Books

Average customer rating:

IS A PICTURE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS?
An incredible concept and well done.
Stokes the imagination
Flotsam
A Gem of a Book

Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)
David Wiesner
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Higher Power of Lucky
Gone Wild (Caldecott Honor Book)
Rules (Newbery Honor Book)
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom (Caldecott Honor Book)
Adele & Simon

ASIN: 0618194576

Book Description

A bright, science minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam--anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share... and to keep.

Customer Reviews:

IS A PICTURE WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS?.......2007-07-01

In the case of a book crafted by David Wiesner, the answer to he old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, is certainly a resounding yes! In the 40 pages this book consists of, it would take at least 300 written pages to tell the same story. In brief, a yound lad finds a strange, old and fascinating camera that has been washed up on the beach. The young boy opens the camera and takes the film found their to be developed. Here the real story begins. The photographs reveal a wonderful world which apparently came out of Mr. Wiesner's head, through his fingers, and into his wonderful, realistic watercolor paintings. This is a world filled with strange mechanical creatures, strange real creatures and even stranger underseas civilizations. Through the use of one of the photographs, in which the artists paints a picture, within a picute, within a picture, many, many times over, we go back through time, from one child, somewhere in the world, to another, to yet even another part of the world. Each painting in this book (an remember, there are absolutely NO WORDS), is finely interlocked with the preceding painting and that painting that follows.
The art work, as with all Wiesner's work, is flawless (probably not to the artist himself as no artist is ever completely satisified), but they are certainly flawless to us, the reader. The paintings are accomplished in a realistic mode, smooth, well executed and as to color, blended well. This is a book of discovery and I do hope you and your child will discover it soon. You will certainly be far richer for it. Recommend this one highly.

An incredible concept and well done........2007-06-04

My 7 year old and I loved the book. The illustrations are wonderful and it really inspired thought. However, for the price it was over and done with a little quickly - we spent maybe a half hour on it.

Stokes the imagination.......2007-05-30

Flotsam is a wonderful book. The images are beautifully drawn but that is not the reason for
my excitement. This book allows children as well as adults to become storytellers. Best of all
the story can change with each reading. The three year old in our house has already changed the
his readings at least once if not twice. It holds his interest and mine too.

Flotsam.......2007-05-28

As An Elementary School Librarian, I was amazed with the pictures in this book. A story is told through a series of events with only pictures. The pictures are very detailed and wonderful, It really lets the reader use his or her imagination, and it is a great book to share with readers of all ages.

A Gem of a Book.......2007-05-18

This book is really a treasure. It will make you and your kids think about the ocean, the past, the future, photography, optics, conservation, and the list goes on! Believe it or not, it isn't really for the very young even though there are no words. The ideas the pictures are trying to convey are fairly complex. Even toddlers who can read would benefit from an adult explaining what is going on and how the story is progressing. Still, babies might enjoy just looking at some of the beautiful art. I think you will love "reading" it to your children.

Average customer rating:

Zoom Out
Great for group activity
Zoom Zips
Team Building Activity
A book to show to our childrens

Zoom (Picture Puffin)
Istvan Banyai
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Re-Zoom
The Other Side
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The Red Book (Caldecott Honor Book)
Alphabet City

ASIN: 0140557741

Customer Reviews:

Zoom Out.......2007-05-15

This book was mentioned in another book I was reading and I was curious about it, so I ordered it. Even though the title is "Zoom," it seemed to be a "reverse" zoom to me, i.e., it had already zoomed and was now zooming out. Regardless, I enjoyed the book for what it was and found the idea extremely creative. When we're having a not-so-good day because little things are going wrong, looking at this book would be a good way to help us gain back our perspective.

Great for group activity.......2007-03-23

I purchased this book to use in a group activity. The sequence of the pictures is pretty remarkable. I took a smaller sequence of the pictures matching the size of group I had and had them determine the order of the pictures by discussion and viewing only their one picture. It was a great team builder and communication exercise. However, the book is also a fascinating use of a zooming perspective of a series of items.

Zoom Zips.......2007-03-08

Zoom is a well done book about perspective. The outcome will leave you smiling or scratching your head. It is definitely a book worth having. I bought one for all my children's families and some of my closest friends. It is classic.

Team Building Activity.......2007-01-22

I was first introduced to this book at a challenge course where I had taken a group of students. It was used as a team building activity which I have adopted in my junior high art class. I took the book apart and laminated the pages. I use the number of pages that I need in sequence depending on the size of my class. I mix up the pages and then pass one out to each student. I ask them, without talking, to place themselves in proper sequence with the other pages. It is a good ice breaker activity at the beginning of a new class or new semester.

A book to show to our childrens.......2007-01-19

I've seen this book in TV. They were saying that it was a fantastic book to show to our childrens that were starting to be interested in reading.
When the book arrived I realised that they were correct.
Just have a look and I'm sure all of you will think like me.
The Amazon service is perfect

Average customer rating:

great book!
Great book for new siblings
Nice to be able to "read" the book in your way
Great book!
Best Sibling Book

My New Baby (New Baby Series)

Manufacturer: Child's Play International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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Waiting for Baby (New Baby Series)
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Hello Baby!

ASIN: 0859539741

Product Description

MY NEW BABY BY ANNIE KUBLER

Customer Reviews:

great book! .......2007-06-08

This is one of our sons favorite books! It really helped prepare him for the birth of his little brother - it even shows breastfeeding, which most do not!

Great book for new siblings.......2007-04-26

I got this book for my two year old to get him ready for the new baby. I also got the other book by the same author about pregnancy. We really liked them a lot and I felt like they helped. There are no words so we would look at each page and talk about what was going on and sort of make our own story. I liked them so much I actually bought them for a few other friends as gifts when they got pregnant.

Nice to be able to "read" the book in your way.......2007-04-14

I really like this book for my 1 1/2 year old - it is age appropriate. There are no words, but that was fine for me, as I was able to explain the pictures to my toddler in a familiar way.

Great book!.......2007-03-24

I love this book because there are no words. I made up my own story using names for things my son is familiar with and now he can go through the book and tell me our story. The pictures are very nice as well! Great little book!

Best Sibling Book.......2007-02-19

I have an almost 3 yr old and he LOVES this book. Many of the other books on the market are very negative. The negativity of all the other books, I think, puts the idea of jealously in the heads of young children. My son doesn't feel jealous or left out as of yet and I don't want him to start thinking that way. Since there are no words he tells me what he thinks is going on in each picture and I can guide him with what information I feel is appropriate for his age. This book also shows the mom in the story breastfeeding which is a nice aspect, most other stories skip over that detail. Perfect book for any soon to be big brother/sister.

Average customer rating:

Kids love to tell the story
It is What You Make of It
Interesting journey
Red book review
Great Red Book!!!

The Red Book (Caldecott Honor Book)
Barbara Lehman
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? (Caldecott Honor Book)
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The Hello, Goodbye Window (Caldecott Medal)

ASIN: 0618428585

Book Description

This book is about a book. A magical red book without any words. When you turn the pages you'll experience a new kind of adventure through the power of story. In illustrations of rare detail and surprise, The Red Book crosses oceans and continents to deliver one girl into a new world of possibility, where a friend she's never met is waiting. And as with the best of books, at the conclusion of the story, the journey is not over.

Customer Reviews:

Kids love to tell the story.......2007-06-13

This book is for younger kids than David Weisner's so although it's not as beautiful as Weisner's picture books, my kids (5 & 4) can understand the story better. I have them tell me what's going on as we look at the pictures, and this has become one of their favorites.

It is What You Make of It.......2007-06-11

When I presented this little red book to five-year-old twins, I honestly wasn't sure what their reaction would be. I was pleased to discover they were as immediately enthralled with it as I was. They took it to the couch, looked through the pictures for a few minutes, and be to tell each other stories about the book. Even better, this book as inspired them to make their own wordless books, which they delight in sharing with anyone who shows an interest.

Interesting journey.......2007-04-18

I really like using this picture book with my older readers. They are always suprised and full of questions as they "read" it. Wordless picture books aren't always just for the younger readers. This is a book that kids may return to time and time again. It's a little episode of "The Twilight Zone" between the pages!

Red book review.......2007-01-18

My son enjoyed the book very much, and thought it was very clever.

Great Red Book!!!.......2006-11-22

As a student-teacher I choose this book to write a lesson. There is so much you can teach with this. Comprehension, drama, writing, vocabulary yes, and of course, lets children use their imagination.

Average customer rating:

Very helpful
I love this book!
Great book
Best Sibling book
We enjoy this book

Waiting for Baby (New Baby Series)

Manufacturer: Child's Play International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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Hello Baby!

ASIN: 0859539733

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful.......2007-04-13

Helps little ones understand the concept of the new arriving baby. I love there are no words and that we can make our own stories. My daughter (2) likes to read/look at it on her own. A really good book for little big sisters or brothers to be.

I love this book!.......2007-03-24

This book is GREAT because it HAS NO WORDS! I was able to make up my own story using familiar words and names for things and my son now retells the story to me. He is very excited to be getting his own baby soon. It helped him be comfortable around the doctor and the hospital and he helps out like the boy in the book does! Great book!

Great book.......2007-03-08

We're preparing our 2 1/2 year old for a new baby. It's been helping him understand what's going to happen. He loves to help make up the story as there's no words in the book.

Best Sibling book.......2007-02-19

I have an almost 3 yr old and he LOVES this book. Many of the other books on the market are either very negative or have way too much biological information about babies and where they come from. The negativity of all the other books, I think, puts the idea of jealously in the heads of young children. My son doesn't feel jealous or left out as of yet and I don't want him to start thinking that way. Also, the biological information would be great for school aged kids, but he's not even 3 and doesn't ask, so I feel no need to explain the 'birds and bees' to him at this point. Since there are no words he tells me what he thinks is going on in each picture and I can guide him with what information I feel is appropriate for his age. Perfect book for any soon to be big brother/sister.

We enjoy this book.......2007-02-08

I just bought this book for my 2.5 year old. I appreciate the fact that there aren't words to the book. It gives me an opportunity to talk specifically about the situations as it applies to us, and not be constrained by a story.

I would have given it five stars except for the fact that there are two things I wish were different, I wish there were more distinct "belly" pictures of the mom. There are a couple, but she kind of just looks big to me. And second is the page with the child staying with (obviously) grandma and grandpa. We don't have family nearby, so he will be staying with friends. And additionally, if he was staying with grandma and grandpa - ours don't have white heads! The book could have just been a touch more versatile without the white haired couple.

Average customer rating:

Not near as good as "Zoom"
Even Better Than Zoom
Second generation of Zoom
It IS great for kids!
It IS great for kids!

Re-Zoom
Istvan Banyai
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Picture Books | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Zoom (Picture Puffin)
The Other Side
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Imagine

ASIN: 014055694X

Book Description

Open this wordless book and take off on a mindbending visual journey full of twists, turns, and surprises. Zoom from an Egyptian pyramid to an exotic jungle to a sandy beach. But if you think you know where you are, guess again. For in Istvan Banyai's mysterious landscapes of pictures within pictures, nothing is ever as it seems. "Banyai's artwork...works to perfection."-- Kirkus Reviews

Customer Reviews:

Not near as good as "Zoom".......2006-04-16

If you have never seen any books by this author before then I would recommend purchasing "Zoom". It's amazing which made me slightly disappointed with this one. I was hoping it would be just as good as the first but it was harder to follow and wasn't as fun to look at. I wish I had not bought it.

Even Better Than Zoom.......2005-09-06

Once again Istvan Banyai takes your perception on a roller coaster ride. This amazing sequel is even better than Zoom. Thoroughly enjoyable and could also be used as part of a motivational speech on seeing things as they are and aren't. Perception isn't always reality.

Second generation of Zoom.......2005-08-08

I bought this book at the same time as I bought Zoom. Both are great books for getting people to think outside the box, but for some reason, I still like the original Zoom best. Still a good book though.

It IS great for kids!.......2002-02-16

Our 5 year old got this as a birthday gift...he and his 7 year old brother LOVE this book and love explaining it to adults who don't get it quick enough! A great gift! We have to get Zoom now!

It IS great for kids!.......2002-02-16

Our 5 year old got this as a birthday gift...he and his 7 year old brother LOVE this book and love explaining it to adult who don't get it quick enough! A great gift! We have to get Zoom now!

Average customer rating:

OPENS the IMAGINATION
There are better editions of this title
Not a book about friendship or tolerance.
Is it just me....?
compared to hungry caterpillar a disappointment

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

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1,2,3 to the Zoo (The World of Eric Carle)
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The Mixed-Up Chameleon

ASIN: 0399215980

Book Description

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

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

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

compared to hungry caterpillar a disappointment.......2003-12-22

yes this is a book about friendship and i realize for child at times simple is better but this book i thought really lacked especially compared to how great a book the hungry caterpillar is(i personally think just about this authors best book)it has at the very start of the book the question ask by a mouse "do you want to be my friend?"and then at the end a yes from another mouse no other writing between yes you can teach your child a little about the other animals the mouse is apparently asking though not in print.I personally thought this could have been laid out a little different

Average customer rating:

Worlds Above the Rest
I'm a big fan.
fun and imaginative!
Beautiful Picture Book
Would you like to swing on a cloud?

Sector 7 (Caldecott Honor Book)

Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Tuesday
Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)
June 29, 1999
Free Fall
The Three Pigs

ASIN: 0395746566

Amazon.com

In another wondrous, wordless picture book by Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner (Tuesday and June 29, 1999), a class visiting the Empire State Building finds complete cloud cover and no visibility. One boy makes friends with a cloud (identifiable in the mists by the red mittens, hat, and scarf and swipes from the boy), and goes AWOL on a wonderful adventure. The cloud whisks him away to the "Sector 7" floating cloud factory, a bizarre sky station that looks like a Victorian design for a submarine.

Hiding behind his new cumulonimbus friend, the boy enters an area resembling Grand Central Station (complete with "Arrivals" and "Departures" boards) and watches officious human types in uniform giving the clouds their weather assignments. When the clouds complain to the boy that their assigned shapes are boring, he, a talented artist, creates new blueprints for them. The stuffy grownups are furious when clouds start emerging in the shape of fantastic fish; they shout at the clouds, tear up the new designs, and escort the boy back to his school group. But the revolt of the clouds is unstoppable now, and in the last few pages the skies over Manhattan suddenly get a lot more interesting. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1999 by David Wiesner. With permission of Clarion Books.) (Ages 2 to 8) --Richard Farr

Book Description

Only the person who gave us Tuesday could have devised this fantastic tale, which begins with a school trip to the Empire State Building. There a boy makes friends with a mischievous little cloud, who whisks him away to the Cloud Dispatch Center for Sector 7 (the region that includes New York City). The clouds are bored with their everyday shapes, so the boy obligingly starts to sketch some new ones. . . . The wordless yet eloquent account of this unparalleled adventure is a funny, touching story about art, friendship, and the weather, as well as a visual tour de force.

Customer Reviews:

Worlds Above the Rest.......2007-05-07

Wiesner, D. (1999). Sector 7. New York: Clarion Books.

Synopsis: Cloud watching on a lazy day while lying in the grass, is a fun summertime activity for adults and children of all ages. But how are these clouds formed? Who created them? David Wiesner amazes readers once again with another wordless book that tells the incredible adventure of a young boy who goes on a field trip to the Empire State Building. The imaginative and creative young boy yearns to express his creativity meanwhile he is approached by a friendly cloud that takes for a tour of Sector 7 where clouds are created for this portion New York City. Sector 7 resembles an old train station with departure and arrival times posted which provide clouds with their assigned locations. The boy encounters clouds that are bored with their usual shapes. With a wild imagination and skilled artistry, he designs inspiring shapes that excite the clouds. When the staff discovers the changes, they are perturbed by the clouds that stray from their usual and regimented routines. The boy is sent back to his class field trip. However there is no undoing the chaos he has created which begins to spread out across Sector 7.

Evaluation: David Wiesner's Caldecott Honor award winning book allows readers to create the text and interpretations within their minds. Wiesner's wordless tale captures your mind with its full page watercolor illustrations and story board formatted frames. The vivid, yet soft watercolor illustrations provide humor combined with elegance. Readers can create their own individual stories based on their personal experiences. The main character is wildly imaginative with a talent for skilled artistry. Wiesner's tale leaves readers wondering if there are depots like Sector 7 where imaginative clouds are created. Educators will find that this tale allows children to create their own words to this magical adventure. It will encourage struggling writers to utilize their imaginations and picture themselves in the boy's position and be able to write a terrific tale of visiting the place where clouds are made. Children ages 6-10 will love this enchanting journey.

I'm a big fan........2007-02-25

I loved the art in this book. A great story told through pictures.

fun and imaginative!.......2006-11-07

My 5 year old loves this book and wants to read it a couple of times a week. He always asks new questions as he points out things he hadn't discovered last time. Even telling this story (since there are no words) changes each time as you(as the reader) will surely discover more things as well.

Beautiful Picture Book.......2006-11-05

This is a georgous picture book that takes you on an imaginative cloud journey. I use it in my middle school classroom to teach inferencing, it is geared toward younger children though. I think ages three and above could really get into the pictures.

Would you like to swing on a cloud?.......2005-05-08

David Wiesner is best described as a light-hearted Chris Van Allsburg. In his books there tends to be a very real and deep fascination with both the sky and breaking away from convention. For example, his book "Tuesday" examines the repercussions of frogs flying at night. "The Three Pigs", by contrast, takes a familiar story and loosens it up considerably. With "Sector 7", a wordless tale of a boy and his cloud, Wiesner tells a tale of changing the status quo. It's sometimes very difficult to find noteworthy wordless picture books out there but Wiesner appears to have an excellent grasp on this rarely appreciated genre.

When a boy goes on a school field trip to the Empire State Building, he little suspects what a thrilling adventure he's about to have. Initially, he's disappointed. At the top of the tower the world is engulfed in a thick fog. Yet out of this fog, an unlikely friend appears. A little cloud, nicking the boy's hat and scarf for fun, quickly befriends the awed child and invites him up up up into the sky. Riding on the cloud's back, the boy nears the processing station for Sector 7 (a sector that covers the general New York area with some space given to the Atlantic Ocean as well). Boy and cloud pass through Receiving and enter the Assignment Station. While there, they hear the complaints of other clouds. The assignments are fine, but they're so dull. Just the usual puffy fluffiness we see all the time in the sky. With a little imagination, the boy convinces the clouds to try out new forms. It seems they're particularly adept at the shapes of tropical fish. Of course, the people in charge of the Sector 7 plant aren't pleased with the clouds' new shapes. Yet after the boy has gone home, it's clear that his influence is being carried on by people who like the idea of doing things a little differently.

Mr. Wiesner's the master of the clever little detail. As parents and children go through this book (its wordless quality makes it an ideal gift for anyone, regardless of age or nationality) they find themselves discovering new little details with every read. Did you catch the reason why the boy draws fish from the last shot in the book? How about the ways in which the clouds wordlessly describe their boredom with previous assignments? When I think of watercolors, I don't tend to think of highly accentuated details. Just the same, Wiesner has tamed this highly adaptable medium to his own particular wants and needs. He cleverly lets the boy's personal cloud continue to wear the kid's bright red cap throughout the book so that the reader can tell it apart from other cloudlings. And there is no doubt left in the reader's mind that the Sector 7 processing plant is truly New Yorkian. Resembling a kind of cross between a train station and an immaculate subway stop, this is a cosmopolitan factory if ever there was one.

If you've never read a Wiesner to your child and aren't entirely certain where to start, it's hard to go wrong with "Sector 7". Understandably, many see this as their favorite Wiesner book. And while on paper I state that "The Three Pigs" is his magnum opus, I confess that "Sector 7" may be the one I love the most. A sweet and ultimately satisfying little book.

Baby Animals Black and White: Black and White

Average customer rating:

Great book for very young babies
love it
terrific book!
A Baby Pleaser
great black and white book

Baby Animals Black and White: Black and White
Phyllis Limbacher Tildes
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0881063134

Book Description

A wonderful board book for any new born or infant.

Customer Reviews:

Great book for very young babies.......2007-03-18

Cute pics. My baby seems to really study the faces.

love it.......2007-03-08

my new born took great interest in the images. super cute animals!!

terrific book!.......2006-12-22

My son is 9 months olds and this has been a favorite book of his since he was a month or 2 old. He really responds to the baby animal faces which are very expressive

A Baby Pleaser.......2006-10-28

My baby, age 6.5 months begins smiling and "talking" every time I even hand her this book let alone "read" it to her. No other book has received this response. I know it to be developmentally appropriate and obviously she agrees and enjoys it. It is clever because even as basic as it is, there is a bit of a surprise at the end, giving us more information than we had at the start. We are ordering a copy since the library one has to be returned and plan to give it as a gift as well.

great black and white book.......2006-10-06

Picture books without text seems so rare these days, but this one, aimed at the earliest readers (or rather listeners) is great. There are just the animal faces on each page and the black and white only colors are great for young eyes which are still developing. The pages are board book pages, so great for curious hands (and mouths). The animals are really cute and the book is only 10 pages long so perfect propped up for tummy time and letting your child enjoy the pages as long as they can handle/want to.

Average customer rating:

That's true!
The Flip Side of the Koan (Note: 5* is for Young Teens and Older Readers Only)
Exceptional
The Other Side - Amazing!
The most innovative, imaginative and original children's book in a longest time

The Other Side
Istvan Banyai
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0811846083

Book Description

In The Other Side, artist, designer, provocateur Istvan Banyai takes readers on another exceptional visual journey. In graphically stunning illustrations that feature many clever twists in point of view, familiar scenes turn and turn again to show us the back, the front, the top, the bottom, the opposite, the other side of each perspective. Here's a door. What's on the other side? Here's a shoreline. What's on the other side? Here's a curtain. What's on the other side? The answers may surprise you. Delightful, sly, funny, and challenging, The Other Side will make readers want to look, and think, twice.

Customer Reviews:

That's true!.......2007-01-15

The pages are interesting glimpses of possibilities on "the other side". This is a book of artwork presenting different points of view of an illustration. The book starts with drawings of how to make a paper airplane. The next illustration is a little girl practicing a cello and seeing a paper airplane fly past her window. Turn the page to see the air outside of the apartment building filled with paper airplanes which a little boy has thrown out of the window. I really enjoyed looking at that idea of "the other side". It got strange from there as disconnected scenarios trying to be connected are presented. I couldn't quite figure it all out from front to back; back to front; and middle to outside even with the help of friends. I concluded that it was just different illustrations. I found myself "on the other side" and I didn't get it.

The Flip Side of the Koan (Note: 5* is for Young Teens and Older Readers Only).......2006-11-30

In the spirit of "The Other SIde," I'm going to put the bottom line on top: ALthough this book defies categorization, it's not really a kids' book. I suppose some kids in elementary school might enjoy the graphic style, and "get" the basic premise (which is either "what happens next?" or "what would this look like from a different perspective?"), the verbal and visual references, wit, puns, allusions, and reverals might elude them.

"The Other Side" is an unusual and very creative book consisting of a series of high quality graphic and op art illustrations, presenting a scene and, on the following page, what the scene looks like from "the other side." For clarity, here are some examples: We see a picture of caged tiger at a zoo looking out at a little girl and her cat. Hmmm...what might happen next, or,--as on some pages--what is the reverse of this? Turn the page, and we see the girl and the tiger looking at the caged cat, the bars twisted as if, a la Superman, the lion (or the cat?) had separated the bars. Another simple favorite is two views of boys playing with a football: One page shows the view of the hiker's behind from the quarterback's perspective; the next page shows the (upside-down) quarterback from the between the legs, upside-down perspective of the hiker. However, another scene shows an apparent shooting (with mannequins moving their heads to look around the corner) but it's really a film being shot. This has very little to do with reasoning or perceptual skill; for all the visual puns and surprises; it's really about the possibilities of story telling. The visual question and answers in "Other Side of" work require different kinds of reasoning Some "reversals" make logical or causal sense; others grant some artistic license--author has one notion of what "the other side" might look like--but it's not the only one.

THis is not really a kid's book; I think it's most appropriate fir young teens and up. Unlike "The Red Book," a book that also plays with self-referential visuals and explores point of view, "the other side of has relatively little plot or time sequence, although most of the scenes are linked: Some of the visuals in one scene will be partially replicated or referenced in another. For example, one visual sequence begins with paper airplanes, which are echoed by a picture of small planes near a large jet, inside the jet a passenger reads a travel brochure, next, we see the woman on the brochure's cover looking up at the jet from the island shown on the brochure. However, Banyai basically stops here. (I say basically, because a dog shown on the island is--quite improbably--shown on "the other side" of a tree in a snow covered forest. ) Part of the fun is finding these mini-links between different sequences, especially since some are visual and some symbolic/language-based.

At its best, then, the book occupies the same plane as Zen koans (as in the popularized, "what is the sound of one hand clapping?"), where the answers require imagination, and perhaps even a reconsideration of what constitutes a question and an answer. While Banyai illustrations show remarkable invention and graphic style. I think the book will appeal less to art students than to those with interests in engineering, math, and science, people who like to reader hypothesize, test theories, and observe (some of the classic elements of the scientific method), The imaginative antecedents and aftermaths may also stimulate budding writers and poets, or perhaps photographers. While this is an exciting art book for young teens intrigued by representation (and talent may be a requirement too); others may feel frustrated, or, more likely, bored by it, tossing it aside for manga--or a book about Zen.

Exceptional.......2006-08-31

A great book...I wish there were more like it. My 7-year-old and I could not stop looking at it and discussing the connections between the images. Books that capture both of our imaginations are rare.

The Other Side - Amazing!.......2006-04-27

When I got this book out of the library for my young kids, I'd never heard of Istvan Banyai before. However, after having this book in my possession for nearly 2 weeks now, and faced with the prospect of returning it to the library, I've just gone online and ordered several copies - one to keep, the rest to give away. What a book! I never dreamt that a picture book would hold my interest for so long. When I first got it, I spent a good 2 hours focused on it during a recent car trip (I was a passenger :-). Every time I went through the book, I saw more and more... such detail! Such wonderful ideas! All loosely tied to the idea of "The other side." Of a piece of paper, of a curtain, of a window, of a subway station...

Just when I thought I'd figured out the author's tricks - he would surprise me with something out of left field. It often requires some focused thought to "get" his point. So... while you can enjoy the pictures on one level, if you have a couple of uninterrupted hours to spend with the book, you'll see so much more.

The most innovative, imaginative and original children's book in a longest time .......2006-04-16

The most innovative, imaginative and original children's book I have seen in a longest time. I don't know how many copies I have given to friends, their childrean, and family members for christmas, birthday, baby shower, etc. I guarantee your kids will love this book, but I am certain, you(= adults) will find it fascinating as well. I just gave a copy to my sister who is in her 40s because she got so excited flipping through this book at a show opening at the Society of Illustrators, where the author, Istvan Banyai won Gold Medal in book category this year (2006).

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