2 comments about A Farmer Boy Birthday (Little House).

1. This is another great story in the Little House series. This one is about Almanzo and his life on the farm when he was a young boy. The day begins like any other but ends with a special gift towards "man-hood" for his birthday. My pre-school children love all the Little House books, but this one is particularly loved and read over and over again. The story also teaches selflessness with a surprise at the end.



2. This story reflects the way a birthday boy growing up on a farm in the late 1800's might celebrate his birthday. The editor has done an excellent job of taking a short story from within Laura Ingalls Wilder's original book FARMER BOY and making it a short story for youngsters. The pictures are appealing and the story stays focused. I wish the publishers would print another edition of the book. All the stories we have read from the "My First Little House Books" have been thoroughly enjoyed by my family. We often give copies as gifts to other children and we borrow the copies we can't get from the library.

2 comments about Mother, You're the Best! (But Sister, You're a Pest!) (Gilbert and Friends).

1. I teach language lessons in a public school. The students love ALL the books by Diane de Groat!! They look forward to Gilbert and his friends. Her titles are always unique and provide great discussions.



2. Great book...Made my wife cry upon first read to my son. Great gift for any occasion!!

5 comments about Ted.

1. Who didn't have an imaginary friend growing up? I wish mine had been Ted, a goofy but lovable friend that inadvertantly gets his real-life pal into fun trouble. My nephews loved the words, the pictures, everything about this book, and more than once I had to satisfy them by flipping back to a favorite scene. A great book!



2. Ted arrived just after the narrator's birthday. He was huge, purple pink, loved raspberries and was ready to play with the still unplayed with birthday presents (father was too busy and just hadn't had time, yet). After a great game of Monopoly Twister Ted decided to give the young man a hair cut and shave. Father wasn't happy with the results and called Ted imaginary. So Ted decided the easiest way to show father he was real was for the two of them to draw his portrait. Since no piece of paper was large enough, they decided to use the wall. Father didn't appreciate the artwork and was very angry. Ted and his young cohort figured father needed to relax and play and that an indoor swimming pool would be fun, so they flooded father's study with the garden hose. Father was very, very angry and banned all imaginary friends from the house. If Ted had to go, the little boy decided, then he'd go with him and left his father a note saying he was going to live, with Ted, at the old playground...... Tony Diterlizzi has really captured the essence of a little boy who, more than anything wants to spend time and play with his dad. His charming, witty text is only outdone by his superb large, colorful and expressive illustrations that bring the story to life and imaginations will soar as children pore over all the vivid detail in each picture. Youngsters will laugh out loud as they enjoy the antics of this unusual dynamic duo trying to engage father in their fun. With a happily ever after ending that will warm your heart and a simple, gentle message, "Sometimes, when people grow up, they forget how to have fun.", Ted is perfect for youngsters 4-8 and a wonderful read aloud story the whole family should share, together.



3. My daughter has a herd of imaginary friends, so she and I both enjoyed this book. Imaginary friend Ted arrives for a visit to a small boy, he wreaks havoc much to the consternation of the boy's father. But in the end, Ted helps teach dad a lesson in having fun.

   The illustrations are well detailed, though Ted looked a little bit....well, almost scary looking. The boy resembles Harry Potter.

   Overall, I'd recommend this book.




4. From the mind of Tony DiTerlizzi comes yet another delightful romp through the imagination entitled Ted. Ted is the imaginary friend of a lonely little boy. Ted looks something like a giant basset hound dipped in Strawberry Quick. The boy's father is a rather busy fellow, being very business like and such. Far too busy to find time to play with his son. Of course this being the time when imaginary friends are needed most up pops Ted. Ted and the boy promptly get themselves into all kinds of mischief. The boy's father doesn't believe in imaginary friends and forbids his son from having them in the house. Later the boy discovers that Ted was his father's imaginary friend when he was a child. In the end the boy is able to prove to his father that Ted is real by leading his father to a playground where a certain item from the man's childhood is hidden. Ted is a solid work from an extremely gifted artist. Certain to be a shinning gem in any child's collection of books.

   Preston McClear




5. Having a handful of his own imaginary friends (and also a father whose name happens to be Ted!), my 4yo son just adores this book!

   The story line is basically that Dad is too busy/preoccupied to spend time with the son, and purply-pink friend Ted (visible only to the boy) shows up to liven things up a little. Ted was the dad's imaginary friend as a child, too, and in the end the Dad gets his priorities in order and "gets in touch with his inner child" again.

   This is also a good story for grownups to pay attention to as you read it to your child: we should never let ourselves get so busy that we neglect our kids' emotional needs, and just because we don't see things the same way our kids see them doesn't mean that our kids are the ones who are in the wrong.

   One interesting thing is that the mother in this family is never mentioned, leaving it up to the imagination whether she is there (but just not a player in these scenes) or whether she is gone (due to death or divorce or traveling on business or whatever). But as the story is about the relationship between the father and son (and, of course, purply-pinkish Ted!), my son never questioned where the mommy was or why she wasn't around. To parents raising children in a non-traditional family, this book might be a welcome change of pace.

2 comments about Lanterns and Firecrackers: A Chinese New Year Story (Festival Time).

1. I really like this series. Students can read these books on their own and get a lot out of them. They can also be easily read for a read aloud. They are fun and interesting!



2. This is a nonfiction book aimed at the preK-K level, and it contains just the right amount of information for kids aged 3-5. The illustrations are lovely and there is simple text on each page. I paired this book along with Dragon Dance (author: Holub) and D is for Dragon Dance (author: Compestine), which have more lyrical text, for a preschoolers' storytime about Chinese New Year.

2 comments about That's What Leprechauns Do.

1. Three leprechauns have an important job: they must dig up the pot of gold before the rainbow comes to expose their hiding place - but on the way they can't resist some mischief involving farm animals, putting the pot of gold in danger. A fun story of animal encounters and lessons learned evolves.



2. I bought this book to read to my grandchildren and their classmates. It was a huge success!

No comments about Rabbit's Pajama Party (MathStart 1).

1 comments about Peace One Day.

1. Peace One Day is a colorful, enchanting and inspiring book. It is the story of a young man who believes that one person can make a difference in the world and has demonstrated it many times over. Sometimes the world seems too big, too complex and out of reach, particularly to kids. True changemakers appear larger than life or saints but here is a story about Jeremy Gilley who is just a man who loves children, loves life and loves peace. He set out to establish a single day of peace on the calendar when all countries and people observe a global ceasefire when food and medicine can get across borders and refugees can return to their families. He set out asking heads of state, dignitaries and engage children all over the globe.
   Illustrated by Pulitzer Award winning Karen Blessen, this collage of pictures, narration and photos tells all about it. You can show the pictures to preschoolers, read together with grade-schoolers and share the possibility of peace, but most of all you can tell kids that they can make a difference, one person at a time. I love this book and its message.

5 comments about Arthur's April Fool (Arthur Adventure Series).

1. It is not the best book in the world, but it is one of the few on April's Fool Day. I think my students will enjoy it's sense of humor.



2. ARTHUR'S APRIL FOOL is one of the earlier books when the drawings of Arthur still gave him the longer head. And because it's an earlier book, all the characters you know from the wonderful TV series are here, but they look just a bit different than we're used to. It's a great story with a lot of depth and a lot of fun. The illustrations are so funny, with a lot of interesting details for kids to find. My favorite is always D.W., and she doesn't let me down here, either. The Arthur series is simply amazing and wonderful. It brings me great joy. I would get every one of the books in this affordable series of paperbacks.



3. it was an okay book. I think that D.W. and Arthur make the perfect brother and sister because they always disagree. It was a funny book because Arthur does a good trick on Binky.



4. my son loved this book. he was having a problem with a bully at school and this book really help him see that even big bully's have weaknesses.



5. This story is about Arthur who is afraid of Binky Barnes.He wants to get stronger so he can beat Binky Barnes! Then, he had nightmares of Binky Barnes chasing him! It was April Fool's Day! I think kids should read this book because it is funny, cute, lovable, and so cheerful. I could laugh forever! My favorite part was when Binky finds out that he has been tricked!

3 comments about Toot & Puddle: A Present for Toot (Toot and Puddle).

1. It would be hard to top the reviews of this book, so in leiu of one-upping them, I'll simply lay my $.02 on the table.

   Toot & Puddle: A Present for Toot is an amazingly well done book. Reminescent of other famous pals-- Bert & Ernie, Oscar & Felix-- it's clear that the two have a very strong friendship tempered by the occasional bout of frustration.

   It's going to be Toot's birthday, and what CAN you get for the Pig Who Has Everything?? Puddle, in his travels about town and windowshopping, finds WONDERFUL things that HE would like, but isn't sure that it would please TOOT. Time and time again he finds things that HE would like to have, but realizes that he's searching for a present for his friend, not himself (a wonderful watercolor illustration is of Toot eating breakfast while Puddle slings on his backpack to head out the door for another round of shopping).

   The message is simple: it's the giving, not the gift, it's the thought that counts, and when present shopping, you should get goodies for the person you're BUYING FOR, not for yourself, no matter how many things fly up at you yelling, "BUY ME! BUY ME!"

   The watercolors are some of the most vivid, detailed and comfortable ones I've seen in a career of reading children's books. This comes highly recommended.




2. The best children's books manage to delight your children and keep you amused -- even on the 55th reading. The Toot and Puddle series does this time and time again, with beautiful illustrations full of mood, detail, and humor, and prose that never panders to its young audience. They give the reader the feeling of peeking into a fully imagined world -- and the wonderful anticipation of the stories to come!



3. I like this pleasant book because it's a book about friendship and companionship. My favorite part is when puddle the pig goes all around town for a present for his buddy Toot when he could be doing something else instead. Soon through friendship he finds the right gift. This book is filled with loving, touching pages. That's what makes it the best!

No comments about The Lump of Coal.