Children Books

This is another winner in this board book series, written by the "touchy-feely" team of Watt, Fiona, and Usborne. It's essentially a monologue by an unseen narrator (perhaps a young toddler like the book's audience),who notes why various breeds of dogs are NOT his or her own.

The illustarions are bright primary colors, against similar but contrasting backgrounds. Embedded within the triple-thick board book pages is some texture-rich material described in the book. These attributes enable the narrator to label and categorize the various dogs, and to deduce that the pictured dog is NOT "my puppy."

Ultimately, after you and your young charge touch the materials, enjoy the bright volotd and varying breeds, and delight in the repetitive; "that's not my puppy," refrain, the tenacious reader/listener will celebrate the ultimate discovery of the beloved dog. A nice little vocabulary buikder and an all-around suinpke but fun boatd book that imaginative adults can enahnce with a nicely dramatic reading.

This book is cute. It has a different texture on each page. I would recommend using it for read-alouds for awhile. Young children may eat or tear off the "feely" parts.

I really like the "thats not my.." series. All the books are colorful, quick and cute. We also own "thats not my dragon" which I think my son (17 months) likes better than this one but all the books in this series are cute and I would recommend any of them!

This is great as far as touchy feely books go. There are a variety of textures for baby to explore. But it is very short with a total of five page of text. And the text itself is fine but not very rich.

That's Not My Puppy: Its Coat Is Too Hairy is short and sweet on length, but wonderfully entertaining with textures. This is a great, sturdy board book that very little readers will enjoy multiple times.

And, when you've explored all you want about the dogs, you can always discuss that cute little mouse who seems to appear on every single page!

Cute, educational, and very, very entertaining. This is a must for your toddler's library.

initally has a good start but then drags on...good book to take to beach on a long vacation...kind of flat from middle to end....mostly b/c "things" are held in by the main character so in that sense true to plot...3/4 of the way through I started to skim to find out end of story...which was predictable and flat...

Excellent book~!! I enjoyed it from Page One until the very end. Well written, it will keep your attention until the story is over. You will miss the characters for days, after you have finished the book.

Highly recommended.

I swear, I had to check several times to make sure this book was fiction. It is so well written, it feels like an autobiography.

Jorie is little more than a toddler (and her two brothers not much older) when their mother dies of polio-related causes. This is the 1950's, and their father is a doctor (and by the looks of it a successful doctor) who stands by helplessly as the mother of his children dies.

This happens in the first few pages of the story, and life doesn't get much better for these kids through the story. There is financial stability in their lives, but that is all. Their father rears them intellectually, but he disdains any emotion. And they only know him through the few stories he chooses to tell.

The novel is spun in such a way that you can't help but zoom along through it, wondering what will become of these poor scraps. It is a glimpse of what growing up without affection could be like, but it is not hopeless. In fact, just the opposite, Jorie is always full of hope. You cheer for her and her brothers as they grow.

I really enjoyed this story, though I found it completely heartbreaking.


(*)>

A well written, fast paced and fascinating book. One of the best reads I've found in a long time. The writing style reminded me of Dani Shapiro's (especially Slow Motion): very descriptive, highly intense and totally unflinching.

I hope Anitra Sheen will write a sequel to this moving book. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

Wonder and Ashleigh make the best team in the world. Wonder is such a great filly who loves to race and win. It waz really great that Ashleigh got to ride Wonder in th Breeders Cup Classic due to Jilly's injury but Wonder couldnt have done it without Ashligh. Wonder runs like she is flying with wings. I really hated when Jennings and Brad tried to ruin Wonders chances in the race, but luckily they never harmed another horse, well Jennings. I give this book 5 stars cauz this is the last book where Wonder is the star and she sure showed she was one in this book. Wonder races in the Kentucky Derby and wins but loses in the Preakness Stakes cauz she was bumped and won the Belmon Stakes and Breeders Cup Classic with Ashleigh in the saddle. If it wasnt for her being bumped, Wonder would have been a Tripple Crown winner. But she still made us all proud except for Brad. Im sure Ashliegh was overwelmed when Clay Townsend gave her half intrest in Wonder and her offsprings. If that was me getting half intrest in Wonder, I would be bouncing off the walls. If u want to read a book of a lost filly almost loosing her chances in being a champion and a girl's dreams over flow, read Wonders Victory and u will just get your story. If u want to talk Thoroughbred, u can reach me at Blades60@aol.com

This is by far, the best Thoroughbred book. I actully think the first four Thoroughbred books are better than the rest, because they include Wonder, my favorite horse charector. I have almost the whole series and never get tired of reading: A Horse Called Wonder, Wonder's Promise, Wonder's First Race, Wonder's Victory and the Ashleigh series which come before the Thoroughbred series and take place before Ashleigh (Wonder's groom and half owner) and her family are still living at Edgardale (where they lived before Townsend Acres.)Definatly read the series and especially this book. GO WONDER!

This book is AWESOME! You should definatly read this book. I think this is the best Thoroughbred book there is. I have almost the whole series, and I never get tired of it. When Wonder's jockey is injured, who will ride Wonder? This book is filled with excitement and fun great for all horse-lovers.GO WONDER!
(and Jilly)

This book follows Ashleigh and Wonder as they make their way to the Breeder's Cup Classic. Beyond the fact that this world is well written and engrossing, probably the best part of this book is reading about Ashleigh and Mike's growing relationship. We finally see our self-consicous, horse crazy, fashion despising Ash fall for Mike. It's really great to see this side of Ash; the side that isn't always in control and doesn't always know what to do. I also found the "mystery" surrounding Wonder's freakish behavior before races to be really interesting. The conclusion of this book is just, well, wonderful...
This book is the perfect example of how you close a story and give the reader a sense of closure and satisfaction. It ends perfectly. After reading these great, old generation TB books, I'm even more saddened at the fact that the publisher, Harper Collins is planning on terminating the series abruptly after book #72. Please HELP SAVE THOROUGHBRED! Go to www.whitebrookfarm.com to find out more. I would hope that Harper will listen to the faithful readers of this series and give us the closure that we deserve. Don't end TB like this! We found out how it ended for Ash and Wonder, let us find out about Mel, Chris, Allie, and Sammy's twins too! Please SAVE TB!

This is one of my favorite Thoroughbred books ever. Everyone who ever doubted will see that she is a champion in this book. Wonder wins the Belmont and Breeders Cup Classic in a breeze. Ashleigh Wonder's favorite person rode her in the Breeders Cup Classic at the age of 15! The youngest ever I'm sure. Wonder proves to the world that she is a champion and that she is the best horse out there. This is the best book about Wonder ever written. Can't wait to see what her foals do.

This book was a wonderful discovery. My children loved it and so did I. As a collector of children's books, this one was a proud addition to my library.

every parent should read this to their child. even as adults we all need a reminder of how important it is to be truthful and good. this is an absolutely amazing book for kids of ALL ages. we are all still learning and growing. thought everyone should know and get a copy. if we lived by the lesson taught in this book wouldn't the world be a much better place!!! thanks,kim

I've had the opportunity to share this book with so many people and they all loved the book. Now I have children of my own, it certainly has become one of my favorite books to read to my kids and teach them to be truthful. This is a wonderful book to share with both adults and kids for all ages. I highly recommend it.

IT WAS SUCH A JOY TO SHARE THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK WITH MY DAUGHTER. MY DAUGHTER AND I OFTEN DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF TELLING THE TRUTH. THIS BOOK ONLY MADE IT A MORE JOYFUL EXPERIENCE IN DOING SO. I APPLAUD THE AUTHORS FOR THEIR WORK AND THANK THEM FOR HELPING ME GET THE MESSAGE OF TELLING THE TRUTH TO MY DAUGHTER IN A WAY THAT WAS EASY FOR HER TO UNDERSTAND. A MUST READ!!!

My mom recently bought me this book I think that I have read it one too many times. I still read it often to my friends and have even shared it with some of my teachers.

I love this book there's so many good charecter's (I like lowie the most in this book!!!!!!!!!!) and I love the theme park
so good bye for now

Alright, I know YJK is supposed to be for the younger set, but I'm 15 and really do enjoy them. They shed new light on the characters of Jacen and Jaina, who, until YJK came along, were portrayed as bratty wonder children who kept getting kidnapped and escaping by dumb luck. OK, on to the actual book, sorry to ramble. This is the second in the Under Black Sun trilogy, which will be the last of the YJK books, at least for the time being. The kids are invited by Lando to spend time on Cloud City, bringing Anja Gallandro along. When she was introduced, I immediately understood the significance, since I have read the original Han Solo adventures back from 1979 and 1980. They arrive to find Lando's partner murdered by agents of Czethros, the Black Sun operative controlling Anja and out to get the YJK. Through a series of discoveries and things, the kids find out about Black Sun's involvement through several parties, most notably Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes, who were supposed to be playing on CC. Concluding a bunch of near-death mishaps, the kids are reunited on Cloud City, but Anja is suffering Spice withdrawl, and the preview of Crisis at Crystal Reef indicates that she's really losing it. It's interesting that something that's a young adult book would deal with something like drug addiction, but it's well written and thoughtful. This is a good read for fans of the series, and even for you older folks looking for a nice light read.

Trouble on cloud city is an awesome continuation of the young Jedi Knights books. The way Kevin and Rebecca describe the character's feelings is what truly makes this book come alive. It brings out all of the subtle emotions that Tenel Ka feels towards Jacen and lets us know that deep down she really cares for him. This book is a must have and an excellent action packed read.

Well, I have to say that this was the best Young Jedi Knights book to come along in a while. Oh, but don't get me wrong, they're all good, but a few definitly stand above the others. Namely, Lightsabers, Jedi Under Siege, Jedi Bounty, and The Emperor's plague. And now Trouble on Cloud City has joined the ranks of the great. In this book, Lando askes Jacen, Jaina, Lowie, Tenel Ka, Anja, and Em Teedee to come with him to Cloud City to help supervise a new amusement park he is building there. When they get there however, they find that Lando's partner has been murdered, and they set out to find who did it. Anja knows of course, or at least guesses that her master Czethros is at work and she struggles on many moral points concerning her new friends, and her growing adiction to Andris Spice. Actually, in this book I found myself softening a bit towards Anja, who I previously hated. I still don't like her nearly as much as the other characters, but I began to realize that she is a victim is her own right, since it isn't her fault she was mislead and used and duped into Andris. Also, this book focused a lot on Tenel Ka, who is my favorite character in the series, and allowed us to get inside her, and see her thoughts and feelings in a way that has not been done since the masterpiece of Lightsabers. Her reaction when Jacen fell of Cloud City was heartbreaking, and I'll confess, that the scene where they all thought that they would never see him again almost had me in tears, and I never, EVER cry over books or movies or anything. I liked how this book let us see how much Tenel Ka truly cares about Jacen. Speaking of Jacen, his crush on Anja seems to have ended, which may in fact be what opened me up to her a bit, since I was always adamently against that. Anyway, I would recommend this series to any Star Wars fan, no matter what their age, even though they are generaly geared towards the 10-15 set. Also, this book would have a stronger effect on you and generally make more sense if you have read the previous twelve first, though if that is to much work, it is at least reccomeded that you read the one before it.

These are great books! This book is great for begginers. The story is great, the plot is great, it's very intriging. The book is about Jason, Jaina, and Tenel Ka, and Lobaca. Lando Calorisian is inviting the Young Jedi Knights to his Resort on Cloud City. The kids will come as long as they can bring their friend Anga Gilrado. But what they will find out is... You'll just have to read the book. It's a great book as a gift. It's a must for all Star Wars fans.

I would highly recommend this book to parents and guardians of girls with ADHD. I saw many of my daughter's behaviors and symptoms very clearly at each stage of her life - how I wish I had had this book when she was younger! We were fortunate to have a pre-school teacher who was experienced enough to point out to us the "red flags" she was observing with our daughter's behavior in the classroom and how she related to other children, and she was professional enough not to diagnose her, but referred us to neurologist who made the diagnosis, so we caught her ADHD early, which made a huge difference. This is an eye-opening book, and will help prepare you for what may be coming as your child progresses through school and life stages. It has given me the information that I needed to understand how I can help my daughter succeed and grow and how to relate to her effectively now and in the future. Now I know why she's so tired when she comes home from school and this book makes it so obvious! The real-life examples are riveting and heart-breaking and will make any good parent want to do anything they can to help their daughter avoid those pitfalls that these women experienced throughout their lives. Bravo to the authors for recognizing that research done on boys with ADHD can only provide a piece of the puzzle - we all know that boys and girls are different and as a result, present ADHD symptoms and behaviors in different ways, as you will see when you read this book. Don't hesitate to buy this book - you will be glad you did and your daughter will be too!

This is the best book on ADHD that I have read! Sometimes the scenarios were so right on that I felt like the author must live in our house. I feel like I have a much better understanding of my daughter since reading the book. I put into practice some of the tips right away and noticed results immediately. Before reading this, I was still questioning my daughter's diagnosis but not anymore. This book may have saved my daughter's self-esteem as I now feel confident with how to help her get through her hard times.

My daughter's pediatrician recommended this book. It is a look into my daughter's present struggle with an explanation of "why" & how to help. It gives insight into her future struggles & how to prepare & possibly even avoid some situations. It explains the DIFFERENT way ADHD affects girls than boys! Highly recommended!

would have helped me understand my daughter, and myself, better. This book presents the research in a way any parent can understand. It also let me know what to expect for the future. Most of the books I've read ignore the differences between ADD in boys and girls-- not this one. This book should be handed to parents of ADD girls as soon as the diagnosis is made, if not sooner.

After being frustrated and watching my daughter start to fail I was finally able to convince teachers that she had a problem with add, just because your daughter is not bouncing off the walls doesn't meant there isn't a problem. This book help me to explain many painful experiences so that the staff was able to finally step in and help. My daughter is now in excelled classes, not on meds and yes we still have our interesting days but we are able to handle them better. Our social worker used this book to give an inservice during the summer. Teachers are often taught to identify boys who cause problems as add candidates. Girls who are day dreamers or chatty cathys are overlooked, and often highly intelligent children mimic add qualities, and are just 'hardwired' differenly, they can be seen as challenging authority and problems, too often used as tutors to their classmates, when they get home is when they have a melt down, but being people pleasers somehow hold it together all day at school and save it for mom. Get the book! It saved our family.

Awesome book! Great pictures, not too much text, opportunities to make animal noises. Our youngest adores this book and the older ones love to sit and "read" outloud making all the noises.

I've been reading this book to my son since he was 2 months old before bedtime and he LOVES it, especially when I say "boo... hooo... hoo". He smiles everytime I bring it out and looks at me funny if I bring something else out before bedtime. He loves to look at the pages and I do too! It's a simple, fun story that gives you the opportunity to perfect your mooing, mewing, barking and quacking skills. (I assume I'll be using these skills for a while).

I started reading this book to my daughter when she was 17-months-old. At that age, she was saying simple words, so she loved pointing at the pictures of the animals and saying "kitty" and "dog." I enjoyed making the animal sounds and having her repeat them. It's a fun story --- following the animals' attempts to soothe the crying baby --- and a fun book to read.

Great for your boo-hoo baby. Lots of animal noises, cute illustrations, a fun story and a happy ending for the sleepy sobbing baby. I read it to my son, and get lots of smiles.

My 11 month old baby requests this book everyday, several times a day. She selects it from 30 other books and brings it to us to read. She loves the illustrations, especially the depiction of baby's big head. She makes a "Zzzzz" sound in anticipation of the last page where all the characters except the baby is sleeping.

She likes it so much that if she is crying in the back seat of the car, I can calm her by reciting this book. (It's not hard for an adult to recite this book from memory.)

What a great book I recommend it for anyone. Another great book I would love to recommend is The Secret by Rhonda Burns. Very inspirational nd motivating for everyone.

this book helps you help yourself, the directions are clear and easy to
follow, you just have to make the time to do what is instructed to do.
and beleive in it

Loved the book - very informative with lots of direction to start communicating with the Angelic realm. Loved the step by step instructions as well as the personal stories of students who rec'd messages from the angels. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in this subject.

I could see and speak to angels before this book- my fortay. I loved them and still do. Everything happens for a reason. So, one day my best gf's mom was hosting a seminar on this book and invited me- several times. My parents too. I thought arragantly "naw, i can already speak to them, i don't need this class!" than my gaurdian and my other gf's gaurdian Caleb nugded me to read it. So i stopped being a little pest and read it. Very very wonderful. Understandable and opening. After reading this, its eaiser to sometimes speak with them and truly a help in my life even more than before.

I read this book almost a year ago and just recently took a class with one of the authors, Trudy Griswold. She is an incredible woman and helped me further to be able to talk with and write to my angels. It was one of the most amazing evenings, very emotional and helpful. I highly recommend this book to anyone and a class if they can find a facilitator or one of the authors nearby!

I found out about this marvelous book through Neil Gaiman's Journal. The Arrival was my first graphic novel and I was awed by the intensity and yet nuanced storytelling accomplished with absolutely no text!
Even though the country the immigrant comes to is very foreign in some major ways and the feeling of dislocation and fear are strong for the man who is the main character, still there are little touches of familiarity in this strange place, and the people open up to him.
The drawing is quietly compeling, and I found myself pouring over the pages, finding new delights on every street corner and windowsill.
I would recommend this book to all ages; after I read it, I shared it with my granddaughters, and they loved it, too!

Saying that it is an amazing book would be selling it short! Like all fine works of art it is to be cherished. Go grab a copy and 'see' it if you haven't or even if you have!

This book tells the story of a man who leaves his home and family and comes to start a new life for them all in an alien culture. Because The Arrival is a graphic novel that takes as it's setting an imaginary land with a unique language, the reader is able to enter the world as the protagonist does, completely at the mercy of the world he's trying to call home. The fine and suggestive illustrations allow the reader to experience the confusion, isolation, terror and wonder of this journey. This book helped me to appreciate the struggles my own ancestors, and everyone else in America's ancestors, must have faced in their passage of immigration. I also found a new compassion for those future citizens hoping to live within our borders, whose difficulties and challenges they must face daily. In California you meet so many different nationalities, so many people trying to make a new life for themselves and their families, and they're doing it for the most part with dignity and purpose, starting with the simple desire to begin again in a land of opportunity. The Arrival depicts this ambition with genuine sincerity and truth. I highly recommend it.

Shaun Tan, The Arrival (Arthur A. Levine, 2007)

There's a single panel, towards the end of Chapter 2 of Shaun Tan's remarkable graphic novel The Arrival, that sums up a great deal of what you need to know about the book. Previously, a man has left his wife and daughter behind to emigrate to a new land, where everything is unfamiliar to him. When, despite the cultural and language barriers he faces, he manages to find lodging, he pulls out his suitcase and opens it. Instead of the things he packed, what we see is his wife and daughter, sitting and eating a meal alone in the house he used to share with them. Everything about the scene is rendered in exquisite detail, and it's a perfect synecdoche for Tan's approach to his material here; the fabulist attitude laced with a hefty dollop of surrealism, the feel of how it is to be a stranger in a strange land, and Tan's sure hand with his illustrations, right down to the way he gives us the kind of cracking you see on old photographs.

As our nameless protagonist journeys through the city, he meets other immigrants, and he assimilates culturally by listening to their own stories of what it was like to emigrate from their homelands to this wonderful city where all of them have ended up. Tan tells a universal-- clichéd, perhaps-- story in such a unique way that I would think it impossible not to be charmed. This is fine, fine work indeed, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. You need to read this book. *****

This book tells the story of an immigrant, who leaves his homeland for reasons that are unclear but definitely seem to be unpleasant. He is overwhelmed by his new home, and absolutely nothing seems familiar, to the point of no longer being recognizable. The food is different, the language is different, the currency is different, the animals are different, and he cannot read the writing. His inability to read the writing is demonstrated quite graphically, literally, by having all the writing use an alphabet other than any I have seen from any country on Earth. He must find a place to live, a job so that he can support himself, and figure out how to survive. The foreignness and the overwhelming strangeness of the land is demonstrated by having many ordinary objects be much larger than normal, as well as having a definite surreal atmosphere pervade the entire book. Will the immigrant find a way to live? Can he find happiness? Can he be reunited with his family, by helping them be able to join him?

This might be the most unusual book I have "read," and it is hard to review it. Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret was about seventy percent illustrations, blended seamlessly with text, yielding a riveting tale. The Arrival is one hundred percent illustrations, that appear to be pencil drawings. The illustrations are excellent in quality, making this at least as much an art collection as a novel. The content varies from photograph-like to surrealism, slightly reminiscent of a blend of Van Gogh and Rivera. The paper is very high in quality and the cover looks almost like an ancient leather-bound manuscript. The entire book has an antique look and feel to it, with the paper looking aged and slightly water stained around the edges, and a sepia tone to the images.

My initial impression of the book was that the author had gone a bit too far in making his point. By taking the unfamiliar and portraying it as surreal and unearthly, I thought this was an example of overstatement causing the author to lose track of his own point. But, this is a book that, once read, keeps echoing and reverberating. I now think I was taking it too literally, at first, as the more lasting impression is one of the book having been truly haunting and, despite the downright alien (as in extraterrestrial) look of many of the image, Shaun Tan has genuinely captured the feel of chronic and pervasive displacement experienced by many immigrants. Again, like some artwork, the impact of this book is not immediate, but in its lasting effect.

Personal note: One the cover of the book is an image of the protagonist, and an animal that is not of this reality. That animal, the protagonist's pet and companion in the strange land, became symbolic of what I think of the book: at first, I saw it as a prime example of the author going too far; now, I want a critter like that! In a way, you can judge this book by its cover.

-- Chris McCallister, author of Coming Full Circle

This is a wonderful read for anyone who wants to live a Biblical life, but just can't seem to get over the hurts of abuse and betrayal. Joyce Meyer writes in her straight forward yet compassionate transparency. In this book, she takes the reader on a hope filled, "get from there to here" journey. I wish I had read this book a long time ago.

This book has helped me tremendously. It was a real eye-opener into my personal life. Thanks Joyce for writing the things God gives you.

not only it help me understand why im going through what i gone through at that time. at first i did'nt know about healing process if there is such a thing but there is. thank God for this book. as God was doing His beautiful,healing yet painful work in me this book encourage me, help me. plus i love how joyce would include her experience, her story it's very helpful!plus she's so real, honest not faking it. Thank you Lord

My grandfather sent this book to me and I confess that when I first saw it, I wasn't sure it was anything I wanted to read. Emotional healing? What could *I* possibly need to be healed from? Denial is an amazing thing. Thankfully, I had nothing else to read at the moment and picked up this book. From page 1, I was captured by Meyer's ability to share her story, make light of her struggle, and give examples of God's amazing power to heal us from our wounds, whether we recognize them or not. This book took me through the whole scope of emotions. I found myself laughing, and alternately, weeping as I recognized myself in the pages and yes, even found God speaking to me through Meyer's testimony. I simply could not put it down. If you are a survivor of any type of abuse, or even if you're just trying to work on building mature, Christ-centered relationships, consider this book. You won't be sorry you did.

Having been a victim of abuse Joyce is able to speak to others who have been abused on their level, not just from observation or education. She doesn't just leave the reader in the place of accepting that they have things they need to work through, but she leads them through the same steps she took by God's hand to receive that healing. I have used this book to lead a women's study group and have been wonderfully blessed to witness the changes that have come out of their applying these truths to their lives.