Animal Books

book! The pictures are wonderful, and the story itself is sweet and simple with lovely rhyming. My son loves it! He is now 3. If I could just give a 1/4 star less I would. I still believe this is a book worth adding to your children's home library. The only problem I found is the illustrator decided to draw a lioness instead of a lion. His roaring lion has no mane. The story indicates a lion in 'his den.'

My kids and i loved this book. The illustrations are great, the rhyming is fun, and the story is adorable. You'll love it.

A bored emu named Edward in a zoo envies his seal neighbours and decides life would be a lot more exciting as one of them. He hops the fences of both enclosures in this poorly designed zoo and lives life as a seal. The customers and staff at the zoo aren't the brightest and don't notice any difference between him or the other animals let alone return him to his own enclosure so he's all set being a seal. Only he overhears a member of the public say that his favourite animal is a lion so Edward decides to hop the fence again. Hanging out with the lions (who don't eat him for some reason) someone else mentions snakes are their favourite so he decides to become a snake. Is it really a desire to be different Edward is after or is it something else. Read this book and find out!

The illustrations are very well done with minute attention to detail resulting in very realistic colour sketches. My only criticism is that it would be nice if Edward had visited a few more animals but that's the only bad thing I have to say about this book.

There's also a sequel available called Edwina the Emu.

Edward the Emu is sick of being an Emu, so he tries out being a few other animals at the zoo, only to discover that the visitors have many favourite animals.
The story is told in a lovely verse and the illustrations are one of the best I have seen in any children's book. Edward The Emu is funny and engaging with a simple message of valuing oneself.
Highly recommended.

Edward the Emu is just a precious story with the funniest illustrations! My kindergarten students love this book! It is one we keep out all year and read lots of times. Edward makes us all laugh, especially when he is trying to be a snake, they think that is a really funny thing for an Emu to be a snake! You will enjoy this book.

What a cute book! My kids love hearing me read FROGGY so they can respond with WHAT! The sounds after Froggy puts on a piece of clothing still makes my children laugh and we've been reading it off and on for over a year. This is a book that parents will enjoy reading also.

I've always loved the Froggy books, so when I had my daughter I was glad to see that there was a board book available in the series. She's 3 months old now and loves to look at the pictures and enjoys all the sound effects that go along with Froggy putting on each item of clothing.

This is our first Froggy book. We bought this book because of all the great reviews. If I had previewed the book at the bookstore, it would probably had stayed at the bookstore. There is probably nothing wrong with the way Froggy's mommy chose to deter Froggy from playing in the snow, but my older son was turned off by her telling Froggy about his underwear and he didn't want to read the book anymore.

His explanation was Froggy's mommy is not very nice because: 1) she embarrassed him by yelling at him in public, 2) my son didn't see the problem with Froggy not wearing underwear (since Froggy probably wasn't wearing underwear in bed or he wouldn't have forgotten, 3) for my son, underwear had no function in keeping warm. I asked my son to suggest some ways to improve the book (as we always do when we find bad books), and he said, "she should help him get dressed and let him play for 10 minutes in the snow. That's what I would like you to do if I were Froggy." Love that child.

The illustrations are quite cute, especially with the rabbit and racoon in the process of making a snow bear in the background. It is nice to see such attention to detail.

It's very very difficult to dislike froggy. Those wide innocent eyes. That wide innocent mouth. He's like Kermit the Frog in picture book form. And though Froggy has been around some ten years plus, he's just as beloved of children today as he has ever been. You want a good read aloud story? Just pick up the nearest Froggy book you can find and start ah-readin'. Like Pavolv's dog, kids are somehow programmed to react to Froggy's setbacks and mistakes with uproarious cued laughter. The best example of this can probably be found in the lovely laughable, "Froggy Gets Dresssed". Arguably the best in the series ("Froggy's First Kiss", has its admirers as well, I should note), the book's a great Intro to Froggydom. And in the wintertime it's an ideal choice for your little ones.

First of all, frogs hibernate in the winter. This is a fact of life. No one disputes this. But this winter is different. Froggy wakes up in his warm toasty bed, takes one look out the window and shrieks with delight, "Snow! Snow!... I want to play in the snow!". Froggy's mother attempts to dissuade her little one from this course of action, pointing out that frogs are not snow-playing creatures. Froggy remains undeterred. He dresses hurriedly and flops outside. Whoops! Froggy seems to have forgotten his pants. So he runs back inside, puts on the missing item and runs outside. Whoops! He's forgotten his shirt and coat. You see where this is going. About the time it becomes clear that Froggy has forgotten his underwear (cue the laughter of underwear obsessed kids everywhere) he's too tired to do anymore playing in snowdrifts. And so, it's back to bed he heads.

You want alliteration in your picture books? Well brother, you've got alliteration. One of the great draws in "Froggy Gets Dressed" are the sounds made as Froggy dresses. Listen: "So Froggy put on his socks - zoop! Pulled on his boots - zup! Put on his hat - zat! Tied on his scarf - zwit! Tugged on his mittens - zum!". It's twice as much fun to say aloud as it is to read to yourself. But Jonathan London is only half the genius in the Froggy world. Illustrator Frank Remkiewicz deserves just as much credit as well. Froggy is such a likable protagonist that it's hard not to read the book over and over just to watch him as he leaps, hops, dresses, undresses, and generally has a fine ole time. And his mother, though she tells him that frogs sleep in the winter, is mostly amused by his antics. She carries a bemused smile on her face as he runs hither and thither in the snow, donning various articles of clothing. Clever children may even wonder why it is that Froggy HAS all this winter clothing if he tends to sleep during the winter. Such children should be immediately deemed geniuses and given full scholarships to Yale. Ditto adults who say the same thing.

All in all, it's hard to find a better upbeat winter bedtime story than dear old "Froggy Gets Dressed". It's one of those sure-fire hits that the kids will be bound to enjoy. A top notch bit of kiddie fare. Recommended in spades.

Another in the prolific Jonathan London's "Froggy" series, this book about the amphibious one is a recursive story about all the clothes you must wear on a snowy day--and all the clothes you must take off (in the reverse order) when you forget to put some on.

In this Froggy tale, our green hero wakes up with incredible enthusiasm--it's like he was raised on caffeine--and he just CANNOT wait to go out and play in the snow.

"No! No! cried Froggy.
"I'm awake! awake!
I want to go out and play
in the snow."

Straight away, he puts on his socks, boots, hat, scarf, and mittens. London cleverly uses different sound effects for each item (e.g., socks get a "zoop!," and mittens, a "zum!"), and different verbs for each action: A scarf is tied on, boots are pulled. However, just as the excited Froggy is ready to join the other animals in the snow, his mother yells, "Frrrooggyy!" (and that's a direct quote) "Did you forget to put something on?" Froggy discovers that he forgot one important thing--to put on his pants.

That, of course, is an almost certain lock on kids' attention. But first, Froggy has to take off all his clothes (except his socks--they don't get in the way), put on his pants, then put them all his clothes on again. The hasty frog's mood jumps from joyful to exasperated surprise to determined. Subsequently, his mother clues him into noticing that he has forgotten his coat and shirt, and, of course, his underwear. All this putting on and taking off and putting back on tires Froggy out, and he crawls back into bed. The book's basic plot and repetitive scheme will engage most toddlers, and teach them a lot about clothes (they all look so cozy!), sequencing, and word structure. The illustrations, colors, and font are big and bright, and despite all the action, the pages look uncluttered.

(One very minor complaint regards the synchronization of text and illustration. On one of the three pages where Froggy realizes he forget to put something on, he is shown smiling as he prepares a snowball. It's really unfortunate when this sort of editing error occurs, and I've seen such problems [poor continuity is another example] in other books for kids.)

Illustrator Frank Remkiewicz also does wonders with facial and body expressions. Still, I wonder whether somewhat older toddlers and those in early elementary school might feel a little disappointed that Froggy doesn't get to play. It's realistic--a kid or a frog WOULD get tired with all that dressing exercise--but I didn't like that the mom smiles so broadly when Froggy goes back to bed. However, I doubt that the intended audience is going to give a rivet about that.

My 3-year-old loves this book and so do I. I've been reading it to her for over a year and it's always been a favorite. It has great illustrations and a clever, original story.

Jan Brett's story, "The Hat", is a real wonderous book! This book is a wonderful well-written story! With breath-taking pictures, and a beautiful story line, this book will have you smiling all the way through it!
In the story, a little hedgehog named Hedgie finds a stocking on the ground. Thinking it is a stylish winter cap, he wears it on his head, but it gets stuck on his sharp pointy quills! He goes around to show off his newfound hat, but gets laughed at by the animals each time. Poor miserable Hedgie goes off to be by himself. When the "hat's" owner retrieves it back from Hedgie, a wonderous and helarious thing happens! You'll have to read the book to find out!
The realistic pictures and side drawngs complete this wonderful picture book. For ages 6 and up, this book is another one of Brett's adored picture books that will have you reading it over and over again!

Love Jan Brett... This one actually has two stories going, one in the main pages and one in the insets along the side, then they come together in the end. Fabulous!

I love Jan Brett's work: A modern day Shirley Hughes, I think. 'The Hat' is as beautiful and charming stories as any of her stories - and with wintertime feel-good-factor.

Get The Mitten instead, if you don't own it yet. This one is a little on the tedious side. You can see exactly where it's going from the very beginning and it doesn't have the peek-a-boo/sneeze joke in it that my daughter loves so much in The Mitten. To be honest, this is one of those books we have in our bookcase for variety and one of those ones where I skip parts just to get to the end of it.

We used this book for summer reading this summer which was to catch a reading bug. It is a fun book to read out loud esp if you can do voices for the charaters. I would recommend the book .

This is the best book! I use it in my Kindergarten classroom when we do a thematic unit on bugs. We act out the story then talk about the ending.

I loved this book and the intention the author had to encourage children to consider the moral of the story. Also for a children's book it is well written with amusing rhymes. The kids also loved hearing this story. The only problem was this - they got absolutely the wrong message from it!

The book presents two arguments - the ant pleading for its life, and the boy who questions the value of the ant's life. But the author wrote the boy's side of the story so pleasingly that my kids far more enjoyed siding with the boy than with the ant, despite explanation, to my complete despair! My young listeners were quite young, ages 2-3, so perhaps this book would be better for a slightly older child.

I am a 3rd grade teacher, and I use this book in my classroom to teach about bullying, peer pressure (the boy's friends are encouraging him to squish the ant), and empathy. My students love it! I wish I could find a poster of the page where the ant is looming over the boy and asking "If you were me, and I were you, what would you want me to do?" What an incredible lesson for kids! The best part is that the book ends with the shoe looming over the ant and leaves the ending up to the reader. Kids love writing (or just inventing) their own endings! GREAT BOOK!

This is an excellent book about an ant who has to convince a boy why he should not squish him with his shoe. It sends a wonderful message to children that you should treat others how you would want to be treated. This rhyming text is very comical to read and the illustrations are excellent. It is a wonderful book for elementary students!

"This book is a gem! It offers a great message for children wrapped around a hilarious story. Both for those who listen to it and those who read it, there will be plenty of laughs. Once this book becomes more widely known, I think it will start flying off the shelf."

"How Back-Back Got His Name" is a great, original adventure story. Whenever I've read it aloud, the kids are very engaged by both the story and the illustrations. Since the story is so different, they are always curious about the ending. I'd definitely recommend it for any four- or five-year-old.

This is an excellent story to read to your children. Not only does it illustrate the different ways people think to come to a solution for a problem but, it shows how the characters stick together. It is always a pleasure to read a book to children that shows the value of being unique. The illustrations are equally enchanting and help to move the story along. All and all, I highly recommend this book to anyone with small children!

This book is charming and fun; it's well written and it delivers a message. The illustrations are well linked to the story; they are cute and they are very professional. This is an excellent book. I enjoyed it and strongly recommend it.

A story that on one level will be fun for young children to hear and question, and on another level will present the astute parent with many opportunities to engage young minds in a productive and enjoyable learning experience. Early in the story, Lima Bear brings up the idea of thinking differently, an idea many do not explore early enough. Plumpton the Opossum's leaf pile invites discussion of unforeseen results, in this case beneficial results. The behavior of the boys and girls, the teamwork of the animal characters, and other scenarios also invite discussion. A great short story that opens many doors.

When I sent away for this book I had no idea that it would be so beautifully illustrated in full colour. It is a real little treasure of cat stories told in a way that only James Herriott can. I loved it.

We loved this book so much, we named our two cats Olly and Ginny. 'Nuff said.

Goes quickly, but he writes well and if you're a cat owner, you'll really develop a rapport with the cat stories in here. Not just for "cat ladies" - my husband picked it up and couldn't put it down.

Look you haven't heard a story read until you've heard it read by Christopher Timothy!!!! This guy could make a phone book interesting to hear read! These stories are great! They'll have you laughing and crying! So becareful if you listen in your car ;0) I was driving my 18 wheeler down a rural road in Luisiana getting all teary eyed! Scary thought, right?

James Herriot writes of his veterinary experiences as no one else could. Full of humor,sometimes sadness but always spellbinding and interesting. I could not put this book down.

This book needs to be in every horseman's (and women's) library. Clear, concise, easy to follow, great photos and best of all AWESOME Advice!!!

This book is a great book when starting your weanling on a course of training. Unfortunately for me I had already read Imprint Training by Dr Robert Miller and most of the training covered by John Lyons had already been covered in the Imprint Training book. However if you were to start training at weanling stage this would be an excellent book to begin with. Both methods are very similar the choice is up to the individual whether they wish to begin training @ birth or wait until they are weaned. All in all a very informative book. Highly recommended.

My baby isn't born yet but this book is easy to understand and should be very helpful in the future.

I find John Lyon's Bringing up Baby very informative! The pictures do a great job illustrating each lesson. I just purchased a filly, and I want to give her the best life possible. I think by following John's techinques you can't go wrong. His videos are great too!

Sometimes we forget to use common sense when working with horses, and if you pay attention to them and learn to properly communicate, you will find a great new enjoyment with your horses!

this book is great for illustrating kind, consistent lessons to educate yourself and you young weanling. if you want to establish a good relationship, and have your youngster become willing, accepting and to like you, then buy this book.

My husband found this book and bought it for the time when our beloved dog passes on. A friend's dog passed on a month ago and I gave her our book. We read sections of it when 8 of us gathered to comfort our friend. The words brought tears to our eyes and helped us honor the memory of her small companion. We repurchased the book to help us get through our grief when the time comes. Definitely recommended to anyone with a beloved dog.

I, unfortunately, have bought this book about 12 times. I buy this as a gift whenever someone close loses a dog from their family. Anyone who has lost a canine member of the family can use this book, it becomes personal to anyone.

i think this is an excelint gift for someone who has lost a loved dog.

...as only a master of literature can do. This is a beautifully told tale, one which I have shared with friends who have lost their best four-legged friends. O'Neill captures the depth of feeling these creatures share with us for too short a time...
A wonderfully positive, uplifting book for anyone dealing with the loss of a beloved pet.
A treasure.

I have sent this little book to dear friends who have recently suffered the loss of a canine family member. They have told me that this little book has brought them tremendous comfort at a very difficult time.

Marta Williams has done an excellent job of organizing, presenting and providing scientific back-up for her information, where appropriate. She is a teacher in the true sense of the word and patiently guides students through all the pitfalls of negative mind traps, suggesting methods to overcome initial fears of failure.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all who are truly interested in animal communication and feel it will be a good investment for you.

This book helped me to understand the experiences I have had on my ranch with several of my anamals. I now know what took place and I agree with the author fully. I have actually used her tichnique on my "Best Friend" a Chocolate Lab, and it worked! I have also been the RECEIVER of messages.

I just finished Learning Their Language, and am getting ready to re-read it, highlighter in hand. It is that good, if your goal is to gain expertise in animal communication. I began with Carol Gurney's book, The Language of Animals, which I felt was a good starter book. It sort of primes the reader for this book. Learning Their Language was extremely well written for use as a text book/learning tool (which is the reason I wanted it in the first place) using a good combination of Ms. Williams own experiences, the experiences of her students, and liberal "homework" assignments.

This book goes a step further than most, offering techniques for communication with plants, rocks, and mountain ranges (to name a few) but Ms. Williams herself invites you to skip over any sections that are out of your range of comfort or your belief system. At the very least, when reading the plant/nature/landscape sections, you will come away with a sense that God can't be too happy with modern man's stewardship of all that we were graciously given. And that, in my humble opinion, is a lesson we should ALL learn.

This is such a fascinating topic. If you want to dive deeper I recommend "Adam's Task: Calling Animals by Name," by Vicki Hearne, which combines animal training with philosophy, linguistics, and literary criticism. It'll certainly expand your understanding of human-animal communication. If you are an animal trainer-- or even just an animal lover-- it's definitely worth checking out.

As a writer of cat mysteries, I often speak to large groups of people, and they frequently ask about animal communication, since Marmalade, an orange tabby cat, (a major character in my mystery series) speaks in italics throughout the books. I answer that I know we can communicate with animals and hear what they say to us. As evidence I cite the story of Polly, my alarm clock cat. Whether people express belief or they raise their eyebrows at me, I send them to this book.

I like the way Marta Williams emphasizes that we would get further by listening than by constantly telling animals what we think. They know what we think, because they're very good at listening already.

When we take the time, as she suggests, to tell an animal "I admire your intelligence and beauty," we grow in the process. LEARNING THEIR LANGUAGE is a lesson in life skills that we all could use.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Little Eddie the elephant is having a birthday. All of his family have gathered at the lake for an exciting weekend. There will be cake and ice cream and a mud castle contest. Eddie is so excited!

The first night though, poor Eddie can't sleep because his ear hurts. He wakes up his mom, who tries to make him feel better. In the morning, she takes him to see Dr. Hippo. At first, Eddie is nervous, but quickly learns the doctor is kind and funny. Soon Eddie is on the road to recovery and can enjoy the rest of his birthday weekend. He even wins the mud castle contest!

This book is gorgeous! My two-year-old was captivated from front cover to back by the bright illustrations.

Also, the pages are thick enough that he can't rip them out! Even my eight-year-old enjoyed the story. The best part for me was the laminated trifold instruction leaflet in the back of the book. It was filled with all the information every parent needs concerning infections, including when to consult your doctor.

Armchair Interviews says: A book for kids that even helps parents.

Written by pediatrician Charlotte Cowan, The Little Elephant with the Big Earache is a children's picturebook dealing with the subject of ear infections in terms young readers age 2-7 can understand. After young Eddie the elephant spends the day making mud castles with his cousin, he comes down with a terrible earache. His mother looks after him during the night, and Dr. Hippo offers reassurance the next day. Will Eddie get better in time for his birthday party? An accompanying fold-out card "Ear Infections Made Easy: Answers to Common Questions" serves as a useful quick-reference guide for parents concerned about what to do when their children have ear infections. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Cayden (age 3-1/2) and Max (age 20-months) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (4/08)

"The Little Elephant with the Big Earache" begins when all of Eddie the elephant's cousins arrive on Wednesday to help celebrate his birthday. They run down to the river and start building mud castles for the Mud Castle Contest on Saturday. Wednesday evening, however, Eddie wakes up in the middle of the night because his ear is hurting him. His mom gives him some medicine and says that they will see the doctor in the morning. After a visit to the Dr. Hippocrates, the doctor determines that it is an early ear infection and that they are just going to monitor it. By Saturday Eddie feels better just in time to enjoy his party!

Cayden: "His ears hurt!"
Max: "Hurt! Hurt!"

Max: Pointing to the picture of Eddie crying: "Cry!"
Cayden: "He looks sad because he is sick Max."

Cayden: "Why would they sit on the porch in the middle of the night?"

Cayden: "Why doesn't he like to go to the doctor? I like to go to the doctor!"
Max: "Like!"

Cayden: "Why is he wearing his blanket as a cape? Maybe he doesn't want it to fall in the road on the way out to the car."

Cayden: "My favorite part was when the doctor looked in his ears to see what was wrong."

Cayden: "I also liked the pictures of when they were building those mud castles, especially the elephant one!"

My 3-year-old daughter, who is almost never sick, and my 7-year-old son, who has frequent ear infections, both love this story. Although the plot line is simple and straightforward, they seem attracted to its familiarity: Eddie wakes in the middle of the night feeling sick; his mother comforts him; they go to the doctor; he feels better...just like real life, in their view. They also find the pictures extremely engaging. At first glance, the illustrations attract merely with their bright colors and whimsy, but upon further readings, the kids began to notice all the smaller details: the various ages and sizes of the party guests, the giraffes enjoying an outdoor fountain, the placement of the blue ribbon at the end. Almost all kids experience earaches, and almost all parents learn to cope with them; this book provides a soothing reflection of one of childhood's most common events. My kids are looking forward to reading more books by Dr. Cowan.