What a fun read! A book that can be enjoyed by the young and the young at heart. It is a book that gives you hope for the underdog. Robert is a student who has trouble with learning...but through his hard work and a series of funny events and his solving of a mystery, he comes out a winner. Robert is a very endearing character and I can't wait to read the other books about him. The added bonus of this book -- I learned a few things I didn't already know.

Barbara Seuling has created a warm and loving character in Robert, who learns, through the trials of everyday life, what is really important in one's life in order to feel good about one's self. Adults reading along with their young child can benefit from the example of "Emotional Intelligence" (a la Daniel Goleman's book by the same name) which Robert develops in himself when he deals with a bully and solves a mystery. As a school psychologist and counselor, I am much more interested in seeing emotional intelligence in a child than I am in seeing an "A" paper. Robert, through Seuling's guiding light, provides children and parents with an excellent model for striking a balance between academic achievement and emotional growth and development. Parents might also benefit from the modeling of Robert's father, who, in just a brief encounter, provides critical support for his son, which stays with him and guides him long after the conversation has ended. Seuling shows accurately how important every small piece of guidance, support and validation can be when a parent takes the time to guide their child. I recommend this book to both parents and children, teachers and pupil personnel staff, to illustrate that there is much more to being a valued human being than academic achievement. I hope to see Robert providing examples of emotional intelligence in subsequent adventures which both entertain and enlighten.

My name is Ben. I am 7 years old. I read Oh No It's Robert. The book was about Robert who was not very good at school but he never gave up and he always tried his best. My favorite part was when Robert left the stinky fish in the cabinet. And when Robert saw the bully's pink underwear. I really liked this book. I want to read more books about Robert.

This is one of the most beautiful books we own. The words have a nice rhythm and are interesting and educational. The pictures are outstanding. When we read, my four year old son usually picks his dinosaur or truck books, but this is one I choose and he doesn't object.

This book is WONDERFUL! Each two page layout is a painting unto itself! It's so sweet in it's storytelling... the story blends so wonderously with the paintings. I can't hardly describe it. Just get it or check it out at your library.

This is the perfect book to curl up with on a cold, wintry day. Beautifully illustrated, with a minimal, poetic text, it explains in question-and-answer format how the natural world experiences the approach of winter. The lush, double-page illustrations gradually move from warm, autumnal vistas as the story begins, through to overhead views of snowy fields and icy underwater scenes, accompanied by simple explanations of how the animals in these habitats prepare for the arrival of winter. The final illustrations are of two children returning from a sledding trip on a snowy evening to their cozy, welcoming home, where their father gathers them in his lap and reads them a bedtime story by firelight. A favorite of both my daughters, ages 20 months and 4 years--and of mine.

This is a great children's book. I remember reading it over and over when I was young, relating closely to Mattie, Patty and Hattie. I would highly recommend this book for identical triplets, especially girls, it will be a treasure.
The story will be good for any child, because it teaches about being different, and also feeling that you are special and unique.

While I'm all for kids and teenagers trying to get published (I'm fourteen, and I have contracts for two books) this book doesn't do everything it could. A better one: Teen's Guide to Getting Published, by Danielle and Jessica Dunn. This also isn't perfect, but it's a lot better, and is written by published teenagers. What I honestly think: kids and teenagers shouldn't bother with books written 'just for them'. Come on, if you've written the book/story/article/poem already, you don't have to read about how to write - go get a book that's just on publishing. Try one of the Writer's Market books (go for Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market to start), or get a book on writing query letters and proposals (I recommend How To Write Attention-Grabbing Query and Cover Letters, by John Wood). So read this book to start (it's worth at least reading) and then don't bother with books geared towards kids. It doesn't matter how old you are.

Nora Coon
(if you feel like boosting my ego, search "Nora Coon" here on Amazon.com and look at my two books)

At my school we have to read 2 non-fiction books per 9 weeks. I usualy hate non-fiction books but when I saw this one I knew I had to read it because I love to write! It has all the stuff you need to know about planning, making a rough draft, and revising. Plus, in the back of the book it tells where you can go to writing camps, contests you can enter, and even how you can publish your work! I knew I had to buy this book, and where's a better place to buy it than here on amazon.com? So here I am, and here you should be, buying a great book for young authors, To Be a Writer: for Young People Who Want to Write and Publish!

How to Write a Children's book and get it published by Barbara Seuling is a very informative book for those who are just starting in the business of children's books--Although the book has a brief chapter on illustrating children's books, this section could have been expanded to be more useful to both those of us who are illustrators and those who write and illustrate their own books.

Recently I have read approximately five books on writing for children. I found Barbara Seulings book to be the best of the lot. She realistically portrays the difficulty in breaking into the children's market in the '90s, yet she encourages the reader and provides a wealth of helpful information to do just that. Barabara Seulings book is easily readable for a reference book and one that anyone interested in writing for children today should have in their personal library. Good job Ms. Seuling -

After reading this concise and highly informative guide on how to break into the children's book market, I immediately sought online tutoring from this frank and knowledgeable author-editor in one of her AOL classes. In ten words or less: if you want to get published, first go to Barbara.

This book is a real treat for those looking to introduce the younger set to the workings of the human body. The illustrations are clear and vivid and the text explains concepts simply, but well. Several simple experiments are included to illustrate the workings of the lungs, muscles, etc. My only beef is the use of some crude language when discussing the digestive system - I thought it just didn't fit with the tone of the rest of the book. The last page is also a bit odd when speaking of future technology and the artificial replacement of body parts such as the brain. These minor quibbles aside, the book would be an excellent introduction for elementary school students...

My wife and I picked up this book at an outlet mall. We were going through a "sale" bin, and this one jumped out at me because of the title. It's full of amazingly true facts--the kind of things that make great dinner conversation, tidbits for speeches and presentations, and that kind of thing. It's out of print now, so if you come across a copy, I highly recommend picking it up for your library.

Robert and the Great Pepperoni by Barbara Seuling is a hiliarous story about a boy and his love for a dog. Robert Dorfman has been trying for years to convince his parents to buy him a dog. As luck would have it, Robert is offered the opportunity to housebreak a dog. Robert agrees from the beginning to give the dog up after he is trained. Through many funny trials and tribulations, Robert and Pepperoni grow very fond of each other.
Second to fourth grade students will appreciate this chapter book of a boy and his devotion to his dog.

I reviewed this book for our school library. As a parent I like the colored illustrations, I liked the way the words flowed, the changing fonts, and the experiments at the end. BUT on (approx.) page 6 of text, one small but significant error appeared (especially for us up here in Alaska). The author talks of fresh water and then salt water; mentioning (probably casually) that it can be found in ocean water and it is what makes up glaciers.

Glaciers are fresh water. They are (basically) formed by snow falling and falling and falling (ever hear of salty snow?), never melting, and then compressing and over years forming a river of ice that flows downward as it gets larger.

For those who will never meet a glacier face to face or drink any water with the word "Glacier" in its name, this may not bother you. But for me I kept on wondering if there were other "minor" mistakes (are the pipes really made of that? do you really waste that much water if your faucet drips? etc.) --I found I could just not trust the 'facts' presented in the rest of this book.

Drip! Drop!: How Water Gets To Your Tap is a wonderfully told and splendidly illustrated non-fiction picturebook clearly explaining to young readers ages 4 to 8. Children learn how the water cycle works, how water gets cleaned up and made safely drinkable from the kitchen and bathroom taps, and even offers hands-on activities that are as fun as they are illustrative of the science involved in providing water in the home. Highly recommended for personal, school and community library collections, Drip! Drop! is a superbly presented, entertaining and informative non-fiction picturebook.

This book lists some of the little-known laws which still remain on the books in states as well as many countries. Very funny and interesting reading. A delight to read as well as ponder who in the world came up with some of these laws. Our lawmakers haven't changed since laws began.