No comments about Dayan: White Eurocka (Dayan).

2 comments about The Eensy Weensy Spider: A Pop-Up Book.

1. My almost one year old can't get enough of this wonderful book about his favorite song! He loves to lift the flaps and to listen to me sing as we flip through the pages. By far, it's his favorite book!



2. I purchased this for my daugher's first birthday. She loved this book. She loved it a bit too much because she finally riped most of the pop-ups out. It is a cute book, I just wish it was a bit more sturdy.

4 comments about Wedding Bells for Rotten Ralph.

1. Frankly, I'm not fond of Ralph... Call me an old granny, call me a bleeding heart, call me cute as a button (to borrow from "Cheers"), but Ralph just doesn't do it for me.

   I can see where the average 7-9 year old (probably male) would find Ralph's antics hysterical and most likely would secretly wish to do the same thing THEMSELVES at a wedding party, but a good book does not this make.

   One of the things I find bothersome is that Ralph-- as per usual-- destroys everything in his path WITH NO CONSEQUENCES WHATSOEVER. The snails, the ride down the aisle on the bride's dress, the knocking over the tent after too much wedding cake (a coworker of mine read the book and exclaimed, "He's DRUNK!!"); all of it Ralph does and not a single person (almost all of whom are White-- the book isn't exactly a paradigm of multiculturalism) chastises him for his behavior.

   At the end, a tear in her eye, Ralph's owner, Sarah, tells Ralph he's ruined everything (no kidding!). Ralph, in a co-dependent, enabling-like move, presents Sarah with the bouquet he's caught and all is forgiven.

   Maybe I'm being too stodgy and humorless, but I feel that children are generally ALREADY getting away with quite a bit without adult chastisement, so to hold up Ralph as an example of how to ruin EVERYTHING and still be forgiven is not, IMHO, a worthy ideal to pass along to our children.




2. I was quite upset for Ralph's sake when I read such an unfavorable review of this hilarious book that had been previously posted. I am 26, work in the childrens' section of our local library, and I am in charge of our story hours, and I love Rotten Ralph! I have ordered just about every Ralph book for our library. I wish that the library would have had these books in stock when I was a child because I would have been encouraged to read beacause they are nothing but pure fun! Sadly, our library never had them due to the bleeding heart goodie goodie mentality of librarians from ages past. I find that the children DO NOT copy Ralph's behavior and actions but they simply laugh along with them and have a good time. Reading should be fun, remember? We have far too many sickly-sweet moral filled books with quaint illustrations collecting dust on our library shelves that NO CHILD ever reads. We can't keep a Rotten Ralph in stock. Let children read what they enjoy! Personally, I can't wait to see what Rotten Ralph's latest adventure will be. I wish Ralph was at the last wedding I attended beacuse it certainly would have been much more fun! Don't let those goody-goody people get you down Ralph!



3. I was quite upset for Ralph's sake when I read such an unfavorable review of this hilarious book that had been previously posted. I am 26, work in the childrens, section of our local library, and I am in charge of our story hours, and I love Rotten Ralph! I have ordered just about every Ralph book for our library. I wish that the library would have had these books in stock when I was a child because I would have been encouraged to read beacause they are nothing but pure fun! Sadly, our library never had them due to the bleeding heart goodie goodie mentality of librarians from ages past. I find that the children DO NOT copy Ralph's behavior and actions but they simply laugh along with them and have a good time. Reading should be fun, remember? We have far too many sickly-sweet moral filled books with quaint illustrations collecting dust on our library shelves that NO CHILD ever reads. We can't keep a Rotten Ralph in stock. Let children read what they enjoy! Personally, I can't wait to see what Rotten Ralph's latest adventure will be. I wish Ralph was at the last wedding I attended beacuse it certainly would have been much more fun! Don't let those goody-goody people get you down Ralph!



4. I also loved this book - in fact, I am giving it to both the flower girl and the ring bearer for my wedding this summer! I am not worried that they will emulate Rotten Ralph's behavior - kids know that Ralph does bad things. The books are funny because they are too outragous to be real!

5 comments about Shanté Keys and the New Year's Peas.

1. This lively multicultural story takes readers on a whirlwind tour of New Year's traditions around the globe. Eldridge's charming illustrations add just the right combination of motion and bright colors with loads of kid-appeal to a text that makes for a terrific read-aloud, both at home and in the classroom. A wonderful contribution from Piernas-Davenport, a new voice in children's books.



2. Shante's mother tells her they need some black-eyed peas to celebrate good luck in the new year. In her quest to find some black-eyed peas, Shante discovers the different ways that her neighbors celebrate the New Year. This is such a cute and informative book. The rhyming text rolls easily off the tongue making it a perfect read-a-loud that kids will want to hear over and over. Great for the classroom too! What teacher doesn't need more books on different cultural celebrations? Gail Piernas-Davenport has captured the fun and diversity of a New Year's celebration. And the colorful illustrations by Marion Eldridge are as lively as the text.



3. What a fantastic book! Shante Keys goes looking for black eyed peas for a New Year's dinner-along the way she learns how other cultures celebrate New Year's. It's rare that an adult can learn so much from a children's book but I was enthralled at reading such useful information. The book is witty and cleverly written and the illustrations are spot on-colorful, whimsical and just as warm as the prose itself. This is a book to be shared with a child you love-a true family treasure.



4. What a delightful book! Charming and whimsical,
   entertaining and informative. My kids love it
   and so do I!



5. This book was a hit with my students. The language was easy to understand and the rhyming story was really cute. It is perfect if you teach in a community that values diversity. This story introduces you to characters who celebrate the new year in many different ways.
   
   Would be a cute lesson in diversity with the ability to cook the different foods mentioned in the book for your students.

No comments about Girls' Day / Boys' Day.

No comments about Rafi and Rosi: Carnival! (I Can Read Book 3).

1 comments about Awakening the Dragon: The Dragon Boat Festival.

1. This is the story of the cultural and historical origins of the dragon boat festival celebrated in China and by the Chinese around the world. Dragon boats represent the effort of villagers to protect the spirit of one of the emperor's advisors who drowned himself in the river. Many other legends accompany this festival, including the story of a nightmare from an emperor in the 700's who dreamed of a ghost. This book provides a nice overview of the legends and customs from the past and the celebrations today of this exciting festival time.

1 comments about Fiestas.

1. As a Spanish teacher at the high school and university level, I find that most of the songs are a bit juvenile for my students, but still, some songs can be very useful. The pictures are exciting, and the songs are arranged seasonaly. In addition, the music for the songs is included (the melody, at least), which puts this book a step above the rest!

5 comments about Too Many Pumpkins.

1. We got this book when my son was 3 yrs. I was a little unsure how he'd like it since it's a little long, but he sat through each page and loved every part! Great pictures and a very cute story! It's certainly part of our Halloween tradition now.



2. We originally checked this book out of the library 2 years ago. We immediately loved it and bought our own copy. This is a favorite with my daughters, ages 3 and 5. They will request it all year long. This is probably the best children's book I have ever read. The story is funny, enchanting, and I love the subtle lesson in it. The illustrations are perfect. We love Rebecca Estelle!



3. Too Many Pumpkins really captures the fall/Halloween mood. The illustrations are marvelous--I love the look of the exploding pumpkins, and the cat's colors and expressions are perfect! Descriptions detailing all the pumpkin dishes the woman makes add to the feeling, and I loved seeing all her jack-o-lanterns! The townspeople really seem like ordinary people anyone could run into--I especially like the dad in the down jacket and his young child.
   Funny story, wonderful implementation.



4. This is a good book to share with kids in the Fall. I read this to my kids once and they were hooked. Ages 4-8 is right on target with this book. I did give this one as a gift to a five year old girl who has a birthday in the Fall and we were told that she loved it. When her parent's took her pumpking picking she kept talking about story in this book. My kids did the same.



5. Linda White, the author, did a superb job of telling this story, which was inspired by her aunt during the days of the depression. An elderly woman, Rebecca Estelle, loves her garden. She enjoys planting her flowers and food for the year with her pet cat as her company. Rebecca hates pumpkins because her family had to eat nothing but that for years when they were poor. She has vowed to never even look at another pumpkin again, but her kindness takes over and as the story unravels she realizes that pumpkins hold a special place in her heart. Adorably detailed pictures with a great feeling of autumn and fall days.

1 comments about Happy Mother's Day, Mami!.

1. Happy Mother's Day, Mami! tells the story of Dora finding the ingedients she needs in order to make a special Mother's Day cake for her Mami. There are 3 recipe cards laid out, and Dora asks the reader "Do you see the recipe card that has bananas, nuts, and chocolate?"
   
   Dora doesn't have the needed ingredients, so with the help of trusty Map, she ventures to the Banana Grove, through the Nutty Forest, and finally arrives at the Chocolate Tree. Along the way, she encounters her friends Boots, Tico the squirrel, Benny the bull, and Isa the iguana...all who have created beautiful presents for their Mothers in celebration of El Dia de las Madres.
   
   Of course, no Dora story would be complete without sneaky Swiper the fox trying to swipe something...and in this case, it's Isa's bouquet of flowers that she's about to give to her Mom for Mother's Day.
   
   Dora brings back the needed ingredients, and her papi (father) helps mix the batter for the special cake. Mami thinks the cake tastes delicioso!
   
   This fun story teaches children several Spanish words, including how to count one through six in Spanish. In fact, the inside front cover features a chart featuring 13 English words, the Spanish term, and the Spanish pronunciation of each.