have picked it up...
   even though i had to read a book i am glad it was this one because it was somewhat interesting and iwas not bored during the process of readong it.
   i recomend this book becuase i HATE reading, but it was somewhat of a good book. SPOILERS ARE BEYOND THIS POINT AND IN THESE BRACKETS[alex meets a new friend named rocky whos mom is in the witness protection program becuase she got a call from her ex-husband who is now a drug smuggler. alex gets kidnapped by his land lord ,after discovering that he is an arsonist commiting insurance fraud, and in tied up in a burnig bathrooom locked from the outsidehe gets saved by a cat because it led rocky into earshot of alex's scatchy voice calling for helpsomewhat of a happy ending but nothing else bad happens...rocky's mom wins the trial against her ex-husband the drug smuggler][THE END/FIN]



3. Alex is less than thrilled when his family moves into a new housing development. The 12-year-old has left his old school and friends behind, and his new classmates blame him because the new houses were built over their old dirt-bike paths. He becomes hopeful when a family with a son his age moves in next door. However, sullen Rocky is not responsive to Alex's attempts at friendship. Things get worse when street signs begin disappearing and fires start in the neighborhood, one destroying Rocky's house. Alex is sure that the boy is hiding something. Part of the story is told from the point of view of Alex's cat Pete, who can understand the speech of humans, even if they can only interpret his meows as demands for food in return. The feline helps to solve the mystery and to save Alex's life from being burnt in a house.



4. There is a new kid on the block and his name is Alex. He has to start at a new school, and he also has to make new friends. On his first week of school he gets bullied by these two boys, they say the only reason why they dont like him is because he lives on their dirtbike trails. You see alex's house is brand new. Were the houses are thats where their dirtbike trails were. Thats why they are mean to him. Then this new kid moves next door. Alex thought that it is going to be really hard on him hes new and he lives on their dirtbike trail also. At lunch that day alex decided to sit by the new kid. HE sat down and introduced himself and the boy didnt say anything. After that the bullies came and was making fun of the boy. Alex and Rocky the new kid start to talk then a big accident happends.! the book was one of the best books i have ever read!!!!



5. I read this book after discovering several 4th grade girls giggling over it in the corner of my library. They were reading it aloud to each other with one being the humans and one being the cat and having a great time. Any book that interests kids that much without it being something that adults wouldn't want them to read has to be OK.
   
   Being a true fan of Sneaky Pie Brown, I found some of the dialogue of Pete a little bit too similar and the plot was a bit on the weak side but still a fun book for kids -- epecially the animal lovers. I plan to buy a few more of the series now.

5 comments about Getting Started: Clicker Training for Cats (Karen Pryor Clicker Books).

1. This is a good book if you want the basics on your cats' mind and how it may work sometimes. The possible reasons your cat does what it does. You may find out some things that you never knew before.Happy Reading!



2. taught cat in a matter of days to come to clicker very easy to follow and use



3. This book is almost useless! I wish the author took her own advice and actually "got started" with the training instruction. This book is filled with antedotes and the author blowing her own horn. The only reason this book did not receive one star is because it can be used to give the reader a few ideas of what clicker training can do. That's it. That's all this book is good for. I do not advise purchasing this book.
   
   Buy Cat Training in 10 Minutes instead. You won't regret it!



4. I read this 75-page book in about an hour and a half. It's a good read, but at the end, I didn't feel prepared to train my kittens. In fact, I tried to do a training session with one kitten, and she didn't even do any reinforcable actions!
   
   Long story short, you need to buy Pryor's book Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training to get an idea of the theory behind clicker training. The book is actually not about dog training - it's about behavioral training theory, and it's really insightful. Chapter four covers eight ways to deal with unwanted behaviors. Cat jumping on the kitchen table? Method 1: get rid of the cat. Method 2: punish the cat by squirting it with water... Method 6: put the behavior one cue. That is, train the cat to jump up on the kitchen table, and never give the command!... Method 8: change the motivation. Give the cat her own place in the kitchen to hang out that's even *better* than the kitchen table, like a cat stand.
   
   And even with both of these books, I still recommend going to YouTube and watching videos of people clicker training their cats. Good luck!



5. After reading the reviews of this book and the similar Cat Training in 10 Minutes, I decided to purchase both so that I could compare them and possibly benefit from two different sources. I can definitively say, after reading both, that Cat Training in 10 Minutes blows Karen Pryor's book out of the water. (See my comparative review of Cat Training in 10 Minutes for more info.)
   
   1. Clicker Theory: The theory used in this book is operant conditioning. Using a clicker followed by a reward, you can reinforce desired behavior in your cat. Verbal commands (come, sit) are incorporated in this book; yet hand signals are *not* incorporated, which is too bad because they're quite effective.
   
   2. Accessibility: Clicker Training for Cats reads like a book of wordy stories about the author's own cats. I was constantly wishing that Ms. Pryor would just get to the point and tell me the steps to train my cat! Instructions are verbose and not highlighted nor numbered; they are merely incorporated into the narrative text, so it's difficult to find them. There are no illustrations that show you what to do.
   
   3. Chapter arrangement: This book is arranged into four chapters and an appendix. Chapter 1 covers the theory behind and basics of clicker training. Chapter 2 covers "useful" commands, such as coming when you call, walking on a leash, etc. Surprisingly, there is no instruction for teaching your cat to sit, sit up/beg, shake, or lie down -- all of which are covered in Cat Training in 10 Minutes. Chapter 3 covers "non-useful" commands, like playing the piano and high-speed moves. Chapter 4 discusses undesirable behavior (see #4 below for more info).
   
   Apparently, Ms. Pryor left out Chapter 5: Resources. She references it in the second sentence of Chapter 3, but this "ghost chapter" is nowhere to be found in the book. Whoops.
   
   4. Correcting Undesirable Behavior: In her chapter on this subject, the author mostly gives anecdotes/psychological insight without specific correctional instructions, which I found aggravating. For instance, she describes how one couple realized that their cat was scratching the couch because it wanted to go outside -- yet she lists no tactics for getting the cat to stop scratching! On the upside, Ms. Pryor does describe a wide variety of problem behaviors: finicky eating, getting along with dogs/other cats, yowling, shedding, ankle-biting, and aggression. But again, she mainly gives anecdotes instead of correctional instructions.
   
   5. Helpful/Extra Features: Ms. Pryor's book has a woefully short Appendix section that lists 15 Tips for Clicking With Cats. That's it. No alphabetical or subject index. Those 15 tips are also conveniently published on her website, so there's really no added value in them being in the book.
   
   You wouldn't be doing yourself a disservice if you purchased this book, but my honest advice to anyone looking for information on this subject is to purchase Cat Training in 10 Minutes, as it is far superior. Good luck, and here's to your cat learning some great new tricks!

1 comments about Black Cats 2009 Square Wall Calendar.

1. As an owner of a pretty little female black cat, I was tickled to get this calendar. The pictures are fantastic, the cats personalities show through and each month shows a totally different cat. If you are a black cat lover, such as I am, this calendar will make you smile all year long.

3 comments about Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Three Kittens.

1. Everyone's favorite three little Swedish girls are at it again! Their agreement to watch Mitzi the cat for Uncle Jon and Aunt Helga turns into an unexpected adventure! Our children love all the Flicka, Ricka, and Dicka books and we (their parents) love that the stories are heartwarming and wholesome, always a springboard for us to explore new things (for example Life in Sweden, what is a chimney sweeper? etc.). We highly recommend this book.



2. Flicka, Ricka and Dicka, the three Swedish girls, face a new form of responsibility when they are asked to watch their aunt and uncle's cat for a few days.

   The girls have always loved the cat and buy it milk and fish to eat. But shortly after taking responsibility, a dog scares the cat up a tree and the girls can not get it down. The next day the cat is gone and the girls search all over.

   When they give up and cry about their failure, their aunt and uncle return and overhear the lament. The aunt suggests that the cat went back into the house. Sure enough, the cat is there and so are three cute kittens.

   The girls hep take care of the three kittens and each bonds with a different one. One their next birthday, they get a special surprise from their aunt and uncle.

   Each pair of pages has the story on the left and a painted illustration by the author on the right. A good story and very nice illustrations. Read all of the Flicka, Ricka and Dicka books.




3. My three year old daughter loves all the Flicka, Ricka, Dicka books. The stories are sweet, and we read them over and over.

4 comments about Exactly the Opposite.

1. Tana Hoban's Exactly the Opposite is a wonderful book to use with young children who are learning the concept of "opposite". This wordless book allows readers to interpret the photographs as they understand them.A photograph shows two hands - one is open and the other closed. Two photographs show children on steps - in one picture they are going up and in the other they are coming down. In another photograph there are two shoes - one tied and one untied. Children can act out these opposites by opening and closing their hands, undoing a shoelace and so on. The photographs are large, clear, colorful and attention-grabbers for young children. Exactly the Opposite is exactly the right book to teach the concept of opposites to young children!



2. I bought this as a gift for a precocious toddler who absolutely adores books. Her ideal day is spent wandering from book to book, preferably with you reading all of them out loud to her.
   
   What I like about this book is that it's open-ended. You can talk about the pictures in any way that you like. There are no words and -- like viewing a painting in a museum -- there is no single right way to react. You can respond to the cover art as "tied" and "untied," but you can also choose neat/messy, or new/old, or tying/sitting, or any other combination of words you choose.
   
   Furthermore, just because the pictures include opposites, and the title mentions opposites, there are no rules which say you have to take notice of the opposites. You could just as easily choose to talk about the colors, or shapes, or what's in the background. Because of this, I think this book is well suited for kids who don't want to "sit still and listen." It's a book that is well-suited for interaction and discussion.
   
   So ultimately, what I like about this book is that it requires you to engage your brain, and to respond yourself, instead of accepting a path that was pre-determined by the author.
   
   Of course, that's exactly what offended this particular toddler about this book: She was looking forward to someone else reading aloud to her, and was rather surprised to discover that not all books are like that. After an inspection to verify that there were, indeed, no words printed on the pages, she took away the "defective" picture book and brought out another for me to read to her.



3. My daughter's preschool had this book on their recommendation list to help teach kids oppisites. This book has no words only pictures of oppisites, like a page of eggs next to a page of broken eggs, boy on hammock, and hammock alone.
   
   Great book, beautiful pictures. My 2 and 4 year olds, loved it, and much like the Carl books you make up your own story.



4. My three year old and I enjoy this book together. It allows for a great conversation between us at each reading. Also, it successfully taught my daughter the concept of opposites in a fun an interactive way! Great book!