5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, fun story teaching kids values October 19, 2009
By Midwest Book Review
Format:Hardcover
Laura Numeroff's WOULD I TRADE MY PARENTS? receives fine drawings by James Bernardin as it tells of a little boy who wonders why his friends' parents are so special and why he can't trade. When he really thinks about his own parents, though, he comes up with some redeeming attributes. An excellent, fun story teaching kids values.
Grin Without a Cat and Other Stories (Magical Stories)
4.0 out of 5 stars Animalia Musicale May 4, 2006
By E. R. Bird HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:HardcoverNone of us get enough poetry in our lives. Our day-to-day interactions rarely cause us to stop and consider a work of Dickinson or even ponder a dollop of Frost. New Yorkers, however, have it easy. They get to see poetry every day. Thanks to the Poems on the Underground program that started in London and spread across the Atlantic, I get to read poems on the subway to and from work almost every day. So who should I thank for this chance to broaden my mind while crammed into someone's armpit? Thank Judith Chernaik, the founder of the same project. Now, however, Chernaik has expanded into the skittish world of children's literature. With Saint-Saens' light-hearted musical creation, "Carnival of the Animals" as her inspiration, she has culled poems from the brains of thirteen poets (including herself). In turn, Candlewick Press brought in well-established illustrator Satoshi Kitamura to whip up some pretty pictures for the equally pretty poems. The result is a wild concoction of image and sound. Poems leap off the page almost as beautifully as their visual counterparts. I have absolutely no idea who this book is supposed to be for in the end, but it's certainly nice enough to look at.
There are fourteen poems in all (no Table of Contents, sorry), with thirteen dedicated to the animals featured in Saint-Saens' music. Without so much as an Introduction, we immediately hit upon James Berry's faintly melancholy thoughts on the lion. From there we are whisked into a wild array of poems and animals. Gavin Ewart gives your average kangaroo a fairly metropolitan feel. Valerie Bloom tackles Saint-Saens', "The Aviary" and wins the book's Most Evocative Award. By the end we see the animals we've met now all on a stage with instruments in hand. The performance is done, and you are left remembering as wild an amalgamation of poetry, music, and visual art as you'll ever find again.
Kitamura's style of illustration has never done anything for me in the past. It's always struck me as cute but lacking. Now, as if to show me how wrong I've always been, Kitamura's pictures in this book burst from the pages with a kind of frenzied glee. He's gone haywire with "Carnival". Watercolors may be sepia toned one minute and then show an equallly dignified image of horses running across a green grass plain. The poem "Pianists" manages to be well-ordered around the text, and then explode into a sumptuous feast of colors and images comparable only to what happens when you close your eyes and press hard on your eyelids. His tortoises dance, his swan looks as if it should be accompanied by a haiku, and about the time you reach the dinosaur bones playing the clarinet you'll never want to leave the book again.
But who was this written for? Admittedly it's fairly easy to tell from the start that these were not children's poets Chernaik tapped. So perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised when Gerard Benson likens donkeys to theater critics or Gillian Clarke gives us elegant lines about the cuckoo like, "grows fat on murder, and in a stolen house / sings her two notes in an angel's voice". The poets are all excellent, of course. You won't find me maligning Edwin Morgan or Charles Causley. There's a lot of free verse, some variegated rhyme schemes, but that's about it. Don't expect anyone to get too creative. This is not the book to use if you want to show kids what a haiku or a senryu or even a sonnet is. The poetic forms found here are just what struck each poet as apropos at any given time. No more. No less. You want different kinds of poems? Go locate Paul Janeczko's, "A Kick In the Head", instead. Will kids be interested in animal poems that never get silly like Douglas Florian or include factual information like Joyce Sidman's, "Song of the Water Boatman"? If I were to harbor a guess, I'd have to say no. They won't instantly take to this book. And though I shudder to say it, I suspect that John Lithgow's version of "Carnival of the Animals" (which came out a mere 3 years before this book) is going to entertain kids far far more.
I searched in vain for the reason why Chernaik chose now to cull a picture book out of music that has already lent itself to picture books so often before. Why even limit it to children? It seems a little odd to be putting out yet another Carnival of the Animals picture book so soon after the Lithgow book that was tied into a 2003 New York City Ballet production. Certainly this book wins in the looks department. And the poems are very nice, yes yes. Maybe you could make a gift of this to a particularly musically gifted child. But Lithgow's book had one particular advantage over Chernaik's. In both cases, a CD accompanies the book. Which is to say, both books come with one. But while Lithgow's listed the track names on both the inside of the book AND on the CD itself, Chernaik's leaves all track information completely mysterious. Track names are necessary. They allow us to allow the music to follow along with the book. In Lithgow's case, he even went so far as to read each poem before the music it applied to. In contrast, the Chernaik book seems to have included the CD as an afterthought. The tracks match up with each poem, yes, but it would have been nice to hear someone read those poems after each selection of music. Or even, for that matter, know what each selection was even called? If you're trying to pull one section or poem out for consideration, it's mighty hard to do so without a title on the CD. It's also a little odd that the Chernaik CD begins without Saint-Saens' Introduction. An editing decision or the result of not planning a poem for that particular piece?
I can see this book used to teach poetry to teens (sneaking in a little classical music know-how to boot). Maybe some kids as well. But while Chernaik is the queen of the subway poetry selections, she has a ways to go before she conquers the world of children's literature quite as effectively. A nice book, but I honestly don't know who you'd want to give it to.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book November 14, 2008
By Vermont Mom
Format:HardcoverThis is one of the few books I've borrowed from the library and then felt a need to purchase. My 7-yr old son, my 4-yr old daughter, and I all loved the poetry and illustrations as well as the readings and of course the music. What a wonderful find!
2.0 out of 5 stars I thought this book was not so good September 18, 2006
A Kid's Review
Format:HardcoverI rate Carnival Animals two stars for fun illustrations and two pages of laughter. Thirty five percent of the poems that flow through the book are energizing. This book is like a taco: the good layer is the meat and cheese or illustrations; the bad layer is the lettuce and tomato or the rest of the poems.
很喜欢解谜的过程。 Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend! July 6, 2002 By "jiminick" Format:Hardcover
We bought this book (really more of an activity set)for my six-year old son. He worked on the various missions with his father. They were completely engrossed in this book for hours, setting it down only to eat. It was not something our son could have done completely on his own but it was a perfect father/son activity. They loved it! My husband commented on how cleverly the entire package was put together. They were both challenged! You have to crack a code to get to the inside hidden compartment of the book. Inside there are various missions that you can succeed in only by following instructions and completing various activities which include word puzzles and fun science projects. The only drawback is that once you solve the missions, you're done. It's not something you would do twice. But my son doesn't care. He is really exited to have the box with the secret compartments as a toy. A Great Buy! I would highly recommend this book and plan to buy more from this author.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great project for 5-7 year olds April 7, 2007 By Amy Format:Hardcover
My son received the other Code Master book (Treasure Hunter) for his 7th birthday and absolutely loved it, but it was pretty hard for him. (The age guidelines on THAT book/puzzle is 8-12.) For his friend's 6th birthday we got this one ("Secret Agent") because it is rated for younger kids. It's VERY well done and absorbing, and it's easier than the Treasure Hunter. Notice the age recommendations and follow them. This would be tough for most 4 yr olds but with a lot of parent help they'd love it. Too easy for most 8 yr olds--they should get Treasure Hunter instead. And for 7 yr olds, even though my son loved Treasure Hunter, I would recommend the Secret Agent one. Even though we solved it in about 4 days (evenings after school), it was some of the most excited moments I've seen him have in a long time. And now he loves the stuff inside too, and especially the lock box itself. (You can reset the combination code so it can really be a secret for you alone.) Highly recommended.
This is supposed to represent the world of spies? The only good thing was the historical spy stories. Everything else got lost in some B-movie "sci-fi" cliché. A toned downed James Bond idea would have appealed to kids, this just does not work. My 8 year old knows what a spy does, and this 'aint it!!!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 starsNew book by IbbotsonDecember 13, 2005 By microjoeTOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
This book was published in England in May 2005 and will release in USA in 2006. So I bought the British copy as I could not wait for another marvelous story from Eva to send me into stitches of laughter.
In the story a brother and sister, Madlyn and Rollo, are sent to stay with their kindly Uncle at his "Castle Clawstone" set in the Scottish Highlands. On arrival they find out the dreamy sounding castle is falling apart. The castle is under a huge debt and no funds are available for repair. There are friendly ghosts living in the castle, as well as some rare wild white cattle living on the property and they are at risk if the castle isn't saved. And who is the mysterious being hiding in the library? The siblings have auditions with ghosts to find the best ghosts to scare visitors to complete their plan to turn the castle into a haunted tourist attraction. As usual; Ibbotson's ghosts are nutty as they can be including the Bloodstained Bride ,a pair of hairy Scottish feet without a body, a girl cut in half in a magic act, and others. Madlyn turns out to be a natural financial genius and they start making money. But a neighbor has very evil plans for the cattle, and it will take every effort by the siblings and their new alllies to fight back. I highly reccommend!
5.0 out of 5 starsAudio book of The Beasts of Clawstone CastleMarch 1, 2011 By Tiffany Murphy
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful story. I got it so that my fifth graders could listen to it, but I've kept it in my car. David Tennant's voice is a dream to listen to, which is the reason I decided to purchase it in the first place. I was not disappointed.
Several hours of an enchanted voice and a good story. You can't go wrong with that combination.
5.0 out of 5 starsBest Book Ever!April 25, 2012 By Penname
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Beasts of Clawstone Castle is a truly amazing book. The descriptions use the best words possible. I never knew a book could be so good. 100 stars! I reccomend this book to any adult, teen or kid who is looking for an amazing,descriptive, and thrilling story.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great chapter book for 3-4th grade girls!
December 1, 2011
By Natalie Blitt
Format:Paperback
I just finished reading AT FIRST BITE after waiting forever for the sequel to THIS TOTALLY BITES. It was totally worth the wait. As with THIS TOTALLY BITES, this book has a fast-moving story and great characters, and is a perfect choice particularly for reluctant readers. With all the attention these days on YA novels, a lot of parents are wondering how early their kids can read Twilight and Hunger Games, etc. AT FIRST BITE and THIS TOTALLY BITES (along with other Poison Apple books) are much more appropriate choices for younger readers. As a parent of kids in this age group, I can't recommend this book highly enough!
4.0 out of 5 stars At First Bite
April 13, 2012
By Mundie Moms/Mundie Kids
Format:Paperback
At First Bite is a fun vampire story for tweens and younger readers. This is the second book in the Poison Apple series I've read, and boy do I wish these were around when I was younger. This story introducers readers to tween vampire, Ashlee Lambert, who moves from her posh NYC apartment out to to L.A. were her famous mother gets her own reality tv as a judge. Ashlee not only has to make new friends and deal with a whole new school, but she's still learning about being a vampire. The cool thing about the vampires in this book is that they shift into bats, don't drink animal blood and can go outside. Though she's the lone vampire in her family (who have no idea she is one), Ashlee has a mentor there to help her. Things get a little out of hand once she's in L.A.
Though Ashlee's kind are the "good" vampires and drink Sanga, a blood substitute for human blood since they don't attack humans, there are vampires called the Dark Ones. These vampires do attack humans and it's up to Ashlee to figure out who the Dark One is at her new school that keeps attacking the students and staff. Ashlee for me was a fun character to read about and one I think fans of this series will enjoy meeting. It's not just the paranormal part of this story that makes it a fun read, but also the relatable side to it as well. Ashlee learns some important lessons at her new school like what being a true friend is all about, and having money and being with the popular crowd isn't always as fun as it seems.
This is a fun read and one I'd recommend for both younger and tween readers. It's clean cut and a great introduction into both this series and paranormal themed books.
5.0 out of 5 stars Once bitten you will be hooked on Poison Apple Books.February 6, 2012
By Steven R. McEvoy TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
This series has been out for a few years now and this latest, the 8th book in the series, is the second to repeat an author. This series is a dark off-shoot of their popular Candy Apple Books. This series, Poison Apple Books, is amazing. The books explore such things as ghosts, vampires, haunting and other darker tales. Unlike most fluffy books for young girls, these tales have a little more grit but still have some humour and really fun reads.
This story continues shortly after This Totally Bites! Ashley Samantha Lambert is twelve years old, with blond hair and blue eyes, at her old school in New York she had been top of the social ladder, and then last fall she became a vampire. Now her family has moved to L.A. and things just seem to keep going downhill. Then she finds out she is living in a house famed for a vampire film, and the school play is the same story as that film: At First Bite. But not only are things rough for Ashley, she soon finds herself looking to uncover a dark one, a vampire that is attacking people. The Perfect life she pictured in L.A is not so perfect and life is even more complicated than she ever expected.
This book was another great read in a wonderful series. Give it a try.
作者: yymmcc 时间: 2012-9-1 18:44 标题: 今天的阅读 重读At First Bite。
推荐了几本其他的书，统统没兴趣 。要求去图书馆的时候帮他再留意这个系列的书。作者: yymmcc 时间: 2012-9-2 19:08
I Hate Rules! Nancy E. Krulik (Author), John & Wendy (Illustrator)
This series is awesome! I can't buy them fast enough for my 8 year old granddaughter. She reads and rereads these books... she loves them! I'm buying the whole set, and hope that Nancy Krulik keeps them coming!
5.0 out of 5 starsKatie KazooFebruary 7, 2005
By S. J Parker
Formataperback
Katie is an ordinary third-grader--except for one very extraordinary problem. She accidentially wished on a shooting star to be anyone but herself. But what Katie soon learns is that wishes really do come true - and in the strangest ways....
Katie is sick of school rules. But when she turns into the principal and announces that there are "no rules", she creates a great big mess. Will Katie be able to get the school back in shape?
5.0 out of 5 starsCute booksJuly 27, 2011
By Danielle O'Donnell
Formataperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
We've read 6 of these Katie Kazoo books so far. My girls, ages 4 and 6, really enjoy them. My husband and I enjoy reading them to the girls as well.
作者: yymmcc 时间: 2012-9-2 19:11
还是很喜欢Dairy of a Wimpy Kid，继续阅读~~
还在那本留空可以自己填内容的dairy里写写画画的作者: yymmcc 时间: 2012-9-6 17:13
Dairy of a Wimpy Kid，天天看
aperback