Beginners Books

My 5 yr old loves to "read" this book with me and my 2 yr old loves to listen. The colored stars make my children laugh! It has wonderful repitition so it is easy for a beginning reader to excel.

My students in Japan, ages 1 and 2 years old, LOVE this book. I was really surprised. I thought the paper-cut-out artwork wouldn't grab them, but it did. The vocabulary was basic, but things they knew and could point to in the pictures. I turned this into a dialogue book because I found the sentences weren't enough. But even a month after we finished our work on this book, 2 of my students were still carying this in their book bags every day because they loved this book so much!

From the author of Goodnight Moon. Provides emerging readers with immediate success.

My 4 year old son LOVES this book! It's great for bedtime. He laughs when we see the animals with their sunglasses on watching the stars. Definitely recommend this book!

This is a wonderful book for children just learning how to read. The illustrations glow and pop off the page! A wonderful book for all!

Just another book to read before bed or any time for that matter. Not only because it's pictures are very tranquil. The child learns new things at the same time without even knowing it.

This book has become a favorite at our house. My daughter and I have read the book most nights since she was 18 months old....she is now 3. She finishes each of the sentences on the pages for me, as she now knows the book by heart. This is a great book.

I love this book, and I love my Mommy for buying it and reading it to me. I always asked questions about other mommies. Now I know that animals have mommies who love them too.

This, along with "I Love My Daddy Because..." has been one of my son's favorite books since he was about 14 months old. I'm ordering a new copy to put away for the day when he has his first child, and grandma can pass it along.

The pictures of baby animals and their mothers, tied together with descriptions of things human mommies do for their babies, make this a favorite book for the pre-schooler in our home. The pages are heavyweight paper, which resists tearing when held by small hands. In addition to the standard preschool fare of kittens and pigs, the book also features beautiful artwork of more exotic animals, such as grey whales, sea lions, dolphins, otters, koalas, polar bears and more. I highly recommend the book for children as young as 2 years old.

My son got this book as a birthday gift and can't put it down. He's four with a speech disorder but something about this simple concept has helped him read! To get new words out of him is a treat in itself. Now he's yelling "stop sign" when we are out driving. Just today he looked at the picture for "Railroad Crossing" and not only said it but then said "Train Choo Choo". Bringing the concept of what that sign means with the actual object. We were thrilled. What a fantastic idea. So simple but it clearly means so much to kids.

My son (3-yr old) is really into vehicles and signs. He loves to learn a sign, and then asks us to "ask me about the sign". Then he gets to name it back to us. This book is perfect for that. It has a lot of the common signs, but then some new ones that he has loved to learn.

We highly recommend an Tana Hoban book! and this one is no exception!

Reading practice does not begin in kindergarten or first grade. Reading environmental print is a child's first exposure to letters, words, and pictures coming together to explain a concept and Hoban does it brilliantly.

Her photographs allow children to decipher the world around them via 30 photographs of everyday signs.

I applaud Hoban for creating wonderful books for children to be introduced to the concept of reading.

We got this book for my first child when she was about a year and a half old, and it became an instant favorite. She loved being read the signs in this book over and over.

Astonishingly, she read her first word at about two years old thanks to this book; when we were on a trip in a different state, in a restaurant she'd never seen, she pointed to a sign on the wall and read out "Exit only!" She was reading us "Exit" signs everywhere for months after that, though it was of course a long time before she started reading other words or being able to read phonetically.

Now she's a teenager headed for college, I have a second child about a year and a half old, and I'm buying this book for him...

I found this book was an excellent pre-reading excercise for my preschooler. She just loves to see and recognize the signs as we are driving. This also makes it a great book to bring along for car trips of any length. I am buying a copy for her friend who loves all things car & truck. I know this will make a great gift for boys as well as girls ages 3+.

This is a really good story about a brave girl. I love this book and I read it more than once and I never get tired of it!

This book is the best book i have ever read.it makes me want to read it over and over again

After reading this book I can honestly say that I learned something about history as well as getting the enjoyment of a good adventure by a Canadian author. Although some parts could be offensive the truth sometimes can be that way. It is shocking that someone could be treated like less than an animal over a piece of fluff. I will read more books by Virginia Schwartz now because she writes in a way that people from 10 to 90 can enjoy her books.

This is an amazing book. I would recommend this book for all ages, it can touch hearts of young and old. Basically, its about 5 friends trying to get to the free country of Canada, away from slavery in Alabama. They go through rough times, happy times and hard times, but I will let you see what happens in the end by yourselves. It has everything - sad moments, intensifying moments, happy moments and heart warming moments.

This well-researched book is the story of Phoebe, a teenaged woman born in slavery on an Alabama plantation. A map in the front allows readers to follow the route taken by Phoebe, her friends, Liney & Jake, and Liney's 2 little girls as they use the clues in lyrics of the old slave spirituals to guide them on their way along the Underground Railroad. These characters are wonderful role models for our kids--strong, empowered young women & a young man who protects and sacrifices himself for the safety of the group.

We got this book for my son when he was only 16 months old, so he obviously couldn't follow the story line yet. He still can't, but this has been one of his favourite books from the beginning. It must be the style of the pictures as well as the everyday situations they depict (having breakfast, going to bed, playing in the tub in the yard, etc.) - kids can really relate. And as for the adults, we can also appreciate the sense of humour the book has - such as the license place "GRNMA" for a car driven by an elderly lady (supposedly Sam's grandmother). And once your child reaches the age when he/she an follow the plot, I'm sure he/she will enjoy the book even more.
My son has been taking this book off the shelf almost every day since he got it. I highly recommend it.

All 4 of my grandchildren loved the book, Eileen really relates to children and she is the best.

We discovered this book almost by accident, and a happy accident it has been. The title turned up as if by magic as a suggestion when my wife was searching for some totally unrelated titles...the eerie part being that our son's favorite color is yellow! Obviously he loves the book. It does a great job showing a child what a wonderful thing an imagination is; it's great for stoking imaginative play. I heartily recommend it, even for kids who prefer blue, or green, or red, or orange...

This book is wonderful. It uses words my daughter is now beginning to learn and understand, and reinforces it with pictures. I highly recommend it!

When the author's son, Sean, was about four, he got a new yellow shirt and thought that he was a banana. In this picture book, the author thinks of that incident and tells the story of a boy and his friend, Sam. The birthday boy gets a new yellow shirt from his Aunt Betty. He puts it on and he is a splashing duck, a roaring golden lion, a zooming taxi, a daffodil, a fish, and a lazy bug. He is many other things set in a variety of scenes, even a trumpet in a parade, and a thumping banana in a kitchen. As night falls, the shirt must be taken off, but it becomes something else that will illuminate the night.

I don't know what it is about this book, but my almost 3 year old boy loves it (and it doesn't even have one dinosaur in it!) We checked it out from the library and renewed it for 2 months, but I finally pried it out of his hands to return it before the late fees mounted- so now I must buy one of our own. The illustrations are bright and attractive making self reading as fun as when mom/dad reads it.

My darling Grandchildren just love having me read this story to them. It moves along well, shows sympathy to Baby Duck and lets little ones know that when they are not happy there is probably something that can be done to fix it. My Grands ask for this and other Baby Duck books to be read over and over again.

Well, we FINALLY bought this book after my 2-year-old checked it out from the library week after week. Each time we returned it, she'd ask for "That Duck book" at bedtime. It has a delightful story & illustrations that allow pre-readers to "read" the story to you by just looking at the pictures. I suggest getting the hardcover because you'll read it so many times, that you'll want it to hold up for years.

My son received this book for his 2nd birthday, and loved it. And it's one of my all-time favorites, too. It captures very subtly and lovingly the complex relationships between toddlers and parents grandparents. I never tire of reading it to my son.

A great book for young children... beautiful illustrations, simple yet delightful story about a duck who dislikes the rain (until Grampa helps out). I've read it over and over again to my two preschoolers and they never tire of it (me neither!) Especially fun to read on rainy days.

At first when i opened the book to read it i almost knew it was going to be good so thats why i had to keep reading it i wish it wasnt so short because i would like to now where raven went, and did she stand up to everybody that she thought was mean. how could she stand up to lucy's aunt if she was so mean this book have thoght me how to speak mty mind even more now and that your opoion always count no matter what.

The book The Indian School was a very good book. This book was about an Indian school that taught Indian childern without a family. The Indian childern at the Indian school have certain chores they have to do. A white girl named Lucy came to live with her uncle Edward and aunt Emma. They owned the Indian school. Lucy had to come to live with her uncle and aunt because her father and mother were killed in an accident. So Lucy was sent to her uncle and aunt. An Indian girl and boy came to the Indian school because their Indian father brought them to stay there while he went north. After the winter their Indian father came back to get them. He thanked Edward and Emma for taking care of them. Edward and Emma asked them if they would stay. Did they or did they not stay? Read the book and find out. I think you will enjoy the book.

I loved this book. It is a beautiful portrait of friendship and loss. There are three strong female characters--one white girl, and two Indian girls, all about age 12. When Lucy, the white girl, sees how Raven stands up to Aunt Emma, Lucy begins to wonder whether it is true that "The meek shall inherit the earth." This book uncovers many issues of American history that are usually left buried. I recommend this book to everyone. After I read this book, I turned the cover over and over, searching for a "gold" or "silver" medal. I could not believe that this book had not won any awards.

When I turned to the first page of the book,I thought that it was going to be boring.But when I went further and further,I was engrossed in the book.I feel more like Raven,one of the character in the book.Unlike,Lucy,Raven is bold and speaks her mind.She is obstinate but I think that children should be that way to get what they want.Lucy is too meek and never demands for what she wants.Every children must have their right to do something.We must stand up to the grownups.I also learned about friendship.Raven and Lucy were different in many ways but they still maintain their friendship.This book teaches me a lot of things.I especially like Raven's behaviour.I am very attached to Raven.I find this book very enthralling and it is one of my favourite books.

First concern: The book is written by a non-Native, albeit one sensitive to several issues around indigenous peoples' assimilation into "white culture." Second: I'm a teacher, not a child. This book claims to be about a 3rd grade reading level. I'm not sure a 3rd grader could relate to it. I'm not even sure a 5th grader would -- unless an adult read it to her. It's another one of those lovely books that grown-ups sigh over, but children find a little light on the action. The themes are important though, and this gives it reason to be read, at least aloud.

Our baby daughter loves this book. She'd ask for it every day for months. The story especially appeals to her because she enjoys dressing up and she also enjoys birds. The collage illustrations are clever and beautiful.

A children's tale about Jennie and her obsession with hats (she even sneezes "HAT-CHOO!"). The book's theme revolves around hat trimmings, a vital element in the success of any finished hat.

When purchasing a book without reading every word, there is often a drawback.
While it is a cute book, both in illustration and imaginative narrative, there is a reference to wearing a hat for "church" which may present an issue for those for whom this is not appropriate. You can always make substitutes if need be.
~I

I was thrilled to see that "Jennie's Hat" was once again available. I first "met" Jennie in the library of one of the elementary schools that I served as an art teacher. I liked the story and loved the illustrations which feature clever and colorful collages. It was the collage illustrations that led me to adapting an introductory collage lesson that I've presented to my fourth graders for years. It became a lesson that I always looked forward to as the children really enjoyed both the story (which I modified slightly to include children in the class) and the art activity derived from the story. The lesson evolved over my 32 years in elementary education but the story of "Jennie's Hat" has remained a timeless constant. I am ordering a copy of the book as a gift for my student teacher who will hopefully carry on the activity. Carl A. Hess Art Teacher Hamburg (PA) Area School District

Found this book after a recent move - in a box - with a billion other books - I haven't seen it in years - though I do remember and am grateful to find it again - Going to buy a copy for my sister (Jennie)Wonderful and joyous!!!

I even enjoyed listening to the funny antics of Junie B. She will never bore me or my kids.

My Son is in the 2nd Grade and is a good reader. They introduced Junie B. Jones in his reading class and he really thought the stories were funny. I bought some books and on a whim bought the audio cassettes, I let the boys listen to it at bedtime and it is so great to hear the laughter coming from their room. They have listened to the tapes about a hundred times and I highly recommend them for parents. I was pleased to see my 3 year old enjoys them as well. I am going to buy the whole collection. It does encourage them to read because I see them following along with the books they have from school.

Me and my sister listen to a Junie B. Jones story tape every night. I really like the one where Junie B. Jones is a party animal. And Junie B. Jones is not a crook. They're both a thousand percent five stars! I like how Lana Quintal reads it. She really sounds like a kindergarten girl.

These books are terrific for kids in a wide range of ages--mine are 3, 5, and 8, and they all love them (they are over the head of the 3-year-old, but he's still mesmerized). Amazingly, the audiobooks are even better than the print versions. Lana Quintal, whose child-like voice seems a little grating at first, stands up incredibly well to repeat (and repeat and repeat) listening. She gets the tone just right. My kids are happy listening to these tapes in the car even on those long journeys that are usually occasion for hours of complaining. Worth gold! We have a few of the cassette collections, and although they are all great, this one is probably the best.

My 4 year old and 6 year old want to listen to Junie B. Jones tapes every night and while on car trips. They started with an audiotape and soon were asking us to read all 16 books from the library. Very fun stories for kids and grownups alike. Barbara Parks has a wonderful sense of humor.

I initially checked this out of my public library. But I eventually felt I used it and kept it for so long that I had to have my own copy. It has beautiful and colorful pictures that make a great display for a kids parties.

Love this book, simple step by step and fun too!!. I am not a good baker, but this book is going to make me a very good one.
A must buy, and the kids can have lots of fun making these wonderful cookies.

I love to bake, and I've purchased quite a few cookie books, but this one -- which a friend gave to my children -- is by far the best cookie book out there. I've tried every recipe in the book, and they're all delicious. This book is not just for children. And there are cookies for a wide variety of occasions. Simply put, it's the BEST.

this book is worth getting. the recipes are easy for that age group. it uses simple ingredients. my grandchildren love making things from it. the illustrations are also beautiful.

I love this cookbook. The recipes are simple and delicious. I use it all the time. If you are looking for some great cookie recipes or a simple cookbook, buy this book- you won't regret it.