This is a cute bedtime book. We meet a lot of tired animals in the zoo who are trying to get to sleep when a baby bird keeps them up with his singing. So, to get back at him, all day long they make noise and cause the bird to miss his nap. That night, he is so tired that he doesn't sing and everyone is able to get some sleep. I had fun reading this book to some kids for nap time and they enjoying the silly repeating phrase "beebeebobbi" - especially when I said it the way that all of the different animals would. I did have to take a star away because at times the text can be difficult to read - especially for beginning readers who are trying to follow along while reading over your shoulder. Also, it can be a little bit too exciting when trying to get children to settle down for a nap.

Why 3 stars?:
A fun book with some funny moments, but some of the text can be difficult to read. Parts can be a little too exciting when trying to have kids fall asleep. All in all, a good book that should be used carefully.

This is a cute book, first written in 1963 & reillustrated by the wonderful Steven Kellogg, who has used his talent well here. But I found it disappointing that everyone identified by gender was male: the bear, lion, elephant, the bird and the zookeeper. Sure, it was written a while ago but presumably there were female animals then, too, right?

This book is funny in a way the whole family can relate to. Parents and siblings who have been kept awake by a baby will especially enjoy the comic view of their predicament. Those who do the waking will enjoy the baby bird's expressing their viewpoint. The artwork is great at showing the exhausted and irascible animals who are kept awake by the cheerful baby bird. The typesetting is very clever, too.

It is clear that this is a tall tale as Mike runs away from home at age two days. The illustrations are very well done. BUT Mike Fink was a real person, and I would prefer a real story about the real character instead of this yarn. Kellogg could have made up a character and told the same story. It has nothing to do with the real Mike Fink.

With "Mike Fink," author and illustrator Steve Kellogg gathers up in one story all the classic elements of an American tall tale: rasslin' with bears, lifting boats over one's head, leaping across great divides, kicking out the slats in one's cradle, and more.

Mike Fink is a young man with a lot to prove and a good heart. Kellogg endows him with burly good looks and a great big smile, even as he has to twist a few arms to get attention paid to his exploits. The cartoon-like illustrations are colorful and boisterous, which perfectly suits the rhythm of the text. Lots of fun for any kid who enjoys tall tales (especially tall tales with a Mark Twainesque flavor, as this has rivers and steamboats a-plenty!).

MIke Fink is a story with lots of surprises and great pictures.Mike was able to do many things that seemed impossible. If you want to read about a boy who was determined to get what he wanted, this is the book for you.Our whole class really liked hearing this story.

I strongly think you should read this book because it is funny. It has a wizard that does magic and he helps kids learn how to save their money. You should extremely like this book because the kids make things and they get money. They also babysit a giant baby for one thousand dollars. A boy makes a bridge and they do their chores. They also do incredible things.

The illlustrations are fun. The text talks about situations to which kids can relate. The book gives some good lessons about money and how to use it. Yet, the book never bogs down. Children find it interesting and fun.

Great gift for people who are adopting. Steven Kellogg is one of our favorite illustrators- makes book very inviting!

This simple story is truly elevated by Wilson's rich, lively drawings. My children thoroughly enjoyed this book and were thrilled for visiting Englebert the elephant when he rose to the occasion and wowed the crowd after being stunned and bewildered by a unexpected circus spotlight. The jovial verse makes it especially appealing. An uplifting book, good for reading right before you turn out the light.

John Chapman was born on Sept. 26, 1774. He had a rough childhood when his father left for the Revolutionary War and his mother and brother died before his second birthday. His father eventually remarried by the time he was six. The Chapman's lived on an apple orchard and used the apples for many things including sauces, cider, vinegar, and apple butter. When he was old enough to leave the home he went to the Allegheny Mountains and planted a small orchard. He ventured through the Pennsylvania Forest and continued to plant small orchards along his way. He befriended the pioneers and was a friend to the animals as well. Johnny soon became known as Johnny Appleseed because of the small orchards he planted all over the country. Storytellers always had a new tall tale about his survival in the wilderness. In March of 1845 Johnny became ill while trudging through a snowstorm and died a few days later. I would recommend this book because it teaches and informs us of a guy who was a great legend. He was known for planting many orchards and surviving in the wilderness. He was a brave man and who knows what our world would be like without him. ~ Katelyn Carson

What a wonderfully exciting look at counting! This book andits author teach children many things without even trying. Fromcounting to sequencing, and frogs to action words, this book does it all. The illustrations and text are definitely designed with the young, learning reader in mind. Thank you for such a great addition to my math related pieces of literature!

Pinkerton is losing his baby teeth! Everything in the house is getting chewed to pieces and you will never believe what happens when Pinkerton tags along on a school field trip to the museum!

The Pinkerton books have always been among our favorites and "Prehistoric Pinkerton" is no exception. The illustrations are wonderful and the story is magnificient!

What a cute book! This book is about a little boy that can see his neighbor is a wizard but no one believes him when he tries to tell them. The illustrations are wonderful and it is easy to recognize Steven Kellogg's work. It teaches about imagination and that many times people only see what they want to see and learning to accept others with differences. I highly recommend it to all with children preschool ages and up.

Our six-year-old son loved Yankee Doodle so much that he brought it home from the school library two weeks in a row. He was fascinated by the pictures, and he enjoyed telling us his own interpretation of the story. After reading (and singing) the book together for several nights in a row, his reading improved noticeably. Not surprisingly, he begged us to get him his own copy.