Pig Books

Heather Frederick has done it again. She's gotten us hooked on another Spy Mice adventure, this time involving the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Here's another opportunity for a book to connect with real life, while maintaining the fun and excitement of living the fantasy spy life. Wonderful! I look forward to many more Spy Mice adventures.

James Bond, move over! The Spy Mice are here! What a wonderful action-adventure series for young spies to savor! In her highly imaginative books, author Frederick has created two distinct worlds - and happily, kids can easily relate to both. One world consists of the titular spy mice themselves, who live behind the walls and beneath the foundations of the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., from which their spy agency operates. Their arch-villains are the world's rats, who prove to be truly formidable opponents. The other world in the story is the "human" world, and the author's kid characters are wonderfully real and engaging. And when these two worlds come together - adventure begins! This series is truly a classic for young readers who've enjoyed "The Littles," "The Borrowers," "The Great Mouse Detective" and "Spy Kids!"

I've thoroughly enjoyed both Spy Mice books, The Black Paw and For Your Paws Only, and find myself laughing out loud as I read. Frederick has a wonderful imagination -- creating a miniature world for the mice out of everyday items. The books remind me of The Borrowers, a series I loved as a child. I've given away at least a dozen copies of these books to both children and adults. One of my young friends, a 12 year old, keeps asking when the NEXT Spy Mice book will be published. We're both eagerly awaiting it!

This book was really fun to read. I'd call it a page turner. I read it start to finish and really enjoyed it. It was very suspenseful, with plenty of action and a great plot. The characters, mice, rats and humans, were a perfect blend. I would recommend this book to any kids that like other action books.

Some of the other books that I have enjoyed recently include Eragon, Artemas Fowl, and The Eldest.

PS I'm an 11 year old boy.

Great two books with a good plot and lots of action. Many times I stop reading a book because I can figure out what will happen. With Spy Mice I couldn't figure out what was going to happen, it kept me on a cliff hanger the whole time. The book kept me reading late into the night in my bed.

This is a MUST have for bunny lovers. If you've ever owned a bunny, you know how strong their personalities are. This book is filled with stories about each and everyone of the bunnies portrayed here. The pictures are beautiful, It's just wonderful...

This is a gorgeous book. It gives an artistic approach the beauty of rabbits and a glimpse into their whimsey and humor. The rabbits featured are exquisite examples of their respective breeds and the photographers showcases their personalities.

As a warning, only true "rabbit people" will get this book. Buy this book for the true bunny lover in your life. This is a great book to leave on your coffee table. People will pick it up and oooh and ahhh at the funny bunnies featured.

This book has the cutest pictures, and info on the breeds!
Such cute rabbits.

This book is great for any Rabbit lover, it has great images / Photographs and gives you a brief description of a few of the many rabbit breeds we have. The photographs are the best I have seen, it is a great book you can keep going back to.

The book "Funny Bunnies" is a picture-filled delight of nature's cutest animal (okay, some may not agree that they are THE cutest, but I think that they are; and the pictures are delightful, too). The main body of the book offers pictures of pets for most breeds of rabbits, some background to the breed and a little humorous biographical information or story about the pictured pet. At the beginning of the books are ears of various breeds, at the end are the tails of rabbits: i.e., front and back of bunny. The book is well-written and entertaining, and as noted, the pictures are terrific. It is an oversized, short book (slightly less than 100 pages), but it's a fun book, one that you might find yourself paging back through time and again. It's definitely worth treating yourself to this book.

I've read many books on hedgies in preparation for buying one, and this is the best. We got our little guy from Dawn who has never given us any bad information about raising a happy and healthy hedgehog. She spent a lot of time with us, so we'd have the right hedgie for our family and really knows her stuff. So many books have bad informtion in them. If you're thinking about adding one of these little characters to your family, this is the book to read before doing so.

Dawn's book was one that i happened upon while looking for information on having a hedgehog as a pet. As I did more research I found so many books available that have potentially deadly information in them.

I found several breederes in the USA that will not sell a hedgehog to a new person before they have read this book. It is an easy read, with good information. It also has very cute pictures. If you think you want a hedgehog, READ THIS BOOK FIRST!!

Hedgehogs are still considered "fad" pets by many, and several of the books available on the market today reflect that by providing information that treats these charming, intelligent animals as disposable pets. Dawn's book systematically goes through most aspects of hedgehog care, speaking with expert knowledge and true affection for these animals. A novice hedgehog owner, or someone considering bringing one home for the first time, will get a lot of valuable information from this book.

I highly recommend.

Required reading for all hedgehog owners! This book was written by a successful, knowledgeable, hedgehog breeder and her vet. They know their stuff. The information is accurate, helpful and fun to read.

This book had a lot of great information, especially considering it was published in 95. There was a lot of information that even experienced hedgie owners will find useful. There is background/history information on the hedgehog that I hadn't read before. Well written and a good book overall.

The '65 version with illustrator Brinton Turkle gets 5 stars. What is currently showing on Amazon as the photo of the book cover is the original 1965 version. It is shown for the 65 and 1990 version. They have different illutstrators. This photo should only be shown with the '65 version. If you want the original make sure you are not buying the 90s version.

I can remember this book when I was quite young and have passed on the tradition to my little one. We use my old copy which is now about 30 years old and boy, is it a hit! It's just so cute to see the reaction of little ones when they see a bear and a mouse dressed in Victorian finery, try to explore their common interests. However, when they find that their interests are varied, they both break down and cry. But finally, ice cream brings them together in an old fashioned ice cream parlor and the two friends enjoy each other's company. A great first reader but also a great book to be enjoyed by toddlers. A true classic for all libraries.

I'll never forget climbing into my dad's lap back in the early 70's and learning how to read this book. I can still quote the story from memory. What a great lesson about how different people can find common interests! After looking for it on-line for many months, I recently broke down and paid ... for a copy I hope my young son will enjoy as much as I did when I was his age. We both love ice cream, like Joe and Sam, so some things will never change!

I loved this book as a child & have my tattered copy to share with my children. I was thrilled when my daughter brought home her 1st grade reading book & found she would be reading the story in school. The illustrations are different, but it's still the same charming story & it was fun to compare the two books. This book is a definite favorite in our home!

I'll never forget climbing into my dad's lap back in the early 70's and learning how to read this book. I can still quote the story from memory. What a great lesson about how different people can find common interests! After looking for it on-line for many months, I recently broke down and paid $... for a copy I hope my young son will enjoy as much as I did when I was his age. We both love ice cream, like Joe and Sam, so some things will never change!

This is a book about a prinsess who wants a pig for her 8th birthday. Her parents try to convince her that pigs are horrible animals.Finally she gets her wish.Read this book to find out what happens next. I recimind this book for ages 8 and up. If you like this you will like other Dick King Smith books.

I really liked the story Lady Lollipop. The story is about a spoiled princess. Her mother and father gave her whatever she wanted. On her eighth birthday she wanted a pig. Her mother and father did not like pigs; they thought pigs were disgusting animals. Finally, they agreed to give her a pig for her eighth birthday, because she was spoiled and they gave her anything she wanted.

The owner of the pig she chose was an orphan boy. The pig was the only thing he had, and the princess felt pity for him. So, she asked if he wanted to come live with her in the palace and take care of the pig. The boy gladly agreed to go live with the pricess in the palace.

The boy taught the pig to do many things, and he wondered if he could teach the princess to think more about other people. One day the princess did begin to think more about other people.

My favorite part of the story was when the princess picked her pig. It was cool that the boy, who was very nice, told her all about the pig.

I am seven and a half years old, and I read this story myself. The story was just right for me. I read alot and would generally suggest a good reader of seven years or older could read it (a few words were difficult, but I could still understand the story). This would also be good story for a parent to read aloud.

I said this review out loud to my dad, who typed it in for me.

Thanks!

I have a five-year-old who is a voracious reader. It's hard to find chapter books that have content appropriate to her age but are still substantial enough to draw her in...and that she can't polish off in one sitting! Lady Lollipop has a wonderfully playful, fairy-tale feeling that fits the bill perfectly. I loved hearing my daughter burst into laughter as she read the book.

I like this book because,it's one of the books you want to read over and over again. It's a fun book your whole famly will love.I love this book so much because of the author,Dick King-Smith, he is a great writer. I love the book,I love Guinea Pigs,and Dick King-Smith cares a lot abot pigs and thats why I love the book Lady Lollipop.

The princess gets a pig for her birthday but the queen doesn't like it. The queen thinks it's dirty. This book is about figuring out ways for the queen to like the pig. I think this is a very, very funny book, because there are three pictures of poo-poo.

I am 9 years old and I found this very easy to read.

I bought this book expecting a cute story. Well, I got much more than I bargained for! The story is just complex enough to really keep your attention, but won't confuse younger readers. The language is intelligent but easy to read. And the plot is wonderfully thought-out. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series and encouraging my kids to read it. I truly loved this book!

I received the book here in Germany at my APO (Army Post Office) address in a very short amount of time and the book arrived in perfect condition - I am completely satisfied with the entire transaction have only praise for the whole expereince and I order frequently on line and am not able to give this kind of rating to all the transactions from all vendors. Review by Mark E. Grant author of the novel - Blood of Scotland (also available through Amazon.com).

The book came when it was supposed to and it was in very good shape. I am happy with the service.

I'm 44 years old and bought this book for my 8 year old son. He hasn't gotten into it yet, probably because the reading level is more "instructional" for him and reading for pleasure should be easy at this age but I'm sure he'll love it. I know I'm loving it. I haven't finished it yet (with 4 kids who has much time to read) but it's an engaging story with wonderful characters that are easy to understand and love.

Too often I've seen books, well-written and compelling, passed off as just another "children's" story, something that anyone above the suggested reading level shouldn't read. A book like this one could easily be thrown into that category. After all, talking animals on a fantasy island, seems pretty childish. There is no cursing, and it is relatively short, especially with the double-spaced printing of the book.

However, that is the books biggest downfall; it is too short. Other than that, this book is nearly flawless. McAllister is has crafted a wonderful, exciting world. The descriptions are well done. The plot is gripping.

McAllister's greatest achievement is, however, is in her character development. She has created a wonderful, lovable, and memorable cast of characters. From Crispin, to Urchin, to Husk, the characters have been masterfully created. It's amazing, in such a small amount of writing (relatively), McAllister could succeed so grandly. Within the first 20 pages, I was already idolizing Crispin as a hero.

Of course, the story is not lacking, either. This is a story of plotting and betrayal, deception and loyalty, compassion and evil. It is filled with suspense and drama, and you will not want to put it down until the end.

And it is not without its dark side. The island of Mistmantle is under a dictatorship, with a puppet king being played by a totalitarian, ruthless captain. Brutal work parties and "culling" have been instituted over the people. (culling is the act of killing new born babies with any physical defects present, which is branded as a type of "euthanasia" by the leaders).

A word of warning to any over-sensitive parent, there is alcohol use, as in wine, and several murders from knife to poison. Personally, I don't believe that this should affect how the book is seen, as they are all completely needed to craft such a compelling story.

Comparisons to the Redwall series are inevitable, but not justified. I'll admit, I'm a fan of the Redwall books, I've read about half of them, and that's the whole reason I picked this book up. The only similarity to the two, however, is the presence of anthropomorphic, talking animals such as squirrels, otters, and moles. Perhaps there is more action in Redwall, but other than that, the Mistmantle Chronicles is superior. It is plot-heavy, compelling, and leaves us with more than a simple "good vs evil" approach, but instead gives us moral ambiguity and social issues.

Urchin of the Riding Stars is a fantastic book, appropriate for any age. An above average reader could easily finish this book in 2-3 days, even one day if you can set aside a few hours. Easily worth the time and effort. And, if you find the problem of the book being too short, there are sequels waiting. I can't wait until I get the next one in the mail.

When I introduce theme to my fourth grade students, I like to use short, easily decodable books. This book is perfect. It's quick to read, but it leaves a lasting impression, and gives us plenty to talk about. This is perfect for any teacher's shelf!

This small story is a gem: simply told, beautifully illustrated. The story - young Mole saves a baby bird that has fallen from the nest, cages it because he doesn't want to lose it, then learns to free it because he loves it - conveys a familiar lesson. But it is deft, never heavy-handed, with lessons for parents as well as children. Mole's parents tell him he should let the bird go, but cannot convince him. His wiser grandfather gives Mole a taste of the joy of flight; Mole learns his lesson from experience, not authority.

Best of all, our daughter loves it.

I was 6 months pregnant when my older son got this book as a gift and it made my eyes well up every time I read it. It's a beautiful book. Both the story and the illustrations are wonderful.

My husband picked this up for my son (18 months) at our local independent bookstore. Since then, it is a consistent favorite - not just with our son, but with the entire family. It is beautifully told, a lovely tale, and wonderfully illustrated. I actually came on this site hoping to find more of her books in print. I believe it is a story that will bear re-telling for years to come.

A beautiful, touching, honest book with a great lesson.

This is a wonderful little book. My children loved it and I still enjoy reading this to children when I get a chance. I like to volunteer to read at the schools, libraries, etc in our area.

I thought this book was a funny story.It was funny because a mouse learns to sing and the mouse is friends with a human. I thought the story waas interesting at times because when a human sees a mouse they scream but not Mrs. Honeybee she is nice to the mouse and gives them chocolate. I think you will enjoy this book because it was very interesting. I really enjoyed this book so you should to.

I thought this book was a good book because there is always going on. Like when Wolf was singing. I also thought some of the parts were funny. I thought it was funny becausethe only way Mrs.Honeybee could get Wolf to sing was if she gave him a piece of chocolate, and who would have thought, a singing mouse. This book is also weird because that there is a singing mouse and that is funny and very very wierd. It is als weird that Mrs. Honeybee wants to spend all of her extra time with Wolf and Mary (Wolfs mother).

A Mouse Called Wolf comes from the inventive mind of Dick King-Smith who gave us Babe: The Gallant Pig.

After watching his friends race across piano keys, wee Wolfgang Amadeus Mouse throws back his head and sings. Eventually he uses his voice to rescue the lady of the house. Wolf's antics are ably illustrated by Jon Goodell.

Dick King-Smith writes another fabulous book. This wonderful story of friendship and heroes is an inspiration to people of all ages. It speaks about friendship, family and aspiring to do your best. As always the characters come to life and become the readers new best friend.

Emmaline is a mouse who lives in a house in Emily Dickinson's room. They become friends very quickly and write poems together.

This was an excellent book, and I recommend it to everyone.

Emmaline is a mouse who lives behind the wainscoting of Emily Dickinson's bedroom and is a small, but courageous writer. The Mouse Of Amherst is a unique and effective little story for young children that aptly introduces wonderful poetry woven into the warm and superbly crafted story. Illustrations by Claire A. Nivola are perfect augmentations to Elizabeth Spires's engaging and memorable tale.

I am a librarian who loves children's literature. I have always been a huge fan of Emily Dickinson. When I bought this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am now in the process of analyzing it for my college classes, and I find it is even richer than I originally thought. The child who is lucky enough to read this book will come away with the idea that the written word is important, and so is to find one's own talents in life,to find what excites a child to feel that a "whirligig is spinning in my brain." The child will find the importance of friendship in this small volume, and will become introduced in an easy way to poetry and Emily Dickinson. It is a timeless piece which can be used in elementary school as well as high school, where a teacher could truly concentrate on the rich imagery and symbolism. Emmaline will touch a child's heart.

I RECOMMEND THE MOUSE OF AMHERST, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE POEMS. IT IS ABOUT A MOUSE NAMED, EMMALINE WHO GOES TO LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE AS A POET NAMED ELIZABETH. THEY WRITE POEMS TO TELL EACH OTHER THINGS. ONE DAY THE MOUSE TRAPPER COMES . WILL EMMALINE BE OK? READ THIS BOOK TO FIND OUT!

"I am a mouse, a white mouse. My name is Emmaline. Before I met Emily, the great poet of Amherst, I was nothing more than a crumb gatherer, a cheese nibbler, a mouse-of-little-purpose. There was an emptiness in my life that nothing seemed to fill. All that changed the day I moved into the Dickinson residence on Main Street..." Emmaline moves into the simple, quiet, sunny upstairs bedroom, and begins her new life in the wainscoting of Emily's room. She observes the Dickinson family, and is most fascinated by her new roommate, Emily. "She always wore white. She seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once, fluttering through the house like a ghost, stirring up a batch of gingerbread in the kitchen, or walking in the garden, lost in reverie..." Emily is always sitting at her little desk in deep concentration, writing and scribbling on small scraps of paper, and this intrigues the little mouse. When a small scrap finally lands on the floor near Emmaline's door, she snatches it up and begins reading. "Imagine my surprise when I realized I was holding a poem! The words spoke to me. These were my feelings exactly, but ones I had always kept hidden for fear the world would think me a sentimental fool..." Emmaline turns the paper over and words begin to pour out of her; a poem of her own. Then she returns the scrap with her new poem on the back to Emily's desk. That night while Emmaline slept, Emily read her poem and wrote back, slipping the note paper under her little mouse door. "I'm Nobody! Who are you?/Are you-Nobody-too/Then there's a pair of us!/Don't tell! they'd banish us-you know!..." And that, as they say, was the beginning of a beautiful friendship..... Elizabeth Spires has written an engaging, gentle, and evocative introduction to the great poet, Emily Dickinson. Her charming and creative story, told often in poems passed back and forth between mouse and Myth, is sometimes poignant, often humorous, and always enlightening. Claire Nivola's black and white sketches complement the text beautifully, and together word and art paint a lovely portrait of the elusive and reclusive Dickinson and her genius, with great insight. Perfect for youngsters 9-12, The Mouse Of Amherst makes an even better read aloud book the entire family can share, and includes an Author's note about Emily Dickinson's life and her poetry to augment and enhance the story and open interesting discussions. This sweet little treasure is sure to whet the appetite of both young and old, and send kids out looking for more. It works well as a companion book to Jeanette Winter's Emily Dickinson's Letters To The World, and Michael Bedard's Emily.

I like reading this to my kids (aged 7 & 6). Cute book: "sloppy, choppy, gooey and gloppy" that kind of stuff.. Full of layers; this on that, that on this and so on... He's a creative cook; building a pizza - but oh how sad an ending for Pat; poor Pat! Yet it's a happy ending for others.

and Pizza Pat has a lot of both. This is my daughter's favorite book (age 7, autistic). She laughs and laughs at poor Pat, who has his masterpiece pizza eaten by "mice by the dozens." I wish I had a recording of my husband reading it to her. I think he enjoys it as much as she does.

The repetitious rhyming makes the book easy to read and fun for her, which in turn aids her language development and reading skills. Plus, it's about her very favorite thing to eat. If all books were this much fun, she'd never put them down! Alas, they are not, and even a child who perseverates (some might say "obsesses") gets bored eventually. My only dissatisfaction with the book is that some of the rhymes are a bit forced. But when you're a child, those descriptions are not so strange, so it's probably the grownup in me.

If you have a little pizza-lover in your life, they will adore Pizza Pat!

When my oldest daugher was two, we read this book at least once a night. My second daughter listened to it from age 2-3 twice a night and even brought to school (and the teacher read it 7 times in a row because of the constant 'again, agains' from the class). Now my three year old son is in love with this book. We read it at least twice a night and thanks to the constant repitition, he 'reads' it too! He loves this book so much he thanks Jesus at prayer time for 'Pizza Pat and the mice'.
We have probably over 400 kids books and I swear this is the most read!

Both my 4-year-old and my 2-year-old love this book. The illustrations are wonderful and really capture Pizza Pat's emotions as he builds his pizza and later loses it to some hungry, albeit naughty, little mice. The descriptions of the ingredients used to make the pizza are silly and giggle-provoking. Even if your kids don't eat pizza, they are sure to enjoy this little book over and over again. I agree with another reviewer: reading the text with an accent definitely adds to the hilarity.

The concept/rhythm of this book in indebted to the "The House That Jack Built." I don't know how many young readers will be familiar with this story before attempting to read this book. As an adult, I found the book enjoyable enough to buy it was present for one of my nephews who loves pizza, although I'm not sure he will like who really gets to eat the pizza at the end.