Siblings Books

The three books that Miss Diane have given to the world of education are awesome! She has taken the time to put together thematic lesson plans based upon the books she has written-giving teachers like me great ideas! Her energy shines through the books and this energy is easy to catch by both the teacher and students involved!

A delightful tale about older sister, Dottie, who introduces her desperately loud little brother, Walter, to the world of quiet. There is no denying that Walter is downright LOUD. As he tries really hard to master the skill of quiet, his big sis almost gives up. Will Walter ever learn? Donlon weaves her Tippee Toe tale softly, yet with a comic quality that makes it a great read aloud choice. Suhr's bright cartoon-like illustrations breathe life into this endearing brother-sister team. The book is accompanied by a music CD that contains the "Tiptoe" song, composed by Donlon and performed by herself and children. Be warned, the music is not for idle listeners! You will soon be up on your "Tippee Toes" just like Dottie.

On behalf of the children and myself at Neighborhood Child Care Center in Rochester, MI, we have had so much fun listening to and re-reading your books, "Tippee Tippee Tiptoe" and "...Like a Cat"! The books have expanded our movement vocabulary: creep, sneak, scatter, tip-toe, stomp, jump, twirl. Now, when I want to manage the energy in the room, I can call out a movement and the kids eagerly and appropriately respond.
The children enjoy the bright eyed, colorful animated characters, a great compliment to the expressive words.
Thank you for your fresh and artistic ideas. You make learning FUN!
Todd Greenbaum, Co-Director, Neighborhood Child Care Center
MiAEYC Wolf Trap Performing Arts Director

Move over Madonna! There is another children�s book author, Diane Youngblood Donlon, who offers a high quality gift book for parents and children that includes a musical CD that your family can dance to and sing with.
Large pictures with bright colors, easily read text, and a good story line make this an enjoyable read for younger and elementary-aged children. Bigger sister Dottie has a game of sneaking on her tiptoes to scare her mom and dad. Younger brother Walter ruins it. Can Dottie teach a three-year old to play her game the right way? You have to read all the way through to the surprise ending to inspire your children to play the game and sing the song like Dottie does.
The hard cover book is a good size to hold in your lap, and has a nicely illustrated sleeve to protect the hard cover. The CD is in a plastic envelope on the back inside cover so your children have easy access to enjoy the dance music and fun story. Way to go Miss Diane!

I wish this book was available when my children were growing up. It is a human interest story of Dottie and her little brother Walter. Dottie... tippee, tippee toes and Walter (let's just say; he's a rascal of a younger brother:) I laughed and laughed reading this story. The illustrations also are funny to both young and old alike. I'm now tutoring children of all ages and I will use this book as a basis for young readers. Young readers are those who will have the story read to them or children who are already reading. The book has a music CD included that has a wonderful song called "Tippee, Tippee Tiptoe." The first song is sung by children and the second is the instumental version of the song. The price of the book is a bargain. The interactive (play acting or dancing)CD for children is worth the price alone.

This book is full of nasty pranks and funny scenes. I highly recommend it.

I loved it!Especially the parts with Hiemertz.He creeps me out even though he isnt real!Cant wait yo get the next book!

Looking for a town to live in? Don't come to Nod limbs! There is a new villain in town and it's going to be ugly! A battle under Town of Nod Limbs. Welcome to Edgar and Ellen Under Town by Charles Ogden; he is a fiction writer. This is the third book of the series.

This is a creepy book, but funny. A weird looking prankster that never stops smiling at Edgar and Ellen.

Do you know what a Venus fly trap is? Edgar and Ellen 'had' that plan but bigger then ever! Usually a plant stays in place, But the Venus fly trap eats flies.

Edgar and Ellen always have a reason for their atrocious plans. For example: The mayor is building a knightorian Hotel. This hotel is built in the Gadget Graveyard that is right next door of the twins' mansion.

They're so many weird things that are happening such as the lab, the Venus fly trap, and??????? as the Prankster when you think it's???????? as the ?????. Read this book to find out who the?????

"Edgar & Ellen Under Town" can keep you occupied for hours! These humorous twins scrape up more terror in a new book! This interesting book keeps you up for hours. Edgar and Ellen have more zany ideas than ever. For example, they make catapults and giant windmills. This book kept me up for a very long time. Also, this book uses more difficult vocabulary than the average kid's book. I know this because they use words such as "cacophony" and "shoddy." These words have improved my vocabulary. Another thing is that this book is very funny. This book resembles the show "Seinfeld" with all the cruelness and hatred done in a humorous way! I laughed out loud many times as I read. I recommend this book to people who like a barrel of fun!!!!

I ran into this book and bought it on a whim based on the cover, even though I had not read the others in the series...

Not only is the art fantastic (although it really could use more pictures), but the story is surprisingly well writen, and the author did not assume that because his target audience is young, that they are also stupid. A refreshing story where the main characters are actually really bad, with no apparent conscience or ethical problems with any kind of wrongdoing. At one point, Ellen even says, "Stealing is WRONG, IMMORAL, only WE should get away with it."

Parents worried about children emulating the nefarious capers of this dynamic duo would do well to give children the benefit of the doubt and realize that unless there are other serious problems in the child's life, they are not going to emulate games like "Does Pet Bounce?"

All in all an enjoyable read.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

Waiting for May is an extremely well written look at the process of international adoption, from the point of view of a young boy who is getting a baby sister from China. I bought the book for my 4-year-old son, because we're in the process of adopting a child from Kazakhstan. Despite the difference in countries, so much of the process is the same.

The book discusses the social worker who comes for a home visit when the parents first apply to adopt, the mountains of paperwork, and the long wait to be matched with a child. It shows how the photo of the baby sister arrives on the computer, and just like my son, the main character gets shots for traveling to another country. Finally, the family travels to meet the little girl. The book doesn't shy away from the fact that she cries and cries before warming up to her new brother.

What I like best about the book is the brother's positive attitude. He is not fretting but instead is focused on how great it will be to have a sister. The illustration of the two hugging on the final page is just lovely.

This book is wonderful at explaining the adoption process from a small child's perspective. My two boys smiled the whole way through it! Even though we are adopting a little girl from Russia and the book is about China, they could still relate to it. I think it helps them realize what we are doing, and what we are feeling, is normal and happens to other people too. It explains the process very well, in language they could understand. It also touches very sensitively the possible reasons why the little girl was an orphan. Overall, I found it very realistic and informative, with a touch of humor.

We read every adoption story we can get our hands on. This is a neat one. Our adopted chinese daughter enjoyed it.

This book is just wonderful. It is a great preparation for any child who is waiting for a sibling to be adopted. It is a heart-warming story that talks about the adoption process, the waiting, and the emotions that go along with it, from a child's perspective. I love that the little boy can't wait to go to China and get his sister- many other books I have found on this topic show the waiting sibling with a jealous attitude towards the adoption. Jealousy is an important emotion to address, but many kids ARE very excited about adopting a sibling. This book is uplifting, sweet, and really gives a waiting sibling an idea of what to expect throughout the process of adoption. I highly recommend it!

My husband and I are in the process of completing paper work to get on a list to adopt a child from China. I happened upon this book at a bookstore and loved it immediately. We have already read it to our almost-3-year-old biological child to help explain the process of filling out paperwork and then waiting to hear about our new child. It has been a good way to introduce the topic of adoption. Our daughter asks for it often and has requested that we name our new child "May." :-) The pictures and story are simple enough to interest a very young child but have enough depth to interest a child in the early elementary grades (or even older).

I highly recommend this book to anyone waiting to adopt a child internationally (especially from China).

Like this book a lot. Pictures are really pretty and my three year old understood it easily. About a boy who misses his grandpa who just passed away and how to get to heaven biblically (thru Jesus).

A beautifully crafted and illustrated description of Heaven that is accurately grounded in Scripture. Meaningful for both young children and adults. We have given it as a gift to our grandchildren and to grieving families who have lost a loved one.

What a wonderful way to help children find answers to their questions about heaven. The story unfolds as the young boy searches for answers about heaven after the death of his grandfather. As he asks his neighbors, his teachers, the postman, and the ice cream truck owner, he discovers that everyone has good thoughts about heaven. But it's his grandmother's answer--based on the Bible, that give him the most comfort.

Lonesome for his grandpa who has passed on, one child goes on a quest to determine what heaven is like and how he can get there.

He asks the mailman, the librarian, the ice cream truck driver, the dentist, the zoo keeper, and a neighbor. Armed with information, he seeks the opinion of those he trusts most, his family. When he is finished, he knows he'll see his grandpa again.

This touching story, gorgeously illustrated in soft, but realistic tones, paints a Biblically inspired picture of Heaven. On each page, the answer the child receives is backed up with applicable scripture. And when he speaks with his grandma about getting to Heaven, the gospel is presented in a child-friendly manner.

I love that although Heaven is painted in such a way that everyone can go there; it is also made clear that the pathway to Heaven is through Jesus. I would not hesitate for one second allowing my children to read this.

Armchair Interviews says: A gorgeous and thoughtful book on faith and Heaven.

We've all wondered it: What Is Heaven Like? Now Beverly Lewis addresses the question in this lovely, thoughtful story for children. The boy in the story tells of his loneliness for his grandpa who has recently died. He then asks friends, teachers, neighbors, and family what Heaven is like, gaining a different perspective from each. Appropriately his questions end with his grandma who misses Grandpa so much, too.

The boy tells his story, but oddly enough, we never learn his name nor his sister's, though we learn the names of his dentist, the ice cream truck driver, and his next-door neighbor. When the boy discusses his loneliness for Grandpa with Grandma, she gives him the plan of salvation.

Pamela Querin's beautiful full-color illustrations enhance this hardcover book. Each two-page spread includes a verse about Heaven or life after death. On the last page, Lewis includes some notes to parents on teaching children about Heaven.

What Is Heaven Like? would be a great addition to a church, Christian school, or family library. The reading level is appropriate for second to fourth graders though younger children would profit from having it read. - Debbie W. Wilson, Christian Book Previews.com

This is by far the best book for older siblings who are about to have a new baby in their house. Great pictures and wonderful text make it a fun read, and it really touches your heartstrings. Especially the part when the older sibling helps comfort the baby, I see it so much now between my two kids. I highly recommend this book to anyone is about to go from 1 to 2. My son still wants me to read it to him and his sister is almost a year and a half.

This book is adorable. I got it for my son when his little sister was born, and have gifted it to several friends when they have their seconds. The older child will relate to the little tiger and parents will laugh at all the descriptions ("Yuk! Take a look / it isn't cooked!..."), the illustrations wonderful and the ending is very sweet. For those wondering, it is not "technical" or "religious" as to where one comes from. Just a very sweet (and secular) conclusion to the question.

A delightful tale of the experiences of a new sibling. The older child thinks of all the ways to send the new baby back but in the end realizes that a baby is not such a terrible thing to have around the house! A nice book to share with a new older brother/sister.

The tiger familyhas a new baby and the older sibling is curious as to where it came from. "Did you buy it from the store? Please don't buy any more!" This hilarious tale of the quest to figuring out where the pooping, crying, new baby comes from and how to take it back. The ending will leave you with warm feeling inside!

The main character in the story a cute tiger cub. He has just gotten a new baby in his house. He wants to know where it came from so he can take it back. He's upset by all the attention it gets. He also says all it does is cry, pee and poop, and spit up! He's had it with this baby. That is until one day when the baby is crying and he goes over to it to try and calm it down. The baby smiles at him and he starts to like the baby.

The pictures were fun to look at. The story moved at a fast pace as well.


We would recommend this book to families who are getting ready to have babies. This would make a great story to read and discuss with young children about the way they feel about having a new baby in the home.

I enjoyed this book so much because it reminds me of me and my best friend Chelsea.The twins are always up to no good like us!We were in [a local retailer] after a soccer game and had to pick out a book and then we saw this one and laughed because it was just like us.It is also a very good book to read with your best friend like Chelsea and me.Luna and Claire are outgoing and fun twins like me and my best friend,Chelsea.

I enjoyed this book so much because it reminds me of me and my best friend Chelsea.The twins are always up to no good like us!We were in [a local bookstore] after a soccer game and had to pick out a book and then we saw this one and laughed because it was just like that.It is also a very good book to read with your best friend like me and Chelsea.

Ten-year-olds, Claire and Luna, identical twins, are almost one-star-witches. Unfortunately, they haven't quite made it yet. Hence, unlike most witches, they don't have their cats yet, and aren't permitted to do magic away from their Grandmother's - a five-star-witch - home. But that doesn't stop the two mischevious sisters from causing all sorts of trouble at home. When Claire and Luna find out that their father is marrying a woman whose name is - get this - Fluffy, the two girls believe that evil Fluffy will covince their father to move to her native Texas. So the twins decide to ruin their father's wedding, with a little help from their magic counterpart.

There are many books on the market about young witches, but none as light-hearted and hilarious as Adele Griffin's WITCH TWINS. Claire and Luna are marvelous characters, whose wacky personalities will keep middle readers laughing out loud from beginning to end. Filled with heartwarming family moments, as well as pure fun, and strange magic, WITCH TWINS is something that can't be missed.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Claire and Loon are twins -- and witches. Their grandmother is a powerful, five-star witch -- and they don't even have one star yet! Determined to get their first star, the sisters practice more spells to help them get more powerful. But they have trouble -- their father is about to marry a dreadful woman, and her name is Fluffy. Fluffy will make their lives miserable -- and the twins have to stop her. They don't know if they can use spells powerful enough to stop their father from marrying her, and it's a big risk -- but can they take it? Witch Twins is a hilarious new fantasy by Adele Griffin. It could have used more plot and been a little longer, but if you're looking for a great witch story, this new fantasy is highly recommended.

Claire and Luna look like ordinary, ten-year-old identical twins. But they're not. The girls have inherited magic powers from their maternal grandmother, and are on their way to becoming witches. When their father announces that he's marrying his girlfriend, annoying Fluffy, the girls are devastated. They fear that Fluffy will steal their father, and possibly even persuade him to move to her home state of Texas. The desperate girls are denied help by their grandmother, who insists it's against the rules to change Destiny. Claire and Luna are on their own if they want to stop the wedding, but their plans will have unexpected and hilarious results. This was an entertaining, funny book that I reccomend to young readers who enjoy light, humorous fantasy novels.

When I was at the school library the librarian told me to get it and i did. And i loved it!! So I gaurentee you'll love it to.
Happy Reading: )

Lee McDougall, a 13 year old, has been moved from place to place all of her life, and none of them were as good and bad as wen she moved to Bigfork, Missouri. Her mother and her pick up a poorly treated wolf which they name Ruthie. Soon, their pack grows, and she has a family of 5 wolves. She realizes she is putting her family at risk, and she knows her 12 year old talented sister, is terrified! When danger strikes the wolves, however, her sister helps to save the wolves. This is a great book, I am 10 years old, and loved it so much, I tried to limit myself to reading ONLY 6 paragraphs a day! You must read this for your self!

Lee is having a little trouble for what she is going to do in her life. Until one day she saved Ruthie a young female wolf.But what is she going to do with a whole pack of wolves and a crazy neighbor? This is a story of adventure and and a few chapters of sad and misery.Plus a terrified actress sister who won't even dare to look at them but ends up being a hero to the wolves anyways. " This book literally made me think that I was at Flathead Lake with a whole pack of wolves and one lone wolf."

13 year old Lee McDougall thinks it is going to be ruff when she moves to Montana with her sister Savannah and her mom and dad. Nonny their acting grandmother bought them a house in woods, were they are faraway from the main road. While Savannah has an interest in acting and is very good at it and is also a beutiful sister Lee seems to get jealous and thinks she could never be as good as her sister. When Lee and her mom go to the town store their lifes begin to change when they see a sign of a "Roadside Zoo" When Lee and her mother go and check it out they find a near death wolf in a cage with no food or water. Lee and her mother rescue the wolfe, and as they leave shots fire at their truck. Wolfe at the door is a book you don't want to stop reading just when you think you are done with the chapter, you go to the next page and you know you are hooked. I defiantly reconmend the Book Wolf at the door its a great book to read and there is a lot of action!

Lee moves out to MT. She and her mom stop at a small zoo and see a young wolf that is very sick and starved. Her mom gives the keeper about $50 to feed the animals and he uses it for whiskey. The go back and take the wolf home with them. Lee is supposed to take care of this wolf Ruthie. Slowly Ruthie begins to trust Lee. Then one day Lee gets a call from a man who has a small wolf pack. He can't take care of them anymore and asks her to take care of them if he gives her enough meat for the whole pack for the rest of their existence. She says yes and she gets enough meat for Ruthie and the rest of the pack. She basically falls in love with them. How ever her sister Savannah is scared to death of Ruthie and the rest of the wolves and the neighbors don't like them. They try to poisin them and Savannah saves them. The rest I will leave for you to find out. Have fun!!

This is a wonderful story and I highly recommend it. The librarian recommended this book to us, so my 7 year old checked it out. We ended up going online and buying the book, she enjoyed it so much. We found the author's website, which has a pretty good maze and art page. Cece Meng's writing is hilarious and I noticed this is her first book. I hope she writes more!

The Wonderful Thing About Hiccups, a picture book written by Cece Meng and illustrated by Janet Pedersen, is a silly story about libraries, hiccups, and hippos. A boy has to leave the library because he has the hiccups. While hanging upside down from a tree, he encounters a friendly hippo. Adventures ensue, all occurring around (an in one case on top of) the library. Most of the pages are written in the form of "the wonderful thing about" something happening is some unexpected benefit, followed by some side remarks. There are a few pages in which the narrator admits that "there's nothing wonderful about" something else happening, like a hippo getting a with a bellyache from accidentally eating library books. Each wonderful (or not-so-wonderful) thing leads into the next.



The humor is deadpan, and seems likely to appeal to four-year-olds (or at least it appeals to the four-year-old in me). For example:



"The wonderful thing about having a hippo carry your library books is that he can hold them high enough so they will not get wet in the sprinklers. Little sisters, on the other hand, get wet quite easily."



Or:



"... holding on to library books while riding a scared, running hippo is hard."



The Wonderful Thing About Hiccups concludes with a tongue-in-cheek, but basically accurate, list of "Library Rules to Remember." Like "When you are done, return them to the library so you can check out more books. Do not return them to the grocery store, pet store, or toy store. Never return them to space aliens." As for the librarian, she starts out looking a bit cranky, but reveals unexpected depths throughout the course of the book.



The bright watercolor illustrations are outlined in pen and crayon, and add considerably to the humor and details of the story. The hippo is downright coquettish, with expressive eyes. The boy is determined when looking for his lost sister, and bashful when he has to explain to the librarian how the sister ended up on the library roof. A pregnant woman walks by the children reading to the hippo in the library. She eyes them askance, while holding a barely visible copy of What to Expect When You're Expecting. Like she's thinking "hmm... this could be more difficult than I expected."



I personally found it a bit difficult at first to get into the "the wonderful thing" about x writing style. It's neither a pure narrative format nor quite poetry. The humor and the illustrations won me over, however. Not to mention the fact that there are library books featured on almost every page. Any book that ends with a bunch of kids sitting around a library, using books to help a hippo with hiccups, is ok by me. And although I haven't tried it out on any actual four-year-olds, I suspect that they'll find it hilarious. Try it out with kids who like silliness, and/or to lure reluctant visitors to the library.



This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on June 25, 2007.

A perfect book for silly parents. I bought this book to introduce my 5 yr. old son to the concept of taking care of library books and getting his first library card. I wasn't sure at first if I liked the book (it's a little unusual), and the first time I read it to him I used a calm inexpressive voice and he didn't seem all that interested. After a second and third reading, though, I was able to anticipate the punch lines and silliness with a more excited reading voice and the book came alive. It is now his FAVORITE book. The excitement he had when he got his library card yesterday was SO CUTE! His favorite part of this book is the library book rules to remember at the end -- which is the one part of the book that I make sure to read to him in a very dramatic-yet-serious voice! My son loves to look at the illustrations...especially while sitting on the toilet, I'm sorry to say...though, he PROMISES not to break the first rule and drop it in the water.

My four year old daughter loves this book! We have read it at least twice a day since it arrived a week ago. The story is hilarious and the illustrations are bright and engaging. Highly recommend.

A case of hiccups during story time in the library is the worst case scenario - especially if a hippo is involved. Janet Pedersen's rollicking, fun drawings pack a funny story of wet sisters, loud hippos, strange librarians and more which is unpredictable from start to finish - and delightfully different. Teachers and librarians will find this a popular leisure read choice, adding life and a unique approach to a picturebook collection.

This is a great book. Its full of action. The guys must find a person, who just may not want to be found.

The book is a very intresting one.Frank and Joe have shown their talents in solving puzzling cases.They risked their own life to help Irene to find her father.He had been officialy declared dead but Irene had a strong belief of him being alive.The Hardy boys risked a trip to Antartica to find themselves in trouble.Find out yourselves on how Frank and Joe Hardy solve one of the most challenging cases they ever came across.

This is a book I've read several times, and have not gotten board. It's full of action and suspense. This book is great for a starter. It will prove why Frank and Joe are so popular.

A great book. Starting with the dissapearance of Irene's father, it goes to New Mexico with the boys in hot pursuit of the great scientist. This puts or rather takes them to Antarctica where the cold there to bury the boys anytime !

This is a compelling story, and very well written. It should be reprinted.

I like the book Across The Grain, I think it really puts you in the book. It is about a boy who moves to the desert from Cali. I think it shows what some people go through when they move to a new area. It is a emotional but funny book. I'd give it five stars anyday!

I have read many books, and I thought this was good. It really showed how a friendship should be. I think Will matured through-out the book and became less focused on his sister, Paige. I wouldn't have changed anything about this book, and I recommend that you read it.

Across the Grain was a wonderful book about friendship, care, and fun. Will, Mike and Sam, become close friends, and share their creativity, hearts, and their lives. Through hard times and good times, they comfort each other and it will create a smile on your face. This is much like life and you will be amazed how the author wrote it like it was about her and her friends. I recommend it to teens in 7th, 8th or 9th grade.