Pigs Books

We love all Maisy books but this one is by far the best, tons of flaps and pull tabs make this book a favorite w/ my three yr old AND her 3 month old little brother! This book is so much fun, anytime! If your not familiar w/Lucy Cousins, she hits it right on target w/ her simple, bold primary colored illustrations and simple stories, kids just love!

We all love this one. It's our favorite of all the Maisy books we've read so far. Unlike many others that just have flaps this one does so much more. My daughter loves to blow out the birthday candles, (while I pull the tab), and slurp the juice, (while I again make it disappear.) I think my husband was won over by the happy birthday underwear under the party dress. All and all, a lot of fun and the mini version does the same as the bigger one for such a low price.

Cousins "has it down" when it comes to the perfect books for children ages 0-4. Simple stories, two-dimensional drawings and bright primary colors. The subtle "lessons" that she passes on are a refreshing break from the sledgehammer approach to teaching taken by Barney, etc. No wonder Maisy is so popular!

My 2-year old daughter received this on her 2nd birthday and loved the simple, bright pictures and the moving features. We've read it to her at least twice a day for 3 weeks now. Not much text. the Happy Birthday song in big letters really gets her going.

Provides good overview to basic house rabbit care. A great book for first time bunny owners looking for info.

A local non-profit rabbit sanctuary recommended this book to me as a resourse, and it's been a big help.

I acquired a rabbit in March of 2001, rescuing him from an uncertain fate in a vacant lot. In September of 2001, he ate the buttons off my remote control. If I had had this book back then, I'd still have buttons on my remote. Yes, the remote control is a favored chew toy of a busy bunny, acording to Ms. Moore. I believe it. He has since bitten the "on/off" button on the remote for my cable, too.

That said, this is an excellent, no-nonsense guide to keeping a rabbit in the house. It describes breeds, feeding, medical considerations and, most importantly (to me, at least), how to "read" a rabbit. If you've never had a rabbit before, you may find them a bit inscrutable compared to a smiley, waggy dog or a purring, kneading cat.

The breed descriptions are interesting. You'd think that it was "big white bunny", "big lop eared bunny", and "tiny bunny". But, there are a lot of breeds, from the Flemish giant, who is the size of a Maine Coon cat, to the Netherland Dwarf, who is the size of an overfed guinea pig. There are a lot of coat desriptions from the Dutch rabbit, which looks like a police car, to the Jersey Wooly, who looks like a tribble from "Star Trek".
(I consider mine a mini Vacant Lot Lop.)

There's a section on special needs rabbits. This is an interesting facet of rabbit-keeping that I was unaware of when I picked up a stray rabbit in a vacant lot and took him home. Rabbits are fragile and can injure their backs easily. Many knowledgeable rabbit keepers are able to provide an injured or even paralysed rabbit in a comfortable and happy existence. This book outlines care for such delicate creatures.

There are a few black and white photos, but the descriptions are really well done enough that those photos are just there for seasoning.

Another bonus in this book, is that it appears to be in 14 point type, which meant I did not have to wear glasses to read it, but my middle-aged presbyopia is another story.

I was pleased to see a new house rabbit book on the market. While I found it slightly less complete than the House Rabbit Handbook by marinell harriman, it still covers most of the basics. It is a bit weak in the following areas:
The author writes about rabbits through an observation of her own house rabbits and I disagree with a few statements she made in the book.
Lack of colored pictures or many pictures at all
facts about nutrition not all 100% accurate.
Howver, I'd recommend it to one who is new to rabbits or has some experience but wants to learn a bit more. Overall, it is an enjoyable book to read and is the type of book you would probably need to read cover-to cover as opposed to using it as a reference

i got it for my wife, because she is going to nursing school and the textbook is required for one of her courses.

The book arrived in good condition! Amazon service was very fast. I would use amazon service again.

The book arrived just when I needed it to infact a little before. It was in great condition and it still had the code so that I would be able to access the book's online website!

This lab manual is brand new! The estimated time of arrival was September 17, but I received it September 12th! Very fast, very efficient!

Great book even if you are not moving. If you are moving with a child, read before you start packing up.

The illustrations are fun & my kids love to read with me by saying all the 'I'm not moving Mama' lines. It has helped to get them thinking about moving & understanding that although it's sad to move, we will all be together & create new routines & memories in the new house. And it has the added benefit of being a book that I don't mind reading over & over.

We are on the brink of moving and my 3 1/2 year old loves this book. The little mouse in the book doesn't want to move, but all the while he's watching his mom pack up all of his favorite stuff. The mom ensures him that their new home will have all the great things that their old one does, but will be even better. This book has sparked some great conversations with our son about moving and how we will always remember the fun times we had in our old house, "but it's better to all together in someplace new." This is a great book for a child to "read" along - he/she will enjoy saying "But I'm not moving, Mama!" throughout the book.

Moving is never easy for children. But Nancy Carlstrom's mama mouse affirms the fears of her child while offering a future full of possibilities. The pictures are great, with lots of little details for young readers concerned about the transition and location of all their "stuff."

I found my daughter need a little pull to get her into chapter books, even though she is an advanced reader. I think this is partly because she is so visual. Most early chapter books have little color and few photos. These books are the exception.
Fun fonts with lots of color and colored pictures. It really is inviting to the child.

From the Himalayas to Mouseland, there's a phone call. Soon Geronimo grabs his family and set out to help Professor Von Valt. While trying to help him, he is captured by a yeti! While trying to escape, he finds a yeti cub! In this book you'll see how crazy Geronimo is. If you like traveling this is perfect for you.

Children should really read the Geronimo Stilton series - the rodent is just so adventurous!

I do love the way it is laid out. The fun is so special when you place 2 language versions side by side so that young children can compare them. This is a great way to get them interested to learn a foreign language as well.

Try Geronimo if you don't see your kinds interested in reading - you'd be surprised by the charm of this cheesy mouse.

I just bought this book for my son's 8th birthday. He's a fairly average reader so we're going through it together, and we both just love the story and characters, who are of varying ages and personalities. The book captures your attention right off with the common problem of being taken in by a TV commercial.

We love the varying type styles, illustrations and fun descriptions. We just popped onto amazon.com to learn more, and are excited to see so many titles to collect. The reading level is about age 9 or so, but the interest range is definitely at least 7-11. Also, my son is just learning about dialogue, and this story is great for reinforcing that, as well as increasing his reading vocabulary. It may not be fine literature, but it's fun and fresh and full of inoffensive charm, which is harder to come by for boys of this age than for girls.

Envy...the thing that makes us think that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Kids struggle with it as much as adults do. This was a great book that teaches kids that no matter who you are, you will have difficulties.

If Only I Were...., is a great story about a typical grey mouse, who is sick of getting chased around by a large cat. Of course, she wishes to be something else, first a great big cat, then other types of animals, once she becomes a human she really wants to be a mouse again. The story is fun and the pictures are very detailed-look around when you read this book, you'll see all the great fine points the vivid color illustrations bring out.

Every little dreamer who's wanted to be someone else will love this story. Little Missy finds out all too well how that wish is a futile mistake and actually creates more problems for her. I liked it because it touches the issue of self-esteem. It would be a valuable conversation starter for any parent or teacher.

Carl Sommer does an awesome job of teaching kids the value of self-acceptance through Missy the mouse. Missy's journeys throughout the zoo change her into different animal characters. Each time wishing she was a different animal that was stronger, faster, larger until her experiences leave her empty and wishing she was her old self. My 3 year old loved this book. As he struggles with having curly red hair and freckles, this book taught him it is o.k. to be who you are and that wishing you were someone else does not always make you happy. Our family was able to use this story as a spring board for discussions on being happy with who you are and what attributes you have been given. Definitely worthy for younger readers! I rate this an A+ and will definitely keep it handy for future discussions on this topic! Excellent!

... at a great price. My boys love the books and I love that they love them.

These are a great set of books. Each item the specific animal wants always leads to another item, sounds a lot like a child doesn't it? I love how the author has recreated the mind of a child acting out the story in the form of a moose, pig, or mouse. Any of the titles would be an exception gift.

If You Take A ... books are some of the best children's stories written. The whole series is great and this set is a great value! I highly recommend it for children age 3-6.

I bought this series for my nephew, who is 18 mos. old. He loves to be read to. There is enough detail in the pictures that there is plenty to point out. I can ask him "Where's the mouse" and he can look for it in the picture and point it out. And the artwork is cute. The stories are also cute and the sentences are simple enough that once my nephew does begin to read he'll be able to read these easily enough. A bit of subtle humor though, on one page the mouse writes words on the chalk board and one of them is versimilitude...just wait until my nephew want's to know what that word means!

I didn't think my (young) 3-year-old would sit through this book. The text looked long, the art very detailed. But I was WRONG! This has been our nightly story for weeks and I confess: I'm not bored. It's the perfect touch--not very frightening and a reassuring story of self-confidence. Even my 2-year-old pops in for the occasional ghost or pig (no, he's not quite ready for the whole story although Curious George has kept him seated).

Jan Waldron needs to write more! And I'm buying more of David McPhail's books!

This is our family's favorite Halloween book, hands down! The story is great. The rhyme and meter actually work and sound great read aloud, and the pictures are amazing. We got it a few years ago, and my kids, now 6 and 11 BOTH still love it. And for us as parents, this one is one of the rare picture books we never get tired of reading over and over. I'm buying more for friends.

I bought this book for my daughter to celebrate Halloween. It is her favorite holiday so we read this book year round. The story is about a pig named John who is too scared to go trick or treating on Halloween with his friends. John stays back at the house as his friends go on without him. After they leave a real witch comes calling for some treats. When she sees that John only has candy to hand out she decides to teach hime how to make some real Halloween treats. They whip up such heavenly connoctions as pies, tarts, mousse, sundaes, and cookies. All of the witch's monster friends show up for a real Halloween party. Finally the witch tells John that they have to leave while it is still night out. When John's pig friends come back cold and tired they are amazed to find all of the treats that John has prepared. When John goes to bed he realizes he is no longer afraid of Halloween and he dreams of all of the new friends he has made. The illustrations in this book are great and the story is really sweet. My daughter loves this book and I really enjoy reading it to her. This book will really put you into a Halloween mood.

I fell in love with this book from the start. I loved how John Pig portrayed his feelings about Halloween. There was so many adorables pictures that you begin to see new things in the pictures that you didn't see before. The witch is great - My kids loved that idea that she was a fun witch. The food she made sounded heavenly... What a great book for kids.... My children adore this book as do I.

that I am looking for her next book :)....what a great (yet) readable book !

When I opened 'Kiss the Sunset Pig' I was expecting a travel book, which it is ... and a great one at that. What I wasn't expecting was how much it would touch my soul. I sat, riveted, as I took a journey not only around the world, but across thoughts, hopes, dreams. Anyone who's ever questioned whether, with the whole world to choose from, they're living their lives in the best place or whether they've filled their lives to the very best of their ability, will find a resonating spirit in this book.
As Laurie Gough makes her way from Canada and across America she hopes not only to settle happily in California, but to find the coastal cave that she lived in for six nights, years ago. But the search is not so much for the cave itself, as for the more free-spirited (she believes) girl that lived there. As she drives, she recalls previous travels in the Greek islands, the Yukon, Jamaica, Sumatra, and Seoul, to name a few. These tales can't fail to inspire. Her bravery alone, traveling solo through often uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous, situations is humbling to say the least. But it's this bravery she feels has been lost and she hopes to rekindle by finding her cave.
Several times the author seemed to wander into places I thought only existed in my daydreams. Some were so uncanny they made me gasp. Since childhood I have wanted a glass-walled bedroom perched on the top of a house, entirely surrounded by trees. I clapped my hands in delighted envy when the author set up home in just such a room ... and in a Californian Redwood forest at that. These instances were some of the most poignant for me - the fact that daydreams can so easily be reality if you go out and make them so ... that really hit home.
The travel stories are touching, humourous, enchanting, and filled with travel's usual mix of discomfort, frustration, alarm, and achingly beautiful encounters. All are told with the author's clear natural gift for portraying the lightness and the depth in every situation.
So if the idea of sleeping in a coastal cave, inside a Californian Redwood, on a Mediterranean beach, or on the banks of the remote Yukon river lights something intangible inside, I wholeheartedly recommend you read 'Kiss the Sunset Pig' and let inspiration rain over you.

If you enjoyed Kite Strings of the Southern Cross, or even if you were not lucky enough to read it, Laurie Gough's second book offers the same magical combination of beautiful, descriptive travel writing and soul-searching that never comes across as self-involved or forced. Starting in Canada, Gough takes the reader along on her road trip to rediscover a special cave she once stayed in along the California coast - and how she has evolved since that memorable sojourn. Interspersed throughout the narrative are chapters on some of Gough's other international adventures to such exotic locales as Sumatra and Seoul, South Korea (a place that comes across as utterly unappealing).

Much of the beauty in Gough's writing comes not just from her memorable descriptions of the people, places, and things she encounters and learns from (especially those harrowing Indonesian bus and ferry rides and Marcia, her struggling car), but also from her brutal honesty about some of the low points she struggled through along the way. By the end of the book, the reader truly roots for Gough to find her cave so the journey can go full-circle.

Despite an unexpected outcome, Gough manages to discover the meaning and convey the depth of her experience in a way that never seems heavy-handed or cliched. This is a beautiful and inspiring piece of travel writing that offers many riches for fellow travelers, those who enjoy strong writing, and anyone who has ever considered his or her place and purpose in the universe.

Laurie Gough is an intrepid traveller with a youthful exuberance for adventure. I realize, though, that no matter what one's age, some people are born with wanderlust and have a need to travel the world. The interesting thing is, travellers always return home. That's what Gough does. She's been to thirty countries, hitchhiking thousands of miles by herself though fourteen of them. But she always returns to her hometown of Guelph, Ontario in Canada.

At the beginning of Kiss the Sunset Pig, Gough sets off for California from Guelph in a "blue, beat-up mini Ford Bronco" she calls Marcia. To help with driving and expenses, she picks up a travelling companion named Debbie, whom she has met through an ad and, before the trip begins, has only spoken to on the phone. Debbie gets dropped off in St. Louis, Missouri, at the home of a boyfriend she has never met face to face.

"Sometimes I think I'm still looking for an axis," Gough writes early on in her journey. After reading her book, I think the axis may be the wanderlust. It's who she is. For a person with wanderlust, there is no perfect place to live. A place may seem ideal, for a time, but really it's just a base at which to prepare oneself for the next adventure.

Reading about her encounters with strange and wonderful people is frightening at times (for the reader and for her), but I realize travelling with a companion or in a group, as I usually do, one is not open to the same exciting possibilities. Travelling solo, Gough finds herself talking to strangers more readily as she's more open and more herself. "That's the thing about travelling: it's like peeling away a layer of yourself, exposing yourself to the world so it can expose itself to you".

The structure of the book is an interesting one that works extremely well. (She did the same in her first book, Kite Strings of the Southern Cross, which I highly recommend.) Rather than write a book of travel stories in chronological order, Gough reflects on previous journeys as she drives across the United States in a car that needs lots of garage visits along the way.

One of those reflections is the Greek island of Naxos. There Gough created a temporary home under a small bamboo wind shelter on the beach. Her backpack went missing for a time and to ease her panic, she looked at the "dependable milky rock" of the moon. Gough realized things like that didn't matter "in the great scheme of the universe" (she had her passport and money), and I realize too, as a traveller, one needs to practice non-attachment. Gough describes Greece beautifully as a "land where myth and reality swirl around each other in a luminous haze." Yet she needed to move on, "to see the rest of the world."

One summer, Gough hitchhiked to the Yukon, 3,000 miles from Guelph. She says hitchhiking is "always a surprise study of human beings." Her travelling companion Kevin told her of his own world adventures. His advice was "You have no idea what's in store for you, but if you let yourself go along with the flow of the unknown and accept whatever happens, things seem to work out".

The "exotic detours" of which Gough writes don't all have happy endings. Her teaching job in Kashechewan in Canada's sub-Arctic ended after only three months with Gough defeated and exhausted by the chaos of a third-grade class. A trip to Jamaica with her sister ended quickly, as Gough likes to stay with locals while her sister prefers fancy hotels.

Gough is full of questions about where she belongs. Those questions don't at all detract from the book; they help us relate. After all, travel is about looking for oneself, and as travel-book readers, we get to reflect on similar questions.

On her trip to California, Gough plays Joni Mitchell's "California" that includes the phrase "kiss the sunset pig." She carries a tattered notebook called "Cave Journal" and would like to find that cave on the Pacific again, where she spent some time thirteen years previously. Along with her questions and her longing, Gough has a healthy sense of humour about her encounters along the way. She describes a town on the Great Plains called Grainfield as the "size of a bath mat."

At an earlier age, Gough described herself as "still on my way to everywhere." She has learned that travel can mean "hours, even days of despair, rain, heatwaves, snow, mosquitoes, late trains, no trains, followed by a single moment of dazzling elation. It was those single moments one tended to recall." Gough makes some realizations at the end of her California trip that I don't want to reveal here. But I would say, even though she is older and perhaps wiser, I still see her as on her way to everywhere.

Gough has married since the stories written about in her book and has a baby son. They divide their time between a farmhouse outside of Guelph, Ontario, and a Quebec village. Seventeen of her stories have been anthologised in various literary travel books, including Salon.com's Wanderlust: Real-Life Tales of Adventure and Romance and Sand in My Bra: Funny Women Write from the Road. She has written for the Los Angeles Times, the Globe and Mail, the National Post, Outpost, Canadian Geographic and numerous literary journals.

by Mary Ann Moore
for Story Circle Book Reviews
www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
reviewing books by, for, and about women

Klassic Koalas: Vegetarian Delights Too Cute to Eat is a visual feast filled with inventive recipes centered around a Koala inspiration. Inventive, adorable, and completely heart warming; the themed recipes have fun projects for the child chef in ones' house as well as the adult who enjoys the fun aspects of food. I enjoyed the book so much that I picked up another one, as well as the aboriginal stories by the same publishing house, and gave them as gifts to my friends' children who are fascinated by Koala's and their world. This book is definitely a keeper.

Delightful, colorful, and tasteful these recipes not only adhere to the vegetarian population but also with children and best of all, those who share the love of Koalas. What a creative way to entertain and impress the guests!

This original collection of imaginative, fanciful and whimsical recipes should be a must for all mothers, teacher and leaders of children's group - especially preschools. Each inventive recipe uses the koala as its theme. Colorful photographs of each completed creation will pique the interest of children, whatever the age. Easy to follow step-by-step instructions will enable even a unskilled cook to prepare delightful edibles for guests, friends and family. These recipes are just too much fun to overlook!

Vegetarian Delights Too Cute to Eat is literally unbearable! Indeed it is hard to resist this superbly illustrated book of recipes. Enjoy cooking while expressing your love for these creatures.