5 comments about The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Birthday (First Time Books(R)).

1. Imagine my surprise, while reading this to my 5-year-old, to see that Sister Bear, who is turning six, plays "Spin the Bottle" at her birthday party. This is entirely inappropriate for that age level. Avoid this book!



2. as a kid birthday parties were the most exciting thing in the world. So when I got this book I had already been collecting a bunch of berenstein bear books but this one didn't turn out as I expected. Sure I enjoyed reading about how special birthdays are but I was too young to understand why she started crying in the middle of cutting the cake. I would have liked it if they had a part where she's opening all her presents, that to me was the most fascinating thing at that age and I'm sure many kids would have agreed with me.



3. Why would little kids play "spin the bottle" kissing game at a kid party? Th rest of the book is good except for that part. We now have our own edited version. The Arthur birthday book also plays "spin the bottle". This might have been thought of as an innocent game way back when but it is not in today's society. Maybe they will edit this book for future publications...



4. Sister Bear is going to turn 6 years old. She is very excited about all the Birthday games, toys, prizes, candy, pony rides, and even a merry-go-round! She and Brother Bear and Papa Bear get everything ready.
   
   The other cubs arrive and they play games and have lots of fun. However, Sister Bear gets overwhelmed by all the excitement and breaks down into tears. She is upset because she got first out on On the Way to Jerusalem game and was humiliated at the Spin the Bottle game.
   
   One cub asks her if she is going to open her presents and that breaks her concentration and she opens gifts. Her tears dry and she finds out much she has grown and improved the past year.



5. This is a wonderful book that presents a terrific lesson about not getting too carried away with birthday parties--a big problem these days!
   The fuss and commotion and the pressure of an over-the-top party are too much for Sister Bear and she winds up just getting upset about the whole thing. I've seen this happen with real life birthday parties. And it's nice to see an innocent old-fashioned childhood still being depicted in our modern overly sophisticated world. This is another classic in the Berenstain Bears line of books.

5 comments about Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl.

1. I have two grade school aged children and two preschoolers. I had heard of the Junie B. Jones series and when my first grader brought home "Almost a Flower Girl" and began to read it to me I took away the book within the first three paragraphs. I read the book and the next day told my daughter to never get another Junie B. Jones book. Junie calls herself a bachelorette and becomes posessive over a boy Ricardo in kindergarten. Junie is a rotten kid and repeatedly disobeys all adults. I don't want my child to have a role model like that. We give our kids books in their early reading to mold their values, goals and imagination. I see nothing positive with this character. Lastly, I hate that the author chose the name Aunt Flo for the aunt. This is bad decorum because this terminology has been used for years regarding women's cycle. I refuse to beleive that she did not know of the terminology. I will not let any of my girls read Junie B. Jones until much older and hopfully by then they will be discussed with the work as I am.



2. My 6 year old daughter just loves the Junie B. Jones stories, and as the person that reads them to her, so do I. The stories are entertaining, easy to read a chapter or 2 a night and the themes are something that a 5 or 6 year old girl can identify with.



3. Both of my children have grown up with Junie B. Jones. I am a certified elementary school teacher, and I get as much joy from Junie B. Jones as my kids do. We all laugh at her, and we all talk about how much trouble they would get into if they did the things that Junie B. Jones does. Children understand that Junie B. Jones is a character in a story. Children understand that the things she does are wrong. We should all be happy that Barbara Park has created a character who has inspired so many children to want to read! Afterall, isn't that the goal? We should get down off of our pedastools and realize that this is not Shakespeare or rocket science, and we are not going to create any criminals from reading about Junie B. Jones. What we will create are READERS.



4. Junie B. Jones wants to be a flower girl at her aunt's wedding. Then at school her best friends, Grace and Lucille, tell her what it is like being a flower girl. After that, they practice being a flower girl. After school, Grandpa Miller was at her house babysitting her baby-brother Ollie. Junie B. then asks if she could call her aunt. Her grandpa says no. Then, she goes to her room pouting, and she looks at the address book she took. She finds her aunt's name and calls her. She dials her aunts number. The phone rings. The voice says "hello." Will her aunt ask her to be her flower girl?
   
   I chose this book because I like Junie B. Jones books and that is one of the best ones I've read so far.



5. How should you behave is somebody gets something that you wanted for yourself? Well, you sure shouldn't wish on a star for them to get sick, like Junie does.
   
   Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl is one of the best of Barbara Park's books. The irrepressible kindergartner is, once again, filled with misconceptions and in need of some good correction in her behavior.
   
   Parents and children will roar with laughter at her exploits, and talk about how things really should be done!
   
   Recommended!

5 comments about Amelia Bedelia and the Surprise Shower.

1. I am not a huge fan of the books, but I do like to read about the things she does. It is quite humerous to read she does things literally. Quite genius of the writer to come up with such a wonderful and well-meaning character. I love the fact that Amelia Bedelia takes every situation in stride and does exactly as she is told.

   Amelia Bedelia (I write her name fully because Peggy Parish uses her full name throughout the book) in this read becomes the life of the party. Of course, she doesn't mean to, but she and Alcolu makes the surprise shower exactly into that. A big surprise!!

   It is not one of my favorite Amelia Bedelia books, but it does not fall short of who this lovely character is: sweet Amelia Bedelia. Enjoy.

   Joy




2. Wedding Shower! As soon as the word shower is mentioned, trust Amelia Bedelia, the world's most foolish maid to get out the hose and drench everybody. It's a wonder she was allowed anywhere near the party.



3. Amelia Bedelia is always a simple, fun and entertaining read! In this volume, we find Amelia and her cousin in charge of setting up a surprise wedding shower for a friend of her employer Mrs. Rogers. In typical Amelia Bedelia fashion, the literal meaning of the requests and orders given and the intended meaning are two different things entirely...it's always fun to watch kids register that the words in the story really do mean two different things (like filling a bowl with cut flowers...simple, yet taken literally, you get something entirely different from it...this is the joy of Parish's writing). Parish always does it with just the right amount of frivolity and light-hearted humor that it's impossible not to love Amelia Bedelia despite all the trouble she causes! I love the Amelia Bedelia series as a read aloud because it's so much fun, but the Amelia Bedelia series is also ideal for young readers, especially those just starting to read on their own! There are not a lot of words on each page, but what is there is easy to understand and conveyed succinctly and with humor and the illustrations are perfectly matched to the text (with a slightly old fashioned feel to them). You just can't go wrong with these books!



4. Wonderful. This book is as amusing to adults as it is to children. My daughter enjoyed the book so much, she added it to her summer reading. Since it is an 'I can Read' my daughter read the story aloud to me and just started laughing as she was reading it - which is proof to me of a good book. Reading should be fun, not a chore. She has been talking about the book with friends and making everyone laugh. I recommend this book to anyone who has a child who is ready to start reading on their own and wants to add laughter to their child's reading experience.



5. Amelia Bedelia and the Surprise Shower is a wonderful opportunity for readers to enjoy just how funny it is to interpret words literally. Poor Amelia Bedelia is always intending to do her very best, and follows her employers instructions to the last detail! A surprise shower involves, of course, a garden hose! Pruning a garden requires prunes! And running an iron involves -- well, you can figure it out, yourself!
   
   It's no wonder Peggy Parish's writing is so popular with her young fans -- and their parents. This one is sure to be a favorite!

1 comments about Curious George at the Parade.

1. I love all the curious George books. Who Doesn't?
   
   author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

5 comments about Lilly's Big Day.

1. 
   An instant classic!
   
   Henke does it again, great book. Henke creates very real characters who grapple with emotions about as intense as I've seen for this format. In Lilly's perfect day, her teacher, Mr. Slinger, in an act of naked nepotism, elevates his own niece to the role of flower girl. This despite the inordinate amount of energy Lilly has put towards practicing for the event, the proficiency with which she has rehearsed every precocious countenance, the inestimable classroom bragging rights with which she fixates her anticipation. This mouse is due her fate, and only the venal world of adult institutions could deny her.
   
   No one can quite bring themselves to be direct her Lilly. "Do you understand what we are trying to tell you?" they ask. How can a child honestly answer that question? How can a parent honestly interpret a child's answer to that question. My stomach was in a knot for Lilly. I knew this was a Henke book, I knew it had to have a happy ending. But how could Lilly's youthful, brittle narcissism possibly absorb the onslaught of such a sleight? I wouldn't dream of ruining the ending here, but I will provide a little hint by saying that a baby mouse dose of propanolol would have gone a long way. But even the villainous niece's feelings are spared, as Henke ties up all the strands as only he can. Thumbs up for Henkes! And go Bears!



2. Tonight my daughter and I were out looking for a perfect gift for a party tomorrow (gift for child required) and found this book and a doll to match sitting front and center and maybe a bit sideways at the local booksellers shop.
   
   So we opened it up to see what adventure Miss Lilly was finding herself in this time. I'm a 1st grade teacher and Lilly and her purple purse have been very important parts of my shared readings for ...ummm...more years than I think Lilly has. My daughter Syl even had a purple purse just to act out her precious purple purse story and now with her at 17 we look at these books with longing...
   
   Lilly's a mouse for me, living life with everything she's got, not afraid of feeling and more than a little mystified by other's inability to walk in her shoes...
   
   Henkes always takes a good look at children with their very real life...and spins a story that just has it all. And...it has everything I don't have presently in my NCLB afflicted life in an Under performing school forced into proscribed scripted curriculum teaching so presently devoid of story...I'm Sarah "one note" on this but when you read a book like this one you realize how much a book can bring to a classroom and children.
   
   Lilly is so charming and here she is completely with her whole soul determined to be the flower girl at her teacher's wedding, but relegated by her very favorite teacher, to watch another get the honors. Just looking at the note she writes alone to convince her teacher of her worthiness is so wonderful,it's an appeal that just should have done the trick. Henkes must someday come to my Room 10 and meet my student Gabby la la . They are somehow related, Lilly and Gab. I, too, got a note mine on Friday, "Why I am the best person to be the Class Pezidents" a new position she decided to open.
   
   There are from time to time children who are just so invigorated, alive, so vestily in this life, so carpe diem you gotta just stand away and say..."May I assist you Madame Pezident?". Such is Lilly who doesn't immediately get the flower girl position but does through the storyline save the day....and in the end doesn't it always fall to the Lilly's of the world to sweep in graciously(even when doing so after having been second placed right in front of everyone when they knew who was supposed to be in the position of flower girl) and put it all to rights and give life a kind of warmth and zest that makes us realize that sometimes you have to live and love, they come into your life and turn it all upsideover as my Gabby La La says.
   
   My student listens with great quiet to Lilly stories and always dramatically raises her arms and says at the end, "Oh...it's so cuuttee..that's a good story teacher." Dramatic falling to the floor in giggling ball. If read with charm this story of the wedding of Lilly's teacher is guaranteed to be a hit with all children.
   The book did not need another endorsement here but after reading it and picking it up tonight for our children's gift exchange I have to say it'll be read on my apple carpet in the classroom Monday with lots of fun because I'm taking in a basket of flower petals left over from a bouquet of roses from my anniversary which is rapidly fading and I saved , perfect for reenactment purposes. Enjoy a really wonderful read and you must, must get it with the Lilly doll." Too cutes" from Gab..And may I say...you only live once, so with Lilly, its wonderful to feel with every cell you have heads to toes...throw a few petals all over and practice the day you'll be called forth to walk down your aisle.



3. Children's Book
   
   Lilly's Big Day is not only a wonderful book but also a god-send for a little girl about to be a flower girl. I bought it for my granddaughter when we learned she was to be in a big wedding as a flower girl. At the time she was just 3. She loved the book and understood the story and understood the importance of being a good flower girl and practiced every day and when the time came she enjoyed the wedding hugely and helped another little girl who did not quite know what was expected. She has been in three weddings since the first and we call her the "professional". I send the book to anyone who is about to be a flower girl.



4. My daughter loves this book and Lilly's purple purse. However I did buy the collection last year and was much cheaper than what they are charging now. It is definitely a must have.



5. Another great story about Lilly! This book tells about her wish to be the flower girl in her teacher's wedding and how Lilly must be satisfied to be the flower girl's ASSISTANT. That is until the "real" flower girl freezes and is unable to walk down the aisle.

No comments about F Is For Flag (Reading Railroad Books).

5 comments about 10 Cool Things About Being a Ring Bearer.

1. I recently was married and in addition to flower girls, I had a young nephew as the ring bearer. He was a little timid about performing the task as he was going to have to walk by himself down the aisle! At the rehearsal dinner I gave him the book and he loved it. For the first time he realized that he was an important part of the ceremony and at the wedding it was clear that he took great pride in his job. The book made him feel better about the whole process and was a great way to give him something special for helping me on such an important day. I would recommend this book for anyone having a young boy (3-7 yrs old) as a ring bearer.



2. We were a little disappointed that the story said the ring bearer collected $5.00 from guests at the reception and was able to go to the Zoo. We had to have my sister skip that page or we would have a four year old thinking he is able to collect money at the reception. Otherwise it was a good book and perfect for our young ring bearer.



3. At first I thought the book was really cute, but I agree with other reviewers that it was too specific. I realized I'll have to return it when I got to the page that said that his mom and dad held hands through the wedding, as my little ringbearer's parents are divorced. Disappointing that they wouldn't take that possibility into consideration.



4. I bought this for my son from my first marriage, he is 5. He is the ring bearer for my upcoming wedding. I was mad that it has a story of some other little boy who was the ringbearer for his brother. I also hated the fact that he talked about his gift from the groom, a watch that could go under water, so now that is what my son seems to think he will get. It would have been nice if the story had not gone into so much detail, and left it a bit open to the imagination.



5. There are better books out there for Ring Bearers than this book. As other reviewers have already stated, it's WAY too specific (the narrator has to miss a soccer game). Also, the illustrations are virtually identical from page to page: an oversized bowtie in different colors.
   Save your money.

4 comments about Max's Birthday (Wells, Rosemary. Max Board Books.).

1. I was disappointed with "Max's Birthday" because it wasn't about birthdays at all: it was all about Max getting a toy lobster that he was afraid of. Other than a wrapped present on the cover and a party hat and birthday-cake clothes throughout, a toddler would have a hard time knowing that this is a book about birthdays. When I bought this after a search of the Baby/Preschool category, looking under the keyword "birthday," my hope had been to obtain a couple of good books to help my two toddlers understand the concept of turning 2 and celebrating the event. To me, this just didn't cut it.



2. The Max books are among my favorites for small children, and this one is no exception. While it explores concepts like "over," "under," etc., at the same time it includes interesting illustrations and a story line that preschoolers and their parents can relate to (Max is afraid of his birthday present -- a windup dragon -- at first, but after running away from it for several pages, in the end says, "Again!"). In all of the Max books that we have read so far, the author incorporates amusing common childhood traits into an entertaining story that everyone can relate to. This book gets my vote for one that parents and children will enjoy reading together, over and over.



3. Max and his sister Ruby are back. Max unwraps Ruby's gift - a large wind-up mechanical lobster - and is startled as it seems to chase him around the house. As always, Rosemary Wells delights young listeners with her surprise ending and simple dialog. I read this to my day care children and the 1 and 3 year olds love it. Adults will enjoy the details such as the party outfits decorated with cake and ice cream and Max's facial expressions. And when your children want to hear this book over and over, it's a quick read aloud.



4. Max's Bday is another wonderful little Max book for children and adults. They capture a young child's world with humor and empathy. As Max asserts his "needs," Ruby perceives them as "wants" much like parents. I am a child/family psychologist and I use the Max and Ruby books frequently.

1 comments about A Little House Birthday (My First Little House).

1. I gave this book to my 3 yr old for her birthday and she really liked it. She has virtually all the First books. She loves the drawings and I like the no playing on Sunday part, my daughter and I have a discussion everytime we read. I highly recommend this and other First Little House Books for little ones.

1 comments about The Fourth of July Story.

1. This is a great 'read aloud book' for younger children who need to know about the history of our nation. I accompanied this book with D'Aulaire's, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and got so much out of them all, much more than children can be getting in the class room today. I found my children (including myself) absorbed in the book wanting to keep reading more. I had checked this book out from the library but decided I needed this great resource in our home library so ordered it. I was pleased Amazon had it available.