Baby Books

I was a kid when I first read this book and it quickly became a favorite of mine. I rebought the book at a used book store recently and have saved it to give to my son when he is old enough to read it. Wonderful story.

I read this book when I was younger and I loved it! I still have it and would probably enjoy reading it again. It has the same "Boxcar Children feel" because of the independence of the children. A good mystery and adventure story, and another good way to get older children and young adults to enjoy reading!

This is a very good book, but that is my opinion.
I think this book needs more action in it.
Also the robers I thout they where deamons at first but it turnd out they wern't. well thats all I have to say.

This was one of the books from my third grade reading list twelve years ago, and one of the few children's books that has stayed on my shelf at home. This month I picked it up looking for something to distract me from my insomnia while home from school, and I thought it was just as great. Perfect for devotees of Harry Potter read-alongs with children, this book sounds just as wonderful read at bedtime as it does in a classroom....

Some books are good for independent/silent reading but they do not make good read-alouds. The House in the Snow is both. It is interesting to both boys and girls and is packed with exciting situations. My favorite extension is to have my 4th grade students draw the "invisible" fight scene. Because this book is out of print, I have been looking for used copies! I bought 3! Because it is out of print, most students have never heard the story which makes reading it to them more interesting.

I heard this book read (acutally sung)out loud to a group of adults at a conference to promote reading for school-aged children. What you heard at the end were the "sniffs" of the teary-eyed audience members. Maybe, I'm just soft-hearted, but this book is a keeper! I purchased it to read at my 3rd grade daughter's "Mystery Reader" day. I'm sure that they will enjoy it as well.

My daughter loved this book as a toddler when I got it from the library and she still loves at 7 yrs old. So much so that she put it on her Christmas list because she doesn't want to borrow it from the library anymore. Cute illustrations and great easy to sing additional versus to a classic song.

I love this book and my daughter does too. We have a lot of Iza Trapani books and I'm on Amazon to buy another. This is the hardest one for me to sing in places but the story is so sweet and it teaches kids about doing nice things for others. The first few times I read it, it really did bring tears to my eyes. I get tired of reading a few of the Trapani books after enough days in a row but I may never get tired of this one.

iza trapani is the best. she's got wonderful imagination. every page is beautifully painted to take little minds and hearts out of this world. my son loves and remembers all her rhyme books since he was 3.

We (my husband, my sons and myself) love this book a lot, the story is great (see the other review) and our sons love it when we sing it out. It has became our standard gift for babyshower and small kids' birthday parties, whenever we can.

We felt that this book deserve more "promotions" -- too few people heard of it. Too few bookstores have it in stock -- I could not buy as a gift if I forgot to order it ahead of time. This book deserve to be in every kid's bookshelves. This is the first time I ever write a review because 3 reviews are just too few. I am sure more would give it 5 stars if only they get access to this book.

I got this book when I was pregnant with my 3rd child. My oldest was at the age where he wanted to know what was going on. He asked THE question. I was looking through books at the bookstore and was shocked at all the kids books on this subject that go into explicit detail of how conceptions occur. I was not ready to tell my 5 yr old what his penis is for. I found this one and was relieved to find a book that doesnt go that into detail (the other had pictures of "the act"!!). I sat down with him and my 2 yr old daughter and ready through the book. They were very interested in this. They loved the pictures of the developing babies (and so did I), the text was easy to read, and easy to follow. It explained just what they needed to know at this stage. I recommend this book for those who have kids asking where babies come from, or how the doctor gets the baby out (as my son asked).

Bought this book for my 5 1/2 yr old to help with visual pics. of the new baby coming into the family. Great book all around ... did raise some interesting questions though with the pictures of sperm getting into the egg!!! she wanted to know how it got there ....

One of the best books on this subject I've seen. It has accurate, interesting, information.

Every parent dreads that moment. You know the one I mean- that moment when your child begins to ask about S-E-X. This book is a wonderful aid to help you through it.

Most experts suggest only giving as much information as a child is ready for, and answering the questions as they come up. This book is wonderful for the beginning stages of this process when your child wants to know where babies come from, but is neither ready for nor interested in the details of conception. This book has beautiful pictures of babies in utero in various stages of development and gently discusses the development of the fetus, the birth of the baby (in a non-graphic but honest way), and the excitement of welcoming a new life into the world.

I bought this for my eight year old, but it is gentle and non-graphic enough that my 3 year old loves it, as well. In fact, I wish I'd had this book when I was pregnant with my younger child. This would be a wonderful book for expectant mothers to share with their older children as they prepare for a new sibling.

There are other books out there that will answer more advanced questions in a more graphic way. This book is not going to answer everything, but it is the perfect book to use for beginning the journey of educating your children about reproduction, and it is written in such a way that parents can easily discuss their own beliefs with their children.

Joanna Cole has done so much for children's literature in her lifetime that it is difficult to speak of noteworthy non-fiction titles for kids without bringing up her name. She's the genius behind the simultaneously fun and factual, "Magic School Bus" series. She has tackled "issue" topics, such as children having to deal with more siblings. She's even collected jump rope rhymes, potty trained our youngsters, written comprehensive books full of recommended folktales, and much much more. One of her greatest accomplishments, however, was the creation of the go-to sex-ed book for tots, "How You Were Born". Though not a perfect source, the book is extraordinarily careful to avoid confusion or factual misinformation. For children too old for such beginning texts as "Where Willy Went" by Nicholas Allan or "Mommy Laid An Egg" by Babette Cole, "How You Were Born" is the most sophisticated and comprehensive of these three. It is also the most reliable.

The book begins with a Note to Parents. In this note, Ms. Cole explains that while misunderstandings about birth and conception may seem charming in little children, it doesn't do them a heckuva lot of good in the long run. As an author, Cole urges parents to speak frankly with their children about where babies come from. In her most insightful sentence, Cole reminds parents that, "When parents establish this kind of open, caring relationship from an early age, children will have a reliable source of information and guidance to turn to as they grow". Be honest early on and reap the dividends when your children get hit by the puberty stick (and require "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie H. Harris). Using photographs to convey real-life answers for children, Cole shows what it's like for babies in the womb. She then talks somewhat about the different physical make-up of men and women and mentions that when sperm and egg join together, they create a cell that becomes a baby. There is no discussion of the sexual act itself. We see cells divide, and a 5 week old baby in the process of growing. Moms get large and eventually birth takes place. Badda bing, badda boom.

It's interesting to note that while Cole is explicit in explaining some things (she has a photograph of a woman giving birth, thereby leaving NO guessing on that matter) she never once talks about the sexual act itself. In the original 1984 version (but NOT the more recent reissue of the book) we see that men have penises and women have vaginas, but in all the talk of sperm joining with egg.... well, it's left just a touch shaky. When you consider that books like "Mommy Laid An Egg" have zippo qualms about explaining (nay, showing) the act, it's all the odder that Ms. Cole avoids talking about it.

There are several different versions of "How You Were Born" that you should know about, prior to checking out this title. If you go to your local library to borrow it, you may find yourself with the original 1984 edition. While factually correct, parents may find it especially funny. There are a lot of moustaches, tube socks, and 80's fashions to wade through in this book (not to mention the pencil drawings of men and women circa 1952). If you go out and purchase the updated 1994 edition of "How You Were Born", you'll have far better photos, but some interesting changes. Gone are the dry pictures of vaginas and penises. The Note to Parents is still there, but it changes words, phrases, and sentence structures around for no particular reason. Instead of children now sometimes worrying that if the baby is in the "tummy" it will be showered with "chunks of pizza or hot coffee", now the child is worried that the baby will be showered with "chunks of pizza or hot soup". Apparently "coffee" was too violent an image to contend with in 1994. Odd. Other changes abound, but the essential structure of the book is the same and just as useful as it was back in the age of leg warmers and Mary Lou Retton.

"How You Were Born" remains the go-to sex-ed guide for small children today. It's a pity that it remains so lacking in the sexual-act-department, but at least it's chock full of enough educational know-how and professional expertise to guarantee it a permanent spot in every family's home. A wonderful book that should not be relied on solely for this kind of information but rather incorporated with other books of its kind.

I love this lullaby! My three children 4 year old boy and 2 year old twins all love to listen to me and my husband read to them. The music is really very pretty, and different than the usual cutsy lullaby music. Everyone should have this book in their collection.

This book is beautifully written and full of lovely illustrations. As former children, we can all remember imagining ourselves in the pictures of the books our parents read to us as kids. This book seems perfect for children to do just that. I loved it so much that I bought a couple more for my friend's kids! Hopefully this is the first in a series from Morter.

Among thousands of titles to choose from this is the one childrens book that stands out as the perfect fit. Kids love it. Parents love it. If you must limit the number of kids books for the trip you take - include this one. You will be happy you did.

Mrs. Morter's book shows the love and security a child needs at the end of a busy day. The music at the end of the book makes it possible for a parent to sing to the child. The illustrations are simple enough for a little one to understand and put himself into the picture. Definitely a good read for a baby or toddler.

This is a great little book. I highly recommend it. Lots of fun to read especially to little ones. The illustrations are good too. I have given this book as gifts especially to new parents and they love it.

This is the book to buy for little kids of all ages. The story is so sweet, the words so engaging, the illustrations and the colors so vivid and soothing at the same time. I'm delivering yet another copy to the smartest three-year-old I know in just a little while, and I can already imagine Nick holding this book and reading it to one of his kids. It's a classic, it's a work of art, it's a very wonderful teaching tool, but, best of all, it's got heart, and what more can you hope to show kids? Take a bow, Kel.

This little counting book in charming verse by Kelly Milner Halls is exactly the sort of thing to brighten up a child's day or your own. Kelly gives the little story gentle excitement which will stimulate a child and charm an adult. It is the kind of little morsel I would want to grace a coffee table forever. I also thought the illustrations unusual and darling.

Many will ask just what can one do with a counting book, but Kelly has managed to do something new while staying within comfortable and familiar bounds.

"There are far too many counting books, but this one delights and does the job. With Halls' crisp, peppy rhymes and adorable illustrations by an Atlanta artist, children will be counting before it even dawns on them." Julie Bookman, Atlanta Journal Constitution, April 1, 2000

Just add sound effects of your own (and get your child doing the same) and you'll get an idea of the delight on tap in this terrific read-aloud. Charming and childlike with the kind of warmth that'll have kids begging for re-reads.

"I Bought a Baby Chicken" is a cute story and a subtle counting book. During a family trip to the general store, the narrator sees a little chick and decides to buy it. Her sister picks up two black chicks, her dad likes three striped ones, and before you know it, the whole family - cousins, grandparents, great-grandparents - has gone cuckoo for chickens. "I guess my family's lucky that I didn't want a cow," concludes the narrator, who'd better hope her family doesn't suddenly develop a hankering for friend chicken or buffalo wings. Karen Stormer Brooks' google-eyed illustrations are as silly as the story. (by Claire Martin).

My 17 month old daughter with Down syndrome adores this book. She enjoys answering every page when it asks "can you?" She gets very excited by the pictures of the babies/toddlers and frequently kisses the pages. I believe that some day we will use this book that she is so attached to begin talking to her about Down syndrome.

We love it so much we bought ten copies and donated them to the local NICU where my daughter stayed and the social worker is giving them to babies who are born there with Down syndrome.

I am writing this review because as a prior Early Childhood Special Educator to children birth-3, it was very hard to find board books that had children with different needs and races. I think that this is a wonderful book for both children and parents. It shows children doing the typical things that happen in their daily routines. I really enjoyed that the pictures were really children in real situations. The book was colorful and fun to read. I would recommend that daycares and preschools add this book to their libraries for all children to enjoy.

Cute book for little ones learning or who have down syndrom. My son has down's and he loves the pictures.

My son has Down Syndrome and it was so nice to have a book for him to see other people like him, I bought two of these because 6 days after my son was born another little guy with DS was also born, I gave one these to his mother as well and she loved it too!!!! The book has great photography and is nice and simple, It catches the eye of my 6 month old! Highly reccommed it to anyone and everyone!!!

This is a great book! I love that it shows young children with Down Syndrome participating in typical early childhood activities. There need to be more books like this that include children with special needs with out explicitly pointing out their differences.

This is one of those rare books that has adult humor, but still seems to be written for the children. My 3 1/2 year old asked me to read it a second time (which is rare), and my 1 1/2 year old enjoyed the bright illustrations. And well, I had to chuckle at the familiar story line. It's so nice when one book meets all of our needs. If your child is young and hasn't started this behavior - don't let that scare you away from buying the book - out of fear that it will teach them something bad. Believe me, these instincts are dormant in your child. Eventually, he/she will start the bedtime stall just because...

For anyone looking to purchase this book it is a must! When I first checked this book out in the library for my 2 year old daughter I found I kept reading it to her for bed- over and over again. Even if she was done hearing it. I laughed every time I read it. My absolute favorite parts were "I am practically positive my parents are having a party" & "Luckily the water idea ended up being a two-part plan. After drinking it, I got out of bed again and said I had to go to the bathroom (while her duck slippers are looking up and holding an umbrella)". The illustrations are brilliant, even though my first glace impression was not significant. I adore this book. Every parent needs to own Katie Davis's I hate to go to bed. Brilliant!

My 5 year old son and 2 year old daughter love this story about a girl stalling to go to bed. "Go to bed" is repeated throughout the story, and now we all say those parts together. A good buy!

Ms. Davis's young heroine simply HATES to go to bed! SOMETHING exciting MUST be going on downstairs! After all, why else would SHE have to go to bed and her PARENTS not? Why, it's just plain unfair! Her parents are probably down there RIGHT NOW, just waiting for her to sleep so they can throw a huge party without her!

Or so the young lady who is at the center of this story is convinced. So, if you can't beat 'em, INFILTRATE! Trying a whole battery of stealthy and sometimes sneaky techniques, she attempts to make her way downstairs to find out just what IS going on down there! She tries every trick in the book, from just plain sneaking out of her room to the ol' I-Need-to-go-to-the-Bathroom trick (which, it is noted, has been tried the whole world over!). Still, nothing works. The giant binoculars made out of cardboard tubes proves to be ineffective (though sharp eyed parental readers may note the headline on the father's newspaper that yells "CHILD STAYS IN BED! HISTORY MADE! ") as does the Drink of Water Technique.

At one point, our heroine DOES manage to get downstairs, only to have her suspicions confirmed! AH HA! Dad's dressed up in a wizard costume and Mom is hanging streamers from the celing!

What? Oh... Dad's just dressed in his P.J.s and Mom is flossing her teeth... You mean NOTHING happens after she goes to bed? Where the heck is the the party!

This is a wonderful book, both for children who can

identify with a young child who hates to go to bed, as well as any parent who HAS a child who hates to go to bed and is convinced they're missing out on something. The illustrations are simple, very colorful and often simply hysterical (the picture of the girl dragging herself across the bedroom floor, eyes crossed and tongue hanging out for a glass of water is one of my personal favorites). Ms. Davis has created a small masterpiece. Highly recommended.

I don't think there is one child that has never put up a fight about going to bed. The book I Hate to Go to Bed is about a little girl that refuses to go to bed because she is afraid that she is missing something while she is sleeping. She believes that every night after she goes to sleep her parents throw a huge party and just pretend that they don't. The book explains how this girl comes up with different ways to catch her parents have this "party". She first pretends to be really tired and pretends to be asleep. Then she sneaks out of her bed, but her parents catch her. Another plan was to get up because she was "thirsty", but her parents saw right through that trick because, "apparently it had been tried before". This plan actually ended up being a "two-part" plan. She then thinks that she catches her parents having a party. She thinks that her father is in a costume and her mother is putting up streamers. In reality her father was in his pajamas and her mother was flossing her teeth. This is when the little girl decides that she is going to have a party herself. Her party is going to be the best party ever; it is going to be a party in her dreams. This is a children's book that tells a creative and yet entirely believable story through both the language and pictures provided. This picture book describes a story as told through the eyes of what appears to be a five or six year-old girl. The story line is believable for both adults and children. The characters of both the girl and the parents react and behave the same way that any person would think. The way that it was written and the pictures that were provided are enjoyable for a person of any age. This book was both written and illustrated by Katie Davis. It was written in 1999 and published in the United States. There is one part in the book that is not "original work". There is one excerpt in one of the pictures of the lyrics "these boots are made for walking". Other than that the book is an "original work" and, according to me, of high excellence. I gave this book five stars because of the way I found myself captured in the story. While reading this book I remember when I was young and didn't want to go to bed for fear of what I was missing. I think that this book is amusing to all because children can relate to it now, while adults and looks back and remember what it was like to be five years old and "hate to go to bed!"

This is a wonderful book. Great night time story. I have read this book to all 4 of my kids from about 10 months through age 3 or so. I have it memorized. It has a great soothing rythym to it. I have recited it over and over again to little ones coming out of surgery, to soothe a child to sleep after a bad dream at 2am. It is really a terrific book for any bedtime story collection.

The illustrations are truly fabulous. The kind of art you want to hang up on your child's walls. The gentle washes of color coupled with evocative actions and expressions are appealing to both the parent reading the book and the child hearing it.
And the rhymes match the pictures perfectly: gentle, soothing, and captivating.
The book is like a warm hug!

My son -loves- elephants so it would be hard for this book to be a miss. The illustrations are beautiful.

My 3-year old daughter loves the story so much that she reads it over and over again until she is able to recite. This is an excellent book that helps mommy and child bond. Highly recommended!

We have been reading this story to our 2 year old daughter since she was 2 months old and it's still her favorite book. She now recites the words as I flip through the pages - this book has definitely left an impression. Additionally, the pictures are colorful and fun! It's such a sweet story about the fun a mother and child have together, and the special bond the two share. I'm sure your little one will love this story just as much as mine does!

This book is so simple and cute, and the illustrations are so child friendly, your little one will love it, as my 20-month old does! There is a short sentence and picture on each page. For example: "I love you sun." and "I love you fish." Can't say enough about the great illustrations - colors are vibrant, images appear so simple, but so beautiful! It is so Tomie!

Gotta get a book for a baby or a young toddler, this is it.
Simple text, almost lyrical. Predictable pictures that allows an older sibling to "read" to a new brother or sister. Every person I haven given this to has loved it. And my intense son, the most wired baby ever, was addicted to this book.

Buy a few for your baby-shower reserve..... may I also suggest Jamberry?

my son is now 9 months, we have been reading this book for the past two months. He loves it! We read it before bed and when he wakes up. He can hear it over and over again!!!

A simple book all about loving everything around you. What could be easier to share with alittle one. My daughter loved this book from 2 months! The illustrations are fantastic, a favorite of ours!

There is no plot to this book. The words are simple (usually no longer than five letters) and the illustrations are full of color and vitality. Basically, children from all different cultures express what they like in the world by saying, "I love you, ___ (fill in the blank). For example, "I love you, fish"; "I love you, sun". The book, though as infantile as it is, has a subtle message about caring for others and the environment. Infants and young toddlers seem to enjoy this book, but I wouldn't reccommend it to anyone over the age of two.

A friend shared this book with me on a recent trip to Maine, where I typically "escape" to re-capture the core of my being. As I read, I "listened" to the writer's charmingly sophisticated, yet simple straight talk that recalls
reminiscent ideals for the ears of today's world.

Rick Roberts skillfully contrasts our current realities with the romance of his nostalgic "Grandpa's" values that are echoed in his chosen idyllic lifestyle in Maine. Likewise, each of us has a voice to cast as a glistening pebble skimming the pond. Our collective energy will then radiate peacefully with infinite resonance. The world will see. The world will hear. The world will be touched.

Our future generations are only as great as the exemplary ideals and legacies we, as role models, hand our children. Not just for "Boomers," this book is a must for parents, teachers, and all responsible adults.

Thank you, Rick!

What every boomer needs to remember. It is in this book. Can't put it down, can't stop thinking of what it says, or what we, the Boomer Generation needs to remember.

Richard Roberts timely book is a must read for everyone, not just the Boomer generation. Roberts heralds a wake-up call to look at what impact we can (and do) have on our world, now and for the future. Most importantly, he outlines what steps to take to make positive changes now. Whatever your politics or spiritual beliefs are you will find this book a fresh take on our world today. Run, don't walk to buy this book.

Someone has finally written the great American novel! Well, it's not exactly a novel...more like a cross between a Michael Moore script and an Andy Rooney commentary. Rick Roberts' book is a warm hearted, straight talkin' wake up call to baby boomers - this nation's biggest generation ever. We boomers gave birth to a Dream in the sixties; and now, he says, it's time to finish the job: it's time to start living that dream. All I can say is buy this book by the armloads and pass it out to all your friends. It's a rollicking, great read...and when you're done turning pages you can continue to use it as an alarm clock.

I couldn't put Rich Roberts' book down! No matter what your politics, religion, gender, or race, it'll hit a nerve in anyone who questions today's personal, professional, or political priorities. Each chapter is extremely relevant. Rich's 'baby boomer rantings' are insightful, well researched, and full of wonderful, though sardonic, humor. Starting with Chapter 1 I penciled "X's" next to my favorite passages only to find by the end of the book nearly every paragraph was "X'ed!"

What more can I say than this: I enjoyed the book so much that I bought 20 copies and gave them to my friends, who also say "it is a must read!"

Aveline