"A two-faced weasel is someone who shows one face in public but hides another face for his evil deeds," Mr. Morrison said. He turned around and parted his hair. "Do you see another face back there?"

Mr. Morrison is the flimflam man in this story, and he has conned two vulnerable girls, former foes who gradually become friends, into helping him promote a circus that is supposedly coming to town.

This story, a chapter book written at about the third grade level, appeals to students all the way up to 6th grade in our school. It has a genuine feel for small town Wetumka, Oklahoma, in 1950, which is where this historical fiction story (based on actual events) takes place. Darleen Bailey Beard makes the plot and characters work on at least two levels: first, it serves as a warning that not everyone can be trusted, and secondly, it's a heartwarming tale about a friendship that develops out of adversity.

The lessons taught in this short (85 page) book are those that children need to hear. Recommended.

This book was very good. I read it because the author was coming to my school. When I first heard she was coming, I wasn't that excited. Then, after I read this book, I couldn't wait! I think you would like this book.

Darleen Beard's book, The Flim Flam Man, made me laugh out loud. Kids of all ages will this tale and, at the same time, learn a little about Oklahoma history, too. Can't wait for this author's next book!

What fun!

I had to read a Children's poetry book for one of my college classes to review. I was really pleased with this book. It is well written (and quite a variety - 55 poems total)...and it can keep a variety of ages' interest. The poems deal with events or things that children wonder about or experience while growing up... It's cute!

I stumbled across this book when I was going through an oldbox, and I sat down and read it. It brought back memories of when Iwas a child. I thinks it's a lovely poetry book for children, and if you want memories of child hood after you've grown up.

This book threw me into a laughing fit when I read it to Max in the children's books section of one of the large bookshops in Singapore (the perfect refuge on week-ends during the rainy winter season). Max is two and a half years old, and he is very tolerant of his dad's monkeying around. To judge by the looks I got when I guffawed, it seems that most parents regard reading children's books as a serious matter.

Anyway, kids have a great sense of humor, and they will enjoy it when you chuckle while reading this book to them. The little monkeys of the title are five clumsy but well-intentioned, lovable creatures that mess up the house while trying to please their mom. That is probably what happens to many two or three-year-olds who hope to do the right thing and end up spilling the milk when they try to assist mom. Enthusiasm combined with clumsiness can produce some rather chaotic results. "Five Little Monkeys with Nothing to Do" teaches parents and kids to see the funny side in such mishaps.

Recommended for parents and children alike.

I love reading this book to my 2 year old daughter. She runs around chanting about the 5 monkeys. I first learned of them from my daycare provider, and came to amazon.com to find them. Thank you

This book is first-rate in entertaining children 3-8. Children will enjoy following the story of Bert & Ethel, who raise some very intelligent pigs and decide it's time to sell them at the market in the morning. The pigs overhear this, and the trouble--or the fun--begins. The smart pigs escape, using clever disguises borrowed from local townspeople, and are missing untill the end of the story.

The illustrations are great and the story moves along smoothly. Your children will really like this one!

Get ready to be taken for a hilarious ride by a passel of precocious pigs! Farmers Bert and Ethel decide to take a break from growing turnips to try their hand at pigs. It's time to load up their lard and take them to market, but these savvy swine have other ideas. Our feckless farmers are unaware that their cargo has disappeared until it's too late, but you won't be if you pay attention to the pictures. Christelow combines unassuming text with not-so-unassuming illustrations in this porcine plot that is sure to tickle your spareribs and convince you that these pigs are smarter than your average root vegetable. Recommended reading for preschoolers on up, The Great Pig Escape is sure to make you chuckle if not bust your chops laughing.

"The trouble started the day Bert and Ethel's pigs escaped from the back of their truck. Right after that, people all over town started missing clothes. Everyone searched everywhere. No clothes. No pigs." Soon a postcard arrived from Florida with the word 'OINK'. It was embarrassing, everyone joking about Bert and Ethel's runaway, postcard writing pigs. What they needed, Bert decided was to get away from it all, and take a nice vacation to someplace special, warm and fun, like Florida. He bought two bus tickets, and those two pig farmers were soon on their way..... Eileen Christelow is back with another charming and amusing missing pig tale that's sure to have kids squealing with pleasure. Her simple and entertaining story line is enhanced with expressive and hilarious illustrations, and little ones will enjoy poring over the pages and finding all the disguised pigs in the most unusual places. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, The Great Pig Search is a rip roarin' comical adventure that's sure to tickle your funny bone each and everytime you open the book.

In Eileen Christelow's picturebook story The Great Pig Search, Bert and Ethel's pigs escape on their way to market and their owners receive a postcard with one message: "OINK". Now they decide to head to Florida in search of their wayward pigs - and Bert seems to see them everywhere in this whimsical, fun story.

This books shows what illustrators do by following two illustrators both working on Jack and the Beanstalk but coming up with very different results. A friendly cat and dog also add to the book.

Outstanding descriptions and illustrations describing how two illustrators can get very different results, even though they were both working on the same story. (Jack and the Beanstalk) Wonderful teaching resource. Highly recommend this for K through the 4th grade; also recommended reading for teachers and parents. Contains excellent color illustrations.

Ezra has five dogs. Betty comes over every day rain or shine to visit him and his dogs. Usually she gives them cookies but Ezra really doesn't care for her to come over. When all the dogs see her they bark and go down the hill to greet her. Then it started to snow. Then Betty started to drive her car up the hill to see them. She usually brought them (in the winter) hot cocoa and cookies. She tried to be kind and bring Ezra a quilt when it got colder, but he said no because it was not too cold. It was only a three or four dog night. Betty didn't know what he meant when he said that. One day Betty thought it was so cold she came over to make sure Ezra was alright. She walked in on him sleeping, and all of his dogs on him. Ezra got mad at her and Betty said that she would never come over again. Ezra began to get lonely when Spring came so he baked cookies for Betty and went down the hill to see her. To his surprise she said that she didn't need him as a friend, she had bought dogs of her own. Then they went inside and ate cookies, had tea and lived happily ever after.

Found this book years ago. It has become a family favorite - showing our sons the consequences of being stubbon for stubbon's sake. "I can if I want to." is a family byword now.

As a grower of giant pumpkins, I take exception to the professional review which dings this book for not having enough "bite" and (heavens!) not even mentioning Halloween. Pumpkins are fun and so is this book. There is something inherently charming about a small town pumpkin festival, and this one has a distinctly New England look to it that reminds me of when we used to live in New Hampshire. This celebration of a simple fruit, with fun for your pre-school and early grade school children is fun to read aloud, without succombing to the modern cultural prerequisite for a witch with a wart on nose. The writing does get a bit sing-song in places, but quite tolerable to my adult ear overall. Enjoy some good clean autumn fun and read this to your kids. God bless!

This is an excellent book for teaching children how books are created by an author and then published. It is a humorous account of the ways authors find their ideas and the rewriting necessary to create their stories. I plan to use it as an inspiration for my third graders as they write their own stories.