No comments about Tet: Vietnamese New Year (Best Holiday Books).

4 comments about How Do You Say It Today, Jesse Bear?.

1. This is not a book that will keep young children engaged at bedtime. Throughout the year Jesse Bear announces "how he says *it*" each month. We don't know what *it* is till the last page, and by then, even I wasn't curious any more. The ryhming text is not always closely related to a season (September: "With clothes that don't fit and no place to sit, I say it with buttons today.") and won't make sense to young listeners.

   The illustrations are colorful and busy, and young kids will enjoy the activity. However, I think this book is better for 6-7 year olds and library shelves.




2. Both of my children loved this book when they were little. Each page shows a month of the year and a rhyme to go with it. Each illustration has a picture form of "I love you" for you and your child to find. A very creative book and a great way to end a day.



3. This book is good for kids who are 3-6 years old. It teaches the months, seasons and holidays and Jesse says what love is through acticities he does on his own and with his family.
   Jesse's messages are all expressed by how he loves others, his family and his community.



4. This is a wonderful "around the year" book. Another one I found as a paperback that I chose to buy as a hardcover. It has a charming ending. We will partner it with the Elsa Beskow Around the Year book. Though very different and I like both, I actually prefer this one if I had to choose between the two.

2 comments about My First Christmas Touch and Feel (My First series).

1. I really like this book. It has so many different textures as well as common secular Christmas things (Santa, reindeer, stockings, angels, ornaments, cookies, presents, candy canes, tree, etc...). The textures are truly unique (sticky, furry, bumpy, rough, velvet, satiny, etc...), plus you have all the different words. There is a new texture on about every page. All of the books in this series are great! I thought the price was a little high for this one, but my girls were 18 months at Christmas and really were into touch and feel books. They still love it, even though it is March!! This is a very secular Christmas book, but it is fun. We have many other books about Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas that can be found in Christian book stores, but this was just a fun touch and feel book for that time of year. I think it was worth the money.



2. My granddaughter is 18 months old and this is her favorite book right now. She loves to sniff the goodies and tried to taste them the other day. My daughter has loved reading it to her over the Christmas season.

No comments about Weddings (Barbie Ultimate Sticker Books).

3 comments about A Fine St. Patrick's Day.

1. Every St. Patrick's Day two towns compete to see who could decorate better. Sick of losing every year a young girl in one of the towns comes up with the idea of painting everything in the village green (except the mailboxes - they're government property and fire hydrants - which must be yellow so they can be seen). When a stranger comes asking for help the town must decide whether or not to abandon their painting to help. The illustrations feature bold colors and are well suited for this delightful folk tale.



2. Looking for a book with a fun St. Patrick's Day tale, bright illustrations, a moral and a wee bit `o leprechaun magic? Here it is.
   
   Wojciechowski spins an original folktale of two Irish towns engaged in an annual St. Patrick's Day decorating competition. Preparations are getting heated and judging time draws near when a stranger arrives asking for help. How each town reacts teaches a moral lesson about helping others and working together.
   
   The folk-art illustrations by Tom Curry complement the mood of the story and are fun to look at. I can't wait to read this to my kids.
   
   Dawn Mena
   www.bookbuds.net



3. I love this tale for it offers the perfect opportunity to discuss generosity and service to ones community. In the story the whole community comes together to paint the town Limerick Lime. They also unite to help the traveling stranger with his problem. There's so much selfishness in society today, and every now and then it's nice to be reminded of the things that matter most in life, friendship, love, and community. Well, those things matter most to me anyway...
   
   The illustrator, Tom Curry, has a folksy style that lends itself to Wojciechowski's countrified fable. Reminiscent of Grandma Moses' folk art, Curry's pastoral scenes are charming, and out of the ordinary for children's literature.
   
   Susan Wojciechowski generally known for the Beany series succeeds in writing a noble tale of charity verses greed. She has a pleasing way with words as the text flows along page after page. There's a lilt to her writing, and she's thrown in a bit of the Irish brogue as well. All in all, A Fine St. Patrick's Day is a worthwhile read.

2 comments about The Rules: How To Keep Your Crush Crushing On You And Other Tips... (Teen Magazine).

1. Being my age, 16, and never having been on a date, I began to worry I wouldn't know what to do on one when the time comes. So, I got this book. I never realized it would be this informative. There are special chapters on everything, from "Don't Eat Like A Bird On A Date" to "Don't Flirt If You're Not Really Interested". This book has it all, and is a must have for any teenage girl.



2. This book would be for any girl that hasn't been on a date... I've been on many dates, so this wasn't helpful to me at all.

4 comments about The Costume Party.

1. It's raining cats and dogs. When the rain continues for days and days, Madame Coco and her family of five dogs are bored and messy. Madame Coco announces a costume party to helo alleviate the boredom during the bad weather. After days of planning, everyone has a wonderful time and a group prize is enjoyed by all--a new member of the family!
   
   Chess' text is succinct, but her detailed illustrations carry the book. Children who love animals will enjoy the book and perhaps be inspired to plan a costume party of their own.



2. 
   Madame Coco lives with her five personified dogs, and during a long rainy spell, they throw a costume party to occupy the puppies' restless paws and prevent them from further ravaging the house. A fun time is had by all.
   
   This is a cute, albeit somewhat mediocre, story that kids would have a lot of fun reading. It would be great for beginning readers since there are rarely more than two or three sentences per page. The illustrations are at the same time whimsical and earthy - whimsical because of the dogs' human behavior and earthy because of the dogs' blatantly animal characteristics.
   
   There is, however, a caveat for parents pertaining to the illustrations. The three female dogs have protruding nipples, and the two male dogs have prominent testicles. Although this could be easily overlooked, the focus of the picture on the second page is the dogs pooping and peeing, so be forewarned.



3. I thought this was a swell book--charming in every regard. The illustrations are smashing! Ms Chess has captured the character and personality of the BULL TERRIER (these dogs are not, as a previous reviewer called them, pit bulls!!)as well as the somewhat eccentric nature of those of us who own them!



4. My 2 year old son and I both love this book. We took it out at our local library and he loved it so much that I decided we should have our own copy. The story is not very complex but it is original and the illustrations are beautifully done and hilarious. I can't imagine why anyone would be offended by drawings of dogs with nipples or testicles - dogs do, after all, actually have nipples and/or testicles. There is a very funny page where the dogs are shown pooping and peeing outdoors. I suppose there are people out there who would be offended by that as well, but I think it is appropriate to the story and very funny. They are normal bodily functions and the story may provide you with an opening to discuss them as such with your young child. The simplicity of the story makes it perfect for the toddler and preschool set. Children older than that probably wouldn't be very interested, although the illustrations are entertaining for any age.

No comments about Pajamas Anytime.

No comments about Presidents' Day (True Books).

2 comments about St. Patrick's Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays).

1. I teach first grade and I've just recently dicovered this wonderful series of holiday books. Most of the children in my First Grade can read these books easily and they love them. I use them as a take off point to develope a mini unit on that particular holiday. Some holidays are difficult to explain to a 6 year old, but all of the Rookie Read-About Holidays books handle it very well. If you have small children or teach, I strongly recommend this book and all in the series.



2. This little book is a nice intro to what St. Pat's Day is all about. I'd recommend using it for grade 1 through 3. Some interesting pictures, i.e. girls with their faces painted for St. Patrick's Day that students are likely to find amusing and engaging. It's also short enough to be shared with a class in 5 or 10 minutes. Check it out!