This is a really cute book about animals (A-Y) being invited and preparing to go to Zelda the zebra's party. Even the Spanish translation is decent (unlike alot of bilingual books), although a couple of words are forced. It's great for building vocabulary.

This book is fantastic! The ideas are actually do-able and the directions are clear and concise. After borrowing this book from the library I'm ready to make it a purchase. There are projects in here I would never have tried, but this book made them easy and they turned out beautiful. The book also gives lists of things you will need to do each project. This is the best craft/decorating book I have ever gotton my hands on, And 3 of my friends also vouch for that statement.

By showing step-by-step projects in a wide array of materials and decorating techniques, this book effectively introduces the novice to the art of creating and embellishing frames, while providing inspiration to the more experienced "framer" at the same time.

Basic instructions on what materials to use and how to construct frames are discussed on the first part. The author then goes on to the projects section, which is split in two: wood and non-wooden frames. Decorating techniques include, but are not limited to, decoupaging, papiermâché, and stencilling. Each project is accompanied with step-by-step photographs which guide the crafter throughout, PLUS color photos showing variations of each frame. In effect, there are more than 20 project ideas in the book.

An added bonus: The gallery sections, which are just so inspiring! Now, there is only one more thing to do: Go ahead and start framing!

This is an excellent teaching tool for beginning counters! I gave this book to a group of toddlers and they absolutely loved it! I have read this book over and over again. With the great rhyming words and great pictures, this book will surely help your child enjoy counting. This book tells a cute little story (while counting by ones, then tens, and then back down again) about a monster having a party that gets out of control in which the mother monster shoes them all away! It is a great book!

I took my 3 year old to a raceway where he enjoyed watching his first car race. Soon afterwards he picked out this book, and asks me to read it to him every night. It's just like being at the race track (except since it's a kid's book, it downplays the accidents and crashes). A great book for kids, and has colorful cartoon pictures of multi-colored racecars. Also helpful in teaching how to count.

I refer to this book often as I progress with training. It's great to see why the rudimentary exercises I'm working on now as a beginner become so crucial down the line. The photos detail every move and show the perfect form of an excellent rider. The author communicates the important stuff without a lot of preachiness often found in books by people at the top of their game. It's carefully laid out and easy to follow...a great addition to any serious rider's library (even novices!).

Anne Kursinski has not only achieved international success as a U.S. Equestrian Team member, but has also established herself as a highly sought after instructor, clinician and now author. I've always admired her exquisite riding style, and she now shares her wisdom and systematic program with readers/riders. Her explanations are straightforward and concise with a true concern for both horse and rider. Beyond her abilities as a world class equestrian, Ms. Kursinski's level of horsemanship is unsurpassed as evidenced by her explanation/demonstration/review of each exercise she recommends, whether it is basic flat work or negotiating a cross-country course. Her flat work exercises provide such a solid foundation that can be used for any riding discipline. I am a nationally certified riding instructor who has also trained with some great instructors, and I've learned more from this book than from any other trainer I've worked with in several years. This book should be considered a must not just for competitive riders, but for anyone who truly wants to improve their riding and communication skills with their horse.

This book is a great resource for any serious rider who wants to improve their skills. I was able to not only use Anne's theories in my own riding but also apply them to my students. She explains everything in a very straight forward manner with lots of illustrations for the many exercises she gives. Since I live in an area where the closest jumper trainer is almost 2 hours away, this was a great way to get new ideas to tackle problems and master the basics. Highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to better themselves as a rider.

I love this book, and would give it five stars. My husband hates it,and would give it one. He calls it "That Stupid Book" because it has a section devoted entirely to vegetables (the woman ends up sparing the animals and makes them all vegi soup) and the pictures are so unusual. The illustrations are a mix of black and white photographs and amazing, colorful illustrations. I love the illustrations, they are captivating. Even the vegetables.

The true judge is my daughter. It is on her "greatest hits" list. She loves it. So, whenever we read "That Stupid Book", Mommy reads it. We leave Goodnight Moon for Daddy.

Our daughter was given this book for her first birthday, and she loved it from the start. Author Anne Miranda subverts the typical "To Market, To Market" rhyme with her own funnybone squarely at the fore of her thinking. Among other things, our huffy old lady goes "To market, to market" to cows, lambs, fish, and more, only to discover that they're making a wreck of her home. The pig is lolling on the counter, the hen has nested in the cutlery drawer, and the lamb is resting comfortably in the dishwasher.

What to do?!?? Although the lady verges on panic, she gets it together, assembles the ingredients for a lovely (vegetarian) meal, and everyone is seated at the end to enjoy the steaming vegetable soup she's made.

Miranda's humorous text is greatly aided by the illustrations of the talented Janet Stevens. Stevens combines actual black-and-white photographs with acrylic, pastel, and colored pencil illustrations. The result is a series of pictures with an up-to-the-minute feeling and a great deal of interest. Lots of fun for very young kids--and, luckily, for their parents as well.

This story adapts a traditional children's song by pulling it into our contemporary world. Most of us don't go to the market anymore to buy a whole pig or cow, and the illustrator highlights this gap in time by showing what happens when one woman does bring all these animals home. The result is both thoughtful and silly: I love a children's book that doesn't take itself too seriously!

As you can imagine, the animals run loose and create havoc in the kitchen while the overwhelmed woman goes back to the market for more things. Finally in desperation, she buys a bunch of vegetables and makes them all soup!

It's an artsy little story that you can read over and over again without getting bored. The illustrations are witty and creative throughout. I appreciate inventive touches in this book, like the black and white background juxtaposed against the color foreground. Also, I like the way the market background is reminiscient of an earlier time period, perhaps the 50's or 60's?

Beep! Beep! has simple, yet beautiful illustrations that will catch the eyes of preschoolers. Anne Miranda narrates the story with rhythmical, predictable, and ryhming words which invite preschoolers to naturally join in. The book does a fine job of bringing transportation vehicles to life by giving them voices. This book is a hit with my preschool students!

I got this book from the library for my son (who's 3.5). He likes ANYthing that Goes. This book covers all things that go; and the sounds they make in a fun and rhythmical fashion. Vehicles ranging from cars, to helicopters to a tank and much more. It was such a big hit! Although the book is probably geared for a younger child than him, he still really enjoys it! He likes memorizing the easy text, enjoys the fun pictures, and of course likes the little boy that zooms all around his room. One cool thing I found when I got the book the 2nd time around from the library, was that he is trying to READ it! With simple words placed in the photo above the text, like VROOM, ZOOM, ZIP, WOWEE, BOOM, etc., he sounds things out and tries to read the words...and since they are easy and interesting words, it is fun!
If your child is a fan of all things that "GO" they will enjoy this little book, it is short, and fun to read again and again (without you, the parent/caregiver going insane).

I purchased this book to talk about feelings with my almost two year old son. Unless you have a child that is VERY careful with handling books, trying to play with the fold-out masks is more frustrating than a learning tool. He didn't want it on his face and it worried him that it was on mine. Needless to say, we've used this book once and then I put it up.

Cute idea, but I would think that this would be for a more mature toddler or the preschool set.

This book has the basics -- mad, sad, glad -- but uses needlessly complex language (like using "worried" instead of "scared"). The drawings are a little fussy and to me, the faces with various emotions look more alike than different. I applaud the concept but wonder if this book could have been made a little simpler for its target audience, which is, after all, 2- and 3-year olds.

This book has fold out pages that either you or your child can "wear". My 15-month-old thinks its funny when I wear each of the monster masks. I think it is a good book for toddlers, as well as, older children. Toddlers enjoy the bright colors and masks. Older children should enjoy wearing the masks themselves, as well as, exploring feeling and monsters.

I read this book ...and struggle now to recall the Jarrett and Stone stories - they simply made no impact and they did not capture my attention. I had read the Gracie story elsewhere so this volume was very unsatisfactory for me.

In Jarrett's story, Sara Blake, brought up in India, has been reduced to being the governess to an eight year old child (Clarissa) who is an incredulous character to say the least! She behaves neither like an eight year old nor like a child of the early 19th century. Yeech! Lord Revell Claremont, younger son of a Duke, had the Great Misunderstanding with Sara many years ago and, over a Christmas house party, everything is sorted out. Sorry - I could not bring myself to care about the characters or their dilemma; they did not attract me at all and the story line was tired and not especially interesting.

Lyn Stone's story of a marraige of convenience, mystery children, mistaken identities, etc (every trite and well used theme you can think of) was played out in a stiff and what appeared to me to be a hastily written format. The prose never seemed to lift or sparkle as one might reasonably expect in a Regency Christmas story. Again, Bethany and Jack are not people I could get interested in; too one-dimensional for me.

Anne Gracie's story was at least better written. Again, a case of mistaken identity through the means of amnesia, this is the story of a man set upon and near death rescued by a penurious widow and her small daughter. Although the story was simplistic and credulous at times, at least Gracie has the manifest talent of writing prose that holds one's attention. I didn't think this was her best effort but at least one could care about the characters and one can at least be cheered when poor Ellie snags her Lord Rothbury.

I think Harlequin failed with this anthology. I love Christmas Regency short stories but this volume was flat, sometimes turgid and sadly filled with uninteresting characters trapped in uninspiring stories. Don't bother.