I was given this book as a young child. I lost the book but I never forgot the story. Now that I am about to have a child of my own this book is how I want to introduce him to Jesus. This book introduces Jesus to children on their own level, as a visiting guest just like any other. It makes the child think about how he or she would treat Jesus if He came to their house. Would they need to act differently or not? It makes the child think about their actions now. I love this book

My mother used to read this book to me as a child. Now as an adult, it is my favorite gift to give to children.

I always imagined myself what it would be like if Jesus did come to my house. What were some of the things I'd do, how would I act and what would I say? Then this little book came along. The little boy in this book imagines what it would be like if Jesus spent a day with him. If Jesus were a little boy like him he thought, he would share with him the best toys he had. By lending them to the poorest boys and girls. Even though Jesus maybe not have visited, the little boy hoped that He would bless his house for all the kindness and goodness he gave to those less fortunate. It teaches young children the Christian Golden Rule of sharing with one another. And, caring for your fellow friends that brings joy to everyone's heart. The gentle message tells children how to treat others with the love of giving. This should be a classic of children's books. It teaches a valuable lesson.

I am a total JTT fan, and when I read this book, it really informed me evern more! I loved how it was so complete with stats, quotes, color pics, and everything from a-z! I couldn't put it down until I was done

Congratulations to Michael-Anne Johns! He has written a fantastic fun and fact-filled book on the life of Jonathan Taylor Thomas on and off-screen. Unlike some biographies, Johns uses more words than pictures, so you learn a lot more about what they're like, rather than what they look like. He has done a lot of research and included a nice review at the back of Thomas's favorites and quick facts. Every Jonathan Taylor Thomas lover should read this great book. Hopefully Johns will come up with a new JTT book to talk about Wild America and his new roles. Congrats again Johns

this book includes gobs of intresting information that can catch any readers attention even if you hate jtt it has articles on other stars such as tim allen and pitricha richerdson

Dylan Thomas has, well, how can I put it - a way with words. This is a delightful and extremely droll prose poem, without which Christmas just wouldn't be the same for me. And the author's reading voice is nothing short of magnificent.

Scaring sleeping uncles by popping balloons. Getting a hatchet by mistake. Snowballing cats. Dylan Thomas has captured the perfect Christmas. Without any moral, very little plot, and a concern only for the child's perspective, this little piece sticks in my mind better than any other Christmas story I've ever read. Between drunk Auntie Hannah singing in the backyard and the haunted house down the streets where a group of mischievous carollers get the living hell scared out of them, "A Child's Christmas in Wales" is everything Christmas should be: funny, happy, poignant, a little sad, and fattening. Keep a bowl of candy nearby when you read it.

Every Christmas Eve, I set aside a few minutes to listen to my CD of Dylan reading "A Child's Christmas" in Wales, placing the special emphasis only he can on the frustrated Mr. Prothero trying to put out a fire in his house, the neighborhood St. Bernards who bellow "Excelsior!" over the town, and the churchgoers who, with taproom noses, go scooping over the ice. The older I get, the more I need this little piece. As friends and family are, for one reason or another, lost with the passing years, it gets harder and harder to laugh, even at Christmas, but Dylan Thomas gives me a good giggle every time.

Learning to read means learning new words and when you learn new words you need to learn what those new words mean and once you learn what words mean they should continue to mean what they mean because otherwise how would we talk to each other? Or, to quote Humpty Dumpty, "I mean what I say is not the same thing as I say what I mean." That is why "Amelia Bedelia" is such a great little story. Author Peggy Parish knows that words do not always mean what you think they should mean. So when Amelia Bedelia shows up for the first day of work and Mrs. Rogers gives her a list of things to do, Amelia Bedelia reads the list (after making a delicious lemon-meringue pie first) and does exactly what the list tells her to do. If the list says "Put the lights out when you finish in the living room," then Amedlia Bedelia carefully unscrew each light bulb and hangs them on the clothes line to air them out. Children and former children alike will laugh as Amedlia Bedlia literally goes through the list of instructions left by Mrs. Rogers. The illustrations by Fritz Siebel are almost as good as the pictures in our mind of Amelia Bedelia changing the towels in the green bathroom or dusting the furniture, plus Siebel gives the rosy-cheecked maid the same great smile on every single picture. Once you finish there book there are more literary adventures of the literal Amelia Bedelia and if you like these books then you should also check out "The King Who Rained" by Fred Gwynne and advance to the joy of homophones.

My great aunt used to pick me up from Pre-school, and together we would read about Amelia Bedelia's adventures. We laughed until we cried in that old green rocking chair. Unto this day, we laugh and talk about the antics of Amelia Bedelia, and we recommend it to everyone, young and young-at-heart alike. Take it from a 21 year-old, you can't outgrow Amelia Bedelia.

This is one of my all-time favorite books. Amelia Bedelia's unique way of interpreting instructions from Mr. and Mrs. Rodgers will always make me laugh. When someone tells you to "draw the drapes," you don't think of actually drawing them with a pencil, but Amelia Bedelia interprets each word at a literal level. This book is perfect for ages 6-9 because they will understand the housekeeper's witticisms. The text is a little longer than a lot of "An I Can Read Book," but illustrator Fritz Siebel backs up each page of text with a colorful picture of Amelia Bedelia's adventures. Author Peggy Parish has developed a character who will persevere in the world of children's literature because of her wit and irresistable charm.

I am reading this book to my kids aged 5 and 7. We already read "Finn Family Moomintroll" which I read and adored as a child. My criticism of "Moominsummer Madness" lies in its translation. I don't remember finding anything strange or difficult in "Finn Family..." but here I find that the English is often awkward, or unnecessarily difficult words are used. This is a shame! If you are looking for a Moomin book to read to your kids, maybe you should look first to those translated by Elizabeth Portch....

Now here's a book I really love. I loved it as a child, and at 20 I still find it unique and very fascinating. Jansson's Moomin books are all great, but this one is the most adventurous and imaginative. The dreamy, mysterious atmosphere is something you wouldn't ever expect to encounter in a children's book. A true masterpiece.

this book is wonderfull!! moomintroll,moominmamma,moominpappa,smaiden,emma, & the rest are so funny & extremely crazy!! i recomend it to anybody who is open minded & insane.

they dont just call it moominsummer medness...

We also have the first version and I bought this one for my younger son. This is such a fun book and every time you open it and look at these pictures (and you will catch yourself doing this a lot!) you see something different. This is wonderful in getting the child to think, look, explore and problem solve and what a fun way to do this!

I haven't purchased this yet, just have the library copy here. I heard about the adult version when it first came out, but didn't know there was a Look-Alikes for kids. I don't know what the age recommendation on this it, but my 3 1/2-yr-old is absolutely fascinated by it! Guess what he's getting for Christmas! And since I love things like this, everytime he says, "Mommy, come look at my library picture book" I drop what I'm doing and sit down with him. To me, that is the ultimate compliment - this book has prompted me to sit and concentrate on spending time with my child more often, and that's priceless. And believe it or not, most of the objects in the pictures aren't that obvious to adults, so when I point them out to him (excited that I myself found them), he's absolutely delighted. We've tried to push toys on our son that are not passive, where he sits and watches a battery-operated thingy do whatever it does, toys that encourage active participation and imagination, and I can't imagine anything better than this book. Just my thought, but I think this book and the original Look-Alikes are invaluable tools for teaching people of all ages to thing outside the box, shift your perception, and that's something that's good for all of us! Guess you can tell that I can't say enough good things about this, Ms. Steiner is an absolute genius.

Joan Steiner's "Look-Alikes, Jr." is a wonderful follow-up to her 1998 "Look-Alikes." This self-taught artist employs everyday items from chess pieces to lasagna noodles, from nail polish bottles to keys, from crackers to ink pens, to construct the most completely realistic little scenes. There are spaceships blasting off towards outer space; middle-class living rooms; classrooms; general stores, and more, all of which are chock-full of items Steiner employs to look like something else. The aforementioned lasagna noodles? Yes, they're here--as curtains! And they look improbably wonderful as curtains!

This is certainly a treat for kids. But you may find that the adults end up buying their own copies of "Look-Alikes, Jr." just so they can sit in peace and be engrossed for hours on their own without having to share this wonderful book with the younger set! Highly recommended!

I used to read this book to my son, John, when he was little and he absolutely loved it. He never tired of hearing me read it to him. John will soon be 27 years old, but he still remembers this story and so do I.

The story is funny and involves a variety of jungle animals. It is also filled with suspense. Will the elephant sneeze -- or not? This book allows the reader to use several different voices and a lot of drama, something young children love.

When my son grew older, I joined an acting troupe, memorized this story, and performed it in children's theater, with others acting out the parts of the various animals. It was always a hit!

Somehow my original copy was lost and I have searched for years for another one. No one ever seemed to know about this book. I never even found anyone else who had ever read it. I am so happy that I now have a chance to get another copy and to get additional copies for all of the nieces and nephews in my family and for! ! the children and grandchildren of my friends. It will make a fantastic gift that will be greatly enjoyed and remembered for years.

I highly recommend this story to people who have, know, or work with young children.

I used to read this book to my son, John, when he was little and he absolutely loved it. He never tired of hearing me read it to him.

The story is funny and involves lots of jungle animals. It also has suspense. Will the elephant sneeze or not? This book allows the reader to use a lot of different voices and a lot of drama, something young children love.

Later, when my son had grown older, I joined an acting troupe, memorized this book and performed it in children's theater. It was always a hit.

I highly recommend this story to people who have or work with young children.

This is a wonderful book. It's funny, full of surprises, and the rhythm of the rhyming is so well done. I read this book to my children when they were young and it was one of their favorites. Now I read it to my grandchildren and they love it as well. The humorous but touching story line and the rhyming verses make the children want to learn to read it themselves. It's a classic and should be in every child's reading library.

An imcomporable masterpiece of quiet, subtle children's literature, perhaps only equalled by other books in the series such as "Moominpappa at Sea" or the inexplicably out of print "Moominvalley in November." A perfect read for winter, embodying both its beauty and loneliness, and the way in which good souls can muddle through it, flaws and all. Sophisticated, sensitive children will most appreciate this unique world.

This book and its' companions changed my life. And many others. Tove Jansson's Moomin series is without doubt the finest children's literature ever. And it must be said that it's in the running for the finest literature ever, period. 'Midwinter' is somewhat more somber in tone than the earlier Moomin books, but does not yet approach the dark, lonely colors Jansson paints with in the last two parts of the series. Full of memorable sequences and fairy-tale imagery, this book is guaranteed to delight children and induce in adults a painfully strong yearning for the days of their childhood.

I am an adult, and I still reread the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. Any of the books are good, but this is one of my favorites. The beauty of Jansson's books is that they are fantasies, yet at the same time they are very interesting character portraits. The moomins and their friends and countrymen may be "fantasy animals", but they have very human foibles. The books have such an "otherworldly" sense about them, too - they transport the reader to another world. I reread these books to cheer myself up when I feel bad. They are soothing, and they make you forget your troubles. I would recommend them to adults as well as to children.

As a child I owned most of the books seperatley, so I thought I would buy this collected edition of (what used to be called) The Railway Series for my nephew. He absolutley loved it. He still watches the videos etc, but insists that at least two of the stories are read to him every night.

When the books where written, Wilbert didn't give a thought to the fact that one day, Thomas the Tank Engine would have a worldwide audience, let alone an British one. The stories are simple. A short tale with a moral at the end. They give lessons in life. Everyone gets there comeuppence in the end. That's life and my nephew knows that. As for the Fat Controller, he does seem a little offensive for todays lifestyles, but some people can be a little oversensitive as well.

When Wilbert Awdry wrote these stories, the first one being way back in 1945 right up to 1972, time, and attitudes, was a little different. Reading some of the reviews on this book would make some people think that the books where wrote yesterday. The only reason that the books are a little darker than the TV series is because the TV series dosn't stick to the principles that the books adhere to.

Unfortunatly, all the stories in their original format are now out of print due to a complete shambles that surrounds the reprinting of the series, which is a dire shame. So this book is where to find all the first stories that started the wheels on the best loved character ever.

With this book your child will enjoy ALL the original stories, as they where. Just ask my nephew!

My 3-year old son loves this book! It has a good selection of stories about Thomas and his many friends: James, Gordon, Henry, Toby, et al. The stories are short enough to hold a toddler's attention. 1 or 2 stories a night is/are perfect. The binding is sturdy, so this book will outlast many a flimsy paperback. It's also quite economical as there are 26 stories in all. When I first saw the book, I was afraid that the small size of the illustrations would be a drawback, but my son enjoys them just the same.

We bought this book a year ago, and my son still enjoys listening to the stories. He has heard each at least three times, some of them many more times besides. As his mother, who has read through the book with him twice myself, *I* love the stories, too! They teach good lessons and are very entertaining at the same time.

It actually is not true that all Thomas stories are in this book. All the original stories by the original author are, but more stories have been made up by less skilled story writers, in my opinion. The BEST Thomas stories are the ones in this book.

The shorter story books have been Americanized, and I think that makes them lose some of their appeal. For instance, the Fat Controller in this book has been renamed in the shorter books and videos to his proper name, "Sir Topham Hatt." Political correctness meets Thomas the Tank Engine. In my opinion, they were better unchanged, and that is what you have in this book.

If you have a toddler, I highly recommend this book. One word of warning, though. Then come the Thomas train sets, and the videos . . . you will never be through with Thomas once you start!

BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY is THE classic introduction to ancient and medieval myths. In three volume's, Thomas Bulfinch recounted and referenced classical stories of Graeco-Roman gods and heroes, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Norse and Hindu mythology, the Arthurian legends, Robin Hood, the Mabinogeon, and the tales of Chalemagne and his paladins. All three volumes are combined here in a single book. Besides making great reading on their own, these tales, and the values and ideals that they illustrate, are at the very heart of western literature and culture. Shakespeare, Milton, and most of the other icons of English literature drew on them repeatedly. The modern fantasy genre has its origins in this material. Tolkien was inspired by it. They are "must" reading for anyone who aspires to be considered "educated".

There are just a couple of negatives here. The particular edition I have has a lot of typographical errors in it. There were such things as a sentence beginning "She..." when clearly it should have begun "The...", for example. Further, one can find fuller retellings of specific stories in other places. These are minor points, however. Bulfinch is still the classic introduction and source for mythological tales. Plus, as I said, it's great fun. Most people can profit from Bulfinch. Fantasy fans should especially love it.

This book is an excellent mythology reader. The first section is devoted to the stories of gods and heroes. The majority of the stories is from Greco-Roman mythology and includes such classics as Apollo and Daphne, Pygmalion, The Golden Fleece, Midas, The Sibyl, and much more. This part also devotes four chapters to Eastern Mythology (Hindu myths, Zoroastor, etc.), Norse mythology (Thor, etc.) and The Druids of Iona. Part two is made up of the popular Arthurian legends and contains many of the most famous stories such as Tristam and Isoude, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the Death of Arthur. Much of this section is rendered in verse. This part also has the Mambinogeon and other myths of the British race (e.g. Beowulf and Robin Hood). The final section (my personal favorite) includes the legends of Charlemagne, or more specifically those of his paladins. This is where one can find stories of Orlando, Rinaldo, and Ogier the Dane. These stories are not as famous as the Arthurian legends, but are just as exciting. There is a very helpful dictionary of names and terms and a few maps and illustrations. Also, the English is fairly easy to read and shouldn't be difficult for the average person. This book is not complete; many of the stories are obviously abridged. It would be nice if it included annotations or a bibliography for those wanting to read more in depth. However, the introduction includes a very basic history of the stories, which should help the more enterprising reader find the unabridged editions. Still, Bulfinch's Mythology is one of the best and least expensive ways become acquainted with these classic stories. I highly recommend it!

This book is a most buy . This book was used by Ensemble Studios from Microsoft to create the game Age of Mythology (AOM). What else can I say? if any of you are fan of the Age of Empires series then you'll know what I'm talking about. :)