Animals Books

My kids love this book! We initially checked it out from the library but we had to renew it so often that I finally bought a copy. It is fun to read because of it's sing-songy rhythm. The story is fun, too. This is a family-favorite.

My daughters love the story. The little mouse is a clever guy who is shows that you don't need to be big and strong to win... but smart. The illustrations are colorful and happy and well done. The sequel "Gruffalo's child" is not as good. But the "Snail and the Whale" and "Room in the Broom" are even better than this one :)

My two year old daughter and I absolutely love to read Julia Donaldson's books. We love the way the book flows it is almost lyrical. The illustrations are beautiful too!

I love reading this book to my 7 month old and just know that she will grow up to adore this book too. Buy it, you will not regret it :)

I cant recommend this book enough. It is truly the best children's book I have read to my two and a half year old son.

The story is wonderful. The phrasing and rhythm of the dialog is fantastic and what really sets it apart form other children's books is the cunning nature of the story.

The illustrations are great as well.

My only disappointment is that the author or publisher decided to change some of the text when the second edition was published. Which in my opinion took away some of the charm. I am still trying to find a copy of the book with the original text but can only find the book with the revised dialog. In the mean time I simply read it to my son using the original dialog from memory.

Overall a wonderful book!!

As others have already reviewed, I am a fly fisherman who purchased this book to get a better understanding of freshwater invertebrates other than mayfly and caddis species. (For a highly detailed description of mayflies and caddis for the fly-fisherman, I would recommend the titles "Nymphs, volumes I and II".)

This guide is well-written and not too difficult to follow, even for the beginner. There is a focus on stream ecology and some tips on how to collect and identify various species. Be clear - the focus of this book is not specifically on fly-fishing, but more of a biological guide to aquatic invertebrates.

For a beginner, this book is a great place to start, but is also a nice reference for those with a little more experience. The color drawings are detailed enough to help determine the differences in various species. All in all - Excellent Book.

This books is easy to comprehend, and the plates are well defined. Extremely useful for ID'ing aquatic creatures.

My teaching partner and I will use this in our Freshwater Ecology class at the secondary level. It is a great basic guide that will be used as a reference tool and identification resource at an introductory level. Excellent for the money.

This book contains easy to understand pictographs for beginners, plus distinguishing characteristics for experienced entomologists. A major plus to any and every watershed association out there, and every limnology, water pollution biology, fisheries, etc. class offered at the collegiate level.

A definate must have for nymph fishermen as well!

Well done for a price that doesn't take a bite out of the pocketbook!

This book is great for beginners or someone who wants to brush up on invertebrates. The descriptions are wonderful, as are the pictures. Highly recommended!

I highy recommend this book. This book is a must have for the Hartland and model horse collector. It is very thorough. Easy to read for younger collectors, too. A lot of work went into this book. The pictures and information are just wonderful. It has helped me with identifying and catloging my own collection.. I take it with me when I going antiquing. I would highly also recommend her other book: Hartland Horses and Dogs.

Thanks to author Gail Fitch to one of the most comprehensive guides to Hartland collectibles I have every seen..WOW... > Her expertise and careful research is abundant in this guide... models, dates, pictures and company history of Hartland Plastics.. A MUST HAVE for all model horse collectors!

I have always enjoyed collecting western characters and their horses, dogs, etc. This book finally puts it all together. The book also allows me to look at pictures of pieces I can only dream about. The information is terrific and the photos are superb. If you are an "old cowboy" like me, you need at least one copy of this book!

I love this book! I don't know what else the author could have included -- it is so complete. I especially like the fact that the book is broken into sections, i.e. the horses and riders, the standing gunfighters, the riders and the horses shown separately in other sections. I also enjoy the history section in the back, and the detailed written descriptions about the models and their variations. The quality of the color photos is superb and I would highly recommend this book to any Hartland collector. I can't wait till her book on the breed horses comes out!

Gail Fitch has done a superb job of putting together extrememly detailed and accurate information about all of Hartland's horse and rider figures, with lots of very nice pictures showing details that complement the text. This book has gotten rave reviews from non-Hartland collectors as well as all kinds of horse collectors, and they are well deserved! This is a book that can keep you happily absorbed for long periods of time and it's an essential reference for collectors. Hartland Horsemen is an excellent book, very professionally done, and I love it! Like someone else said, I can't wait until the Hartland horse book is done so I can buy it!

Ashleigh found Lightning and she was thin and sick,but now she is a beautiful and healthy mare.Ashleigh starts riding Lightning with her friend Mona and each day she starts to grow a stronger bond with the horse.Then one day her parents take her to a children's hospital and Ashleigh has to make the biggest decision of her life....keep Lightning or give her to the sick children in need of a friend.

The Thoroughbred Series is the best series of books for any young girl who is in love with horses just as I am. I am a teenager and I still love these books. Read them! They are exciting as well as dramatic!

Ligthning, the white mare that Ashleigh rescued is doing a lot better and is even ready to be ridden, but the Humane Society found another home for Lightning. The Hopewell Center that treats kids with cancer wants Lightning, but tells Ashleigh that she doesn't have to give her up. It was sad that Ashleigh had to make such a decision. When the kids from Hopewell visit Edgardale, Ashleigh makes up her mind. What will she do? Read it and find out. The book was great!

Ashleigh Griffen found an incredibly starved and abused horse when she got lost in the woods on a trail ride with her friend, mona gardner. They decided to call her lightning, for her brillant white coat. Now, almost 5 months later, lightning is a beautiful and healthy horse. Ashleigh assumes that Lightning will live at Edgardale, her family's breeding farm in Kentucky. After all, it was her hard work and loving care that saved lightning from a terrible death. But the humane society has other plans. They picked a home for lightning to live at. Ashleigh wants to say no, but when she sees what type of home they picked for lightning, she starts to wonder if Lightning really needs her. Ash has a big decision to make! Will she give up her first horse to someone else or will she and mona both have their horses for christmas? read to find out. (By the way this book was very good! its worth every penny).

This book is just so great! I loved it from the start to the end! I got it for Christmas and I thought that title was very fitting, "A Horse for Christmas". :)

Lightning, the poor abused horse Ashleigh and her friend Mona had rescued, had gradually become back to normal again. She's beautiful and Ashleigh took it for granted that Lightning was hers. After all, she was the one who took care of it and rescued it from "Mr. Nasty". Naturally, she is shocked when she hears that the Humane Society had found another home for Lightning. She also finds out that that home was a cancer treatment center for children who were recovering from cancer. When Ashleigh goes to Hopewell(The hospital), she meets a girl same as her age who was still recovering from cancer and loved horses. Ashleigh then has to choose whether she will give Lightning for Christmas to the sick children at Hopewells as a healing treatment...or keep Lightning.

Very interesting! I liked it alot! You have to read the next book after you're done with this one!

Carole,Stevie,and Lisa go to the track, and to see some of Mr.Mcleod's horses race.the trainer,Garvey ,is involved in a bribery with another jockey,so Mr.leod's horse will win....

I like most of the Saddle Club books, but I found this one D-U-L-L and B-O-R-I-N-G. Ms.Bryant did really well with #69 Endurence Ride and excitement picks right up in #71 Horse Talk but I don't know what happened with this book! After reading the other horse racing books,#43 Photo Finish and #21 Racehorse, I thought this would be great, but I was wrong. I mean three boys named Josh and they ALL like Carole! Yeah right! The part with the trainer,Garvey, and the Jockey was NOT that great. The whole book was unrelistic! Carole should have told a grownup after Garvey threatened her! The Saddle Club should give up Mysteries and leave the detecting to Nancy Drew.

The three Saddle Club girls, Lisa Atwood, Stevie Lake, and Carole Hanson find out about a bribery at the race track about how a jockey will make sure his own horse won't win and that another will so that he gets money...before they know it, the Saddle Club isn't at the track for horse races anymore. They're in on another race...for their own lives!

Carole,Stevie,and Lisa go to the track, and to see some of Mr.Mcleod's horses race.the trainer,Garvey ,is involved in a bribery with another jockey,so Mr.leod's horse will win....

Well written book! It gives information about racing and what goes on at the racetrack. At the climax, it leaves the reader on the end of there chair wondering "What's happening next! " Stevie, Lisa, and Carole go on a lot of adventures together and victory or failure, they pretty much always have horses on there mind. Bonnie Bryant writes great horse books and if you like the Saddle Club series, you'll love the Pine Hollow series! I recomend this book to anyone who loves horses and racing.

This is an excellent book for guinea pig lovers ages 3-8. It gives information on guinea pigs while entertaining and enjoyable.

A cute story of how someone likes their guinea pigs and alot of pictures that children can look at, pictures are drawn very accurately.

I love this book!
It is a favorite for me.
first because I love cavia porcellus. My children learned those words from the book.
second the art work is beautiful, inspiring, and acurate to the experiences of having guinea pigs. I did my own artful representations of my guinea pigs after getting this book.
third each time i look at this book my heart warms over thinking of my dear guinea pigs. one lived 10 years, what a great gal she was.
fourth the content is accurate, and helpful.
I would suggest leaving a copy near your guinea pig home, cage, whatever you call your cavy space, for reference that is visually engaging, basic in content, and motivating, for self and especially children, in caring for your bouncy cavy companion.

I am sure that this is an excellent book, but I bought it for my great-grandson for his birthday at the suggestion of his mother. However, his guinea pig died before he received it.

I'm not sure if you don't have a guinea pig or your child doesn't have one at school but my son was very excited because it talks about types of guinea pigs and we enjoy it as we can compare it to ours behavior. The author clearly likes and has owned many and it gives advice about care without it just being a manual.

This is a great book for cat lovers, or animal lovers.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

Our daughter begins every day saying "I'm not going to chase the cat today!" Jessica Harper's books --- and every single one of her CDs -- just couldn't be more popular around our house. This story is delightful, the rhymes clever, the whole cast ebullient and full of spirit. Jessica H. has created a universe where tolerance, good will and great fun reign-- what more could you ask? Linsday Harper Dupont's illustrations are lively, marvelously quirky, gorgeously colored. Couldn't recommend this book more highly.

I'm Not Going To Chase The Cat Today is a fabulous choice for those who pride themselves in discovering new & different choices for kids! Not only is the chasing theme adorable, but the illustrations of the animals in their "people" garb are hilarious and imaginative and just great, silly fun! I also wholeheartedly suggest that you check out Ms. Harper's CDs for children---she is a terrific songwriter with a GLORIOUS voice. Her lyrics range from funny to funky to sweet & cosy. Her style is classy, smart, stylish and diverse--truly different than any other artist out there. I promise you'll find yourself slipping her CDs into your player--even when the kids are outside chasing each other!

Once more, Jessica Harper hits a home run with my two young boys. As devoted fans of her music and previous book, I Forgot My Shoes, my sons giggled with delight while reading her latest work aloud together. The words are lyrical, the illustrations vibrant and the joyful spontaneity of the content is infectious. Our entire family wholeheartedly recommends I'm Not Going to Chase the Cat Today, and urges newcomers to Ms. Harper's work to jump right in and enjoy!

After reading and thoroughly enjoying the high-spirited book, I'm Not Going to Chase the Cat Today,I began using it as part of my book list to teach English as a second language to 4 to 7 year-old children with whom I work. The book, along with its delightful and humorous illustrations, is a wonderful tool for introducing children to the joys and engery of the American language. The book has many common expressions in it, which are repeated so they can be learned not to mention reinforced by the colorful pages filled with animal and human antics. Word and phrase repetition helps children become comfortable with language - strong illustrations give language life and clarity. My young pupils clearly enjoy the book each time I use it, and ask for it over and over. It provides a story whose actions and attitudes they can understand, with a meaningful and gratifying ending. I'm sure other teachers and parents will find the strengths and delights of this book to their liking, and certainly in line with their children's tastes and emotions.

This is a great book for kids as well as parents. The story, along with the rhyming, keeps our toddler wanting to read it over and over again.

We have this book as well as "Where's My Teddy" and my son LOVES these books. They are super cute and fun to read. Highly recommend.

Our 2.5 year old adores this and other books by Jez Alborough. "It's the Bear" has lovely rhyming language, great illustrations and is a sure winner at bedtime.

The story itself provides opportunities for little ones to participate in punch lines and share their thoughts on what is going on in the pictures.

It's the bear is a frequent read in my home. All my children, ages 7 to 2, love the bear who is just as afraid of little Eddie as Eddie is of him. Infact, my (almost) 4 year old chose a teddy bear picnic theme for his birthday based on this book. A copy for each child attending made a wonderful gift.

"It's the Bear" is a fun book to read aloud to young children. It's simply written, in near-rhyme, with lots of opportunity for the reader to whimper, yell, growl, and sniff. My son loves to holler some of the lines along with me. The drawings are great, with an absolutely oversized bear grasping a huge teddy bear of his own, and eating a bite-sized picnic that he stumbles upon.

Very enjoyable, a great bedtime read. I'll be getting more by this author.

Our young son loves this story and wants to hear it over and over again. The pictures are cute and it's an all around great book.

My 14 month old Loves his puppy book. He likes feeling the different textures and giggles at the puppies!

Sturdy construction even for a teething baby...

I just love ALL the books in this series. My children just loved them when they were little, and if you've ever had babies you know how valuable a good book is -- you get to sit down for a while! They were fun for me to read and really fun for them to explore. In fact, I've already packed them away in their hope chests for when they grow up and have children.
Now, whenver I know anyone who has had a baby, these books (as many as I can find) are my gift.
Julie Clark Robinson, author of Live in the Moment

I got this book as a hand-me-down from a friend, whose 4-year-old and 2-year-old boys had failed to destroy it. That alone says a lot about the durability of this book, and its tactile pieces. My son, who is 16 months, loves this book. He likes to touch all the different tactile pieces: the furry puppy chest (my son's favorite), the silky dog ears, the fuzzy slipper, the rubber ball (my least favorite), and the leathery puppy noses (my favorite). The pictures are adorable. There aren't many words per page, so the book might lose its appeal for older, more experienced readers. But it's great for younger kids (under 4).

My toddler loves any Touch and Feel book-he got his first for Easter last year and I think there's only 4 or 5 we don't have yet. They're sturdy and a great size for toddlers to read, we even throw a couple in the diaper bag when we're out. They're short enough to keep a toddler's attention and filled with bright photographs of familiar things and simple, easy to read concepts. Although as some people have mentioned on this or other books reviewed, they do have some repititous textures and ideas, but I think that most toddlers won't care about that-mine doesn't anyway-he loves them.
He loves "doggies" in general, so really enjoys this one a lot. He really likes the fluffy tummy, silky ear, and leathery noses, but enjoys the whole book. He loves any of them with animals, but this Puppy one is a favorite. I'd recommend this or most any other of the Touch and Feel series, especially if your toddler loves this kind of hands on reading experience like mine does!

land of the lost mammoths is a brilliant read for kids and adults 12 years and up. I am [...] and it is my favourite book.

What a terrific book! Mike Davis sweeps the reader along with his teenage adventurers Jack, Julia, Conor, and Qav into the icy haunted reaches of Greenland with a flair and a verve that took me back to boyhood days spent under the spell of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Lost World" (the inspiration for "Jurassic Park"), Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth, and all the stories by Robert Louis Stevenson and H. G. Wells I could lay my hands on. Jack and his friends are brainy and brave, one or another of them knows all about carbon dating, kayaking, mountaineering, plate tectonics, and "refugia," and needless to say, all of this knowledge turns out to be handy, even life-saving, as they penetrate a weird and enthralling Arctic lost world. Through all their adventures, their loyalty and example of mutual aid are as impressive as their derring-do. For anyone who has ever wondered, as I did, why no one writes like Conan Doyle, Verne, Wells, or Stevenson any more -- Davis, a MacArthur fellow, does just that. This is a book to share with your friends of all ages. Perceval Press has done a beautiful job producing it, and the illustrations by William Simpson are as magical as the prose. He and Davis are a combination to compare with R. L. Stevenson and N. C. Wyeth.

As a mom who enjoys reading to her son at bedtime, I found Mike Davis' Land of the Lost Mammoths: A Science Adventure to be a real treat. The story moves quickly and is compelling, but most of all, it's refreshingly intelligent. So many books for kids today are "dummied-down" as though the authors are afraid to use language that might force a child to use a dictionary! Here, Davis informs and educates as well as entertains his readers. My son was thoroughly engaged and it raised some interesting discussions as we tried to figure out what would happen next. Also, my son loves science and the characters in this book reinforce the notion that science is a "cool" thing. A great message for a parent to share with their child.

Although deservedly touted as a "Science Adventure," Mike Davis's novel is much more than this. Certainly one of the most unique features of Davis's novel is its ability to stimulate further reading and interest in the geography and history of Greenland and the science and technology of Arctic exploration. However, "Land of the Lost Mammoths" also imagines a land of magic and mystery, of places that cannot be named and of persons that give name to dreams.

As the first in an anticipated series of adventures, Davis's novel is engrossing, imaginative, and magical. His trio of male and female protagonists (Julia, Conor, Jack and Qav) are inspiring not only for their accomplishments, but for their response to the discovery of a lost world. Moreover, Julia and Davis's rejection of traditional "damsel in distress" adventure scenarios in the course of the novel is inspired. Davis has clearly offered a novel that will appeal to the imaginations of readers of all ages.

"Science adventure" sounds like an oxymoron. But Mike Davis strays from urban theory here: a young adult science adventure with a few hints of sci-fi. "Land of the Lost Mammoths" is that rarest kind of kid book -- educational and fun, not to mention as intriguing to adults as to their honor student kid.

Four young students win special U.N. scholarships, thanks to their brilliance in biology, engineering, linguistics and ecosystems. They're going to Greenland, to study under celebrated scientist Professor Dansgaard. Jack, his half-brother Conor, Qavigarssuag ("Qav") and Julia soon find that Dansgaard is indeed brilliant, though rather eccentric.

But how eccentric? They find mammoth bones in Dansgaard's office, and learn that he believes that mammoths still exist somewhere nearby. He also believes that the descendents of an ancient Viking colony still live in hiding. The group travels to a legendary valley in a glacier, but things start to go wrong, pitting them against the forces of nature -- and a Viking sorcerer.

Perceval Press is best known for publishing spellbinding poetry, photography, music and other art. Here they take a small detour -- it's sort of a modern Jules Verne book for kids. Davis doesn't let the plot lag for a moment, and he's not afraid to sprinkle in stuff to give you thrills and chills. Is all this science and history boring? Heck no.

The plot is sprinkled with examinations of ecological and political ramifications. For example, Qav brings up the U.S.'s controversial presence in Greenland at one point. Another would be the conflict between the expedition members -- should they bring a gun into a Viking camp? The question of whether they should risk themselves to avoid contaminating an unspoiled culture is a hard one, and not one that Davis chickens out on.

The characters are well-drawn and likable, and Davis successfully makes them seem intelligent and innovative without being annoying. And William Simpson provides delicate, detailed black-and-white illustrations, complete with animal skulls and Celtic knots. It adds to the feeling that the present and past are twined together in this book.

"Land of the Lost Mammoths" is a surprising but very welcome "bedtime story" from Mike Davis, with enough fun and thrills to send readers scrambling for more research books.