Children's Books

I'll keep this short - this is one of the best collections you can own for Calvin and Hobbes. As there is a gigantic compilation that includes all of the strips ever made, you might think there is little reason to own anything else. However, this book contains insight directly from Watterson himself. It includes his own personal takes on some of his strips, how he evolved his artwork, his battle with syndication and layout restrictions, and overall a great look into the mind of a rather reclusive man.

His work is magical in every possible sense.

Don't get me wrong, I love C&H. But Watterson is a bit preachy in this book. He tries to explain his rationale behind some of these comics and that's generally cool. But he has comments where he bashes other comics for being pretentions jerks while he comes across like basically a pretentious jerk. /shrug, it's still a good book with good comics. For me, it was a mix of eye-rolling at Watterson's comments vs. laughing at the comics.

"I've always loved cartoons. With 'Calvin and Hobbes', I've tried to return some of the fun, magic, and beauty I've enjoyed in other comics. It's been immensely satisfying to draw 'Calvin and Hobbes', and I will always be grateful to have had the opportunity to work in this wonderful art form." (p. 208)

This book allows us to see the man behind the pen. This collection is a selection of what Watterson thought was important, interesting or profound about various strips he drew. It is the equivalent of a director's commentary on a DVD.

I relished the introductory essay, which is far superior to the one found in the Monster Box Set. It covers more of the in and outs of drawing, Watterson's battle for control of Calvin, his no-marketing stance, and his push for those wonderful Sunday comics. We have yet to see his artistic superior, much less an equal.

If we read between the lines, Watterson's retirement was not a surprise. The battles he fought for his integrity really damaged a part of his soul. This book provides a better explanation than his terse press release, and I feel for him. The Far Side, Bloom County, and now Foxtrot have run their course, and like these other comics, we can use this book to stoke memories--the roses of the soul that charm us in winter.

From Watterson's point of view, this book is the best of the best. After reading it, I see what he meant. The reason why C&H was so popular was that he touched the soul's taproot. You have the two sides of the man, with the animal being human, and the human an animal, then the shifting frame of reference between the imaginary and real world. As a chronic daydreamer, I understand this perfectly. In fact, I find myself in many situations that Calvin does, with the same results.

This is art--we se ourselves, and are better for it.

Best cartoon series that I can remember. Use it as a coffee table book for guests to flip through and enjoy. Very satisfied with condition when received.

Calvin And Hobbes...What A CLASSIC! It's hillarious, its clever, it's got everytihin! I bought this book as my first Calvin and Hobbes book years ago and I loved it immediatly! If im sad or upset, I just read this book and i'm happy again! IT's incredible! Watterson's commentary is an extra for this book and it's informative too. Also, this book has more strips than some of the other ones so buy this one! I hope this helped!

This is a colorful, beautifully illustrated, great rhyming book that teaches counting. My babies LOVE this book. I LOVE this book. My sons are squealing from delight when I open it. If they are distracted and I start reading it, they forget about everything else. One of our favorites and definitely a winner!

I got the book when my daughter was 3 months old because I love its beautiful colors, the illustrations and the rhyming little poem. I read to her and showed her the pictures when she was laying in bed. As soon as she could sit up she was grabbing it and investigated the book closely. Then she started cooing to the little bugs/bees in the book. Now she is 10 months old the book can still hold her attention for a good 20-15 min. She will just flip through it like a big girl and saying a lot of things to it. Just a sweet sight. The best book in our collection by far.

I bought this book for my daughter when she was 2 or 3 and she loved it. She brought it to daycare with her and it became a hit there as well. Then my son came along and he loved it sooo much that it finally fell apart and I just bought a second copy. It is very simple, but colorful, and helpful with counting skills. A good classic to have ready at bedtime and guaranteed to be a hit as a gift for a 2-5 year old.

This book is so sweet! To a young child, it "teaches" numbers, colors, counting and the visuals(ladybugs to touch). To the one who reads this book to a young child, do you remember when you were read to when you were a child? How the voice of the person telling you the story lulled you to sleep or got you jazzed about something due to the story line? For the young child, this is a great book and reminded me of my childhood when my dad and I would sit and read together.

We have read to our daughter every day since we brought her home from the hospital. Even at only three months old, she loves this book. The colors are very eye catching and she likes to feel the little lady bugs. We prop it up for her and turn the pages while she does tummy time. Another favorite, "Good Night, Sweet Butterflies" by the same author. Be sure to get both, for tactile stimulation as well as visual.

I first read this book and the two before it as a teenager about a decade ago and still enjoy re-reading them. Through the story the characters change and grow lending an air of conviction and meaning to their actions and their fight. The true "villian" is not Faye, but the same dark force fought by the young coven's parents, with devestating results, the generation before. Cassie, Diana, and Faye come together to fight in the end.

The first time around, I read this trilogy out of order. I picked this book up in a used bookstore when I was about ten, and I loved it so much that I went out and bought the two other books in the trilogy, and every other one that L.J. Smith had written at that point. Eight years later and it's still probably my favorite book by her.

The development of Cassie throughout all three books is fantastic, and so gradual that you almost don't see it until the second or third book, when you suddenly go, "Cassie, my girl! When did you grow a spine?" In the first book she's a mouse, and by the third one she's a heroine in every sense of the word, without being so larger-than-life and perfect that you can't identify her. The development of the other characters is equally fabulous.

As I mentioned in my review for the second book, I absolutely adore the fact that this author can have half a dozen seemingly disparate plots running, then tie them together in a way which is both elegant and believable. In this book, all of the loose ends are tied up: the Master Tools are found, Black John makes his appearance, the murders are solved, and the coven is faced the choice of standing together or falling apart. The final confrontation with the villain is more mystical than violent, and a fitting conclusion to this marvelous series.

The entire trilogy is excellent, but this is without a doubt the best book of the three.

I liked the twist in this book. I really wasn't expecting some of the things that happened, though they may have been right under my nose. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, but you're going to be surprised.

This book, more than the first two, is very complex. Smith really does an excellent job of playing on many of the central themes of most pagan philosophy. The story is woven around the ideas of balance and sort of yin-yang philosophy. Plus, she obviously did her research on stones and herbs (as with the previous novels). The only complaint I really have is that there isn't a fourth book.

This was a really terrific book and so is the author. Cassie loyalty to Diana is threaten by Faye when Faye find out some dirt on Cassie. Faye leads Cassie further into the path she walks. After doing her bidding, she releases John Black, the one who doing all the killing and who is Cassie father. He also turn the people against the witches. It ends up being Cassie who must stopped John Black. The ending is cool because Cassie ends up being a leader of the coven with Faye and Diana. The ending was awesome.

In this conclusion ea. of the characters must really make a choice as to who they want to be. Despite all the characters being sworn into a coven they have never been united. There has always been Faye's gang of wild and reckless witches that like to use their powers to have fun and then Diana's gang of goody-goody brainiacs. Then there's Nick - who's remained quietly reserved about his feelings the whole time.
Now that there is a common evil outside of their group (John Black)they have made a pact to work together to destroy him, with the exception of Faye who is drawn to the power he possesses. Now the time has come. The final battle.
Together the coven must select a permanent leader and figure out a way of stopping John Black and protecting the town of New Salem.
I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was fully of mystery, romance, betrayal, strategic battles, poems, etc. But it really shows what we all experience and must battle (figuratively) while growing up and leaving HS.
I do however have one complaint and what really takes the review down from 5 to 4 stars is Cassie's choice in a mate. The 2nd book hinted at a likeness Nick had for Cassie but he really starts to open himself slowly up to Cassie and it is so sweet because you know how hard it is for Nick to lay openly exposed like that. But Cassie forever stays convicted to this love she has for Adam. I'm totally an advocate for love at first sight, but Adam is just too polite and nice w/o any layers at all. In her third "Dark Visions" book, "The Passion", she has a similar quartet of lovers. Kait and Cassie (the main characters) are very similarly attracted to the nice boy (Rob/Adam) but where "The Passions" ends w/ Kait discovering a true connection of equalness to the "bad boy" Gabriel this book ends w/ Cassie never really feeling any attraction to Nick - only using him as a security blanket while she battled her lust for Adam.
Nick and Cassie have so much in common - personality wise - and I think she could really make him happier and together they'd work so well. Whereas I just see quietness between Adam and Cassie - I think they'll end up just empty.
Despite my dissatisfaction w/ the person Cassie chooses (sorry for giving that away) I strongly reccommend you to read each of the books of this trilogy. They are just incredibly real!!

Sydney Taylor's classic book for middle readers is set in the Lower East Side of New York City and depicts the life of a traditional Jewish family in the early 20th century. All-of-A-Kind Family is the first in a series of novels about the lively family and is a sweet, charming read. The story takes the reader through most of year and involves not just the family but their friends and acquaintances, too. The book opens with a chapter about going to the library, and the children's librarian (or "library lady," as the girls like to call her) is a gentle, recurring presence. The children's adventures include a trip to the market, scarlet fever and an outing to Coney Island, where one of the girls gets temporarily, and happily, lost. Meanwhile the story meanders through a year of Jewish holidays and teaches the reader a little about each one. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Shabbat and how Taylor contrasts the hubbub of shopping and preparations with the simple serenity of the day itself. The family relationships struck me as very true and believable- for example, Papa's ambivalence regarding the present the girls get for his birthday and his quick turnaround struck me as realistic and human. I can imagine any parent reacting the way he did initially and then rallying in the end. I appreciate Taylor's honesty about her characters throughout the book, too. It's a great book for anyone and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and sharing in the further adventures of this fun, busy family.

All-of-a-Kind Family was a turning point in the history of Judaic children's literature - the first mainstream book with Jewish characters! In memory of author Sydney Taylor, the Association of Jewish Libraries gives out the Sydney Taylor Book Award each year to the best in Judaic children's literature. See lists of winners at www.sydneytaylorbookaward.org.

Also, you can hear an interview with Jo Taylor Marshall, the daughter of Sydney Taylor, on The Book of Life podcast's October 2007 episode "Catch Me a Classic!" Jo shares memories of the real people who became the characters in the series. Tune in at www.bookoflifepodcast.com!

All-of-a-kind Family
This book was a good historical fiction book that I chose to read. Every chapter had a new theme and it portrayed the time period of 1912-1913.

This is one of my all-time childhood favorites. I simply loved this book and even after more than 30 years, I still have in my mind the imagery of these stories and the five sisters. Other than possibly Harriet The Spy, I can't think of a better book for elementary school readers.

All-of-a-Kind Family was absolutely my favorite children's book; and I was an avid reader. It was warm, culturally rich (teaching me about a culture other than my own), and absolutely delightful! I loved it and heartily recommend it to young girls. In fact, I'm going over to lend a copy to a nine-year-old right now!

We have both the board book and the regular book. We love them and read them on a daily basis. Definitely a must for all boys!

BUY THIS BOOK! I received it as part of an educational kit, which sends top quality books once a month. I have since purchased it again because the first copy was loved to pieces by me and my son!

Every morning, he wakes up, goes to his bookshelf to locate this book and carries it to me saying, "Mommy read train book!" And that is how we begin the day every morning, reading this book in "mommy's bed." No matter where I hide this book to try and get him to try another, he finds it and brings it. I performed "book surgery" at least 20 times with packing tape before breaking down and buying a new copy.

The pictures in this book foster vocabulary building and the canter of the text is perfect for keeping the attention of a busy toddler. The story is very sweet and it would work well for bedtime, as the boy is in bed and the story reads, "To the Roundhouse you are bound, goodnight engine, safe and sound." My son delights in pointing to various items in the pictures and saying, "princess," "snail," "boxcar," "birds," "airplane," "pilot," "engineer" and so on. YOUR CHILD WILL LOVE THIS ITEM.

Usually trains and little boys go hand-in-hand but my little daughter recently fell in love with them just like I did when I was small. I got this book to add to her bedtime collection and she LOVES it. I've been asked to read it several times each night since we got it a few days ago.
It follows a little toy train through it's day of hauling freight from the countryside to the city and then off to the roundhouse for the night. She especially likes the train whistle sound that's repeated throughout the story.
Very cute story for bedtime or daytime.

My Son is 2 1/2 now and loves his toy trains. I love that he loves trains because I've got a fascination with trains too (especially steam engines).

As a parent, I know it's important to build a love of reading in my Son. But in order to do so the books have to hold his interest, otherwise he'll just go off to other things or just not pay attention...But the book has to hold MY interest too, or be fun to read aloud, otherwise he'll pick-up on my non-interest (because as any parent knows, toddlers can pickup on our feelings quite easily) and be uninterested as well.

Something I like to do is that when we read together (for the books that he's familiar with) I let him finish the sentences usually having him say the last word in the sentence. This is kind of my gauge for whether he likes the book or not as well because if it's a book he likes we can easily go through it and get almost all the words.

We just got the Hardcover version of Chugga-Chugga Choo-Choo and it's already one of my absolute favorite books to read to my Son, and I have to admit the little kid in me loves it to. My Son keeps asking to read it again and again and he's already memorizing words, so I think I can safely say it's one of his favorites too.

This book is a solid winner because it's great for both of us...

For him:
- Lots of vivid images and colors (especially of trains and train cars!)
- Lots of chugga-chugga choo choo and Whooooo whooo sounds that he loves to hear and say
- Fun rhymes that make him want to learn the words

For me:
- Lots of vivid images and colors that capture my imagination and makes me want to make setup a world like that to play in
- All the chugga-chugga choo-choo and whoooo whooo sounds are great fun to say (in-time with the rhymes) and even greater fun to see the big smile on my Sons face
- There's an underlying story of a young boy who's got his whole room setup with trains and the rhymes are told from the boys perspective while he's imagining that world of trains
- The book can be read as a lullaby as the final pages can be read at a whisper because the little boy in the story is off to sleep

Books like this make it easy to instill a love of reading, very highly recommended.

My son loves this book. He is 18 months old and had shown an interest in trains. I did some research on amazon and kept coming back to this book. It was a great choice.

This book is one of the many Alex Rider books; this is defiantly an action thriller. This takes place all around Europe from Venice to England. Its theme is about a young teenage spy who has to solve mind puzzlers to saving damsels in distress. It starts in a little town in Europe when Alex and his new friend Sabina are on a vacation; But Alex ends up seeing Yassen Gregorvich, the man who killed his uncle. After Alex sees this man everything starts to go wrong. The adventure involves a famous singer named Damian Cray; this man is also the man who made the new game system called the Game Slayer. This seems nothing more then a way to make money for Cray but really it is really to fund Cray's evil plan.
One part of the book that I think you will really enjoy is a chapter called "Pain Synthesis". This chapter is when Alex has to face real challenges that are in a video game for the Game Slayer. Also Alex has to face a deadly python, gods, flying spears and electric vines.
The climax is at the end where a crazy super star is in control of weapons of mass destruction. The turnout is incredible on Air Force One. But I can't tell you the turnout you have to read the book to find out what happens.

This is a compelling, shocking, and thrilling book. this is about Alex Rider a teenager being forced to do spy work again to save his friend but this time he must do it alone. This is an action/adventure/suspense/thriller fiction novel. Four and a half stars out of five because, it had nonstop action and kept me guessing what was going to happen next throughtout the entire book. people wgi enjoy Darren Shan or Christopher Polini will enjoy this. tgis is a wonderful read for people of all ages.

I read all of the Alex Riders (not including Snakehead)and Eagle Strike is the best. It has so much action from start to finish. The best part is when Alex is thrown into a real life replica of a violent video game. It's so good you won't be able to (willingly) put the book down.

Bought this for my very active 12 year old (kiteboarding, surfing, skateboard, video game enthusiast, and musician) who has not been particularly enamored with reading--considers it "not fun" --like going to the dentist. He says he couldn't put it down. Read it in 4 days during the school week. Claims it's the best book he has ever read. Granted, hasn't read many, but getting him to enjoy a book this much is a major victory. He wants me to get all the books in this series.

"Eagle Strike" is an amazing book. I have read it many times and every time it is just as intense as the time before. The book is very well-written, with graphic descriptions and intense sequences where you don't know what is going to happen next.
Alex Rider's resourcefulness is amazing and definitely very handy in tight spots, such as the time when he took wire and half a spear and tied it to look like he was impaled in order to trick the guards who were trying to kill him. I wouldn't have thought of that.
Another interesting aspect of the book is the villian. Damian Cray is a man who has good motives but bad ways of accomplishing them. He thinks that the ends justify the means, (spoiler alert) but using America's nuclear weapons to blow up all drugs isn't a very nice idea.
This book puts a new perspective on the life of a spy. To Alex, the people at MI6 are cold, manipulative people who will do anything to get their way, and they just want to use Alex to accomplish their dangerous missions. Also, any person in the organization is portrayed like other adults in the series and won't believe kids when they tell them that an extremely famous and influential person is an insane killer.
"Eagle Strike" and all the other books in the Alex Rider series are very well written, and I can't wait for the newest book to come out.

i recommend this book to whoever thinks nothing could happen to them and it can happen at anytime.

This book is funny and sad. It made me want to keep reading to find out what happens next in the story.
Dawn is a 13 year old girl who just started having some tests done to her and when she got the results back the doctor told her she had leukemia a type of cancer kids get. When she found out she had cancer she had to be in the hospital for a while until she reached remission. When she got to her room she found out that she had a roommate named Sandy who also has leukemia. They became very good friends and do everything together. They were with each other when their hair started to fallout. When time pasted Dawn had an infection and had to leave Sandy but she came back weak but good. She found out Sandy was in remission and Dawn got mad. When time came Dawn was in remission too. Dawn was new at this and she wanted to see Sandy again so she took the nurse's offer and went to camp. They got to camp and two guys keep staring at them in a good way and things start to get serious between them. Before they knew it camp was over and they had to go home. Sandy writes a letter to Dawn saying that she is back in the hospital in Mexico. About a week later a telegram came telling Dawn that said "We lost are beloved Sandy yesterday 10A.M she died peacefully-no pain." Dawn started to cry hoping the pain would go away.
I would recommend this book to someone who is 12 or 13 because it is a very powerful book with many sad moments in it.

I liked this book. It was funny and sad. It made me want to keep reading to find out what happened next in the story.
Dawn is 13 and was just tested for cancer. The tests are back and she has leukemia. She has to stay in the hospital until she goes into remission. In the hospital Dawn has a roommate named Sandy. They become best friends and do everything together. The day came and Sandy went into remission. A few days later Dawn went into remission too. Both girls decided to go to cancer came together. They had the time of their life there. Dawn and Sandy met two really cute guys and liked the a lot. Once camp was over Sandy had a relapse.
I would recommend this book to someone who likes to read sad books because the ending is really sad.

Six Months to Live was one of the best books I've ever read.It's about Dawn Rochelle and she's just been dienost with cancer .When she was in the hospitl her roommate Sandy turns out to be her best friend.This book is a real tear jurker.Will Sandy and Dawn survive their cancer?

This is a wonderful book, the whole series is wonderful. If you don't like tear-jerkers then don't read it, or any of them. Together, all of the books work to show an image that many books of this kind leave out. They tell a story.

Husband bought for out daughter (almost 3) about 5-6 months ago and they are her favorite. I went and bought the rest from amazon. Wonderful books!!!!
D

I bought this for my daughter as a Christmas gift and it has remained my favorite of her books to date. She, like any 2 year old, goes in phases of loving it and refusing to read it, but I never tire of reading this one. The story is just fun to read, with a delightful cadence and rhythem (as others have said).

The "Book Bear Snores On" by Karma Wilson and illustrations by Jane Chapman is a fantastic fantasy story for children to enjoy. Because the story is written in rhyme, it makes an easy flow and more fun to read. Wilson creates a good story about friendship and it makes a decent bed time story for young children.

This story is about a gathering of forest creatures that go into a Bears lair to get out of the winters cold. They have a party while the bear is hibernating. They do not think that he will wake up, but while they are making stew a piece of pepper makes the bear sneeze and wake up with a ROAR. The animals are frightened, but the bear was only upset because he missed out on the party. A mouse tells him not to be alarmed and gives him goodies and he tells forest creatures stories all through the night. In the end it is the other creatures sleeping and snoring rather then the bear.

As you can see it is full of excitement, drama, friendships, and fun. I recommend this book to possibly a school teacher or a parent who wants to enjoy smiling with there children. I believe this book will become a childhood favorite if read. What I love most about "Bear Snores On" is the clarity, poetry, and pictures; they are beautiful paintings.

-Holly Williams

This book is adorable both for the rhyming story words and also for its beautiful illustrations. It's about a snoozy bear in his cave who keeps snoozing while animal friends come in to get warm. As more animals come in they have tea and corn together next to a little campfire near bear. Even more animals come in from the cold and begin to have a little party and make some noises around the campfire. Finally, bear wakes up and realizes that he's missed out on all the fun, but all his friends decide they can have some more tea and corn next the fire with Bear, and in the morning, when bear is wide awake, Bear's friends snooze just like Bear had done in the night. It's a fun story with a lot of excitment, socializing and reactions that happen, with lots of great illustrations to make it all the more fun and exciting. Wonderful and beautiful story.

I'm always happy to write about my 2-year old son's favorite books, but I'll let you in on a secret - I probably love Bear Snores On more than my son does! There are some books on my son's bookshelf that I have to grit my teeth and roll my eyes before reading (over and over again), but Bear Snores On is not one of them. I'm actually disappointed on those rare occasions that he doesn't request this book before bedtime. Here's why.

Karma Wilson knows what makes a book so effective for children. Her rhyming cadence and repeated refrain "but the bear snores on" establish a completely infectious rhythm that aids in memorization. I can stop at any point in this book and my son will immediately chime in with the next line.

Jane Chapman's gorgeous illustrations are the other half of what makes this book so wonderful. Her animal characters are both stylized and lifelike (you can easily imagine what it might feel like to grab a big fistful of the bear's fur), and their facial expressions are priceless.

Aside from the story and artwork, there is the pure sweet joy of getting lost in reading to my child. I say this with no false modesty - my "bear waking up" is awesome! I can "jump and stomp and growl and grumble" with the best of them, and trading the bear's lines with my son never fails to leave us both grinning from ear to ear.

If you have a toddler in the family, you really have to get this book. Chances are you'll enjoy it just as much (if not more than) they will.

I read this book many years ago and have never forgot it. I am buying a
copy and reading it again. I want to see if I still have the same reaction to it as I did than. If not I feel it is me that has changed
and the book is still wonderfu.

I read over 200 books a year and without a doubt, FIVE SMOOTH STONES is my all time favorite. I read it over 20 years ago and have not topped it yet.

I can't tell you the first time I read this book. I can tell you that I re-read it every couple of years because it touches my heart so. I was born in 1950 so I can remember a lot of the civil rights movement. I began looking for a copy of this book around 1995 and it was already out of print. However a dear friend of mine located a paper back copy in a used book store and gave it to me for Christmas in either 1995 or 1996. It is the best Christmas gift I have ever received (and probably the least expensive) as it gives me the opportunity to read it again whenever I want! (I was also later given a hard-back copy by someone whose mother had two copies of it.) I treasure both copies.

When I read this book more than 30 years ago as a young adult, it touched my heart in places I never knew existed.The trials deep seeded prejudice presents to a family should never again be experienced by anyone. My son is of a beautiful biracial union and we strive everyday to demonstrate the love, faith and solidarity that was part of David's life. Thank you Ann Fairbairn.

I read this book in college 30 years ago. It was the turbulent 60's, and I was keenly aware of everything wrong in our society. This book stuck with me as somehow hopeful. I'm starting my own Book Group now, as a retired teacher. I'm going to reread this to see if I'm still as moved by it now and if it's book-group worthy.

Purchased a lot of 8 books. All were in perfect condition, arriving in a timely manner. Great seller!

My husband and I both loved the Grinch as children. The book is wonderful and when read, you can't help but think of the animated short film and its music. Our son had his first Christmas this year and we've made reading about the Grinch part of our Christmas Eve traditions. It brings back such fond memories while creating new ones.

who doesn't love this book also love the shinny new cover

What I love about Dr. Suess is that he makes moralistic points without being preachy. And in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" Seuss creates a villian as enduring as Scrooge. Like Scrooge, the Grinch shows all of us that change--real, sincere change--is possible. That's a great message for young and old alike!

Also recommended: Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--another story (however, definitely not for kids) about an individual who ultimately is healed and transformed.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic tale about greed, materialism, and the kindness of man for his fellow man all wrapped up in one great big package! The illustrations are wonderful and the rhyming text impresses me. This is a story by Dr. Seuss that is so popular it was made into a Christmastime TV special; and it deserves every bit of recognition that it gets. (Note: this story is very popular; and because many, many people know it all the way through there are spoilers in this review.)

When the story begins we are introduced to the Grinch. He hates Christmas with all celebrations down in "Who-ville," a village he can see from his home on a mountain. The Grinch hates the noise, the caroling, the sharing of presents and the feast of "roast beast."

Eventually the Grinch gets an idea--he dresses up as Santa Claus and uses his dog Max for a reindeer; and this perverse take on the real Santa Claus tale is meant to strike people as ugly. The Grinch comes down from the mountain with his sled and his dog Max made up to look like a reindeer. Soon the Grinch steals all the presents, the stocking hung with care on the fireplace mantle, the roast beast, the Christmas trees--and even the firewood!

The Grinch gets quite a surprise when on Christmas day the "Whos" of "Who-ville" celebrate and rejoice anyway--without any material things to mark the holiday spirit. This shocks the Grinch and he must consider the possibility that Christmas doesn't just "come from a store."

Of course, once the Grinch learns his lesson he returns everything and there's quite a huge celebration with the Grinch leading the way as he carves the "roast beast." It's a very positive ending.

The moral of the story for our children is, of course, that Christmas DOESN'T just come from a store. The importance of Christmas with its religious significance and its message of good will toward all mankind is stressed without banging the child on the head too aggressively. The story overall makes for a fascinating experience for the children. I have many fond memories of watching this TV special and reading this book when I was a very young child.

As with many Dr. Seuss books, children can use this book on a concrete, literal level to improve their vocabulary and reading skills. Older kids will learn the importance of Christmas and the need for all mankind to respect each other and share the beauties of the world together.

I highly recommend this exceptional children's book.