Awards Books

i loved this book because it is a fun teaching tool and a thought provoking read with amazing illustrations. no eat not food educates kids of all ages (including those of us who never grow up!) the importance of sustainable practices and to be cognitive of what we put in our bodies. I can't wait to share this story with others and hope no eat will plant a seed in kids' minds that grows into an organic and health lifestyle. thank you rick!

Rick Sanger is the Michael Pollan of children's literature. This book is a wonderful story that contains valuable knowledge for people of all ages. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn more about what exactly is in that processed bag of potatos chips and why you would be much better off eating a fresh organic potato instead. Be well!

We found this book at our local organic Co-op. I'm so glad I picked it up! My 3 & 5 year old daughters love the book. It teaches in a very fun way why organic sustainable growing is the only way to go. Our girls love veggies and it was great this book showcased yellow tomatoes!! We have them growing in our big organic garden. Kudos to the author and the illustrator for providing such a clear fun message about what healthy food is. I highly recommend.

This book is as important as the book you will buy your children on family life. The alien bug No Eat and his friend Lulu, take a brother and sister through the process of learning about sustainably grown, organic food. They show the kids how it's not only important to eat your veggies but to ask questions of your grocer and farmer about how your veggies were grown. My three children ages 6, 8, and 10 are all extremely attracted to this book. I could have never taught them these important lessons without the magic of No Eat!

A truly fantastic book! My students absolutely adore it probably because it captures their imaginations & makes them laugh.

Jon H.

This story was a real inspiration for any man who has a son... especially when the story involves divorce. The way Scott is able to rekindle the relationship with David and Ric is testimony for any guy. Peller uses wonderful language causing the reader to become one with the story.

I am anxious to read the full contents of this book. I enjoyed "Living the Gimmick" and feel that no disappointment will come out of this one.
His writings are creative and I cannot wait to read this book in its entity.
Awesome writer--

This short is very entertaining. The feeling of the characters are so well described I mistook them for my own.

While staying in a secluded mountain cabin during a power failure with nothing to read but a few tattered girlie magazines and a lone book on (horrors) pro wrestling, I opted for Living the Gimmickby Ben Peller. To my complete surprise, I became totally enraptured and although the lights came back on I continued to burn the midnight oil well into the night. Albeit in a completely different vein, at first blush The Pearl of Mohatama Beach promises to be equally intriguing. I am anxiously looking forward to reading the whole manuscript when published. Bring it on!

A wonderful opening chapter. The first line really draws you in and the descriptions and details (the maple tree, the screams) really bring the story to life! You can 'see' the scene in front of you.

The Pride of the Lyons is a well thought out and thought provoking story. The writer draws the reader in and captures their attention beginning to end. The stoy is well written and keeps the reader interested page by page
with it's twists and turns. I throughly enjoyed reading this story.

Sorry but why can't he just be a private eye who happens to be Gay. This generation of gays has an unfortunate obsesion with "gay-ness" being the core of their identity. How sad. He also seemed to have no sense of self in terms of why he was doing anything he was doing. That being said the confrontation in the bar was handled well and the character almost came to life for me. Too bad the govenor couldn't just have been regular philandering, enough of the gay angle if it's not a gay focused mystery. I like horses and horse racing so I'd probably keep reading for a while to see if he softened up on the gay pride and focused on the mystery.

The author takes you on a titliating journey through a myriad of interesting landscapes, places that most of us have never, nor will ever find ourselves. I sat on the edge of my seat, on more than one occasion, as this page turner left me wanting more. I truly felt acquainted with Kentucky's politics, horse-racing, and underground world, after this read. I give this book my best review! Read it or miss out!

This excerpt for "The Pride of Lyons" is absolutely wonderful. The first line draws you in provoking your curiosity. The plot line itself keeps you captivated by throwing unexpected turns the readers way. With slight hints of humor that keep it even more stimulating. This excerpt kept me on my toes and entertained, and I would love to read the rest of it.

I'm impressed. This story jumped right out of the starting gate and into the plot. Definitely an interesting approach to the detective novel. I wasn't expecting a gay male protagonist in place of the usual gristled drunken womanizer. Mr. Peters maintained the feel of the genre with colorful descriptions of people and places that make for an excellent read. I'm intrigued and interested in where the story will take me, best of luck in the contest because I'd love to read the rest.

Great cookbook! A book full of delicious, fresh recipes! This is one of those cookbooks I want to try every recipe it has! Loved the juice recipes also!

This book is fantastic for information about cooking tools (explains different types of juicers for example), ingredients, supplements, recipes (smoothies and Asian bowls especially) for the vegan diet. One of the best things about this book is the format is lush with beautiful color pictures but still easy to follow with plenty of information and instruction. I would recommend if you are interested in healthful, fairly light, vitamin-packed foods.

love this book so much that i'm taking a trip to the restaurant!this book is beautiful in it's simplicity and every recipe is easily doable,with delicious results.the rice bowls are inspirational.this is a beautifully photographed book with high quality printing.i love this cook book, and i'm sure i will love the restaurant as well.

I've eaten at Fresh a few times, and was a bit skeptical about this book - thinking it was probably just promo and that I wouldn't be able to recreate their food.

I was wrong, and am so glad I bought this book! This is the best vegetarian cookbook I've ever used. I am a novice cook, so recipes that are easy to follow (no assumptions) and that are actually tested are important. With a few exceptions (for example, what quantity of dried soba noodles makes 8 cups cooked?), I haven't been disappointed.

I started off making the veggie broth - when you have 10 cups of fresh broth, you start looking for things to use it in! My favourites from the soups section are Sweet Potato and Coconut, Tuscan White Bean with Pesto, and the Marrakesh Curried Stew.

I bought some soba noodles recently and decided to try the Khao San Soba noodle recipe - it is easy and fabulous! We've also made the Buddha Rice Bowl, Marinated Tofu Cubes (these keep well in the fridge and can be used in a variety of recipes). The Thai Peanut Sauce makes a lot, but thankfully I found some other recipes on the internet to use it with (Chinese Peanut Salad).

The main drawback is that I loved the first few recipes I made so much that I wanted to keep making them and didn't explore the book further. While not everything I've made is a favourite, I have been diving into the book more, and I'm really enjoying what I'm discovering.

Don't be put off by this book if you aren't vegan - you will not notice or miss the absence of eggs or dairy products in these recipes. If you're a vegetarian wanting to go that extra step towards a vegan diet, this is a great jumpstart!

Fantastic! Thank you, Ruth Tal.

"Refresh" is a fresh twist on vegan cooking. Being in a rural location some of the ingredients are a bit hard to find, but other than that this cookbook is fantastic! Recipes are easy to follow and this book includes numerous photographs of many of its colorful dishes. The Coconut Tempeh was super simple to make and extremely flavorful, but best of all it had the perfect texture. The most difficult thing about this book is having to choose just a few recipes at a time to make. It says a lot that this is my Husband's favorite cookbook and he is NOT even vegan (but he is an incredible cook!) A must have for vegan entertaining!

This story is too wide-sweeping to be contained within a families' oral history!
The tale of John Paul Jones' cousin, SMITH PAUL, from his running away from home, to becoming a Chickasaw Senator, in pre-Indian-Territory OKLAHOMA, is re-told, by his grandson, Bill Paul, who still lives near the town bearing his Granddad's name, [SMITH] PAULS VALLEY, Oklahoma.
The EPIC tale begins is the Tidal lowlands of New Bern, North Caorlina, and passes through the racial attitudes, both towards Blacks and Indians, and those of them, toward whites as well. It culminates in the early statehood of Oklahoma, and especially covers the mass refugee migration of America's Indigenous populations.
Territorial disputes, historic figures in additional light, loose mores of 'frontier America,'and Red-on-Red crime, as the tribal cultures clashed with new, constrained borders.
Whether you are White, American Indian, somewhere in-between, or even a historic scholar, this is one historic fiction, well-researched, worth your page-turning finger's time.

I found this book to be very interesting and very well written. I read this book in less than 2 days because I just couldn't put it down. I am not one that reads a lot but this book was wonderful. The drama that would arise throughout the book and the family kept me so interested and wanting to know more. I have now passed this book on to my family to read and they are loving it as well. I would recommend this book to everyone. Trust me you won't be able to put it down.

The book starts off at a fast pace and never relents. It is amazing how deeply interwoven the Paul family history is with so many of the important events of their time. An amazing tale indeed, detailing people and events that we have read about in history books. Of course in this book we see things through the eyes of the people of the time.

I really enjoyed reading the book and I have a greater understanding of the Paul family history.

Shadow of an Indian Star looks at the lives of three generations of Paul men: Smith Paul, Sam Paul, and Joe Paul. One of the authors (Bill Paul) of this book is the direct descendent Smith Paul and his son Sam. Bill spent much of his life hearing what he thought were tall tales about his ancestors. Bill's co-author, wife Cindy, had also heard plenty of these stories and decided to do a little research to find out if any of these amazing accounts were even close to reality. To Bill and Cindy's surprise not only were the recollections true but there were lots of other tales that they'd never even heard.

The three Paul men in this story are as similar as they are different. Each man was full of full of spirit and adventure. Each would appear lost to many until he found his calling. Each man would struggle with family relationships, particularly in love and father-son relationships. Smith Paul the white man adopted by the Chickasaw Nation; Sam Paul the hotheaded sheriff and senator; and Joe Paul the murderer.

Laying aside this is my family, I found this book to be fascinating. It is a book so well written that I literally could not put it down. It was not full of excruciating bland history portrayal, it was real people brought to life by the ancestral lore of Bill Paul and the detailed research of his wife Cindy.
I could not recommend this book more. Anyone seeking a well-written novel needs to pick this work up.

A well-written, well-researched, touching look at the life and struggles of a young girl during the depression era. Recommended!

This is by far my favorite read over the past year. I review books for the library at my elementary school and just happened to pick this book up. I am so glad that I did. The imagery and the writing in this book are fantastic and put the reader in the time period. I found myself thinking more about the Great Depression and I am now collecting reading material to extend this theme for my students. Young readers and Older readers will enjoy this book. I even ordered another book by this author because I enjoyed her so much.

As a child of Depression Era parents & someone who was born & raised in Aransas Pass, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It brings into focus just how hard life was for our parents growing up in the Depression. It is also a great historical commentary on the birth of the shrimping & fishing industry of the South Texas area. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in the history of the area & the Great Depression.

You can all read the summary and the other reviews, so I don't feel obligated to restate what others have already said so well. I discovered this book at my school library, one of the GA Book Award titles, and took it home over the weekend. The story was so engaging, that I called the author. As it turns out, the story is based on the real life story of Mrs. Hale's grandparents. It was such a thrill to speak with her. Besides the engaging story, the meaningful life lessons, and the memorable characters, Mrs. Hale has an amazing skill with words. Even my students noticed the prolific use of figurative language, which helped them to visualize events from the story. I used this book in class to teach students how to recognize and utilize figurative language in their own reading and writing. The text was something my students shared, so we were always able to revisit the story and talk about it. I strongly recommend this book for any teacher who wants to teach the elements of literature using a whole class read aloud. Mrs. Hale is not only charming, but she is a talented writer as well. I look forward to reading her 2nd book. I must warn you, though, be prepared to shed a tear.

The Truth About Sparrows is a wonderful book. It takes place in the 1930s, which is generally the time the Great Depression occured. There is a young girl named Sadie Wynn. She originally lived in Missouri, but her father lost his job and she and her family were forced to move to Texas. Sadie wants to stay, but she has no choice. When they arrive in Texas, there family earns money by picking cotton. The Wynns meet the Gillems, a friendly family that Sadie later learns is in the same predicament as they are. Sadie has a hard time becoming good friends with Dollie Gillem, because she had made a promise to Wilma, a friend from Missouri, that the two would always be best friends. She soon begins to give in to her new surroundings and make friends. Texas is somewhat difficult for her because it's SO much different than Missouri. One day, she sees a mysterious man on the seawall, who she nicknames Mr. Sparrow. Every now and then, Sadie sort of checks up on him to make sure he's doing okay. A little while later, Sadie makes a pretty big mistake. Sadie yells at Dollie and says that she doesn't deserve to be there and how they're so much different. She says she had better in Missouri and how she wants to go back. It sort of messes up their friendship a little. Generally speaking, this book is a great book with a wonderful story line.

This is a story about a set of "mirror twins" who are essentially each others opposite; one cannot tell a lie, and one cannot divulge deep secrets. This story follows them through their childhood until about age 17, along with several of the town's inhabitants. Very well-written and engaging--a solid piece of young adult fiction from Sharon Shinn. This is supposedly the second book in a series, but reads as a stand-alone.

This was a lovely story, flawlessly told. I'd give it a 9.75 out of 10. Beautiful job with the characters, the world, and the writing. Yes, the plot is quite predictable -- young adult readers might perhaps find it less so -- but the story's great charm prevents its predictability from detracting from the pleasure of reading it.

The Truth-Taller's Tale (2005) is the second Fantasy novel in this milieu, following The Safe-Keeper's Secret. Adele and Eleda are mirror twins, born at the same time, but opposite in many ways. They look much alike, but one parts her hair on the left and the other on the right. They grow up to be a Safe-Keeper and a Truth-Teller.

In this novel, Adele is the secretive one, who is able to lie at will. On the other hand, Eleda is always honest, unable to tell a lie under any conditions. Woe be to anyone who mixes the two and passes on a story to the wrong twin.

Adele and Eleda are the daughters of innkeepers, so there are always chores to do. The inn is quite successful due to its location and often full of guests. The family's favorite guest, however, is the Dream-Maker Melinda, who stays there every Wintermoon.

Melinda is very popular wherever she goes, but the inn is among her own favorite places. Every year Melinda asks Hannah -- the twin's mother -- what dream would she want and Hannah answers that she has everything she wants. But one year Melinda points out the nature of the twins and Hannah is both surprised and pleased; Melinda gave her a dream that Hannah never knew she wanted.

In this story, the twins have a best friend, Roelynn, the daughter of the richest man in town. Her father Karro has a dream that he is convinced will come true; he believes that Roelynn will marry Prince Darian and become Queen. Karro has business interests with Queen Lirabel and visits the capital quite often, taking Roelynn, but somehow the prince is always elsewhere when he visits.

Roelynn is very satisfied with that situation and continues to have affairs of the heart with the most unsuitable males she happens to meet. Since Karro almost has apoplexy many time over Roelynn's casual romances, something is bound to break sooner or later.

Eventually, Eleda has an affair of her own, which would have turned out badly if Adele had not meddled. Later, Eleda learns of her sister's secret love and keeps this secret safe, which only her sisterly love makes possible.

Once again, the author tells a heartwarming and personal story about two sisters, but this time more about sisterhood, friendship and romance than state secrets. Naturally, this story also has a surprise ending; to everyone, that is, except Adele, who knew all about it from the first. Another Safe-Keeper's secret.

Highly recommended for Shinn fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of ordinary people, extraordinary situations and true love.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This lovely tale works both on the surface and at a deeper level. Sharon Shinn deals with the sexuality and yearnings and dreams of young people in such a subtle, yet insightful way, that I found myself translating Truth-Teller and Safekeeper into metaphor, searching for the hidden import--and not being disappointed. This is a fantasy world, but it works as a model for the real world, for the conflicted personality of the adolescent, with a happy resolution that doesn't subtract the weight of the message. I loved it. I hope every young girl of my acquaintance reads it!

This book is good for kids that like a story that follows the same plot line as the traditional fairy tale with a few twists. Happy endings all around, and mixed up identities told in a way that isn't too funny that it destroys the tale, but makes it interesting. This is different than the first book (the Safe-Keeper's Secret), but has more characters and depth to the story, making it a much better book than the first.

A terrific yarn in the style of Harriot's All Creatures Great and Small about the life and times of a Game Warden.

I was pleasently surprised by the review of my book by a William Mellette. While people seem to enjoy my stories, this is the first time I have ever been labled a "genius". To me gunus means Twain and Tolstoy, Hemmingway and Conrad. While I have never considered myself in those terms, I am exceedingly grateful for Mr. Mellette's generosity. I am particularly pleased that he recognized that I try to write on several different levels.

First I wanted to tell a precise, straightforward story on the killing of a mountain lion. It aspires to be a metaphor for the attempts by a fragile eco-system to resist an aggressive urbanization. Lastly, I hope my empathy toward the lion gives a pervading sense of sadness and loss.

In any event, thank you Mr. Mellette. I will try not to disappoint your expectations.

Ah, but this is a fine story well told. It reaches that elusive rainbow's end of fiction: it makes you want to keep reading to find out what's gonna happen.

The main character is extremely likeable. His feelings for the cougar he is forced to deal with come through clearly, and he describes it through action - always the best way...

"I could see the poor cat trying to drag herself away; see the light go out of her eyes."

The story has the right mix of humor and hard-boiled truth. Parts of it evoke the tough-'n-funny-'n-good writing of several of the hardboiled-style writers such as Mickey Spillane. Example...

"Mrs. Christopher might have been giving fifty a good hard push, but at first glance she could have been thirty. At a second glance you should have stopped at the first. ... She was attractive, but distant as a doll still in its cellophane wrapping."

Now, I just happen to like that if there isn't so much it gets in the way of the story, and there isn't. There are lots of different kinds of good stuff. Check out this little gem, which examines the seemingly irrational fear of a bystander...

"The fears that danced in the long fire shadows on the walls of the cave where our ancestors huddled are, in racial memory, like the day before yesterday."

Wictum's writing has another quality that eludes description, though I will try: the reader gets overtones of feeling from the writing that transcend the words themselves. I think that is talent raised to the level of genius.

I enjoyed this story immensely. It was very easy and fun to read from start to finish. The Author obviously knows the subject matter and relates it very well. I read a Book, "A Grizzly Way To Die" By James Corwin (No Wictum) which I am sure is by the same author, that I would recommend. I hope to read more by this author in the future.

I can see this guy -- big, loose-limbed, and serious looking. And I can sympathize with his position; game warden in the middle of one of America's biggest cities. And I appreciate his senses of irony, humor, and understanding, "She was attractive, but distant as a doll still in its cellophane wrapping." The author has made great verb choices and his beginning chapter from the viewpoint of the wild coyote is an excellent opening for a story about life in L.A. from an insider turned outsider's standpoint. What great observations of human and animal behavior! The only problem I can find with this excerpt is that it is far too short. This one had better be published. I want to hear the rest of the story.

What a fun little book! I went to see the William Steig exhibition at the Jewish Museum in NY and was fascinated by his art. There aren't too many books on William Steig available (at least not on Amazon), so I bought this one and the Jewish Museum book on William Steig. I loved this little book, it's great quality and nice pictures. Highly recommended!

As a teacher of primary grades, I find this book to be very enjoyable and informative as a tool for motivating young children to learn about the past.

This is a delightful children's book about the boyhood of its author, 95 year old William Steig. The book is both personal and historical as Steig recounts the time in America "when everybody wore a hat." Steig, an artist whose drawings have appeared regularly in "The New Yorker" magazine since 1930, is both the books's illustrator and writer. Grandparents looking for a book that they can read to their grandchildren that will inspire good additional conversation should buy this book.

This is a autobiography of popular children's William Steig. He tells us of the year when he was 8 years old. Things were much different in the world then. There was no tv, fire engines were pulled by horses and everybody wore a hat! Mr. Steig tells us about his parents and family life as well. We learn that his parents were immigrants and spoke 4 languages!


The book was easy to read. There were very few words per page. This makes it great for all ages.


I would recommend this book to others. It's fun to learn about life long ago.

"In 1916, when I was eight years old, there were almost no electric lights, cars or telephones-and definitely no TV. Even fire engines were pulled by horses. Kids went to LIBRARIES for books. There were lots of immigrants..." William Steig takes the reader back to the simpler times of his childhood when mother bought her meat at the butchers, boys didn't play with girls, a nickel could buy you a hot dog, a pound of fruit, or a day at the movies, you didn't go to the doctor's office, the doctor came to your house, everyone wanted to have his picture taken on a horse, and everybody wore a hat. "There was no such thing as a hatless human being." Written as if by an eight year old, Mr Steig's remembrances are sometimes poignant and always heartwarming and complemented by his marvelous, expressive childlike illustrations. Adults will revel in all the nostagia, and kids will be intrigued by how different life was at the beginning of the last century. When Everybody Wore A Hat is a charming slice of history, best read together and shared, that will whet the appetite, open interesting discussions, and send youngsters out looking for more.

I purchased this book the morning I left a week-long business trip from NYC back to midd-of-no-where, USA. My two year old son has never been to a big city, and I'm sure had no idea about where Mommy was, so this book was perfect for showing him where Mommy had been.

I knew he'd like the book because he loves the "No! David." series by David Shannon that only have two words or so on each page with big, bright illustrations. They give the reader a chance to make up a different story each time they read it, which keeps the book fresh for both the kid and the reader...even after months of reading it every single night.

Although my little man has had the book for several months, it is the first one he wants every night before bed. He points out all the dogs (there is one on each page somewhere) and works on naming what he sees (bike, stroller, bus...)in the illustrations. It is also the first book he has ever asked for by name.

If I knew how to contact the author, I would send him flowers in a heartbeat and a big "Thank You" card. My son, and family, are big fans.

Wow. Great Book!

This extra-large book has just two words on every page, but so much going on in the pictures that you can pore over it with your baby, toddler, or preschooler as long as you like. Our six-month-old boy enjoys it just as much as our three-and-a-half-year-old girl. Really worth the investment, you can tell that a ton of energy and love went into making this book.

Every child should own this book...it immediately bacame my son's favorite and we read it virtually every night. We now have two copies...one for our son and one as a coffee table book. Wow City! along with Wow America, Beasty Bath and Courage of the Blue Boy are now my standard new baby gifts. I'll buy any new book Robert Neubecker puts out - he's an amazing talent!!!

Wonderful! We could not put this book down and our grandchildren are hooked. Izzie is our new hero! We can't wait to see where she leads us next.

People groan and moan all the time about celebrities suddenly waking up and writing children's books one day without any prior experience. Less groaning and moaning is done in the name of professional illustrators. Let's take Mr. Robert Neubecker as our example. Now here's a fellow who prior to the publication of "Wow! City!", had never attempted a children's book before. So should we just assume that he's got what it takes? From the evidence presented in this, his first picture book, the answer has to be "yes". Long on visuals, short on verbal cues, "Wow! City!", is a love letter to hustling bustling New York City. Zeroing in on the unceasing exuberance of a small child, Neubecker attempts to blow us away with crowds, confusions, and a cacophony of orderly chaos. This book isn't going to thrill that many non-New Yorkers, and the words leave a bit to be desired, but if you're looking for simple picture books with flashy pictures, cease your search and pick yourself up a copy.

Says the book, "Izzy was a mountain girl. She lived up on the top of the world. One day she came down..." From here on in, the rest is self-explanatory. Curly-headed Izzy and her hipster father are taking a trip to the Big Apple. What we hear from here on in, are Izzy's cries of delight as every new experience becomes wildly grand and crazy through her eyes. Right off the plane her first words are, "Wow! Airplane!". Outside the airport she gleefully exclaims, "Wow! Taxi!". Izzy likes to cut to the chase. Having somehow mysteriously sent their bags to their hotel, the pair immediately go about an exciting day of sightseeing, public transportation, museums, parks, and a parade. By the end, the two relax in their hotel room (wihich has, perhaps, the best view of the city ever conceived of in a children's picture book) and a still completely-wired Izzy in pajamas gives a final cry of, "Wow! City!".

Neubecker has a weakness for fingerprints. Presumably his own. Should Robert Neubecker wish to steal some worldly goods from his friends and neighbors, he'd better make sure to wear gloves. Cause after reading this book kids and parents alike will be familiar with every curve and whorl found on that man's thumbs. They pop up in tons of his illustrations at the oddest of moments. If you look very carefully, you'll even see one front and center on the cover, giving a bit of depth to Izzy's upper jawline. Kids reading this book have two things they can perpetually try to find. They can locate Izzy and her goatee sportin' pop in the crowd scenes and they can scan the pages for additional thumbprints. They'll have more luck with Izzy, granted. And as they flip through the pages, children will becomes easily infected by Izzy's non-stop delight. Neubecker, for his part, fills each and every page with as much information as humanly possible. He isn't afraid to show the crowds of New York as they are, though being a resident of Utah he has a very quaint view of the subway system. Handles to hold onto in the subway cars? That's adorable, if completely absurd. An odd detail that makes me doubt the last time Neubecker took a step into the city that never sleeps. Also, he's skimpy on the African-Americans. They exist in this book, but the illustrator seems to believe that white people are a lot more prolific than they truly are.

With crazy dizzying angles, likable characters, and a constantly shifting point of view, "Wow! City!" is ideal for those tiny tots that need great heaping jolts of color and crowd stimulation for their daily storytimes. The book is in the shape of a large square, allowing Mr. Neubecker the chance to fill every corner of every page with light and life. There's even a poster of 11 of the scenes in this book that kids can color in themselves included in the back. All in all, I didn't feel that "Wow! City!" was the most touching or exciting book I'd ever read, but it certainly is infused with vitality. Definitely take a gander at it before deciding whether or not to purchase it. I liked it. For the short-attention-span crowd, Izzy's just the kind of kid to rope 'em into a good book. Wowie-zowie, indeed.