Editorial Review

Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawnversions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuringnontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have been printed on thick board pages,and are sure to educate and entertain children of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews

Calming Book for Bedtime, But Also Funny and Engaging!, November 17, 2000
Sandra Boynton's colorful board book is a bedtime treat! An assortment of expressive animals gets ready for bed aboard a giant boat. Boynton amusingly shows then bathing, dressing, brushing teeth ("With some on top and some beneath, they brush and brush and brush their teeth."), and exercising together.

It closes with the animals settling down for the night: "They rock and rock and rock to sleep." Graced by Boynton's well-known illustrations and rhythmic, lullabye-like poetry, this is a great book for infants and toddlers alike. It's one of those books you'll keep long after the kid(s) grow up.

A lovely MEMORY maker!, September 5, 2000
Tonight while surfing through amazon I stumbled upon Sandra Boynton. Remembering how fond my children were of her board books when they were toddlers, I read a few of the reviews. I laughed and cried thinking about how frequently "The Going To Bed Book" was read in our household and how IMPORTANT it became in our bedtime ritual. Out of curiosity I pulled the old book from our library shelves and went to my kids, now 15, 12 and 9 and began to recite a few lines. *NOTE - I didn't actually NEED the book in order to do this. To my delight each of them perked up, smiled and began to chant the lines right along with me. They remembered the characters, the words, the way we used to read the story. You see, for them the memories of this book are wonderful as well!

Sandra Boynton is gifted at coupling wonderful, readable verse with delightful illustration. Don't miss this book and don't hesitiate to purchase others from her collection. We have HUNDREDS of read aloud childrens books in this house. This ranks right up there with the absolute favorites and should be IMHO amongst the first books read to a cherished babe.

P.S. Don't miss "Doggies" either! If you read this one with FEELING they'll be begging for it time and again!

Excellent, December 6, 1999
After reading all of the positive reviews here, I decided to order this book for my two year old son, who loves to read. I must admit, I probably would never have picked it out, but my son absolutely loves it! Everytime we finish reading it, he says, "Mommy, read again." I recommend it to anyone who has a little reader at home.

This is a bedtime MUST!, August 23, 1998
My 17 month old daughter Diana absolutely adores this book, as does her 31 year old mother! It has a remarkably calming effect on her when she's all wound up at the end of the day, and fighting sleep as children her age are wont to do. The wonderful rhythm of the words is soothing, and easy for her to understand. She has begun "reading" along with me, and it's delightful to actually witness her learning. Thank you, Sandra Boynton, for putting your remarkable talent towards such a wonderful thing as children's books!!!

Bedtime with Boynton!, October 15, 2004
I only had one other Boynton book "Snuggle Puppy" which my daughter loves so I wanted to get her another Boynton book. "The Going to Bed" book is a hit!

This book is about several different animals in different shapes and sizes getting ready for bed on a boat. They brush their teeth, excersize and put on pajamas.

The illustrations are cute and her rythmic poetry is perfectly easy to read.

My daughter absolutely loves the pictures and she must like the sound of the words because she gets so excited by this book.

I personally like this book for reading at bedtime because of its length. Its short, sweet and to the point. And the very last page of the book "They rock and rock and rock to sleep" is perfect when read slowly to emphasize the end of the day.

Her books are precious and very inexpensive. This is not a book you will be donating or selling at a garage sale. Your baby/child will love it!

Younger kids, too, June 8, 2006
The other (positive) reviews are all spot on, except for the age ranges discussed. Like all of Boynton's books, this one's not just for toddlers, 2-6 year olds, etc. I've been reading (reciting, really, since I know it so well from our first child) this to our daughter since she was only 3 or 4 months old, and she knows and recognizes its cadence remarkably well even now at not quite 9 months. It's a great tool that I incorporate not only in reading as part of the bedtime routine, with the book in hand in a rocking chair, but also something I recite while dressing her - a great tool, that is, for shifting from the fun and frolic of the bath, to the placidity of the reading/rocking chair.

The Sun has Set not Long Ago, October 24, 2002
Great bed time book. The rhymes are fun, and it is a fantastically silly story. My husband and daughter and I have all had this book memorized since she was 6 months old ( she is two and 1/2 now). We love to recite it to one another, and have had to have two copies of the book (ah that teething stage was hard, she chewed right through everything.) We all love Sandra Boynton, she is a reliable read and a lot of fun.

Cute and fun!, June 10, 2006
Sandra Boynton is one of my favorite children's book authors. She makes even the mundane bedtime rituals fun, and has cute characters as well as fun reading. I have all of her books and have read them to all 3 of my children. My children love pointing to the characters and reading along with me (I have read them so many times, they have the books memorized!). Easy reading for young children, and short enough for the wee little ones. I highly recommend this book, as well as Sandra Boynton's other books!

Best Bedtime Book, December 31, 2003
I have been reading this book to my baby girl since she was 3 months old as part of her bedtime routine. It has a lovely, sing-song quality to the rhymes that she loves. We have read this book so many times that I have it memorized and I can recite it in a quiet voice even when she is too sleepy to sit through a bedtime book (or if we are away from home). The pictures are silly and cute, too.

I know it by heart!, May 1, 2000
Some children's books are just classics, this is certainly one.

I've read it so often to my little girl that I can say the whole thing by heart. By the way she has dozens of books, but picks this one out again and again.

Sandra Boynton seems to have a very special understanding of what children like. ... Read more

Editorial Review

As a tiny green caterpillar eats his way through the book, he is transformed into a beautiful butterfly, in a board book edition of the classic picture book. ... Read more

Reviews

Perfect spring reading!
This is one of my all-time favorite children's books. One sunny day, a caterpillar pops out of an egg. He is very hungry and begins searching for food. Now, many of Eric Carle's books have gimmicks--the tactile web in THE VERY BUSY SPIDER and the chirping in THE VERY QUIET CRICKET, for example. The gimmick in this book is that the caterpillar eats holes through all the food, holes that are actually punched into the pages of the book. It's a good gimmick, actually. Also, many of Carle's books teach conventions--telling time in THE VERY GROUCHY LADYBUG and animal sounds in THE VERY BUSY SPIDER, for example. This one teaches the days of the week. On Monday, the caterpillar eats this, on Tuesday he eats that, and so forth. Very cute. Eventually, he becomes a fat caterpillar. He then spins himself a cocoon, where he rests for two weeks. And when he emerges...well, you can guess the results. It's a wonderful story. Best of all, the text is very simple as are the illustrations, so the book will appeal to toddlers as well as the pre-K and kindergarten crowd. In fact, it may appeal more to toddlers, because the story is so very simple. I know I read it as a kindergartener. I loved the holes but found the story rather boring. I read it to my two-year-old this spring, however, and he went nuts over it. The days of the week were lost on him, but he was fascinated by the caterpillar turning into a butterfly--he had no idea! Can't tell you how many times we read it. We also re-enacted it, crawling on the floor and eating, spinning ourselves into cocoons, and popping out with fluttery wings. In fact, he was so taken with the caterpillar-to-butterfly phenomenon that I ordered some caterpillars (I used "Insect Lore"--they are on-line--but I'm sure there are lots of other places to get them). We read THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR at each stage of their development and then right before we released them as butterflies. It was the highlight of our spring.

A fun, witty, classic tale.
Story Synopsis:
- A caterpillar eats his way through different foods until he is full and weaves a cocoon transforming into a beautiful butterfly. Charming colorful illustrations of foods along with the fat caterpillar and catchy little holes in the foods where the caterpillar "had his snack" make this book a hit with young children.

Review:
- Eric Carle's classic, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" has charmed millions over the years with it's simple memorable story, striking illustrations and the gimmicky holes on each of its' pages. To date, more than 12 million copies of this book have been sold in its original, full-sized edition, and mini editions. This beloved tale of science and gluttony has also been translated into 20 languages and counting. Die-cut pages (each page has a hole where the "caterpillar" ate through the food item) illustrate what the caterpillar ate on successive days. Strikingly bold, colorful pictures and a simple text in large, clear type tell the story of a hungry little caterpillar's culinary progress through an amazing variety and quantity of foods. Full at last, he weaves a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep, to emerge a few weeks later as a wonderfully transformed and beautiful butterfly! The final, double-page picture of the butterfly is a joyous explosion of color, a vibrant affirmation of the wonder and beauty of Nature. This story is a hit every time. Carle's bright colors and clever die-cut artwork never cease to entertain even the youngest child, and there is surely nothing in nature closer to magic than the emergence of a butterfly. This is a beautiful, educational and fun book.

Literary Features For Young Readers:
- Simple words appropriate to pre-readers, younger children and ELLs (English Language Learners).
- The predictability of the words and their tie-in with the illustrations makes the book easy for pre-readers to understand.
- The rhythm of the prose makes the book memorable and fun book to read for little people.
- Strikingly bold, colorful pictures tell the story of the hungry little caterpillar in complement with the simple words.
- Eric Carle's art gimmick (i.e. the die-cut holes through the food illustrations on each page) gives small children (and the occasional adult like me!) an extra bit of fun and enjoyment
- The moral lessons of the story are simple and universal: "Don't judge a person by the way they look" and "real beauty is more than skin-deep."

Teaching Tie-ins:
- Counting skills (Foods accumulate progressively)
- The days of the week.
- Nutrition (The best food for the caterpillar is the leaf, not the candy, cake, etc. or why we can't eat chocolate and candy all day long)
- Intro to science and biology:
It is a fun book with its' "holes" that have been eaten through the pages, and become a preschoolers introduction to science/biology when the little caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly.
- Shapes (foods)

Possible Projects:
- Food or nutrition mobiles and other related projects.
- Art collages in the style or Eric Carle using torn tissue and other media.
- Simple life cycle science projects (posters are life cycle mobiles)
- Caterpillar art activity: creating caterpillars out of an egg cartoons.
- As a preschool and kindergarten teacher, I had classes perform simple plays for young children based upon this book.
-----------------------------------------------

I highly recommend this charming little book for younger children and ELLs (English Language Learners).

Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan

Lovely
For my grandson's first birthday, I wanted a gift that would please him visually and stimulate him mentally. A friend suggested this book because her son had enjoyed it many years ago. Feedback from my grandson, through his parents, is that he enjoys the book very much, and the toy is nice but not as captivating as listening to someone reading the book. Thanks for a very good purchase.

Excellent purchase
My grandchildren love this story! The larger format board book is very colorful and easy for little hands to manage. I found it a real bonus to hear the author, Eric Carle, read his own work and the kids can listen and read along.

Spanish version of a classic!
This Spanish version of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is just as cute as the English version. Children will love the pages of varying sizes with holes where the caterpillar has eaten up the food.

You can also practice counting up to five with your little one as the bug eats one apple on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, etc.

The vocabulary in this book DOES require a Spanish speaker in the home. My husband does not speak Spanish and this book is too hard for him to read to our babies, whereas he can read other Spanish board books. Additionally, as it is only in Spanish, my husband cannot compare the Spanish words to English.

Still, I think it's a great addition to your library if one adult speaks Spanish and you are trying to teach your children the language too.

... Read more

Editorial Review

In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to all the familiar things in the softly lit room -- to the picture of the three little bears sitting on chairs, to the clocks and his socks, to themittens and the kittens, toeverything one by one -- the little bunny says goodnight.

In this classic of children's literature, beloved by generations of readers and listeners, the quiet poetry of the words and the gentle, lulling illustrations combine to make a perfect book for the end of the day.

Reviews

Once you have a child to read this to, you will understand!
Until I started reading to my older son, I didn't really understand what was this book's unique hold on people was. However, from my first reading to him, I did! There must be something magical about this book and the way children love it. It's very comforting to them, with the easy to memorize lines and the gentle arrival in the great green room of nighttime. However, it's also full of little details for them to notice and delight in--the hidden mouse, the dollhouse with lights on, the pictures on the wall. It's the perfect book to start kids "reading" themselves---leave out the crucial word in a line and wait for them to say it---"a bowlful of...." "MUSH!", they scream with delight! And they all love the "Goodnight Nobody" page best---I think it really gets kids thinking in a philosophical way---How can you say Goodnight to Nobody? This book is a true, true gem and belongs in every library.

Read this Book to Create Happy Memories and Pleasant Sleep
This is a book that I read every night to my children. For years, I could not quite put my finger on its appeal. Finally, it clicked one day. There is a cadence to the story that is like a mediation mantra, quietly and gently calming you and your child down. In addition, the book's text and illustrations are matched in away that it is natural to point out the words and pictures to your child, and for them to do the same as they grow older. This means that you are also starting to teach reading in natural, relaxed way. In addition, we all tend to see the glass as half empty rather than as half full. Goodnight Moon encourages a sense of gratitude for whatever is around us. That is a profound and wonderful lesson for everyone to have. Finally, children are fascinated by how another child's room might look. So you also help them to understand the differences among families. How many other books do you know that accomplish so much? Best of all, you and your children (and grandchildren, perhaps) will have wonderful memories to share. That's fantastic! Enjoy!

The perfect bedtime book
At the risk of sounding redundant, "Goodnight Moon" succeeds in entrancing every toddler (and every toddler's parent) who sees and hears it. Unlike many other books suitable for children at an early linguistic level, "Goodnight Moon" manages to capture both adult and child in its charms. The repetitive structure never bores, as it constantly surprises with its rhymes and subjects (I still laugh at the blank page where it goes "Goodnight nobody"). My daughter is now three, and she isn't quite as excited by the book as she was when she started hearing it at one, and when she insisted on it every night when she was two, but she still likes to take it out every once in awhile. I still love "Goodnight Moon," however, and look forward to reading it to my next child, and to my grandchildren. I only wish my mother had known about this book when I was a child!

A classic for a reason
I got this book (in the board version) for a shower gift for my now 2-year-old daughter. I didn't remember reading this book as a child and at first it seemed a little odd -- the pictures weren't tremendously appealing and the rhyme scheme seemed strange. I have, however, been converted. After reading the book several times to my newborn daughter, I noticed how soothing it was to her. She seemed to be able to see the pictures and, as she got older, would reach out to touch elements in each. We read it every night for months, because it seemed to set a good tone for bedtime. After learning a little more about how children think, I began to understand what made it so appealing -- the ritual of saying good night to familiar objects helped reassure her when she had to say good night to her mom and dad, which can be scary for tiny kids.

Now, of course, she's a big girl and says it's a "baby book". However, it's still by her bed and I've overheard her "reading" it to herself or to her baby brother many times. It's an excellent choice for a baby you love.

#1 Childrens Book
This is my daughter's favorite book!! It's so simple, so touching, so sweet. When you read this book to yourself you will probably wonder what the big deal is, but when you have a child on your lap and you don't rush through the book but you take your time and point to the pictures as you read, you will be taken into another world. 'Goodnight Moon' just goes to show that a book doesn't need to be long to be good, and this book isn't just good, it's wonderful!!

Goodnight Stars
Goodnight Air
Goodnight Noises Everywhere

:) :) :) :) :)

I get a smile on my face just reading to myself as I think how much my little girl loves this classic tale.

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION

My Childrens All Time Favorite. 10 Stars!
Goodnight Moon is a classic. It is one of the sweetest and most lovely books you can read to your child at bedtime. I read this book to my children each night, and they loved the book, felt peaceful, safe, as this book brings children a most beautiful story. If you love your children "above the moon and stars, and over the universe" then this is the book to buy and read at bedtime. Deserves 10 Stars!

A genuine classic!
I have a friend who has recently become an elementary school teacher and is teaching kindergarten. She talked me into coming in to read to her class--any book(s)I wanted to bring with me.

My reading gig is coming up this week so this past weekend I asked my 16 year old daughter to go through her old children's books (she has 50-60 of her old favorites still on a bookshelf in her room) and she emerged with 2 or three books for the kid's but also with Goodnight Moon--which she wanted me to read to her.

As Miss Zoe was growing up we'd read every night and Zoe (my daughter) got to choose what we read. She'd usually pick 2 to 3 books and, for years and years, Goodnight Moon was always one of them.

The book itself is somewhat inexplicable--mostly it's just a silly little poem, really--but for my kids it really struck a chord. All I know is that if your sixteen year old daughter wants to curl up on the couch and have you read one of her childhood books to her, that's quite a book.

I always give this to friends when they have a first baby, and I have always found that a few years later they are still telling me it is their kid's favorite book.

So don't try to figure it out, just buy it and read it to your kids. It'll be a treasure you share for years.

I don't understand it, but I love it!
My 18 month old son absolutely ADORES this book. I'll have to admit, I find the colors garish, and the illustrations I might have doodled myself, but this is by far my kid's favorite book. The cadence is soft and musical, and I can't believe that my son can point out the mouse on every single page. Point it out? He practically bashes the book out of my hands trying to show it to me. He always wants this book before he goes to sleep at night, and it's a joy to read to him. An absolute MUST for any nursery shelf. I highly recommend it.

Perfect Gift
Goodnight Moon" fulfills two very powerful needs to small children - to keep their mothers close to their sides as long as possible and to make closure on their day by telling each object goodnight. It is a poetic and soothing book helping babies and parents to calm down and go to bed. This charming story of a young rabbit's bedtime ritual invokes the kind of cozy quiet that invites the peaceful security of pleasant dreams. This book is a "must have" for any parent of a young child. Add to it "Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 1" and you have a perfect birthday package. You might also want to cosider Corduroy , The Giving Tree, and Love You Forever ... Read more

Editorial Review

Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawnversions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuringnontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have been printed on thick board pages,and are sure to educate and entertain children of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews

This is a book you MUST have!, April 7, 2000
We got this book for our 4 year old daughter when she was 2, and it became her all-time favorite book. It helped her to increase her speech by saying fun things. We then introduced it to our 2nd daughter when she was 20 months old, and she also adores this book and it is the one she always gets every night and says "book" to have it read. We only say the first part of each page (i.e., "The pigs say...") and she always finishes the second part (i.e., "LaLaLa"). This is an absolute must have along with "But Not The Hippopotamus" by Boynton. These are GREAT gifts for baby showers or 1st birthdays.If you are considering ordering this - Go ahead and do it now! You WON'T be sorry that you did!

No, No, That's All Wrong!, May 23, 2005
Shakespeare knew it, and parents and other adults know it: People love a comedy of errors. Perhaps the most delighted audience is the youngest; toddlers love hearing mistakes and correcting them. It's a surefire hit for their certain sense of humor, and Sandra Boynton exploits this beautifully in this small board book.

Just a few set-up lines and Boynton is ready for the book's main joke:

"A cow says MOO."
"A sheep says BAA."
"Three singing pigs say LA LA LA!"

"'No, no!' you say, 'that isn't right.
The pigs say OINK all day and night.'"

Practice your dramatic abilities and really ham it up (pun intended) when you read the singing pigs and "that isn't right" lines on pages 3 and 4. There's also some action (dogs chasing cats), and a nice quizzical conclusion: ("It's quiet now. What do you [underlined] say?")

Boynton's familiar style is whimsical and slightly tongue-in-cheek. Her animals have very expressive, human-looking emotions, conveyed mostly through the eyes. For example, a quacking duck and a neighing horse aren't intrinsically very interesting, but when they're facing each other with similarly baffled faces, there's a subtle humor. The singing pigs, by the way, are anything but subtle. They're pizzazed out in coordinating striped pants, solid sports coats, and elegant white bow ties. They excited pigs dance in unison and hold canes in a showy vaudeville style. For a short and simple board book aimed at the very young, this is lots of fun. For older toddlers, take a look at Boynton's counting book with a difference: "Hippos Go Berserk!" She knows and loves her animals, and so will your little one.

If I had to choose one single book it would be this one!, August 23, 1998
I am an American, first-time Mom, living overseas and am building a collection of kid's books, in English, for my 7 1/2 month old son. By chance, while on a trip to NY when my son was only 5 months old, I purchased this book. As sort of joke I immediately began reading this and other books to him thinking he was too young to respond. Boy was I surprised! If he even sees the cover from afar he grunts for me to read it to him! As soon as I finish he continues this over & over again! There are other books that he enjoys (Goonight Moon,Time to Sleep, Chicka Chicka ABC), however, none compare to his love for Moo Bah LaLaLa! As soon as those 3 words come out of my mouth he quiets. I am absolutely amazed and recommend this title to all new parents.

My son could "read" every word before he was one!, April 6, 1997
A terrific engaging book for any child, young or old! My 2-year old loves it, and my 7 month old loves it! My Tripp and Luke have begun to develop a sense of humor--realizing that "three singing pigs" could simply not say la la la! While at the zoo's farm exhibit--our 2-year old said, "mom, these pig's can't say la la la! " We all laughed. We use this book as a night time quiet time book--because of the ending--"it's quiet now, what do you say?" We have begun using this line as an invitation to talk about our day, what we've learned, and the mistakes we made. It has become very engaging for our 2-year old to feel free to say what is on his mind

A lesson on how to teach animal sounds, August 23, 2001
I couldn't believe my son's daycare provider when she told me that this was his absolute favorite book. When I bought it for him, I thought it would just be another fun one to read. But, this book really, REALLY teaches kids the sounds animals make. My son wasn't really saying a whole lot of words yet, but when I would read this book, all I would have to say was the first part of the sentence "The cow says..." and he would entusiastically say "MOOOOOOOO". It is now to the point where I don't even need the book. I just say "The sheep says...", and he will say "BAAAA". This is such a cool tool to use to teach animal sounds to little toddlers. I highly recommend it to any parent whose child is just beginning to speak.

Oink?, August 10, 2002
Oh my, the cow and sheep seem to have it right...but what about the pigs? This divinely witty animal-sounds book had my own babies in stitches when they were almost too young to look at the pictures.

The rhythmic cadence of the words (always a grabber for the very young), the simple wording, the silliness that can be enhanced by mom or dad's tone of voice when reading aloud, and most of all, the use of the word "you," bringing the child into the story, combine to make a treasure of a book.

Oh...did I mention Sandra Boynton's incredibly endearing pictures of animals? Rendered in bright, beautiful colors on sturdy, indestructible pages, they are worth the price of the book. I'll bet you anything you sneak one more look long after night-night.

This book is SO great!, February 29, 2004
When I was pregnant this was the first baby gift I received. I read it to myself (in my adult, monotone voice)and thought, "What the?"
Well, after my baby arrived I read it to her and now, 2 years later, I still read it to her and she says the words with me with the greatest animation a 2 year old can give. It is a very funny book to a small child and in turn becomes a funny book for the parent watching them get so much pleasure out of it. I recommend this one to anyone with a child under two. In fact, if I could only have 1 book for my child in her first 2 years, this would be it hands down! La..la..laaaa!

A great way to learn animal sounds, September 8, 1999
My 15-month old daughter knows all her animal sounds, thanks to this book. I first saw it at her daycare, and bought it for her when she was 7-months old. This book was quite the favorite, and before she was a year old, she was making the appropriate sounds, shaking her head, "No, no..." at the, "Three singing pigs go la-la-la," and whispering at the last page, "It's quiet now, what do *you* say?"

Moo, Baa, LA LA LA, September 1, 2000
My daughter is 3 years old now and still loves this book. We received it as a baby shower gift. During some of the long nights when we first got home, I would read her this book because I enjoyed it so much. The rest of the family - even the 2 teenagers - enjoyed reading it also. It quickly became the favorite and the "Moo book" is read every night. The book is falling apart - due to an unexpected trip into the bathtub one night :) - and we try not to use it too much so we just recite it from memory. I'm buying 5 copies for friends that are having babies and a couple more for me. I want to put one away for my daughter to have for her kids some day and "grandma and grandpa" will need one too! Buy it -- you won't regret it!

Both My Daughters Love This Book!, November 14, 2000
This is a great book! I originally checked it out of the library for my older daughter when she was a baby, but wound up buying it because she liked it so much. We eventually acquired another copy, and both are well-worn. My older daughter is now almost 5, and she reads the book to her 15-month-old sister. If we ask my younger daughter what the cow says, she can tell us, "Moo!" and so on. One day she picked up a diaper with a picture of pigs on the tab, and when I asked her what they were, she answered, "La la!" This is one to read over and over! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

A "picture perfect" Children's Book
When so many contemporary Children's Books seem to appeal more to parents than kids, it was quite refreshing to come across this little gem! "The Quiet Book", by Deborah Underwood with illustrations by Renata Liwska, is a perfect example of what a picture book should be. The irresistibly charming art complements the spare text beautifully. It's a deceptively simple book that reveals more with each reading. Although the title might suggest that this is strictly a bedtime storybook, it's really all about the different kinds of "quiet time" a child experiences throughout the day.

This is a special book
The Quiet Book is a precious collection of *different kinds of quiet* such as coloring-in-the-lines-quiet and trying-not-to-hiccup-quiet. The illustrations are a soft palate of earthy pastels and the child-animals are absolutely adorable. There are a couple of reasons why I truly love this book and would highly recommend. 1) It's an entertaining way to help children notice when quiet arises naturally. 2) This book encourages children to discover the emotions behind different kinds of quiet - be it contentment or nervousness, excitement or silent awe. It also makes a perfect gift for the friend in your life (no matter how old) who might need a meditation on quiet and where it can be found. In a world of ever-increasing noise and stimulus, this book is a very special one.

A privilege to write a review for the Quiet Book.
This is a wondrous book about all the different kinds of quiet there are for kids. Happy quiets and worried quiets, scared quiets and "was I being naughty?" quiets.

I have to declare an interest, since I am Deborah Underwood's brother in law. Which means I have had the privilege of knowing the book for many years in draft form (you have NO idea how long it takes for children's picture books to come out.)

The book has always been brilliant but I didn't imagine how great the pictures would be to go with it.

In short I think this is a great book and I don't think you or your children will be disappointed.

bedtime (or anytime!) story
The perfect combo of art and text, this wonderful book is for anyone (big or small) who wants a respite from today's busy - and loud - world. A beautiful little book destined to become a classic!

Get your kids to be quiet!
My two daughters are rarely quiet . . . the one exception is our storytime each night. My 3 yr old regularly pulls this one out of the pile for me and my husband to read again (and again). The artwork is irresistible!

Feelin' quite cozy and ready to write a review for the The Quiet Book
I love children's stories that are short with their words but big in their meaning. The Quiet Book is a perfect blend of soft, effective imagery coupled with simple yet very familiar language that quickly draws in readers young and old. Its message is loud and clear and anyone who reads this story will easily relate to several of its passages. The animal characters are soft and wonderful and each one from the iguana to the bear that drops his jelly sandwich is sweet and lovable. Such a warm and comforting story - perfect for reading before bed or while you are curling up with your young ones on a rainy/snowy day. Lovely work.

My daughter loves it
My daughter and I read this book before naptime, a definite "quiet" time and it helps her unwind and get ready for sleep. The illustrations are so sweet and beautiful. I highly recommend this book to all the parents out there!

Shhhhh!
The Quiet Book lives up to its title. Very gentle text and pictures to soothe a little one whether to sleep or to simply slow down and calm down. Definately a lap and rocking chair book to share.

Shhh...tell everyone
There are all types of quiet--happy quiet, sad quiet, fun quiet and uh-oh quiet. Deborah Underwood captures them with her sweet text and Renata Liwska brings them to life with soft (quiet) illustrations. This book doesn't yell and roar. It grabs you instead with its softness, making you think and smile. A very good thing to do with a little one you love. This is a book I love to read again and again. So will you.

My New Favorite Baby Shower Gift to Give
This is one of my favorite picture books from 2010 and has become my new favorite gift to give for baby showers and little one's birthdays.

The book encompasses the theme of quiet not only in the text, but also the design. It's a smaller than normal size picture book, with adorable little critters depicted in subdued colors, and a gentle narration of the types of quiet throughout. There is also a lot of humor to be found in the illustrations and readers who spend extra time poring over the illustrations will have fun picking up new details.

A couple people have described this book as a "lesson" book, and I think they're missing the point. This is a story that encourages observation and thoughtfulness from children. It's not an instructional book on being quiet. It can be enjoyed simply for the gentle story that it is, but it also can spur additional contemplation and discussion. (Is licking a lollipop a quiet activity for you? What are some things you do during the day that involve quiet? Do you feel different emotions during different quiet activities--maybe "concentrating" while quietly coloring a picture, "anticipation" while waiting for a concert to start.)

I couldn't recommend this book more highly.

... Read more

Editorial Review

A board book for babies or toddlers and their parents,featurig a well-known nursery rhyme and interactive text. ... Read more

Reviews

Lots of "hidden" value, September 29, 2008
At first glance, this book appears to be simply an illustration of a kids song. Some reviewers have complained that that's all there is..so why buy it. But actually, there is a lot more there if you look.

First of all, while illustrated songs seem like an odd choice sometimes to adults, little kids LOVE them. Invariably, they are the ones my two year old brings to me again and again. They are also the first books that kids are able to memorize. This is important because they like to pull them out when they are playing independently, and model reading on their own. What a satisfying experience for a pre-reader! Plus, for parents for whom it doesn't come as naturally to bring music into their children's lives, these sorts of books are a great way to do so.

This book does an excellent job of being really clear with the pictures lining up the words and the body parts. The first line, she gives each body part it's very own page, so that they can be large and really obvious -- the little animal on the page mirroring the same body part as the baby is also very adorable.

When she gets to eyes, ears, mouth and nose, she adds another dimension by putting in item on the page that you can do with that body part -- for eyes - books, for ears - baby instruments, for mouth - baby food and sippy cup, and for nose - flowers. So there is a discussion element if you are reading this with your baby and choose to take it.

The back of the book has the last "knees and toes" echo...pretty cute, and also has the whole song written out under a staff with musical notes. My older daughter has taken to grabbing this 'baby' book and asking how to pluck it out on her little piano keyboard. So the book can have a second life for that purpose later on.

The pictures of the babies are endearing.. I love their happy little faces. It is worth noting that while the babies are definitely different "shades" -- it's hardly what I'd call multi-cultural, which is a shame because there's no reason why it couldn't have been. She did throw in a couple girls.

All and all, if the multicultural issue doesn't concern you, I'd recommend this highly for your own little on, or for a gift.

Classic song, April 30, 2007
My husband and I were trying to teach out daughter where her eyes, nose, mouth etc were. My husband has never heard this song so it was hard for him to do with our daughter. I found this book and now this is daddy's book to read. within a week our daughter knows where her body parts are and how to say and she loves reading it with her dad. I would recommend this book.

One of our favorites, January 18, 2007
My daughter loves this book. She is 14 months old and thanks to this book she now tries to do the "moves" that go with the song.

Great book, June 7, 2007
My niece just loves this book! She is 9 months old and this is the book she always wants to have read to her, or the book the chooses to just look at the pictures.

Buy "Where's My Belly Button" instead, June 13, 2007
This is merely a verbatim book version of the old playschool song "head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes . . " It could be made a bit more worthwhile if the art was engaging or dynamic in some way, but it's blah (think Precious Moments meets Charlie Brown) and does little to enhance a young childs perception of where to find his/her head, shoulders, knees . . well you get to idea.

My grandson's favorites, January 9, 2007
Because of the utter simplicity of this book, I was surprised at how quickly it became one of my grandson's favorite books (along with the Row, Row, Row Your Boat, by the same author.) I guess babies all enjoy looking at other babies. I have since ordered these two books for my friend's granddaughter, and she had the same reaction.

Mother of an 18 month old., January 9, 2007
My daughter loves babies and she loves books. So this was a great purchase for her. I bought this book along with the Ten Little Fingers board book. I think they are a little bit young for an 18 month old, but JJ loves them anyway.

no eyes on the kids, October 27, 2010
don't like the pics in this book - no open eyes on the babies - and where they're pointing is vague. don't think it really contributes to kids' comprehension - and there's not a good rhyme to it, either. sorry!

Cute illustrations! But..., March 31, 2008
If you had any other books in this little series, you'd probably already knew what I found out after I got this book - they're just illustrated children's songs. The illustrations are cuter than anything, but this one starts off with a separate page for "head," then "shoulders," and "knees," etc. but then starts sticking them all on one page. And the last few words of the book are on the back cover. I don't know why they tried to push the song into too few pages (see "Ten Little Fingers (Board Books for Babies)" for what happens when it's done right), but the results were less than stellar. I give it three stars mostly for the illustrations...

Great Book, September 15, 2007
My son who is 2.5 years old loves the book and we read it about 10 times a night. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Pink, pink, pink. More than anything, Pinkalicious loves pink, especially pink cupcakes. Her parents warn her not to eat too many of them, but when Pinkalicious does . . . she turns pink! What to do?

This sparkling picture book, filled with such favorites as pink bubble gum, pink peonies, pink cotton candy, and pink fairy princess dresses, celebrates all things pink while showing that being yourself is best of all.

Reviews

Cute, colorful, and entertaining, October 24, 2007
I bought this book a few weeks ago and my kids already know it by heart! Is there any such thing as too much pink? Pinkalicious loves pink. She especially loves yummy cupcakes with pink frosting. But, when she eats too many of them, she turns pink and comes down with a horrible case of pinkititis !!!! The doctor says the cure is to stop eating pink and to eat a steady diet of green foods. Can Pinkalicious resist the pink cupcakes sitting on the refrigerator? You must read Pinaklicious to fint it out. The words are pinkticious-delicious and the pictures are pinkorgeous-gorgeous. In between the whole fun there also is useful message about proper nutrition and the merits of a balanced diet. I also recommend a series of fun-filled books with great educational values titled Why Some Cats are Rascals

Perfectly Titled!, January 4, 2007
If you or the girls in your life love pink, then this is the book for you . . . no matter what your age. Every little girl on earth will laugh, giggle and want to read this pinkaliciously delectable book over and over. For the life of me I can't understand why the Amazon review said the main character was annoying. She's a perfectly normal little girl who loves all things PINK and all things sweet. It's hilarious that in order to return to her normal color that she has to eat lots of green vegetables. What a perfect solution, and a good lesson, too! Buy this book for the girls in your life---you'll get tons of hugs and kisses for it!!

Could have been good with some editing, October 14, 2007
Honestly, this book could have been cute. What's with trying to shove it down a kids throat that vegetables are gross? Mine eats them all the time with no problems (she's 4) and I don't want some book telling her about "gagging" and "choking down" vegetables. In one of the pictures Pinkalicious is sticking out her tongue at her monther - great manners (insert sarcasm here). I guess I just expected something cute and a sweet story...this was not it. This is about greed, disobeying your parents and overindulgence.

Buy the book Fancy Nancy instead, September 8, 2007
I was disappointed in this Pinkalicious book. If you have not already purched the book Fancy Nancy for your daughter you should -- much better book! My daughter is 5 and she still loves her Fancy Nancy book -- it is appropriate for ages 2-5 I'd say.

Terrible message for children, September 30, 2008
I almost bought this book from a Scholastic order through my daughter's school b/c she LOVES pink, however another mom and I were talking and she warned me about this book, stating she had ordered it and was appalled by its content. I marked it off my order and instead looked through it at the bookstore and boy was I glad I didn't order it. The other 1 star reviews are ALL absolutely right about this book. This book is just full of bad messages for children. I am all for fun, silly books for children, but I didn't find this book to be either of those, more of a "how-to" book on bad behavior, bad eating habits, disrespecting your parents and being a brat!!!

A rude, disrespectful child, October 22, 2007
I was attracted to this book because my daughter loves anything pink. I almost bought it online without seeing it first and now am very glad that I went to a local store and read the book before ordering it.

In a nutshell, the main character in this book is rude, disrespectful and disobedient. She sticks her tongue out at her mother and willfully disobeys her mother's direction. She is sassy and rude. She also never suffers any real consequences for her belligerent behavior. These are not the values I want to pass on to my children.

If you are on the fence, I encourage you to go to a local store and read this book before purchasing it. You will be surprised at what you read.

Super-licious!, June 9, 2006
Pink. Pink. Pink. Is there any such thing as too much pink? ("NO WAY!" says the reviewer who had a hot pink wedding in the late 80s!)

Pinkalicious loves pink. She especially loves yummy cupcakes with pink frosting. But, when she eats too many...she turns pink and comes down with a horrible case of pinkititis. The doctor says the cure is to stop eating pink and to eat a steady diet of green foods. YUCK! Can Pinkalicious resist the pink cupcakes sitting on the refrigerator?

This picture book sings! The words are delicious and the pictures are gorgeous. Full of pink and lace and crowns, this book is a girly-girl's dream.

I agree - Bad examples for kids, October 15, 2008
I agree with many of the other reviewers here. I LOVE the illustrations and the story idea is so cute! (we love pink) BUT... there is too much bad behavior in this book. We all know how much little ones like to replicate. Unfortunately, this book gives a lot of bad ideas for kids to copy. Sticking tongue out at Mommy, climbing furniture, being rude and the worst to me was talking about veggies in a negative manner. My girls love veggies! I don't want them to get the idea that veggies are gross!

It is unfortunate the bad behavior is in this book because I really like the "idea" and the illustrations.

Wrong message, January 10, 2008
Why do I want my children to read a book about how she had to choke down vegetables. My kids eat vegetables and I would like to keep it that way. And if your kid doesn't eat green vegetables they certainly won't after reading this book. Wrong message to send to kids. I also read purplicious that had a better message but when I went to read more in the front, there were words in this book I would not want my children to hear or pick up if I have a say in it.

Baffled as to why this is so popular, September 18, 2010
We read this book while waiting for piano class to start. Given its popularity, I was surprised at how awful it is. The cute little girl on the cover is actually a whiny brat who disobeys and disrespects her parents and finally gags and chokes down vegetables to change her skin color. She doesn't learn to like vegetables at the end or anything, she only does it out of dire necessity. Now *I know* not every kids book has to have some great huge redeeming value or lesson, but this is like an anti-lesson: just do what you need to do at the last minute and you can slide by with bad habits and behavior. We have seen kids like this at the playground (usually throwing tantrums in princess dresses and kicking their mothers and/or nannies) otherwise this book would just be funny because its so over the top.

Aside from the message (or lack of) I just didn't think the art or writing was all that clever either. "Pinkerbelle" oh my, that's so original. Yawn.

So when we read it we discussed how bad the little girl is and how sick and obese she will get if she doesn't eat healthy food, and how she won't make any friends if she acts like a jerk. I guess there was a lesson in that. And I'm pretty confident that what my husband and I teach our kids about behavior and eating have a greater impact on them than a dumb book. Hey they are polite and like veggies and hiking, so it must be working. But we'll stick to the much more charming "Fancy Nancy" series if we need a girly-girly fix.

(And by the way, we eat cupcakes of any color, any size, any flavor, any chance we get. So I'm not a complete veggies-only healthy whole food nut ;) ... Read more

Editorial Review

With Dr. Seuss as your guide, learning the alphabet is as easy as A, B, C. ... Read more

Reviews

But the real one, not the board book, May 15, 2000
The board book verisions of Dr. Suess and other books from the beginning reader series are terrible abridged and watered down versions of the originals. Most of the fun of the rhymes is lost. They even changed some of the letters completely (including the pictures.) With as many as four letters of the alphabet crowded on a single page, it is too much and too detailed for an infant or toddler to focus on. Get the original and don't worry about a few ripped pages.

This is my daughter's favorite book!!!, October 18, 1999
My daughter has had this book since she was 6 months old (she's 15 months old now) and it is her favorite book, I have read it so many times that I have it memorized. She brings it to me to read at least 3 times a day. Her copy got so worn from all the hugs and taking it everywhere with her that I had to buy a new one. The longer version is great but board books are better when you have a small one.

B, b, what begins with B? Bastardized Board Book, B B B, May 18, 2004
The original book is great, but this edition has been butchered beyond belief. All the original pictures have been preserved, but the text has been chopped up to fit into the size limits of the format. For example, P: "Painting Pink Pajamas, Policeman in a a Pail. Peter Pepper's puppy. And now Papa's in the pail." becomes "Painting some pajamas pink. P...p...P." Spend the money and get the full-sized version.

How can reading a revised edition to a baby be a travesty?, May 22, 2002
Welcome to the wonderful world of whimsical, wacky writing, and crazy, colorful caricatures - "Big Q, little q what begins with Q? The quick Queen of Quincy and her quacking quacker-oo." An excellent educational tool, "Dr. Seuss's ABC An Amazing Alphabet Book!" is an inspired introduction to the alphabet, both upper and lowercase letters, and also reinforces letter sounds through alliteration. The text, format, and images have been adapted to accommodate board book standards; yet, the phrasing and prose, in this particular volume still flow. See the following excerpts:

The original -
"BIG V, little v
Vera Violet Vinn
Is very, very, very awful on her violin."

Revised edition -
"BIG V, little v, what begins with V?
Verna Vera Vin and her violet violin."

I am flabbergasted by the lack of enthusiasm for the revised board book editions of Dr. Seuss's (and others) "Beginner Books" published by Random House. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to offer my infant son a CLASSIC narrative, by means of a board book, even in its ADAPTED form. These magical miniatures are delightfully entertaining for little babies, who enjoy the positive interaction of cooperative play through reading. The objectives of these small books are to appeal to newborns, and very young children with short attention spans who are not attentive enough for the full text versions, they are NOT meant to replace the originals. Moreover, these pocketsize gems are fashioned for effortless travel to the market, on a plane, in the car, or on a train. Hee, hee.

I own most of Dr. Seuss's first editions, in addition to a few of the board book volumes, and agree that the original "Beginner Books" are just that - ORIGINAL. They are more amusing, entertaining, and educational, but are in fact more appropriate for older children, 4 years and older. I believe introducing infants to creative works, such as these, only encourages listening and learning from an earlier age. In summary, if your child is three or older purchase an original version, otherwise think of introducing your infant to the shorter, travel-anywhere format, and procure the original at a later date. The marvelous, magical magician, who was Dr. Seuss is worth it! Birth and up.

Don't buy the board book, January 7, 2000
The board book is an abridged version of the original Dr. Seuss's ABC. The original is wonderful, my one-year-old's favorite book (and used to be one of mine), but the board book doesn't have the same great rhythm.

Severely changed from the original, therefore no good, March 12, 2002
Yes, it's nice that Random House Publishing has begun publishing these books in board books. But beware. They are not the same as the original! Sentences have been taken out, the rhythm has been artificially altered, and pictures have been severely edited. Some pictures have been entered into the book that were not there before, and sentences have been changed to meet the edited pictures' contents. I think it is a travesty that youngsters and parents think they are reading the original book (nowhere on the book does it say it's been edited) when in reality it is very different from the real book. If you want your child to have a book to chew on, there are many board books out there. If you want your child to know and love Seuss, get the original. Don't take my word for it though; go to the bookstore and compare them for yourself. I assume Random House is doing this with all the books they are making into board books, but I don't know for sure. Just make sure you know you're not getting the true Seuss.

I would not, could not, buy this book!, April 25, 2000
Actually, I did buy it, and was APPALLED by how horribly abridged it is. All the letters of the alphabet are rewritten into uniform, mind deadening rhythm, totally spoiling the charming surprises of the original. Buy the paper edition- maybe your kid will rip it up, but at least it's money well spent.

get the complete book - it's fantastic, October 24, 2004
My only complaint with this book is that it excludes much of the original story and therefore the rhymes in the board book version are awkward. My daughter learned to recognize her abc's (at least the capital ones) from this book by 18 months. Board books are great for babies, but little kids will handle paper books just fine, particularly if they love them. As a mom & a children's librarian, I just have to say how SAD I think it is that publishers are so desperate for a buck that they'd cut a marvelous story from a genius like SEUSS down - just to get us to buy 2 versions of it!

Hatchet job on original, May 14, 2004
The original Seuss ABC is a lot of fun; good rhyme and meter. This one has been horribly hacked up to fit the board book format.

For example, the original entry for X is: "X is very useful if your name is Nixie Knox. It also comes in handy spelling ax and extra fox." Silly and bouncy. The board book version says: "X-ray and xylophone."

Butchery, November 23, 2002
Someone butchered Dr. Seuss's ABC's to make it fit into a board book form-factor. And I'm sure that's how they were talking about it around the marketing table. This edition of the book has all the charm and coherence of the edited versions of vintage Warner Bros' cartoons. The result is something that is more of a product than a book. If you want a Dr. Seuss book, buy the original. If you want a board book, buy something else. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

love it, November 11, 2005
This is a oversized board book for babies and toddlers. IT features photos and words of 100 every day objects. The objects are in sections on each pages. Some of the topics are food, outside, toys and things that go!


The book is full of bold and bright eye catching photos. The book is also made of sturdy cardboard pages making in a great choice for toddlers.

Yes This book can be used with babies and toddlers and will really hold their attention and build their vocabulary.

Word book is great, January 20, 2006
Building vocabulary is a first priority for age one-to-two and this book will help. Bright colors, clear photos, easy to read labels (Babies CAN read--see Glenn Doman's work), with concept clusters on each page (things that go, colors, bathtime, bedtime, mealtime, food, myself, hom, outside, clothes, toys, pets, farm animals, wild animals). Slobberproof pages will stand up to almost anything. The size of pages (11x11) will make it easy to stand the book up in crib or on changing table. A great birthday gift for your favorite ONE.

excellent book - baby loves reading and learning from it, August 31, 2006
i highly recommend this book. my 14-month-old loves this book. baby reaches for it and we read it together nearly every day. doing this is helping baby to learn words like "flower" and "chicken" and "shoes" -- so many useful words. it's also helpful to "cross-reference" a photo in this book with drawing from another book; much easier for us to be clear what an elephant is when we're looking at a photograph, and fun to see that baby recognizes both! the pages are easy to turn, the photos are clear and the categories make sense. we love it!

Can't Put it Down!, January 30, 2007
My daughter received this as a gift for her first birthday. She is now almost 18 months old. And it is consistently read/looked at every day (no exaggeration). As a matter of fact, early on, we used it to teach her names of various objects and now she gets them right about 95% of the time. She LOVES IT!!! I highly recommend it for all children!

EXCELLENT TEACHING TOOL! Far surpasses "My Little Word Book", June 29, 2006
This is a GREAT learning tool for your toddler and is really fun to look at together.

I first came across these books after reading reviews on Amazon. I really wanted to get my son "My Big Word Book" but after reading that it was spiral-bound and that many reviewers had to tape it up several times, I decided against it. I think it is really just a compilation of all of the smaller books anyways.

I went to Wal-Mart and purchased "My Little Word Book", which is a smaller version and is a board book. It features 300 pictures that are labeled. I really like it, but it has many flaws. Those flaws were corrected in this new Bright Baby book.

Just tonight I went to Target to look for some puzzles and ended up in the book section. As with most toddlers, my son was reaching and grabbing for the shelves. He recognized this book because some of the pictures are the same on the front cover as ours we already had. I picked it up and flipped through it and he wouldn't let me put it back!

I'm a little disappointed that this book only has 100 words, but that's probably a good thing. I really think that for a child under two, trying to show them 300 words is impossible with their attention spans. This book covers the basics of what they need to know, and once they learn these words, they will be ready for bigger books.

This book is very colorful and has clear, simple images that are labeled to help build your child's vocabulary. The pictures are really eye-catching and are each on a colored background. The print underneath the pictures is big and bold.

Now that we have this one, I think I'm going to get rid of the other one or just use it for the parts that the Bright Baby book doesn't include. This book is so much better if you're trying to use it for learning. For example, in "My Little Word Book" there is a picture of a baby in a highchair eating from the tray up and it is labeled "highchair". I always wondered why they didn't leave the baby out of it (it could be confusing) and take the full shot of the highchair. Well, in their new series, Bright Baby, and in this particular book, they did! There are many other pictures that were "corrected" in this one.

The bottom line is--this is the best picture book I have seen for learning new words. Clear images and straight to the point. Highly recommend this one!

His Favorite Book In His Entire Collection..., September 17, 2009
Every time I tell my 19 month old son to 'Go get Mommy a book' so I can read to him, he brings me this. He's doing GREAT at learning what things are! He won't actually SAY the words yet, but if I ask where something is, he points to the correct picture. He says a handful of words, and this book is helping him to slowly learn more. For now though, I'm just thrilled that he's learning to recognize different items when I ask where they are.

The ONLY issue I have with this (and it's probably because my son is still so young), is there are too many pictures of babies with other items, or making faces. I have skipped right over the 'Expressions' page because I don't want to confuse him. I don't want to point at a picture of a baby smiling sand say 'Smile' when he knows it as 'Baby'...know what I mean? So, for now, we stick to the colors, vehicles, animals, household items, and food pages.

Overall, I ABSOLUTELY recommend this! Even if you don't use every page, there are PLENTY of other words in here for your child to learn. The photos are very bright and colorful and the words under them are large and clear. A great purchase!

Great book, March 4, 2009
I bought this book when my son was 10.5 months old and he is rapt with the pictures in this book. He stares at them all the time and can identify most items. He particularly loves the baby pictures in it. I love that it's a board book and he can't rip out the pages. He sits and stands on it and yet it is holding up pretty good! I highly recommend this book.

My 18-month's favorite book., February 9, 2009
I tried unsuccessfully to get my son interested in books until recently, when I realize that he likes to point out items and let me tell him what they are. This book allows him to do just like. There are so many things for him to point out and the photos are realistic. The colors are nice and bright. He would have like it even better if he has more pages to flip through, since he flips through the book pretty quickly (he points to only a couple of items per page before he turns the page.)

great first book, September 7, 2008
This book is a great learning tool for a young child. My son could identify several images by 8 mounths old. The images and colors kept my son's attention, which is great when everything around him is something new to explore.

Great for children learning their first words!, June 7, 2007
This is hands-down my 13 month-old son's favorite book. He never gets tired of it and he loves the pictures. We review it constantly. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A treasured classic in an all-new format! Nearly 30 years--and more than 2.5 million copies--after its conception, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? remains one of the most beloved children's books of all time. Now, this charming tale is available in a board book format--just right for the tiniest hands. Full color. ... Read more

Reviews

New, revised version inferior to the original., September 13, 2005
I am a Kindergarten teacher in Connecticut, and have been using this book for many years. I have the Big Book, a regular-size Paperback version, and four small hardcover ones that I use with an original tape of Bill Martin reading the story. These books are much loved, and I decided to replenish my library with new ones, only to discover that for some reason known only to himself, Bill Martin decided to change the format. In the original version, the pictures helped give clues to the words, which emergent readers need: i.e "Brown bear, brown bear What do you see?" was on the page with the picture of the brown bear. The words "I see a red bird looking at me." and then "Red bird, red bird, what do you see?" were on the page with the picture of the red bird. In this newer, revised version, the page that contains part of the picture of the brown bear has "I see a red bird looking at me." on it. When you turn to the next page, with the picture of the red bird, you see the words, "Red bird, red bird, what do you see?" but then, on the same page you get the words "I see a yellow duck looking at me." No picture clue given. I don't like this version, and it's now impossible for me to obtain a copy of the original version. I think they must be out of print. So I'm holding on to mine for dear life! They're worth their weight in gold!

Another Classic From Carle, September 11, 2000
I've had three children who fell in love with this book around age two. It does a wonderful job of teaching colors, animals and rhyme to toddlers.

Aided by Carle's unique illustrations, this book begs to be chanted by the parent who will be reading it for the umpteenth time. ("Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? I see a red bird looking at me. Red bird, red bird, what do you see? I see a ....." etc., etc.) The cadence and rhythm of the words have fascinated my youngsters as they learn to identify different colored animals populating the pages of the book. Strictly a teaching tool, the book does not have a story per se, but it seems to be just right for the child who is just beginning to discover the larger world.

A Must Have Book for all Children., May 29, 1999
Brown Bear, Brown Bear has provided my child with reading enjoyment since 9 months of age. The colors are outstanding and eye-catching to the little ones. This is most definately her favorite book. (As the book shows). It teaches children of various animals and associates them with colors. At the age of 14 months, my daughter could depict every picture and state it by name and color. True educational book for the young at heart . If your child does not have this book, trust me, buy it - it is well worth it. It's companion book, "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear." is as phenomem.

A children's classic, January 28, 2000
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. and illustrated by Eric Carle is a classic book for young readers. The REPETITIVE (not rhyming) text is what makes the book easy for little ones to memorize. The book introduces the very young to animal names and color words. The simple, REPETITIVE text encourages even the youngest of readers to chime in. An excellent choice and a must have in your child's library.

My daughter's favorite book, December 18, 2000
I tried to interest my daughter in books early on (around 5 or 6 months) but she showed very little interest for a long time. She'd bat the book away, look elsewhere, or try to destroy the pages. I read in "The Read Aloud Handbook" that babies like simple pictures, so I picked up "Brown Bear" in the bookstore one day. For the first time, my daughter actually looked at the pages while I read a book. She's now almost 15 months, and she will choose this book over any other--she names the animals for me, and flips the pages back and forth, "reading" the book to herself. It's not the most interesting children's book I've ever read, certainly, but the rhyming and the pictures caught her attention, and got her interested in books. For that, this book is invaluable to me, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

a classic, June 18, 2001
I remember loving this book as a child, and reading this to my six-month-old son brought back wonderful memories. Yes, there's a simplistic theme running through the pages, but a young child listens for the repetitive phrase and looks for the big, colorful images. My son gets very excited each time I read the book to him, reaching for each of the animals as the page turns; and as he gets older and can comprehend the pictures better, I'm sure he'll appreciate Martin and Carle's work as much as I did.

I highly recommend this delightful book.

A book for every young child's bookshelf, July 10, 2000
This was the second book (Tana Hoban's black and white book was the first) that I read to my son when he was a few months old and read it again and again. He was fascinated by the bright pictures in the book and the rhythmic language. Brown Bear brown bear, what do you see? I see a _____ looking at me... As he began to recognize animals and moo like a cow and quack like a duck, the pictures began to take shape for him and he would recognize them for what they were drawn to be. Mr. Carle writes and illustrates wonderful books. My son who is now 3, close to 4, still enjoys the book and he can now easily anticipate which animal is on the next page. I have this book in the board book style and when my son began to "read" for himself, this was one of the books he would frequently reach for. Highly, highly recommended!

Great for small children, November 28, 2007
I started reading this book to my 16 month old brother. He sits quietly through the entire book - looking at each page. We even read it a couple times making all the animals sounds. No other book I've read to him consistently keeps his interest. A must for early readers!! And for kids of my age of 12 I recommend the serie of Why Some Cats are Rascals ( Book 3)

Great Book for Babies!, January 30, 2000
I bought this book for my daughter when she turned one. It's been her favorite book. She knows all the animals, the colors and the sounds each animal makes. If you are looking to buy a perfect baby book, this is it. The pictures are great!

Excellent even for infants, February 25, 2000
This is the first book we read to my son. He received it for Christmas when he was 2 months old, and I began reading it to him about then. At about 4 months, he was paying attention to it. Later, he enjoyed the animal sound effects we made when we read it to him. Brown Bear, Brown Bear was his very first favorite book, no doubt because the illustrations are large and clear, and the text is repetitive. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Illustrated in full color. This car-and- truck-filled alphabet extravaganza

that starts with an ambulance and ends with a zippercar, is shaped like Lowly

Worm's applemobile.




... Read more

Reviews

This will be my second copy!, August 18, 2003
My son (17.5 months) loves this book so much he's completely worn it out. We've taped it with clear packing tape several times, but by now even the tape that's taping the tape needs to be retaped, so it's time for a new copy. This is his stroller book--he *must* read this book while riding in the stroller, pointing at all the pictures and exclaiming "truck!" over and over again. Or turning to the fire truck and making a siren noise, or saying "pickle!" at the pickle car.

*I* love this book because it's just silly. It puts real-life vehicles (like fire engines) and puts them on the page next to vehicles that don't exist (like a peanut car).

This is such a must-have book, especially for toddlers obsessed with vehicles. If your child is one of them, then definitely get this book (and Byron Barton's _Trucks_, too).

Good content, but it is TINY!, March 29, 2005
I love Richard Scarry's books. Great illustrations. I bought this book based on the reviews. I was disappointed in the size of the book, not the length, but the size of it. My sons struggle to see all of the cars because the pictures are so tiny. The lemon car is the size of a pea! The entire book fits in my palm. Great for diaper bags, but not for everyday use in our house.

It won't keep me from getting other books by Richard Scarry.

My son is mezmorized by the this book., January 12, 2000
My 20 month old son has been mezmorized by this book for months now. Typically a book will hold his interest for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. My son can never seem to put this book down. It is ideal for long car trips, traffic jams or fussy days. There is a lot going on in the book so he never seems to get bored.

My four month old loves it!!, August 8, 1999
I bought this book with the idea of saving it on the shelf until my little one was able to learn his abc's. Before I put in on the shelf I showed it to him and he was fascinated! He loved the pictures. The book is rather small in shape so I was therefore thrilled to see how easy it was for him to hold it all by himself. I now know that this will be a favorite of his for quite some time!

My 15 month-old loves this book!, December 11, 2006
It is the perfect size for her small hands and she loves the colorful pictures. Granted, some of the cars are a little strange in order to get through all of the letters in the alphabet (how about a corn car or a zippermobile?). The best things about this book are the size and the fact that it is a relatively indestructable board book. It also brings back my own childhood memories of Richard Scary books.

Great little book for car loving kids, January 3, 2007
This is a fun little board book that is just the right size for little hands to handle all by themselves. (Be aware, this is a small book; if you're looking for a bigger one, this isn't it.) My grandson loves the pictures, especially the 'U'pside down car. (He turns the book upside down each time he gets to that one.) The ABC text flows smoothly; the illustrations are typical Richard Scarry quality; and it's a great bargain from Amazon, especially with free shipping (when bought with other qualifying items.)

The teacher in me gives this one a 'thumbs up' for little toddlers.

Excellent book!, February 1, 2003
My 1-year-old loves this book. She will sit and "read" it to herself. It is a great size for little hands to turn the pages. She also likes to teeth on it! We take it everywhere with us. We are already on our second copy.

VERY Tiny, December 30, 2007
Dimensions of this book are provided, however, I guess the actual size from the dimensions did not register with me. This book is VERY tiny!

Great book for a 1 year old, September 22, 2005
My son is 1 and I just purchased this book for him. He loves looking at all of the cars and trucks and turning the pages. It is also a small book, so it is easy to take in the diaper bag. When we are away from home and he gets fussy, I give him the book to look at and he settles down right away.

Great book for the car!, June 29, 2008
After reading many reviews on here, I bought this book wondering what I'd get. It seems that most reviews here are either very strongly liking this book or very strongly not liking it (it's a kid's book for gosh sakes!)

Anyway, my son loves this book! It's the perfect size to hand him in the car or leaf through and talk about at a restaurant while waiting for food. The book is silly and fun- so please lighten up if you're not sure what a "corn car" is or whatever. Richard Scarry wasn't afraid to use his imagination, and was a lot of fun as a result.

It's an inexpensive book that takes a few minutes to flip through. Golden, in my eyes! ... Read more

Editorial Review

One hot summer day, Pinkalicious gets an idea that is simply pinkerrific—a pink lemonade stand! But before Pinkalicious can start selling her lemonade, she has to figure out how to make it. Pink grapefruit, pink watermelon, and pink frosting—if it's pink, it's the perfect ingredient!

Reviews

Filled with whimsical, imaginative, nostalgic illustrations, June 18, 2010
"Pinkalicious and the Pink Drink" is a charming episode in the "Pinkalicious" series which includes "Pinkalicious," Purplicious," "Goldalicious," and more. Pinkalicious, a spunky, resourceful young entrepreneur, decides she will earn money to buy pink bubble gum balls by making and selling pink lemonade, on a hot day. Deciding she needs no help from her mother, Pinkalicious jumbles together her first pitcher of pink lemonade, using some unusual ingredients just because of their color (beets?). When her brother Peter pronounces it "chewy!" she decides to sell some to Mr. Peabody. He is less adventurous than Peter, announcing, "It's definitely missing something...either that or it has too much of something else!" Many little misadventures later, Mommy offers to help make a second batch of pink lemonade and this time the only pink ingredient added to the lemons, sugar and water is strawberries. Guess what? It tastes great! Pinkalicious succeeds in her bubble gum business venture and shares her winnings with Peter, not quite equally, but close. "Pinkalicious" is filled with whimsical, imaginative, nostalgic illustrations and should completely engage young readers ages 3-7. Its upbeat message of positive personal empowerment through creativity and the value of play and learning to share are valuable thought-nuggets.

We love Pinkalicious!, June 3, 2010
My daughter and I thoroughly enjoy all the Pinkalicious books we've acquired. The illustrations are very clever. The stories are just the right length for my 4-year-old daughter's attention span.

This one reminded me of my own childhood, making concoctions in the kitchen. Loved the face on her first customer.

Miss Kann knows her audience. We look forward to future adventures with Pinkalicious.

My Granddaughters favorite book., July 30, 2010
My granddaughter loves having this book read to her. The pages are large and colorful and the illustrations great. Would highly recommend.

We read this at least 3X a week, October 13, 2010
My kids love this story. As with most of the Pinkalicious series, it teaches that if things don't work out as planned but you don't have to end up unhappy. Lovely lessons!

Great book for PInkalicious lovers, July 19, 2010
Hi...we love this Pinkalicious and the PInk Drink book. Actually, this is better than both Purplicious AND Goldilicious (IMO). It is more similar to the original Pinkalicious book and my kids love it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Serious silliness for all ages. Artist Sandra Boynton is back and better than ever with completely redrawnversions of her multi-million selling board books. These whimsical and hilarious books, featuringnontraditional texts and her famous animal characters, have been printed on thick board pages,and are sure to educate and entertain children of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews

Hams required..., May 15, 2003
If you are incapable of letting loose and hamming it up for your child, DON'T buy this book! In the course of this book you are required to make a bunch of different dog noises. Actually, as you look at the dogs, and at how the different barks are spelled, your barks will surely evolve into very different barks, and this will leave your children howling with laughter.

Caution: if someone else has already read this to your children numerous times, try to listen to them before you read it aloud, as your children will correct your barks!

This is another of the Boynton books that is short enough to hold even the littlest guy's attention, and begs for interaction. Even children who are not yet speaking may find themselves howling at the moon with the doggies.

This book is great for family collaborations. Different family members are sure to be better at differnt dog sounds.

It really is hilarious!!!, November 28, 1997
My daughter loves to hear me read this book and I love to read it. It's a counting book that has ten different doggies with different barks. My daughter's favorite is doggie number three. He says ...nnn...nnn...nnn... We both die laughing every time we read it and we read it a lot. She is 20 months and I am 34.

A Howl of a Book, May 14, 2000
When we first read Doggies to my daughter, she started laughing hysterically. We had heard little laughs before but, this was much more than that. Soon, all three of us were on the floor laughing like mad. Since it was my birthday, it made for the greatest gift I could have received. We have the book memorized and will often recite it in the car or on a walk. Our daughter, Annika, loves the moon and always touches it when we get to the howling dogs. Plus, my mother-in-laws dog, Winnie, joins in the fun when we are at grandma's house. We recommend this book to everyone who has a baby and have made it a standard gift for all of our friends who are parents-to-be

Jeff and Kristen Danielsen

Woof Woof Woof! Doggies Galore!, November 12, 2002
Although simpler than Boynton's "Going-To-Bed Book,"this is a very funny "counting and barking book" (from thesubtitle) for young kids who like dogs and/or are learning to count!

A funny, diverse set of doggie shapes, sizes, and personalities are depicted in Boynton's famous style, with sturdy and colorful pages of adorable dogs and the sounds they make! Highly recommended for smaller fry!

Wonderful!, June 14, 2000
My 15 month old son has been "reading" this book since he was about 10 months old. He'll turn a page and read "woof, woof", he turns another page and reads, "aaaaaooooooooo". His delight in "reading" it himself is obvious. What a wonderful way to instill a love of reading in the very young!

Husband has it memorized & the dogs join in the fun..., August 20, 1999
We got this book for our 4 month old daughter and now, at 5 months, she starts kicking excitedly when she sees the book at bedtime. Our two dogs join in for the moonlit howl and I noticed the other day that my husband doesn't look at the book anymore when he is reciting it! "Book Time"is their time, but I can't help peeking in to see the smiles on my daughter's face when my husband reads her this book!

My son "wuffs" it!, January 2, 2002
I purchased this book when my son was 10 months old. He wasn't interested in it back then... NOW, he is 15 months, and he makes us read "Doggies" over and over and over again. You can't be shy reading this book to children, otherwise, it would be quite boring. It's a fun book and although I get tired of reading it to him a million times, I love the fact that my son is excited about reading and books. Thank you Sandra Boynton.

AWESOME BOOK FOR YOUNGSTERS, October 30, 2004
I'm 14 months old and this has been my favorite book for months! My mommy and daddy read it to me with all of the effects which makes me crack up. I imitate a number of the sounds when I see Doggies on the street. Like other reviewers, I agree it isn't all that helpful in teaching counting, but I'm too young to understand that anyway. Not only does this book continue to keep my attention, but it taught me that books can have fun surprises, which has enabled me to be willing to try other books (you'll know what I mean when you get to six dogs, and nine dogs). Overall, I'd highly recommend this book for very young babies, especially the children of dog-lovers who know exactly what nnn-nnn-nnn means in dog-speak.

Really fun if you're willing to make the noises, October 24, 2000
A friend of ours gave us this book saying that our son would love it but we would hate it - but we all love it. This one is only good if you're willing to make the noises: I sit my son on my lap facing the book and when I bark, he turns and looks up at me with the biggest eyes (he's 5 months). It's so funny! I can't wait until he's old enough to make the noises himself. I definitely recommend this one for the sheer entertainment value.

Doggies causes threats of detention, February 29, 2000
I gave a copy of Doggies to my nephew Jordan when he was about two years old. It must have been a hit: in a letter, his Mom wrote to tell me that the next time I visited, she and her husband would bind me to the couch, plop Jordi beside me and make me read Doggies to him over and over and over and over and over... ... Read more

Editorial Review

For over 50 years, Pat the Bunny has held a special place as Baby's First Book...and as a perennial bestseller.Since its first publication in 1940, Pat the Bunny has sold over 6 million copies, making it the number 6 all-time bestselling children's hardcover book*.Play along with Paul and Judy as they smell the flowers, look in the mirror, play peek-a-boo, and, of course, pat the bunny.

*Publisher's Weekly, 2/5/96 ... Read more

Reviews

Simply the Best Ever, April 20, 2002
Some things become life experiences not only for one's child, but for oneself. "Pat the Bunny" is such a book. It is so dear, so simple, and so very, very perfect that it is deceptive. It really can teach a very young baby about textures and colors and the fact that the world is a varied and wonderful place.

When my first child (now almost 18) was less than 6 months old, I would take her tiny hand and place her chubby fingers on each different texture...the bunny, the cloth, and of course my favorite...Daddy's scratchy beard! (a piece of sandpaper). I don't know how much of the simple and sweet words my daughter absorbed, but she was cuddled in my arms, being rocked (our favorite place to read) and she definitely liked to touch the textures. Now the interesting thing is that the book remained special, and when she should have outgrown it, she did not. It remained in the collection. I think that's because it is just so peaceful and simple, remnants of a former time.

If you are expecting, if one of your friends has a new baby, if you are a grandparent or a loving aunt or uncle, you cannot give a better book for a new baby. It will be that baby's cherished book in short order. Guaranteed. One word of warning, though. Make sure that you are buying the original, with all the textures. I saw one oversized board book version the other day, and its only texture was the cotton of the bunny, which carried through to each page. No no!! We need everything right for this book of a lifetime.

Truly a classic, June 8, 2000
Pat The Bunny is one of my 10-month-old daughter's favorite toys. She likes to leaf through the pages, and especially likes to play peek-a-boo with Paul and to look in the mirror like Judy does. The book captures her interest for relatively long periods of time. My only concern is that the plastic binding is somewhat flimsy and my daughter keeps pulling the book apart. I can put it back together again, but I wish that Pat The Bunny came as a standard bound board book that wouldn't fall apart quite so easily. It has to endure a lot of baby love and attention!

Great Toddler Interaction, December 10, 1999
My daughter received this book as an Easter gift, and loved having it read to her. This is when she was 18 months. Now my daughter is 26 months and she reads the book to herself. Her interaction between Paul and Judy (the characters) is amazing. It taught my daugher soft, scratchy, quiet, peek a boo, and a host of other topics that are sometimes a little difficult for toddlers to grasp. And as I said before, her interaction now and the ability to "read" through the pictures is very heart enlightening.

My son's absolute favorite book (he's 1 year old), February 16, 2003
My son got this book when he was 2 or 3 months old. We would read it to him occasionally as he was getting older. When he got to be about 6 months, he could do most of the things in the book (play peek-a-boo with Paul, pat the bunny, etc.). Now that he is a year, he does everything -- he waves to Paul & Judy, he puts his finger in the ring, smells the flowers, etc. He loves this book so much, the cover has come off and we have to purchase another.

The great thing about this book is that there is something fun for them to do on every page, and it grows with your child. The only drawback I found is that it's not super-durable if your child really loves it and reads it over and over and over and over... :-)

perfect for the curious baby, November 7, 2001
While "Pat the Bunny" may be a true classic children's book, it is also a great curiousity piece for infants big enough to know what they are looking at somewhat.
My son is ten months old and loves to literally tear this book apart as the binding is sort of flimsy. He loves to touch everything and play with all the "interactive" things throughout the book. He just gets more curious with each page, and wants to figure out how it all works.
This is great for babies and preschoolers that love to touch everything they see.

Don't buy the boxed set - Just buy Pat the Bunny, October 25, 2002
Pat the Bunny is great, but Pat the Cat and Pat the Puppy are poor copies. Their activities are not as toddler-friendly, and I wish that I had only bought Pat the Bunny.

My daughter loves it, April 6, 2000
Okay, the bunny looks to me like an amorphous blob, and Paul and Judy creep me out. But my 8-month-old daughter loves to pat the bunny, and she goes to this book over and over again. Poor Paul's dishrag is turning to limp threads from playing Peek-a-boo.

Great even for a 6 month old, September 23, 2002
My baby went crazy for this book and her age (6 months) seems to be perfect for it. Her favourite pages are pat-the-bunny (a fuzzy bunny on the page), peek-a-boo (where Paul's face is hidden with a piece of cloth) and Judy's book (a miniature book attached to the larger book). She hyperventilates with excitement when we get to these pages, and after a few tries was able to make the right movements for Paul to play peek-a-boo and to turn the pages on Judy's book. She is not an avid roller but she will roll across a whole blanket to get to this book. The only negatives of this book is that the pages are thin and have sharp corners. She chews on the pages, so I don't know how long they'll last, and when she waves the book around I am afraid she will hit herself in the eye with its sharp corners. We solve both these problems by only reading the book together (I don't leave it around as a toy). Other than that, it's hard to imagine a better book for a 6 month old.

LOVE the book, HATE the plastic ring binding!, June 30, 2005
My 1 year old loves this book so much she tore it to pieces. It has many touch and feel items such as 1) a soft bunny and "daddy's" scratchy beard to touch, 2) flowers to smell, and 3) a boy who has a cloth over his face to play peek-a-boo with. It is truly a classic!

I did not give this book 5 stars because of its plastic ring binding, which allows children to easily tear the book apart. I have had to piece this book together several times and at this point it is beyond repair.

My son's favorite book..., February 17, 2000
My son is only 9 mos old, and when we get to the end of this book, he flips it back to the front & wants me to read it again. He loves all the little activities - especially Daddy's scratchy face. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Amazon.com ReviewThe thinking's not fuzzy in these board books, but the animals certainlyare. Sandra Boynton's familiar furry creatures introduce simple concepts inthis bright collection of four books, replete with clever line drawings. InHorns and Toes and In Between, three horned monsters teach the partsof the body in rhyme: "...and we have a fuzzy TUMMY that we all like to pat /and a little BELLY BUTTON in the middle of that."The Going to BedBook gets a Noah's Ark of animals organized for bed: "They hang theirtowels on the wall / and find pajamas, big and small." Opposites isjust that: cute animals "high and low / fast and slow / heavy and light / dayand night." In the rhyming reader But Not the Hippopotamus, a hippofinds himself on the outs as "a cat and two rats are trying on hats. / Butnot the hippopotamus. / A moose and a goose together have juice. / But notthe hippopotamus." Rest assured the hippo finds love at the end. (Baby topreschool) --Claire Dederer ... Read more

Reviews

Absolutely Terrific!, November 5, 1999
I think that these books are absolutely wonderful. My 1 yr old son has such an interest in these books and we read them over & over. They are so easy to memorize for rides in the car too! My son has not found a book by Sandra Boynton that he does not love, as a matter of fact, me too!

Excellent books for 0 - 3, November 28, 2001
These four books are all very good! My 15 month old loves them now as much as she did when she was first born. In fact, Boynton books are the only books she likes now in her active toddler stage. They are the only books she will sit still for, and I have over 100 books for her to choose from! They all have cute, short, catchy rhymes that are fun to listen to and read. The colors are very bright and the animals/creatures are really cute! Her favorite is The Going To Bed Book amoung these four, but she likes them all very much.

Get these four and you'll still want more!, February 6, 2005
These were among the first books we bought for our son, who is now one year old. We like them so much we ended up buying the other box set, too. And some other Boynton books as well.

Sandra Boynton's books have a terrific rhythm to them that makes them fun to read. "The Going to Bed Book" was an immediate hit with my husband because it's fun -- a great bedtime story, but not as sappy as classics like "I Love You as Much." The other three titles in this collection score just as well with our son and with us.

What I love is how these books work on several levels. For the youngest readers, they present eye-catching illustration and simple rhymes. As the child gets older, the books have larger lessons to teach, from the concept of "Opposites" to the deeper, more poignant message of "But Not the Hippopotamus," the tale of a hippo who's left out of all the fun until the other animals finally invite her to join in.

If you're asking yourself whether you really need FOUR titles by Sandra Boynton, well, at least for us, four was only the beginning. So take advantage of the low price of buying them as a set.

My daughter's favorites!, September 22, 2003
When I first got this group of books (and also the other set), it didn't hold my daughter's attention. She was still just a baby, so I'm assuming the pictures didn't thrill her. Then she turned 18 months... In the last three months I think I've read each of these books at least twice a day. I know them by heart and she does too. In fact she sleeps with a couple every night!

Boynton's Greatest Hits: Volume II, August 26, 2001
These are must buy books for the kids!!. The books are great. I've never bought Boynton's books before and after having this volume : The Going to Bed Book, But Not the Hippotamus, Opposites, Horns to Toes; I must say that I am going to get more of Sandra Byonton's books. The rhymes are short and simple but nice and I think this is important for infants as their attention span is pretty short. The illustrations are wonderful and kids won't go tired of them forever as they are cartoon characters. My 8 month old daughter seems to enjoy listening to the rhymes and looking at the pictures as I enjoy reading the books to her. Get these volume now.....I really recommend them.

The Going to Bed Book, September 28, 2000
This book is fantastic. My 4 year old daughter has this book memorized. My 1 year old knows the very last sentence. In fact everytime we sitdown to read this book, my four year old recites the book and my 1 year old turns the pages. We have come up with a fun way to end the book and that is to rock back and forth. The girls simply love it! Sandra Boynton is a wonderful author!

Love these from our horns to our toes!, July 11, 2000
My daughter and I love these books, very clever and fun, thick pages that are fun to turn, chew on, and wave, a side benefit: after a zillion readings you can recite most of them from memory so you can entertain your child without the book

Simply essential for every well-read infant., August 2, 2003
I think "The Going to Bed Book" is the best night-night book ever written. "But Not the Hippopotamus" is a tear-jerker - "But YES the hippopotamus!" - and "Horns to Toes" is a rockin' good book to sing, rather than read. Sandra Boynton is wonderful; I want her to come to my house and hang out. In the meantime, I'll settle for reading these books to my kids and making sure that every baby *I* know has them in his library.

great books, December 31, 2002
Our two year old loves Sandra Boynton books and we enjoy reading them to him. Great books.

All time favorite!, November 3, 2006
These are a wonderful set of books, my grandson (2) loves to have them all read to him when he visits. Solidly constructed with fun graphics that can be part of learning ("Look at his red balloon"). ... Read more

Editorial Review

The ultimate set for Boynton fans, here are four of her seriously silly bestselling board books in their own sturdy boxed set. Full-color illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews

Wonderful books, but Greatest Hits 2 is better, February 6, 2005
We love the Sandra Boynton books. This four-book set is a great starter set. Our son, one year old, likes these books more and more as he gets older. They are fun for us to read to him, and he enjoys the pictures. The drawings are very clear (not like some of the books that we have where the illustration is more like watercolor) and that makes it easy for him to tell what he's looking at. I feel like that makes these books better for learning the names of the animals, colors, etc.

All those positive things said, I personally like the titles in the Greatest Hits 2 box set better. Those four tell better stories. These four are not as narrative, with the possible exception of "Moo, Baa, La La La." "A to Z" is an alphabet book with animals, which is not narrative at all. "Doggies" is really fun because it lets you make barking noises, and our son loves the book, but again, it's not really a story. "Blue Hat, Green Hat" depicts a cute story (a turkey who doesn't know how to put clothes on properly -- wears his shoe on his head, for instance), but it has few words, so it lacks the terrific sing-songy rhythm that I love in Boynton's other books.

These are good books, but if you want to experience the best of Boynton, consider Greatest Hits 2 instead of (or in addition to!) this one.

The BEST author for little bits!!!, November 3, 2003
When our oldest (now 6) was 3 months old we happened upon Moo, Baa, La La La, bought it and we are now, two kids later on our fourth copy! We of course bought more and more Boynton books, and just got Philadelphia Chickens for the girls as a Christmas gift! (It includes a CD of songs- it's GREAT!) I found that whatever topics we had Boynton books on, like colors and types of clothing (Blue Hat, Green Hat), animal sounds (Moo, Baa, La La La), parts of the body (Horns to Toes), my daughters knew very early. Boynton book are funny, have bright and engaging graphics, and educational value! But, the greatest thing about her books is that not only will your kids love them, but you will love them! They are my favorite books to read to them too! And my kids didn't grow out of them as quickly as most of the board books. In fact, when my oldest was learning to read we used them and she now reads them to her baby sister. In my opinion, I think that Sandra Boynton is on the same level of skill and talent as Dr. Suess.
I have purchased at least one Boynton book for every baby shower I have gone to in the past five years, and I hope that everyone will discover how wonderful these books are.

Love Boynton's Books!!!, December 30, 1998
What I love best about Sandra Boynton's board books is that they are fun for both my son to hear and for me to read. Our long-time favorite was "Moo Baa LALALA" - at 17 months, my son could recite every one of the animal sounds (well, except the pig). The only down-side of this set is the "Doggies" book. My husband and I hid this one because we detested reading it - all the barking, howling, whining, arfing, and woofing was tiresome.

Great fun for "children at heart" of all ages, May 2, 2000
This is a wonderful series of books that enables toddlers to "read" at a very young age. The humor is ageless, and I always give this set as a gift to first-time parents, to ensure that they know about Boynton's books. Although I love them all, I have a special fondness for "Doggies" which must be read with expression to be enjoyed! Trying to manipulate those barks is great fun.

My daughter's personal favorite is "But Not tThe Hippopotamus", my son loves "Moo, Baa, La La La", and we all giggle at "Blue Hat, Green Hat".

Although my kids have outgrown board books (at 13 and 17) we have never put away the Boynton books, as we enjoy going back to them for the respite and pleasure they continue to afford all of us! (Yes, the kids admit that they still love these books! )

Set yourself free, and enjoy!

My Baby Laughed, October 30, 2003
We were at a local playgroup and they read Blue Hat, Green Hat. My 7-month old son laughed out loud. He had laughed before, but I think this was the first time he laughed without direct eye contact or being tickled. After playgroup I inquired -- Sandra who?? I hadn't heard of these books, but have since purchased several.

My baby is now 2 and has a 4-month old brother. These books have become very popular favorites for reading time in our home.

I wonder how old our new baby will be when he laughs at the "silly chicken".

Wonderful rhymes and illustrations for young children!, June 14, 1999
The Sandra Boynton books are wonderful for babies and toddlers! As a mother, I never tire of reading them and my toddler never tires of hearing them. The fun rhymes, whimsical illustrations and simple themes keep us very entertained. They are great gifts for new Moms.

We like Volume Two better, November 6, 2002
Okay, I have to admit I haven't read A to Z and only checked out Doggies from the library. Don't take my rating wrong, we LOVE Boynton, but these aren't our favorites. Volume Two would be preferred in our house with Horns to Toes and the Going to Bed Book.

Our top-rated Boynton books for a collection would be Horns to Toes, One Two Three!, The Going to Bed Book, Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs, Pajama Time, Barnyard Dance, and Moo Baa La La La.

Gotta have 'em., August 2, 2003
My first two ladies (now 5.5 years and 4.5 years old) loved these books to death, literally, so I'll be replacing them (both Volumes One and Two) soon after the current Wiggle arrives. We all loved "Doggies" - "Nine doggies on a moonlit night AaaaaaOOOOOOOooooooo" - what fun to read! The ladies loved "The Oops Book" - Blue Hat, Green Hat - as well, because that crazy turkey just *didn't get it*. All of Sandra Boynton's books are wonderful, though.

I've been doing my best to make sure that every baby *I* know has these books in his library; everyone else should do the same.

If only adult books were more fun..., July 29, 1999
I laughed out loud when I read "Blue Hat, Green Hat" in the store. My husband thought I was nuts, but the little kids in the children's section thought it was pretty funny, too.

Fabulously nonsensical, November 17, 1998
I love Boynton's children's books. Most of the children in my life have received her titles as gifts. Moo is the perfect injection of silliness into the world of animal sounds. A to Z has great illustrations. Doggies will expand your knowledge of dog noises beyond woof woof. And Blue Hat, Green Hat is silly while reassuring that everyone makes mistakes in dressing every once in awhile. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Illus. in full color. A "fabulous book of easy words, exciting pictures and inviting rhythm."--Elementary English. ... Read more

Reviews

A great book that doesn't drive parents nuts, June 22, 2000
The thing I like most about this book is it survives the perpetual-reading test, that is, neither my daughter nor I am tired of reading it after two years.

"One Fish..." is really composed of several "short" sections that can be read in any order, so for a toddler, it's perfectly fine to skip around. In fact, this is conducive to a toddler's randomness - one day it's "Hop hop hop, I am a Yop"; another day it's "From there to here."

My Daughter's Favorite Book by Dr. Seuss, August 27, 2000
Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish was her pick as the best of the books by Dr. Seuss.

One of the appeals of this book is that it is relatively easy to learn to read, yet has much more variety than most other early readers. So your child will feel like she or he has accomplished a lot with reading this book, which is correct.

The title gives the key to why this book works well as an early reader. One word is changed at a time, with a clear illustration next to it. Most children will read the illustrations like a rebus and later associate the words with the sounds of the name for the pictures. At some point, they begin reading from the words. Very nice!

Here's another sequence: "black fish blue fish old fish new fish."

Then, when he moves on, he uses simple rhymes: "This one has a little star. This one has a little car."

Next, he progresses to substituting "some" for "fish" and adding a single verb to make a sentence as in "Some are read . . . . Some are old."

So almost any child can soon begin to read along with few errors in the first 2 or 3 pages. Whenever the child can go no more, you can just keep going. With repetition, more of the book becomes memorized and the process continues.

There is another reward for you and your child: The book also previews many of the wonderful characters and rhyming schemes that appear in other Dr. Seuss books. As a result, it will be easier to get started reading those books. You will feel like you are seeing an old friend again.

You can also use each rhyme to take off on your own speculations. Our daughter used to love to come up with alternative rhymes that fit the pictures.

Books like this one make it great fun to be either a parent or a child. In some cases, this book will be there for you in both roles over 20 to 40 years!

Overcome your mistaken beliefs about how children can start to learn to read by seeing your child start naturally by associating the words with the pictures as you read this wonderful book to him or her!

The greatest book ever written by anybody ever., September 24, 2000
Allright ya little PUNKS. You go read your Tom Clancys and your sappy Danielle Steel romance novels and your "Bridges of Madison County"s and we can even go back time to your Mark Twains and your "Catcher In The Rye"s, you go read ALL of that. Then read THIS book, and YOU tell me which one is better. Because NONE of that can match the emotional intensity of reading to your kids at bedtime: "Once there was a little Nook. On his hat he had a hook. On his hook he had a book. On his book was "How to Cook". But a Nook can't read and a Nook can't cook, so what good to a Nook is a hook cook book?" AWESOME!

My 6 Month Old Loves This Book!, November 10, 1999
After reading this book to my 6 month old, I'm convinced it's never too early to read to a child. She recognizes those wonder rhyming patterns and squeals in delight.

A review of the Vinyl Bath Book edition only!, July 7, 2006
Since my 7-month-old still thinks books are for putting in your mouth, I've been buying him bath books. I bought this one sight unseen from Amazon, and as much as I love the classic "One Fish, Two Fish," I was a little disappointed. First, the book is small, even for a bath book (about 4x6 inches -- the "8.3 x 4.8" dimensions in the Amazon description are just plain WRONG). Second, the book was shorter than I expected. It consists only of the first 8 pages of the original "One Fish." Of course, the baby doesn't know how abridged the book is, so he enjoys it. And the colors are bright, the printing is sharp, and the overall package is high-quality and holds up to lots of handling. But there's not much there to read to him.

Overall, if you're looking for a durable "One Fish" edition that's good for mealtimes, or bath time, or for taking in the stroller, this is an excellent buy. Just be aware that it's no substitute for the real thing.

Bought if for the nephew but I might keep it, May 26, 2003
The copy I had as a child wore out when I was in college (A friend borrowed it to memorize and perform as an acting class assignment.) I have part of the book memorized myself just from having my Mom read it to me 37 years ago. Having just aquired a 5-year old nephew I had of course to buy him several of my favorite Dr. Seuss books and this was one of them. I may have to buy my own copy though. In fact, I may buy two because I am extremely tempted to frame my favorite piece, "Look what we found in the dark in the park. We will take it home. We will name it Clark."

I have no clue whatsoever how young a child can safely be shown the wonderful but really wierd illustrations of Dr. Seuss. I'm still scared of Flying Monkeys but never had a problem with Dr. Seuss at all.

IF YOU WISH TO WISH A WISH, February 2, 2001
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At least two generations of parents and their children have now been immersed in the wonderful world of Dr Suess. The fun filled fantasy world of Dr Suess has lost none of its charm. "One Fish Two Fish" is one of his best.

The theme of this book is "funny things are everywhere". Dr Suess goes on to prove this by introducing a long list of fantastic but friendly characters. The creatures are at times outrageous looking but they are never frightening. There is no chance of monster-phobia developing in children after reading these books.

Anything is possible in this book. You have to love the seven hump Wump with its eight legs. It bears an uncanny resemblance to a camel.

Children will get to love the rhyme and rhythms of the words in this book. Children will be encouraged to make their own word play. It is possible new skills in creative thinking and even musical aptitude may emerge in children after having fun in the Suess world. On thing is for sure, a love of reading will certainly be encouraged.

Spatial thinking is encouraged with humorous signposts to Near and Far, and Here and There. Young minds will adore taking the advice "if you wish to wish a wish".

"One fish two fish" makes a great bedtime book. It is long enough and exhausting enough to pacify the most agile young mind. They can go off to dream land pondering "did you ever fly a kite in bed" and then "curl up with your Pet Zeep".

Timeless classic, October 8, 2004
Don't skip this one, please. You just have to have these tongue-twister books to read to your child. It's a blast to read fast too. My little one keeps saying, "faster, faster mommy!" Good thing I can speed read! It's a fabulous book and one that every child should own. It inspires tons of imagination and fun and really makes reading exciting for little ones. It's weird to run into someone as an adult who hasn't read these classic Seuss books. It makes you feel sorry for them and wonder what other great things of childhood they've missed.

Child Pleaser, November 19, 2001
My oldest daughter had this book memorized before she entered pre-school. She would go around Grandma's house (or tell anyone who would listen) the entire story. The rhyming is fun and the pictures are great. The short sentences make it easy for little ones with a short attention span. I would definitely recommend this book for story time!!

Great for babies, July 28, 2001
I grew up with this book and now my nine month old loves it too. the text is very rhythmic, as you would expect from Dr. Seuss. The illustrations are composed of heavy black lines and bright solid colors, making it easy for an infant to see. The text is arranged creatively around the page, adding to the visual interest and also helping the beginning reader to relate the pictures to the words. As a biologist, I interpret the central theme of the book as playing off biological diversity (Some have two feet and some have four. Some have six feet and some have more . . .), and expanding the idea to include the diversity of people and human pursuits. The fitness craze, furniture design, and silly kitchen gadgets are all covered in the brief and funny vignettes. The one limitation of the book is that there are some stereotypical differences between the interests of the boy and girl, and it is somewhat lacking in ethnic diversity. But hey, it was written in 1960. It also would be great if it had a board book edition, since it is hard to keep the little guy from crinkling the pages. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This package contains (1) 32 page workbook with a lesson page that builds on the previous pages, building the knowledge and confidence of the young student with simple instructions and fun illustrations. Learning couldn’t be easier. Available in a variety of dot-to-dots, mazes, word search and more, each sold separately. Made in USA.

Reviews

My Son Loves this!, March 29, 2010

This book is wonderful b/c all the pages are color, and there are not only pictures at the bottom, but the words underneath the picture to show how to spell it. The pages are challenging enough for a toddler but not too hard, even an adult (me) has fun with the pages. One night we had to wait for daddy to get home to find the lightbulb on one of the pages, and then me and my son laughed as it was right in front of us. I use this book as a reward after he has done his more serious type homework, and who can beat the price of a 1.40? I just wish School Zone made more of these books.

fun preschool book, January 8, 2010
My kids (3 and 5) love this book and it has become a fun sit at the table activity for them.

My daughter loved it, September 30, 2009
My daughter loved this book and it made it easy for me to get her to work on her penmanship and concentration. ... Read more

Editorial Review

With this unique recordable storybook, a parent can be there for that special “read-to-me” time–from anywhere! When the batteries are changed, your recording will not be erased—creating a treasured keepsake. Based on the hit movie, Toy Story 3 Record-A-Book features Woody the cowboy, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the heroic toys in their greatest adventure of all. Relive the toys’ journey to Sunnyside Daycare, where they meet new friends, encounter ruthless villains, and learn the true meaning of teamwork. 

With a simple recording device and speaker that sits in the storybook, Toy Story 3 Record-A-Book is so easy to use! An adult can record the story, and when a child plays back the recording he can hear the story and follow along in the book. As the child grows, he can learn to record the book himself. Perfect for everyday play, Toy Story 3 Record-a-Book is sure to make a great gift.

How to record the story on your Record-A-Book:

Please read all instructions prior to starting your recording. 

1. Move the switch on the side of the recording device to record mode.
2. Press and hold the button until you hear “Record One.” Release button immediately.
3. Press, but do not hold, the button again. When you hear a beep, begin reading the text indicated with a 1, located on the inside front cover.
4. Press, but do not hold, the button again when you are done reading the first section. You will hear a beep. This indicates the recording has stopped.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all sections are recorded.
6. Move the switch to play mode.

Reviews

Correction noted, December 1, 2010
I am the creative director for this title and I wanted everyone to know that the instructions incorrectly state that your recording is erased if you need to replace the batteries. Your recording is saved if you need to put new batteries in the toy. So your treasured recorded keepsake is not lost. Thanks. Julia Sabbagh

I can be Woody From Toy Story!, December 5, 2010
I don't know about you--but the children in my life love it when I change my voice while reading. This book was so much fun to use because I recorded the book in the voice of Woody for my nephew! It was great silly fun that I hope he enjoys!

The Best Thing!!!, November 24, 2010
This is the best thing. My son lives in Mass. and I am in GA. I want him to beable to here my voice and know I care so this lets me do it from a far. Thank you sooo much.

Won't save recording if batteries are removed, November 24, 2010
This book is NOT what I expected at all. The pages are paper, not board-like as most of the other recordable books are and while the story is cute, the quality of the recording is muffled somewhat. Once the recording is started playing, you have to turn the pages at the right "beep," as it continues through the whole story without pausing (note: you can manually pause it if you want, but you cannot start in the middle of the story). It is definitely NOT a keepsake that will hold on to the recording, as it says the when the batteries are removed, the recording is erased. The other books I purchased all retain the recording, even if you remove the batteries. Spend the extra and get the "real thing."

great book, December 15, 2010
This is a great recordable very easy to record... This would be for the older toddler 3 to 5 years old.... Book was well made I highly recommend this..This is the second book of this kind that I have purchased and it was equal in quality to the higher priced brands....

Toy Story 3 Record-A-Book, December 10, 2010
Great product. The grand kids love hearing their stories read by Grandma and Grandpa, even 1,000 miles away. Instructions about recording could be better. We did not realize that the first spot is for an introduction so we were one page off during the record process. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Being Pinkalicious is pinkatastic, especially when she's accompanied by her pet unicorn, Goldilicious. Goldie is a roller-skating, kite-flying, high-jumping unicorn who will protect Pinkalicious from the evil wizardry of her little brother, Peter. Together, Pinkalicious and Goldilicious can conquer anything!

This enchanting follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Pinkalicious and Purplicious brings to life a new and magical character that is every bit as captivating as her pinkeriffic owner. With heaps of creativity and a touch of sparkle, Goldilicious glows—from horn to toe.

Reviews

Not bad, but not on par with the original..., August 10, 2009
Pinkalicious is funny, original, and very entertaining, even for adults. (It's one I don't mind reading over and over)

Not your usual kid fare and likely to become a classic.

Unfortunately, like most sequels, Purplicious and Goldilicious are not nearly as good as the original

Pinkalicious: 5 stars. Manic and Hysterical. "Speed dialed the pediatrician," "Pinkerbelle" and other great lines make this a joy even for adults to read, which is good since you'll be reading it over...and over...and over...

Purplicious: 3 stars, Still interesting and worthy of 4 stars except that the negativity, cliquishness, teasing is better suited for older kids. Maybe.

Goldilicious: 3 stars - An imaginary unicorn called Goldalicious makes for a very promising start, but then the story bogs down in repetition with not a lot of sophistication. More suited to younger kids as Pinkalicious but not as sophisticated or interesting for adults.

Other recent children's books I rate five stars are "Dexter Beasley and the Big Blue Beastie," "Click, Clack, Moo" and "Princess and the Pizza"


If you've found this review to be helpful, please let me know!

The best in the Pinkalicious series, October 29, 2009
I am a sucker for picture books that try to capture the spontaneous imaginings of young children, and this is the formula that Goldilicious follows. The plot is free-flowing and subtly told through mostly dialogue. Pink's mother sends her to play outdoors after her imaginary friend, a Unicorn named Goldilicious, is deemed (in the adult's estimation) as too messy for the living room. Think of it as in the vein of the uber-classic "Where the Wild Things Are," with a massive injection of all things girly. Yet even Pink's brother Peter gets drawn into the imaginary play, resulting in a positive portrayal of sibling collaboration, each co-opting the others' tastes for the sake of fun and companionship. There are many charming details and things to notice in the backgrounds - for example, Peter can be spotted in the background, spying on Pink for three page spreads before deciding that he wants to join in.

My daughter adores this book equally as well as the first two. I have to say that I prefer this one. I personally still find the character design of Pink herself to be cloying as hell, but the strengths of this book go far to overcome that. The kids' dialogue is much more believable than in the original "Pinkalicious"; even when Pink asks if Goldicious has "become one with the universe;" I would buy that as one of those precocious phrases that kids sometimes pick up on. Although I am not much of a fan of the first book, and I recoil somewhat from the whole cliched girlishness of the series, in the end I always end up thinking "well, at least it's not Hannah freakin' Montana."

I wish the authors would stick to the Pinkalicious formula, June 7, 2009
We own all three "licious" books. Pinkalicious, of course, being the gold standard with the creative and captivating plot. Purplicious was pretty much a bomb, though the illustrations were still striking and beautiful. I was crossing my fingers hard for "Goldilicious", because I know the author has the talent necessary to make a riveting and clever story. Though children will be interested in the story in Goldilicious, it still falls flat and is hardly memorable. We will still read and enjoy it, but I just can't help but compare the last two books to the first one.
Next time I hope to see the formula of Pinkalicious followed more closely. Maybe something with more pink emphasis...or maybe with Pinkalicious turning a new color.

The Best Licious in the Series Yet, September 13, 2009
Hands down, this is the best book yet in this series. Our daughter loves Pinkilicious, we don't have the purple book which she's seen but never asked for. Goldilicious is great as a parent because the 2 kids in the story are playing imaginatively, creatively, together, and without fighting. They quickly play off the changes to the imaginary tale of the Goldilicious unicorn that the other makes without once asking Mon & Dad to intervene or telling each other "no, that's not how I want to play."

It's one thing for a parent to like the book but our 4 year old daughter has asked for this story every night for 2 weeks now and I couldn't be happier to read it for her over and over.

Disappointing, June 12, 2009
What a disappointment! The story of Goldilicious is nothing like the previous two books in the series. My daughter loves to re-read the first two and hear how Pinkalicious deals with her "problem" of loving pink. She does not want to read this one again.

The fantasy story of Goldicious is so unrelated and makes me wonder if its odd storyline is why the sisters decided not to co-author this time around.

Girls just wanna have fun, May 27, 2009
Pinkilicious returns for a third installment of this very popular uber-girly series. The endpapers feature the titular star, a pure white unicorn with perfect rouged cheeks and flowing golden locks bedecked with flowers sitting amidst gold and white lace doilies. The title page features the author's thanks, with dozens of names of family, friends, editors and other supporters woven into a series of chiaroscuro pink hills.

The magazine collage-style computerized illustrations are heavy on the girly details. Page after page is cluttered with flowers, toys strewn about, tea sets and other such girlish accoutrements.
Her pet unicorn, which only she can see, pales away to a ghostly translucent shade of white whenever her family is nearby. This device somewhat reminded me of Calvin and Hobbes... although this book is a great deal less tongue-in-cheek, keeping things pretty simple and syrupy sweet. Pinkalicious and her brother traipse after Goldilicious through a number of locales: a picnic with screamingly green grass and flowers crowding in at the edges, a kiddie-pool where Goldie has dolled herself up in movie-star sunglasses and a fancy mermaid tail, a ride on a gorgeously swagged orange hot air balloon.

When Goldilicious goes missing, the hunt is on. Clouds shaped like unicorns and huge equine constellations are overlooked, till Pinkilicious finally finds Goldie right where her parents hoped she would... in bed, as bedtime approaches. The message is clear. Goldilicious might be imaginary... but Pinkilicious and her invisible friend aren't going to be parted anytime soon.

Fans of the indefatigable Pinkilicious will find nothing to disappoint them here. Parents or teachers who are looking for stories about an imaginary friend may do better to turn to the quieter Jessica by Kevin Henkes or the offbeat Clara and Asha by Eric Rohmann. Girls looking for further stories featuring feminine adventurers will probably also appreciate the Fancy Nancy series by Jane O'Connor.

The Best Of The Bunch, October 26, 2010
GOLDILICIOUS, the third installment in the Pinkalicious series, is by far the best of the bunch. However, I seem to be out of sync with the rest of the population on this. The first two books, Pinkalicious and Purplicious, are enjoyable and my 5 year old daughter loves them; she reads them over and over and over. However, mom has some reservations about both books, in that the kids are snarky to their parents and mean to their friends. Now, my wee one does understand the messages from these two books: that kids shouldn't behave this way, but I have to wonder how necessary the attitude is to either story.

With GOLDILICIOUS, I feel vindicated. There is no attitude, meanness, or rudeness. GOLDILICIOUS is a sweet and enchanting story about Pinkalicious and her imaginary unicorn, named (obviously) Goldilicious. This story is about imagination, creativity, and pure little girl fun.

Author Victoria Kann got it right with GOLDILICIOUS. The story is original and cute, and the illustrations are gorgeous. GOLDILICIOUS is my 5 year old's favorite of the three, and it certainly in mine, too. GOLDILICIOUS is one I don't mind reading to her over and over.

A Fun Look at Imaginary (Animal) Friends, May 27, 2009
Pinkalicious, the character, is back, as exuberant and over-the-top as she was in the popular Pinkalicious and Purplicious books. This time, she has an imaginary friend, Goldie, a unicorn she treasures above all else. She yells at her brother when he sits on Goldie, and drives her parents a little crazy with her devotion. Yet Goldie is too much fun to let go of, even at night.

The illustrations here are delightful�Pinkalicious and Goldie have a picnic, go roller-skating and have other fun adventures. Of course, like the other books, there's a lesson here that Pinkalicious has to learn. This book again has delightful, fun illustrations and shows kids that they're not alone in having a beloved imaginary friend, one who is always by their side.

Goldilicious lives at my house!, September 30, 2010
My 5yo daughter LOVES this book! If your little girl has a huge imagination and loves horses, this is a winner. We love all the licious books, but I think this one might be her favorite.

Daughter's favorite book., January 30, 2010
This series of books is so cute. We read them over and over and over again. The product was a great price, and came fairly fast. Perfect condition. ... Read more