Animal Books

sophie the spider goes out into the world to do something great, to create a masterpiece. she settles herself in this boarding house and attempts to help out the people who live there, but none of them accept her gifts and scream at the sight of her. sophie eventually finds a new mother who doesn't scream at the sight of her, but welcomes her. the mother is poor though and sophie sees an old blanket covering the mother's baby. sophie decides to make a new blanket for the baby, her masterpiece. the pictures are beautiful and the story touching. a great addition to the bookshelf.

A friend of mine purchased it for her niece and wanted my opinion. I'll admit that I not a huge fan of children (single, 25 year-old here) or kid paraphernalia, but this is an amazing book! I've gotten copies for several people I know who are having a baby and everyone loves it. Such a sweet story that still gets me a little choked up.

"...Sophie is not just a spider, she's an artist". With just this beginning sentence we are introduced to the very caring character of Sophie, a house-hold spider who sews the most beautiful webs in spider history. When Sophie becomes a mature spider, she decides to go out into the world and share her talents with everyone she meets. However, the world does not want Sophie to share her talents wit them and after consistence swats and shooing, Sophie decides that she's had enough. Yet, one day she meets a young woman who is expecting a baby. She is very poor and has nothing to cover her baby with when he is born. Sophie, now old and frail, feels that she can still do some good for this woman. So she musters up all her strength and begins to make the young woman and her baby a blanket... a masterpiece... a gift of love.

I recommend this to anyone who has a fear of spiders or is trying to teach more compassion to their children related to any subject. Beautifully illustrated and a very touching story.

I absolutely LOVED this beautiful story. Warning: For the sentimental at heart, like myself, it packs a bit of a punch near the end. I wasn't prepared and found myself choking up while reading it alound and my little one looking up at me in confusion... But that is what makes it such a lovely story and it's never to soon to teach children about selfless love, such as Sophie's!

Don't let the title of the review throw you off. When I say "unusual," it usually means it in a good way. In the case of Varjak Paw, it is unusual because the story line is very cool, and the drawings are very, very weird and crazy. I loved this book, and if you liked the Warriors series, then Varjak Paw is a must-have for you.

This is a very good book, about Varjak Paw, a Mesopotamian Blue kitten who never has fit in with his snobby, self-centered family. One day a strange Gentleman with two black cats arrives and he seems to be dangerous. Varjak Paw is sent on a quest to find a dog to save his family. On the way he meets several other cats, some good, some bad, and he learns about the struggle to fend for yourself. He also learns the Way-a secret martial art for cats-from his ancestor Jalal in his dreams. The book is well written, with lively, detailed characters (Holly is my favorite :D) and an exciting plot. The only bad thing is that (spoiler! spoiler!) I don't understand what the Gentleman does to the cats that Vanish. Does he turn them into robots or stuff them or what? If you have read Warriors (my favorite book series-I love cats) I recommend this book, even though personally I like Warriors better. But Varjak Paw is great. Read it. And when you're done - read The Outlaw Varjak Paw!

When my grandaughter, Robyn, purchased this book for *me* with her own money, I had visions of creating a cassette for a virtual, long distance, bed-time read Unfortunately, after reading it, I think it is a bit too "dark" where it refers to the "vanishings" and the [mini-spoiler alert follows] taxiderm-esque feel to it.

Being sensitive, and a cat-lover herself, she still cries about her "lost" cat, Mork, and I think this would give her other scary thoughts about his fate.

It is a well-written, a "coming of age" adventure, and an easy read, which earns it 4 stars -- but the caution is what I wanted to speak to, and I hope it is taken with an appropriate grain of salt, among these raves. Thank you for including my .02 for free.

Varjak paw is a good book. It is good because it has a lot of emotion and action also all the charicters are cats! It is a good book if you like cats. It is kind of like the warriors series because it has a whole lot of action. I think it is a 5 star book.

One thing in the book that I liked was when Varjak had to catch the pidgeons it showed bravery because Varjak could have died.

This book was wonderful to read it was so cool, I liked it because the writter added a lot of details in this book. My best part was when varjak saved the other cats! I would love to read this book again, I thought this book was interesting to me because varjak has to save his family! I liked reading this book and I hope you will to!

Where's Waldo ripped off this book in both concept and title. See the original! Where's Wallace is better in every way: wittier pictures, cuter characters, warm storyline, creative pictures instead of the mind-numbing field full of Waldo-like images.

This is my absolute favorite book from my childhood. I remember my parents reading it to me. I remember reading it myself, searching through the pages to find Wallace and all of the other characters. I am so glad that they have re-issued it, as it was out of print for a while. When I re-read this as an adult, I realized that the zookeeper was actually "letting" Wallace escape. There is so much humor that I missed as a child. Looking through the scenes to find the characters and following the evolution of their stories is fun for both child and adult. Even if your child can't read the words on her own, she can look at the pictures and try to find everyone. And if you do have to read it to her over and over, you will not be bored to tears.

When I was pregnant with my son, I searched for this book. When I was growing up, my Mom would read Where's Wallace to my siblings and I every night. We couldn't get anough of it. I was so excited to find it still in print. Finding Wallace on every page, as well as other recurring characters, was one of the highlights of my childhood, and although my son is only 1 1/2 now, I hope it will be of his too.

This was a favorite of mine as a child. I am so pleased to be able to get them their own copies.(mine is a bit tattered) They love finding Wallace and all of his friends over and over again. This book just stands up to the test of time. We read it every night.

One of my absolute favorite books from childhood, "Where's Wallace" still does not disappoint. Both youngsters and adults will find themselves glued to the pages as they attempt to identify the whereabouts of a multitude of characters which appear in various scenes throughout the book. Hilary Knight's illustrations are fabulously humorous and clever - a perpetual joy to read that never gets dull!

Angel Cats is a wonderful reminder THAT the presence of a Divine Spirit, usually attributed only to the best humans, informs our feline companions as well.

The story "Throwaway Kids and Throwaway Animals Found Each Other" alone is well worth the cost of this amazing collection of stories. Linda Lansdell who shared her story helping inner city troubled teens grow into responsible and loving adults is a very good writer. And it all happened because of the animals that the inner city teens helped care for. All the stories in Angel Animals are good but this one story hits home on what animals can do to help change human lives for the better.

I bought this book and read it after reading Allen and Linda Anderson's other book titled GOD'S MESSENGERS: What Animals Teach Us about the Divine. ANGEL ANIMALS is a feel good and thought provoking book to read! All the well written stories offer a unique viewpoint on the special (some would say spiritual) bond we have with our pets and with animals in the wild. Dr. Marty Becker writes a wonderful foreword and endorses the spiritual theme of the book with enthusiasm. I highly recommend this book and the Anderson's other book, GOD'S MESSENGERS!!!

The connection between animals and people is quite profound. The lessons about fidelity, love, caring and relationships are all in this book. My husband and I took time each day to read one of the stories out loud. I can think of my experiences with various animals I have had and realize the spiritual connection.

Great book about humans and animals! Good reading material for young and old alike.

The author rescues a beautiful golden retriever on advice from his doctor to get a dog. The dog however has the ability to alert the author to impending cardiac episodes and in doing so, gives the author the freedom to work and go about his daily life. This book touches the readers soul and lets us know that maybe there is more to the human-animal bond than we know. The book also dicusses the "Americans with Disabilities Act" as it relates to service dogs. Anybody who has loved a dog will love this book.

I could not put this book down. Mike and Dakota's story as a team was inspiring and transcended this world. Their devotion to each other was amazing. You do not have to be an animal lover to learn from this book. My hope would be that after you read this book you will see how special animals are in our lives.

I Absolutely LOVED this book! MY sister in law bought for my husband --animal lover...Anyway she bought it for him but I read it first because the cover called my attention. I like dogs but was reluctant to get one because I though of all the work there is involved with taking care of animals..besides with a little one, school, and work a dog would be more work for me....But after reading this book, I know I want a dog..The magic between Mike and Dakota is so overwhelming --that it made me think that that is what we need in our lives..Yea it will be work to potty train and take care of ..but then again things in life that are worth anything sometimes require alot of work--..God Bless you Mike and Dakota and thanks!!!!

I enjoyed the book so much. Felt like I was right there with them and every time the author had an attack could visualize how much his Angel/dog helped him through it. They had a bond that is so hard to explain unless you have had an animal and then know what it means, they are not dogs, they are your family and in this case especially he was not only family but his life support and friend. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone, have since bought additional copies to give to my animal lover friends for gifts.

I recently lost my Golden Angel too, and while I was looking for a book to help
Me cope with my pain, I found this book. I am a very busy person and don't
Have much time to read, but this book took me 2 days. It is full of feelings and even humor. No matter what the situation is, our Golden's will manage to put a smile on our face. When you start reading this book, make sure you have a box of Kleenex
Near by. This book goes into my favorite book list, and I purchased a few more as
Christmas presents.

This hardboard book has large, full page black and white drawings. Each page features a different animal-bunny, cat, etc. This is a great infant and toddler book to practice naming and labeling animals.

Bought a few black and white books and have been showing them periodically since our baby has been only a few days old. He will stare at the book and study things. I've only gotten through the cover and one page but I can see the images really capture the babies attention. Will be using it for months to come. Very nice illustrations. Highly recommended.

My mother-in-law will make up stories for my 4 month old daughter while she smiles at the pictures. Even without the stories, she'll still smile at the pictures.

My 7 month old daughter loves books -- loves to eat them, that is. Knowing that this is common in infants, I don't stress over that though.) However, there are a couple of her books that she actually likes to "read." Baby Animals: Black and White is one of them. She just stares at the pictures and doesn't seem to tire of it easily. She is so into this book that it is the first one she learned to turn the pages of herself. Babies love black and white images, and these are bold enough to really capture their attention. Highly recommended.

I ordered this book after reading that newborns are most stimulated by black and white images. I was amazed when I held the book up for my 3-week old to look and he actually looked at it and focused on each of the pages, scanning back and forth. It was really neat to see him paying such close attention to something at such an early age.

It is a great book for children. My daughter is now 21 years old and is pregnant with our first grandchild. We used to read this book to her as a child. Along the way I misplaced the book, and she wanted another copy to read to her child. Her dad nicknamed her "Fred" after one of the characters in this book.

This book is a great way to introduce children to the subject of opposites. Fred and Ted like to play different musical instruments. They like different foods. They drive different colored cars. They are even different sizes.

The problem ensues when, after a day of skiing, Fred and Ted rent rooms at a hotel and discover that their beds are unsuitable. Fred and Ted meet to discuss a solution to their situation. After they fail to arrive at reasonable solution, a wily bird resolves their problem. Fred and Ted go back to the hotel to enjoy a peaceful sleep.

I like the simplicity of the story. As a fun alternative, you might consider asking your child to try to find a solution to Fred and Ted's problem before reading the ending.

Like many of the other reviewers, this was a favorite story of mine as a child back in the 70's. I am THRILLED that it is still in print and, (judging from the reviews here on Amazon), has a strong "following." The sweetness of the story is in its simplicity. I have already bought one copy as a gift, and I intend to spread the word of 'Big Dog, Little Dog' as gifts in the future as well.

This was my favorite book when I was little. I read it so much the book was falling apart. When I got older I think my mom finally threw it away, it was in such sad shape. I'll have to buy a new copy of it now that I've found it again, just for memory sake. I would definitely recommend this book if you have kids, or just like some light reading to cheer you up once in a while.

My son received this book on his third birthday - in 1977. My three year old grandson recently discovered the tattered and torn copy that I had saved. He immediately fell in love with it and proudly annouces that it is "Daddy's favorite book." I'm not sure which "boy" will be more excited when the new copy arrives but in the meantime it has brought back a flood of memories for this Grandma. What a joy!

Never fails to delight. Enjoyable reading. Mayhem in an antique shop is no match for the feline with more than the usual amount of whiskers.

With the third installement in The Cat Who...series this is by far the funniest.

With his new assignment in junktown, learning all about antiques and the dealers that come with it Qwill stumbbles onto what looks like another odd murder mystery. Once his mustache starts twiching and his partners, KoKo and Yum, start their usual shenanigans Qwill knows for sure he is right. The only thing left for him to do is to figure out which of the colorful characters of junktown could be the culprit.
With even more colorful, fun and way out there characters this book will definitely leave you wanting more and more of Qwill and his furry gang of friends. Next on the list is The Cat Who Saw Red.

In this, the third offering in this series we find that our hero Jim Qwilleran has a new assignment with the Daily Fluxion. In the second book we saw him change assignments but for some reason there is no explanation for this change. Whatever the reason, Qwilleran is now a feature writer and has decided to do all that he can to win a writing contest sponsored by the Fluxion because he could really use the prize money to move out of the third-rate hotel he and his cats are occupying. A taxi driver mentions an area called Junktown to the writer who assumes that it is a high traffic narcotics area. That is just the kind of story that an old crime reporter can sink his teeth in to but alas, Qwilleran finds out that Junktown is really an antiquing area filled with junk stores.

Reluctantly Qwilleran heads out for Junktown and quickly finds himself intrigued with the area and it's colorful collection of characters. The development of quirky and fun characters is an area in which this author excels and she may have outdone herself with this group. He also finds that a prominent Junker recently died in what the police have called an accident but the veteran reporter's mustache tells him that it was no accident. Soon, Qwilleran is not only involved with the people of Junktown but he rents an apartment from one of the junk dealers and he and the cats move right in. The stories that he is generating from Junktown please his editor and he thinks that there is a good chance he will win the paper's prize money. But all the while he is still working to solve the mystery of the junk dealer's death.

Shortly after his arrival in Junktown, Qwilleran's landlord is killed in an apparent fall while scrounging for goodies in an abandoned house that is about to be torn down. Again the police call it an accident and again Qwilleran is not so sure that it was accidental. Finally the cats do their thing and the whole case is cleared up but not before the cats once again save Qwilleran's life.

This book, unlike it's predecessors is a little light on the mystery angle until the end of the book but as before, the clues are there all through the story. The reporter and the readers just seem to let them slip right by. Finally however, the reporter and the reader will began to put two and two together and figure out that there is definitely something fishy in Junktown.

Once again Lilian Jackson Braun has produced a delightfully lighthearted mystery that I suspect any mystery lover will fall in love with. If you don't fall in love with the story you will assuredly fall in love with Koko and Yum Yum, super cats par excellence.

Always great listening to a Braun mystery narrated by the talented George Guidall.

In the 3rd book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran (aka "Qwill"), is working on assignment in the features department as a newsman for the Daily Fluxion. Returning to writing for a paper after an absence of several years, he has gotten his life back together and sobered up. In the previous book, he had been assigned to writing a weekly magazine style insert titled "Gracious Abodes" that focused on the world of interior design. Having survived that assignment, Qwill is back writing features, and is excited about the prospect of winning a prize in the Fluxion's annual writing contest. He hears about a nearby town called Junktown from a cabbie, and decides to write a piece about what he assumes is a crime-ridden area. Instead, he finds that Junktown is a hotbed of antique dealers, and he quickly finds a room to rent in the town while writing a story about antiques. He learns that the tenant who occupied his room previously had died in a suspicious manner, and Qwill begins to investigate the curious characters in Junktown. Qwill meets Iris Cobb in this installment, starting a lengthy friendship that will last long into future books set in Moose County.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. More of Qwill's background is explained, and it was interesting to revisit how Qwill met Mrs. Cobb, and her son, Dennis who later renovates the apple barn he lives in. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight to some of the characters that show up later in the series. This is a great series by my favorite author!

The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!

This book is clear & concise for any level of clayer. Katherine has the amazing ability to relay to the sculpter what is needed to bring the sculpt to life while expounding on the importance of a solid foundation.
My only critisim would be that I wanted even more animal examples & will be the first in line to purchase a follow up book should she decide to do one.

Katherine Dewey is a wonderful artist. I already own her book, "Creating Life-Like Figures in Polymer Clay" so I knew that "Creating Life-Like Animals in Polymer Clay" would be great. I wasn't disappointed! The only project I have finished is the fawn and it is adorable. I'm looking forward to my next project from the book but I can't decide which one to create because I love them all.

I'm not near this good yet, but it definately gives me the inspiration to keep trying. Great detail and instructions from a fantastic artist.
I bought this as a used book and was very, very pleased with the seller and the condition of the book.

This book gives detailed explanations and has great pictures, it is helpful and inspirational : it allows you to expand your skills beyond the book's examples. A must for fimo-maniacs. Katherine Dewey is probably the most gifted polymer clay artist in the world but is able to use pedagogy to share her knowledge.
I do not recommend it for beginners or children though, as some of the creations are detailed and might require some anatomy basics to be sculpted successfully.

This book, by Katherine Dewey, is a terrific resource book for those wishing to make animals from polymer clay - either to enhance their other sculptures or as a stand alone product. Numerous pictures and examples, with detailed instruction guide you step by step through the process. Animals included are deer, in two poses, frog, wolf, seal, bear and more. She also includes examples of bases, such as a leave for a sleeping mouse.

The book is well organized and transitions beautifully from one point to another. Graphics are included along with tips and tricks on making armatures and painting the final product. This book has it all and I highly recommend it as a necessary part of your crafting library.

My kids love the Captain Underpants collection so I thought I would try some of Dav Pilkey's other books. Both Dog Breath and Halloweiner are excellent books as well. My 8 yr old loved both books. Very funny book. I recommend it highly.

Hally is a dog with bad breath. It is extremely bad breath. So bad the family feels they need to get rid of him. However, when his horrific breath saves the family from danger, the dog gets to stay and is a hero.

This is a cute story, and the play on words with Hally Tosis is funny. My son likes this story, but it doesn't engage him in the way that some of the other Dav Pilkey books do. The writing just isn't as funny as it is in Dogzilla and Kat Kong. However, the illustrations are very funny, and we like to talk about all of the different reactions to Hally's doggy breath. In fact, the illustrations entertain my son more than the story.

This is the story of Hally Tosis, a dog who has such bad breath that her owners can find nothing to cure it. They figure they'll have to give her away. But one night Hally captures two men robbing her owners home-stuns them with her breath.

She's a sweetheart of a dog in a sweetheart of a tale. My boys just love this one. It makes all of us laugh every time we read it together!

We finally get something that kids can REALLY appreciate- a cute, lovable dog with horrid breath. The story is hysterical, the artwork sheer perfection. My three and five year-olds both love this one. I have to confess I do, too. Yeah, there's a message in here, too... but who cares. Books like this will make young kids love books.