Rainbow The Books

I used this book as a resource for teaching African art. My K-2 students love the pictures of the African animals and don't even realize they are "reading" as they recite the book's rhythms and rhymes along with me. Tying in art with social studies and culture is a great way to reinforce lessons! The students can't wait until Sit Tight and Read time - they all want to read this book again and again.

This was purchased so my Granddaughter could have one at her house because she loves the one at my house so much. An "old standard" that is loved for it's wonderful words and repetitions.

i saw this on reading rainbow when james earl jones narrated it. its my favorite story from the series because it shows how everything is connected, coming together to perform one action. it also inspired me to do cartoon based on how the protagonist made it rain.

After hearing James Earl Jones read this book on Reading Rainbow, I knew I had to buy it. My two very young sons (ages 1 and 2) sat entranced the whole time. Of course that may have been because it was the voice of Darth Vader, but hey, it's a great book all on its own. My husband now reads this book to them at bedtime every night.

I bought this book after having it recommended while taking a graduate level children's literature class. I was not disappointed! I grabbed this book to read aloud if I had extra time while substitute teaching for a kindergarten class. I thought the children would be more attracted to the rhyme and pattern of the words so imagine my surprise when the book sparked a lengthy discussion between 5 year olds about drought, Africa, animals, and culture! It prompted questions that I didn't even know they were capable of asking and had them making connections to weather in our own backyard and stories they heard on the news. This book is a reading, social studies, and science lesson in one!

The illustrations in this are clever, detailed, and beautiful. It's a very fun twist on an old favorite story.

The Three Little Javelinas (Reading Rainbow Book)
I BUY THIS BOOK FREQUENTLY FOR BOTH MY ENGLISH AND SPANISH FRIENDS. IT IS PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AND IS A WONDERFUL STORY. MAKES A GREAT GIFT

This story has a multitude of educational features included in an updated story of 'three little critters' and their adventures facing adversity-together- with a good ending for the three little ones- and justice delivered to the 'bad guy'-

Living in the southwest this is one of my favorite baby gifts to give. This and a little stuffed Javelina from the toy store make such a cute pair.

Who hasn't heard of or read the classic story for children, The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf? In this retelling, the pigs are javelinas, and the wolf is the trickster, the coyote. Instead of houses made of straw, sticks, and bricks, the houses are made of tumbleweed, cactus ribs, and adobe bricks.

The ending won't surprise you. There's a reason coyotes howl like they mean it.

This is a cute retelling, with gorgeous illustrations by Jim Harris. There's a lot of opportunity to put some vocal variety into your reading when you have that favorite kid sitting by you. And if you like this type of retelling, don't forget to look up the book The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig!

This work is rather realistic. For anyone who grew up in similiar surroundings, it brings on waves of nostalgia. Growing up in the Ozark Mountains was quite similar to the setting of this story. These were simpler times, for good and bad, and it is good that we have something like this to pass on to our children. The illustrations in this book are soft and wonderful. The text is quite to the point and quite readable and understandable. The book leaves much room for open discussion, although it helps a lot if you actually grew up in these conditions, when discussing it with the young ones. I find that the simple fact there there was no electricity, no T.V., no radios, no running water, etc. quite difficult for children to understand and grasp. This book helps a lot. Recommend this one highly.

I read When I was young in the mountains, then took it to my father, who read it. Rylant is slightly older than me, but she grew up near where my dad was born and raised. My father said after reading that he'd pretty much grown up the same way. He left the poverty of Appalachia as a teenager via the poor man's college-- the service. I was born and raised in Utah. Books such as When I was young in the Mountains were a way for me to connect with a way of life I knew very little about, and I am very thankful for Rylant's work, especially since Dad died recently.

Growing up in West Virginia myself, I relate to to this book. Although I'm now 20 and currently attending college, I still love to read it. It is something I plan to read to my children.

A poignant reminiscence of a way of life that has largely disappeared.

This book showed us what is best about the mountains and the traditions of those living in those mountains. It has been so easy for our society to stereotype Appalachian mountain people as ignorant, backwards hillbillies that it is refreshing to see a depiction that shows mountain people in a different light. The old ways are disappearing. So are the mountains. The Appalachian mountains are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, containing one of the most diverse hardwood forests on earth. Mountain top coal removal, strip mining, and valley fills are destroying these mountains. Soon, the only way we will be able to show our children the beauty and wonder of these mountains will be through books and memories. "When I Was Young in the Mountains" will be a treasure in our house for generations. I encourage everyone to not only read this book, but also to support efforts to stop destructive, non-sustainable coal mining practices so we will be able to show our children and grandchildren more than just beautiful pictures of what once existed!

This is a well written & nicely illustrated book about how common items may come from far away, exotic lands. If you enjoyed this, you may also like Cocoa Ice by Diana Karter Applebaum - written for slightly older readers about two little girls whose families harvest and trade cocoa beans and ice.

This is an excellent teaching resource for second person point of view. It is an excellent story and the children enjoy it!

This is a wonderful book with lovely illustrations. It is a favourite of my daughter's since childhood and she was thrilled to have her own copy for her 16th birthday!

Good book for teaching the natural, human, and capital resources used to produce the apple pie. Identifying the types of transportation used by the baker in gathering the resources for her pie. Trace the route of the baker as she travels around the world. A skit can be made from the book also.

We had so much fun with this book! We used it with the Five-in-a-Row Homeschool curriculum and enjoyed it so much. Besides being a really neat children's book in general, there is a lot to learn about geography and language and other cultural benefits in this book. I recommend this one for any kid who likes to read or be read to. We have enjoyed it very much - it is one we had to have in our home, not just borrow from the library! Can't say enough!

We have a few pop-up type books and a lot of them just have something stand up, or have pieces that are too delicate for younger toddlers. Although this one is also easy to rip, there aren't tiny pieces so it takes a little more tug than some others. But the pop-ups are bright, not too busy, and really engage my toddler. Heads bobble, arms wave. We'll definitely keep an eye out for others in this series. On sale, only, of course, since the lifespan of this will surely be limited as much as my daughter loves it and will eventually manage to rip the pop-ups!

The book Snappy Little Colors is great because not only is it a book to teach kids about colors, it's a pop up too. They kids can have fun learning their colors as well as learning to read better. You get to see different animals with different colors on them. I would say this book would be good for kids the ages of 1 and up.

My son is 18 months old and he loves this book-- especially the shark and the bear! I am buying 2 Snappy books for a friend's 2-year-old's birthday. Excellent!

My daughter (26 months) LOVES this book! I read it to her often but she really spends lots of time looking at it on her own, too. She will flip through it saying each animal's name, then again making the sound of each animal, then one more time stating the main color on each page. Great big pop-ups really catch her attention. This book is especially helpful for learning colors or animal names. She loves it so much I have ordered her a couple of other Snappy Books for Christmas. Enjoy!

A friend gave this to me as a baby shower gift and I started reading it to my son at about 4 months.

At first it was the only book (out of many) to hold his attention all the way through. It still holds his attention now at 9 months no matter what he's doing when I open it.

The print and mechanical quality are first rate. The text is very well written and if I quote phrases from the book (at non-reading times) my son will recognize them and start giggling. The illustrations are quite clever and make learning entertaining.

If you buy no other children's book, buy this one! I plan to give it as a shower gift to all new moms from now on.

Poet and writer Ralph Carpio takes a unique approach to instruct the reader on how to become powerful. The Constant Creator In You is an enthusiastically recommended, "reader friendly" addition to any personal self-help, self-improvement reading list and reference collection.

In The Constant Creator In You, poet and writer Ralph Carpio takes a unique approach to instruct the reader in how to become powerful, radiant, loving, and creative in their daily life. Carpio talks about Life Power (an ability to examine possible consequences and receiving all of what we wish to receive); The Giant Soda Machine (life is participatory and works in an organized way); Living Statements (the importance of life's communication with us); Unnecessary Boxes (it is a natural state to live in a steady stream of desires requiring decisions and choices); Reality Check (the role of reality checks in the empowerment process of taking charge of our lives); and The Constant Creator In You (a strong, creative force within us creates helps us deal with and shape our material conditions and circumstances). The Constant Creator In You is an enthusiastically recommended, "reader friendly" addition to any personal self-help, self-improvement reading list and reference collection.

The Constant Creator in You is a refreshingly powerful book that breaks the mold of self-help books on the market today. His straightforward, almost humorous way of presenting age-old material in an easy-to-digest format, makes reading and utilizing the principles in this book a delight, while also serving to help change the reader's life. I firmly believe that this important book will be of major assistance to all, no matter how far or how long one has been on the path to self improvement or self actualization. Thumbs up for Carpio's The Constant Creator in You!

The Constant Creator In You turned me on to the enormous power I have in the present moment. The universe is on MY side, listening to what I'm asking for! This book tells you just how to listen to what you're asking for in such a simple, easy to read way, I really treasure it. A must read for anyone with personal challenges to overcome.

Constant Creator is a modern new age message-quick, clean, so simple it's unsophisticated enough to be the truth. Carpio writes with sheer honesty. Sheer in the sense that he did it and he knows we can do it. Honest because it's in the grand tradition of American writing that says it's free as the air, available as freedom, and as simple as Allowing.

I have this cookbook and I love it and want to buy it for another couple. The recipes are really fun, very good, and well organized. But $99-- what the heck? Doesn't anyone sell a new copy of this for less??

my new husband and i adore this book! i have given it as a gift to so many of our couple friends. the pages are worn and spattered with food as we fight over the book while cooking all the delicious meals together. my husband, who doesn't like to cook, loves preparing these meals with me! he loves the way it all comes together at the end, and we dont have to determine who does what, its all detailed for chef 1 and chef 2. we have had so many wonderfully romantic and fun nights together thanks to this book. my only complaint is that there's not a dinner dates 2, 3, 4 etc. we are almost done with this book and would love to buy more!

I was delighted that the timing and food worked out so well. I typically have a tough time serving everything hot at the same time. While we were enjoying our dinner, the poached pears were simmering on the stove. Fantastic!

This book really brought my boyfriend and I into the kitchen together. Now, every meal is a pleasure instead of work (he even cooks me dinner a few nights a week)! We've learned to take time and enjoy it. Cooking is fun and every moment together should be just that. Pay close attention when you're told to toast your date while cooking. Romance in the kitchen can happen thanks to Martha!

We barely made it through the first course. Just reading the recipes aloud to one another set our buns on fire. A saucy melange of ingredients, arrayed ever so sensually on the table before us, made this a VERY SPECIAL NIGHT. A little simmer, then a rolling boil! Here's some advice: Have your lover keep the cooking mits on... Looking forward to future editions with: cooking for one, cooking for 3, and cooking for groups recipes. Try the spicy wraps!

I am the author of "Hurricanes & Rainbows-Finding Life's Promise After the Storm," and although I am reluctant to submit a review of my own work, I am doing so at the urging of my publisher. "H&R" was never meant to be published. I wrote the pages of what came to be the finished work during a 28-day period in the summer of '06--nearly a year after experiencing two life-changing events--the breakup of an 8-year relationship and the ravages of Hurricane Katrina in my native New Orleans. These devastating events were closely followed by eight more which were equally as challenging. By the time I had endured #10, I was completely out of sorts--so much so that I finally came to the end of myself and sought professional help (something I swore I would never do!).

Long story short, my therapy "did the trick" and I finally got my life back. As part of my therapy, I decided to embark on a much-needed catharsis, which was accomplished through writing what I believed would always remain for "my eyes only." After trusted friends read the manuscript, they encouraged me to pursue publishing, which I did, and the rest is history. Now that my work is in print, my hope is that readers will find hope and encouragement when faced with storms along life's journey. To borrow a quote from the author, "I have learned that without the storms of life there can be no rainbows." Rainbows do await the storm-tossed traveler; yours may be just beyond the next storm cloud.

If you read the book and are encouraged in any way, I would love to hear from you. I can be reached by email at hurricanerainbow@aol.com. Please visit my website at: www.hurricanesandrainbows.com. God bless you on your way--Mark

I wasn't looking for "self-help" when I received Hurricanes & Rainbows as a gift. What I found was self-awareness and confidence to meet life's disappointments with grace and hope. Mr. Armstrong's poignant story of his life's experiences both tragic and happy were true inspiration. He writes from his soul bringing his readers along on his journey as if you were going through the experiences at his side. If you didn't know Mark before reading Hurricanes & Rainbows you will call him friend at the end of his story. To have survived any of the events described takes courage and strength. Having survived all of the events since Aug 2005 and still be able to smile and have compassion for others is simply amazing. Finding a penny will now always be a blessing thanks to this book. I look forward to reading the sequel once Mr. Armstrong finds his Rainbow.

This was not an enjoyable book to read--at least not the parts that described all of the life events that led to Mr. Armstrong's depression. However, it was a highly rewarding read. I am happy that Mr. Armstrong got his life back. I am glad he learned how to cope with the lousy hand his life dealt him. I am grateful that he wrote about his experiences, however painful it must have been for him to do so. His book will serve an important purpose. His words will inspire the downcast, encourage the weary, and lift up the fallen. His book did all three for me. No, I didn't much like this book...I loved it!

Nearly everyone has suffered loss and grief at some point in their lives. Many people battle depression following these painful events. Most of us have experienced many of the same losses as Mr. Armstrong. We've had our hearts broken after a failed relationship ends in a breakup or divorce. We've lost loved ones to death, maybe even violent death. We've dealt with financial problems, perhaps even bankruptcy. We've moved to new cities, taken new jobs, leaving behind famiily, friends, and our sense of security. We've buried our beloved pets. We may have even been hit by natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. The difference between most of us and Mr. Armstrong is that for the vast majority of people, painful episodes such as these are usually spread out over a lifetime. For him, they all occured in less than a year! How he recovered from such a series of events is beyond me. But he did. His book can and will encourage any reader who faces hardship and pain in life, like me and like you. This book will show you how to never give up. It will show you how to learn and grow in your faith, not only in God, but in yourself. If you have faced problems in your life, read Hurricanes & Rainbows. You'll be stronger for having read this sad yet victorious journey.

It's been two long years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, the city I call home. In those two years, I've read everything I could get my hands on that had been written about the storm, including Douglas Brinkley's The Great Deluge, Jed Horne's Breach Of Faith, as well as countless others. I've watched Spike Lee's documentary, The Day The Levees Broke. And they are all wonderful! This book, Hurricanes & Rainbows, gives the storm's fury a human face--one man and his dog struggling to get out of harm's way. But that man was already beaten down by another storm he endured three weeks before Katrina. That storm clouded his thinking and caused him to think irrationally in a seemingly hopeless situation. Katrina was only his second storm; there would be eight more to follow in close succession. The city of New Orleans has been slow to rebuild. Fortunately, Mr. Armstrong has rebounded much quicker. His storm story is an inspiration to me as a New Orleanian, but more importantly, as a kindred spirit who has endured his share of his own storms in life. If he can find his rainbow, then surely so can I. I have and I will continue to ride the waves and somehow manage to stay afloat. This book will encourage you to weather life's storms, knowing that you can and will prevail in the end. Extremely well written and blatantly honest, I highly recommend it.

This book is the perfect little gift book for young children. I love to watch their eyes light up when they see the colorful pictures, which are just beautiful.
The words are simple, but so meaningful and little people can understand what is being read to them, or if they are old enough to read, what they are reading.
I have given the book to several of my little friends, who have a new baby in the house, which makes them feel very special.

everyone loves to hear those three special words, "i love you," but when you tell them to a child, do they truly understand the depth of your love for them? this book gives children a deeper understanding of those words in a fun and wonderful way. the rhymes are melodious, the illustrations are fabulous and once you see and read it, you'll want to pass a copy on to your friends and special little ones in your life.

Great book with illustrations to match the words that pop on the page. Great for any preschooler. Colors wonderful. Way to go Susan.

I love this book. The words and illustrations are beautiful; I love reading it to my daughter!

Imagine what you love most, and then imagine that someone loves you more than that! This book is a great conversation starter for children to explore what love means and how it feels. Whether the book is for a child that needs to know you love them more than the thing that they love most, or for a library at school, this book communicates a freedom to love and to express that love!

I purchased this book for my daughter so she can read that anything is possible if you truly believe no matter who you are. We are now Big Grace fans !!!

I got the book as a gift for my grand daughter who likes to draw. The vivid colors and expressions on the characters faces should keep her interested for a while. The story line is an added bonus.

Do you need a book that confronts racism, appreciates theater, and shatters stereotypes on a primary level? If so, Amazing Grace, by Mary Hoffman, is the book for you. Not only does this book cover the above topics, but is also highlights on key items for younger readers, such as reading about individual achievements and moral dilemmas.
Grace, a first grade African American female, has an imagination with no boundaries. Grace loves to act out stories that she is told. At school, Grace's heart runs with excitement when her teacher announces that the class is going to do the play Peter Pan. Everyone wants to be Peter Pan, which highlights the enthusiasm for theater among these students. However, as Grace wants to be Peter Pan, her classmates tell her first that she can't because she is not a male. The second reason her classmates say is that she can't be Peter Pan is because she is black. Here lies the racism in this book.
The teacher allows each student to take home lines and memorize them to try out for roles. The best would get Peter Pan. In the mean time, Grace's grandmother takes her to a Romeo and Juliet ballet that features a black Juliet. This inspires Grace to go home and learn those lines as best as she can so that she will be the best one in the class. When it is time to try out, Grace is by far the best Peter Pan and the class votes to let her fill this role. This is where the shattering of stereotypes comes into play.
Past the social issues, Amazing Grace also fulfills the requirements that the Temple textbook states are good children's literature. First, children's literature must speak to the child. Children, especially that would read Amazing Grace, are extremely egocentric. Therefore, they want to read about the potential for individual achievement. Any child that is repressed for any reason could identify with Grace. There are a lot of things that Peter Pan was not, not just simply black. African American students could truly identify with Grace, having to deal with their differences that are spawned by their skin color and culture.
The last noticeable characteristic of good children's literature apparent in Amazing Grace is the presence of in depth thought, especially on morals. This book spawns thought on all the social issues mentioned above. This book would most certainly cause students to re- evaluate their thoughts and stances on racism, stereotypes, and maybe even theater. So many times, students think that what their parents believe is what they have to believe. However, educating students can help not only in letting them make their own decisions, but also educating their parents as well.
Finally, this book is an excellent book for teachers because there are many activities that can be done to accompany the reading. Perhaps this would be a great book to lead into their own class play. Another idea is to place this in a unit on racism and segregation in the upper elementary levels. Also, a teacher could do dress up day and the students could be whatever they want to be. All stereotypes are shattered for the day and each student can be free to be who they are. Amazing Grace may be one of the most influential books that I have ever read on racism and the way that Grace and her family handle this issue is admirable.

I liked this story because Grace can be Peter Pan if she put her mind to it. My favorite part is after the ballet. I would recommend this book to a friend because its about your imaginery. The book is amazing.

By: S.J.
Los Angeles
Age 5

This is a great story with a great message. It tells children there are no limits to what they can be. It tells children not to be deterred by sterotypes or opinions. You can be anything you set your mind to. I bought copies for both my son and my niece.