Product Description
A guide to building your very own zoo of bugs, worms, and other creepy-crawlies! Written by Discovery Channel's Nick Baker, Bug Zoo shows children how to turn backyard bugs into fascinating pets and create a "zoo" of insects, spiders, worms, and other common creepy-crawlies. Learn to build an ant farm, spider house, bee box, wormery, and more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Kids will learn how to build an ant farm, spider house, bee box, wormery, and other habitats for bugs
"Bug Zoo: How to Capture, Keep, and Care for Creepy Crawlies " is a fun instructional guidebook to studying and safely keeping bugs and creepy crawlies by Smithsonian channel naturalist Nick Baker, TV host of "Weird Creatures." "Bug Zoo" is packed with magnificent color photos and tons of fascinating information about bugs and how to build and keep your very own bug zoo out of easily available materials. There are photo-packed chapters on wood lice, slugs and snails, aphids, caterpillars, worms, earwigs, ladybugs, spiders, crickets & katydids, pseudoscorpions, mosquito larvae, dragonfly larvae, and backswimmers. Kids will learn how to build an ant farm, spider house, bee box, wormery, and other habitats for bugs. After the introductions there is a handy section titled Zoo Tools with photos and descriptions of tools and equipment bug zookeepers will need to manage their collections. "Bug Zoo" is dedicated to curious children of all ages (5 and up). Here is the author's invitation to his readers: "Building a zoo means you can become an explorer, a hunter, a collector of fine zoological specimens and, of course, a zookeeper. You don't need much to get started - just a table and a few jars will do. And you can capture your exhibits anywhere. Tune into their world and I can promise you this: You will never, ever be bored again. Happy hunting (p. 4)!"

Bug Zoo - The greatest of the great greats
I will be be 8 yrs old next month.I think this book is filled with really fun things.My first experiment will be the Snail Mansion. ... Read more

Product Description
Kit Kittredge is back, in a mystery that takes place in the Cincinnati Zoo! Kit lands a summer job writing a children s column for her local newspaper and looks for story ideas at the Cincinnati Zoo, where her friend Stirling works as a guide and her old friend Will, the hobo, has a job cleaning cages. As Kit noses around, she stumbles into some strange activities in the monkey house. Meanwhile, Kit begins to notice small things missing at home too. It s not long before Will looks like the logical suspect in both places. Can Kit clear her friend-and get a good story in the bargain? Fireworks fly as Kit s mystery is solved at the zoo s grand Fourth of July spectacular. Includes a full-color Looking Back historical essay. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Boring
This book was very boring to me. There was never a exciting part![ well, i stoped reading it before i got to the end] i don't thik this ones very good, in my opinion. I say that i like the Kit mystery, Danger in the theater, i think its called. I give this a two star,because i don't know how it ended and it might be good. Hope i helped!!!!!

Danger At The Zoo
There was a girl who needed a job, so she applied to work at the zoo. She got the job a few days later. After she was working for a few days all of the workers food was gone or the food was missing. ( apples, bananas, crackers, ext...) So then all of the workers and the person who owns the zoo where keeping a eye out, but then they thought that someone broke in. Then they figured out that no broke in because there was no evidence. So then a few days later, at night, a few people stayed and found out that there where two homeless people that where living there because they didn't have no money. ( poor ) So now all of the people that work there are all happy!

Danger at the Zoo
When the American Girl company released the first American Girl Mysteries, nobody knew quite what to make of them. I must admit I'm glad this one is here!

The story begins when Mr. Gibson, the Cincinnati Register editor, gives Kit a corner of the Ladies' Page to write a children's column. Kit begins on this operation to write an article about the Zoo Guides boy scout program. As usual, she gets sidetracked when trouble arises at the zoo. The doors of the monkey house are unlocked night after night, a baby rhesus monkey is in danger of being stolen, and a strange tramp is lurking around the gates of the zoo. Kit and Stirling put the pieces together and discover that the monkey house is the target of a devious inner conspiracy that will endanger the lives of the monkeys and the well-being of the zoo.

Kit bursts onto the page with a slightly revised character (she is much more natural) and burns through the mystery while managing to stay sharp. The storyline is somewhat cheesy and unbelievable, but it is a good story nonetheless, and well written too.

A Wonderful Mystery for History Fans
The year is 1934, and ten-year-old Kit Kittredge is ecstatic when she lands a summer job with the local newspaper working on a Kids Column, for she'll finally be fulfilling her dream of being a real life newspaper reporter. The best part? She'll even be getting paid one dollar for every story that the paper publishes by her, which will really help her family during this time of the Great Depression. But when Kit begins snooping around the Cincinnati Zoo, gathering facts for her story about the Zoo Guides, she stumbles upon some very strange monkey business, that happens to be taking place right in the middle of the monkey house. Kit's nose for news tells her that she's onto something big. And she knows, with a bit more investigating, she'll definitely be able to get the scoop!

I have been reading the AMERICAN GIRL books since I was six-years-old, and I suppose I never grew out of them, for I adore delving into any new additions to the series, which is why I was ecstatic to discover the AMERICAN GIRLS MYSTERIES series. Kit has become my new favorite character in the AMERICAN GIRLS COLLECTION. Her nose for news, and her snoopy personality bring the short mystery to life, while her companions - her pal, Stirling, and Will, a local hobo - bring a wonderful spice to the story. The chapter of information about the Cincinnati Zoo is wonderful, and will teach young readers some unique information about the historical site. Overall, DANGER AT THE ZOO is a wonderful mystery story for middle readers who love historical fiction. And if you enjoy DANGER AT THE ZOO, I recommend checking out ANNA'S FIGHT FOR HOPE, a book about the Great Depression from the SISTERS IN TIME Series.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Kit's Reporting Career Begins
The best of the three American Girl mysteries I have read. If you can look past the "Mary Sue" convention that a newspaper editor like Mr. Gibson would even give a kid like Kit the time of day, this is a great story about Kit and Stirling investigating mysterious goings-on at the Cincinnati Zoo that threaten the employment of their friend Will, a hobo who knows he is not trusted by the local adults.

Filled with great tidbits about the zoo's past and also how the Kittredges and their boarders have to live, this is quite an interesting read. There's even a few lessons herein, but the author doesn't beat you over the head with them.

I hope the fact that the Pleasant Company people are now publishing mysteries featuring the American Girls doesn't mean they will abandon their History Mystery series where other girls from other eras get involved in mysteries. They are well-written and it's interesting to see what eras and what girls they pick. ... Read more

Product Description
What if 1 curious boy told you he saw 2 zebras in goggles and flippers, or 4 elephants packing up their trucks, or 7 hippos playing musical chairs?

Would his story add up?

First-time author Lori Degman and first-time illustrator Colin Jack invite you to a zany day at the zoo, where seeing is believing and having fun is the only thing that counts! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

One Zany Zoo
1 Zany ZooThis is a wonderfully illustrated book, the first thing you see is the cover and the drawings and you cannot resist the idea presented on the cover.I have purchased this book, and then I purchased five more to give to friends who have children as well, and all of them have told me their children love the book.

Great Gift for Little Ones!
Gave this book as a gift to a great niece and nephew. Both the boy and girl LOVE this book. The rhymes are adorable and fun to read, even for adults. The kids hunt for the fox on each page and the illustrations have a modern retro feel. They ask for this book over and over!

awesome!
This book was one of the winners of the Cheerios new author contest.This is how we first got the book, a small paperback inside of a box of Cheerios. It quickly became one of our favorites. Absolutely unique,wonderfully silly(definitely zany!)and full of imagination! My 5 and 3 year old love it. Dare I say, I may love it more than my kids! Its a special day when you stumble across a book so full of vibrant imagination and excitement. Truly a masterpiece in children's literature. You don't want the story to end, and it makes you imagine what else could have happened inside that Zany Zoo? A Fabulous book that inspires children to read and learn. Bravo!

An Absolute Delight!!!!!
I love to purchase books for my children, but now that I have easily 150+ in our home library, I've finally decided to only purchase books that I REALLY love.This was a GREAT addition to our collection.

Our 4.5 y/o son loves it, as do our 2 y/o twins.The book is engaging, the illustrations are wonderfully fun, and being able to help with counting is a plus.I was surprised to stumble on it at a bookstore while on vacation, and I will most definitely purchase it as a gift for our children's friends.How can it be that there are only a few reviews for this book (as of now, at least)?I was amazed that more people haven't yet raved about this book on Amazon -- get the word out as it is a true delight and you won't be disappointed by it!

1 Zany Zoo won the Cheerios New Author Contest, deservedly so.Highly recommended!

rhyming with great illustrations!
My 16-month-old son LOVES this book.We were introduced to it through the small Cheerios box paperback dual language version.At this point, our little paper copy is well-worn and pretty beat up - but that's only because Ben loves to look at the pictures so much, and he hasn't quite learned yet how to be nice to books with paper pages.Often, he will bring the book to me and enjoys sitting on my lap while I read it to him.I'm so happy that he is developing an interest in books and will often sit down on his own and flip through the pages.He even babbless at them,as if he's "reading" them!

The illustrations are full of fun things to look at, and Ben likes to "find the fox" on each page. I definitely recommend this book to anyone building a library for their kids..... I'm even considering getting a copy of it as a gift for Ben's little cousin.I think she would like it, too!As a former math teacher, I like the counting aspect of the story - and for language development, rhyming, sing-song stories are lots of fun for kids to hear and eventually repeat. ... Read more

Product Description
Rampant wit and humor abound in this new collection of Nash's best-loved verses about animals, delightfully illustrated by award-winning illustrator Etienne Delessert. 65 black-and-white illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Ogden Nash's Zoo
Excellent addition to children's library. Will please animal lovers. The book has short verses for every letter of the alphabet. Great for expanding parents and kids vocabulary.

Nash-ional best seller
At the risk of seeming rash
I recommend this book by Nash.
I haven't found a rhyme for Ogden,
Although I came close once when fogged-in.

By the way this book is NOT by Etienne Delessert, as listed above, although he is the illustrious illustrator.

Nash-itize!
Ogden Nash is my favorite poet, and I probably like his poems on different animals the most. They're quicker. Quick poems are prefferred by me, because they don't take too long to read and I can sit and think about them, and even feel like reading them again. Here's one, and I didn't write it, Ogden Nash did:

The ant has made himself illustrious
Through constant industry industrious
So what?
Would you be calm and placid
If you were full of formic acid?

My favorite bedtime read to my daughters.
I look forward to these verses again and again.Unlike most bedtime stories, you can set the length of reading time to your situation.the humor stimulates your imagination and makes you want to add verses.Justlots of fun!

DELIGHTFUL!
A collection of animal poems, for anyone who thinks animals are funny! ... Read more

Product Description
Cam and Eric’s class is going on a field trip to the zoo. But Eric can’t find his permission slip, and without it, he can’t go on the field trip. Where did it go? Did he drop it somewhere? Was it stolen? Will Cam Jansen’s amazing memory help to find Eric’s permission slip in time? Or will he have to sit in the principal’s office all day while the other children go to the zoo? Hurry, Cam, time’s running out! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Mystery of the missing note.
My son enjoys mysteries and he has really liked reading the Cam Jansen books to me. In this book her friend Eric has lost his permission slip for the big zoo trip. After looking everywhere Cam uses her special memory to save the day. Included in the back is one of the memory games. Recommended for ages 5-8 years and k-2nd grade.

Young Cam Jansen out in the world for her next adventure...
You have to love Cam Jansen.When you're a kid, you read all of these stories about magic powers, mystery, and adventure.But everyone tells you magic can't exist.Cam Jansen manages to solve every case without the use of magic... she's a real girl.That's what makes her special and what makes you want to red more and more.Cam Jansen is a real kid superhero, and the thought that a person like her could actually exist... makes her the best kid detective ever!Our family loves Cam Jansen! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Recommended for parents and teachers!
As a teacher and a parent, I have read tons of material on managing children.This book is the only resource that stays in my mind as having some good, sound advice.I was recently appointed as a mentor to a new teacher and told her she HAD to read this book, and I gave her my copy.Now I wish I hadn't given it up because it is such a great resource, but I am sure she will get some good advice if she reads it.That is why I am on Amazon right now--considering purchasing another.I has the best advice for parents or teachers and it really gives you some excellent tools to manage children.

Common Sense - Plain & Simple!
This is a quick & delightful read - a must for all parents, even if your kids are already in their adolescence!In fact, parents with teen agers may even need it the most!

This book brings us back to the common sense of removing manipulation & emotion and focusing on getting the tasks done which need to be done - chores, homework, etc.We are reminded of our strength and control in building the best children we can.

Limited choices has helped our life in the family zoo!
As parents to 3 small boys, my wife and I are constantly searching for help in dealing with the daily questions of: who gets in the car first, who closes the door, who sits by mom or dad today, who gets to lay on thecouch, etc.John's book uses examples that are easy to understand andoffers practical advice.The boys now welcome 'family meetings', andthrive in an environment of limited choices.A must read for parents ofchildren of all ages.

One of the best Parenting guides available today.
Dr. Platt's illustrations of parenting guidelines using respect,encouragement, limited choices, and consequences, all combined with hishumor and quick wit, make Life in the Family Zoo one of the best resourcebooks on the market today. I have used them for Parenting Training and keepa stack to "loan" to families in my practice (I never get themback, they get passed around to friends and relatives!) I highly recommendthat families and those working with families keep a copy handy.You willlove the read! ... Read more

Product Description
Relief Pitcher Sparky Lyle was the 1977 American League Cy Young Award winner for his role in helping the New York Yankees to their first World Series championship since 1962.The following winter, the Yankees - who changed the face of baseball in those early years of free agency - went out and aquired Pittsburgh closer Goose Gossage, relegating Lyle to an observer's role for the 1978 season.As it turned out, Lyle proved to be a more astute observer than anyone could have predicted.And, as luck would have it, the Yankee's 1978 season turned out to be as sensational, controversial, and colorful a season as there have ever been - a real zoo, in fact.The Bronx Zoo is Lyle's best-selling, highly acclaimed collaboration with author Peter Golenbock that, when originially released in 1979, was favorably compared to Jim Bouton's groundbreaking Ball Four as a hillarious - but scathing - baseball tell-all.Lyle had an insider's view like no other in a season for the ages, and the 1978 Yankees remain the biggest sideshow the game of baseball has ever seen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Second Read of Bronx Zoo
I read this book years ago, after reading Jim Bouton's Ball Four, but did not have a good recollection of the book.Now I know why.Although there are some entertaining parts in general the book is only average as a written work and the content, as one reviewer noted, is first person whiny.Sparky Lyle should have stuck to pitching and focused more on being a competitor.The book is filled with contradictions as he relates hsi values as an athelete.Save your money.

More Inside Dirt Inside the Yankee Clubhouse
Sparky Lyle's diary of the 1978 season, while pitching for the World Champion New York Yankees was an interesting tale, but far less compelling than the guy who may have inspired his idea; Jim Bouton, who wrote the original iconoclastic baseball memoir, Ball Four, during the 1969 season.

Clearly, the Yankees were the big story in baseball in 1978; the tumultuous trio of George Steinbrenner, Billy Martin & Reggie Jackson were constantly bickering, yet somehow managed to put everything together during a remarkable late season comeback that shocked the Boston Red Sox in a one game playoff at Fenway Park.Who can forget the improbable home run hit by the unlikeliest of players, Bucky Bleepin' Dent, to secure the American League division title for New York?

Of course, before all that craziness occurred, there was the daily soap opera going on inside the Yankees organization; Lyle himself, the previous year's Cy Young Award winner suddenly found himself in a mere supporting role for the new closer, Goose Gossage.Where Lyle loses a lot of credibility is his selfish reaction to the situation, as he whined and sulked about the injustice of being replaced.Big deal, Sparky; that's baseball.Someone with superior skills has taken over the closer's role; live with it, and be a team player; try to contribute when called upon.Maybe you'd rather drive a truck or operate a forklift for a living?

Despite the petiness Lyle displays over his diminished role on the ballclub, he's a very witty guy and some of his observations during that wild and wooly season were hilarious.His candid observations about some of the team's quieter players were fascinating, and in retrospect, poignant (especially regarding the late Thurman Munson).

This is certainly an interesting book about the much hyped Yankees team of the late '70s; despite all the pettiness and frivolity of the huge cast of characters, they certainly knew how to play the game; and of course, win.

A year at the zoo
Inside the cold and damp of every April lie the seeds for a truly mythic baseball season, and though every year will have its worshippers, I think that undoubtedly the decade of the 70's saw some of the most dramatic, thrilling, and iconic games of all time.1975 - Carlton Fisk's home run in the sixth game of the World Series to force a seventh game against the Reds; 1977 - Reggie Jackson's three home runs in one game to sink the Dodgers; 1978 - The one game playoff between the Boston Red Sox and the Yanks for the division title; and the 1979 We Are Family Pirates.That's not even mentioning the A's and The Big Red Machine.And does it help that I think this way because I was 10 years old in 1978 and baseball was just about the most important thing in the world besides comic books?Hmmm...

Sparky Lyle, winner of the Cy Young award for his role as a relief pitcher for the '77 Yanks, sat down and kept a day to day log of the '78 season, a year that would see more than its share of drama, though no one knew that in the beginning.But it must have been obvious that it was a good bet that '78 would start up right where the contentious '77 season left off because three of the main players were still there: George Steinbrenner, Billy Martin, and Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson.Lyle's tell-all must have been much more of a bombshell at the time it came out, and today's readers, after books like 'Juiced', might wonder what all the fuss was about.History has already dealt with most of the main characters - some are no longer around, some went on to have momentous careers, while still others just faded away.But to someone who remembers those games of the mid-1970's better than he remembers where he put his car keys yesterday, Lyle's account was a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes at a remarkable season.

It's easy to forget that at the time there was no 24 hour coverage of baseball - there was the game of the week and occasionally a weekend game and then coverage of the playoffs when they started.Other than that, it was the radio or the newspapers.Living in the mid-west, I had no more idea of the titanic struggle between the Yanks and the Red Sox in '78 than the man in the moon, until it came down to the one game playoff to decide who would win the division._That_ game I remember very well.

Lyle and his co-author Peter Golenbock do a good job filling in the rest of the blanks.I'm not sure what Golenbock's contribution was, because as a writer, Lyle's a pretty good pitcher, though he gets his point across.It seemed to me that the book was broken up into three main catagories:The squabbles between Steinbrenner, Martin, and Jackson; Lyle's contractual disputes with The Boss, and 'Goose' Gossage slowly taking the short reliever role away from Lyle.In between are some pretty funny ballpark pranks and a tally of Ron Guidry's magical winning season.

I'll give Lyle credit for telling it like he sees it, even though I can see how some people might construe it as more whining than anything else.To offset too much of his complaints about how the '78 season was less than a success for him personally, I thought he did an excellent job of supporting his 'rival' Gossage, and even though it's obvious he wasn't a big Reggie Jackson fan, he makes it clear that Jackson could still be a heck of a ball player on the big stage.Even Steinbrenner gets a fair shake - he and Lyle had their problems, but when he did the right thing, Lyle made sure to include it in the book.

My first complaint with the book are it concentrates too much on the high profile players - those mainstays of the team (Chris Chambliss, Graig Nettles, etc) aren't represented enough in my mind, but when you have the media circus around only a few like there was, it must have been hard to notice the guys that just went out and did their job.It's not that those guys don't get any mention at all, it's just that I thought they were underrepresented compared to the role they played.And it's a criminal shame that Nettles never made it to the Hall of Fame.

Second, the book takes less than ten pages to tell the story of the one game playoff, the league championship and the World Series.There are at least two whole books for sale on Amazon right now that are only concerned with the one game playoff with the Red Sox.

Some people think that Lyle mailed in the last half of the '78 season, and he himself makes it clear that he wasn't pitching well.He did finally get his wish and was traded to the Rangers in '79, but unfortunately never recovered his Cy Young form.At least we have this, a very good record of a memorable year.

The Season to Remember
New York Yankee relief ace Sparky Lyle wrote "The Bronx Zoo" to present his team's 1978 season, day by day, as he saw it.He rose to the occasion, for the events were of such a stature and such controversy as to demand a book like this.The season had so many defining moments:Reggie Jackson vs. Thurman Munson; Billy Martin vs. George Steinbrenner and Reggie:"One's (Reggie's) a born liar and the other's (George's) a convicted one"; the firing and hiatus rehiring of Martin; Catfish Hunter's miraculous comeback; The Boston Massacre, climaxing a comeback from 14 games out; Bucky Dent's home run; Ron Guidry going 25-3; Bob Welch striking out Reggie, and then a magnificent comeback World Series win under manager Bob Lemon's quiet guidance.All this in one season? Thurman Munson's death the next year left this Yankee season with even greater radiance."The Bronx Zoo" became the sobriquet for the Yankees of this era, and their 1978 season became THE season to remember.

With Sparky contributing so much else, I was unbothered by his carping about his competition for the lead relief spot with Rich Gossage.Hey, Sparky says himself that it wasn't personal, and he took Goose out for a meal early on to make that clear to him.Forget it:What "The Bronx Zoo" sets forth is the personalities and events of the season.There is some of Jim Bouton's "Ball Four" in tone:Sparky has good sarcasm, and controversy is an obvious theme.But the humor here outdoes that in "Ball Four."

In New York only two weeks after being traded to the Yankees, Sparky relates how he sat on a cake intended for manager Ralph Houk.Plays-for-keeps Thurman Munson had alerted Sparky, knowing of this habit he would bring from Boston to New York.But that takes second fiddle to a later episode involving a cake, some shampoo, and female reporters in the Yanks' locker room.Funny too were Sparky's teammates like Graig Nettles:He said that Sparky "went from Cy Young [in 1977] to Sayonara after 1978."

So there is much controversy and humor in this book, but there is also pride:This team was known as "The Best Team Money Can Buy."Just as Sparky talks about clubhouse shenanigans and player resentments, he discusses his theories on why Reggie does so well in October.And read Sparky describe how the Yanks fought back in the face of Dodger arrogance after dropping World Series Games 1 & 2 in LA:"'We don't want to just beat them.We want to really kick their ass.'And we did."Then Sparky lays it on how they did with such statements as "[Bill Russell] couldn't have caught a ground ball with a shovel."So pride was there, but the style of the message is just fun and more fun.After I started reading "The Bronx Zoo," I could hardly put it down.

The Bronx Zoo vs. The Greatest Comeback Ever
Remarkably, Sparky was writing his book as a player the same season I wrote a daily diary as a 16 year old Yankees fan. His was titled The Bronx Zoo, mine published as The Greatest Comeback Ever: A fan's diary of the 1978 New York Yankees Championship Season.

Each book shares a distinct look at the spectacular 1978 Yankees-Red Sox pennant race. The voicing of each book forms a special complement: Lyle's seasoned pro dealing with the competitive pressures of an intense season; my writings spontaneously creating the only book ever written by a young fan, live-time on an important sports season.

Who can forget Reggie Jackson's home run on opening day at the Stadium, triggering thousands of Reggie Bars being tossed to the field, or Ron Guidry's stellar 25-3 season. These and many other exciting events led to the Yankees overtaking the Red Sox at the end of the season, and going on to win the World Series against the Dodgers. Marvelous!

Can a movie on the 1978 Yankees season be far behind? This will be the perfect sequel to the movie on the 1977 Yankees season, The Bronx is Burning!

[...] ... Read more

Product Description
Loved by children for over twenty years, Rod Campbell's classic title is now available in pop-up form. Retaining all the charm of the original title, this new edition is now packed full of exciting surprises! Open the zoo's crates, and you'll find an extremely tall giraffe, an incredibly fierce lion, an exceptionally naughty monkey...plus much more. Innovative, witty and as delightful as ever, "Pop-Up Dear Zoo" is a guaranteed winner! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

my daughter's favourite book
My daughter is 15 months old and this is her favourite book.
We have a lift the flap version of this book also, and that's her secound favourite one! She picks it up herself and "reads" it to herself as well as asking us to read it to her.
She has ripped the frog out of its page, but it's been worth it.
When I read it to her, I tell her there's an "invisible frog".

My son wasn't as impressed as I thought he would be
Although my 21-month old loves pop-up and lift the flap books and books with animals, he wasn't as impressed with this as I expected he would be.
The text is very simple (almost non-existant!), the pop-ups are impressive, but my son only started enjoying this book a bit more once I started making some relevant animal noises. Still, this is not one of the books he'll pick up to 'read' on his own.
I would recommend 'Where is Spot' instead of / in addition to 'Dear Zoo' ... Read more

Product Description
Lin Wellford's fans have been asking for more animal rock painting projects; with Painting Zoo Animals on Rocks, their wishes have come true! Eleven projects feature exotic zoo animals, such as a lion, an elephant, a polar bear, a giraffe, a chimp and a toucan. Also included are favorite petting zoo critters, including a pig, a lamb and a baby chick.

Readers will receive the same detailed and reliable step-by-step instruction they have come to expect from Lin, including tips on selecting the best rocks, laying out patterns, and achieving realistic details, all of which have made Wellford's other rock painting books a huge success. What's more, in this latest installment, Lin includes a brand-new technique for sculpting necks using gravel, glue and woodfiller!

Using these terrific projects and gallery photos as their inspiration, readers will soon create their very own rock menagerie. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great book, even more worthwhile if just for the giraffe neck instructions...
This book (as well as Lin Wellford's other "Painting on Rocks") is the master of its genre, all other books I've seen have been small in detail, depth, and variety in comparison to this one. While it does follow the standard "Step 1...", "Step 2..." style of direction, i.e. learning by direct imitation, Lin Wellford also goes into variations and shows pictoral samples of alternate versions of her works. In fact, you could probably buy just one of her books and have all the knowledge necessary to create an indefinite amount of other animals and objects on rocks as long as you had the inspiration. For those of us who like to imitate some (all) of the time, directly following her step-by-step instructions is great, particularly considering how many different types of animals are included.

In "Painting Animals on Rocks", there are step by step instructions listed for:
- Lion
- Hippo
- Bear (Polar)
- Monkey / Primate
- Bird / Toucan
- Zebra
- Elephant
- Giraffe (with some great instructions on wood-filler neck extensions)
(Petting Zoo Section)
- Chicken & Chicks
- Pig
- Sheep / Lamb

The initial how-to instructions, materials list, and helpful hints at the beginning of the book have also been updated compared to Lin's previous works. In fact, I'd argue that this introductory section is the best of all Lin Wellford's rock painting books. If you're only interested in purchasing a single rock painting book (and aren't concerned that all of the patterns involve wild animals), this is a good choice.

Typical Lin Wellford =Wonderful
After breezing through Wellford's other books, this non-artist could not resist the zoo animal projects.As expected, the step-by-step instructions were clear, concise, easy to understand, and littered with descriptive pictures.This is my least favorite book in her series because some of the animals require use of glue/filler or don't cover the whole rock (leaving black spaces between the legs).I still give it five stars because in and of itself, the book is fantastic!I painted a polar bear that blows me away because there is no way in the world I would have been able to paint a single paw on my own, but Wellford's directions are fool-proof.I'm not ready to attempt the alternate variations of projects briefly described for the more-advanced artists, but maybe with a little more practice...If there is at least one animal in the book you'd like to paint, buy it without hesitation.

I'm hooked!!!
Rock painting is so fun and she guides you step by step on how to get the cute little creatures on your rocks.
Warning...It's addicting! :)

Complete
I'm very satisfied with the books i've bought.
They are very instructive and complete.
They teach the reader to paint rocks step by step, allowing consisting apprenticeship.

Painting Zoo Animals on Rocks - Lin Wellford
I love the book!I have many of her books.The new book has a beautiful cover and instructions are wonderful to follow, as usual for this artist.Great buy too!
Karen Aschenbrener ... Read more

Product Description
The cutest, cleverest animal alphabet book in years!

Filled with graphically bold and laugh-out-loud animal art, The Zoo I Drew takes children on a bright and bumpy tour of the ABCs! Silly rhyming text introduces a menagerie of animals from the scaly alligator to the cuddly koala to the finicky panda to a sadly balding vulture to the X . . . Wait! Has anyone ever found a truly satisfying animal for the letter X? Only the youthful narrator-illustrator of The Zoo I Drew knows.

This book also features a fluted cover—a fancy term for ridges—that makes it visually appealing on the shelf and fun to hold! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Book
I bought this book as a gift after finding it on Amazon, not having seen it in person. It is adorable. From the corrugated cover, to the illustrations and rhymes inside. It will make a VERY cute gift and I am going to buy another for my 2 year old!

quirky and cute
my 1 year old and my 3 year old girls love this book! Great middle of the day read; helps teach letters and inspires my 3 year old to write and draw!

Excellent illustrations & clever rhyming text
Very creative book that does not patronize children. I read this to my twin babies and they love it. I look forward to them reading it on their own in a few years. ... Read more

Product Description
Charming verse and rich mixed-media illustrations explore the world of the zoo animals at night, as the rhinoceros snores while the raccoons talk to each other, and the koala eats his eucalyptus leaves. ... Read more

Product Description
Little ones love to play peek-a-boo. With its oversize flaps and bright, bold illustrations, this follow-up to the highly successful Peek-a-Moo! is sure to be another hit with young readers. On every page, kids play peek-a-boo with a different animal found at the zoo, guessing what it is, then lifting the flap to find out. Each animal has a different sound that becomes part of the peek-a-boo game: Guess who? "Peek-a-roar!" says the lion. "Peek-a-ooo-ooo-ooo!" says the chimpanzee. The sweet, funny animals will keep kids laughing, while the large trim size and sturdy binding will ensure many hours of lift-the-flap fun! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Peek-a-Boo FUN!
We stumbled across this book and we're so glad that we did ... my 10 month old daughter LOVES it! I have purchased this book for all of our friends with little ones. It's so much fun to play peek-a-boo with the animals and make the noises they make. The only complaint I have is that the flaps could be made of stronger material. Repeated reading is starting to bend and crumple the flaps.

Fun Book/Excellent Series
This is such a fun book for toddlers and younger.It is my go to book for gifts!Even my 4 1/2 year old still loves it.

Favorite!
My daughter is 11 months old, and this has been her absolute favorite book for the last several months.As a matter of fact, I have to hide it from her, otherwise she heads right for it!

One of the best flap books for young children!
My 8 month old daughter loves flap books, and this is by far one of her favorites!The flaps are large and easy for her to pull down (I like that they all pull down so she can do it by herself).The pictures underneath of the animals are large and brightly colored.It is truly a favorite and I'd love the whole series!We are thinking of getting Peek-a-pet next!

Great for toddlers!
Pages and pictures are nice and big. My 14 months loves it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Brilliant Analogy
The Organizational Zoo provides valuable wisdom presented in a way that is easily relate-able. Throughout the book I found myself highlighting and making notes to remind myself of many key take-aways. Some of my favorites: "The best ideas, innovations and solutions come from diversity and adversity...People who think like you see the same opportunities and problems that you do and miss the same risks." and "You should not inherently trust those who elect themselves as your guide dog and thrust themselves upon you to provide assistance."

The complexity of other personality profile type books makes it hard to recall the specifics when you need them most. The Organizational Zoo makes it simple to identify the other person and provides useful tips to manage and react to them... and even predict their behavior!

Understanding and Humor in Identifying Workplace Traits
The author uses the metaphor of a zoo to describe the various personalities and groups found in the typical organization. The characterizations are most apt, like hyenas who conspire together to bring down larger animals, to whales, whose strengths often become their weaknesses. The author (a biologist turned organizational change coach), also shows how you can use the habit of identifying which kind of creature a colleague or competitor most resembles to your advantage, by identifying their most conspicuous qualities, as well as hidden ones. He shows how to use the zoo analogy to lighten meetings, identify opportunities, and generally make the workplace experience lighter and more illuminating. If nothing else, you will laugh as you identify the animal habits of your most annoying colleagues!

A cultural survival guide
Excellent use of storytelling, humor and metaphor to define modern workplaces and help to identify that "monster" in the corner!Fun read and highly recommended.

Office Politics Survival Guide
Are you being over run by the 'herd' at your work place? Have a read of this book and work out some 'survival' strategies! If you work in HR and are planning your next 'working together better' seminar, I recommend you read this book and incorporate some of the ideas. A nice analysis of office politics.

The Organizational Zoo - Seriously humorous
This book is seriously humorous. I have tested it out on Masters degree students for a reaction and had an extremely positive response. It makes people think about leadership, followership, organisational culture and stakeholders in an interesting and reflective way. It has some useful exercises in the back that these experienced management students all enjoyed and learned from. I also will use it with my doctoral students and I'm sure that it would also work well with undergraduates. It is also one of those books that a management practitioner can read on a plane and be able to pick up and put down. It operates at both an academic level and if you liked 'the office' TV series you would also find this entertaining. In summary, it is seriously funny!

Professor Derek Walker, Program Director, Doctor of Project Management RMIT University Melbourne Australia ... Read more

Product Description
From catching alligators in the reservoirs of New York and capturing giant crocodiles in Venezuela and giant frogs in West Africa to finding mummified human heads in a Bronx apartment, eels on a bus, cobras on the loose, and crocodiles that make change—a memoir of one man’s career working with exotic reptiles and other animals.

After the teenage Peter Brazaitis brought home one creepy crawly creature too many, his stepmother declared, “You are an animal, and you belong in a zoo!” He took her at her word. He went directly from high school in Brooklyn to a job at the Reptile House at the Bronx Zoo, where he stayed for more than thirty years, eventually becoming superintendent of reptiles. He later became curator of the Central Park Zoo, and continues to work with law enforcement as a forensic specialist in the fight to stop illegal importation and slaughter of reptiles for the luxury exotic-leather industry. (His effectiveness at this would earn him the moniker “The Bald-Headed Snake Keeper in the Bronx.”) You Belong in a Zoo! presents the amazing experiences Brazaitis has had in more than four decades of working with wild animals.

Enlightening, funny, and often outrageous, You Belong in a Zoo! is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at zoos, animal people, and some of nature’s most extraordinary creatures.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

You Belong in a Zoo; Tales from a Lifetime Spent witjh Cobras, Crocs, and other Creatures
This is a must read for people with herpetological interests.It's also a great read for people with a love of animals who knew New York from the mid-1950s until now.Peter Brazaitis writes not only with a high degree of expertise about animals but with a wry sense of humor that is both charming and captivating.It's hard to read this without thinking..."Gee...I wish that I'd have met and known him. I'm sure that I'd like him."

I belong in a zoo, too
I'm a total herp nut, so this book was right up my alley.It was easy, interesting reading and read like the author was there talking to me, telling stories about his life and experiences.This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to go into zookeeping, regardless of if they see themselves working with herps or not.Incompitent bosses, visitors you'd like to chuck head first into the [carnivorous animal] exhibit, never enough money, escaped animals...it doesn't matter what species you work with, you *will* encounter all of that and more.All keepers need to have their minds on what they're doing and check the locks and follow directions, and Pete's herp house stories clearly illustrate why and what can happen when you're sloppy.

Fangtastic
As a child, Peter Brazaitis' stepmom told him "You belong in a zoo!" He decided she had a point.

This book is part biography, part recollection of interesting episodes in his career. Brazaitis went on to work at the Bronx Zoo and Central Park Zoo in New York, and his specialty is reptiles.

Many people find scaly animals to be scary or repulsive, but Brazaitis helps to bring some uunderstanding and fondness for them to the reader. He has a talent for storytelling. He raises the tension in a scary story about an escaped cobra. He transports you to a very different kind of society as he describes a trip to capturte goliath frogs in Africa. He brings insight into how zoos are run and how they've evolved. And more than once he gets a lot of chuckles from landmark human stupidity. (Such as the lawyer with a unique idea about the digestive + reproductive systems, or the true pinheads who seem to think venomous snakes make for interesting pets.)

If you're interested in animals, you'll find "You Belong in a Zoo!"to be an excellent read.

Great "Behind the Scenes" Account of Zookeeping
"You Belong in a Zoo" is Peter Brazaitis' tale of his storied career caring for and studying reptiles.Brazaitis' served as Superintendant of reptiles at the Bronx Zoo and as Curator of the Central Park Zoo, and has also acted as an advocate for endangered reptiles through his work to prevent the illegal importation and killing of these animals.Brazaitis of course has a wealth of stories to tell - some humorous, some frightening, and some a combination of the two.After describing 15 foot long King Cobras capable of rising to look a full grown man in the eye, Brazaitis relates the story of his attempt to capture one of these fascinating but deadly creatures by precariously balancing above a pool of crocodiles to reach the ceiling panel where the snake is hiding.Brazaitis' take on reptiles, and animals in general, is interesting. He obviously has a deep respect and admiration for animals, especially the reptiles he has spent a lifetime studying, but his view of animals seems different from that of some of the more radical animal rights activists.One could also argue that Brazaitis' work - especially his work with customs officials to stop the smugggling of endangered reptiles - has done more good than some of the antics of the more extreme members of PETA, for example.Brazaitis writes in an earnest style with some dry wit thrown in, and this style is quite effective in relating the story of his career."You Belong In a Zoo" is an entertaining tale of reptiles and other animals, and an enjoyable autobiography of a man who has obviously "found his niche" in caring for these creatures.

Excellent Reading
This is a great book. I find myself laughing at times, grimacing at others.

The author has a great understanding of snakes and other reptiles. His respect for crocodiles comes across very clearly in this book. He also has a great understanding of human nature and some of the stories he tells are touching and sensitive. Others are hilarious and I laughed out loud while reading this book

The book is well written and enjoyable. It is easy to read and grabs you right from the opening pages. Even when he is lecturing to the reader or providing information, it is done in context and is very interesting.

Well worth every penny.
Enjoy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nice Book for Kids
This is a great book to purchase for children.It has alot of zoo animals in that the children can relate to.

Love the book, but the pages are too thin!
My 20-month old son loves this book, the pictures are wonderful! My only comment is that the pages are very thin and tear easily. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume of plays contains Edward Albee's four most famous one-act works. They are "Death of Bessie Smith", "Zoo Story", "American Dream", and "Sand Box". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Only 1 out of 3 is good...
This book has three of Edward Albee's early plays in it.Zoo Story(his first), an amateurish two-man drama, where one is a raving psycho and the other is a man drawn in and then repulsed.That would get only a star."Death of Bessie Smith" is a message play, where racism is just oozing from most characters.It critizes, and it is ugly, but yet..feels so empty.Perhaps it is because Bessie never speaks for herself, only her paramour does pre-accident.Finally, "The Sandbox", which is the only good play in the book.It's about death, and our fear of it.Since it is has only one of three good plays, I say, don't bother.

The Zoo Story is a wonder! The tape is less so...
I just recently performed "The Zoo Story" by Edward Albee as a small showing, and I can say that the play had a great influence on me. In my opinion, Jerry and Peter are classic literary figures, and "The ZooStory" itself is a major player in our society's history. The story ofa psychotic yet strangely wise man who manipulates an uptight family man tomurder him, is both impactive to the audience watching it and the actorsperforming it. Now the audio recording of "The Zoo Story" (WhichI had to study in order to memorize the MANY lines) is not as impactive.The actors don't seem to try to hard in finding their characters and usethe same monotone for all of their lines. As well as that, the recordingsounds scratchy, and since the recording is recorded off an actual showingof "The Zoo Story," there are loud clomping noises when theactors fall about the stage. All this adds up to a dull listen that almostbecomes irritating during the monologues that are spit out by the actors.If you have any interest in "The Zoo Story" by Edward Albee atall (which you should; it's a fantastic play) I would suggest buying thescript for it or viewing the play itself. "The Zoo Story" isfantastic, but this audio interpretation is not a real well-doneinterpretation of it. Go for the play!

two out of three ain't bad
I bought this book because The Sandbox came highly recommended to me.I also bought it because of Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?.Albee's introduction to these three plays was insightful and entertaining. Anything I know about Albee came from these pages.These are his firstthree real plays.The Zoo Story is the reason to own this book.Done in1958, this one seems ahead of it's time.With the exception of Who'sAfraid Of Virginia Woolf?, this could easily be his finest work of art.Itinvolves a conversation between two men in Central Park, one of theparticipants is a reluctant listener to the mad ramblings of the other. What begins as an odd, unstable talk soon turns dangerous for both men.Itis a danger that at first seems intangible, but becomes an overwhelmingpresence...the focal point, if you will.The dialogue is masterful. Albee's uncanny ability to shed brilliant light into the darkest corners ofthe human mind will likely lead you to wonder what demons lurk in theauthor's own mind.There is a genius and readability here that mostplaywrites will strive for over the span of their entire careers and nevereven approach.It's that good & to say more would ruin the story.The Death Of Bessie Smith drifts easily above an undercurrent of racism,pettiness, disappointment & futility.The actual events surroundingthe death of the blues singer inspired this disturbing play.It is not apretty thing to behold.But its subject matter is a very real scar uponthe face of American history.As a reader, you will become as frustratedwith the inability to offer a helping hand as does the intern.Again, thedialogue is dead on.It's a very good play, though short of the greatnessZoo Story so easily achieves. The Sandbox was a 14 minute play thatwasn't even worth that much of my time.The characters were lifted fromAlbee's The American Dream.The symbolism may be very rich here, but Ithink I prefer the characters where they were originally intended.It'stoo short, somewhat incomplete.The Sandbox is the major flaw here. Mercifully, it's too short to undo what the rest of the book meticulouslycreated. All in all, this is a wonderful book that I highly recommend fordifferent reasons than the ones that led me to it.

The Zoo Story
Excellent play.One of the best I have ever read ... Read more

Product Description
Welcome to the Zoo...

How would you like to travel from a tropical rain forest to the African plains, and down into a deep canyon all in one day? Then get ready for a wild trip to the zoo and up close look at all kinds of animals! See snow leopards lurking on a ledge, zebras and ostriches running across the open plains, and a tiger splashing in a stream. Find out everything--from what elephants roll in after their baths to which bird might laugh at your jokes. Come take a visit to an amazing zoo!

... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Zoo visit is a winner!
I gave this book as a gift to a student I work with at school.She absolutely loved it!It has so many things to keep a young reader busy.There's lots of colorful art work!

I love it!
It is really a good book for kids. I like the great information about animals in this book.

My Visit To The Zoo
This book was very interesting, and I think this is a great book for kids to read. This informational, yet very interting, and fun to read book, tells kids a lot about animals. Even though this does talk a lot about information, I enjoyed it, and I think many other kids will to.
I would recommend this book for children of all ages, because of the information that it sends out, and the way they turn it into a wonderful story. My favorite part of the book, was when they were telling me about all the different kinds of monkeys and all the indangered species. I hope that many children will read this book.

Great message, but not a five star book...
I appreciate the message that this book sends, in teaching children about endangered species.The book spends most of the content in providing information on the animals in their habitats, yet tries to pass theinformation off in a story.I think the facts provided are wonderful forchildren to learn, and the illustrations do help lure the children intoasking questions, but overall the book lacks a little in keeping a child'sattention.Not quite a five star book, as a result, but very worthwhileinformation on endangered animals. ... Read more

Product Description
The keeping of zoo animals has become a central tool in the conservation of some of the world's most fascinating, yet threatened, species. But how do zoos operate on a day-to-day basis? What are the key problems zoos face in trying to feed, breed and keep healthy the animals in their care? How do they play their part in conserving biodiversity?

Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare addresses the key questions surrounding the keeping of zoo animals, and reveals how we can apply our ever-growing understanding of animal behaviour to ensure zoo animals are managed as effectively as possible.

Drawing on their extensive experience of zoo research, practice, and teaching, the authors blend together theory with a broad range of both mammalian and non-mammalian examples to give a highly-readable overview of this burgeoning field. Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare is the ideal resource for anyone needing a thorough grounding in this subject, whether as a student or as a zoo professional. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

birthday present for my daughter
my daughter is planning to get her masters in zoology so she had this on her amazon wish list so she go it in August and called the evening she had a chance to look at it and told me she loved it.

Excellent Resource Manual
This book is an excellent reference manual for a wide variety of zookeeping topics. It discusses everything from exhibit design to fencing to different ways to offer water, to nutrition, behavior, captive research, and more.

The coverage of some topics are very thorough (types of fencing, etc) while for obvious reasons some topics are much of an overview, such as nutrition and behavior.

This is a British manual, and so discusses much of BIAZA and other overseas regulation as opposed to US policy (although there is adequate mention of all oversight associations), and there is a SLIGHT bias toward the European ways of doing things (and public) but this is only obvious in a handful of instances.

All in all, this is a great read for a zookeeping professional or someone wishing to enter the field.

Zoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare
As a person, involved in everyday zoo life, I found this book a useful tool namely for the education of junior management and caretakers alike. It is a powerful tool when explaining the importance of matters such as documentation of animals, behaviour of many species and eventually it has proved itself to be useful also when in need, for the correction of certain professional fixations and misbelieves.
On the down side this book tries too hard to cover all aspects regarding zoo life and it also attempts to be digestible to all personal and interested public alike. This leads to a general feel (compensated by an excellent reference range) of "lightness".
All and all, I use this book regularly and with success.
... Read more

Product Description
Museum and other non-profit professionals have begun to realize that the complete visitor experience is the key to repeat attendance, successful fundraising, and building audience loyalty. Taking lessons learned by successful experience-shapers in the for-profit world, Stephanie Weaver distills this knowledge for museums and other organizations which depend on visitor satisfaction for success. Is your institution welcoming? Are the bathrooms clean? Does the staff communicate well? Are there enough places to sit? These practical matters may mean more to creating a loyal following than any exhibit or program the institution develops. Weaver breaks the visitor experiencedownto 8 steps and provides practical guidance to museums and related institutions on how to create optimal visitor experiences for each of them. In a workshop-like format, she uses multiple examples, exercises, and resource links to walk the reader through the process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A simultaneously inspiring and practical book
I highly recommend this book. Not that I could fully mine its wisdom in the short time I've owned it, but I think it is excellent.

It is simple and direct, and does not take years and years of customer service training to understand. It is grounded in sound theory about how museums, zoos, and other attractions actually work and how guests interact with those places (and each other in those places). Most importantly, the author approaches the entire work from the viewpoint of guests. I know that sounds simple, but her approach disarms some of the traditional barriers to building great guest service by framing the entire book the way she does.

The book is oriented toward action, versus often unfruitful and empty intellectual exercises.

It is by far one of the best works on the subject I've seen.

A must-read for museum staff and volunteers
CREATING GREAT VISITOR EXPERIENCES is an easy-to-use handbook, providing structured steps for making museums (and like institutions) more welcoming and rewarding for all. Packed with inspiring examples and useful ideas, Stephanie Weaver's book is a must-read for staff and volunteers.

How a great customer experience can build any business
This book will be a real eye-opener to any business owner, not just museums, parks, zoos, etc.The customer is in your control, as the author aptly points out, from the time he gets out of his car in the parking lot and sees the first signs for your business until he leaves.Does he notice trash outside the door?Is the restroom clean...and, more importantly, is the restroom pleasing?Are your employees helpful, pleasant and not over-bearing?Can he easily use your signs to find his way around? Everything affects your customers' "experience" and the greater the experience, the more repeat business you will have.An entertaining read for anyone in business! ... Read more

Product Description
Curious George and the man with the yellow hat visit the zoo. A hungry Curious George snatches a pail of bananas from the zoo keeper. Though he shouldn't have taken the bananas, George soon changes the zookeeper's shouts to praise with his clever, helpful ways. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

No Smoking!
My kids and I love Curious George and we have about 10 of these books.However, I was extrememly disappointed to see a man SMOKING in Curious George Visits the Zoo!It's the page where a man and a woman are picnicing.I realize it's hardly noticable, but come on.What are we teaching our children?Let's update this book for the next printing, shall we?

Curious George
I love all the curious George books. Who Doesn't?

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

avoid all these CG adapted from the film series.
the art is awful! just freeze frames from a poor quality film. the stories are garbage too. they jump to the conclusion, and only seem to be written to correspond to the bad pictures. forget these curious george titles, they are all being rewritten. the CG visits the aquarium used to be one of these crappy film adaptation but recently got rewritten and redrawn. better off with the higher quality titles not written from the film series.

Too Bad It Shows a Man Smoking!
Adapted from the stills of the Curious George film series, Curious George Visits the Zoo would be a decent addition to the CG books--except that it shows a man lounging on a blanket in the park with his wife and young child...while smoking a cigarette!

This past weekend we visited a bookstore and my son wanted not one, but SEVEN Curious George books to add to his collection (he already had several at home). Curious George Visits the Zoo was one of the books we bought.

Because my son wanted 7 books--and because they were Curious George--I didn't feel a need to screen them. Imagine my surprise when I read the book at home and saw a man smoking on one of the pages!

Fortunately, the man holds the smoking cigarette in front of his body (while smoke curls towards the sky)--and his shirt is gray with dark stripes. I took a pencil and shaded out the cigarette and it blended OK. Because the stills of the animated series are sort of fuzzy anyway, I did a decent job of disguising it.

Still, images like this do NOT belong in a children's book!

Other than that, the story is fine--typical mayhem as George steals the zookeeper's bucket of bananas which causes a little boy to lose his red balloon (he ends up crying!)--sending his Mom into a panic. George saves the day, as usual, but really--he's just remedying a mess he caused in the first place!

This book is geared towards ages 4-8, but has less text than books like Curious George and the Puppies. If you don't mind books featuring smoking adults (!)--or are willing to shade out the image with a pencil--then it's a decent Curious George book. But why bother, when there are better books in the series that DON'T require such touch ups?

Another great George classic
Once again we meet George... as usual he's finding trouble but in the end it all works out. Rated 4 stars because although this book was written many years ago, some people might find the caged animals objectional. Thank goodness zoos have come a long way since this was written. My toddler loves both George and zoo animals so in the end it was still a great read. ... Read more