Baby Books

My two girls have both adored this book. It helped both of them while they were struggling with the concept of time (which holidays bookmark the different points of the year). The holidays are Christian (Christmas and Easter) so it's not the most multicultural but is still a very sweet book.

I got this book for my 3 year old daughter at a used book sale, and had just started looking for one for my niece. I'm so glad to see it's back in print. This gently told story satisfies both the need to know what is coming and the need for repetition for toddlers and preschoolers. My daughter is now four, and we read it at least once a week.

"Over and Over," by Charlotte Zolotow, is an exquisite picture book, first published in 1957, that can be read to a child of two or three or four or five, until the child can read it to herself. But the prose of the text is so well-written, almost poetic, that if Mommies- or Daddies-to-be have especially mellifluous voices, it can even be read to the child in utero.

The holidays and seasons, as seen through the eyes of a very little girl, are half-remembered, but experienced anew well before she can tell time or even anticipate "What comes next?" as she asks her ever-attentive Mommy at the end of every special day and on the beginning of each new page.

Although Ms. Zolotow and the late Margaret Wise Brown might have to duke it out as to which woman is the Queen of Children's Books (I think I'll have to declare it a draw), the undisputed Champion Illustrator has to be Garth Williams, who was best known for his drawings in Ms. Brown's iconic Golden Book "Mister Dog." In fact, the little boy whom Mr. Dog {Spoiler!} "adopts" is almost a twin to the little girl on the cover of "Over and Over," although inside the book, the girl has a slightly younger, softer look.

For a book that was written more than 50 years ago, this classic of mid-20th Century children's literature is as fresh and relevant as ever. Conceived in a quieter, gentler world, where the main source of children's amusement and entertainment media consisted of gold-foil-spined-Little Golden Books by Simon & Schuster and a choice, on primitive black and white televison sets, between one of two puppet shows; where Halloween visitors demanding "Trick or Treat" were treated to warm doughnuts and fresh apples; and little girls still wore party dresses to parties; this is a perfect book for your children and grandchildren.

One quibble I have, unfortunately, is that the book incorporates Easter and Christmas holidays, making the decision to give the book to a Jewish child rather tricky. But each family will have to decide that on their own.

Even so, this is a lovely book, and besides having my own copy, I have given it away as gifts to some of my favorite little girls. I hope that they will cherish this book, listening to their parents or grandparents reading it aloud, although a parent or grandparent will have a hard time reading it aloud without tearing up as they come to the last page, as I do, every time I read this book, over and over.

This is a book that my children and I return to "over and over." The illustrations are warm and beautiful, and the evocation of a small child's world and sense of time is magical.

I had the same experience as one of the other reviewers. I found this book in the library after not seeing it for 25 years. I had just loved the pictures and the descriptions of warm doughnuts, jack-o-lanterns, chocolate eggs and other seasonal delights. You won't be able to choose which holiday is your favorite!

I'll make this short and sweet. Did a huge amount of research on Sicilian Cook books. This book is in a league of it's own. Got a copy in great condition at a great price from one of Amazon's Merchants. Information about food and culture not available in other cookbooks. If you are intersted in Sicilian food and culture, this is a must have.

Since I knew in advance that this was a wonderful Sicilian cookbook before I ordered it, there was no surprises for me when I received it. It is, exactly that, a wonderful cookbook. If you are looking for great Sicilian recipes ... look no further.

This much more than a recipe book--tho it is that as well. It is principally a social history of eating norms and the impact of successive cultural invasions: Norman, Arabic, and the like. It explains why Sicilians of various classes eat as they do, and it is fascinatingly well-written and researched. A real treat that explains why this is the best cuisine that modern Italy has to offer.

Having read every book by this author - I can recommend this
work to anyone who'd like to know what it was like for our
ancestors over the last 2500 yrs in Sicily. Within the pages, I found receipes that were handed down from my immigrant Girgentano
grandmother, Gesuelda. (Sicilian for Jesus). My family history project is only 10 yrs old, but by reading this book and making the receipes, I have come close to feeling and tasting the foods my Grandparents and their anscestors shared during their life time. Mary Taylor-Simeti has given Sicilian Americans a huge gift by writing about our Siclian history. If you want to know and understand more about why you are the person you are, Simeti's book can help in that journey.

This cookbook is the real deal. If you have some familiarity with Italian food and are looking for different regional cuisines(and especially if you're Italian and Southern)you will find a lot of joy in this book. There aren't really that many recipes, but there is a lot of interesting background about all of those invasions in Sicily. Sicilians are Arab,Norman, Greek, Spanish,French and God-only-knows. That makes for an interesting mix, and the food is the most interesting of Italy if not what you usually get in a restaurant. The recipes however aren't that different from Neapolitan dishes, just imagine more Arab and Greek influence. The food: I tried a fantastic baked ziti with hard-boiled eggs, cheese and a pork meat sauce, all covered with fried eggplant(no breadcrumbs) from the bottom in an upside-down cake sort of way. It was very good. Also interesting: chickpea fritters; mint and caper tomato sauce; fennel and olive pasta; an "Arabian" pasta timbale. Simetti doesn't hold you to weird recipe confines, her explanations just makes sense and if you play around with them, it's still fine. If you're at all interested in food this book is a good investment. (And don't you want to know why Sicily is said to be the only Arab country that recognizes Israel?)

"Rainy Day Games" by Andy McGuire proves that children's Christian books can move beyond educational to just be plain ol' fun.

McGuire, who is a fiction editor at a large Christian publishing house, is also a superb illustrator, and this (his first picture book) is a delight for the eyes. McGuire's (mostly) rhyming text is also funny and - in its way - thought-provoking. The first page of the book gives a four sentence summary of the story of Noah and his ark; then the author wonders aloud what it would be like to stay indoors for 40 long days. What, he asked, did all those animals do to pass the time?

Next we meet a young boy, bored on a rainy day. To make the day go faster, he imagines what Noah's animals might have done to amuse themselves on their long journey. He envisions playing hide-and-seek with a chameleon, mice using a zebra's stripes as a maze, a rhino lending his horns for a ring toss (and a not-so-thrilled snake acting as the ring), beavers playing Ping-Pong with their tails, a game of Twister among two giraffes, connect-the-dots with a cheetah's spots, and much more. Then we see the boy trying to imitate one of the games with his dog before settling back with a book until the rain subsides and "God's rainbow paints the sky."

What I Like: There are plenty of funny situations suggested in the book - things that both parents and kids will find amusing. The illustrations are detailed, realistic (or as realistic as an image showing yaks playing jacks can be!), and of high interest to children. As a bonus, the book encourages children to imagine what it might have been like to be stuck on Noah's ark for a long time.

What I Dislike: Although my three year old really likes this book, she's not familiar with many of the games mentioned (including Twister, jacks, Ping-Pong, tic-tac-toe, and tiddlywinks). Therefore, slightly older children will enjoy this book even more. The only trouble is the text is so simple it may be too "young" for some older children.

Overall Rating: Very good.

Kristina Seleshanko
Managing Editor
Christian Children's Book Review
www dot CCBReview at blogspot dot com

Rainy Day Games: Fun with the Animals of Noah's Ark is a unique children's picturebook loosely based on chapters 5-9 of Genesis. When a flood covered the world, the animals on Noah's ark had to entertain themselves through rainy days - how did they do it? Rhyming words and soft, captivating color illustrations in a realistic style enhance this wonderful read-aloud story ideal for parents and children to share during rainy days. "Pretend that Noah's ark floats by, / And watch the games that they would try. // Hide and seek can be a treat. / Chameleons can be tough to beat. // To tease your brain on stormy days, / You have to try a zebra maze."

McGuire explains the games that the animals must have played to pass the time in the ark. For instance, he mentions raccoons using their tails to play double dutch, giraffes playing twister, and tic-tac-turtle.
The tic-tac-turtle was Parish's favorite. They failed to see the humor in "Name That Stink" game. I thought that was hilarious. Isaac liked the snake that rolled up into a hoop to play ring toss.
Each page is a lot of fun. Of course, this is a great way to introduce Noah's Ark to toddlers and pre-schoolers. This is great for children's at-home library, Christian school library, and nursery library. It also would make a great gift.
Early readers will be able to sound out most of the words. Both boys and girls will equally enjoy the humor. We recommend this.

Rainy Day Games by Andy McGuire is a fantastic "read it again" story. The short couplets telling what the animals did to entertain themselves while shut up in Noah's Ark during the long rain are ideal both for reading to a young child and for early readers to enjoy themselves. The illustrations, cleverly drawn by the author, are enchanting and creative--imagine giraffes playing Twister and beavers using their tails as Ping Pong paddles! Highly recommended.

Not only is this an adorable, hilarious read-a-loud that practically guarantees quality time (after time, after time) with a child, this book could also stimulate creative ideas for other fun things a child could do (or imagine they could do) when stuck in-doors.

The book could also lead to deeper, more meaningful discussions with a child.

I found myself surprisingly and delightfully emotional at the end of the book (no worries, no spoiler here) because at its conclusion, it spoke much more than the story line of a little boy's house-bound imagination on a rainy day. My emotional response came out of the fact that there is a promise contained in a visual element at the end. A promise that, despite the storms and less than sunny times of life... well, you'll have to see the book for yourself.

As I read Retirement RX, I learned more about my own strengths and weaknesses in creating the retirement adventure I began 2 and a half years ago. The basic research by Drs. Fritz and Jim gives rich, rock solid evidence of how important the 8 traits to a highly successful retirement are andhow they work to create the life we desire. I enjoyed the "test" and felt pleased with scores that make me know I'm headed in the right direction. Having read and enjoyed the book so much, I intend to use it as a reference and guide to keep my priorities where I want them to be. I strongly recommend reading it for those getting ready to retire and those already on the path. I have given copies to friends to help them enjoy a "happy, rest of their lives." Thanks docs, its a winner.

This is a great primer on retirement, though retirement is truly a misnomer as the authors indicate. This period of life is less about leaving a career behind and more about transitioning to a new phase in life. The two Dr's view retirement as a "second career" and should be viewed as the "business of living well". This period of life demands just as much planning, forethought and implementation as your first career. The 8 Traits of Successful Retirement help articulate the process and enables one to develop their own plan for the golden years. The book is realistic and looks at the 4 phases of retirement. As you age and your health and abilities diminish, your attitude needs not when you have a plan and purpose. I really appreciated the emphasis on engaging your spouse in the process and tackling the future as a team. A great book, well researched, insightful anecdotes and helpful in creating a game plan for the 2nd half of life.

Excellent book. Very wise; filled with excellent advice and opportunties to self-assess preparedness for retirement.

Excellent book. One of the few that focus on the non-financial aspects of retirement. Because the authors base their recommendations on the extensive research they have done, it adds to the credibility of their recommendations. This book is a must read for anyone beginning to plan for retirement, who just retired or have already entered retirement. They include a great tool (retirement quiz) that provides a way to monitor how effectively you are adjusting to and enjoying this phase in your life.

I read this book with new thoughts on looking at our retirement objectives. It gave me new ideas on how we could use our time but more important it was very emotionally supportive to enjoying life. It also reduced my fear of facing our older years especially fear of getting ill. THEN- using our strengths to fight illness and possible disabilities.

I started reading this to my sons when they were still in diapers. I would hold them in my arms and rock them gently as I read the book.

Now, my sons weigh about 35 pounds each and I'd be begging for a neck brace if I tried that again. So, instead, I've reintroduced the book as an early reader to my 5-year old and 4-year old during bedtime. They read the book to me and we talk about life on the farm and all the responsibilities a farmer has to his family.

The gentle story still works (you can't read page after page of rock-a-bye and yawning without it having a similar effect).

This is a special book to me because I've read it to all three of my children before bed...over and over again. It was requested by them more than any other bedtime book. It's a very sweet book.

My 14 year old son used to read this with me as a toddler. We both loved "Rocky Farm", as he called it, and I still melt when I see the beautiful pictures and comforting text. I'm trying to find copies for my nieces now. Too bad it is out of print. A lovely book to share with your little one.

This book is about a farmer who rocks all his animals to bed one by one. When one of the animals goes to bed and does not make a sounds he moves on to a different animal. This book is written for children 2-6 years old. It's a very good book to read if you like animals and are just starting to read books.

Rock a Bye Farm has been a favorite in my house and I would highly suggest this book to any one that enjoys reading with their children.

This is a classic book. When I used to teach preschool I read it to my class and they loved it. So when I had my first son I wanted to read this book to him but I found it was out of print. I was able to order it through a vender on amazon and my son loves it.

Another gift from our friend - "Slinky Malinky jumped high off the floor, hung on the handle and opened the door"

This is a fun, rhythmic book that the whole family enjoys. Slinky and his bird friend Stickybeak Sid get into all kinds of things during the day, but have a surprise waiting behind the last door. :)

I am a preschool teacher and my class loves this book! They want me to read it to them all of the time. I have checked it out from the library so many times that I have to buy it. Slinky Malinky is just like one of my parents cats. Since I found this wonderful book I have started calling their cat Slinky Malinky when he gets into trouble.

My son adores this book, along with most of Lynley Dodd's books. He delights in telling what door Slinky Malinki is opening (to the bathroom, closet, office, kitchen, etc) and used to shout "Oh! A dog!" every time at the end. It is really delightfully written in a flowing rhyme with refrains. Memorable and enjoyable for all.

I work in child care, and this book was just sitting in the library of the classroom when I inherited it. I picked up that book one day and fell in love with it! Anytime the class was getting out of hand, I would sit down and start reading this book. Guarranteed by two lines into it, the entire class was seated and quiet - and it was a 20-child, 2 1/2 year old classroom. Most of the kids could have 'read' the book to me, and I didn't actually read the book before very long because I had it memorized. I haven't yet had my own children, but I already am starting to invest in books, and this was at the top of the list!

This is the best pop up book we've seen, even including the others in the Snappy series. Nearly every page has a pop up that you can manuver by opening and closing the pages (carefully).

My 18 month old loves this book so much that we are on our second copy...he loves to touch the pop-ups and they hold up really well as long as a "grown-up" is there to supervise! The rhymes are simple and there is not so much text per page that a little one will become antsy waiting to turn the page. We will be investing in more of this series.

This book quickly became a favorite for my baby daughter. She's now 4 mos. old and the Snappy books have been favorites for nearly two months. She loves the bright colors and action.

I am so pleased to find that there are many more of these books available, as our local store only has two and we got one other as a gift. We will definitely be purchasing more of these books!

This is a great pop-up. The pictures are fantastic and my 3 yr old loves how the pop-ups move.

I was really impressed with this line of pop up books!!! This book has bright cutely drawn bugs, and the pop-ups require no tabs to pull -- just open the page and the critters pop up! And I do have to say, the durability is about the best I've seen around! These books aren't totally indistructable, but the are very sturdy. This was the first pop-up book we bought for our son (16 mos old). We had thought, "give our son, a pop up book? you've got to be kidding". You're talking the the parent of a boy whose motto is, "If it's not coming, I just must not be pulling hard enough!" He just doesn't understand some things aren't meant to be pulled apart. But these books have survived very well. I still supervise him with them, the ones that did get ripped...just needed a little tape, and the pop-up still works.

It is a terrific book.... My four girls have all enjoyed it... It's been taped over and over... Other books I wouldn't have gone to the trouble, but this one is just too precious to get rid of!!

I really enjoyed this book considering that it's extremely short. The best part about it is the pop-up. It's a great beggining reading book. This book also teaches numbers and counting. It's all put woderfully together inside this book. Ideally I would get this book for a first grader who was just learning how to read, and count. The last thing about the book that is good is that they try to hide some things to try and make you find them.

I have a three month old daughter and her eyes light up when she sees the pictures of the animals and the bugs! The pictures are so bright and capture her attention! Hope to see more books, perhaps with sea creatures, birds, rain forest animals....! Great job!

As always, this Snappy book is adorable and loved by our 2 year old! This book is the greates number book I've ever seen (as a preschool teacher, I've seen many), because it really encourages kids to count, in a fun manner. Each page coordinates with the number, for example, the page with the number seven has a lion with seven whiskers, but all the other creatures on the page, are pictured in sevens. The book also shows the written out and the numerical form for each number. It was an instant hit in our household!

My daughter received this book when she was a couple months old and she is now 6. She still loves it! The pictures are wonderfully colorful and the pop-ups are amazing. The book is not thick, but big, which lets for big, colorful pictures. Also, the pop-ups do a cute action as you open the page up. This book is vivid and entertaining enough to even capture an adult's attention. A definite buy!

This book was one of the first books I ever read...that is partially why I think this book is magical. But more importantly, the story is so sweet, the pages are sugary and if you love goodies and candies, the book will become one of your favorites...even if you're not a child.
The book is just a lot of fun and a blast to read. I would recommend it to anyone.

This was my favorite book growing up, and I look forward to reading it to my future kids someday. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is really cute.

Who doesn't love sweets? This book is timeless and just as enjoyable today as it was when I first read it over 20 years ago. It's one book I don't mind reading 3 or 4 times in a row. The illustrations are adorable.

What child wouldn't enjoy a story about having the ability to turn everything in sight into a candy-licious treat? In my opinion, this is a book that will never be "dated".

I cannot count the number of times I checked this book out as a child. I had forgotten all about it until I had children of my own. This book is a classic to me, as I'm sure it will be to anyone who reads it. It is a timeless tale of magic that is sure to enchant readers of any age. I buy this for gift-giving to little relatives and friends. The response has been remarkable. A definite must for any bookshelf!

I first stumbled onto McGuirk's Quirks on the internet (www.tuckerdog.com) and have since fallen in love with each Tucker offering. The joy comes each time I share Tucker with my Grandaughter.

I bought this book for my great nephew. After reading it I have decided to buy the entire set for both of us. What a wonderful book!!!

Another wonderful book in the series. I own them all. The children I purchase for read them over and over. They are captivated by Tucker's adventures and the colourful illustrations. A must have for any child or adult. Check out the entire series.

Another wonderful adventure in the Tucker series! My daughter was enraptured! Congrats on another book well done!

We love littl Tucker and his unique and wimsical personality.
Leslie McGuirk's books are written in a voice that young
children can truly connect with. Tucker's Spooky Halloween
is another delighful addition to our collection.