I Books

The book was exactly what I was looking for and it arrived just in time for me to teach my lesson. The students loved it and I will teach a lesson each year using this book. Extremely informative.

This book is really well done. I enjoy reading the sing song words and the pictures are appropriate for the emotions. One day I told my daughter she couldn't have something and after she finished crying she she said she was "sad". I was totally impressed. Cute book, worth the buy.

Wonderful book helps open dialogue about feelings and emotions. The pictures are colorful and interesting. They really help understand the emotion they illustrate. My son still talks about the book when he is trying to explain how he feels.

My 2.5 year old loves this book. It has beautiful pictures! It has creative rhymes! It has an important message! - To help children understand and identify their own feelings. Also to remind their parents and other caregivers that children have all these feelings at one time or another, but are still learning how to express them. We need to help them with that task. For emotional intelligence, a happy home relationship between kids & parents and success in life.

My three-year old is learning about feelings in preschool and she LOVES this book, as do I. This book is a great intro to feelings and goes beyond the stock "happy, sad, and mad" into a wider range of emotions. The illustrations are cute (like the pointy toed fairy shoes on the swinging "happy" child and the odd eyeball hat on the "silly" child) and the rhymes are very catchy. The book is visually interesting -- the font and presentation of text on the page varies to match the mood. After reading the reviews below, I was disappointed to learn that this was actually an abridged version -- if you haven't been spoiled by the more complete text, you won't know what you're missing & you'll no doubt find this enjoyable.

My kids and I came to know Little Bear through the cartoons on TV first. Perhaps part of the appeal of the books for my kids is that they know these stories well from the cartoon, but the books are much more engaging!

Best of all, unlike the cartoons, you have the amazing illustrations of Maurice Sendak. They give the books a timeless appeal.

Perfect to read to little ones, and an excellent reader for K-2.

Other titles in the Level 1 - Beginning Reading series are:

- "Father Bear Comes Home"

- "A Kiss For Little Bear"

- "Little Bear's Friend"

- "Little Bear's Visit"

This is a warm, nurturing view of childhood. My children and many others have loved it for years.

I purchased the Little Bear (An I Can Read Book) for a first grader that I mentor and she had asked for this book. I have given her other books and can't wait to give her this one

Little Bear, first published in 1957, is a true classic in children's literature. The book is about a bear cub who is a good friend to Owl, Cat, Hen, Duck and Emily, the little girl who visits in the summer. Elsa Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak teamed up to create these stories. The stories are filled with quiet humor, affection and imagination as Little Bear and his friends celebrate birthdays, play games, meet new friends and explore their neighborhood.

The first of five classic Little Bear books, written for beginning readers, Little Bear contains several stories. In one story, "Birthday Soup," Little Bear can't find his mother and thinks she's forgotten his birthday so he sets out to make birthday soup for his friends only to find out his mother hasn't forgotten his birthday. In "Little Bear Goes to the Moon," Little Bear decides that he'll fly to the moon and Mother Bear lets him as long as he's back by lunch.

This book and the others will delight young readers, and encourage them to keep reading.

My 6 year old has listened to this CD a million times, reading along with the book, and still hasn't gotten tired of it. We even listen to it at bedtime, as it's very soothing and doesn't have a lot of distracting sound effects to startle her as she falls asleep. We couldn't be happier with it, and I plan to purchase other copies as gifts.

The humor in this book is alive, vibrant & zesty.
Everything that our dull-as-dishwater newspaper strips ARE NOT!

But be advised--while having no nudity, it isn't likely what you'd want a small child to read. Some people confuse comics with "kid stuff"--not the case, here.

Well worth your money, though.

basically i have been reading this comic for i don't know how long. these comics brighten my day, every day (except sunday when there are no new comic). For them to be packaged in one place is a god send. people get with it, buy the book and let the love in

Least I Could Do (or LICD as it's known on the web) is one of those comics that you enjoy reading everyday, because it always has new material and is always funny. There's material that I've been able to relate to from my own life, and some that makes me wish I had the charisma of Rayne, and some that makes me glad I'm not his friend Mick.

It's a well done comic, and every now and then there's a nugget of truth in it that will make you glad you've read that far along. When this book first came out I bought not one, but two, so I could keep one in its original package as a collectable, since I know this will be worth something one day.

This thing is a steal at any price, at well over a hundred pages of color prints, comments from the artist and writer, it's simply fantastic.

Least I Could Do is a funny and great to read web comic, which turned into quite the amazing book. The comic is engaging on it's own merits, with a group of lovable characters and very good jokes. The graphics are wonderful. The book also includes early sketches and commentary about the strips. Aside from some spelling errors, it is a beautifully put together piece of work. Reading the book is even better than reading the comic online because the entire story line is there. Well worth it, buy it today!

The comic itself is perfect for those who have a great sense of humor.

I stumbled onto this comic about two years ago, way before Chad came into the picture. I was also one of the few who didn't mind the change in art when Chad came.

This comic really helped me throughout the past couple of years. I won't go into detail about the incidents in my life, but they were hard enough to make me fall into a deep depression, not laugh or smile, and lose interest in the things I loved.

Then I stumbled onto this site.

And let me tell you, this honestly made my life easiar, as odd as it may sound. This comic actually made me laugh and made the day brighter. It got to the point to whenever I was feeling extremely down, I'd go to this site to perk me up.

The book, though. The book is amazing. It arrived in my mail the day before my mom had this procedure done that had me scared. I brought the book with me and read it in the waiting room.
That book really helped me get my mind off my mom's procedure, and it made the time go by faster.

To make a long story longer, this book and the webcomic are hilarious. With memorable characters and cliff-hangers that make it seem like a "Mary Worth" comic.
Once you get into a story-line, you have to read until the story-line is over.
But instead of not wanting to read more after the story-line is over, you WANT to read more.

I give this 5 stars. Ryan and Chad did a great job, and I can't wait for them to release another book.

This is such a sweet (and sad) book. I have it in my school library and it is a wonderful book for children to read. I love how the little boy loves his dog and the depth of his feelings. My son and I have reread it everytime we have had to say goodby to one of our beloved pets. I gave this book to our family vet recently and this is the one he liked best for his young son. I highly recommend it.

Read it cried as usual. Great for my daughter. Did not do much for me on the healing process.

Of the three books I purchased for my two young friends (boys, aged 6 and 10) who was experiencing the loss of their life-time friend, Charlie-the beagle... this was the BEST BOOK of the three.
The pictures are wonderful, the text simple but meaningful, and most of all.. it tells us all that we should love and express that love while our 'friends' are with us. "I'll Always Love You" brought tears to even the adults reading it with the children; also a good lesson that it ok to cry and grief for our four-legged friends even if we are a grownup.
I'd recommend this book for any age child.

Sweet story. The best book I've seen so far to handle, in a children's story way, the death of a dog. The kid moves on pretty fast. That was the only discordant part for me, but i think i understand where the author was going with that...we don't need things to help us remember (except for me, i have the worst memory ever). Extremely cute illustrations. I am 36 years old and I cried when I read it. I had a best pal like the kid in the book, who lived with me for 13 years until July 2007. The ham hitting the floor reminded me of my buddy. Other books I found helpful, as an adult, before and after having to choose the time and day to let my best friend go. The authors give some contacts and advice if you are hitting a wall with your grief and how to take care of yourself. The Loss of a PetandGrieving the Death of a Pet, i also saw a journal for remembering that i am planning to buy. My Personal Pet Remembrance Journal.

Wilhelm, H. (1985). I'll always love you. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Synopsis: Can pets live forever? This is the story of a young boy and his pet dog, Elfie. Elfie and the boy do everything together. As the boy grows older, Elfie grows older at a much quicker rate. Not a night goes by when the boy tells his best friend, Elfie, how much he loves her. This is without a story for all families that have a pet. Young children learn the importance of loving and caring for their pets.

Evaluation: The concept of dying is a subject many families do not explore until the time comes when it is necessary to discuss. This gentle tale allows readers to ready their minds for the inevitable time when a family pet will pass away. Wilhelm's story provides children with positive, upbeat way to handle a difficult time in life. Young children will find the text to be heart warming and easy to understand. The watercolor illustrations are soft and cheerful which adds to tone of this story. In addition the simple illustrations provide children an uncluttered view into Elfie's world. Having a pet, is an experience many young children can relate to in today's world. Families will find joy in the humor of this story as they watch Elfie and the boy grow up. It is a charming story for any family that has both young children and pets. Wilhelm writes this story in simplistic text that allows young children to read and understand the concept of death and dying. Parents and educators will find that while the text is simple; it is a book that will allow children to open up to the process of grieving. Readers ages 4-10 will find this book appealing. This story is a bright, happy and upbeat book needed in every child's collection.

I used to use this book while teaching children at a learning center, and now I use this book to read to my daughter before bedtime. The pictures are great! The read is short which is great for kids with short attention spans. Absolutely a must have!

I purchased four copies of Quick As A Cricket at around $10.00 a copy last fall to give as gifts over the course of the year. One of the copies I gave as a gift is seriously flawed. I was embarrassed. Inside the book there are pages that were omitted and multiple pages of the same pictures in their place. I have been hesitant to purchase books since this incident.

This book made its way to our home from my in-laws' home. It was my husband's book when he was a child, and now it is our daughters FAVORITE book.. It is such a great book, so much fun to read, and she's only 13 months old so it's nice to read a non-board book for a change! I am now looking for other stories by this author.

One of the best illustrated books for young children. I read it to my children and now my grandchildren love it.

Kids love it. This is a consistent 'go to' for my my infant daughter, and we enjoy reading it to her too. Big, bright, and imaginative pictures and a warm little poem. The premise is simple: a child imagines that he/she has all of the superlative attributes of several different animals ('quick as a cricket'). I don't know if this is considered a classic (yet), but I think it's a must for the kids' shelves.

I had no appreciation for Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) until I read this book.
He is an incredible human being.
And this book carries along that incredibleness so people like us who have never met the man can learn and bask in his example of perfect friendship.
Truly an inspiration.

I'm Proud of You was a great read. It is the story of one man's personal journey of pain and self discovery and also of his precious friendship with Fred Rogers. It was a treat to read of "Mr Rogers" and the personal integrity and selflessness he had. Definately recommend it.

I recently finished reading I'm Proud of You. I must say, Tim Madigan did an outstanding job with this book. One small book has made me think about so many different things. It has reminded me in such a profound way that we must live life as if tomorrow will not be. Treasure your family members as if you will not see them tomorrow. These were lessons we need to have repeated again and again.

Tim Madigan has also used the art of writing to reinforce the notion that men have feelings which should be expressed. Society has taught men to be stoic and hard. Tim reminds us that men are also individuals with emotions that need to be felt, appropriately released, and reckoned with. These emotions if not dealt with can and will often manifest itself in other forms within the lives of men.

Lastly, it was a privilege to read the story of a reporter in search of self and finding a man who uncompromisingly shared part of his self and his love. I had to pause from reading at least twice to give my emotions a minute.

It's a extraodinary story. Thank you so much Tim Madigan for sharing. I am also proud of you. Since this was such a personal experience that was unselfishly shared with the reader.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It's a wonderful book about the author's friendship with Mr. Rogers. The author really shares his heart with the reader and reveals the incredible person that was the television icon and child psychologist: Fred Rogers. It's also a book about struggles that we all face: anger, depression, family disagreements and grief.

There are also a great many references to other inspirational material that I plan to also investigate. In a society where most men must deal with so many stressful things, this book is a testimony to the comfort that can come from a genuine male friendship and fellowship.

All of this is particularly meaningful to me, since it was a friend who gave me my copy of this book. I would really like to buy about ten more copies to give to more of my friends and family members.

Moving tale of love, growth and (sometimes) Fred Rogers

In "I'm Proud of You, " prize-winning journalist and author Tim Madigan takes us on very personal journey of growth through his personal pain. His Virgil for the journey was television's Fred Rogers of "Neighborhood of Make-believe" fame. Madigan tells of his unexpected friendship with the celebrity, whose unconditional caring, vulnerability and startling offer of friendship provided solace during times of crisis and pain for the author. Much of the book is related via published emails, letters and telephone calls that the two exchanged over a ten-year period. Madigan shows Rogers as the same completely genuine, gentle and quaint man seen on his TV show. Rogers is overtly religious (Christian, specifically) in his approach to others. As Madigan relates not infrequently, Rogers evinces an almost divine sense of love, non-judgment and complete acceptance. According to Madigan, these qualities were exactly what he needed as he struggled with childhood hurts, difficulty in his marriage and a death in his present-day family. While much of the book relates Tim's own crises, Rogers -- in the form of a gift, card or phone call -- often pokes his head into the narrative. These encounters help Tim validate and express his feelings, an extremely difficult task for males in general. In turn, Rogers bares his own soul, in the kind of mutual friendship that he often established with others.

Fred Rogers is a paradox for our modern culture. "Gentle" and "man" are nearly oxymoronic in our aggressive and high-testosterone culture. Fred took his share of knocks as people questioned his manhood and mistrusted his devotion to children. Madigan shows Fred as a man with his own difficult moments and pain, who found a path to healing through his extraordinary personality and his faith in God. Madigan highlights Rogers' friendship with Henri Nouwen, the Catholic spiritual writer, showing that gentleness and a belief in God's love for all His creatures need not be limited by denominational lines. My only criticism of the book is that it did not live up to its subtitle, "My Friendship with Fred Rogers" since much of the book transpired in Fred's absence, or was carried on at a distance. The subtitle was changed for the paper version to the more-appropriate "Life Lessons from My Friend Fred Rogers". Still, the book is a moving testimony to Fred Rogers' ability to transform another human being simply by affirming him, believing in him, and by extension, to reach out to those in that person's circle of family and friends. Madigan's moving recounting of the end of his brother's life was also quite beautiful and instructive in showing us a way to die that is courageous, healing and deeply imbued with an awareness of everyday graces.

By relating his journey to us, Tim makes his readers the indirect beneficiaries. of Fred Rogers' love and specialness. By doing so, makes his readers his neighbors, something that Fred as "Mr. Rogers" would have dearly appreciated.

This is an awesome book. It is filled with down to earth talking mixed with bibicial scriptures to back it up. She breaks down the bible in a way that I have never thought of.

I just started a book club and this was our first read. What a start. This book really made me look at my singlehood and embrace it until God is ready to bring that help mate into your life. I recommend it for ever near or at that 30-something, single stage of their lives.

This book is a definite must for all females young and old. I was truly touched and changed in all sorts of ways. A patient of mine gave me this book to read and I bought another one and gave it to a woman that considered herself my enemy because I have the man she wanted. I love how she takes us through the scripture and shows us how God wants to mold and shape us as the unique and beautiful queens that we are. One thing that stuck out to me "There is no dating in the bible" Brings you back to the scripture: Train up a child in the way that he/she should go" most of us can't get a mate because we don't have the knowledge of what relationship is about other than being apart of your own immediate family. You got to bring some to get some.

Thank you Michelle for your guide to godliness.

I am a 24 year old single woman and I am just beginning to feel the woes of singleness. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to find someone you can really talk to. Everything I needed was in this book. If you want to be content in singleness, and if you want to be the complete individual that God intends for you to be, get this book. Michelle has great biblical and spiritual insight. She doesn't just talk about her experiences or what she thinks, she comes from the Word and writes according to divine revelation from God.

I had just departed from a 5 yr relationship when I read this.
It set my feet on a higher spiritual plateau. The title of the book was deceiving (as most of her titles) and had me thinking I was on my way to my next relationship. However, it set my sights on not just the right man, but THE MAN, the Lord!
It was refreshing, empowering and encouraging. Despite the fact that Mckinney has never been married do not let that discourage you. She comes from the only knowledge that matters and that is the WORD. Everyone has not been destined to get/be married; also, who else to minister to someone except the one who is in the same season with you...what an encouragement. Its such a catch 22 - to always hear women bemoan their singlehood and not having a mate but they have not excelled in the principle things (that is delighting themselves in the Lord and learning to please Him.)
What an embarrassment to God for women/men to continuously pursue a thing so much that we forget about all He has blessed us with and who He is and the provisions He made and the great love He has for us to send Jesus to die for us.
Its like saying "Lord, you are not enough, you haven't done enough" and throwing a temper tantrum...ok, off my soapbox - sorry.
Back to the book, it helped me to fall more deeply and more intimately in love with the Lord. Another book that helped me with this is McKinney's book - The Secrets of an Irresistible Woman A MUST READ.

This book presents many different real life self defense scenarios. Each one is different and it shows what ordinary people do in in different life threatening situations and it also talks about what happens afterwards. Very informative book.

This is a must read for any concealed handgun carrier! The stories are real and the analysis and reflections are great. A great book for all women who carry a firearm and even better for those who don't. A very good story about and tribute to Mark Wilson, the hero of the Tyler Co. Courthouse shotout and a high school running buddy of mine. RIP Mark Wilson

This book should be in everyone's library. I am an NRA certified pistol & rifle instructor. We have spent considerable time providing especially women with free basic pistol. We saw wonderful transformations of these women as they became empowered with self confidence, now knowing that they could defend themselves aaannnd their loved ones around them, now that they not only had that rightfully named EQUALIZER, but they knew how to use it!

"The difference between a liberal and a conservative is one armed robbery."

That says it all and so does this book. Thank you Chris Bird!

After dealing with the half-truths in the media on any incidents involving firearms in the U.S., I was pleased to read this collection of no-nonsense, factual summaries of ordinary citizens defending themselves and others with their personal weapons. Many of the cited statistics and law enforcement reactions are sobering, and a reminder that, as citizens, we need to be vigilant in protecting our civil liberties. A must read for any gun owner and a book to be passed along to the non-gun owner.

When my first born turned one (almost 12 years ago), a friend gave this to her for a birthday present. Over the years, and with the addition of our second child, this book continues to be in our top 3 books. We still pull it out to read -- it's never far away!

I now "pass it forward" and buy it as a gift for baby/young children presents.

This sweet book is one of my four-year-olds favorites, and mine too. I enjoy reading it to her as much as she enjoys hearing it. The illustrations say as much or more than the words. It's a great story for validating the child who loves home and the one who loves to "visit".

I have become a HUGE fan of every Toot and Puddle book available and want to collect them all. I've found they have a wide age appeal, from 2 years on up to....well, I'm 28. Such clever adventures and experiences are depicted in each book and the illustrations could be the artwork in my child's room. In fact, I'd buy the prints if they were available. Great book!

This adventure with Toot and Puddle is one of my all-time favorites. It is an adorable story about two friends, one who loves to travel the world and the other who loves just staying at home in Woodcock Pocket, USA. The postcards that Toot sends Puddle from his world travels are cute and humorous! The illustrations in this book are incredible. This is a book that adults and children alike will enjoy together. I never get tired of reading this one over and over. It is a book my children will keep and pass on to their children!!

The sunny and vibrant watercolor illustrations caught my attention first. The little pigs, Toot and Puddle had so much expression and character, it was impossible not to smile. Then I opened the book and the story line was no less delightful. The idea that it is fine to pursue your own star and return to connect with family and friends is a worthy one, especially in this day and age. And the adventures of Toot were such fun to discover, as were all the activities of Puddle at home. Neither one had an uneventful life. They loved what they were doing and they loved each other. The sheer mirth that I felt reading and following the illustrations was great and I'm sure a child would feel the same. Holly Hobbie has rendered these little guys totally irresistible to all who open the cover.

This book is dedicated, "for all young people in their search for themselves." These are short stories about teenagers who are trying to find their identity, Teenagers face who they are and find support from their parents and friends. In some stories, they do find support from school, parents and friends. In additional some even find the right person to be with. There are three scenarios: teenagers not being accepted from others, not getting support from others and themselves being confused with their identity.



My favorite story from the book was Parents' Night. This story was about a teenager who had her girlfriend but her parents didn't know, they thought they were just friends. At the beginning of the story she says that her father didn't give her a rose in her birthday. This was because they were at dinner when Karen gave them the news; she told them that she was involved in a club at school. This club was the Gay Straight-Bisexual Alliance, which every one in that club they were going to represent in on Parents' Night. Karen tells her parents that she was going to be there with her girlfriend Roxy. Her father wasn't happy with the news, so he didn't agree and he was really mad. In Karen's birthday her father was really quiet and he didn't give her a yellow rose like he used to every year. My favorite part of the story was when her parents go to Parents' Night and her father gives Karen a rose. He tells her that it was a little late and that he is happy that she got a really nice girlfriend. This part really got me, Karen was crying and my eyes were watery. She knew that her parents were now accepting her the way she was.



All stories have a main idea. The writer sends messages that after reading each story you might think differently. The idea is to understand and support those who are in situations like that. I think that people don't have to experience first in order for them to write stories. All these authors give really good stories, which really touch the readers heart and at the end of the book you put it down and have a different view of those who are confused with their identity.



The book has sixteen stories. The story Am I Blue talks about a gay teenager who has a fairy godfather who helps him out throughout his time of not knowing what he wants. The stories were different but they had the same idea in all of them. In Michael's Little Sister, his sister shows him that it's okay to be that way; she gives him support and understands him. Slipping Away is a story where a gay teenager tells his friend Maria who likes him, that he is gay but like any other girl she got mad at him instead of supporting him. Running from the book is really interesting; it's about a girl that starts seeing her sister's friend differently. Sheila was Heather's friend who brought her because she was having problems at home, and that's how Heather's sister meets Sheila. All these stories are really interesting and they throw good messages in each story written.



I like this book mostly because in each story the writer gives an idea why he wrote that story and why he/she wants us to read it. Also when the reader reads the story, the writer clearly states how the person feels. It is really important for those who read this book to understand what and how it feels when a person who is in a position like that might feel when he/she doesn't have any support or is not accepted from others.

I recieved this book and I found it very helpful to see this wide variety of people in it, talking about love and life and living and dicovering ones own self. It's a must read for so many people. It's just beautiful.

There are some stories in this book that are absolutely phenomenal. "Am I Blue" is one of them, and it is a great first story of the book. This books helps people to understand what it is like to be GLBT from many different viewpoints. "The Honorary Shepherd" is probably the story that impacted me the most, as it deals with interracial relationships as well. Having bought this book on accident, I am glad I did. I've probably read the book 15 times through and I don't know if I'll ever tire of it.

Written over ten years ago, AM I BLUE? is still as important today as it was then. A short-story collection dealing with GLBT (gay/lesbian/ bisexual/transgender) issues by some of 1995's top authors, this book is a true gem for teens searching for their identity--or just looking for a good read. With stories ranging from contemporary paranormal, to ones set in the 1950's, to one based during the Vietnam War, and even one in another world of Amazon warriors, there's something here for everyone.

Stories include:

AM I BLUE? by Bruce Coville
WE MIGHT AS WELL ALL BE STRANGERS by M. E. Kerr
WINNIE AND TOMMY by Francesca Lia Block
SLIPPING AWAY by Jacqueline Woodson
THE HONORARY SHEPHERDS by Gregory Maguire
RUNNING by Ellen Howard
THREE MONDAYS IN JULY by James Cross Giblin
PARENTS' NIGHT by Nancy Garden
MICHAEL'S LITTLE SISTER by C. S. Adler
SUPPER by Leslea Newman
HOLDING by Lois Lowry
BLOOD SISTER by Jane Yolen
HANDS by Jonathan London
50% CHANCE OF LIGHTNING by Cristina Salat
IN THE TUNNELS by William Sleator
DANCING BACKWARDS by Marion Dane Bauer

It's hard to pick a favorite from this collection, as each story has something different to offer. From allowing everyone in the world to see who is gay, to wondering what it would have been like to have two gay shepherds at the birth of Christ, to manning a booth about gays and lesbians at a school parents' night, each short story has an engaging story to tell.

The only thing that would make this book better is to have a part two--another AM I BLUE? published in 2006 with some of today's best GLBT authors like Julie Anne Peters, Brent Hartinger, David Levithan, and more.

_Am I Blue?_ is a brilliant YA anthology that should be required reading in every classroom! Dealing with homosexuality in teenagers and their parents and friends, these stories will move any reader--gay, straight, questioning, or bisexual. This anthology helps gay kids understand that they are not alone, while shining a light on what it feels like to be homosexual for straight readers. The stories have similar themes, but range in genre, giving every reader something to thoroughly enjoy. I can't recommend it strongly enough!

My only complaint is that there were no stories that really focused on a bisexual character.