My Friend is Sad (Elephant and Piggie)

Book Description

Bestselling picture book creator Mo Willems is making his debut in the early-reader arena with the Elephant and Piggie series. The books feature two lovable and funny characters: an optimistic (and sometimes reckless) pig, and a cautious, pessimistic elephant. Children who sat on their parents' laps to have Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! read to them will eagerly take the plunge with these books to start reading on their own. With each text reviewed by an early-learning specialist, these sweet and surprising stories are a breath of fresh air in the early-reader category. In My Friend Is Sad, Gerald is down in the dumps. Piggie is determined to cheer him up by dressing as a cowboy, a clown, and even a robot! But what does it take to make a sad elephant happy? The answer will make even pessimistic elephants smile.

Customer Reviews:

I love Mo Willems.......2007-07-29

Just order all his books. Take advantage of EVERY multiple buying deal. Currently I am missing only two of the books I know he has published. :) If I lived in the Brooklyn area I would march in and have him sign EVERY ONE of them. Even the books I didn't initially like (Edwina, Leonardo, Pigeon finds a hot dog) I have come to love. There is some brainwashing feature --- lol --- it doesn't hurt that he hides the pigeons in the books --- we like looking for him. I'm telling you he GETS kids. From the inside cover to the very back --- the books are incredibly simple --- well thought out.

Thank you Mo.

My son loves Elephant and Piggie, and so do I! .......2007-07-07

My son loves Elephant and Piggie, and so do I!
My son is six years old, and learning to read. I search high and low for early readers that are at a beginner's level AND entertaining, yet usually end up very disappointed. Most early readers have little plot and are dull to even my six-year-old. With Elephant and Piggie, the humor is at a level of sophistication that both he and I can enjoy.
The illustrations, though simple, are so expressive! My son can read these books independently, but our favorite method is to each take a role of one of the characters and take turns reading the book together.
Did I read that Mo Willems worked on Sesame Street at one time? That would explain the cleverness of his books, and the ability to appeal to both adults and children alike. We have loved all of his books that we have read, especially the Pigeon books and Knuffle Bunny, and of course, Elephant and Piggie! We are eagerly awaiting the release of his next books!

Perfect for 3 yr old.......2007-05-25

My three year old son loves this series. This one is a lot of fun to read to him. We learn about emotions, pretend play, and interpersonal relationships. And there's robots, cowboys, and juggling clowns.
The artwork is expressive and uncomplicated. The dialogue allows for imaginative performance by the reader-- by changing the nuances, you can make it a different experience each time. Which is not to say you have to be a great actor.
These books are different from the pigeon books (also by Mo Willems), in that having two characters allows room for plot and story development on a greater scale. The pigeon books (such as _Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus_) are much more appropriate for a younger child.
The only reason I did not give this particular book a full five stars is that the dialogue in the end of the story is a little flat compared to the excellence of his other books. This book is still a must have.

Melodrama in Miniature.......2007-05-14

This book knocked my socks off! Of course, it's a little hard to find one's socks while rolling on the floor laughing... There are few books for early readers that truly stand the test of time, but My Friend Is Sad should be around for years to come. The things that make it work would, ironically, fall flat in a chapter book for fifth graders--but Mo Willems understands something crucial about little kids, and that is that their emotions and interactions feel vast and dramatic to them. This story reminded me of an old-fashioned melodrama, characterized by over-the-top facial expressions and physical humor. I mean, Gerald the elephant could do a GREAT death scene if he had to. In counterpoint to the drama that is Gerald, we have his friend Piggie's drier delivery as Piggie earnestly, even frantically, attempts to cheer up the sad elephant. (You may not be able to tell from the text that Piggie is a girl, by the way.) I love Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad with all my heart, but here is a duo with an equally charming, though very different, dynamic. Your child will like this book--and you will, too!

A great new book with great new characters!.......2007-03-22

Mo Willems has worked his magic yet again. In two new books, "Today I will Fly" And "My Friend is Sad" he introduces two new characters to his cast--Piggie, an upbeat and optomistic pig and her best friend, Gerald a more melancholy, 'realistic' elephant who wears glasses.

Piggie enters the pages of the book to find, Gerald, her best friend in a very glum mood--he's so wrapped up in it that he does not even notice her. She then goes about trying ways to cheer him up--dressing up as a clown and a cowboy for example. Each new attempt, inspite of Gerald loving clowns and cowboys, makes the elephant even more miserable.

The illustrations are classic Willems, super expressive but very simple at the same time. Fantastic!

Its a sweet book about friendship and is great for a younger audience. Its on a similar level as "Green Eggs and Ham" and clearly the publisher realised this as it is very similar in shape, size and general physical design to the smaller Dr. Seuss books.

Average customer rating:

Eric Carle sends a realistic message
OPENS the IMAGINATION
There are better editions of this title
Not a book about friendship or tolerance.
Is it just me....?

Do You Want to Be My Friend?
Eric Carle
Manufacturer: Philomel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0399215980

Book Description

Do you want to be my friend? asks the little mouse, and hopefully follows a tail, finding at the end of it a rather unfriendly horse. But there's another tail, and another, and a strange, long, green one, too, that follows the mouse on his quest for a friend.

Each page of this ingenious picture book contains a surprise. Its only text is on the first page, but the exciting pursuit of a friend for the little mouse lends itself to improvisation by both the reader and the young child -- another brilliant idea from Eric Carle, the creator of The Secret Birthday Message and The Mixed-Up Chameleon.

Notable Children's Books of 1971 (ALA)
Children's Books of 1971 (Library of Congress)
Honor Book, Book World Spring Book Festival 1971

Customer Reviews:

Eric Carle sends a realistic message.......2007-07-16

The book seems to present a narrative similar to P.D. Eastman's Are You My Mother?, which presents the very normal process whereby a lost young bird searches out the identity of its as-yet-unseen mother by unsuccessfully speaking to, among other other things, a boat, a plane, and a cow. The difference, as I see it, between the two, is that every attempted friendship sought out by the mouse in Carle's story is with another creature, until he finds the companionship most suited to him, that being with his own species. What a young child might take from this is probably very basic: mice probably find more in common with other mice. However, if applied to human relationships, it may be that the "message," if there is one at this level to deal with, probably favors the notion that of all the possible friends out there for someone, one is more suited to a person than all the rest. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the book condones some kind of rejection, because, after all, in real life it does take some effort for any child to find a special friend. Further, I wouldn't say that the book reinforces the idea that only people like us can be our friends because, once again, it is a good thing to encourage a child to imagine a uniquely suitable friend just for him or her. If they don't seek out the child who is most different from everyone else, it does not mean that child is insensitive, just that finding a friend might be more spontaneous and innocent than we parents and teachers may like to admit-even when the child finds someone who happens to look like him or her.

OPENS the IMAGINATION.......2007-05-05

I loved this book. Because it has hardly any dialogue, it challenges the imagination of the "reader." It can be read over and over with never having the same story. Having read it to my two toddlers, I have always told the story in a positive light where the mouse plays with all of the animals along his way home. At the end of my version of the story, the mouse finds his brother or sister where they run off to their special fort. Each time I've read it, the story and dialogue have been slightly and sometimes widely different from the other times. I think that the book opens up so many possibilities and stretches the imagination. For young toddlers flipping through the book on their own, it also encourages that the pages be turned in order as the mouse follows the tail of his next friend and leaves the child to figure out to which animal each tail belongs. The pictures are colorful and simple and as beautiful as any of pictures of other Eric Carle books. Highly recommended for those who like open-ended stories!

There are better editions of this title.......2007-01-04

We decided to purchase this book for our toddler after she enjoyed the copy we had checked out of our local library. She had loved turning the pages and looking at the large pictures of each animal. Sadly, this copy was smaller than a postcard. When we read the copy from the library, I liked the idea of a book that tells a story with very little text, encouraging the reader to create his or her own. The way each animal's tail appears on the page teaches little readers to turn the pages in a book to reveal the narrative. I was disappointed that this edition has dialogue in which each animal rejects the mouse. I would have prefered the larger, textless edition. When ordering, pay attention to the dimensions!

Not a book about friendship or tolerance. .......2004-09-08

Agree w/ a prior reviewer - this book was VERY disappointing. I was horrified to hear it read, for the first time, by a 'teacher' (who obligingly filled in the dialogue for the non-mouse animals, to say to the mouse: "No I don't want to be your friend. . . your too little (or whatever)."
I think it can be read w/ a more positive spin, e.g., "I'd love to be your friend, but I can't play right now. . . " But the illustrations really convey a negative message to kids, and on its face is about being friends w/ your own kind, since it's only the mouse at the end who says "Yes." Not what I want to teach to my children. This book apparently was written in the 70's. It's way out of date, and I wouldn't buy it. Other Carle books have the same type of animal illustrations, so it's nothing special in that regard either.

Is it just me....?.......2004-07-24

or was anyone else confused by this book? Now don't get me wrong I don't expect War and Peace in a children's book, but a little more dialogue would have been nice. As it is, there are 2 possible conclusions I can draw from this book:

1. The mouse is asking each animal to be his friend and they are all saying 'No', which makes them all very mean and not worth talking about or,
2. The mouse is only asking the other mouse at the end of the book, ignoring all the other animals completely.

Either way, here is the message I walk away with: Mice should only be friends with other mice (people should only be friends with their own kind). Is this what we want to teach our children?

Average customer rating:

My Friend Rabbit and its predecessor
Fun; a great addition
Rabbit Pulls A Rabbit Out of His Hat!
My Friend Rabbit is great!
Wonderful Story!

My Friend Rabbit

Manufacturer: Roaring Brook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0761315357

Book Description

When Mouse lets his best friend, Rabbit, play with his brand-new airplane, trouble isn't far behind. From Caldecott Honor award winner Eric Rohmann comes a brand-new picture book about friends and toys and trouble, illustrated in robust, expressive prints.

Customer Reviews:

My Friend Rabbit and its predecessor.......2007-01-22

I came across "My Friend Rabbit" recently and found it to be a charming, illustration-driven tale. However I also felt disappointed because of its extreme similarity in theme and execution (if not tone) to one of my children's favorite books "One Seal". Published three years before "My Friend Rabbit", "One Seal" tells the charming illustration-driven tale of a child whose kite slips free while flying at the beach. Page by page a variety of animals, beginning with one seal, happily come to help. They build an improbable tower by standing one another until the runaway kite can be reached. It also has the two page turn-the-book-sideways center piece tower and the cyclic ending. Any of the reviewers who fault "My Friend Rabbit" will also fault "One Seal" but I urge anyone who enjoyed "My Friend Rabbit" to flip through "One Seal" at a library or book store and see for yourself.

Fun; a great addition.......2006-10-24

I was online looking for new books when I came across this one that we've had for few years-- had to make sure there was a review for it. Of course there's many good ones & one bad. Huh, I said; what's bad about it? I must say I can't agree with the reviewer. 1,) I am happy it won a award for illustrations, but I usually go by my own taste & I think the wood cut style is great. whether it was deserving of an award or not, I think anyone will find the images pleasing; my daughter & I especially liked having to turn the book sideways to see all the animals piled on top of each other. 2,)As for text & the child being able to "read" on their own, I found my daughter was able to recall the gist of the story & she'd make up her own sometimes. And not sure why they though this wasn't a good "bed time book". Too short? not about sleep? Not sure what that meant-- I think it's a fine anytime book. Anyway, Most reviewers found it great & I am sure there're some kids out there that this book just won't call to, but the friendship of the rabbit & mouse is a good lesson and the piling up of the animals is silly. My daughter enjoyed it over & over again. It's a fun book for ages 1-3 I'd say, since the text is short; by 4 yrs old the child may be on to longer text, but it's still a fun book for 4 yr olds.

Rabbit Pulls A Rabbit Out of His Hat!.......2006-07-15

There's something very old-fashioned about Eric Rohmann's Caldecott-winning illustrations in "My Friend Rabbit." The think outlined forms, simple black eyes, and wide-open compositions recall the best of early Disney and other period animation. Rohmann's every character and nuance is well conceived; for example, the soft, lightly mottled blue-grey background is a reassuring constant in a wild tale full of high-flying twists and turns. Reading the book flap, I discovered that Rohmann used "hand-colored relief prints"; Rohmann's mastery of this technique apparently produced the luminous, vintage animation look.

The story line is simple: "Rabbit" has this grand idea for his friend "Mouse" to fly a plane. When the mouse-plane crashes into a treetop, Rabbit tells his friend: "Not to Worry, Mouse. I've got an idea!" Quick like a bunny, he hops off, and--pushing, pulling, and lifting--he begins collecting a parade of animals, including an elephant, a hippo (similar in shape to the ones famously in "Fantasia"), a deer, an alligator, and a resentful duck and ducklings! This is all visually rich, as hyperkinetic Rabbit hoists some of the larger animals over his head, assembling [turn the page, and look sideways...!] a tower of animals. With the rhino on the bottom looking particularly upset, Mouse climbs the leaning tower, but just as we see him reaching towards the tree that ate his airplane [turn the page]--the animals come tumbling down in a flurry of action and color, their expressions captured perfectly by Rohmann. The next line tells all, "The animals were not happy."

As the glaring animals look increasingly menacing, Mouse swoops down in the (surprise! --Mouse must have successfully jumped to the tree) just-retrieved plane to rescue his friend. Now that was a close one! Rohmann finishes with Mouse's thoughts about the Wild One; perhaps this is how Badger, Mole, and River Rat tolerated Toad's madder moments. Mouse concludes, simply and without adult adornment: "But Rabbit means well. And he is my friend." As the two fly off and crash again into a tree, Mouse will need this acceptance, because Rabbit once again has "an idea." With a classic look, and a story that's a model of engaging simplicity, this is a superb and worthy book.

My Friend Rabbit is great!.......2006-02-27

My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann is a really funny book to read. In the beginning Rabbit threw Mouse's plane too hard and Mouse fell out. Wherever Rabbit goes trouble follows. Rabbit says he has an idea and he gets a lot of animals and stacks them on top of each other to try to get Mouse's plane from out of the tree. The animals all fall but Mouse was hanging on to the plane and he gets the plane out of the tree. Then Mouse takes Rabbit for a ride on his plane because Rabbit is Mouse's best friend.

Wonderful Story!.......2006-02-07

My Friend Rabbit, written and illustrated by Eric Rohmann, won a deserving Caldecott Medal in 2003. Using vibrant colors in his artwork, Rohmann tells how rabbit always, 'has an idea'. As you turn the pages you watch how rabbit's idea gets the best of hisself and his friends, yet Mouse continues to be his friend. This is a great story about friendship told mostly through pictures.
Eric Rohmann also wrote Clara & Asha, Time Flies and Pumpkinhead.

Average customer rating:

A horse, a boy, and a family
My Friend Flicka
Surprise! A clinical description
A COMMANDING NARRATION OF A CLASSIC
Simply wonderful!

My Friend Flicka
Mary O'hara
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060512628
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Book Description

The classic story of an aimless teenager, a demanding father,
and aspirited horse -- now a major motion picture from Twentieth Century Fox

A daydreamer and a time waster, young Ken McLaughlin spends his days on his family's Wyoming ranch with his head in the clouds, surrounded by endless blue skies, wide-open spaces, and beautiful horses. To his brusque, practical father, the boy is an enigma and a disappointment. Then one day, Ken's life is filled with new purpose when he finds Flicka, a magnificent filly as wild as she is fast. Though the strong bond between boy and horse only fuels his father's disdain, Ken's growing love for his friend Flicka is changing him -- leading a once-aimless young man down the path to responsible adulthood, forging a new respect and understanding between father and son, and inspiring a fierce loyalty that nearly costs Ken his life.

Customer Reviews:

A horse, a boy, and a family.......2007-04-10

I have to give this book 5 stars. Mary O'Hara wrote an incredibly beautiful story about a struggling family. Many of the details of the story are so true to life. As an adult reading this story, I found the details about the parents to be more interesting than the story of the horse and the boy. O'Hara really understands the concerns of a parent for a struggling child and it's very true to life in the book. Many important issues are touched upon in this book too; responsibility for our domestic animals, love for people and animals, doing our duty in our every day life are all there with out being mushy and sentimental. O'hara also paints a vivid picture of Wyoming and old-time ranch life. It makes me wish it was still like that, so I could visit it. This is another great book for a read aloud family time.

My Friend Flicka .......2007-01-15

This is a very good book. My granddaughter really enjoyed it.

Surprise! A clinical description.......2006-02-19

I am in the middle of lstening to this book. Its detailed descriptions of ranch life and horses are quite compelling. But what surprised me was the absolutely accurate description of a boy with ADD. This book was written some two decades before attention deficit disorder gained anyone's attention, but O'Hara's descriptions of Ken's behavior are absolutely consistent.

And then O'Hara answers the question of what to do about the condition: give the kid something he really wants to do and stand back. Of course, it helps that Ken has two wise and good-hearted parents; but then, maybe that is the start to solving most problems that children have.

A fine book on many levels, and a fine companion on the road for adult and child.

A COMMANDING NARRATION OF A CLASSIC.......2006-01-26

Although he made his audio book debut just two readings ago, stage, screen and television actor Michael Louis Wells is in full command of the metier with his narration of the classic My Friend Flicka. Many will remember the story as a film with Roddy McDowall, as a TV series or as a current film. Wells is on a par with all of the actors who have undertaken bringing this touching tale to life. The reason for the story's many incarnations is obvious - it is one of our best-loved books and well deserves its place among others that are enjoyed from generation to generation, such as Treasure Island and Mutiny on the Bounty.

Pivotal to O'Hara's story is Ken and his seeming laissez faire attitude. Where his mind is his father, Rob, certainly doesn't know. He's a young boy who would much rather just look out a window than study his arithmetic. He should have studied because his report card is so poor that he's doomed to repeat a grade. Rob undoubtedly wonders whether he'll even catch on the second time around.

Their home is Wyoming's Goose Bar Ranch and Rob is working hard to make a go of it. He doesn't need a son who seems given to daydreams. Then, along comes Flicka, a beautiful chestnut filly, with a wild streak inherited from her sire. Ken is certain he can tame Flicka, and so begins the unforgettable relationship between a boy and his horse.

O'Hara wrote a follow-up to her story, Thunderhead, but it never achieved the popularity of My Friend Flicka, a timeless story to be enjoyed over and over again.

- Gail Cooke

Simply wonderful!.......2005-08-27

On the Goose Bar Ranch in Wyoming, between the World Wars, former Army captain Rob McLaughlin and his Eastern blue-blood wife, Nell, are raising two sons and an ever-growing herd of thoroughbred horses. Rob, a stern but loving father, doesn't know what to do with younger son Ken. The boy daydreams constantly, and for that reason just failed to be promoted at his boarding school. Why should Rob give small Ken a colt of his own, as he already has older son Howard, when Ken can't do anything that demonstrates he's responsible enough to be trusted? Yet a colt is what Ken wants more than anything else in the world. Until he finds out what happens to male horses when they're two years old - after which he decides he'd rather have a filly.

Not just any filly, though. Flicka, born to the half-wild mare called Rocket. Flicka is faster already than her sire, the ranch's stud horse Banner, and Ken believes he'll be able to train Rocket's "bad blood" out of the yearling. Rob thinks his son is (to use his word for it) dumb, for a lot of reasons that now include choosing this filly that Rob is sure will turn out to be just as "loco" as her dam. Untrainable, and downright dangerous to those who try to handle her.

This novel is a perfect example of the type of children's classic that, when read by adults, proves to have depths and layers its target audience never perceives. I know I read it as a young girl, and enjoyed it as both a good "horse story" and coming of age tale. But in reading it again now, I was amazed by the detailed and multi-faceted characters of Rob and Nell. Their love story is one of the most interesting I've read, because the author not only captures the tensions between these two very different people - she also captures the way that raising their children, who are (for better or worse!) a blending of those differences, affects their relationship. No wonder this book is still in print more than 60 years after it was first published. Simply wonderful!

Biscuit's Big Friend (My First I Can Read)

Average customer rating:

Good book
Another great book. Woof! Woof!

Biscuit's Big Friend (My First I Can Read)
Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0064442888
Release Date: 2003-12-23

Book Description

Share the love of reading with your beginner reader!

I Can Read books are widely recognised as the premier line of beginner readers. Inaugurated in 1957 with Else Holmelund Minarik's Little Bear, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, the series has grown to over 200 titles which include mysteries, adventure stories, poetry, historical fiction and humour. Featuring award–winning authors and illustrators, and a fabulous cast of classic characters, I Can Read books introduce children to the joy of reading independently.

Ages 5–7

Customer Reviews:

Good book.......2006-03-24

My daughter is in first grade and is a beginner reader and she loves Bisquit books. They are on her level and the pictures of Bisquit are so adorable, she loves to read about his adventures and Bisquit is trying to be a big dog when he is a little puppy and she relates to this because she wants to be like her big brother. I would recommend this book for ages 4 to 7.

Another great book. Woof! Woof!.......2003-07-23

Biscuit's friend Sam is back. We met sam back in Happy Chanukah, Biscuit, but did not learn much about him. But now Sam, one of his kid owners (the girl with curly hair), and The-Girl-In-Purple-Sneakers are all playing together.

Sam is a very big dog, so big that Biscuit could take a bath in his water dish. Biscuit wants to be big like Sam but learns, in the end, that being small has its own virtues.

Book Description

Quack! Quack! What's that sound? Biscuit goes to see and meets a lost duckling. Biscuit helps the duckling find its way home, and then the fun begins. Woof! Quack!

Customer Reviews:

Finally, a primer that is right on the mark! (Biscuit finds a friend).......2005-12-15

My five year old daughter is just beginning to read and I have to tell you that my husband and I have been through a lot of books that claim they are `primers' but which aren't.

Either they use a huge vocabulary, or else they have too many words per page. In one case the entire book was written in the past tense. And while they might be great for a more experienced new reader, they are not good for true beginning/emergent readers; children with just a few weeks under their belts.

In any case, "Biscuit Finds a Friend" does not have any of these problems. You will find text that is simple and uncluttered, with not too many words per page. An example follows for you to judge for yourself:

The little duck is lost.
Woof! Woof!
We will bring the little duck back to the pond.
Woof! Woof!

Here, little duck.
Here is the pond.
Here is your mother and your father.
Quack!

Five Stars. A real book for beginning/emergent readers. The text is simple and just repetitive enough that children are encouraged. The artwork and story line appeal to children whether they are reading or not. Certainly my 3 year old son enjoys this book as well.

A great first reader.......2005-08-26

My mother, a teacher, gave us some Bisquit books for our 4 year old son. He loved them so much, he has learned to read them in just a couple weeks.

The illustrations are as cute as can be.

The text ranges from simple to moderate for a first reader. I have found the balance between easy to read / appropriately repetitive text and few few places where the rules for sounds change a little to be just right. You can see where your child will try to apply a known rule (e.g., here vs. her) but will fail. You can explain the difference between the words and how to know proper pronunciation. After doing it a few times, he gets not just the words, but the rule. This, of course, requires the parent to be active while the child is reading.

The construction of the book provide plenty of reinforcement for the child and our son always wants to read more.

However, like all things, it is good to get other first readers as well. After a point, children will have memorized the text and will no longer be really 'reading' or stretching themselves.

We have some Bob the Builder, Toy Story, etc. books. However, Bisquit was unknown to us and is preferred by our son.

Biscuit Meets the Little Duck.......2003-09-19

In this book Biscuit meets a new friend when he finds a small yellow duckling near the house. Friendly puppy that he is, Biscuit soon makes friends but a duckling should be with its parents.

Biscuit helps the little duckling find its family but not without making an impression as the duckling looks like it follows him home at the end.

Another simple and happy story with some of the best illustrations in children's books. My daughter likes to read the "Woof, woof!" parts.

Biscuit Rex.......2002-06-25

"Biscuit Finds a Friend" is the most emotionally shattering portrayal of love and loss since "Wuthering Heights". Alyssa Satin Capucilli has written the manifesto of a disenfranchised generation, and the publication of "Biscuit Finds a Friend" represents a watershed moment in the world of fiction. In Biscuit, Capucilli has found a humble hero, a character that speaks quietly, but speaks for a generation nonetheless. In his quest for simple, basic companionship, Biscuit reminds me of Holden Caulfield of Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye," and echoes of the immense effect that "Catcher" had on its generation can be found here. Biscuit, seeking to break free of the shackles of oppression forced upon him by his cruel dominatrix--left nameless, perhaps to create a "Big Brother" atmosphere where authority is nameless but must be obeyed without exception--finds love with a young duckling, who has run away from a broken home where, it is implied, he is malnourished, beaten, and... abused. Much like in "1984," the pair share the happiest of moments, unaware... that the specter of authority dwells all about them, waiting to pounce. When it does, Biscuit and his friend are cruelly separated, returned, respectively, to the doghouse and an abusive household. The story ends with the tragedy of separation, the endless cycle of emotional destruction that has so overwhelmed the generation that will devour "Biscuit Finds a Friend".

Motivation that moves young beginning readers!.......1999-06-22

My 3 yr old son has simply fallen in love with Biscuit. We look forward to bedtime reading each night as we go through Biscuit's day which is full of adventures. The book is interactive in the way that it asks questions which gives the children a chance to be creative with their own adventure. We look forward to growing with Biscuit!

Average customer rating:

My Buddy, Slug
Why, there are Slugs that know karate / There are Slugs as big as you

My Buddy, Slug
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375833420
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Book Description

Alex and Slug are best friends. They do everything together--morning, noon, and night.

But does being best friends mean you have to be together every second?

Slug seems to think so! Alex tries to get some alone time--at the dentist, at the library, even playing sick--but Slug won't give him a moment to spare. Before long, Alex explodes--and Slug's feelings are bruised. Friendship isn't always easy!

It's time for Alex and Slug to figure out the meaning of "sorry"--and to learn that some folks are friends forever.

Customer Reviews:

My Buddy, Slug.......2006-11-11

Jarrett J. Krosoczka's latest title, "My Buddy, Slug," tackles a topic not often seen in picture books: What do you do when you see your best friend just a little too often?

Alex has encountered just this problem: "It used to be Slug, Kevin, and me--the unstoppable three. Until Kevin moved away. Now it's just Slug and me...all the time."

Alex sees Slug so often, that's he's dying for a little alone time. Slug is around every corner. He shows up at the dentist, at the mall, even for dinner.

On one such occasion, Alex's mom invites Slug for a sleepover. Slug talks and talks. He tells jokes, stories, asks philosophical questions. And, Alex is beyond annoyed.

The next morning Alex "had words" with his mother. He yells, "I'm sick of him!" You can guess who overhears this heated conversation and whose feelings are really, really hurt.

I have absolutely no idea why Alex's best friend is a giant, orange slug, but Slug is awfully cute and colorful. Krosoczka's illustrations are as expressive as ever and the story he tells is, at the same time, unique and one every young school child will recognize. "My Buddy, Slug" is highly recommended for children ages 4-9.

Why, there are Slugs that know karate / There are Slugs as big as you.......2006-09-18

We've all had that friend who's very dear to us but once in a while gets on our nerves. It could be the co-worker who always talks about her gout or the college roommate that liked to jabber non-stop through movies. It's a problem that hits people of every age, race, gender, or persuasion. For adults, our ability to deal with such friends is a talent we've cultivated over the years. Kids, on the other hand, need to learn how to deal. For them, Jarrett Krosoczka has given them, "My Buddy, Slug". Well told without ever descending into preachiness, Krosoczka tells one boy's tale of the friend who just never knew when to quit.

At first there were three friends: Kevin, Alex, and Slug. Then Kevin moved away and it was just Slug and Alex left. And that's fine, cause they are friends, after all. Such good friends, in fact, that they do everything together. School. Shopping. Homework. But when Alex wants some alone time, Slug just doesn't know how to take a hint. When he ends up at Alex's house eating dinner with the fam and staying the night, that's the last straw. Alex vents his frustration about his friend loudly enough that poor Slug gets his feelings hurt. Now Alex has to do the right thing if he ever wants to get back the only best friend he's got.

A co-worker of mine read through this book and commented that he liked the matter-of-fact way in which this book dealt with the fact that Slug was a slug. It's funny, but this never even occurred to me. Like many of the kids who will come to read it, I accepted from page 1 that Alex's best friend was an approximately 5'6" neon orange invertebrate. I mean, the book certainly could have been written with Slug a kid, and many an author would have gone that route. It takes a particularly nice and twisted brain, however, to think up something, or someONE, as outrageous and friendly as Slug. A tip of the hat to the way Mr. Krosoczka's brain works. I do wonder what number of parents will pick up this book expecting it to be about a boy who creates a gigantic slug and the troubles that follow. For them, Krosoczka's tale can only come as a wonderful surprise.

And I liked that the book addressed why it was that Slug follows Kevin around as closely as he does. When the two friends make up, Slug launches into his longest loudest speechifying yet. In it, he mentions that he probably wasn't giving Alex any alone time because he was afraid he'd lose him just as he already lost Kevin. A picture book that can justify the twists in its narrative. Whatta concept! Now as a librarian I did have to test the readaloud potential of the book. Some books are one-on-one books and some will hold a large crowd of first graders enrapt. "My Buddy, Slug", seems to fall right down the center. On the one hand the bright pictures and clear cut situations make it ideal readaloud material. On the other hand, Krosoczka's worked in so many witty little asides and snips of dialogue (particularly in that final Slug speech) that it may not work with a group. I think it hangs entirely on your presentation technique. If you think you'll be able to get the kids interested when you're reading Slug's opinion on the differences between lemons and limes, all power to you.

Mr. Krosoczka does have one cross to bear that may follow him for the first few years of his publishing. His style of drawing, oddly enough, looks mighty similar to that of Joe Cepeda. I mean, there are obvious differences. Mr. Cepeda has many charms, but I've yet to see him give voice to safety cone-colored escargot (or slugs for that matter). There's just something about the thick acrylics Krosoczka's working with here that bring to mind Cepeda's, "Captain Bob Sets Sail" or "What a Truly Cool World". The book actually does some lovely things with light (as when Alex and Slug are watching a movie at night) and when it comes to sluggy shadows, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have illustrate them. Plus there's a great Slug-related medley of images as he keeps Alex up at night with his incessant chatter. Sharp eyed kids will also notice that on Alex's refrigerator are the photos of himself and his friends that appear on the first two pages of the book. And is it just me or does Alex's sister have a crush on Slug?

I'm sure that if "My Buddy, Slug" enjoys any of the success of Mr. Krosoczka's previous efforts, expect him to be getting his own show on Noggin soon. For further slug related fare (if that's what you're into) you might want to change gears and check out the fearful "Slugs" by David Greenburg or "Some Smug Slug" by Pamela Duncan Edwards, which is the best alliterative slug-related tale on the market today. For a bit of sweetness with your sluggary, however, this book stands alone. Fun and with an interior logic that kids are bound to get a kick out of.

Average customer rating:

Love the simple things in life
One of our favorites
Clear, direct
A "Must Have Classic!"
One of my daughter's favorite books!

My Friends/Mis Amigos
Taro Gomi
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0811852040

Book Description

Simple words and bold illustrations show children that friends are easy to find even in the most unlikely places.

Customer Reviews:

Love the simple things in life.......2007-07-14

My 15-month old son LOVES this book ever since he was 9 months-old. We read it every night before he goes to bed. Taro Gomi has captured simple creatures in life and have made them animated and good teachers. The illustrations are purely magical. I highly recommend this book to kids, young and old.

One of our favorites.......2007-05-15

Our son loves this book - and we love reading it to him. It's such a great sentiment, that we can learn so much from those around us. We're connected to our friends, and each one has a gift that we can appreciate. And the illustrations are fantastic.

Clear, direct.......2007-05-11

I have been collecting bilingual books to read to my children and to help our whole family learn Spanish. This is one of our favorites and one the kids will listen to without complaining about me reading in Spanish (which is a problem with some other books with more words on each page). I highly recommend this book and have been buying copies to give to friends.

A "Must Have Classic!".......2007-04-05

I absolutely ADORE this book! It's beautifully illustrated, well-written, lyrical, poetic, thought-provoking, engaging, and most of all, fun to read. Through the use of different animals and their relationship with the little girl protagonist, the author is able to exemplify the message that everybody has something to teach, or put in reverse, we have something to learn from everyone--every individual, every relationship we have, and every human experience. It reminds us that life's journey offers us each an opportunity to grow and expand ourselves by adopting this perspective. I bought this book in Spanish as well and plan on getting one for each of my friends and their kids, but it's a great gift for just about anyone in your life who has influenced you in a positive way.

One of my daughter's favorite books!.......2007-02-21

Our daughter loves this book! I bought it for her 1st birthday last year and it's been one of her favorites ever since. She has tons of books, but this is one she picks several times a day, every day! She'll have me read it to her over and over. I would highly recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Great book for babies!
SO GOOD I BOUGHT IT TWICE
much enjoyed!
My daughter loves this book
Very good "touch feely" book.

My Fuzzy Friends

Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0689823576

Book Description

The animals in My Fuzzy Friends happily invite young children to reach out and pet their furry coats, from a bunny's silky back to a sheep's springy, curly head.

Soft, lifelike paintings are complemented by engaging questions for baby, making this a perfect book for parent and child to share.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for babies!.......2005-07-07

I just love this series! My daughter loves feeling the different textures and the interactive nature of the book!

SO GOOD I BOUGHT IT TWICE.......2005-02-16

This book became so well loved by my children that I had to buy a second copy when the first fell apart (after too much love and way too many readings). My two boys took this book with them on every car trip, every visit to grandma and at every story time this was a favorite.

The book allows children to learn where there nose, toes, fingers, ect are as they are asked to touch the animals. On more then one occation I found my son doing the actions while reading it to himself.

ITs a fun and colorful book that I eould recommend for any child under 5.

much enjoyed!.......2002-11-06

My son has had this book since he was an infant, he's now 1 year old. It's a perfect touch and feel book for a baby and toddler. The touch and feel sections are big, perfect for uncoordinated hands. He was able to easily pat them with his palm, before he learned out to use his fingers.

My daughter loves this book.......2002-04-04

When my sister-in-law was visiting she was reading this book to my then 1 year old daughter. She couldn't figure out why she kept trying to "kick" the book. Then when she turned the page and got to the "Can you tickle me with your toes?" page she understood. This book is really cute. Dd so loves to tickle the critter with her toes she started a few pages early. She will often pull it out and sit and "read" it to herself. I will see her "tickling" the duck with her nose, and then she will step on the page with the guinea pig so she can "tickle" him with her toes. She puts her head on the kitty who is sleeping. It is really a sweet book. I highly recommend this book.

Very good "touch feely" book........2000-03-13

My Fuzzy Friends is a very good book for a toddler to get the "feel" of different animals. It is in a larger format than most such books, and has *excellent* illustrations, along with the requisite fluffy patch for a toddler to touch. Best of all, the text invites toddlers to interact in different ways with the picture, touch with your toes, nose, etc. As such, it is more 'educational' than any of the other fuzzy books that I have seen. Even my wife, who is always trying to curtail my book purchases, relented and agreed that it was a worthwhile purchase.

My Very First Encylopedia with Winnie the Pooh and Friends: Animals

Average customer rating:

Our daughter loves this!
A must have book! Fun, infornative and amazing photos.
wonderfully resourceful

My Very First Encylopedia with Winnie the Pooh and Friends: Animals
tk
Manufacturer: Disney Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786834080

Book Description

Young children will enjoy accompanying Winnie the Pooh Friends as they discover the amazing world of animals, learning where animals come from, how they grow, and how they live. This world of knowledge is communicated through stunning photography, charming illustrations, and simple, factual text. Each of the five chapters is dedicated to a particular animal classification, such as Mammals, Birds, Sea Creatures, Insects, and Reptiles. Questions raised throughout each chapter inspire a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world among young children.

Customer Reviews:

Our daughter loves this!.......2006-02-09

Our daughter has both this and the Nature encycopedia, and loves them both. They're fun for any age - she's loved them since she was a little over a year of age, and her 4 year old and 6 year old cousins also pore over the books.

The pictures are beautiful, the graphics and text to my knowledge are accurate. One of the things I LOVE is that the mammal section mentions how the babies "drink their mom's milk" to grow, which is something that kids who grow up in the city are a lot less likely to see and realize. For those who breastfeed, it's a great tie-in to that for you and your child.

A must have book! Fun, infornative and amazing photos........2005-10-25

Everyone in our family has LOVED this book!
My 5 year old has insisted we read the whole thing to him cover to cover! It has lasted us many betimes! Our 3 year old loves to look at the pics and now will her her turn for many bedtime readings.
It is great you can read only a few pages at a time of a lot and easily pick up right were you stopped.
THis is set up in a great format.
It has 5 simple chapters. EAch chapter has 3 character parts.
first Owl explains in simple terms what the chapter will cover and what they all will have in common. mid chapter has, THATS Tiggerific. Tigger tells a bunch of fun facts about various subjects of the chapter. Look and find with Piglet at the end helps kids find and identify animals they just lerned about.
It is not overwhelmed by the disney characters, Everypage has a small scene at the top with an exchange beteen 2 hundred acre friends. The rest focuses on animals. There are many amazing colorful photos. Simple and informative paragraph giving a few key facts and info. and fun!
Perfect for Animal lovers, book lovers, kids who love to learn.
We also have the nature version, I highly reccomend it as well!

wonderfully resourceful.......2005-09-23

i love this book because it has such a variety of animals in it- not just the same old ones that are in all animal books. tons of actual pictures instead of drawings. i've learned quite a bit from it as has my two-year-old. each page has a small narration by pooh and his friends.

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