People Books

This is my 18-month-old son's favorite book at the moment -- despite the fact that he's never visited Seattle, owned a dog, or met anybody named Pete (yet). But you don't have to be a kid to enjoy this tome; it's also the ideal book for anybody with a passing interest in where the Mariners play, what "The Fremont Troll" looks like, and the process by which aesthetically magnificent design & lettering can be married to a punchy and always-compelling travelogue. Highly recommended.

This book is adorable. The story chronicles a young boy and pup as they explore Seattle. When Larry gets lost the readers are taken on an amazing tour to all of the best sites. The book has fresh artwork and is written in a light. humorous way. The story reads along for small children explain the highlights of the city but for older kids sitting in on story time, or adults who still love this stuff, there are a couple places of extra information that make the book so much fun. Right up there with Click, Clack, Moo!

My wife and I visited Seattle this summer and wanted to pick up a local book about the city that we could share with our son (who traveled with us, but in my wife's uterus). The story of Larry and Pete was beautifully illustrated and we enjoyed the extra details about the city imbedded in the story. After spending 4 days in the city, we saw most of the sights detailed in the story-although, unlike Pete, we had a map. The story is endearing on another level because as we welcomed our son into the world this weekend we named him Pete! We are pretty sure that Larry Gets Lost in Seattle is already his favorite book.

I just saw this book - super cute especially for tykes living in the Seattle area. Great rhymes and my daughter - 20 months - enjoyed it.

Great children's book especially if you live in Seattle. My son recognizes some of the pictures! Great fun.

Ordinarily, I'm not a big fan of the management genre. More aphorisms than pages is not a good combo.

Tim Warneka's *Leading People the Black Belt Way* takes its time to do the job right. Not surprising, perhaps, given how Aikido -- the martial art that provides this book's philosophical center -- rewards patience. Yes, the author provides schemas to help us remember key points, but he never races through them as if prepping Intro to Management students for an upcoming quiz. His goal for his readers is genuine understanding, not rote memorization of bullet points.

Tim's prose is extremely accessible. He talks of problems that managers and their teams actually face. When he introduces concepts from the management canon, he defines them in phrases that don't demand an MBA.

Each chapter begins with a brief "story" that illustrates the upcoming topic. Don't be surprised to find that you've stopped to reflect for a few minutes before you move on. It is the nature of stories to invite readers to contemplate meaning. Far better that you start to grasp these principles organically, rather than have the author bludgeon you over the head.

Tim brings a truly fresh perspective to the management text. I honestly believe that his mission is not simply to make managers get more from their workforce, but to actually improve the world. It's not just that happy workers are more productive workers, but that happy workers are happy. So are happy managers. What's refreshing is that he doesn't consider this naive. It's a worthy common cause.

Perhaps most indicative of Tim's take on both management and the world is his assessment of Ebeneezer Scrooge. We've heard this one so often we can recite it by heart: warm and fuzzy Bob Cratchit, good; cold and calculating Ebeneezer Scrooge, bad. What a refreshing take to see Warneka focus upon Scrooge's redemption. How the Scrooge at the *end* of The Christmas Carol literally embodies the managerial lessons that Tim tries to teach throughout *his* book. We should all be like Scrooge in the end: a good man and a good manager too.

Full disclosure: I have worked with Tim on a business project and know him to be the real deal. But so is his book. Stop enumerating habits and move your darned cheese -- *this* book can teach you a lot.

Leaders must tap into the tremendous emotional power of those they lead. Yes! In a field crowded with many good books on leadership, Tim Warneka has authored one that is fresh, unique and valuable. He dips his consultant and writer's ladle deeply into pools of both leadership and Aikido wisdom, with wonderful results. Having worked as an organizational change strategist and coach for two decades myself and having practiced the Japanese martial art of Aikido for over half that period, I can tell you that you're in for many surprises and bonuses in this book. By this I mean you will come away from your reading investment with many inspiring new ideas and lots of practical tools you can immediately put to work.

Dale Biron
Principal
Core Action Assoc., Inc.
Mill Valley, CA 94941

Leaders are sometimes hard to find. Sure, there's loads of folks that have been to leadership workshops and programs to be indoctrinated with yet another leadership system. But as Warneka points out, "The world does not need one more leadership system. What the world does need is great leadership that draws on the wisdom of the body and recognizes the treasury of emotions waiting to be tapped within every organization."

Using references to the lovely and efficient Japanese martial art of Aikido, Warneka shows us the importance of the above statement. In a text that flows much like a well trained martial artist, we receive epigrams from a well known swordsman, the Tao, today's best and brightest leadership coaches and the ever important thoughts of Ghandi and Einstein. Along with all that we get examples of Warneka's tried and try methods, his well thought out "learning experiments", helpful Author's notes and an extensive bibliography/webography. And while you'll have loads of folks you'll want to buy a copy for, this book could stay in your briefcase or backpack for months and in your library indefinitely.

I could list the 5 core problems that face leaders today, the 4 tools of conflict management or the 7 solutions of black belt leadership that Warneka expounds on and offers solutions to, or I could tell you this:

Whether you're the president of your garden club developing your next fundraiser, a teacher dealing with stubborn union issues, or a Fortune 500 CEO, this book can help.

Heck, it can be helpful in issues that arise every minute of every day in every country on this planet. Working together and living together is what we do as a species, using techniques that borrow from the philosophy of yin/yang, the Gestalt Cycle of Experience, and the teachings of Joseph Campbell, just may help us become those leaders we so desperately need.

If you're looking for a goldmine of timeless leadership treasures, you'll want to add Leading People The Black Belt Way to your collection. This book is unique because Warneka weaves his vast knowledge of eastern philosophy through the basic principles of emotional intelligence. It's thought provoking and loaded with plenty gems of wisdom. He highlights key points with bolding, for easy reference later. Each chapter ends with a summary and a learning experiment to help you implement the key concepts.

The book's content is written around the framework of The Seven Solutions of Black Belt Leadership:
1. Know the Five Core Problems of Leadership
2. Understand Leadership as a Relational Process
3. Seek Harmony in Leadership
4. Lead People Rather than Pushing or Pulling Them
5. Cultivate Emotional Engagement
6. Practice Embodied Leadership
7. Follow The Black Belt Cycle of Leading People

Don't worry if you don't really understand the meaning from this list. Warneka thoroughly defines "what is meant" at the beginning of each chapter.

This book is a great investment because it's jam packed with hidden gems. It's so content rich that he could have easily broken it down to several smaller, simpler books. Warneka clearly put his heart and soul into this piece of work.

I'm an avid business book reader and I have to say that I found it to be on the difficult side to read. Each chapter is prefaced with an eastern philosophy based story, which I personally found a bit distracting. If you're going to read it cover to cover, consider taking it in bite-sized chunks to maximize the benefits. Read one chapter every 2 - 4 weeks, complete the experiments at the end, and give your self plenty of time to sift, sort, and learn from the material.

If you couldn't put down Daniel Goleman's books on emotional intelligence, you're likely to be thrilled with this book. On the other hand, if you found Goleman's books to be great reference material versus engaging and inspirational, you'll likely feel the same way about this one.

Regardless, it's a great addition to your business book library.

So begins Tim Warneka's excellent book on leadership. As a practitioner and teacher of aikido, I appreciate Tim's use of aikido as a metaphor and teaching tool. How can we acknowledge and make use of emotional energy? As leaders, we can no longer afford to ignore this question. In "Leading People the Black Belt Way," you will learn core problems facing today's leaders and how to engage and manage them. Through theory, parable, learning experiments, and real life examples, this book offers easily grasped, yet innovative concepts. Read, learn, and enjoy!

I read this book with my wife each taking assignments and reporting back after a day or two. What an incredible read and experience. There is a wealth of challanging material in this book to help anyone wishing to expand themselves into a more thoughtful person.

A pure blessing that has potential and material to make a substancial upswing in one's life.
Rocco

I have been a fan of the Merills, since their synergistic work with Stephen Covey with "First Things First".

I am not married yet, nor do I have a job, but I find this book so practical and I am convinced as I grow up into the various future stages of my life, the wisdom within it, will become more and more obvious.

I really like the idea that balance is not in "balancing the scale" but in "balancing".

The sections that deals with Time Matters and Money Matters, is worth more than the price of the book. When I was browsing through the book, and got to read the Money Matrix diagram, I almost jumped out of my skin. I always felt the Time Matrix is always applicable to one's personal finance. I was so delighted to know the Merrills felt the same and has wrote and developed it further in this book. The book also feature a quote from my favorite personal finance guru, Robert Kiyosaki.

If you have a friend who is getting married, this would be an excellent gift to a newly wed couple. I recently gifted one to my best friend. Since the book is quite expensive for us living in India, I along with a group of friends, decided to give it together.

It's a book worth to be made a family heirloom. I am sure anyone would find it helpful. Its a rare diamond in the overly cluttered world of self-help books. Most self-help books offer advice, but ended up with platitudes and rehash of ideas. We need books like this one.

Another beautiful aspect to this book is the author's recognition that more than offering answers to people, it is more important to help people develop their ability to find the answer within. This is what they called navigational intelligence. It is the effort to develop personal conscience, and listening to it.

Its a book that will never leave my reading desk and will be refered to again and again and again, till I end this life and buried six feet under.

Thanks Roger and Rebecca for an enduring legacy for generations to come. I pray more and more people will embrace your message. If we all do the world will be a better place to live in.

New books telling you how to improve your life come off the presses every week, maybe every day. Some are bad, and you realize you have wasted your time. Some are average, and you might learn a few new things, but they aren't all that memorable. Some are great, and you go back to them again and again. "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" is one of the great books. Years later people remember it, talk about it, and reread it.

"Life Matters" is a great book. It covers a lot of good ideas, the thoughts and observations are well presented, and the book reads quickly.

The first chapter starts off talking about what is important in life. The authors focus on four areas: work, family, time, and money. They have a quiz to help in your self-assessment of how you are doing in each of these four areas. A big message of this book is there doesn't have to be conflict between the four areas.

The next chapter covers three things you have to do in any area of your life. The three "gotta do's" are:

1) Validate your expectations. You have to confront reality, for if you have an unrealistic expectation you will be frustrated. The authors make the point that the direction you are heading is more important than how fast you are going.

2) Optimize Effort. Look for ways to get the maximum benefit for your effort, and make sure your decisions are aligned with your goals.

3) Develop your "Navigational" intelligence. This is the ability to be aware of your changing environment, so that what looked like an important task at the start of the day may have to take a back seat when your boss gives you a new assignment, or a child needs attention.

The next four chapters are on: work, family, time, and money, with a chapter on each area. The authors weave each of the above three "gotta do's" into each area. For each area they explore different ways people see the area, for example how do you see your family, or your money. And then they discuss what is the reality. They have a list of "optimizers" which are techniques for getting the maximum benefit for your effort. And they talk about how to be flexible when situations change.

"Seven Habits" mentions a Time Matrix, which is a two dimensional matrix based on how important something is, and how urgent it is. Many people waste time on things that aren't important, or get caught up doing things that are important and urgent. Stephen Covey explores why doing things that aren't urgent, but important, can make a great difference in your life. For me one of the gems of "Life Matters" was exploring this same matrix in relation to money. The Merrill's point is that it is best to invest your money with the same Quadrant II focus, things that aren't urgent, but are important. For me, that idea alone was worth reading the book. There were a number of similar gems scattered through the book.

The last chapter was titled "Wisdom Matters" and here the authors explore why wisdom is important, and how to improve your wisdom. One of the points they strongly make is to develop an ongoing daily self-important program. The idea is to spend a few minutes each day improving your understanding of life, and how to make better decisions.

This is a great book. If you are interested in improving your life, buy this book, read this book, and then reread it. It will help you get better control of your life. For as the Merrills say, life does matter.

This book is one of many that build off Stephen Covey's "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," and is a more in-depth discussion of prioritizing (Living in Quadrant II for those who speak Covey). This book is divided into four sections that reflect the four biggest concerns Americans face--the workplace, the family, time, and money. The basic message of the book is that one must think in terms of "investing," whether it be money, time, or effort. It is important to examine what one invests in so that maximum returns can be paid on that investment. As an example, investing money in a car yeilds a much lower return (a negative return) than investing in a mutual fund. Investing time in televison watching yields a much lower return than helping your child with his homework. Investing in effort in a long-term project that is still months away yields a much higher return than filling out some pretty-unnecessary paperwork. Other commentators are correct when they say that the examples of theory-in-action can be fairly unrealistic (even though they really happened!), but they illustrate the authors' points well. I would first recommend the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. If you find that helpful (and I imagine you will), this book is an excellent follow-up to it.

Prioritizing the building blocks of life - family, work, money and time - is paramount to happiness. Some people do it unconsciously by living within their intellectual and monetary expectations. Others need a framework for balance, such as the one that authors A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca R. Merrill provide. To achieve personal balance, the authors suggest becoming a better team player, working more effectively, learning about finances and setting home and work priorities. They establish the goal of building a strong family, centered around parental "family leadership." Do they successfully address the knotty issues they raise? Yes, in a folksy way. This is a useful self-help manual with checklists, self-assessments and personal anecdotes, which are sometimes touching, but sometimes impractical or saccharine. Though the management advice dons motivational language, the sections on family and work are particularly worthwhile. The authors deliver a solid antidote to misplaced modern values, albeit wrapped in some fluffy trappings. We recommend this book to corporate officers and human resource personnel, as well as to individuals seeking balance.

I bought this book for my mom. She's a big fan of missionary stories and she loved this one! I recently bought her Peace Child by the same author. She enjoyed it as well.

This book is incredible. Sad and at the same time so incredibly uplifting. It shows how God's plans are so much bigger than ours, and His hand works in ways we cannot comprehend.

Lords of the Earth (International Adventures) (International Adventures)

My boss recommended this book to me, and I'm so glad he did. It was not an easy read as many of the things in it are difficult to hear. It is an incredible story though, and worth reading.

My heart was torn apart as I read the story of the Yali people. This is one of those 'I can't put it down' books. I'm still somewhat smitten in my heart over the price these missionaries paid and the intense need for the gospel these people so desperately demonstrated. God help us to heed the call to go into all the world.

"Lords of the Earth" is the term the Yali warriors use to describe themselves. They live in the Heluk valley in Irian Jaya, and the only knowledge of them to reach the outside world are the dark rumors of the cannibals beyond the mountains. The first section of the book is about them, their customs, and the awful fear and darkness they lived in. Don Richardson does a great job portraying a people bound by chains of sin, and longing for release. The horror of their pain is graphic, and not suitable to be read to younger children.

The second part of the book describes the early life of Stan Dale, his conversion, and his burden for those in darkness. He is drawn as a determined man, physically strong and fit, with firm convictions.

The book goes on to tell of Stan's coming to the Yali people. How a strange story begins over his identity, protecting his life. How the first few Yali Christians were killed, and later Stan and a fellow missionary were brutally murdered. How another missionary family died in a plane crash, except for the nine-year-old son, whose friendship with the Yali paves the way for them to turn to Christ.

The book reminded me Christ's words in John 12:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." On earth, Stan Dale never saw the fruit his life and death brought forth, but he will rejoice in heaven with the Yali that are there through his witness.

I have this book for a while now and still haven't wrote a review on this book yet. I have been reading this book more than once, it simply moved me. The love story between Petra and Simon is written so beautifully. I feel so sorry for Petra for losing such a wonderful man. She is really a strong woman, after having to go through so many downs, she is still positive in life. I really admire her for this, thank you Petra for writing such a wonderful book.

This is not your typical 'Romance" book. This is a true love novel! This book has everything~from the first spark of innocent love to the full blown tragedy of a broken heart of the worst, unimaginable kind! The story of the author is one of bravery, steadfastness and determination, thankfully unknown to the majority of readers. Yet the author continues to show grace, while enduring the worst of situations...only to be rewarded life's greatest gifts! She is indeed and inspiration to all...to remember that after all tragedy....comes hope.

This book is heartbreaking, and very moving. Petra did a great job on her first novel. This isn't all about the tsunami, and the aftermath, as many reviewers have showed it to be. Many chapters deal with her life before the tsunami, and her road to becoming a model. She certainly had an interesting life! It is a quick read, but I recommend it!

I just finished reading this truly inspiring and amazing story. She survived the tsunami that hit Thailand on December 26, 2004 by clinging to a palm tree for 8 hours all the while her pelvis had been crushed in several places. However, her boyfriend Simon, the love of her life, did not survive.

This woman is honest, hard-working, dedicated, loyal, loving, generous, unselfish, silly, open-minded, gentle. She has such a kind heart. Born under communism in the Czech Republic, she built her own career and became one of the world's top supermodels. She never forgot her roots -- her family and her pure core values. In this book, Petra explains how everything in her life -- all the challenges and all the lessons she learned -- helped her to survive and heal both emotionally and physically from the tsunami.

Petra is donating 100% of her proceeds of this book to a nonprofit organization that she herself started: GIVE2ASIA/HAPPY HEARTS FUND (a tsunami relief fund). So please, go out and buy (don't borrow) Love Always, Petra. You will be amazed and inspired by her story. I promise.

Peace: It's not just for hippies anymore. ~Nicole

This book called my attention since I saw it, maybe because of the tittle or the cover, then I read an article about it and decided I had to read it. If you have read some of my reviews, you would assume that I really like memoirs. This memoir is wonderful.

Particularly, I had never heard of her. I am very sure I've seen her on commercials or magazines but I just didn't know her name. The point is that I totally loved her book. She is an amazing person.

This is the story of a girl from Czech Republic who relates us her childhood before and alter communism, she tells us how she became the top model she is, how she fell in love a few times, and most important how she met the true love of her life, a British photographer, Simon Atlee, who would be taken away from her by the tsunami that hit Asia in December 2005.

She was a tsunami survivor. It's horrible the pain she describes she was in due to all the broken bones and cuts. But it's more than obvious that her greater pain was Simon's death.

It's very amazing how she still found good things out of a disaster like this. She says that this just made her realize how in times of desperation and pain, people help others without even having to speak the same language. Petra started to help Thailand's victims.

In conclusion, Petra Nemcova tells us the story of love between her and Simon. I really recommend this book. I read it in two days. You can read it in one if you want. Please don't miss it. It's written so beautifully. It's also very very moving. One of the things I learned with this book is not to take things or life too seriously and just live for the moment; you never know what can happen. One minute you're as happy as you can be (like Petra and Simon were, minutes before the tsumani hit) and the next minute you can lose it all.

vgxoxo@hotmail.com

Although the author was clearly writing for an audience in their teens, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a quick read for an adult. The text is large and the sentence structure simple. The plot is easy to follow. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the story of Roanoak Island and the mystery of the vanishing villagers who made friends with the Croatoan Indians off the Outer Banks. I would not, however, assume that this author is a historical expert on the subject. Nor would I assume that her perspective is necessarily the only possible explanation for the disappearance of these settlers.

The book is an excellent tale! I recommend it highly!

Ive read all of the books so far except for the last one which i cant wait to read. I can assure myself that it will be great and its better since I know the illustrators daughter in my school and i tell u i couldnt wait to get the fourth one i searched everywhere every library i could go to and when i got it I was amazed once more my frends like them to but this book was stuck in my mind for weeks until i found the fourth one but before then i couldnt get it out of my mind i was just so hooked on the book its like my life depended on the book i definitely think this book deserves a 5 stars i advise all kids to read this book ill definitely look for more of miss Steiners books, they're just the best. if i new when the final one was coming out it would be great(...)

M. L. Stainer is a wonderful writer. The Lyon's Roar tells the story of Jessabel Archarde and her family, who travel to the New World in 1587 and get stranded on Roanoke Island. The characters are believable and there's a lot of action. Everyone should read this book!

Highly palettable presentation of a reasonable explanation for the disappearance of the first colonists in America, on Roanoak Island off Virginia. They were stranded there in 1587 (a year before the Spanish Armada distracted Queen Elizabeth's attention from exploration and colonization of the New World). Related in the first person by 14-year-old Jess, this book reads swiftly, thanks to many short chapters and extensive dialogue. The author includes non-judgmental references to native religion and medicine, while offering a viable alternative to the theory that the entire colony was brutally wiped out by hostile Idians.

But this is no boring history book; rather it is more a coming-of-age tale with some gentle romance. Jess confides her dreams and fears, her doubts and plans, as her family emigrates to the Chesapeake Bay--to found a city called Ralegh. We suffer with her on the ghastly ocean voyage; we observe life in that island colony which has since disappeared into the misty myth of time. Jess shares the gradual dawning of her womanhood--both physical and emotional--as she writes in her diary. This young protagonist is torn between George, her first crush, and the allure of the forbidden "savage"--the son of one of the camp's two native guides.

Being blond was something special even back then, as this daring girl matures from selfish child to compassionate young woman, pursuing her private quest for love, while remaining steadfast in her family loyalty. Excellent for middle school, partiuclarly girls; it will stimulate discussion about the fate of the Roanoak colonists. Well-researched, the LYON Saga will entertain and hold the interest young readers. History made Human!

More people need to learn about this book. It's a really great story, full of adventure, first love and coming of age. The time period is America's early colonial history, with few people realizing the Lost Colony was here long before the Pilgrims. Only they vanished without a trace. As a new teacher, I would recommend this book to all literature and history classes in the middle schools.

John Maxwell is ranked by Harvard University as America's #1 leadership expert and this book is a combination of his greatest insights and leadership application principles from several of his best selling books. If you are stranded on an island and can only take one book with you, take this one because by the time you finish reading through it, you'll have gained an MBA level of insight into practical ways to lead others with clear perspective and personal power.

Wonderful! The book was used, but I could not have asked for a better product! Book was in GREAT shape! Exactly what I needed. A+

I appreciate having the 3 books in one. I also appreciate the large font type of the books, although I am young, I often read in dim light (when babies are sleeping) and the large font really makes it easier. The books are excellent reading. Biblical leadership perspective that really is so practical for all leaders at all stages.

I have never read a book that uplifting, when I am on my worst moments for that day I pick up that book and it takes me some where else, even takes me to the bible to look up motivational readings. It has trully changed my way of thinking. I love it.

Do you want to free your mind of bad attitudes, educate other and become a positive influence? Then you must have this masterpieces. Read them, apply and you'll see the results

The book arrived in a timely manner and in excellent condition as promised. Thank you.

Hardcover edition. My mom bought this book for me after I wouldn't stop raving about it after checking it out of our local library. Chinese culture has always fascinated me and this book gave me an overall idea of the culture. Great recipes of traditional food, a variety of craft projects for kids of all ages, and tales of how the traditions started. It also includes an overview of Chinese holidays such as the Chinese New Year, the Dragonboat Festival, and the Festival of Lights. *Mom's footnote - My daughter was born in the year of the Dragon.

We are in the long wait for an adopted sister from China and this book has been invaluable for communicating to our son what his soon-to-be sister's culture is like. It is beautifully illustrated and great for teaching him and preparing him for the holidays we will be celebrating. Very informative with great crafts and recipes. The festival introductions are great as well. We have actually made a few of the crafts. The puppet show was a huge hit!

This book is full of activities; stories and recipes--we will be using this book a lot in keeping the some of the traditions of China alive for our adopted daughter.

A nice book full of pictures and stories about the various festivals. There are craft items to make and food to cook. A good idea for those who are trying to incorporate chinese culture into their family life.

No Mirrors in My Nana's House: Musical CD and Book This is a superb book for toddlers and young readers alike. It's music is by a member of the premier acapella group Sweet Honey in the Rock and teaches a wonderful message in a thoroughly enjoyable way. My nephew wanted it read and the music replayed over and over as he danced around.

Another music teacher here to recommend this book. My first graders LOVE LOVELOVE IT!!!! They love the pictures, they love singing the song - even the shy children, and at the end of the song they always ask to hear it again.

Plus, I wish you could've heard the interesting conversations we've had about why the people don't have faces.

I love Sweet Honey and I love this book!

The lead teacher at my son's school suggested that I buy this book for him because he loved it in music class. I had not heard of it, but decided to get it anyway since it had grabbed my son's attention. I am glad that I did. The whole family enjoys the book as well as the catchy tune of the CD. This is one worth having.

I am an elementary music teacher. I have shared this book with all my students from kinder through 5th grade. Every child loves the book and the song, they leave my class singing is every time we sing it. The artwork is so inspiring, a great conversation starter. Excellent resource for a teacher or parent.

"No Mirrors in my Nana's House" is great to have in your collection of musical books. The kids love the song that tells the story and it sends out a great message and shows diversity.

My kids both love Todd Parr's books--they love the kooky illustrations and they can recite the text by heart.

Todd Parr's colorful drawings and positive, imaginative text are some of my 2 1/2-year-old daughter's favorites. This one in particular cracks her up.

This book is absolutely wonderful. It's wonderful because the pictures are simple and really catch you eye with the bright colors. The message behind it is fantastic. Sure, some of the things are a little strange like putting fish in your hair, but there's a great message behind it that it's ok to not be like everyone else. What an important message to kids in todays society. I just love this book and would highly recommend it.

My kids love to read and laugh with this book. The pictures are fun and the colors are so bright. I am about to buy the 3rd copy, a board book would work better for my 2 year old. My 3 and 1/2 year old loves to prend to read to her brother. Fun for all. We also like Things that make you feel good and things that make you feel bad, it is great for play acting out the book.

In the "Okay Book," Todd Parr uses simple drawings with vibrant, primary colors to illustrate his supportive and educational messages for kids. The messages fall into 4 categories. We have the pro-self-esteem messages: "It's okay to be short," "it's okay to have freckles," "it's okay to wear glasses," "it's okay to wear what you like," "it's okay to have no hair," "it's okay to be skinny," "it's okay to be big." Second, we have emotional/behavioral themes: "it's okay to be scared," "it's okay to share," "it's okay to try new things," and, in a paraphrase of the great Rosie Grier, "it's okay to cry." Third, we also have the tolerance/broadmindedness messages: "it's okay to come from a different place" (illustrated with a martian in a UFO hovering outside Saturn), "it's okay to live in a small house," and "it's okay to be a different color." Finally, there is a fourth category of silly, cutesy messages which are sprinkled in to enhance the kid-friendliness and keep it from being too heavy-handed: "it's okay to wear two different socks," "it's okay to eat all the frosting off your birthday cake," "it's okay to hang out in the rain," "it's okay to sing out loud," and "it's okay to put a fish in your hair."

That last one troubles me. Every time I see it, I have a visceral reaction to that. In my mind, it is actually not okay to put fish in your hair. However, take that with a grain of salt. I have been criticized for missing to point of kids books in my reviews when I make comments like that. In fact, in response to my review of "Chimp and Zee," where I called for primatological correctness (Chimps are not monkeys and they don't have tails!), Mr. Anholt emailed me and said, in part, "I defend the importance of creative invention and I am rarely sloppy - I hope you are not being dogmatic or literal-minded in your judgement. (sic)" I should also note that the overall tone of Mr. Anholt's letter was very congenial and charming, and I do recommend his books.

The "Okay Book" is a very nice book, particularly for preschoolers. It delivers important messages of tolerance and acceptance but strikes enough of a balance between goofiness and preachiness to not feel like a lesson. It concludes well with a nice sendoff, "it's okay to dream big."