This is a wonderful book to read with your children. My daughter, age 2 3/4 loves this book, even though she has never seen snow. It evokes happy memories of snowy days from my childhood. The watercolor pictures are beautiful with just enough playful detail to keep interesting when reading again and again. This book is well written and well illustrated. Stella is fun, with lots of energy, like Olivia (Ian Falconer).

stella, with her red hair and similar fiesty personality, is the PERFECT guide for both summer and winter fun. both my boys love her wacky, child-like and TRUE explanations of seahorses, snowbanks and fun to be had, either in a bathing suit or snowsuit. the illustrations are lovely, the text is true and the attraction for all is evident. this book should not be missed.

Stella certainly is the Queen of her Domain, which is the world inhabited by her brother and herself. With her flaming red hair (a visual highlight of the book), she rules the roost when Sam sees snow for the first time. Stella's explanations to Sam of how the world functions are occasionally accurate but more often creative, alternative, and imaginary. They provide for some great laughs for children old enough to know the truth (bears don't really eat snowflakes for breakfast, do they. . . ?). Their anonymous and silent dog follows their adventures through building a snowman, building a snow fort for a snowball fight, sledding, and making snow angels. The dialogue is very child-like, without being childish and condescending. It gives kids a voice to which they can probably relate, whether it's the supremely confident Stella or the more cautious Sam.

The book's watercolors are very cool! Gay captures the orange-red of Stella's hair, the "safe" green of Sam's snowsuit, and the traditional brown of their dog. She captures amazing detail without being overwhelming: leaves and birds on the tree branches, the other kids in the snowball fight, the trip up and then down the hill on the sleds, and the making of snow angels (the final picture of the dog is priceless!!). The complexity of the pictures matches the level of the dialogue---somewhere between the intense complexity of a Grame Base, for example, and the beautiful simplicity of Eric Carle. Gay is right on the money.

Bottom line: This is a great book for kids and their parents! Parents will enjoy reading of Stella's parallel universe, and kids who are old enough to do so will enjoy correcting her errors. It's a fun day with Stella and Sam. It's almost worth getting the book for two pictures: Sam standing on a pile of snow, with his pot belly, firmly-secured hat, and green snow suit; and the dog doing the snow angel at the end. If you don't love Stella's hair and attitude, then you need to adjust your sense of humor.

This is the classic story-version where the first two pigs areeaten by the wolf. What makes this version so very special are thewonderful light-hearted illustrations. I am a kinder teacher and this version can't help but to engage my students. Trust me, your kids will love it!

the book taught me a lot of morals. The book was very interesting and it was easy to read with a lot of good messages. I know that i wont ever mess with another wolf with so much breath again. Why are pigs so mean? He just wanted a place to stay and a warm meal...

One of my first grade students brought this book into school one day. I read it and decided I had to have it. Lois Wyse wrote a humorous story perfect for a Grandparents' Day Celebration or just for casual reading for children of all ages.

A cute and heart worming story about a girl and her Grandmother. I love this book with all my heart. The book was fantastic!

This story of a young boy who finds music in his imagination is wonderful. I read it to my students and they loved it! It has humor and is beautifully illustrated.

I couldn't wait to read the newest book in the series. This story is simple in text, yet so very well portrays the older and younger sibblings interaction. Marie-Louise Gay understands children and their thought processes. The little dog is great fun to watch and the tiny things in the illustrations like sea shells on the top of dresser, little striped socks here and there, the handmade art work that decorates their walls ..., read the book over and over again and you will discover something new each time. It's a feel good book and it deserves a place on your bookshelf along side the first Stella books. Thank you, Marie-Louise Gay for the smiles.

I am not being hypocritical in saying that this has to be on of the greatest books of all time. It is one asset that my golden is named Maddie, and another that my family is very musical, but that doesn't matter. I was browsing ()one day. I typed in "Maddie" for fun, and guess what? Something about music caught my eye. I was so happy with my selection when I bought "Maddie Wants Music".

The delightfully quirky illustrations, the ingeniously imaginative story line, the catchy rhythm of this book all combine to make this an absolute favorite in my house. Our family just loves this book and our children are 3, 5, and 7, so don't limit yourself to the baby/preschool set, as the reading level assigned by Amazon would suggest!

Touches upon imaginations of all young children. My children love to read this story time after time. The illustrations are special and are a great accompaniment to the story!

The illistrations are beautiful. The story with all of sams questions and stellas imagination are right out of a preschoolers mouth. Fun summer reading.

I just discovered Stella and Sam this weekend and they are now officially my favorite children's characters ever! The brother and sister relationship has never been explored with such sweet simplicity. A worried Sam asks the truly stellar Stella question after question after question, and she answers with pizazz and panache, until Sam can't help but be influenced by her infectious enthusiasm. Their paunchy little-kid stomachs and Stella's flame-red hair are sooooo cute that the book would be worth the buy even for the pictures. Luckily you don't have to compromise - the dialogue makes it difficult to read without laughing aloud and the story flows with a fresh feeling that is completely enjoyable.

Stella aquaints her little brother, Sam, to "The Sea"--a world to which she is an expert and which adults do not seem to inhabit. He is testing the waters, obviously timid about his first ocean adventure. She is an avid explorer--unafraid to share her waters with fallen stars (starfish) and galloping sea horses. It's worth buying this book just to see the picture of the two fishing off of the pier. Absolutely Adorable!

This version of Rumpelstiltskin is based on the second edition of the Grimms' work in 1819, with some language from later versions and a few additions by Mr. Zelinsky. All of this is detailed in the author's note at the end of the book. The high points here are the matchless, detailed illustrations that mimic oil paintings in delicate, detailed pastels. These images create a majesty and power that add to the mystery of this most powerful story. This version will leave some unsatisfied for the apparent foolishness of the miller and the needless cruelty of the king.

The miller visits the king and brags that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king sends for her, and bids her to do this overnight, or be killed the following morning. She is locked up with a spinning wheel and straw. She weeps in despair because she has no idea of how to do that . . . until a little man comes in and offers to help. She trades her necklace for his aid, and soon the straw becomes golden bobbins of thread. The king likes this and demands that she do it again the next night. The little man again offers to help. She trades her ring this time for his assistance. The king then comes and says she must do it a third time or die. If she succeeds, he will marry her. With nothing left to pay the little man, she has to agree to his request for her first born child. After the child is born, the little man returns for his reward. She persuades him to give her three days to guess his name. If she succeeds, she does not have to give up her child. A servant follows him into the woods and hears him say, "Rumpelstiltskin is my name." The queen "guesses" correctly and he rides off on a spoon never to be heard from again.

This story always bothered me when I was a child. Why were the men all so unreasonable? I still find myself feeling that way 50 years later. I avoided reading this story to my children when they were little. I didn't think it had the redeeming values of most folk talkes.

The reason for reading this book is to enjoy the illustrations, so I recommend that you get it for yourself (rather than for your child) if you liked the story as a youngster. If you didn't like the story, even the illustrations won't save it for you.

The book won a Caldecott Honor for its illustrations.

After you finish reading the book or thinking about the story (if you don't read it), I suggest you consider your own conduct to locate any places where you make promises or say things that create problems for others. Be sure you aren't acting like the miller.

Act honorably, and inspire that in others!

This is a retelling of the famous children's "fairy" tale, first presented by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early 19th century. A young mother has to guess a gnome's name (he had been spinning straw into gold for her) in order to prevent him from taking her new-born babe. This book was a 1987 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children. Paul Zelinsky did considerable research to follow the original version of the tale and his art reflects the time period of the story. It is a beautiful book.

Rumpelstiltskin is a classic fairy tale and this is a beautiful retelling. The illustrations are lush and full of detail that adds to the story. The retelling is easy to read but does not talk down to children.

My daughters who are five love this book and we have read it dozens of times. I highly recommend this for fairy tale lovers. I was attracted by the illustrations which are beautiful but stayed for the story.