5 comments about Chihuahuas: Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Diseases, Behavior, and Breeding (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. This book was a quick read, but full of knowledge! I have always liked the Barron's dog editions, and this one was great too! It gave wonderful information when purchasing a puppy, what to look for, questions to ask, as well as training tips, grooming tips and more. Some subjects are a bit vague, and you might need another book for, but besides that, just for general understanding of a Chihuahua, this is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it! :-)



2. this book is really great! if you are looking for loads of info on chihuahuas,or just a bunch of really cute pics of them, then buy this book. it has great pics AND lots of info.buy it! its great!the best chichi book ever!



3. I am a first time Chihuahua owner. This book has been such a big help! Our vet was impressed by how much I know about this wonderful breed! I would recommend this book to any Chi owner!
   It was also a very easy read!



4. THIS IS A MUST FOR ALL CHI OWNERS.I ADORE THESE LITTLE DOGS WHO ARE HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND TOTALLY CAPTIVATING...THEY ARE NOT 'PLAYTHINGS' - AS PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE BREED MISTAKENLY BELIEVE - BUT LITTLE 'PEOPLE', AND GREAT PSYCHOLOGISTS! THEY ALL LOVE BEING CUDDLED, BUT ALSO, TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN ANY TASK U SET THEM, AND MAKE IT QUITE OBVIOUS THAT THEY ARE ENJOYING THEMSELVES...BUT, BEWARE...UNLESS U FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THEM BY STUDYING AND REFERRING TO, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS BOOK, U WILL NOT KNOW WHAT CHIS ARE CAPABLE OF & MOST IMPORTANTLY THEIR CARE & NEEDS..THE DESCRIPTION BELOW THE TITLE OF THE BOOK IS SELF-EXPLANATORY. EVERY CHI IS A NEW CHALLENGE AS THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT. TRAIN THEM STARTING EARLY AND IT WILL REAP RICH REWARDS..LAUGH AT THIS STATEMENT AND THEY WILL HAVE U AT THE END OF THE LEAD! TREAT THIS BOOK AS A BIBLE. I REFER TO IT ALMOST DAILY WITH MY LATEST CHI WHO IS JUST 10 MONTHS OLD & HAS HAD A MIND OF HER OWN FROM WHEN HER BREEDER BROUGHT HER TO MY HOUSE AT 14 WEEKS.



5. This is the best Chihuahua book I've read. It's very informative, great pictures and an easy read. The author does a great job covering topics such as purchasing, training, grooming, nutrition, health and much more. It's a good book and I highly recommend it, it's worth the money. Every Chihuahua owner should get this book.

5 comments about Chihuahuas (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. Awesome book. Full of information that is presented in a fun and easy to read format. If you have a Chihuahua, this is a bargain. Less than $5 on Amazon.



2. I am very pleased with this little book. It is an easy read with lots of good information. I read it from cover to cover in less than an hour. Love the pictures. I am about to pick up my new pup and there was lots of good advice between the covers.



3. This (as all Barrons) dog book was very informative for us us my Husband has never before owned a chihuahua, and needs to learn as much as possible.
   I enjoyed reading things I did not know about this breed.



4. the book has all the information I needed to get going with my wife's 3 chihuahua puppies. Actually all the info I needed



5. I really liked this book however it was a bit thin on what to expect. Covers things in a glossed over fashion, nothing too in depth. But good.

5 comments about The Chihuahua Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks).

1. I did enjoy the content of this book, but the pictures dipict chihuahuas that are not to standard...



2. As an owner of many chis I have found this book to be of great value to me. There are 154 pages of chihuahua information and lots of pics depicting all sizes and colors of chis(except the merle pattern!) Granted, not all pics follow the breed standard, but not all puppies are perfect either.
   
   Has a good chapter on health problems common to chis, however it did not mention cryptorchidism which is common in the male, especially if they are line bred, and did not have much info on pyometra which can quickly become fatal in an unspayed female.
   
   The chapter on breeding is pretty extensive for a book not devoted to the subject of only breeding and the genetics sections is simple to understand, but very informative and worth learning if you intend to bred.
   
   Highly recommended for a first time owner, any one wanting to know about the chi or for an owner that would just like a good read about their faithful little friend.



3. Even as a new owner of a Chihuahua, I know there has to be better books out there than this one. The information in this book isn't anything more than information you can find for yourself simply by doing a little online research. The pictures are not impressive and feature less than average dogs. After reading the reviews on Amazon, I decided to purchase this book (instead of the other titles) but I wish I had taken the time to check it out at a bookstore in town before going through the trouble of purchasing, waiting and then returning. If you are a new owner of a Chihuahua (or even a "veteran") simply search online. You'll find the same information.



4. Great book in teaching us about our pup. Answers lots of questions people ask us about the Chi breed, and helps us understand why she does what she does!



5. Nice book, very detailed, well written...If you just got a puppy, this is the book for you.

5 comments about The Splendor Falls.

1. Firstly, I will say that I did enjoy The Splendour Falls. It is an interesting and intriguing read, with paranormal and romance elements combined with a little mystery. One of the things I liked most was Sylvie, the main protagonist.
   
   Sylvie's character is great. She is quite a refreshing change to the many young girls who fall at the feet of male suiters. Sylvie is a very mature seventeen year old and I really liked the way she went about things for a girl her age. Being smitten with two guys didn't reduce her to a girl who is unable function if they didn't look at her that day, instead she is bright, witty and intelligent and very much her own person. Sylvie definitely knows what she wants and that's to dance. To hone her ballet skills she has to train for hours and hours each day, which requires motivation, dedication and above all no distractions and to do this there has to be total focus. This shows Sylvie's strength of character. And although she may never dance again due to breaking her leg, she doesn't give up, instead she focuses her attention on finding information about her deceased father and her newly found family history.
   
   Sylvie is definitely the main focus of this book and although there are other characters involved, we don't really get to know them. Her dog Gigi plays a bigger part than the two guys, Rhys and Shawn, who are Sylvie's love interests. At times it did feel as though it was the Sylvie & Gigi show. With that being said I loved Gigi, so utterly adorable. It's just a shame that the other characters weren't given the same attention. There is little in the way of romance in The Splendour Falls but it is alluded to. Obviously Sylve is attracted to Rhys, but the relationship didn't develop quickly enough or as much as I would have liked it to. There are a lot of smart retorts, hand brushing and skin tingling but not a lot else.
   
   The beginning of the book starts off really well and is very easy to get into with Sylvie's character being instantly likable. But after around a hundred and fifty pages it plateaus and doesn't seem to go anywhere. What follows is a lot of repetition consisting of Sylvie waking up, going to breakfast, walking the dog, going to the garden, sneaking Gigi upstairs to her room, feeling as though she is being watched, checking it out, freaking out and thinking she is crazy. Then going to sleep just for it to happen again the next day. Of course this isn't all that happens. Some of her day is delving into her past and trying to learn about her family's history and trying to understand the ghosts she is seeing. Unfortunately, the story is lost in too much padding. I also feel as though the book goes on for far too long. There isn't enough story to warrant the five hundred plus pages, if it had been shorter it would have giving a more tightly packed story and therefore a more enjoyable read.
   
   However, I was impressed with the writing as it flowed really well even when the story dragged a little and the quality of writing didn't diminish. Towards the latter part of the novel it did pick up pace and become quite exciting as all the pieces of the puzzle began to come together and my interest in the book and in Sylvie piqued again as I was pulled along with the story until the last page. At the end everything is wrapped up nicely and all the questions are answered. This is by no means an easy or quick read, but it's one I would recommend.



2. Wow. This book wrapped me in and I stayed up until 3 am to finish it!! Sylvie was a pretty likable character even if a little self absorbed at times. She was unhappy to say the least when she was sent off to Alabama to a cousin she had met once while her mom and new "step-shrink" went on their honeymoon. As she gets there she meets two guys that she has totally different reactions to...not to mention starts seeing ghosts and hearing sounds!
   
   
   This book is like an old gothic ghost story with a touch of mystery and romance. At first you aren't sure who to trust, but the plot isn't so thickly written that you are guessing until the end, I figured it out about half way thru. That didn't necessarily take away from the book, it just didn't have a shocking ending. The book was pretty long at 500+ pages so at times I wished it moved along a little faster, but overall I really enjoyed it and loved the spookiness about it.
   
   
   If you enjoyed Beautiful Creatures and/or Ruined, you should like this book.



3. I picked this up from the library because I loved the second maggie Quinn book this author wrote...
   Initially when I started reading this I was so annoyed by all of the other characters in the book -the bad mom, the evil stepfather, the dog-hating cousin, the bitchy nemesis, the cheesy southern boy...and it goes on, that I wasn't sure I'd be able to continue. Sylvie is a solid main character who says exactly what she's thinking and feeling. It's not hard to relate to her. Her situation is realistically miserable enough to form a connection to her. she's dumped off by her absentee mother who is on her honeymoon after she has a career ending injury (ballet). The place she goes is not only far from civilization, but it's creepy and full of hateful people who won't let her be herself. Her cousin is very old-fashioned southern and the other girl her age is a complete bitch. One of the boys pusuing her is annoyingly fake, no one listens to her, no one respects her, and they write her off as spoiled because she's used to a different lifestyle. I peeked at the end, and went back and finished it knowing the ending was happy and ideal.
   That said, the supernatural elements to the story were very slow,almost transparent, and I often double checked to see if I had accidently skipped a chapter or two... I wish there had been more in the way of explanation and "supernatural activity", but overall a good book.



4. My overall reaction to this books was just okay. I picked it up with low expectations, so at least I wasn't really disappointed. I wouldn't say that I didn't like the book, but it wasn't one of my favorites.
   
   The quality of the writing was very good. The author includes vivid descriptions, and the readers are really exposed to Sylvie's pain after what she titles "The Accident". As a former dancer, I can relate somewhat to Sylvie's love for dance. This was definitely something I enjoyed about the book.
   
   Sylvie and all of the characters were well developed, if a little clichéd. There wasn't anything terribly original about any of them. Sylvie was pretty much your classic female protagonist, and her love interest fits the mysterious stranger description perfectly. Still, I felt like I really got to know all of the characters, and there were a few surprises behind the main characters' outer appearances.
   
   This book brought back memories of the old Nancy Drew days. Most of the book was about Sylvie sleuthing and uncovering secrets about her ancestors. My biggest complaint about this book and its plot was its pace. Things moved so slowly. I felt like we were getting nowhere. Maybe this is why it took me so long to finish the book.
   
   Having said all of this, I am glad that I took the time to read this book. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good mystery/paranormal read, but I would also warn them not to expect too much from it.



5. First off, I had high hopes for this novel. I love me some Southern Gothic Romance literature!This was that, but it was also kind of a mess.
   
   The main character is Sylvie Davis, she's a ballerina who gets injured and can no longer dance right in the beginning of the story. Sylvie comes from a broken home, her mother and father are divorced, and not only that, her father, the one person who understands her the most, has passed away. Her mother, who's a kind of a Park Avenue snob, is getting remarried.
   
   After drinking a few too many glasses of champaign mixed with pain killers and causing her mother and new stepfather (who's a shrink) to be on high-alert, Sylvie (along with her cute Chihuahua; Gigi) end up in Alabama under the watchful eye of her cousin Paula (Southern blood on her father's side).
   
   Paula lives in the famous Bluestone Hill (Davis) Manor, she's also in the process of making it into a Bed & Breakfast for tourists. Paula has a bit of Southern tang to her, unlike her business partner and friend, Clara, who is sweet and also the resident chef at the manor. There are quite a few people staying at Bluestone Hill, Clara's daughter (in need of a major attitude adjustment), and the Professor and his son Rhys Griffith; educated visitors from Wales.
   
   Sylvie has an instant connection with Rhys, but Rhys has secrets of his own and both characters are too stubborn to admit them. And then there's the Tom Sawyer sneaky-heartthrob Shawn Maddox. He has a fascination with Sylvie right away, almost as if he's been awaiting her arrival for long time.
   
   F.Y.I. the humans aren't just the main characters in this novel. The Supernatural plays a major role in the story as well.
   
   Don't get me wrong, I love mystery and supernatural. And when I received this book I was very excited to read it. It lacks something though. I liked reading and following Sylvie's journey as she found out her family history. I liked the "Gaslight" appeal to it too. Those parts were quite creative.
   
   However, a lot of the book was filler, a lot detailing involving the main character's dog. I'm a dog person, but it seemed like every paragraph had mention of Gigi. It took maybe till the first 200 pages for the story to actually begin. Near the end I was losing interest and the majority of it didn't make sense to me.
   
   I guess I was expecting more, especially with a book that is 450+ pages.

5 comments about The Everything Chihuahua Book: A Complete Guide to Raising, Training, And Caring for Your Chihuahua (Everything: Pets).

1. This book is thorough, and easy to follow, giving good suggestios for caring for training and keeping your chihuahua pup or adult dog happy and healthy.



2. Everything you need in a book.
   Thnig is, when everyone sees my chihuahua, they fear him to be mean. He's not just a butterball.
   But this book helps you with them. Pros cons and how to be a better owner for your new found pet.



3. This book was a stocking stuffer and the book is easy to read with good suggestions. I give it three barks



4. The Everything Chuhuahua book is a great adition to the bookshelves of this breeds owners or to anyone who is interested in learning a thing or two about these lovable dogs. Filled with intersting facts and stories about the raising and training of chihuahuas, this books makes sure to keep you entertained. A great part about this books is the small icons throughout each section that either tell you warnings for this breed, facts, tips, and questions/anwsers. These icons help the reader to jump quickly to what they are interested in reading. The only downside that I found in this book is the lack of information about when dogs are in season and the breeding process. Otherwise this book is filled with basic chuhuahua knowledge that will inspire many to truly care for their chihuahua.



5. This book is very comprehensive and gives a lot of in depth information. If you have to choose between books, I'd pick this one.

5 comments about Chihuahuas For Dummies.

1. This book has everything you need to know to properly care for your chihuahua. It doesn't end after puppyhood either, and instead follows through the years with different fun activities for you and your dog, different nutritional needs, and how to make sure your pet is properly cared for at all times to make you chihuahua the best it can be.



2. I just got my first dog, a 14 month old chihuahua. I bought the book because of the excerpts that I read and thought it would be really helpful. It was to a certain point. Like it said, it is for dummies and not as in depth as I would like. I have a friend who's very experienced with dogs in general and was able to tell me everything I needed to know. The book just confirmed the same so I didn't find it as helpful as I probably would have if I had no one helping me. I also think it was focused more toward puppies rather than an adult chihuahua. Given that, it would be fine for a beginner. It's easy to read and follow.



3. I was very pleased with this book. It had a lot of information on all aspects of the Chihuahua. I found it very helpful and easily understood.



4. 
   Very good book, very good price..Amazon is the best in good products and good prices..



5. The book was ok I guess. I mean it's nothing that will grab your attention or anything, but it's a resource. If you like to collect the books you buy then this wouldn't be one of those. Honestly you'll probably see me sell this in the next few weeks once I'm done reading it. I give you good price... good price... bottom dolla.

5 comments about Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble.

1. I have a 4 year old who thinks the book is awesome! He walks around the house saying "Skippyjon Jones" over and over again! I recommed the book to anyone who has a child with a great imagination!! They can get very involved in the book and the little rhymes are very fun to say! As an adult I think the book is very easy to read and not too long so as to lose the child's attention.
   Enjoy!



2. skippyjohn jones books are loved by all in our family, and this one is no exception!



3. Boy am I glad we checked this out of the library instead of buying it. We were so excited to read this book because we love cats and pretending. After reading it and being both confused and embarrassed by the fake Spanish language and the strange story line I found myself wondering if it was racist. To be honest I didn't think that the book was saying that Mexican dogs eat beans, sleep all day and speak poor Spanish because it didn't make enough sense to present any of those concepts. It was just gibberish, but I was uncomfortable with the fake Spanish (though there were some proper use as well) and was generally concerned about what my daughter would take away from it.
   
   Anyway, I asked my daughter (6) what the story was about and she simply said it was about a cat pretending to be a dog. That is it. No mention about Mexicans at all.
   
   I am waffling between the thought that Skippy is just a kitten playing dog with a limited knowledge of the world (thus his broad, stereotypical interpretation of a Mexican dog) and thinking it is indeed inappropriate. My kids don't pronounce many English words right let alone get another language right and I guess if I asked them to be Mexican a few mispronounced words may occur in a manner that may be considered "racist". If you asked a Hispanic kid to act like a white kid you'd probably get some racist performances too. So, is it racist? It feels that way if you are an adult reading the story because you have the baggage of the world upon your shoulders. IF you are an adult for whom racism isn't an issue or if you are a kid with no world experience it is just a poorly written book about a kitten and the language isn't going to bother you.
   
   SO, the takeaway is this, I won't be buying this book or the others because it made me feel bad. That's it.



4. My son loves this series of stories. The shipper/seller was fine and the book was in good condition.



5. We purchased this book/cd combo as a birthday gift for my son's friend. He LOVES it!! He has told us several times how much he loves Skippy! My family and I have enjoyed each Skippyjon Jones book we've purchased and it's even better with the CD.

5 comments about Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse.

1. I LOVE this series of books and so do children--especially those who know Spanish. They are SOOOOO surprised to see how it is mixed in with the English and in such a funny way. The CD's that go with the book are so good that I don't even try to read the books to the kids. The author does such a marvelous job of reading it with all the special accents, SINGING, and funny stuff I could never accomplish on my own--and I am a teacher!



2. My Child is very ill and was given this book in the hospital. It is so funny and outragious that even laying in what was supposed to be a deathbed he just laughed and laughed so much the nurses and Doctors kept coming to see what made him so happy even though he was in so much pain. His time with us is going to be short but we'll keep buying his Skippy books they bring him joy.



3. Everyone in our household loves Skippy Jon Jones! Skippyjon Jones in the Dog House, along with the other books in the series, is so funny and lively. Plus, in addition to being entertaining, the books also help introduce young children to the Spanish language. My daughters love walking around speaking Spanish and French, and Skippyjon Jones helps add to their growing vocabulary.



4. We loves this little character.. all his books are great.. He's got a great personality and strong attitude. my kids look forward to every book that comes out!



5. My daughter and I love Skippyjon Jones. This is our 2nd book and my daughter likes it just as much as the first.

5 comments about Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones.

1. Laughter is contagious. I read this book to my 7 and 8 year olds the other night and we laughed and laughed.
   
   I value funny. I encourage my kids to be funny and to try to be funny and to work on their funnyness. They were interested why I thought this was so funny. They knew why THEY liked it. It was silly and crazy and whimsical. But why did I think it was funny, they asked? I told them, look... this book has four jokes on one page (the infamous "pickle pants page"). Layers of funny heaped with funny with a funny on top. Yum!



2. Of all the Skippyjon Jones books that have been published to-date, this is my absolute favorite. This time our beloved Skippyjon is up to no good as he decides to mess with Mrs. Dolly Doohiggy's dog Darwin, and snatches Darwin's bones so he can build his own fabulous Skipposaurus. As with all of his other adventures, he captures a glimpse of himself in the mirror, thinks he is a swashbuckling chihuahua and takes to his closet where his latest adventure with his amigos begins. Before you can say holy guacamole, Skippyjon and his friends are conga dancing the day away with their dinosaur friends only to be faced with the peril of being crushed in a conga line of dinosaurs. Of course, our hero prevails and saves his fellow amigo from certain stampede. And that, my friends, is how dinosaurs became extinct--at least in his mind!
   
   I love the Skippyjon books because they are just so much fun to read out loud. That probably explains why Judy Schachner was given the E.B. White Read Aloud Award for her original book. And, in the end, Mama June Bug Jones always shows Skippyjon that there is a lesson to be learned in doing the right thing--this time returning the bones to their rightful owner, Darwin. I love that the author has written out her Spanish words phonetically so as you read along, it forces the reader to use the Spanish accent intended for the flavor of the story. It is great fun to read, and both of my kids laugh continuously throughout the book from all the fun in the adventure of the day, as well as the silly words that accompany the story. The drawings are also great and always capture the story perfectly. Plus, your child picks up a few Spanish words as an extra bonus. If you have an adventurous child, or your kids just like silly books that have them laughing from cover to cover, you will love this book.



3. First he's a sword fighter, then an Egyptologist, now an archaeologist-- in Mrs. Doohiggy's garden. Skippyjon has such a wonderful knack of letting his imagination take flight. Viva Skippyjon!



4. We picked up a paperback copy of Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones at a recent book fair at my son's Pre-K. I bought 8 books and this was his favorite, hands down. My son is WILD for it. We've read it nearly every night for the past 3 weeks (which is unheard of for him). I'm fairly sure my son can recite the entire book at this point, which makes our readings highly interactive now. We sing all the songs together. He insists on taking all the fun lines, like "Where's the fuego, dudes?" "That's one big cabeza!" and "They're hard as rocas!" And he loves to do the dinosaur's roar! I don't see a downside to any book that can get an easily distracted 5-yr-old boy to focus and participate with such enthusiasm ... and even teach him a few Spanish words along the way! We now use the "Itchee Gitchee Gumba song as a game in the car, making up new verses (Itchee Gitchee Gumba, Daddy does the rumba ..." I've put the rest of the Skippyjon books on his wishlist at high priority, and I'm buying the book and doll set to put next to his Easter basket. Take the handful of negative reviews with a grain of salt. This a fun and engaging book and I would highly recommend it.



5. This is a very cute book. Dinosaurs and siamese cats. How can you top that?

5 comments about Skippyjon Jones, Lost in Spice.

1. To read //Skippyjon Jones//, you need an acquired taste. I suggest that if you are new to this series, this book is not a good one to start with. Though I do understand a little Spanish, the Spanglish conversation can really get in the way. However, lo and behold, my seven-year-old who has no Spanish background, laughed out loud reading this book for the first time. She thinks //Skippyjon Jones// is a really entertaining book, and would like to read the whole series. Aside from Spanish and Spanglish vocabulary, Schachner also included quite a number of challenging words for youngsters, such as Galactic Zoo, Chihuahua and Martian. I have to not only translate the words from Spanish to English, but also explain new words in the right context. I wonder how Schachner waved her magic wand to attract tireless young readers into Skippyjon's world. As an adult reading this book for the first time, I don't get the fun or funny part. But Schachner's unique illustrations with whimsical characters must somehow help them step into the world of //Skippyjon Jones//.
   
   Reviewed by Sophie Masri



2. Once again - SkippyJohn / Judy Schachner does not dissapoint! Great story and illustrations. Great price - Do not get ripped off at "borders". Excellent speed cost speed in delivery and packaging!



3. My kids (boy 4 and girl 6) love the adventures of Skippyjon Jones. This book did not disappoint. It was true to it's roots and had the same Chimichongos pals and puns that make us all laugh. Though we enjoy the familiar characters this book was as unique and enjoyable as all the others. We also love having the books on audio. The whole series will be a family favorite for years to come.



4. My class loves the SkippyJon books, the characters, the drawings, etc. so I bought this in hardcover with the CD and we listened to it at snack time today. I hadn't had a chance to preview the book as I normally would but figured it would be alright, this being SkippyJon after all. Most of the book is okay but I was shocked to notice that there were two errors in the spanish the author inserted, and being that I teach a bilingual kindergarten class where impressionable minds are going to pick up on this, that is not okay with me!
   
   1. the instance where she mentions he was "calor". The phrase is "tengo calor", not "calor" by itself, so when trying to say he is hot the word is "caliente".
   
   2. "Uno Ojo" -- ojo, spanish for eye, is a masculine singular noun and spanish grammar says the 'o' in uno is cut off in those cases, so it should be "un ojo".
   
   After those two errors I stopped the CD and explained, in child-friendly terms of course, how and why the book is wrong and they should not repeat what they've heard the way they heard it.
   
   I understand the spanish words thrown in are not the main selling point of the series and I can always (and did) correct and explain errors, etc. but still, I would have thought this would have been checked before being sent to publishing.



5. My daughter and I love this one. She is especially curious about space and this adventure with Skippyjon in space was very fun!