Kids Books

I teach kindergarten and this book has been a huge blessing. The students I teach have very low English proficiency and they just can't focus well without a lot of visuals. The Big Picture Bible has illustrations that cover the entire page and also is a good bit larger than other kids Bibles making it a great tool to use with larger groups. I would recommend this Bible to anyone looking for a good children's Bible, but particularly for teachers looking for a good way to share Bible stories with their classes.

I looked all over for a Bible story book for my younger kids....one that would focus on the point of the Bible, and not just all the individual stories within it. If you are a deductive thinker, or have little deductive thinkers, you will make a much bigger impression in their minds approaching them from this angle. The stories are short--great for the attention span and comprehension of a bright pre-schooler. They leave in just the right amount of details to give your child a framework for what they will learn about God and the Bible as they get older.

We were very pleased with this overview of the Bible for Children. The artwork is beautiful and the story is well written and accurate.

I bought this for my daughter who just turned 5. She loves this book. We have been reading this book every night for her bed time for the last several week at her request. She's just starting to read and this book is just perfect for her age.

Many have already commented about content so I will just say that the content is well done for young children. It keeps central message of Bible alive in words that young children can understand.

If you are going to buy only one story Bible, make this the one.

I have been blown away by reading this Bible with my kids -- I love that many of the illustrations are drawn from an "above" perspective -- from God's vantage point, as it were.

This is the "big picture" of the Bible -- that people need saving, and God saves us. So yes, the book has "big pictures" as in illustrations, but it also presents the "big picture" of God's plan. The Big Picture Sory Bible -- get it?

The illustrations are so good, it's like watching a movie. My kids are spellbound. Twice we have sat down and read the entire book -- takes 1 hour, 15 minutes to go all the way through. The kids are 3 and 6 and have nothing like the attention span you would expect for kids to be able to sit still that long. They just fall into the book. When we break it up and read it bit by bit, they clamor for more.

There are 450 pages of absolutely amazing illustartions, and all pointing to God's plan.

The consistency of the message in the book is great. I'm going to buy more for new baby gifts -- talk about an amazing book!

Recently I bought Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Animals for my five year old daughter who loves art, but wanted more formal training. This book is *perfect*! Everything about it is tailored for children who can draw some shapes and it progresses from simple animals to the lovely, elaborate dragon at the end. My daughter is learning how to draw better shapes (and animals) without getting frustrated. The step-by-step simple instructions capture a child's attention and makes them more focused on the process than the end result. Overall, a really wonderful book!

I had this book as a kid and loved it - no written instructions, just step by step pictures that are easy to follow. My 11-yr old and 7-yr old both like it. The final pictures are full of character and are really fun. This may not be a book for a kid who's really serious about drawing, but it's great fun for the average artist, adults included.

I bought this book for my 4 yr old son. He has learnt to draw many animals from this book. He is able to follow directions and draw all by himself. He has been doing a pretty good job too. This is a good book if you or your child need step by step instructions to draw animals.

I bought this book for my 4 1/2 year old but really for myself since I'm a horrible artist! This book allowed us to draw the animals together and he was able to follow the steps easily. If you can write the letter "D", "C" and stright and squiggly lines you can duplicate any animal is this book. Pretty cool since my son used to not like art of any sort but now he is in this drawing phase. I'm going to buy some other of these books in the series.

I love this book. I had this book as a child (in the 80's) and I was so excited to see that I could purchase one for my daughter. My child is in pre-school and has been practicing drawing basic shapes. Ed Emberley's book teaches children (and adults) how to draw animals by piecing together basic shapes such as squares, circles, triangles, etc. The directions are easy to follow, and show you step-by-step how to combine different shapes into a final product. I would recommend this book for any age group, from a child who is just learning to draw to an adult who loves to doodle.

Cute as can be! This is about Sarah's first day at a new school. However, it was a hilarious twist that reminds teachers and students alike that they are all in the same boat.

I enjoyed reading this book and used it in a training session for teachers this August.

I am a retired teacher who has experienced many a case of "First Day Jitters." I purchased this book for a young friend who had just gotten her first job teaching kindergarten a week before school started. I was familiar with the story and thought she would enjoy it on her first day in a brand new school. I delivered the book to the school office two days before the start of school. Since she was busy getting the new classroom in order, my friend didn't read the book until the first day of school with her new class. She read it aloud, not knowing the ending. Both she and the children were surprised and excited to find out that the main character was the new teacher.
This book is well written and covers all the anxieties of starting school, even if you're the teacher. It shows children that they aren't the only ones with apprehensions. It is a great book for all elementary grades and especially for teachers facing a new class.
First Day Jitters

The kids were so surprised by the ending and it helped them understand that their first day of school feelings were normal - even the teacher has them! :)

I read this book to my middle school students at the start of every year. They just love it! They giggle and laugh about my use of a picture book, then they really get into it. It's a wonderful icebreaker!

As a parent who contributed a personal story to this book, I was so delighted to read what all the other parents who contributed had to say. I could find a piece of myself or my child in every story. I agree that this should be required reading for all educational professionals before they enter a classroom.

Lorie B.

This book is a must have for any parents with special needs kids. The stories are riveting and triumphant and heartbreaking all at the same time. True to life stories of how parents deal with these kids. You go from one story to the next. I found it impossible to put down and I don't even have children!

Gerard Zemek
husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

I loved this book! The stories were wonderful. It takes bravery to be so open and honest. Every story had something I could relate to as a parent and as a parent of special needs children. It was wonderful!

If you are looking for an honest book and not a sugar coated foo foo book, this is for you! The title says it all - The extraordinary HIGHS and heartbreaking LOWS...it's all covered. I have read this book, highlighted, circled, folded pages and bookmarked sentimental excerpts. I keep it handy for the rough days and lend it out to other parents who need a little reassurance that they are not alone. No matter what hand you've been dealt, there is something written in this book by someone like you. You will smile as recognize the rewards other parents have experienced and cry because you have been there. This is my personal bible, exactly what I need to pick me up on the hard days and remind me how blessed I am on the good days.

As the mother of a special needs, medically fragile child, I appreciate the honest writing of the essays in the book. Most of them are great. However I found a couple offensive--and I'm not easily offended. A couple parents assume that having kids with physical and easily recognizable disabilities is easier than having a child with an "invisible" disability. Even going so far as to say it's easy for schools to accommodate a child in a wheel chair. Anyone whose dealt with the public school system knows that's not true. I know there is a tendency to feel like your child's disability is worse than any other and that the grass is always greener. But we are one big special needs family and perhaps divisive essays should not have been included.

I learned to sew with this book and have had great sucess. I just bought the new book "Sew On" to progress my sewing and the patterns and projects are amazing! I have learned even more techniques with the new book and I still use my Sew Fast Sew Easy book for reference. I'm really happy with these books from Amazon.

This is a great learn how to sew book for first time sewers, very easy to understand.

This is a classic beginner sewing book. I think people will learn to sew from this book generations to come. The patterns are very simple with easy to follow instructions. The illustrations are clear and helpful. I bought the new "Sew On" book to learn additional sewing skills with more advanced patterns.

I ordered the "Sew On" book and was really impressed with the written instructions and included patterns. My daughter wants to learn to sew and I ordered her this book. When she gets a little comfortable, I'll pass along the Sew On book. This Sew Fast Sew Easy book has simple, easy to use patterns and projects that will get true beginners sewing. I highly recommend this book for true beginners. If your looking for a more intermediate book, find the "Sew On" book.

The book is probably best for true novices. I was never much of a sewer and it has been 30 years since I've sewn anything more than a button or hem. I thought I'd need to review the basics, but this book was too basic for me. i was hoping that it would refresh the basics, but lead me a few steps beyond. I can see where it would be helpful for those who are just starting out, so I can't find much fault with the book itself. It was just not what I need.

I got this book for my granddaughter when she was pregnant. She has read and referred to this book so much, it's showing signs of wear and tear. She loves this book. Her husband has read it too. They find it very informative and a great guide for first-time parents.

I loved the ideas this book suggests. I've been dealing with my daughter's tantrums due to the new baby, and this book has been extremely helpful. It not only gives me ideas on how to calm my daughter down, but it also shows me how to calm myself down. I think every parent knows what I'm talking about.

"Perfect Parenting" is not about being a perfect parent. As a mom of two, I've come to realize we do the best we can with what we've got, and there's no such thing as perfect. Elizabeth Pantley's book is a solid guide that offers a nurturing hand in moments of distress or cluelessness. She's a mom of four. And she REALLY knows her stuff!

I found the book especially helpful in dealing with issues of lying or rough behavior. Kudos to Elizabeth for another job well done.

~Christine Louise Hohlbaum, author of DIARY OF A MOTHER and SAHM I AM: TALES OF A STAY-AT-HOME MOM IN EUROPE.

I bought this book after reading the rave reviews here, but I was somewhat deceived by it.

I think that some the deception stems out of the fact that I already owned a book by E. Pantley ( Kid Cooperation, which I recommend) and I found the author repeating itself in this book.

Also, I do not like the title, which I find lousy .

Moreover, unlike Kid Cooperation, this book places issues in alphabetical order so that you can browse through them, and does not dwell much into details ( psychological insights etc) . This can be great if you already know the basics of healthy parenting, but in the hands of the average parent, many of the hints could actually do more harm than good.
I don't like that much the "user's manual " style and I did like Pantley before reading this book more than I do now.

I've come to believe that before facing parenting issues and "misbehavior" most parents should work it out with THEIR own issues. Books like this may deceive into thinking that parenting is a matter of knowing the "right tricks" instead of a matter of attitude... Actually it is both, but the right attitude comes first, and without it the tools provided by this book will not work consistently.

I still give 3 stars to this book because it actually has some good hints and ideas ( although almost all of them, plus interesting insights on parental issues/behavior, can be found in Kid Cooperation). It can be useful as a reminder or a quick fix for those parents who are already "perfect" most of the time.

This is a great handy book to keep around to pick up a few tips anytime you have an issue with your kids and you don't know what to do. Once you look up your topic you get various options -- one of which is bound to work. The A to Z format makes it a snap to find what you're looking for. Includes typical stuff like sibling fights and dawdling to more unusual like won't eat vegetables or doesn't like her hair being washed and shoplifting and being a poor sport and even typical but weird things like nose picking. I keep it on the counter and use it often.

My five year old son has been very anxious since starting Kindergarten last month. He had separation anxiety and would cry several times a day at school. I knew he was adjusting to his new routine, but then he started getting anxious about going to school and would ask, "Mommy, what if I cry? I don't want to cry at school." So I found this book on Amazon and was 'sold' when I saw all of the wonderful reviews. I started reading it to my son the day I received it. My son couldn't believe that this book was describing exactly how he'd been feeling. As I read it, I noticed he was hanging on my every word. There are wonderful ideas and he's so excited to start using them. This morning before school he even said, "Mommy, I don't think I'm going to cry today." So, I highly recommend this book. I know how heart-wrenching it is to watch your little one suffer with anxiety. Best of luck!

I sat down on my porch and read this through yesterday upon receiving it. It is a wonderful, LARGE book (8.5 X 11) with large type, easy to read and easy on the eyes. Our son who just turned 7 has had struggles with anxiety off and on for years. This book is 'right up his alley'! He is an imaginative boy, and draws to express what is in his mind. This book is full of pages where the anxious child can draw the topic or idea discussed. One idea I had (don't think it's a copyright issue if I own the book) is to xerox the drawing pages and let my son use the copies. So when he gets in an anxious period again, and we redo this process with another worry, he'll have fresh pages to use.

The explanations and reading level seem just perfect for any 6 to 10 year old, maybe even some five year olds. If your child is in elementary school, this book is for them.

I agree with the other reviewer that did not appreciate labeling sufferers as "weak people". It was in reference to a 'worry bully' picking on the child. A couple other places the text refers to the worry bully SEEING the child as weak, but this one place where the child is LABELED a "weak person" did concern me. I just took out my Sharpie, marked over the word 'weak' and left it that bullies like to pick on people, period. This one tiny sentence did not ruin an otherwise terrific book, for me!!

Overall a wonderful resource for a school age child. The illustrations are terrific, also!

This book has helped us discuss worrying too much with our ten year old son. I think it has really helped him to understand how worrying too much hurts him and it gives him tools to worry less.

This book is absolutely wonderful. I have used it numerous times as an adjunct to therapy. Terrific assignments that really target the core issues. Well written and entertaining too!

My daughter had chronic stomachaches which we had checked out medically. We were assured that they were stress related. This book was just what we needed. She loved being able to actually write in and draw in the book about her worries. It was engaging and empowering for her to create something tangible for her to work with. She especially loved drawing what her worry bullies look like. It somehow made it easier for her to laugh at them. I can remind her to watch out for her worry bullies and she now laughs instead of letting her anxieties build. The end of the book emphasizes using relaxation exercises. We used the breathing and muscle relaxation exercises suggested. We also listened to cds called Indigo Dreams. This let her practice the breathing and muscle relaxing on her own. The cds also taught her additional stress management techniques. I am thankful to see my child smile more and worry less.

A big sucess. We had a family reunion and it kept 6 boys happy for many hours in addition to tiring them out as they ran up and down the stairs from a loft area. Good instructions plus the proper paper.

interesting and fun for kids that love hands-on activities; easy and challenging at the same time...

I am a Science teacher I designed a Science Camp for the school district I work for. One of the days was devoted to the science of flight and we used paper airplanes as models. Originally, I had purchased 4 different paper airplane books (including this one). But, when the time came around and it was 'Paper Airplane Day' during our camp, this was the book I used.

The other books were ok, but many of the planes seemed to be very complex to make, many also involving irregular sizes of paper. I also try to keep my Science lessons simple - I wanted something the students could take home and start making right away. Not only did the Klutz book offer great, easy to make airplanes, but it also contained easy to understand explanations of the principles of flight (as well as some group games to play with paper airplanes.

I HIGHLY recommend this book and I give it a solid teacher endorsement!

Great product. Kids have fun making special paper airplanes. Especilly good for kids who have enjoyed putting Lego together.

This book is awesome. I never have been able to fold paper airplanes before that actually flew. With this book, it is so easy and they really fly. I now buy this book for my girls to give as birthday presents. Awesome find.

fun book to look at, but not nearly as detailed as I would have liked. Seems to be aimed at a young audience. well worth the price if you want a lite look inside the great ship. a welcome addition to my Titanic library.

After reading a short story in Reading class, my daughters became very curious about the Titanic. This book is a good overview of the ship and the voyage.

this is a good book for kids who are intersted in titanic.my nephew love this book,buys every book he can find on it.

This book is very great for kids who want to get a good glimpse on the inside of the ship and see what the interior actually might have looked like back then.

I have it sitting above my head on my book shelf among a couple of other titanic books.

I definately recgomend this book for any one and not just children.

My seven year old nephew was enthralled by this book. The amazing illustrations fill every page with a wealth of detail for both adults and kids. The story line is excellent too--it follows two families, the Goldsmiths and the Carters, one in first class, one in third, as they make their way across the Atlantic. The book doesn't gloss over the fact that many died, but has just enough detail to hold kids' interest without being scary. A real find.

This is the third edition of this book that I have bought. I love the format of them. They are imformative, yet entertaining. I am a "planner", and this helps keep me organized. We had made the major decisions of where to eat & where to go when in advance. I've been a Disney fan for years as are my children now. This book gave helpful tips when it came to deciding where & when to do things. I highly recommend it & look forward to the next edition.

We used this for many months before our vacation last year. It was almost drenched with highlighter markings long before we left for Florida. When we got there, it was like our Bible as we toured the parks. It has everything you need to know for Disney and beyond. Her sense of humor is most amusing and she does let you know where to eat without losing your mind or cookies with toddler in tow. So buy it and then keep it, because you will write notes in it and after your trip it will become almost a souvenir of sorts with all your little articles and receipts etc, tucked away in side. You will look through it a year or two later and laugh at your comments about whatever you were thinking at the time. We had teenagers and toddler and everything worked out great, she has some real tips that do everyone good, not just the kids. Mom and dad won't lose their mind trying to please everyone. We are heading to Universal as well this year, so we will definitely be buying her Universal book.

Since we take so few vacations, I like to make sure they're planned well so everyone gets the most out of them. I bought 3 Disney books (Unofficial Guide by Sehlinger and Birnbaum's 2001 edition too) but this is the one I found most useful for planning a trip with a 4 & 6 year-old. The tips saved us $1000 on room costs alone! The reviews of the Disney and off-site hotels offer useful details not found on websites. The excellent ride reviews feature details to help parents determine if it's too scary for your child (tells you if dark, noisy, surprise elements, etc) - not just a generic "may scare children under age 5" warning. The book is fun & easy to read... and with her realistic advice for visiting Disney with kids, you'll have more fun and be less stressed-out on vacation than if you did it without her book.

As you see from most of the reviews of this book it is an excellent source of information. As the author notes, the level of enjoyment of your trip is directly related to the amount of research you do before your trip.

In addition to being a great source of information before we left, it was a great read on the drive to Orlando. As parents, so much time is spent on the planning that the joyful anticipation of the trip is often left to the kids. The more we read and closer we got, the more excited we got.

One personal caveat that is inferred in the book, but not stated expressly is that the Disney experience can be lost on young kids. Our six-year-old had an absolute blast, our 3 1/2-year-old was a bit tentative about the characters and some of the shows, but our two-year old was scared by the characters (I don't think he understood that they would be life-sized) and the shows created sensory overload. Several parents of young children we talked to said they would not repeat the experience with a child younger than four. We heartily second that.

I have a three year old daughter, and this book was a tremendous help in planning out trip to Disney World. It told us when and where to find the characters (a BIG item for planning the days), what rides to ride first, and most importantly, the information about FastPass. I highly recommend the book to anyone taking kids to DisneyWorld.