Here is another Dumpy story with just the right amount of action, suspense, and the slightest hint of danger, as well as lots of vehicles, for little boys to enjoy. My 4 year old loves Dumpy books and this one is no exception! The illustrations are bright and the text is substantial--not dumbed-down for small
children. We look forward to more Dumpy books in the future!

The latest in the Hyperion "Dumpy the Dump Truck" series, Dumpy And The Big Storm is an engaging picture book for young readers ages 3 to 7 about a cheerful dump truck, who along with friends Stinky the Garbage Truck, Tommy the Tow Truck and Big Red the Fire Engine, who must combine their efforts to help when lightning strikes the harbor lighthouse and Saucy Sue the fishing boat is in trouble. A heartwarming and adventurous story collaboratively written by Julie Andrews Edwards and Emma Walton Hamilton, and enhanced with full color, cartoon-style artwork by Tony Walton, Dumpy And The Big Storm is commended as a delightful, "kid friendly" addition to family, school, and community library collections.

My grandson loved this book before he could crawl. He would pick this book out of several and hand to us to read. We couldn't even "trick" him by reading a different one. He's now 18 months old and just dumped it in the tub so we are now having to replace it!! I highly recommened it for any little baby boy...

For Post-Grad Environment students this book is essential to patch up areas of defficieny in your scientific knowledge.

how they harvestede the taro. how they grew the taro.what is its parts called.about the water and the wate ditches.all about thetaro patches.preparing the taro. when did they eat it and the rest of the things about taro

Upon purchasing this book, I was nervous that the vocal score would be incomplete scaled down versions of the popular songs for My Fair Lady. Instead, I was very delightfully surprised. Not only are ALL the songs present, plus the repises in COMPLETE FULL versions, there are piano arrangements for almost all the musical interludes and stand alone pieces throughout the play. (i.e. the overture, music for closings, intermission, etc. etc) Lines preceedng and in between songs are also printed.

If you are interested in not only the song, but the music (in all forms) of My Fair Lady, highly recommended.

This may be somewhat of an unpopular opinion, but I encourage you to read it all the way through before "bashing" me for only giving it three stars when it averages a "5."

Ok, so what plot does this sound like? 5 travellers (3 male, one female, one animal) set off to the middle of a fantasy land, seeking its mysterious ruler who has never been seen? Nope, forget Dorothy and the Tin Man. What Julie Andrews has basically done with this story is copy the Wizard of Oz in a far less original manner.

There are weird, freaky characters with bizarre, over-the-top names. There are dangers along the way, with someone (in this case the Prock) determined to stop them from reaching the castle (Wicked Witch, anyone?).

And the book is quite predictable. We all knew full well that they would all find the Whangdoodle in the end, because gosh darnit, this was such a pure and sweet story that its readers just can't handle a sad ending. We all knew that the High-Behind cat that visited Lindy was up to no good. I am normally terrible at predicting what can happen in books, and yet this novel, which encourages readers to "use their imaginations" left little to it as far as the plot.

Another thing that annoyed me was the obvious "morals lessons" that were prevelent throughout the story. Other children's books, such as Harry Potter, slyly weave morality throughout without force-feeding it to kids. No kid wants to hear the Professor give a speech about how, "Sometimes our greed gets the best of us and we do things that aren't always right." It was also full of 50's-style "father knows best" mentality (whether when the kids were all gathered around in the family room with mom and dad, looking up words in the dictionary, or when the professor insisted that they always do what he said without questioning). Granted, this book was published almost 30 years ago, but good grief.

I would have also liked the book better if the three children weren't such boring, predictable little puppets. Get some spirit already, and stop being such goody-goodys!!

Mrs. Andrews did do a good job of not "over-describing" the characters in order that readers might come up with their own mental descriptions.

As much as I have pointed out the shortcomings in this book, it is still a quick, fairly interesting read. Just don't expect spectacular originality or plot twists.

I read this book at least a dozen times growing up...checking it out from the library each time. It is truly the most imaginative and wonderful book possibly EVER for children. I only found out once I grew up that the author is Julie Andrews (her name listed as Julie Edwards in the book itself). That just endeared it to me even more. The characters are so distinct, especially the professor. The premise may seem off-the-wall...going to another world using the power of your mind...but the way it is written, it seems plausible. And the world they travel to is so magical and special. You feel as if you are along for the ride. I am so grateful I was introduced to this book at an early age, because it fosters in children a creativity and an idea that anything is possible. However, I think anyone of any age would get something out of the book. You have to be willing to open yourself up to something completely unrealistic, but it is worth it.

I first read "Whangdoodles" in 1977 when I received it as an eleventh birthday gift from my sister. Since then, it has become one of my favorite children's books which I have revisited countless times and shared with my nieces and nephews. "Whangdoodles" is a whimsical, fantastic adventure which underscores how a well-developed imagination can be a tool for discovering the important lessons of life: goal-setting, training, trust, teamwork, creativity, open-mindedness and determination.

Lindy, Thomas and Benjamin are three ordinary children who meet and are taken under the wing of the extraordinary Professor Savant. Together they discover a unique land filled with rare and wonderful creatures like the Slippery Prock, the High-Behind Splinter Cat, Tree Squeaks and Flutterbies. They take a ride on the Jolly Boat, cross trecherous terrain and face many challenges on their way to meet the reclusive Whangdoodle.

With the Professor's guidance, the children prove that preconceived notions can be a handicap, and that faith and perserverance can help one achieve nearly anything.

This book is right up there with "Edward Eager's "Half Magic" and E. Nesbitt's "Five Children & It."

This is one of my top 10 favorite books ever. I first read Mandy when I was 11 or so and I've read it over and over since then. I've given this book to 6 nieces and each one has loved it as well. A young English girl, a secret cottage, different flowers she plants, and odd English foods (to an American) she snacks on all add up to a book one could read over and over. I only wish J.A.Edwards wrote more for this age group. It's a beautiful story you'll never forget. You'll find yourself thinking of people you'd like to give it to - and not necessarily children!

In first grade I bought this book at a school book fair. Finally two years later I read the book and was so glad! It's an outstanding book, perfect for girls ages seven to ten. It's about an orphan named Mandy who is very lonely. One day she climbs over the wall of her orphanage and finds a cottage which she makes her own. She learns a lot tending the garden and working at her cottage every day. One day there is a problem. The orphanage is looking for her. When I read that I wondered will she be okay? When I started reading that part I couldn't put it down. Anyone who reads this should really love it..
-S.L.B. granddaughter of Barbara Seaman (10 years old)

--Ten-year-old Mandy lives at a girls' orphanage and wants her own family and own home. Her latter wish is granted when she discovers a small cottage in the woods behind the orphanage. Over most of the year, Mandy fixes up the cottage and plants a lovely garden, but when she suddenly falls ill at the cottage one night, no one can find her. Or so she thought: Mandy actually has a good friend whom she doesn't even know about. --This is a rare type of book: it was sweet yet still lively, which is something which is both unusual and great to read. --Marisa

As a child I fell in love with the actress Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Still an outstanding actress, I enjoyed her recent Princess Diaries, I am continually amazed at her abilities. If singing like a nightingale and acting weren't enough, she has also proven to be equally talented as an author! My eleven year daughter bought Little Bo two years ago with her hard earned allowance money. She couldn't put it down then and frequently goes back to enjoy it over again. She is currently reading it to her five year old sister who can't wait for bedtime now since she so enjoys her bedime story. The only problem is that their eight year old brother runs off with it at the most inopportune times thus wreaking havok! He thought if he could sneak away and read it in hiding no one would tease him. Boys who are almost nine are only supposed to read cool stuff, you know. He, too, found Little Bo irresistable and no longer even tries to hide it. I'm beginning to wonder if Mary Poppins wasn't really a fictional character at all but a chapter in Julie Andrews life. Don't stop now Ms. Andrews. We love you!

Bonnie Boadicea "Bo" is a little kitten born into a family with a loving mother and father, but not to kind owners. She is the runt of the litter, and doesn't eat much due to her small size. Her father loves her, and to make her feel special gives her a big name, but calls her "Bo" for short.

One day it is time for the kittens to leave their mother, and the nice warm house. They realize that they are going to be hurt unless they escape from Mr. Withers, who was supposed to take them to the pet shop. So all the kittens run in different directions, and are soon scared, wet and hungry.

Bo meets a nice sailor and gets into all kinds of mischief with him on the boat he works on, and is soon a sailing cat with a nice home and a kind owner.

This is a must read children's book that anyone, young or old, would enjoy.

The CD/book edition of _Little Bo_ is a must for young children. Julie Andrews Edwards reads as well as she sings. This edition adds much to the written text. The CD can be used as a series of short readings. The conclusion of each chapter is accompanied by gentle music that tells the child or parent that there is a natural break. The author researched the book well, and the portions of the book that take place on a fishing boat during a severe storm are very plausible. Henry Cole's soft drawings do much to convey the flavor of the story.

Bo, the kitten, and her siblings were sent away during a snow storm by the owner because their sire was an alley cat. Bo finds a friend in Billy Bates, a sailor aboard a fishing boat. Bo survives a severe storm and the dislike of the boat captain. Billy and Bo leave the boat to find new lives for themselves.

I have read this book at least once a day for the past year. I HATE IT! My son loves it. He is 2.5 now, but dumpy was one of his first vocab words. This is not a modern book, but a slow paced family oriented view of life as it was/ought to be. Be prepared to be animated and read with lots of noises. The whole collection is full of them. Thanks to these books, my son can tell the difference between a backhoe and a bulldozer and a rooster and a chicken.

Dumpy and its sequels tell the story of a seemingly abandoned truck that is discovered, refurbished, and given a new life. It is such a delightful parable about objects discarded in haste and a metaphor for what people may do to each other. The story is the begining of a collaboration between actress/singer Julie Andrews Edwards and daughter Emma Kate Walton Hamilton. Emma Kate's father, Tony Walton, is the ilustrator.

I trust this will be the beginning of a long collaborative effort.

As the story begins, everyone is hard at work on Merryhill Farm...Bee-Bee the Backhoe, Trundle the Tractor. Everyone, that is except Dumpy. He's old, rusty and broken and stuck in the tall grass behind the barn. There are birds and mice living in the stuffing of his leather seats and it looks like his work days at Merryhill Farm are over. Farmer Barnes is planning on having him towed away to make room for a new and bigger barn and this makes his son, Charlie sad. "It's so sad to get rid of something you love just to make room for something new." His grandfather, Pop-Up agrees and they hatch a plan to save Dumpy. First they pull him out of the tall weeds and clean him up. They scrub and polish, mend and paint, get him new tires and then go to work on the engine. And in no time, Dumpy's better than ever, looking good and back to work, helping to raise the new barn..... Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Hamilton have written a charming, endearing story about love, teamwork and purpose that will delight youngsters aged 3-7. Their gentle text, full of imagery and sound effects, is complimented by Tony Walton's colorful and expressive artwork and together, they have authored a story with the subtle message that big and new isn't always better. Dumpy the Dump Truck is the first in what should be a wonderful new series, that you little ones are sure to enjoy.

People keep comparing Crumey to Calvino and Borges, I can see the similarity but there's a lot else too - like Sterne, Diderot etc, not to mention Flaubert, whose "Three Tales" came to my mind after reading Crumey's "triptych". These are three separate stories linked by a theme ("memory, reason and imagination"). The result is a fine read, though disconcerting if you expect a conventional novel. Paul Auster's "New York Trilogy" also comes to mind. The last story in Crumey's book is related to his earlier novel "Pfitz". I didn't discover this until afterwards but it didn't spoil my enjoyment. Reading "Pfitz" before this book might enhance your understanding, but it's not essential. Crumey's evocation of the 18th century in this book is remarkable. He's a unique and strikingly unusual voice in contemporary fiction.

I enjoyed this story very much, however it won't make any sense unless you read Pfitz first.

This is Andrew Crumey's third novel, and the second in a loosely related trilogy beginning with Pfitz, and concluding with Mr Mee, a worthy conclusion published in the UK in May 2000.

This novel is structured around the structure of Diderot's Encyclopaedia with the focus on Memory, Reason, and Imagination - and while in Pfitz these aspects were dealt with in an abstract way permeating the novel, here there are three distinct parts - each notionally attributed to one of the heads.

The most conventional is the first, Memory, a memoir by D'Alembert, with observations by his servants. It deals with D'Alembert's relationship with the other great minds of the time, Diderot and Rousseau, and his troubles in salon culture. The second part is based around a view of the Solar System by Magnus Fergusson. This is an off-kilter way to take various approaches to logic, and philosophy. Each planetary view has a convincing internal logic. Each is completely mad, and very amusing.

The final part, Imagination, reintroduces storyteller Pfitz.

Each part is laced with Crumey's dry sense of humour, and - as with his other novels - Crumey's mathematical background is put to good use. He has immersed himself in eighteenth century French culture and while in previous novels by Crumey the influence of Calvino, Borges, and Barthelme is most marked here we see some of the philosophical games Diderot uses in Jacques the fatalist and D'Alembert's Dream.

While Crumey again demonstrates his erudition, it is necessary to stress that in the midst of the philosophy, and the clever games, Crumey is a witty writer. His novels have a black humour, and occasional farcical scenes running through them.

Crumey maintains a very high standard in his fiction, and deserves a broad readership. Those that like Barthelme, Borges, Calvino, or Steve Erickson will find something to like in Crumey.

And if you enjoy Crumey and those writers try Drivetime (a novel) or Last Orders (short stories) by James Meek.