1 comments about I Like Noisy Mom Likes Quiet: A Mother's Day Story.

1. Written by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by Lydia Halverson, I Like Noisy Mom Likes Quiet is a lighthearted picturebook about a racoon mother and son. The mother likes quiet activities, such as drying the cat on the porch, and the son loves nothing more than making lots of noise! But one day the noisy boy does his best to tiptoe and whisper all day long, because he wants nothing more than for his mother to enjoy Mother's Day just as she wants. The playful, humorous and finely detailed color illustrations bring this charming family story to life.

4 comments about Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch Level 2 Reader (Henry and Mudge Ready-to-Read).

1. With this Level 2 focus on independent reading skills, kids will more readily move from beginning reader to enjoying more complex tales with paragraphs and short chapters. What better place to start than with Henry and Mudge & The Funny Lunch, Cynthia Rylant's zany story of kids determined to put together the best Mother's Day lunch ever ? against all odds?color drawings add to the appeal.



2. Another Henry and Mudge... we love the series (have everything offered in paperback), but this one wasn't quite up "Henry and Mudge and the Green Time" or "Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat". My son, nevertheless, wants to make me a funny lunch next Mother's Day. If you love the series, get it. If you are new to Henry and Mudge, start with some of the first books in the series.



3. The attractivness of this story is the special bond that has occurred with Henry and his family. He is so excited about Mothers Day "knowing" that he and dad will take a secret trip to get something special for mom. Arriving home they creatively make something together, that they think mom will just love! Mudge and his appetite just enhance the humor that makes this an all around fun story.



4. Henry and his Dad enjoy some bonding time when they take Mudge to the market so they can pick out some special goodies. It's Mothers' Day, and it's time to prepare a special meal for Mom -- a fabulously funny lunch!
   
   Kids will laugh with delight as the special meal with hilariously named courses is prepared by the family, and might just be inspired to prepare a funny lunch of their own.
   
   Henry and Mudge and the Funny Lunch will be read by your child over and over again.

5 comments about The Little Flower Girl (Pictureback(R)).

1. First of all, this book is fundamentally Christian non-denominational. The plot takes place at a church, so the book is inappropriate for Jewish weddings. [Although flower girls aren't part of a traditional Jewish wedding, many couples are incorporating it into ceremonies these days (because the kids are so cute and it saves them from boredom).]
   
   The book is not offensive to other religions per se, so you could use it to give girls a general look at the role of a flower girl, but religion-based questions are likely to arise.
   
   Secondly, the plot involves the flower girl putting on makeup. I wouldn't want to have my flower girl wearing, wanting, or expecting makeup.
   
   Third, the flower girl's little brother doesn't want to be the ring bearer so he hides from his parents to avoid the task. I wouldn't want to plant this idea in a child's head.
   
   Otherwise, the book is well-illustrated and colorful.



2. I got this book to help prepare my young flower girl for the big day.



3. I ordered 4 books on being a flower girl for my 4.5 year old granddaughter. This was the best of the 4 books I ordered. My granddaughter wasn't very excited about being a flower girl but this book changed her mind! She absolutely glowed when I read this to her! Each turn of the page was a delight! The book explains the steps to prepare for the big day. The author didn't miss a detail and wrote a cute little story along the way. My granddaughter's expression and soft "Ohh" when she saw the page with the bride in her wedding dress was priceless!



4. The art in this book is great, but I felt that overall this is a great book for older flower girls between the ages of 6 and 8 (the flower girls participating in my wedding are 4 and 5). The text in the book was a little too wordy in some parts, however the duties of the flowergirl was covered very well.



5. "The Little Flower Girl" is a true-to-life enactment of what a child could expect to feel when participating in a wedding.
   
   Louisa is asked to be a flower girl at her Uncle Jim's wedding. At first, Louisa is excited to be included until she begins to wonder and worry about her role. She wants to be the best flower girl that she can be. Meanwhile, her two year old brother George is oblivious about his role as the ring bearer, as depicted when he fusses during the wedding rehearsel and hides behind the ring bearer pillow as the wedding is taking place.
   
   It is an amusing story and addresses the anxieties some children feel about being a part of a wedding. Louisa realizes that weddings are not just about fancy dresses and eating a big cake. What is most important is when people come together "and dance in a circle of love."

5 comments about Ira Sleeps Over.

1. Every night Ira does the same thing. If others outside his family find out, he is afraid they will laugh at him or call him a baby. And just what does he do? He sleeps with a teddy bear.
   
   Now, he really has a problem because his friend, Reggie, has invited him to sleepover at his house. Ira has NEVER slept without his teddy bear. Should he take it with him? His parents say yes, but his sister--who seems to be very sure of herself--tells Ira he'll be laughed at for sure. Ira is afraid he can't sleep without his teddy bear. Yet, he doesn't want to be thought of as a baby by Reggie either. What a problem! And what a good story. [A realistic fiction picture book suitable through the primary grades.]



2. This is timeless kiddie lit story: Ira is invited to his first sleep over. Ira's older sister, however, casts doubt in Ira's mind. Will Reggie laugh because Ira sleeps with a teddy bear? Should he go with or without his beloved teddy? His parents are supportive and Ira makes his decision, only to change his mind once again.
   
   Jim Trealease, of Read-Aloud fame, read this story, with appropriate voices to a group of teachers. I was so enchanted with it that later, when I taught high school, I asked permission of my seniors to tell them Ira Sleeps Over. They loved it!



3. This is one of the sweetest bedtime stories, getting kids ready for sleeping over with a reassuring message. Best of all, it features two little boys. There's not a lot of gentle message kids books out there that feature little boys.



4. These books are perfect. His ear for spoken language is dead-on. It's a joy to read aloud.



5. Not having read the book nor able to check it out from a library, I relied totally on reviewers 5 star comments when deciding to purchase this book. Just about 1/3 the way into the book my parental radar piqued at the conversation between Reggie and Ira concerning ghost stories, "scary, creepy, spooky ghost stories." To my sorrow, no mention or even allusion of this was in any of the reviews.
   
   My youngest 3 children (two 5 year olds and a 7 year old) are from a culture that emphasizes ghosts, the boogie man, evil spirits, etc. in a demonic fashion. Prior to becoming part of our family, ghosts were used as a form of disciplne to terrorize them to comply and obey. Even after having them in our family for a year they still struggle with the memories of these demons. Since the ghost story is the climax in Ira Sleeps Over, I do not recommend this book.

5 comments about Birthday Monsters! (Boynton on Board).

1. Once our family got hooked on Boynton we had to have all of them. This is one of my favorites and the one that my 2 year old and 4 year old ask to have read to them just about every day. I think we love this one just because it's so much like birthdays at our house.
   
   It's fast pace is great for toddlers and preschoolers. Boynton books are generally great to start out with as early as possible, but even if you don't pick up your first one until your child is a preschooler they can be great for learning to read. They're very quick to memorize.



2. My son loves all of Sandra Boynton books...it is a great Birthday book for a boy or a girl!!! I always keep a copy on hand for birthday parties that are short notice!!!



3. My daughter is 2 and loves this book along will all of Sandra Boynton's other books. She can't get enough of them. You will laugh so hard when you read them all. She has a wonderful since of humor and the books are very easy to read. My daughter has many of them memorized already, so do my husband and I from reading them over and over. This book along with her other ones are a must have.



4. Love this book! My two year old grandson has me read this at least 10 times a day! He calls it "favorite".



5. Another Boynton fun book. A great 'read to me' book and also good for early readers. I left it on my grandson's night stand so he would have it when he woke up on his 5th birthday. The story has 5 birthday monsters so it was perfect.

5 comments about I Love My Mama.

1. Toddlers and Preschoolers will identify with the little elephant and how he enjoys the mom's company through the different activities of the day. It's a good book to reflect on the blessing of families. Good bedtime story. Beautiful illustrations.



2. My 2 year old and I read this every night. It is a wonderful book and we look forward to it every night.



3. We have been reading this story to our 2 year old daughter since she was 2 months old and it's still her favorite book. She now recites the words as I flip through the pages - this book has definitely left an impression. Additionally, the pictures are colorful and fun! It's such a sweet story about the fun a mother and child have together, and the special bond the two share. I'm sure your little one will love this story just as much as mine does!



4. My son -loves- elephants so it would be hard for this book to be a miss. The illustrations are beautiful.



5. My 3-year old daughter loves the story so much that she reads it over and over again until she is able to recite. This is an excellent book that helps mommy and child bond. Highly recommended!

5 comments about Grandma and Me.

1. She bores easily, but she loves this little book. she has had it for a couple of months, and she's still interested in it. She's 19 months and change now.



2. My granddaughter loves leafing thru this book with me. Lot of look under the tabs for 'surprises'. Well illustrated. Highly recommend.



3. This book too came in excellent condition and in record time. Thank you, my children enjoy reading this book over and over.



4. My 3 year old granddaughter first introduced this book to me while I was at her house for a visit awaiting the birth of her new little sister. My first thought was, "well it's a board book so it'll be too simple for it to be good"... I read it the first night at bedtime, then the second night, then the third night and it continued on for the entire month I was there! LOL....sure we both knew it by heart very quickly and would read it out loud together, but that was half the fun. I'd do funny voices when I read it and sometimes changed a few of the words to kind of mix it up...But she enjoyed it so very much EVERY time. When I got back to the state where I live, I bought my own copy (just because I'm a kid at heart and I wanted to have something tangible of those beautiful reading memories with her.) I was further rewarded one day when she was having a hard time taking her afternoon nap. When my daughter called, I asked if I could talk to my little "Peanut"...I told her to go get her book and I would read it to her and she had to follow along and open all the little flaps. She did of course and she giggled the whole way through as if it were the first time she was hearing it. It was another priceless moment for this grandma...and she didn't have any trouble going down for her nap after that either. It's amazing what will capture a little ones attention. Sometimes we adults make things too complicated. As for me, I love to see things through the eyes of a child.



5. All of Karen Katz's books are great and this is one of the best ones. Grandma and daughter love to read this book, over and over!!! Just a great book for over 1 children. Pretty durable too! Would recommend for any grandma and grandchild combo!

5 comments about Olivia Forms a Band.

1. I loved Olivia and Olivia saves the circus, this one is no way near as god as the first two, no even my children asked for a second reading.



2. To an adult, Olivia in this story displays all of the most frustrating aspects of crossing the generation gap such as obsessing over something that doesn't matter (matching two red socks from a drawer full of seemingly identical socks), insisting on doing something that cannot be easily done (being a one-person band), switching interests at the drop of diaper, not cleaning up after herself despite reminders, taking hyperbole literally, being impatient when something cannot be rushed (like the start of fireworks), and wanting to pursue activities that are too grown-up (such as wearing lipstick).
   
   To a toddler, Olivia is a wunderkind of amazing imagination, ambition, and freshness. Her attention span is about as long as the toddler's, but she has more interesting things on her mind. Her obsessions aren't so different from a toddler's obsessions. She's fussy about her clothes as toddler's often are. She suggests the exciting possibility of veering towards aspects of adulthood, going beyond a youngster walking around in her mother's shoes. She's good at quoting back to her mother things that she said that support Olivia's point, expressing that important desire to be independent.
   
   Of course, the drawings beautifully express the adult-toddler humor at both levels while employing a powerful minimalism. But the minimalism is expanded upon here. To the traditional black, white, and red for Olivia, Ian Falconer adds a turquoise hue for the drawings beginning with Olivia dressing up to be a band. Ian Falconer succeeds in using a variety of techniques to get across loud sound (some musical notes in ff, and seven images of Olivia with different instruments with each image multiplied as though in an echo chamber), Olivia's cleverness and hyperactivity (a series of 10 drawings on two facing pages as Olivia extracts what she needs from her family to make her band instruments, including the removal of her father's much needed suspenders with dire consequences), Olivia's optimism (dreaming of herself as chief justice of the Supreme Court . . . something no little pig has done before), burlesque sequences (three panels of Olivia's mother entering her room, loud noises emerging from the dark, and Olivia's mother wearing broken and misplaced band instruments), and a child's reality (sitting in the dark watching fireworks).
   
   Like all of the best children's books, this one will invite much discussion between parent and child about the pros and cons of what Olivia does that will provide lots of opportunities for gentle teaching and learning.
   
   Strike up the band!



3. Olivia Forms a Band is one of my 3 year old's favorite books. In fact this is our second copy of it because the first one was enjoyed so thoroughly that it fell apart. Falconer has a gift for portraying the endearing and infuriating aspects of children that is appreciated by parents as well as children. The illustrations are terrific.



4. In this story, Olivia and her family are preparing for a night of watching fireworks. Olivia asks if there will be a band. When she is told there won't be, she decides to make the night perfect by forming a one pig band.
   
   The book is divided into three parts. The first is Olivia's preparation for the night including making her uniform and her band. The second is the actual picnic. The final third is Olivia at home and the consequences of her earlier planning.
   
   Ian Falconer captures perfectly the way in which children can get carried away with their own clever plans and how the parents are often stuck with the aftermath of these crazy schemes.



5. My sons and I loved the first Olivia. It is an introduction to a character, and not a story as such. I was expecting this to be a story, but it is really just (spoiler coming) about a spoiled girl-pig who wants to create a band to perform at a 4th of July Celebration. That is the premise, but then when it is time to go...she decides she doesn't want to perform. There is no reason behind this decision....she just wants to make a band, then doesn't. Pointless plot. Now I realize the books are about a capricious little girl, but there isn't really a story here.

3 comments about It's Earth Day! (Little Critter).

1. It's Earth Day! (Little Critter)I am using this book with young children to increase awareness of ways they can help take care of the earth. It is both entertaining and informative. I recommend it for the classroom or for reading and discussing at home.



2. This book is nicely illustrated and I like the concept but the author misses some wonderful opportunities to teach more about what we can do to take care of the earth. One of the illustrations shows the main character standing in front of the refrigerator with the door wide open for what appears to be an extended period of time as he contemplates climate control. (seems counter intuitive} Then the main character makes a bunch of ice and uses an electric fan all day and into the night to blow air over the ice to cool the planet. Hmmmm... more waste of electricity. Would have been nice to include things we can do in our every day lives in our homes to reduce our carbon footprint like turning off lights, driving less, carpooling, changing light bulbs, solar power, etc etc I should note that the author does do a nice job of going over reduce, reuse, recylce, so it's not entirely bad, just misses the mark.



3. This is a great books to teach kids and adults alike how easy it is to recycle without requiring a major overhaul to one's life. There are tips about conserving water, using your community's curb side recycling service, planting trees and more.

5 comments about Happy Birthday to You! (Classic Seuss).

1. We read this on birthdays and plenty of other times too! Sweet but not too much so, and funny turns of phrase.



2. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU~~~~~~~~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
   HAPPY BIIIIIIIIRTTTH DAY AHAYAA MISTOUR BLACKSHEREEEEEEEEEEEE
   HAP-HAP-HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!
   
   
   
   
   Happy Birthday Chris,from(and I think I'm not alone) everyone!!!
   your a great person and friend!
   OH! this book is great also!



3. My students loved this story. I keep it is a basket on the floor and the are constantly picking it up. Would recommend it to anyone.



4. This book with a gift for the birth of a baby and was a hit. Thanks.



5. I sent this to my GF on her birthday and she said it was like a big Birthday card. I love Dr. Seuss.