English Books

This little book was sent to me as a gift after I had major cancer surgery. I have grown to love its daily personal insights, and have recently mailed a copy to my sister who values it as highly as I do. Her husband has also become a daily reader and appreciates it also.

I have bought twelve of these books and given them to my family and friends. It is very comforting to know that we are reading the same passage each day. They in turn have bought many copies and passed them on. It is wonderful that in this day and age that we are passing on the goodness of God.

This is the best devotional I've ever read. I have given it to many of my friends going through difficult times or experiencing a loss. I highly recommend this book.

This is THE most incredible daily devotion book you will ever read. It's absolutely amazing how God speaks to you each day exactly where you need it. I've given several copies as gifts and everyone says the same thing. It is a must have for everyone, esp. those who want to hear an encouraging word from God on a daily basis.

Love this little book. A perfect morning devotion that stays with me all day long !

This was one of my favorites as kid. Then, sadly, I forgot about it until stumbling across it in the school library. It is once again one of my favorites. Cynics might roll their eyes at this tribute to good ol' days gone by, but I personally appreciate the nostalgia and the house with its subtle face parts is adorable. You feel so bad for the cute little house! It is also an observation at the change of time. I don't know how intense that is as a theme, but I found it touching and Burton tells the tale with such heart and care.

We live in a very old house in the country and this book was such a cute story about just that. We enjoyed it.

Another timeless classic by this author. It's an amazing story about appreciation. Completely entertaining and like the other books in this series, the artwork is phenominal!!!

This was my favorite book as a child and I am so happy to find it again!! Now I will enjoy it as I read it to my grandchildren.

It was my favorite book when I was little, now it's time for my children to get know bout little house story. I got today from Amazon with free shipping. Great story book delivered to the door. Saving time to seaching at book store with carrying 2 little childrens especially summer hot day!
Thank god Amazon... I'm looking forward to reading this book tonight ^0^/

This is a wonderful treasury of stories and pictures designed to keep young children amused and entertained. Gentle lessons in how to be polite and be a good member of a household are delivered with humor, questions to the reader, and brightly colored illustrations.

I used to read this book to my sister when she was very young for hours on end. My 2 1/2 year old son discovered it in our bedroom a few months ago, and now it has become, in his words, our special book, and we read from it night and day! It delights me that he enjoys it so much, and I enjoy reading it with him, and rediscovering my favorites.

This is a book I will likely be sending for Christmas gifts this year!

Love Richard Scarry, but the illustrations in this publication are a bit dull/faded. There is a lot of content here, but still I was disappointed by the faded look. I recommend Richad Scarry's 'I Am a Bunny' Board Book which has superior color and my baby loved it at 3 months! Her first favorite book!!!

I'm very glad to see this back in print, but there are at least a couple of changes between this and the 70's version. First and foremost, the story of Pierre Bear has been replaced with "Good Night Little Bear." I strongly suspect that it was to 'modernize and politically correct' the book. But, I do think that Good Night Little Bear is a better story all round, so no real complaints.
Also, some of the stories and nursery rhymes are a bit abbreviated. E.g. the kittens and the mittens, and for reasons I can not figure out, the illustrations are about 10% smaller than in the Best Nursery Rhyme book.

Also, for the I am a Bunny book, I certainly think it's worth getting the book itself. The unique format makes it really stand out, and the pictures fill the pages entirely, with no distracting empty space.

This book was one of my main teaching aids growing up; however, my child will need some time to understand Richard Scarry's concept (along with some of his other books as well) of combining several theories and objects on one page that can confuse a young or developmentally challenged child. Not saying that it's impossible, but would take time. I say let them get interested in colors and basic shapes first, then direct them to the pictures and start introducing them to what they are by definition. Not only are there definitions and body parts and other concepts, but short and concise stories too if you can capture your child's interest long enough to sit still to listen to your reading and place the story with the pictures in a concept that they understand. LLO'C

Parents who grew up with Richard Scarry's books and who are nostalgic about his wonderful characters may be somewhat disappointed with this book. Some stories are taken from the delightful Richard Scarry's busy world (which appears to be now out of print and only available used on amazon for $124). Apart from these, the other stories are in a style which is very different from the Richard Scarry's books which I grew up with.
Until they come out with a reprint of Richard Scarry's Busy world, I would recommend "What do people do all day", or "Funniest storybook ever", where you can find all the familiar characters such as the cat family, lowly worm etc.

I LOVE this book! I had it when I was a child. My favorite word in it is on the kitchen page "Batter Spoon"!!!

This is the only word book I remember reading with my mom back in the early 1980s. I still have my old hardcover edition after more than two decades. Every few years, I dust off the cover and go through the pages to look back fondly at the all-too-familiar pictures. Someday, I hope to pass on this book to my kid/s who will probably enjoy it as much as I did.

I can't forget this book, because of it had several great factors. It covered almost every place a kid may see, with it's name to know what the object is. Each page shows kids different work spaces, lands, city life, even inside a home, room by room.
This would be an excellent book for preschoolers, and even younger as well. Children and their parents may create their own stories with the detailed scenes.

I had this book as a child, although the version I had was longer and more PC. This is a great word learning book. The only drawback is that all the characters are animals, so it has to be for a child who knows the animals are simply playing people roles and doing people things. I would recommend to anyone with kids. You cannot go wrong with this book. The older version is better since it has more pages (20 more pages), but it is hard to find in good condition and at a decent price.

I always purchas this book for baby showers and any gift for very young children. It is wonderful to use for early language development or anyone wishing to learn the English names for nouns. My son wore out three copies and I always kept at least one copy in my classroom as well as my home. Cheryl White

Sorry, I had to use that title.

Duncton Wood is an entertaining book. It moves slowly in some places, but makes up for it with faster pacing in others. Personally, I have an extremely difficult time accepting naturally portrayed animal characters with human names. Maybe I'm too much of an animal-fiction nerd for my own good, but giving a MOLE a common human name - and one derived from the BIBLE at that - is just a bizarre choice and, I feel, betrays a somewhat sloppy approach in the writing. The sloppiness is borne out in other areas of the book with some plot inconsistencies and general draggy writing that could be tighter and more effective. (Don't take this to mean that I have an issue with profaning the Bible by naming moles after its characters. In my experience, moles are infinitely more real and therefore more important than the characters in the Bible. I just think it's goofy and sloppy to name half your animal characters with appropriately nature-themed names and the other half with Abrahamic names. Whaaa?) The relative carelessness of the writing lowers this from five stars to four.

Still, in spite of slow areas and strange conventions, this is a fun book to read. The ending is quite nice and satisfying, and the relationship between Bracken and Rebecca is pleasant and innocent. I've still got Duncton Wood sitting on my shelf, at least ten years after purchasing it - it has survived at least 120 passes as I weeded through my book shelves to take unwanted book to the local Half Price Books store to trade for credits. So, that says a lot right there.

Not nearly as good as Watership Down, but worth reading.

Rabbits were popular, why not moles?

Or, what other small creatures dig underground in England?

If you are familiar with Watership Down, you will get the idea, here, although Duncton Wood doesn't operate on the same political level as the rabbit book.

A young mole and friend, with guidance from a mentor embarks upon a quest to put mole society back on the correct physical and moral path. (yes, it does get more tedious later on). For a long book about small furry animals, not too bad at all the first installment. Quite good, even.

Duncton Wood is home to one of the seven great systems of the mole world. Many years before the book opens, the system was based at the highest point of the wood, in the shadows of the wood's standing Stone. The Stone was of vital importance at the time, with the system's religious beliefs centred on it. However, in time, the system slowly migrated down the hill - to the point where, now, nomole now lives in the Ancient System. Traditionally, the system's moles travel up the slopes to pray to the Stone on the Longest and Shortest Nights, though few now hold the Stone in any real regard.

Within the modern system, there are a few different districts - each with its own distinct personality. The Westside is home to the biggest, strongest moles while the moles who live on the Eastside are less aggressive, though stockier and better burrowers. The Marshenders, somewhat unfairly, are considered a suspicious, untrustworthy and unhealthy grouping - though the damp soil doesn't make it an ideal area for the average mole. Where the Stone was the natural centre of the Ancient System, Barrow Vale is considered the centre of the modern system. Close to the Elder Burrows, it's free from predators and is considered `neutral' territory.

Life takes a turn for the worse when Mandrake arrives. Originally from Siabod, he arrives from over the Pastures and makes straight for Barrow Vale. Big, strong and vicious, he kills any mole that stands in his way and - when he disposes of one of the Elders - quickly appoints himself as the replacement. Having effectively installed himself as Duncton Wood's leader, the mood of the system becomes a becomes tinged with fear and suspicion. Mandrake more or less operates a system of `divide and conquer' - any contact between the system's different wings is discouraged and movement to the surface is restricted. While some of the elders pledge their support - most notably the malignant, poisonous Rune and the aggressive bully Burrhead - Mandrake doesn't receive full support from the Elders. The ban on the Midsummer and Midwinter pilgrimages to the Stone meets with open opposition from Hulver - an aged mole who is very loyal to the old traditions. Mandrake's constant attacks on the Marshenders, on the other hand, leaves Mekkins unsettled - although he proves to be a little more circumspect than Hulver, he later has a significant role to play.

Things aren't entirely hopeless, though - two moles emerge who may be capable of restoring some light to the system. However, it's maybe a little surprising which two moles provide the hope. One is Bracken, the son of Burrhead. Although physically a little weak, Bracken proves to be not only brave and intelligent, but also a natural explorer - and, from his earliest days, has a great deal of curiosity about the Ancient System. When he eventually leaves the home burrow, he naturally makes his way up the slopes towards the Stone - where he meets Hulver for the first time. Hulver teaches him a great deal about the Stone, the Ancient System and the Holy Burrows at Uffington. The other mole to bring some hope is Rebecca - amazingly, she is Mandrake's favourite daughter. Initially, she isn't entirely popular - many resent her honoured position, and there are those who suffer at Mandrake's claws to make her life a little easier. However, in time, her kindness, patience and love win over all who meet her. Naturally, the pair can't make it alone - and they receive a great deal of help from others - most notably Hulver, Mekkins, Rose the Healer and Boswell, a Scribemole from Uffington.

While the comparison with "Watership Down" is maybe a little obvious, it's certainly a worthwhile comparison - there are certain similarities between some of the characters. Mandrake and General Woundwort have quite a bit in common - as do Comfrey and Fiver, Stonecrop and Bigwig while there's possibly even a touch of both Hazel and Fiver about Bracken. Although a pretty long book, it is an easily read and enjoyable book at the same time.

I find it difficult to reread a book, but I have read Duncton Wood three times and am beginning to reread the rest in the series. I had to order the books from Amazon UK a few years back, but I think now they might be out of print. Do what you can to find every book in the series. You won't be disappointed. I don't know what you can say to convince people to read these books, but they are worth it. Terrific, terrific, terrific. . .

When I started reading the first page of this book 10 years ago, I couldn't put it down. The story takes you on a fascinating adventure, which I can't remember too much about, except that I found some of it very moving. Highly recommended, and I think I'm going to try to find a copy again to have another read...

My oldest son loved this book. It was his favorite when he was little. It builds on vocabulary; you can count the cars, name the colors, and look at different scenarios. I learned a lot about trains by reading this book to them. I am raising my children bilingual and when I found it in English and Spanish I knew I had to get it for them. It also helped me remember the words in Spanish, which I had forgotten. I must have for any child that likes trains. Donald Crews again has delighted us with a masterpiece.

My 2 year old son is obsessed with trains - he loves this book. It is very short and the pictures are well drawn. This books shows the difference between a hopper car and a box car, etc so now when we see a real train he can tell me what kind of cars they are.

A must-read to share with kids! Freight Train uses simple text and clear illustrations. The book can be very interactive for little ones: count the cars, identify colors, make "whoosh" sounds when the train is in motion and find the smoke from the steam engine. Perfect for toddlers!

We also own the board book version with the slide-out pages that reveal the contents of each freight car, so my two-year-old was a little confused at first when we read this one because he wanted to pull out the pages. He caught on quickly enough, though, and ended up really liking this book as well. In this one he enjoys pointing out all the colors of the cars. Beautiful artwork, clearly a classic. I would definitely consider this as a gift for any toddler that loves trains.

I use the book to introduce colors to special education prekindergarten students. It is the beginning of reading comprehension and other great stuff for children.

The Three Investigators was an AMAZING series of books,
which for some odd reason has gone out of print. It
featured three boys named, Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw,
and Bob Andrews. Jupe was the brains, Pete the brawn,
and Bob the bookish one. Bob Andrews handled research,
Crenshaw was the muscle, and Jupiter was their leader,
the strategist. One day, there was a contest to guess
the number of jelly beans in a jar. Jupiter gave the
best answer, after thinking about volume and space,
and using math, to give what turned out to be the most
accurate estimate of how many jelly beans were in the
jar. The prize was the use of a Rolls Royce (Silver
Ghost), and the services of a chauffer, for what turns
out to be an idefinite time. Over the course of the
series, the chauffer tells the boys that they have been
his most interesting clients. These books basically
taught boys the importance of networking and self-esteem.
For example, Jupiter was "over-weight", some might say
"fat", but Jupiter always insisted on being called,
"stocky".

Do you see "jocks" hanging out with "nerds"? Pete Crenshaw
was the athletic one, capable of throwing a punch. Bob
Andrews handled research, and Jupiter Jones was their leader,
the "stocky" strategist.


But there is more to these books than that. For example, there
is the secret code, the triple question marks, ???, drawn in
three different colours. It was an identifying mark Jupiter
thought of, in case one of them should get lost, or worse, be
abducted. And the "ghost-to-ghost hook-up", an algorithm
Jupiter came up with to aid them in surveillance, or in "lost
and found" cases. They were on good terms with boys from lower
grade levels, who had heard of their fame as investigators.
And so the three would man the phones with a description of who
they were looking for. Each of the Investigators would call
five boys, who would in turn call another five, and so on.
The adults the Investigators were interested in, would not
be expecting children as spies. The kids would then call back
to HQ with details. Their headquarters (HQ) was hidden under
a pile of rubble, in a junkyard, and could only be entered by
secret doors and tunnels) with details. The "ghost-to-ghost
hook-up" made me think of the way girls gossip and share
information, through a "grapevine".

These books taught you communication theory, the importance
of social networks, mentoring, and friendship between boys
and men, of like attitude, if not mind. The chauffer for
example, thought the boys were cool. And they were.
Basically, this series of books teaches boys what feminists
have been teaching girls: self-esteem, networking, mentoring,
etc. These books taught co-operation skills, rather than
competitiveness.


How is it that books like these can go out of print, but
the yo-yo and hola-hoop manage to make their way back
into mass-production? A lot of books it seems, are
also being rewritten to conform to a feminist philosophy
or rather a femi-nazi agenda which promotes male hatred.
And so, the story of THREE boys working together to
solve mysteries may be "buried" just as old Warner Bros.
cartoons showing Bugs Bunny playing baseball against
the Gastown Gorrillas now seem impossible to find.


QUALITY READING MATERIAL FOR BOYS IS EITHER DISAPPEARING,
OR IS DIFFICULT TO FIND. 'Harry Potter' is a distraction.
People who have never heard of 'Harry Potter' are being
told it is evil by others who have never read it. 'Harry
Potter' may be satanic, but why protest 'Harry Potter'
when you could be demanding, "Where's the good stuff?"


Male illiteracy is being encouraged. Femi-nazis want a
relatively small percentage of the male population to
receive a "higher education" - in contrast to a much
higher percentage of the female population. These
"educated" males are the "beta" males: Femi-nazis want
beta males to specialize, doing "mental work", as
doctors, programmers, artisans, etc. In contrast,
"alpha" males are to be used for physical labour such
as "required" in construction work, landscaping, mining,
etc. Alpha males are also used to police (abuse) other
males. Males, both alpha and beta, are being "programmed"
to serve females in specialized roles, for "skilled
labour" requires that they be taught.


Feminazis encourage males to compete with each other, while
encouraging female co-operation. Males are being prevented
from NETWORKING, or protesting against feminazism. (Males
who network may be accused of belonging to "gangs" or
"terrorist organizations", and males who protest against
femi-nazism may be accused of being mentally ill.)


'The Three Investigators' stood for everything femi-nazis
are against. Femi-nazis are for male hatred, and that may
explain why these books are no longer being printed.

The Three Investigators have their first case: to find an authentic haunted house. Jupiter Jones, the intelligent leader, and Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews set out to see if an old castle nearby is truly haunted or not. Built by a silent film star, Stephen Terrell, no one has been able to spend the night in the castle since his untimely death many years earlier.

I first read this book about 30 years ago when I was a kid, and loved reading all the adventures of the Three Investigators, and they quickly became a favorite of mine. Now my 10 year old son and I have just finished "The Secret of Terror Castle," and he loved it, too. We especially noticed how the adventure and excitement was kept up throughout the story. We both agreed that the Three Investigators were much more exciting than the Hardy Boys, having tried to read one of that series without sucess. Instead, we found Jupiter Jones to be far more intelligent and we enjoyed the cleverness of the plot and story. We read the version with Alfred Hitchcock, which I'm sad to see has been changed in most of the books now available.

This is a good series we can recommend for kids who are sometimes reluctant to read, but who enjoy an intelligent mystery.

I remember reading this book when I was young and loved it. Great plotline with great characters and humorous dialogue at times. I started my 7 year old son on it. The first two chapters were slow going for him, but he slogged through it. The fourth chapter hooked him. He wouldn't put the book down for another 6 chapters. Recommended for ages 7 and older.

This book is so much more than a kids book. It was my first introduction to the Three Investigators, and quite possibly the best book in the entire series. The plot is quite intricate, and very intelligent. Adults can read this story and be thrilled and caught up as well, and to be honest, I get out my copy every now and then and visit with Jupiter, Bob, and Pete. The setting in California in the fifties, with Alfred Hitchcock as their mentor, is just perfect. I've read the later updated versions, with all refences to Alfred Hitchcock removed and rewritten, and I just think the original stories worked so much better. There was more of an air of mystery to them, although the stories themselves didn't change. In this book, the setting of an old movie star castle is just right. The writing is sharp, the characters already developed. Everybody at time in their life has encountered a super-smart kid, the one who knew everything. Sadly, the ones I met weren't as likeable as Jupiter Jones. This series is always clever, with strong plots, strong characters. Get these books and enjoy them. Many books aren't this well-written nowadays, especially for the teen-to-adult age range.

Quite a few children's mystery book series have become classics. Most people are familiar with Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Tom Swift. Even the Boxcar Children are relatively well-known. However, Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators were well-written books that offered an intelligent, interesting and more contemporary alternative to many of the earlier classic series. Many people recall the earlier series well, but the Three Investigators series, which Robert Arthur wrote and debuted in 1964, has, for now, largely been overshadowed by the other series and generally forgotten. Fortunately, all of these books are available either from Amazon or from other internet sources.

In this book, the first book in the series, we meet Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews. Jupiter is the intelligent, often arrogant member of the group who has a tendency to be condescending. Pete Crenshaw is typically the muscle of the group. Pete is usually quite fearless. Bob Andrews, who begins the series with a broken leg, works at the library is handles records and research for the group.

In this debut story, Jupiter Jones has won the use of a Rolls Royce for 30 days of 24 hours each. Jupiter has also created business cards for the trio with the auspicious title "The Three Investigators," "We Investigate Anything," and three question marks. Jupiter Jones learns that Alfred Hitchcock is seeking a haunted house for use in his next film. The boys offer to find a house for Mr. Hitchcock if he will introduce their first story; thus the reason the title includes Mr. Hitchcock's name.

Soon Jupiter Jones is on the trail of a home owned by silent movie star Stephen Terrill. When the boys visit the late Mr. Terrill's home, strange phenomena in the house causes the boys to go running from the home, scared to their very bones! The mystery continues to deepen as the boys investigate Mr. Terrill's past the history of the strange house that appears to be haunted for real.

I wondered whether I would like these books as much as an adult as I did when I was a child. My answer is yes. Robert Arthur wrote these stories in a way that treated these three young boys as young adults rather than children. The three boys approach their mysteries with creativity, logic and more than a little bravery. The result is stories that continue to captivate readers.

If you are looking for mystery books for children and you are looking for an alternative to the stories I listed earlier, I highly recommend the Three Investigator series, and the best starting place for this series is absolutely with this book.

Enjoy!

As a Marine veteran, this book gave alot of good ideas. The authors tell you different aspect of how the Marine Corps is ran and they explain why the Marines do this and how to implement it into the business world.

It's a good book. There are a lot of leadership techniques in here that can be applied. There is also a lot of information about the Marines, which is interesting. For a leadership book, I could have used less information about the Marines and more about leadership in business, but it's good for what it is.
One thing, the chapter on women dealt with sexual harrassment, mostly. I think that with everything women deal with (lower pay, glass ceiling, family life, etc) there could have been more info on women and less on sexual harrassment. That could have been a seperate chapter.

Semper Fi does a good job of relating the organizational and cultural strengths of the Marine Corps to successful essentials for corporate America. The beginning of the book emphasizes the importance of recruiting and maintaining the enthusiasm and energy or new hires. The book keeps it focus on sharing the attributes of the Marine Corps' organizational attributes contributing to its success rather than organizing around what corporate America needs and how the Marine Corps has solved those problems. Strongly recommended for HR professionals and managers leading large organizations. Always a good book for former Marines although some may remember a few details of Marine life differently.

Want to develop sound leadership and solid loyalty? This book clears up many of the misconceptions of USMC training and brings the same form of positive supportive leadership into the civilian and business world. Leadership is more than just telling people what to do. Leadership is established by being in the front lines with all your "troops". It's you're willingness to get your shoes just as dirty as anyone else's while providing an example of being out in front and at the same time making sure that everyone is up there with you. You, the leader, are the example! It is extremely well-written and should be in any top sensei's [martial arts instructor's] book collection. Dan Carrison is one of my Black Belts. I recommend this book to all my black belts!

In case you want to know how this 175,000 strong force is led/managed to live up to the "Send the Marines" legend, you will be largely satisfied. Many unique features, including the Buddy System (two friends get recruited, trained, and deployed together), Tour of Duty (a Marine can opt to remain or transfer several times during the enlistment period of four years), the strong emphasis on quality HR and recruiters, the "Crucible" (the 54 sleepless hours of hellish training with only one meal), the need for an officer/NCO to be better in all aspects (esp physically) than his fellow men till his retirement and so on are vividly discussed. However, I am obliged to comment that the successful principles of USMC are not readily applicable to the commercial world, primarily because, as per pg 123, "Unlike the Marine Corps, the workplace environment is not one of self sacrifice. Employees are motivated much more by self interest than by the collective good and are not shy about asking, "Why did he or she get this assignment and not me?" Anyway, this is definitely a good read. Highly recommended!

Below please find my most favorite passages for your reference:-

One of the legends every NCO has heard tells of a young officer who did not return an enlisted man's salute - and was subsequently ordered by the renowned Marine general Chesty Puller to stand there and salute the nervous private one hundred times. pg 66

The "monkey experiment" is a classic laboratory experiment that illustrates exactly what the Marines try to avoid - the thoughtless passing from one group to another of a learned tradition. Six monkeys were put into a cage in which bananas were suspended by chains...when a monkey pulled on the bananas, the entire group received a shower of cold water. It didnt take long for the six monkeys to learn that the bananas were to be left alone. A new monkey was then introduced into the group, while one of the original monkeys were removed. Of course, the newcomer saw the bananas and thought it was in monkey paradise. But, as it climbed upward, the five remaining original monkeys would actually prevent it from reaching the bananas.....Other newcomers were introduced, for each one, a monkey from the original group was removed.....Soon, none of the original group was left in the cage, yet the bananas were undisturbed - by monkeys who had never felt the cold shower themselves and who did not know why the bananas were to be left alone. pg 115

Today, teams of recruits clash in the pugil stick circle so that one learns not to just fight for himself but for his buddy as well. If his buddies are "killed", the remaining recruit must defend himself against multiple attackers, who close in intelligently, as a team. Thus teamwork is taught while defending and attacking. pg 130

If a manager has not called his own customer service desk in a week, then he has no idea how many times the phone will ring before it is answered, how politely the customer will be greeted, how willingly that customer will be helped and then thanked. pg 171

p.s. Semper Fidelis (Always Faihtful), the motto of USMC, is an indication of how much value is placed upon the virtue of loyalty.

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend. I say that I read it, but really this is more like a book you do. What do you do? You solve the mystery of the poetic story by searching the detailed illustrations for clues. Some clues are more obvious than others, but most clues take real sleuthing to discover. I had so much fun with it, and after about two days of study, I came up with the answer, but there was still so much that I had overlooked. Thankfully, the author reveals all to you in a sealed section at the back of the book. I encourage you to resist seeking the answers until you've tried your hardest to find as many clues as you can. Even if you can't figure out the who dunnit, you will be exited with every clue you find, and will likely hear yourself exclaim, "Ah-ha!". This book is marketed to children but it takes a sharp mind to solve the mystery and discover the clues, so it is really better suited for teens and adults, but even small children will enjoy the story and the amazing pictures. I would give this book as a gift to anyone who enjoys a good brain teaser. So get out your magnifying glass, a notepad and pencil, and have fun!

The story is about Horace the elephant who has decided to celebrate his eleventh birthday, with 10 of his friends in the eleventh month (November) on the eleventh day. After all have arrived the eleven characters participate in eleven games in anticipation of a birthday feast at the eleventh hour of the day. Thus the title of the book - The Eleventh Hour. The day is filled with musical activities, indoor/outdoor games, board games, cards, party games and more. The eleventh hour arrives disappointing the guests with the unexpected disappearance of their birthday feast. Apparently a theft perpetrated by one of the invited guests. Horace saves the day by serving healthy whole wheat sandwiches to all and the birthday cake remains because it had been stored away from the feast. With everyone enjoying the birthday cake, the story closes with a happy ending.

However, this is where one story ends and other mysteries begin. On each page of the book there are puzzles to be solved and clues to lead a more intrepid reader along the trail to the thief of the birthday feast.

I'm a freshman in college and I still love this book. My third grade class room had a set but we were NOT allowed to open the pages in the back! The entire class spent lots of time pouring over the sumptuous pictures and trying to spot each and every hidden...well, I won't give it away. I came across the book in a bookstore recently and bought it immediately because I had such fond memories. Do yourself or your kid a huge favor and buy it!

-- And it's a "kids book"!!!

I'm 26 now, but I remember the astonishment and awe I first felt borrowing this book from my 5th grade class's "library" when I was 10 years old. Back then, I gave up after 4 hours of not being able to figure anything at all out and had to look in the Sooper Sikret Section, but this time around, I got a few more of the clues on my own before having to look up the Section :P

A great book to sate the inquisitive mind of a bright child, honestly. Highly recommended!

Horace the elephant is inviting his animal friends over for his
eleventh birthday. Horace has prepared a magnificent feast for he and his friends to enjoy. But while they are romping outside, Horace's food has mysteriously disappeared. Which animal stole the food? Base's lush artwork contains cleverly hidden clues to help the reader solve this mystery. An excellent choice for all ages.

at teaching good things in a fun way. This book shows that a looking different doesn't make a person less fun or likeable. It has great rhymes, & is a quick read before sleep time.

Seuss teaches so much to my daughter that I would have a hard time starting a conversation about. My daughter doesn't quite get the stories so she asks me and we have great conversations about right and wrong.

I ordered this after seeing it on Amazon. It was one of my favorite books growing up and I wanted to share it with my three daughters (8,6,& 2). After reading "The Sneetches" to my 6 year-old, she looked at me and said that it wasn't very nice to treat people badly because they aren't the same as us. I was thrilled that she got the meaning of that story right away. Dr. Seuss is a genius for getting these moral points across in a way that children understand and making it so fun at the same time. She thought that "The Zax" was funny. She didn't understand why they just didn't compromise. Every story in this book has an important lesson and it's such a great way to spend time with your children too!

My 3, now 4 year old loves this book. He loves all the stories but especially the last one about the pale green pants. He likes to feel a little scared (boys!) and then have a happy ending, so this story with its good messege is a perfect match for him. He can "read" it to me from memory. It's amazing. He says that McMonkey Mcbean in the Sneetches, isn't a very nice little monkey." It slays me every time, and he's learning a great lesson. His Dad's name is Dave, so that story if fun and makes him laugh. He would pick this book almost every night for his bedtime story if I would let him.

All I can say, The Sneetches and other Stories, was so loved by my kids, I had to buy it and send it with them when they left for college! We still recite it (almost all by memory) and laugh at ourselves.G-d rest Dr. Suess...his books will live on forever.