Hello Benny! adds to the 'Growing Up' stories which tells of young Benny, who celebrates his first year of life. Simple text and large pictures tell of Benny's first experiences in life, from encounters with admiring adults to growing older. A fine celebration which comes alive with Michael Emberley's drawings.

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it . . . " Now that I have you in the mood for this book, let me ask you a question. Did you know who wrote the original story of Rudolph? Well, it was Robert L. May. Did you also know that Mr. May had written a sequel? Have you read the sequel? If not, you should and this is it.

Mr. May died in 1976. In 1991, his daughter was working in the family attic and found several drafts of a sequel written in 1947. These were edited into this story and published in 1992. New illustrations were developed by Michael Emberley to bring the story humorously up-to-date.

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. Rudolph's Second Christmas was one of her picks.

This book is the story of what happened in the year following Rudolph's famous trip with Santa Claus on that "foggy Christmas Eve." When Santa and Rudolph get back from some time off, they start reading thank you letters from children. Unfortunately, they find one complaint letter. They had missed two children with a circus who had been good. Rudolph volunteers to find out how they can avoid missing the children next Christmas. Along the way, he comes up with wonderful solutions that make the whole year better . . . as well as next Christmas.

The book's story line builds nicely around the problems that the children and some unusual animals perceive they have by being different. Rudolph shows them how differences become advantages when brought to bear in the right time and in the right place. So the original story's theme of overcoming being shunned because of being different using Rudolph as the example is much more thoroughly explored in this book. I like the idea of Rudolph taking that lesson and teaching it to others. In many ways, that makes this book more intersting and valuable than the original, well-beloved story.

Children are very aware of and critical about differences in other people and in themselves versus "the norm." This story gives you a nice chance to counterbalance that false conclusion that only sameness should be celebrated. In this way you can encourage your child to be both a keen observer of differences and an innovative thinker about how to turn them to advantage.

There is a television commercial out now that does this well, for example. Two groups of children are being formed into teams by having captains choose players. The assumption is that this will be a sports contest. One side is glad to get a large child, while another side is discouraged about getting a smaller one. Then the contest turns out to be a debate, and the team with the smaller child is ecstatic. That commercial is a good one to discuss in the context of this story.

After you have finished enjoying the story with your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or godchild, I suggest that the two of you have a discussion about what the child perceives of his or her differences as being disadvantages. Then think together about how those could be advantages instead. This will open up a whole new world of possibility for the child. You will be like Rudolph in dispelling the fog so that Christmas can come again this year.

Won't you guide someone's sleigh to greater self worth tonight?

By the way, it's great fun to read this book while playing a recording of the Rudolph song in the background at the same time.

Have a very Merry Christmas, and share the gift of good will with others.

If you do not celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season for what you do celebrate. May God be with you!

English 385.150
5/23/02
Dr. Michelle H. Martin
Book Review
Doberman, Mary. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You. Illus. Michael Emberley. Boston:
Little, Brown and Company, 2001.
You Read to Me, I'll Read to You contains many different short stories that two people can read together. All containing positive lessons, each story has at least two characters who face a problem or experience an adventure. For example, in "The Dime," the pig finds a dime, but his friend the cat feels that the money belongs to him. Instead of the characters keeping the money and destroying their friendship, they decide to purchase a book and take turns reading the book to one another. Another story that has a positive lesson is "I Hate My Hat." The characters in the story are raccoons, and one raccoon continually says, "I hate my hat." The other raccoon says that "hate" is not a nice word to say and compliments his friend for wearing the hat so that no one needs to speak the word "hate" at all.
The book also possesses characteristics of a play because the text offers two speaking part. One reader reads the purple colored sentences, the other reads the pink colored sentences, and both readers read the blue sentences together. The color-coding also teaches the concept of following directions. Children of all ages need to know how to follow directions because they will encounter many areas in their lives that will require them to follow directions both at school and at home.

My 4-year old, who has not yet begun to read, absolutely loves this book! We started reading 2 stories at bedtime and ended up finishing the book. The rhythm and rhyme of the stories really held his attention and the repetition helped him to participate even if he didn't know the words. Once he begins to read, this book will be a joy to do together. It has definately been added to our regular rotation.

As the Mary Ann Hoberman explains in her introduction: "Here's a book/With something new-/You read to me!/I'll read to you!/We'll read each page/To one another-/You'll read one side,/I the other..." This clever and unique picture book includes 12 very short stories, written like a dialogue, and based on simple, lighthearted, friendly themes, that are perfect for emerging, and early readers. Each part is color coded for sharing and fun. I read the purple lines, you read the red, and we read the blue lines together, and then maybe switch. Ms Hoberman's joyous, rhyming text is full of rhythm, energy, and repetition and complemented by Michael Emberley's charming and humorous illustrations. You Read To Me, I'll Read To You is a delightful introduction to the joys and wonders of both reading, and reading together. As the author reminds your young reader at the end: "...But there are other/Books to read./Hundreds/Thousands/All we need./Any time/In any weather/We can sit/Right down together./In the shade/Or in the sun/Choose a book/That looks like fun./One that's old/Or one that's new./Make-believe/Or really true./I'll read one line/I'll read two./You read to me./I'll read to you."

Since our nine year old son is the result of donor insemination within a two mom family, he is pretty well informed on how a baby is biologically created. All those questions and more were answered in a humorous way in this book. A child can take this book and read a page or a chapter at a time by himself or with his family. It allows him to feel comfortable with the whole factual human sexual process through humor and easy to understand child-text. I would recommend this book to any family that wants their children to understand all types of relationships, families and the unique process of conception and birth.

This book is perfect for children to read before entering puberty! Robie Harris explains male and female body parts (inside and out), what changes take place during puberty, how an sperm fertilizes an egg, what sex is, what love is, what happens during pregnancy (including how a baby grows and how one is born), different types of families (gay, straight, adoption, etc), good and bad touches, and even a bit about HIV and AIDS.

The author explains everything very honestly without being judgmental, although he leaves room for a parent to explain his or her own values to a child. For example, while explaining masturbation he writes, "Every family has its own thoughts and feelings about masturbation...Some people and religions think it's wrong to masturbate."

The book covers a lot of information, but presents it in a fun and simple way. The cartoon illustrations are complete without being terribly graphic, and the small bird and bee throughout the book serve as "tour guides". This book will definitely be on my bookshelf when my daughter starts asking questions.

Harris and Emberley have done it again! "It's So Amazing!" is a much-needed follow up to their prior book, "It's Perfectly Normal."

The text is clear, while maybe a little advanced for the younger solo reader -- this would be a good one for parents and kids to read together at first. Numerous captions and illustrations help children understand the material more fully, and are entertaining, to boot.

The bird and bee characters are back, too, speaking many of the feelings, doubts, and questions real kids may have when mulling over the information. They provide some comic relief, but their function as a sounding board is more important than many people realize. This can be confusing (and hard to believe) stuff.

There is much more in-depth material on the actual mechanics of reproduction and birth than in "Normal," but it is nicely balanced by the sections on how families are formed, how families relate to and love each other, and what makes each person unique.

This would make a perfect teaching tool for a kid who has a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology, but is ready for some behind-the-scenes details as to how babies are created, and how they grow into children who then grow into adults -- and start the whole process over!

Favorite characters: Ruby a mouse, Granny, and Mrs. Mastiff

Ruby, a very small mouse is given a batch of triple cheese pies to deliver to her Granny. The only problem is that Granny lives way across town, and these city streets are a little rough. Along the way Ruby encounters many dangers from mean reptiles, sly cats, and busy streets. Her mom warns her not to talk to strangers, but does Rudy listen to her. You will have to read this book to find out.
This is a great book with a lot of pictures that show how busy this city is. A great book for young kids that really reminds you to listen to your parents and not talk to strangers.

This story delights elementary school students. It gives them opportunity to hear a different version of Little Red Riding Hood. A few lessons are learned at the same time in this funny book: Don't talk to strangers. Obey your parents. Think ahead.
Every elementary school class that I read this book to loved it.

I purchase this book for everyone close to me who has a baby. It is a wonderful rendition of childbirth and the first day of a baby's life. The book is written from a parent's perspective to the child. The text is written with easy-to-understand language and has beautiful illustrations. A special note: This book would not be good for parents who experienced a particularly troubling delivery because the book describes the perfect situation.

I was lucky enough to stumble upon this book when I was about 7 months pregnant with our second child. Our oldest was then almost 2 1/2. Harris's wonderful book was instrumental in preparing our daughter for the impending arrival of her baby brother. The illustrations are beautiful and life-like; excellent pastel artwork. The text did a fantastic job conveying the wonder of birth and the first day of life for a newborn. We renewed it twice, keeping it a total of 9 weeks and my daughter had it memorized by the 2nd renewal. She loved the "howling at the moon" part along with the "sneezing, hiccuping, peeing and pooping." The pictures of the naked newborn complete with umbilical cord and the baby nursing at her mother's breast were wonderful in preparing my daughter. She was totally at ease with her brother's newborn "looks" at the hospital and was not at all shocked by the sight of him nursing. I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone wanting to prepare their older child/children for a new arrival. It would also be great for any child just for learning more about their own arrival in the world.

I am a Reading Specialist and have taught Special Education students for 14 years. I found this book wonderfully stimulating and the language easy to read and follow. I recently had my 2nd baby and my husband and I have enjoyed reading this to my 2 1/2 year old daughter. I especially like that there is a realistic picture of a mother nursing her baby. Pictures like that are very hard to find. It is wonderful to see realistic pictures depicting a nursing mother and child. It is hard to find children's books that DO NOT show a baby is bottle fed only! Wish I had found this book before I had my baby so I could show my daughter what was about to happen!!

Our family loves the book Happy Birth Day by the same author and illustrator, so I was delighted to see Hi New Baby! on the bookstore shelf -- it even features the same family as Happy Birth Day. However, when I read this book, I was very disappointed -- like too many other books in this genre, it dwells very heavily on the negative feelings an older child has about a new baby, and only on the last page is any positive feeling expressed. Of course it's important to acknowledge the negative feelings an older child will have -- but a book that presents a more balanced picture of feelings about new siblinghood, such as Joanna Cole's books I'm a Big Brother and I'm a Big Sister, or Martin Waddell's lovely book When the Teddy Bears Came, seems much more appropriate and comforting reading for siblings-to-be.

We received this as a gift for my 2 1/2 yr old daughter when our son was born. The pictures are beautiful and the story is so sweet. It definitely helped her with the adjustment of having him around. She really identified with the little girl in the book and still, a year later, she loves to read it. And I love it so much that I am giving it to friends expecting a second child!

My son loved this book before his little sister was born, and now that she's a year old, we're still reading it. (We change genders for the baby.) It has helped him feel that it's okay to be the big boy and to feel gently superior because of it. I say gently because it's an age-specific superiority which he knows won't last once his sister gets bigger. We started reading it before he was potty trained, and I believe it helped him on that road, too, since using the potty is part of being "superior." :-) I like this book because it acknowledges the confusion, fear and anger that older siblings can have -- and it encourages a nice relationship with the younger sibling.

... I would have never purchased this book.
I love the idea of giving my little 2 and a half year old a universal approach to tales and stories from all over the world. I new Rudoph qualified. I had no idea that there was a monster in the story; note that it was the one thing that impressed her, and she asked me what it was.
I wouldn't suggest it to anyone that wants to introduce the idea of Santa Clauss to their child.

I was very impressed with this book . . . a beautiful book, wonderfully illustrated, containing the original story, which did not have the Abominable, or Herbie, or Yukon Cornelius, like the later movie. I remember as a child in 1951 listening to the original story on 78rpm records put out by RCA and have attempted for years to find the original story. Although I did notice some subtle differences in the words . . .the original referred to Rudolph's, er, "forehead" (Santa was too polite to call it a big red nose) . . most of the text stayed true to what I had memorized. Definitely a book not only for children, but for us baby boomers who remember the original. A must-have to hand on from generation to generation.

Yes, the other reindeer make fun of Rudolph's red nose. (I would hardly call this bigotry.) That is the point of the story: Rudolph overcomes adversity and the other reindeer learn to accept differences. Even the elves learn to accept a dentist and the misfit toys are given to boys and girls who love them. Maybe the USA reader should have watched (or read) until the end of the story instead of making snap judgements like all of the other reindeer.

All good things come in 3's -- so said a college physics professor of mine. He was obsessed with arcana of Isaac Newton's life and related conspiratorial goings-on, but the observation is a universal one. Johnny Carson frequently observed the magical rhythm of three -- setup, setup, punchline -- in the land of comedy. And now we have the Emberleys adding to the magical lore of Three. Read it and enjoy.

I purchased this book over a year ago when my daughter was nine. After a short perusal I decided it wasn't quite time to bring it out, but have kept it in the back of my mind for 'the right time'....it amazes me how quickly 'the right time' sneaks up.

This book is well organized into several sections and addresses the basics of various 'sex' topics: sex and sexuality, physiology, puberty, the 'scientific' side of reproduction, health issues, and family life. The discussion is both frank and appropriate; assuming your child has begun asking questions and/or started through puberty.

The chapter layout provides the ability to address topics one by one or as you see fit. 'Sensitive' topics such as homosexuality, birth control, abortion, and STD's are covered (distinct sections if you are not ready to address them ) along with some history and 'varieties of public thought' discussion.

The illustrations are commendable - all of shapes, sizes, ages, and colors. The author integrates the various slang body terms - addressing both their humor and/or disrespectfulness as well as discussing gossip, teasing, superstitions, and all the confusing things that abound. Many of the other positives are addressed in earlier reviews.

My one critiscm is lack of pronunciation guides or 'sounds like' references. I think it's critical to provide confidence in saying the words correctly - for both children and parents! (Though a good incentive to promote use of the dictionary.)

89 pages. Also published as "Let's Talk about Sex" in the UK.

This is the best sexuality education book for children I've seen (I have been looking at many). Visually, the book presents extremely well -- it's in color throughout, has enjoyable pictures (colored pencil drawings), and is not afraid of using nudity in pictures. It contains some great cartoons animating the processes of menstruation ("The Travels of the Egg"), ejaculation ("The Travels of the Sperm"), pregnancy ("The Further Adventures of the Egg and Sperm"), and birth ("What a Trip!").

The attitudes expressed are excellent, beginning with the bird and bee characters expressing different feelings about learning about sexuality -- the bird finds everything facinating and is very positive towards learning more; the bee feels more hesitant, wanting time to feel ready. The positive attitude towards nudity I've mentioned already; the attitudes towards (for example) homosexuality, non-nuclear families, race, and masturbation demonstrate an acceptance of difference, a respect for others, and a positive attitude to it all.

If you are going to get only one book about sexuality, growing up and adolescence, this is the book to buy. If you're going to get several books, this is the first book to get!

This book is a wonderful book for boys AND girls who are learning about their bodies. I thought the information was excellent and the way it was presented was very understandable..and more importantly READABLE for children. There were ALOT of pictures drawn with a cartoon-ish and colorful manner...very attractive and appealing. Even though the pictures were done in a cartoon format they were frank enough to provide clear information...( some parents may find them *too* frank... but i think it is information that children need) I especially liked the *mascots* of this book. 2 cartoon caracters that are seen thrughout the book...a bird and a bee (cute :) one really likes the info and one seems kind of less thrilled....sometimes not interested...sometimes bored...sometimes amazed... many feelings that kids will have. I think he is an imprtant little character and gives my son *permission* to feel different ways about the info he is reading... Besides giving excellent over-all information about growing up, sex and sexual health...the books over-riding message is that "you are okay" and i think children really need to hear that. The book does it with words and pictures (cartoons showing different people and how they all look different and are all just fine the way they are) I gave this book to my son and he didnt read it cover to cover...he read what intersted him...passed on the rest...picked it up some other day...read more... picked it up on another day.... etc. I like that he has a book like this available to have when he has a question and for some reason doesnt want to ask me or feels that i didnt give him an answer that wasnt what he was looking for. sometimes i think he gets embarrassed to ask *exactly* what he wants to know...and the questions are asked a bit crypically... and are hard to figure what he wants to know... if i cant make out what he is asking...and dont quite answer the right thing...i am glad that he has this book to go to