A huge thank you to you and your family for your contributions to children's literature. The Christmas Adventures of Space Elf Sam will not be under our tree this year, it's too good to hide in wrapping paper. We, my husband, my 3 girls, 3, 5, and 10 and myself are Star Trek fans and this one could be a new Christmas favorite for us. I was so excited to see the parts of your web site that explain where the story came from and how the animation was done. I really love to see how things come together. I was in awe at how complicated the animation is and how much work goes into it. The effort definately shows in the finished product. The illustrations are fun, inviting, futuristic and friendly, children and adults will love them! I am a preschool teacher and children's writer.

These books are great for teaching children about language.

I have to say that I fell in love with the little mouse. Each page is a colorful new experience. I felt his horror when he heard about the terrible Big Hungry Bear, and his frantic attempt to save the red, ripe strawberry from him. What a clever and entertaining book. I am a storyteller and this is the favorite of all. Children young and old can enjoy the beautiful illustrations and the creative storyline. It definetly makes me want a big, red, ripe strawberry.

This is one of my daughter's (and her preschool's) favorites. The illustrations are rich, seemingly 3-dimensional, and are very amusingly drawn.

This is one book kids will remember. It is very creative and funny. The made up names seem to stick with you. Highly recommend for children 3-8 YOA.

This is a fabulous book, not only for its words, but of course for its pictures as well. I've read it to all of my nieces and nephews, ages two to ten, and they've all gotten something out of it. I especially like to get the children to follow the pictures and let me worry about the words, and this book makes it easy to do so. Talk to your kids about the pictures; there's so much to see! The little girl and the granny change positions while napping, the dog gets added, then the cat, then the mouse. And, see if they can find the flea! It's great fun, and by the time the sun comes bursting its way into the room after the story's rainstorm, you'll be a whole lot closer to your kids. It's a great book for snuggling up with in bed.

This is the Napping House, where everyone is sleeping. It's dark, raining and very subdued. First there's the cozy bed, followed by the snoring granny, the dreaming child, dozing dog, snoozing cat, slumbering mouse and finally, the wakeful flea. And then the wakeful flea bites the mouse... The team of Audrey and Don Woods has put together a wonderful, gentle bedtime story pre-schoolers will want to hear again and again. With easy to read, repetitive text and beautifully detailed, expressive illustrations, youngsters watch the ever growing pile of sleeping bodies move, change position and then slowly lighten and brighten as one by one, everyone wakes up. As the book ends, the last page shows the napping house where no one is sleeping. It's sunny and cheerful with a rainbow in the sky. This is a classic the whole family will enjoy and a must for all home libraries.

I've been a bookseller, librarian, mother and read-aloud volunteer and this is my absolute favorite children's book for curling up with and reading to a young child. Cumulative, predictable (something young children enjoy) and engaging, The Napping House is terrific. The child in the story could be a boy or a girl. It opens and closes with an inviting look at the exterior of an old fashioned home (which looks like the author's home, BTW). Inside the house, everyone is alseep, but there's soooo much going on here. The characters are changing positions. The changes in perspective and the light as the book progresses make it interesting. The illustrations are amazing, detailed, beautiful, and at the same time humorous. And the Granny! You've got to love this Granny. She there just snoring, wearing her bed cap, nightgown and stockings (with reinforced toes & heels). She has all of these characters piling up on her and when the bed breaks, instead of looking mad or alarmed, she just looks like she's having a grand time. After you get this book, you'll want King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, and Piggies also by the Woods. And if your child likes things a bit scary try Heckedy Peg. Happy reading!

I'm a big fan of Don and Audrey Wood (THE NAPPING HOUSE is one of my all-time favorite children's books; I love PIGGIES, too). I'm lukewarm on this one, however. Admittedly, the illustrations are extraordinary. One bathtub scene has the King and his Knight sitting in steamy tub filled with miniature ships and sailors battling through soapsuds and waves. Another scene has the King fishing in the tub with his Duke. The Duke sits hunched over in a mass of cattails and lily pads, furrowing his brow and trying to bait his hook. Trout leap from the tub, ducks and frogs hide in the rushes, and turtles crawl along the tub's edge. You could spend hours looking at the illustrations; you'll notice all sorts of funny details if you do. I've read this book a million times with my toddler, and I only noticed today that the castle-shaped cake in the food scene (where the King feasts in the tub with his Queen) is topped with a miniature bathtub with King Bidgood in it. Unfortunately, the text is rather weak. It's a simple story. A young page announces that King Bidgood won't get out of the bathtub. Various court officials try to get him out, none successfully. Finally, the entire court ends up in the tub at a Masquerade Ball which gets so crazy that the page pulls the plug. This gets the King out of the tub. The problem is the text is a repetitive quasi-poem thing (which the book jacket describes as a "lyric text"), and some of the lines don't really work. What does it mean, for example, to cry out "with a trout, trout, trout"? That's not to say that the text is horrible. It's not. It's quite okay, in fact. But when the illustrations are really extraordinary, a quite okay text feels like a real let-down.

When I was in 5th grade, I read King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, and got to hear the tape with it. It was so good, my brother and I would read it constantly. We would even walk to school singing the song (at the top of our lungs, of course!). A great children's book, all in all, with beautiful illustrations. The absurdity of fishing in a tub, going to war in a tub, eating lunch, and even having a royal ball in a bathtub will have you laughing in no time. Get it for the kids in you life, but I bet some adults will like it too!

She did it again with this book. A cute story with good illistrations. The only thing I didn't like was that the book was a little dark. I usually like bright vibrant colors. My children enjoy the book and ask me to read it often.

Karen provides everyone who reads this book a great service by writing it. But, I can just imagine, now that she has taught a class based on this book for a couple years, she would write an even better book now. My fifth star for the rating is waiting for that.

Face it. Just about every facet of daily life is driven by Economics, Political Science, and Office Politics. If there is something I left out, I bet it can be related to one of those three things. Remember, All Politics are Local. Local to employers, local to co-workers, local to friends, acquaintances and family. One may already be the best Visionary, Task Organizing, Selling, Paper Pushing, Telephone Talking, Wrench Turning, Rivet Puncher there is. These days, it is not your Hard skill that gives you your job security, or assures your path to a successful future. Whoever called knowledge like this the "soft skills" was all wrong, and no, none of this is taught in school.

Imagine how competitive the workplace or corporate ladder would be if everyone was knowledgeably aware about the inner-workings of office politics? Luckily, most play blind. This information is telling of why those who rise are separated from those who don't, when all other things to consider are basically equal.

Read this and get a leg up, but don't stop here.

Karen did everyone who reads this book a great service by writing it. But, I can just imagine, now that she has taught a class based on this book for a couple years, she would write an even better book now. My fifth star for the rating is waiting for that.

Face it. Just about every facet of daily life is driven by Economics, Political Science, and Office Politics. If there is something I left out, I bet it can be related to one of those three things. You may be the best Visionary, Task Organizing, Selling, Paper Pushing, Telephone Talking, Wrench Turning, Rivet Puncher there is. But it is not your Hard skill that gives you your job security, or assures your path to a successful future. Whoever called knowledge like this the "soft skills" was all wrong, and no, none of this is taught in school.

Imagine how competitive work would be if everyone knew? This information is telling of why those who rise are separated from those who don't, when all other things are basically equal.

Read this and get a leg up, but don't stop here.

Ms. Wood puts many aspects of good office politics on the table. I saw quite a few of my past errors in her experiences and found quite a few of the mistakes I corrected there too.

One reviewer said to "not stop there"... of course not. Ms. Wood gives you a point of departure for building your own alliances at work. This isn't a cookbook, though there are suggestions for specific issues, but there is a general guideline for the "other side of the track" in work.

Being competent in your work skills isn't enough. You also have to be people competent too.

If your child has ever "caught" a bad word, as a character in this book phrases it, then Audrey and Don Wood's "Elbert's Bad Word" is the cure you're seeking. Rather than being one of those pseudo-psychological books of the values and feelings genre, this is a lively, witty, sophisticated story that delivers its message with subtlety and humor. Even adults will love how the Woods have depicted the bad word; it's creative and clever to say the least. It also, and this children and adults will likely find enjoyable, satirizes adults' parties, poking fun at adult party foods, clothes and entertainments. Very enjoyable--and useful for the parent dealing with a case of the "bad word."

My kids borrowed this book at the library and enjoyed it so much I am purchasing it. My four-year-old enjoys saying and creating his own expressive words - words that "sparkle and crackle." My two-year-old recognizes bad words and is learning acceptable replacements. He reads the book daily. They both tell everyone they meet about bad words. Again, the illustration of the bad word is excellent - much better than having used a word.

Course I will never be able to wash out my kids' mouths because they now know that won't get rid of the word. Replacing it with more appropriate words is what they have learned from this book.

A bad word is overheard at a garden party. It's use by Elbert leads to abuse - are bar of soap in the mouth. The word is strong, it's still not gone. In fact it's growing stronger! Elbert seeks a wizard's aide - the gardener in a fantastical shed. A spell is made. Powerful words bearing social acceptance, enter Elbert's head. After a second painful mishap - the guests all waiting breathless - Elbert uses his new strong words and finds both relief and acceptance. The bad word is deflated and crawls away defeated. Not one bad word is used in the book. It is drawn as and angry tangle. The art work is fun. One can search for all the relevant party guests in each picture. The gardner's hut shows magical items is great detail. The sotry lends itself to inventing ones own powerful words.

Piggies Piggies, written by Audrey and Don Wood, is an exciting, imaginative, and interesting children's book. It is based on a child's view about his/her fingers, better known in this book as "piggies." The illustrator's use of small, decorative pigs on each finger gives a great visual to the reader to capture the child's imagination. Each pig is dressed differently, and each one has a different facial expression. The wonderful and brightly-colored backgrounds of pink, blue, and purple are clearly appropriate for this type of book. In the book, the imagination of the child takes control. The story takes the child on a wild journey in which the child's fingers travel around the world. The child also gives each finger a name such as "long," "fat," and "wee fingers." Piggies is a great book that I recommend for all children. It is easy to read, clear to understand, and lots of fun. If you haven't read this amazing book, what are you waiting for? Read and enjoy the adventurous journey of the "piggies!"

"Piggies" is a classic. Mirthful with beautiful illustrations, this book would be perfect for any youngster under the age of seven. Audrey and Don Wood have collaborated on several award-winning books, and of the ones we've seen, "Piggies" is our favorite.

The story is simple. The child narrator discusses his/her five pairs of piggies (fingers, thumbs), assigning a temperament to each pair. The pairs go through several kinds of environments, changing with the environment. The ten little piggies cavort and act up according to the situation. In the end there is a bedtime coming together of the piggies.

That rather perfunctory summary does no justice to this charming book, especially since the illustrations by Don are spectacular.

And this is the main beef with this board book format of the story (and the sole reason for losing a star.) Several full-size versions of this book exist. At this larger size, the amazing detail of the little pigs emerges. But in the board book format, the illustrations get squeezed down, losing the details that bring out the personalities of the piggies.

This leads to a tough decision: go with the sturdier board book or with the regular hardback. Much depends on how hard your children treat books. Very small children would do better with the board book, while older children would be better off with a larger, less sturdy format.

Still, either way, this is an admirable addition to any young child's library and comes highly recommended.

Piggies by Audrey and Don Woods is an excellent book for children. The authors used simple content to make this book easy to understand. The book is about ten little piggies. All of the piggies are very active and different. Two are silly, two long, two fat, two small and even two smart. The authors describe each set of piggies in twos, which is very significant because it will help readers to learn the number two and counting by twos. The text of this book can be compared with the story "This little piggie went to the market," a story that many parents have shared with their children. The illustrations in this book are bright and precise. The Woods' use of bright colors help capture your attention and expand your imagination. This oversized book will attract readers immediately with its big, yellow outside cover. The illustrations help to show not only how the piggies are similar but also how different. The Woods did a great job of writing and illustrating Piggies. I would recommend this book to anyone willing to let their imagination explore the world of these little piggies.