Baby Books

I read this book for a sample interview lesson for a Pre- K teaching position--I couldn't have picked a better book! It was very easy for early readers to follow. The fact that you could actually move the ladybug kept the children's interest as they waited to find out whether the ladybug would find a new home. The Pre-K'ers clapped at the end and a few asked me to read the book again.

This is the best book I have seen in awhile. My almost three year old loves it. We keep it under her pillow at night because she doesn't want it out of her sight.
What a neat idea having the slots in each page so the ladybug can travel through the book by my daughters, mine or Grandmas hand.

Thank you for this wonderful book.

Bonnie and Baby Emily

my baby (18 months) really love this book, she finds a little dificult to put the ladybug in the holes, but, I made them a little bigger, and add some tape to prevent it from get more bigger... and she love it, is a cool book.

My 2 year old is obsessed with this book. She loved it the first time we read it togther. It provides edless enjoyment to her to move the ladybug back and forth through the pages of the book. We use it as a bed time book, sending ladybug to bed under her leaf at the end of the book. Surprisingly the ladybug has held up well with all the use - the book even provides a template for a new bug should the original bug disappear. I highly recommend this book.

We got this book as a special treat for our (almost) 3-year old daughter while on vacation. She loves it! She giggles every time the ladybug slides under the door on one page and ends up right in front of the cat on the next page. We have't quite gotten to actually reading the story that goes along with all the ladybug's activities as our daughter is too involved with having the ladybug jump from one page to the next.

I didn't give this book a 5 for the following reasons:
-the slits that the ladybug slides through are not reinforced, so I anticipate a ripped page or two in our near future.
-the ladybug is also just thick paper, so probably not the best for longevity.
-the slits are also not very well marked and are almost exactly the size of the ladybug, so our daughter does have some difficulty with getting the ladybug through . Just a little difficult for toddler hands, so it is not the best book for her to manuever alone. Maybe in a few months or so it will be easier for her.

All in all, a great purchase, just a little more delicate than I would have expected. Would definitely purchase it again, and would recommend it!

I am so happy with this book that I have decided to buy another one in addition to the More Cutting book.

My daughter is almost 3 and loves to cut anything! This book allows her to cut beautifully colored pages that are small enough for her to hold. The pages also increase in difficultly so that she is not constantly cutting in the same manner.

My daughter loved this book. She was entertained for a long time with it. Each activity gets harder as you go along. She can now cut very well with scissors!

I am a dad of a 2 years old boy.
This workbook has a simple and fun material which is exactly for kids around 2. I felt it's a bit pricy for what it has, but I am generally satisfied with this book since it's hard to find this kind of books for this age.

My 4 year old son loved this book. He did every page within a few weeks! Its more than just cutting... you cut things out or parts of things on page to make clever little things. I 100% recommend this. We also ordered Lets Fold, which we like and also give five stars. But, Let's Cut, is the best by far.

This is perfect for my five year old who is behind in his fine motor skills. He is getting the practice he needs while having fun with the colorful pictures and putting the puzzle pieces together.

A very easy book to read with great, realistic exercises to get yourself going after having a baby!

This is very easy to read and fun to do the exercises.

Lose That Baby Fat: Bouncing Back The First Year After Having A Baby: A Mom-friendly Fitness Program by La Reine Chabut is an informative exploration and encouraging mapping and reference for women worried for not being able to lose their post-natal additional weight. Diligently guiding its readers through the expertise and knowledgeable strategies of the author, Lose That Baby Fat offers a thoroughly "reader friendly" understanding of how and what makes a body work to loose fat and weight after having a baby. Lose That Baby Fat is very highly recommended for all mothers and soon-to-be mothers as an easy-to-follow, helpful reference for quick and effective post-natal weight loss.

this book is written with a great sense of humor and highlights a new body part to work on each month which makes it easy to discover you can be successful with your goals.

I had two babies 14 months apart and I can tell you that this book can and will improve the fitness life of even the busiest moms. It's great alone as a comprehensive fitness plan or even as a supplement to an already established routine. The workouts are simple, practical, and efficient, producing maximum results with relatively little effort.

This simple, beautiful book highlights all of the aspects of attachment parenting. It is comforting to babies and reassuring to mommies. This would be a great gift for a new mother (with Papa Papa for the new dad).

This book (and Papa, Papa) are two of our favorites. I now give them for baby shower gifts!!!

I absolutely love this book. The illustrations are so serene, calming and beautiful. The rhymes sound great without risking good content. The message is really wholesome and sweet. My baby really enjoys this book.

This book (along with Papa, Papa) was given to me as a shower gift for my first daughter. It was always one of our favorites, and now my second daughter enjoys it as well. Both girls love the pictures and the rhymes....and I just love the last rhyme, it almost always makes me tear up. I am going to be giving these books to friends and feel confident they will love them as much as I do.
-L

I have never read seven sentences in a children's book, (besides my own) that have had such a powerful impact on me as this one has. It is very hard to find books that demonstrate attachment parenting but this one does it perfectly; a baby cheetah nurses on his Mama, a baby panda and her Mama are co-sleeping, and a koala Mama is "wearing" her baby! Each Mama and baby pictured is experiencing life together, in close contact. This book truly embraces the attachment parenting philosophy. My children love to read this book with me because they still call me Mama and are delighted that my name is in a book. They also like the repetitiveness of the verses and the sweet pictures of the animal babies and Mamas. This Mama and her babies are definitely "attached" to this book!

The product came to my attention during the Christmas Season.
I could not be happier with my decision to purchase it.
I have read it twice and I cannot count how many times my wife has read it.

If you are familiar with this song and realize that it was written by Mark Lowry then having this book also written by him and him performing the song is just great. He puts as much thought in this book as is in the song. They go hand in hand.

The words to this song is the story of the real Christmas. Such a talented man is Mark Lowry. I understand that it is the only song he ever wrote...with one like this one, who needs another one!

I bought this for myself and then went back and ordered more for Christmas gifts. Everyone who received it has commented on the story and the music. It is also a special treat for me to listen to every Christmas season. I just love it.

This CD and book is THE most beautiful and meaningful gift I've ever received. My husband heard the song on the radio and went searching for it at music store where he found the Mark Lowry book/CD. I couldn't stop crying the first time I heard it. To read the birth of Christ through the eyes of His mother, the most Holy Theotokos, brings a new perspective to this great and holy holiday. I encourage everyone reading this review to purchase one for yourself and one for someone you love.

Dear old Rosemary Wells. If you've ever read her books about that famous bunny Max or classic titles like, "Morris' Disappearing Bag" then you know that her stories, while disjointed, can often be truly charming works of preschool art. So when I discovered the McDuff books (written by her but illustrated by someone else entirely) I was ill at ease. I mean, Wells draws such cute little bunnies. How could anyone else adapt to her words? On reading the first book of the McDuff series, "McDuff Moves In", I was amazed to find myself suddenly on the oposte side of the fence. The pictures in this book are really quite charming. From the cute little Scottie named McDuff to the 1950s setting, visually this story's a charmer. But strange as it may seem, Wells's words are out-of-place here. Though a brief tale with little in the way of plot, somehow this book is not as direct or understandable as it might be. A pity.

On our first view of little white McDuff, he's sitting in the back of a city pound truck. After a providential bump in the road and a quick escape, the solitary doggy goes down a nice suburban street in search of food and shelter. Door number one at the first house growls at him. Door number two at the second house hisses at him. But door number three at the third house is just right. There, a friendly couple take him in, feed him, give him a bath, then decide they haven't room for a doggy. Fortunately an attempted car ride to the pound proves that maybe this couple has grown a bit attached to their shaggy new friend. Happy ending and shortbread biscuits for all.

The book bears a striking resemblance to Lyn Rossiter McFarland's subsequent similarly plotted picture book, "Widget". The difference, however, is that "Widget" is the stronger story. Though I was with "McDuff" through the beginning, about the time he stumbles on the kindly couple I found my eyebrows slowly beginning to lift. For example, when McDuff appears outside the third home, the book says the following: "Somebody opened the door and asked him to come in. It was Lucy. 'This is Fred', said Lucy". Looking at the picture of both Fred and Lucy staring at the pup on their porch, I naturally assumed that now the dog was named Fred. Not so much. The text and the pictures don't mesh particularly well either. When the book says that Fred checks McDuff's collar, the picture shows Fred sitting on a chair with McDuff hiding underneath. Plus the language is oddly stilted. It ends with the words, " 'How happy we are!', they said in their dreams", which is half an inch shy of hokey and a sneeze away from outright saccharine. I don't think I'm conveying the book's inability to tell its story convincingly to you. Nevertheless, I strongly urge you to flip through this story long before you decide to buy it. Long before.

Which is not to say that the pictures don't almost make up for its narrative flaws. Illustrator Susan Jeffers has a Caldecott Honor Award under her belt and it shows. From Lucy's painted toenails and felt hat spotted bathrobe to the image of the three new friends happily munching on McDuff's shortbread biscuits at the tale's end, this book seeks to enchant. Seeks and, were it not for the words, would succeed. I loved the fabulous 40s-50s decor. I liked the scared little McDuff turning into a confident happy pup in a loving home. I liked how realistic these images were and how original the setting became. Obviously if Rosemary Wells had illustrated this tale herself she would've done it in an entirely different way. It's just her own bloody good luck that she found herself paired with such a supremely talented artist.

So it's entirely up to you. "McDuff Moves In" has much in its favor and much against it as well. Personally, I suggest that if you are looking for a tale of a cute little white Scottie finding a home then you should seek out "Widget" by Lyn Rossiter McFarland forthwith. If, however, you're a fan of the period picture book genre and you like Susan Jeffers's work, "McDuff" may be a great choice for you and yours. It is not Rosemary Wells's best writing and the story is pretty touch n' go. Still, there are things to recommend it. Definitely give it a trial run.

When I was a working librarian, I read this books (and the others)to my storytimes. When I retired I started to volunteer in an inner city school. I was not certain how the children would react to the book. I am now in my sixth year reading to Preschool, Kindergarten and First Grade. They hear the first four books each year and they always ask me to repeat the books. The line about "no one had ever asked him to come in" always gets a great response. I think everyone should read these McDuff books. So many classes can't be wrong!

I am a 2nd grader at Anna Merritt Elementary School. My name is Ashleigh. I have been reading books by Rosemary Wells. My favorite book is McDUFF MOVES IN because it makes me feel happy when McDuff finds a home.

I own this book, as well as others in the series. They are just great! My mom owns a Westie, perfectly named Duffy(he got the name before we new about the books), and the illustrator captures the essence of the Westie. Every picture is perfectly drawn to show the character of a Westie. I love the author as well. I have been a teacher and have always read Ms. Wells' books to my students and the McDuff series is loved by all. McDuff moves in is just a fun book to read and I recommend it to all ages.

I am a 2nd grader. My name is Ashleigh. I have been reading books by Rosemary Wells. My favorite book is McDUFF MOVES IN. I like this book because it makes me feel happy when McDuff finds a home.

The author really gives the cat in this story a voice, not to mention the cat is just like mine. Great story and pictures. I read it to my fourth grade class and they enjoyed it.

This is a humorous look at an imaginary life of Merl the "special" cat. He has his cat people and when they bring a puppy into the home, Merl begins an adventure. Kids love to hear it over and over--the illustrations are also very lovely. I love to read this out loud.

Awesome book! Only thing that I didn't really like so much were the grey people (they seemed to be photographs) that were inserted with the animals) Merl certainly is a very special cat, and I can't think of a reason why any child wouldn't love this book. I'm especially fond of Merl's pink mouse toy.

That aside, the writing is great and the illustration (Aside from the grey people) fit the mood of the whole thing fanatsticly. The 'i'm so irritated' cat face is just perfectly captured.

"My dish. My sofa. My chair. My mouse. My Bed." These are the words uttered by Merl, a very special cat and above each two word sentence is an excellent illustration. Merl, who always seems to have his pink mouse toy in his teeth by the tail is a happy, content cat, until his owners bring home a puppy. The puppy dog licks and slurps Merl to no end, apparently not aware that cats and dogs aren't supposed to be friends. Merl does everything he can to discourage the puppy, but in the end finds that nothing he does will shake this dog's love, so he leaves and seeks out a new home.

However, everywhere he goes he has problems, first a lady dresses him up like a show cat, children fight over him and he winds up sleeping in a box on the street until this dog comes by and guess what, that dog is the puppy all grown up and he takes Merl home and Merl decides to be friends after all, but there are a few rules he lays down and they are, "My dish. My sofa. My chair. My mouse. My bed and My Big Dog."

This is wonderful book for children just learning to read. The illustrations are simply beautiful. Your child will just love this. I know my girls did when they were learning to read. Five stars from me for "My Big Dog."

Our class thought this book was funny! We laughed when the cat, Merl, got dressed up as a girl. Our favorite part was when the kids played tug-of-war with Merl. You have to buy this book! It is excellent!

My kids both love Todd Parr's books--they love the kooky illustrations and they can recite the text by heart.

Todd Parr's colorful drawings and positive, imaginative text are some of my 2 1/2-year-old daughter's favorites. This one in particular cracks her up.

This book is absolutely wonderful. It's wonderful because the pictures are simple and really catch you eye with the bright colors. The message behind it is fantastic. Sure, some of the things are a little strange like putting fish in your hair, but there's a great message behind it that it's ok to not be like everyone else. What an important message to kids in todays society. I just love this book and would highly recommend it.

My kids love to read and laugh with this book. The pictures are fun and the colors are so bright. I am about to buy the 3rd copy, a board book would work better for my 2 year old. My 3 and 1/2 year old loves to prend to read to her brother. Fun for all. We also like Things that make you feel good and things that make you feel bad, it is great for play acting out the book.

In the "Okay Book," Todd Parr uses simple drawings with vibrant, primary colors to illustrate his supportive and educational messages for kids. The messages fall into 4 categories. We have the pro-self-esteem messages: "It's okay to be short," "it's okay to have freckles," "it's okay to wear glasses," "it's okay to wear what you like," "it's okay to have no hair," "it's okay to be skinny," "it's okay to be big." Second, we have emotional/behavioral themes: "it's okay to be scared," "it's okay to share," "it's okay to try new things," and, in a paraphrase of the great Rosie Grier, "it's okay to cry." Third, we also have the tolerance/broadmindedness messages: "it's okay to come from a different place" (illustrated with a martian in a UFO hovering outside Saturn), "it's okay to live in a small house," and "it's okay to be a different color." Finally, there is a fourth category of silly, cutesy messages which are sprinkled in to enhance the kid-friendliness and keep it from being too heavy-handed: "it's okay to wear two different socks," "it's okay to eat all the frosting off your birthday cake," "it's okay to hang out in the rain," "it's okay to sing out loud," and "it's okay to put a fish in your hair."

That last one troubles me. Every time I see it, I have a visceral reaction to that. In my mind, it is actually not okay to put fish in your hair. However, take that with a grain of salt. I have been criticized for missing to point of kids books in my reviews when I make comments like that. In fact, in response to my review of "Chimp and Zee," where I called for primatological correctness (Chimps are not monkeys and they don't have tails!), Mr. Anholt emailed me and said, in part, "I defend the importance of creative invention and I am rarely sloppy - I hope you are not being dogmatic or literal-minded in your judgement. (sic)" I should also note that the overall tone of Mr. Anholt's letter was very congenial and charming, and I do recommend his books.

The "Okay Book" is a very nice book, particularly for preschoolers. It delivers important messages of tolerance and acceptance but strikes enough of a balance between goofiness and preachiness to not feel like a lesson. It concludes well with a nice sendoff, "it's okay to dream big."

this is a great book for younger kids and the illustrations are amazing.
Love it!!!

Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyne is a delightful picture book. With rhymes children are taught the numbers from one through ten. The illustrations are vibrant and depict ten animals from the American tropical forests. I am impressed with the learning activities at the back of the book which includes: finding the creatures in the rhyme; a song about the creatures; and information on the rainforest structure and community. I give Over in the Jungle my highest recommendation.

We check out books free at the library and then any favorites from that we buy at Amazon. I worried the large animal names used might be confusing for my 2 year old but nope, she just loved the whole book and now she is learning to better recognize certain animal species because the book while playing on a traditional nursery rhyme that uses general terms like "duck" or "frog" THIS book uses specific names within each species. I enjoyed reading it over and over just as much as my daughter did! The illustrations are very nicely done, ever page is bursting with jungle color!

I recently purchased this book for a new baby girl. Her parents are both in education. I picked the book because of its' reviews and because the babies' room is done in a rain forest theme. Mom has written me already and is delighted with the book and has been singing the rhymes to her daughter everyday.

Reviewed by Brooke James (age 4 ½) and Jen James (mom) for Reader Views (12/08)

"Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme" is a colorful rhyming book that teaches children numbers 1-10 while also teaching them about animals from the rainforest. The rhyme is the same rhythm as "Over in the Meadow."

Brooke says, "I like it. I like the mommy animals. I like the rhymes. I loved the finding animals' page!"

Parent's comments:

Brooke really enjoyed "Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme" by Marianne Berkes. The rhymes were fun as well as educational. The pictures were beautiful. Her favorite page was the hide-and-seek page with all of the rainforest animals from the book located on one page and you have to find them. After I read it to her the first time, she read it many times by herself.






Reviewed by Cayden (age 4) and Max (age 2) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (8/08)

"Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme" is part of the "A Simply Nature" series of books by Dawn Publications. In this one we explore different animals of the rainforest from marmosets, to poison dart frogs, to ocelots. Each page focuses on an animal and a number. In the back of the book there is a list of body movements to incorporate into the story as you are learning about the various animals.

Cayden: "This is a counting book too! Cool! We must have to only count the babies otherwise there would be two and not just one."

Cayden: "Look, the number is written in that leaf too!"

Max: "Blue butterfly!"

Cayden: "I have never heard of a leaf cutter ant before. I wonder if they cut the leaves with their mouths. They are real good at cutting though, look at that leaf!"

Max: "Snakes - ssssssssssss!!"
Cayden: "Those are boa snakes!"

Cayden: "Those monkeys look funny!!"

Cayden: "I liked this book! My favorite part was the game at the end with all of the animals and you have to try to find them. That part was real fun!"
Max: "Play monkey!"
Cayden: "I think Max's favorite part was when he got to act like a monkey!"

Parent's comments:

"Over in the Jungle" is an excellent book that taught my children a few new animals of the rainforest that they were not already familiar with. Cayden loves to count and counting was incorporated into each page which was definitely a hit with him. They both loved doing the different animal body motions that went along with the story. The "hide and seek" game at the end was a lot of fun for Cayden as he tried to find all 10 howler monkeys, all 9 sloths, etc. The illustrations in the book are very bright and eye-catching and are very useful in helping the children learn about the different animals. "Over the Jungle" by Marianne Berkes is a wonderful book that my children will want to read again and again!

I am a Speech-Language Pathologist, a "big sister" to many, and a proud aunt. These books are worth the money for gaining the attention of young children as well as teaching age-appropriate concepts/information.

Good buy from a great seller-

My kids LOVE this book! I read it to them several times a day and they never seem to get tired of it. Great rhymes and great pictures! Definitely one of their favorite books.

This is a great book just like all of the other "Snappy" books. My son loves them all. He's always throwing them up on my lap for me to read to him. Fun to read, great pop-up pictures...A+

My kids are 2 1/2 and 1yr. They love it! It's a really cute, simple, rhyming pop-up book that teaches the sounds that animals make. They're excited everytime we read, which is often!

I highly recommend this book as well as the other pop ups that are made by this company. The one with the colors is really cute too

This is a favorite of my 15 month old. He has had this book since he was about 6 months old and has enjoyed it since the start. All the Snappy books are fantastic and we have most of them. Snappy Farm Animals is colorful and simple to read. Babies love the colors and the animals. The farm starts out nosiy and slowly calms down as the animals go to sleep and the farmer waves goodbye.