Baby Books

I remember this book from my childhood. I think I kept it checked out of my school library almost the whole year! I am so glad to find it again, since it obviously left quite an impression. It's such a wonderful, well-written book, and certainly not your run-of-the-mill fairy tale princess.

I first read this book when I was in elementary school. I remember reading it and not wanting to put it down. When my mother finally made me put it down and help with the dishes I explained everything I had read so far to her in detail and after I was finished helping my mother, I went back to reading and finished the entire book the same day I started it. Years later I tried to find this book but because i had read it when I was so young, I couldn't remember the title. I was thrilled when I found it and once again read the book the same day i got it. The book was still amazing(I had my worries because things that seem great when your young sometimes turn out to be pretty bad as a adult). I found the story of Amy heartwarming with a creative twist to the other princess stories we all know. I find the idea that Amy wasn't the image of a beautiful princess because she had freckles and straight hair charming. It makes you realize there is more to beauty than perfect complexions and blond hair. I think every little girl should read this story and plan to purchase it for my niece when she is older. Even as an adult I enjoy reading this fairy tale and highly recommend it for all young girls.

I wish I had this book when I was a child instead of filling my head with the traditional fairytales. I think we try to hard to live up to the impossible standards that these fairytales represent and when real life hits, we feel like a failure for not being able to fulfill them. Truly a great book to read to your child and one that has a little something for us as well.

This book emphasises that there are other virtues and qualities aside from aesthetics. It is difficult to describe. The book teaches that beings ones true self is what matters most and goes beyond valueing superficial signs of worth.

One may know the story of the servant girl who gets to go to the ball, the story of the beautiful girl that falls in love with the beast, the princess that is finally awakened by a kiss from a dashing prince. But, it is quite possible that one may go half of her life before ever hearing the story of another girl, a princess in fact, who was born once upon a time in a land called Phantasmorania. She was christened Her Serene and Royal Highness Princess Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne--a name fit for the most beautiful and exraordinary princess in all the land. Special gifts were bestowed upon the baby at this christening celebration by the magical fairies of the land. All seems to be heading straight for happily ever after until the last fairy bestows her idea of a gift on the princess: "You shall be ordinary!" The kingdom is turned upside down. An ordinary princess?

The king and queen may consider this gift a curse indeed, but it is what makes the story so endearing to readers. Traditional views of what makes someone noble and special are tried, especially what makes a woman beautiful and of worth. In a classically fairy-tale setting, a mythical land ruled by Oberon, king of the fairies, new-age ideas are considered and ultimately proven plausible. M.M. Kaye's story, The Ordinary Princess, is a refreshing new take on classical fairy-tale stories that enamors readers with its relatable characters all the while enchanting them with a somewhat fantastic plot and imagery. Because Princess Amy is so believable, readers are better able to walk along side-by-side with a princess and vicariously experience all her adventures instead of gazing longingly from afar.

Kaye's story brings ordinary and fantasy into beautiful harmony: it is what makes this story the most enchanting fairy-tale you might've never heard of. It's never too late for this kind of magic.

A princess is supposed to be fair, with hair golden, skin like wild rose petals and cream, and eyes as blue as larkspurs (3). A princess is supposed to be graceful, well-tempered, always behaving with the utmost dignity and poise. Kaye characterizes all six of Amethyst's sisters by nothing more than this description of what a royal princess should be. But, because of the gift bestowed on the little princess to be ordinary, Amy, as she was thereafter called (for "what could be more ordinary than that?"), is hardly those things at all (21). Amy was much more like us: she was imperfect. She had a stubbed-nose, freckles. She was gawky and had the "distressing habit of standing with her feet apart and her hands behind her back" (22). Already, an ordinary audience has come to relate to this ordinary princess. The audience can relate to physical imperfections, but the audience is inspired by the way Amy reacted to her imperfections and lived her life. It wasn't that Amy never was discouraged. Indeed, no. This facet of character makes her all the more relatable, realistic. But, she was optimistic about looking at things though and she enjoyed life, trying to look at the bad in a positive light. Amy was such an ordinary sort of girl that she would sneak out of her window to play in the Forest of Faraway. It is easy for the audience to like Amy for themselves and it is natural for them to empathize with her, but the people in the kingdom don't seem to like Amy and her manners very much at all. The reader finds acceptance and an embracing of his imperfections through the character of Peregrine, the "man-of-all-work" she meets a neighboring kingdom. He grows to love her for her ordinary self and her ordinary habits. She is not timid and delicate like a princess is expected to be and he loves her and all of her "imperfections," without even knowing that she is a princess. It is human, it is ordinary, to want to be loved for what we really are and Amy and Peregrine's story gives the reader hope that it can happen.

Their relationship manifests the harmony of the ordinary and the fantastic that Kaye uses to enthrall readers. Amy meets him in a very casual setting and they decide that they would like to be friends. They talk as friends. They are informal and playful in their dialogue. One day, when they are lounging in the forest as they often liked to do, he talks of having seen the princess that had come to visit the king of this far away kingdom where Amy had runaway and where she met Peregrine. She asked him, "What's she like?"

He answered her, "Like a princess." She didn't like this answer saying that it was silly, so she threw a blackberry at his nose. That's not the sort of thing Cinderella would do but it seems an ordinary thing for a modern girl today to do. Their conversations are full of silly, friendly dialogue and they almost always end their rendezvous walking hand in hand and laughing together. But, the fantastic part about it is that they truly love each other. This ordinary relationship turns into something real and something that can last. Even when the plot takes an unexpected turn, they still live happily ever after together. The coming together of the ordinary and the extraordinary in their relationship uplifts the ordinary reader, giving him or her evidence that fantastic is in the realm of possibility.

In addition to character development and plot in bringing a refreshing harmony to the work, M.M. Kaye cleverly and naturally manipulates simple, every-day words and assembles them in an enchanting way that creates the sweet, lovely undertone of the entire work. Instead of using extraordinary, sophisticated words to describe the beauty of a baby, she says simply, "she was as pink and white and gold as apple blossoms and the spring sunshine." In these simple words, the reader receives almost an entire idea of what this baby is like because the reader is able to imagine the softness of the babies skin like the petals of the blossom, the babies sweet smell like the scent of the blossom, and the warmth of the babies skin like clean spring sunshine. Kaye takes advantage of the readers' minds ability to make relationships to words and bring up images without the image being explicitly laid-out by the author through unnecessary wordiness. The images that Kaye creates using such simple words are so brilliant that it would seem that she were a fairy herself. Because she uses this simple diction to color her piece, all, young or old, are able to read her story as if it were meant for them, gleening from it what their mind imagines all on its own.

Even the illustrations that enliven the pages of Kaye's fairy-tale are enchanting. The simple and sometimes amusing black and white line drawings add a childlike intrigue to the book. The images look simple enough but they are beautiful and oftimes delightful caricatures of the people or the situations Kaye is describing, adding to the humorous, casual, friendly aspect of The Ordinary Princess.

This story is attractive to modern audiences because of the idea that what is traditionally valued by society is not always the most valuable thing to have. What Amy lacked in beauty and elegance, she certainly made up for in warm, gentle kindness and friendliness. Amy, like other fair-tale princesses, was so gentle that she had animal friends that kept her company, a crow and a squirrel. She was able to look past herself and think of others because she was not caught up in her appearance. She was straight-forward and sometimes rambunctious about the way she did things, something contrary to the traditional idea that a woman should be demure, and in this way attracts the modern reader whose idea of woman may be different. This story has the fantastic, enchanting aspect of a fairy tale but because Kaye chose to combine that with the ordinary aspect of humanity, it can attract and resonate with a wider audience.

The title of the book itself, The Ordinary Princess, brings too dissimilar things, ordinary which connotes mundane or down-to-earth, homely and the idea of a princess which is basically everything extraordinary, beautiful and noble and sophisticated. The title intrigues readers because of the juxtaposition of these two seemingly paradoxical ideas; the reader may question or dare to hope that these two characteristics aren't so contradictory after all. As the reader turns the pages of Kaye's tale, absorbing the character of Amy, the fun and childlike humor of the dialogue and the characters, and the mesmerizing illustrations one comes across every so often, they are increasingly enchanted with the idea that fantastic is in the realm of possibility. Amy is loved for her ordinary self. Being true to one self is more important than living by society's norms and that is when happily ever after can really happen.

This book is written in the form of a narrator talking directly to the main character, the little mouse. (Spoiler alert - there probably isn't really a bear.)

Very cute, very simple - each page has only one or two lines on it - and some clever illustrations (one one page, the mouse disguises his strawberry in a pair of fake glasses with a nose).

Only thing is that this book has been abridged slightly. The non-board book versions have a few illustrations that were left out of this version, and some of the two-page spreads in the other versions were cut down into one page in this version, making a few pages look a little choppy. Also, the last page of the book has become this book's back cover and blurb.

It doesn't ruin the book, or make it close to unreadable, but if I had to do it again I'd just buy the longer version to start with.

I'll admit I was hesitant to order this book--it didn't seem to be as "flashy" as some of the other children's books. But with such great reviews, I thought I'd try it out. After a few days this quickly become my 8 month old's favorite book. He loves hearing about the "big hungry bear" and I love the mouse's expressions on each page. Both the artwork & story are absolutely adorable. Highly recommended!

When my daughter was in Kindergarten, we purchased this book. We loved acting out the narrator's part and had so much fun! She loved this book so very much, she took it to share day. Her teacher adored the book, as did all of the children in her class. My daughter was a HUGE hit. When her teacher left to have a baby, we gifted her with her own copy of this book. She used it for years, we found out later at a chance meeting. My daughter is now 22. My niece is turning 3 and this book is going to be part of her birthday. I'm already planning out how to read it to her!

I grew up with this book. I would read it over and over to myself and my siblings. When my family moved though It was lost with a couple of other books too. I just recently found it and bought it. I now read it to my daughter and she gets so excited to turn the pages and read the next phrase and see the next picture. I am enjoying both our childhoods. :)

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1TTRY7U6R935X In this video I take you through this classic children's book by reading you this short story much the same way I did for my son. He loved this book so much that we bought two so we always had a backup. I read it so many times I knew it by heart. You can't read this book without expressing delight because the story is so charming and the illustrations so heart warming. This is an all time classic children's book.

I love this book. I love the rhythm of it, I love the note at the end, I love the dedication - love it.

Unfortunately, I've yet to get either of my nieces overly involved in it. They'll sit through it, but they won't request it :(

So I've had to take a star off what I'd normally rank this book as because, in my house, it's just not doing its job. I don't know why they don't love it, they just don't.

This book was a favorite with our first child 10 years ago, and we just bought another copy for our 1-yr.-old! I love the flowing, rhyming prose, and the illustrations allow for so much discussion and interaction. As with Dr. Suess books, I find myself repeating the words throughout the day (like when we're eating berries!) I definitely recommend this book!

This was my kids' favorite book when they were little, and now I'm buying many copies for nieces, nephews, and little cousins. Wonderful verse, fun pictures. Lots of repetition, which the little ones love. Enjoy!

My grandson loved this book once he turned about 16 months old. Before that he had no interest.

My 2 year old daughter loves this whimsical, rhyming story. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story is quirky and quick paced. Originally we checked it out from the library and she enjoyed it so much we had to eventually buy the book. We also gave this to a friend's 18 month old daughter as a present and it has quickly become one of her favorite books.

GREAT STORY, WE HAVE THE BOOK AND VIDEO. A MUST HAVE FOR YOUNG ONES, CHILDREN WITH AUTISM. MY SON LOVES IT.

An owl attacks a mother bat one night, as the owl attacked a baby bat named Stellaluna was knocked out of her mother's grip and landed in a nest of baby birds. She must conform to the birds' ways and not hang upside down and starts to eat bugs. However, she then gets the chance to show her fellow bird "siblings" what life is like as a bat and the birds and Stellaluna learn about self-acceptance and accepting others. The genre is picture book and reading level is ages 4-8.
First and foremost it's a picture book that has information about bats and teaches it in the most interesting and appealing way for young readers to understand. The illustrations are very realistic and go fantastic with the words on the page. Genre: Fiction-Picture Book. Reading Level: Ages 4-8

Completed by Z on 5/12/08

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon is about a bat named Stellaluna. When she was barely born she was with her mother. Then an owl struck Stellaluna's mother. Stellaluna went down faster and faster until she hit a branch, hung up side down and covered herself. The next day she fell down in a nest. She never knew the nest. She met some birds named Pip, Flitter and Flap. Mama Bird came and let her stay. She also brought a green grasshopper for Stellaluna to eat so she won't be hungry. Stellaluna got in trouble by Mama Bird because she was hanging upside down with Pip, Flap and Flitter. Mama Bird said that if she doesn't behave she will not live in the nest. The next day it was time to learn how to fly. When Stellaluna flew she was full of happiness. When she landed she was trying to stand on the branch. Then she did it. It took her a lot of time but she got it. She flew a lot with Pip, Flitter and Flap. Then the birds went home. Stellaluna was hanging by her wings, too tired to soar. There came a bat hanging upside down. A lot of bats came. Bats were asking her questions. Someone wanted to see her. It was her mother! She was so happy. Stellaluna was hungry. Her mother said they would fly at night to find fruit. They found mangoes. When she was done she was upside down with Flitter, Pip, and Flap. At night they couldn't see. Quickly they were falling down but Stellaluna caught their hands wrapping them closely like they were sisters and brothers.

It doesn't matter if you're different. You can still be friends. Stellaluna and the birds ate different things. They fly at different times. They were different but Stellaluna still saved them. Stellaluna taught the birds how to hang upside down. I liked the way that Stellaluna was a bat and she still saved the birds when they weren't brothers and sisters.

By Jose

This book was in excellent condition. I gave it as a gift. Also I received it very quickly.

This was worth the purchase. My daughter has been in love with Stellaluna since the moment she discovered it at the library. She asked for this book for Easter in lieu of an Easter basket. It's a beautifully illustrated storybook. The story itself is wonderful; being both educational on a rudimentary level concerning the nature of fruit bats and so forth and for the moral of the story which is really about being true to oneself and living your life according to who you really are. We highly recommened this children's book.

Peek-A Who is a favorite of my three your old granddaughter (we made a Dutch translation). It is the joy of understanding what is on the next page. The owl and the mirror she likes best.

I like this book because it's very different than other baby books. The illustrations are very cute. My 10 month old son likes it a lot, I just wish it had a few more pages!

My 13 month old loves this book. It actually inspired her fifth word! We were reading the book and as I was about to say "Peek-A... Moo", I heard this tiny "eek-a" from my daughter. I turned the page for Peek-a-Boo, and before I could say anything, she did it again - "eek-a". It's repetitious so I think it taught her to say the word. Now she loves to say "eek-a" before I turn the page. I don't know that you can find "eek-a" in a Webster's, but I'll take it!

This is one of my daughter's favorite books! It's nice and short and easy for them to memorize. My daughter can anticipate what the next page has because of the 'windows' on the pages. This is a great book for toddlers!

I bought this book for my 7 month old grandson. He wants me to read it to him over and over. He works to turn the pages himself and studies the pictures intently. It is a good size for him to hold and sturdy enough to be handled by him. The illustrations are superior.

I bought this book for my children and I now I am buying a copy for my mother. It brings tears to my eyes each time I read it and my boys just love it. It's a necessary book for any mother or for anyone who has a mother.

I bought this book for my daughter when she recently had her first child, my first grandchild. I cried when I first read it - and I'm not ususally a tearful, sentimental person. It expresses my feelings as I see life moving on into a new generation of my family and the poignancy of new life contrasted to the eventual end of life for each of us.

I checked this book out of the library on a whim one day and as I was reading it to my daughter, I couldn't even read a couple of the pages because I'm such a sentimental thing and started to bawl. I instantly went to Amazon to buy a copy for my daughter and two for baby gifts. A tad schlocky at times, but a wonderful gift for a new mom, who is probably so hormonal that she, too, will be moved to tears. Lovely pictures and a lovely book!

From reading other reviews, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one. I received this as a baby gift. There is something very special about this book. The words are simple, only a few per page, but this is a book that has a lot of meaning hidden within. It tugs at my heart. I can't read it to my daughter (3 1/2), because I start crying every time. I do like to look at it myself, because it makes me think about being a granddaughter, daughter, mother, and (hopefully SOMEDAY)a grandmother. I think all new mothers would love this book, and I plan on buying this in the future for my friends that have baby girls.

I don't have any children. Frankly, I'm newly married and only 22. But, I saw the cover in a store and thought it was a nice illustration. (I'm a graphic designer, so I sometimes buy things even if just for their packaging. It's a sickness.) I plan to have kids someday (zing!) so I didn't mind taking a peek inside.

I read the book, standing there in the aisle, cover to cover. I literally teared up and had to pause so people didn't think I was crazy. I don't normally get all emotional, let alone in stores...

I quickly noted the title and author to tell my sister-in-law that she should buy this book and read it for her (adopted) daughter.

The illustrations are lovely, and the text is short and sweet with an amazing pace that just touches your heart. As mentioned, it works for adopted children too, which was great for my family.

I would recommend this to anyone with kids, or for a baby shower gift. But, it is more centered around a mother to a daughter, so it probably doesn't read well for boys.

My 11 month old son loves this book and has since he was little. He loves the cadence of my voice as I read the clever rhyming story and he loves the pictures. However for younger children like him this book is also available in a board book format. Just search amazon for bear snores on board book.

This book was given to us when our boy was born and it's been a favorite for his two years of life. We've given this as a gift now many times.

This book is one of our favorites. Great, original verse, lots of cute animals, and a repeating phrase make our 2-year-old pay attention. The other "Bear" books don't seem as original to me. We give this book as gifts, and everyone loves it!

i love reading this aloud. my 3 yo and i love love love this book. it's funny and cute! finally! a story and words as cute as the pictures! yea for storybooks with a backbone!

Husband bought for out daughter (almost 3) about 5-6 months ago and they are her favorite. I went and bought the rest from amazon. Wonderful books!!!!
D

I have read this book to a baby I babysit for, and he loves it! I've been reading it to him since he was 4 months old and he still likes to have it read to him over and over again! The primary colors in the book make it so vivid and colorful and you can be very animated when you read it, they love it! I ordered one for my sister's new baby!

Fantastic pictures and great text, this book is a sure winner for any young train lover!

The little boy in this story loves trains, and when it's time for bed he chugs his wooden train all around a most elaborate track...under the tunnels under the chairs in the bedroom, around some blocks that might cause a landslide, on a bridge across the river (a fish tank) and onto bed with the tired little boy who settles in with some stuffed animals for the night. It's a soothing and inventive bedtime story, and a pleasure to read aloud.

We have both the board book and the regular book. We love them and read them on a daily basis. Definitely a must for all boys!

BUY THIS BOOK! I received it as part of an educational kit, which sends top quality books once a month. I have since purchased it again because the first copy was loved to pieces by me and my son!

Every morning, he wakes up, goes to his bookshelf to locate this book and carries it to me saying, "Mommy read train book!" And that is how we begin the day every morning, reading this book in "mommy's bed." No matter where I hide this book to try and get him to try another, he finds it and brings it. I performed "book surgery" at least 20 times with packing tape before breaking down and buying a new copy.

The pictures in this book foster vocabulary building and the canter of the text is perfect for keeping the attention of a busy toddler. The story is very sweet and it would work well for bedtime, as the boy is in bed and the story reads, "To the Roundhouse you are bound, goodnight engine, safe and sound." My son delights in pointing to various items in the pictures and saying, "princess," "snail," "boxcar," "birds," "airplane," "pilot," "engineer" and so on. YOUR CHILD WILL LOVE THIS ITEM.

This book is the first chapter book to interest my six year old. The characters, five sisters, each have their own personalities which are drawn in detail and carried through all of their adventures. The stories are sweet, focusing on everyday life in a poor jewish family at the turn of the century in New York (on the lower east side). The traditions will be familiar to an educated jewish reader but the setting just diferent enough to make it interesting. My daughter demands it every night and now cant sleep without her nightly dose of "naughty Henny and her sisters."

This book is just as entertaining as it was when I read it as a child! The book arrived quickly, in fantastic condition. Thanks!

Sydney Taylor's classic book for middle readers is set in the Lower East Side of New York City and depicts the life of a traditional Jewish family in the early 20th century. All-of-A-Kind Family is the first in a series of novels about the lively family and is a sweet, charming read. The story takes the reader through most of year and involves not just the family but their friends and acquaintances, too. The book opens with a chapter about going to the library, and the children's librarian (or "library lady," as the girls like to call her) is a gentle, recurring presence. The children's adventures include a trip to the market, scarlet fever and an outing to Coney Island, where one of the girls gets temporarily, and happily, lost. Meanwhile the story meanders through a year of Jewish holidays and teaches the reader a little about each one. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Shabbat and how Taylor contrasts the hubbub of shopping and preparations with the simple serenity of the day itself. The family relationships struck me as very true and believable- for example, Papa's ambivalence regarding the present the girls get for his birthday and his quick turnaround struck me as realistic and human. I can imagine any parent reacting the way he did initially and then rallying in the end. I appreciate Taylor's honesty about her characters throughout the book, too. It's a great book for anyone and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and sharing in the further adventures of this fun, busy family.

All-of-a-Kind Family was a turning point in the history of Judaic children's literature - the first mainstream book with Jewish characters! In memory of author Sydney Taylor, the Association of Jewish Libraries gives out the Sydney Taylor Book Award each year to the best in Judaic children's literature. See lists of winners at www.sydneytaylorbookaward.org.

Also, you can hear an interview with Jo Taylor Marshall, the daughter of Sydney Taylor, on The Book of Life podcast's October 2007 episode "Catch Me a Classic!" Jo shares memories of the real people who became the characters in the series. Tune in at www.bookoflifepodcast.com!

All-of-a-kind Family
This book was a good historical fiction book that I chose to read. Every chapter had a new theme and it portrayed the time period of 1912-1913.

As a 3 & 4 year old Christian Preschool teacher, I absolutely love this little book! What is even better is that my students love it too! :o) I can never get away with reading just one story from this book because the kids always ask for more! I first saw an older version of this book when I was talking with our Kindergarten teacher in her classroom. She told me that she loved it too because it covered some stories that our normal Bible curriculum didn't cover. So, about a two months ago, I purchased one to use in my own classroom. I was so impressed with the reactions of my students in the classroom, that I have decided to give these great little books to all of my students who move up to Kindergarten at the end of the year as a "graduation" gift. It was such a blessing to see the looks on their little faces when received their books. Thank you for having such a wonderful starting point for young hearts who are on their way to a lifetime of serving our Lord and Savior.

My kids - ages 5, 7 & 9 - devoured this book. They each read it cover to cover in the first few days. Its been 6 months since I bought it for them, and they are still reading it.

These Bibles were an excellent buy, although for younger children, maybe at the first-grade level

As a pastor, I was very interested in finding a bible that was developmentally appropriate, had good artwork, and held my 1 year olds attention. Each story is 4-6 pages (just right for this age). There are not too many words on each page, and the pictures are well done and interesting. I bought a bunch to hand out for dedications because this is a Bible that parents can actually look forward to reading to their babies.

This a very good bible story book for the little ones. My 1 1/2 year old grandaughter sees it on our bookshelf and knows that it is hers.
She goes right to it, takes it down and hands it ot me to read from.