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Everybody knows this old favorite. Now author/illustrator Maryann Kovalski breathes new life into the verses with a clever picture book. Beginning and ending with the downtown adventures of three appealing characters -- Grandma, Jenny and Joanna -- the book also includes the musical notation for The Wheels on the Bus and the lyrics for nine verses. Kovalski's funny illustrations recapture a crowded and lively double-decker bus ride from Grandma's childhood, making this a book that will have readers laughing and singing at the same time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A perfect interpretation of this well-loved song
In this fun-filled, flamboyant adaptation, a grandmother remembers riding red double-decker busses and singing this traditional song when she was a child.She shares it with her grandchildren with such animated energy while they wait for their modern-day bus, that they all get carried away in the enthusiasm of the moment and their present bus passes them right on by!This book made my toddler laugh out loud-a great accompaniment to the well-loved song. ... Read more

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With its warm, cheerful illustrations, Maryann Kovalski's buoyant story is a treat for pizza lovers of all ages. Frank and Zelda's pizza shop had lost a lot of business when a factory nearby closed until a strange little man comes into the shop, orders a pizza, and, as payment, offers to grant their very wish--that thousands would order pizza all day long. Full-color illustrations. ... Read more

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This is the yellow bird who sings each time the doorbell ting-a-lings when someone opens up the door- the sky blue door on Grandma's store, the Marvelous Market on Mermaid.

And a marvelous market it is indeed, with all the hustle and bustle of an old-fashioned corner store, the cozy warmth and goodwill of a store-keeping grandma, and the hilarious pandemonium of a cat and mouse chase. Laura Krauss Melmed's spirited verse begs to be read aloud, and Maryann Kovalski's illustrations shine with the fun of this rollicking tale.

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful Book - we know it by heart
The Marvelous Market on Mermaid is simply one of our favorite books - not only does our son (age 2) love the rhythm and rhyme of the story and the beautifully detailed illustrations, but my wife and I and our baby sitters love reading it as well.It is very easy to lapse into a sing-song like reading that moves you page to page - so much so that we found ourselves telling our son the story from memory on a recent car drive.

What amazes me most about the story is the subtle social equity issue that is addresses - when the man with the tattered hat ends up incorporated into the little family composed of the grandmother and grandaughter who tell the story.

I highly recommend this book to all. ... Read more

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Dennis Lee is at it again and this time it’s something completely different.... In 1974, Alligator Pie changed the face of Canadian children’s literature. Dennis Lee has become an icon in Canadian children’s books bringing sheer delight to kids with other classics such as Jelly Belly, Garbage Delight, and newer works like Bubblegum Delicious and The Cat and the Wizard. This time around he offers a spellbinding collection about the trials,tribulations and unexpected joys of growing up. Featuring 36 remarkable poems for early teen readers, So Cool is a rollicking ride down a sometimes very bumpy highway. Written with Lee’s trademark wit and insight, and his brilliant use of language, the poems tackle matters of concern to young readers with sensitivity and wild humour. As the poems ricochet between self-doubt and swagger, nostalgia and exuberance, readers will recognize their own insecurities, fears, hopes and dreams. Throughout, Lee’s magnificent words are brought to life by a sophisticated array of illustrations from the talented and past Lee collaborator Maryann Kovalski. The result is a new collection to be savored and treasured by readers of all ages. ... Read more

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A fun-loving grandmother treats her granddaughters to a day at the ballpark and saves the day for the home team in a story that features the words of the popular baseball anthem. ... Read more

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A picture book for children ... Read more

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Life in a tenement during the 1930s is difficult for anyone. No wonder Mama is homesick for the sunny south of Italy, where flowers bloom and the sky is always blue. Her little daughter tries everything to cheer her up, from hand stands and jokes to a trip to Coney Island. Nothing seems to work. But at Coney Island, the child wins a packet of seeds. Although it isn’t the stuffed toy she wanted, it turns out to hold a treasure. When the seeds are planted, they become morning glories. Their beauty reaches Mama, and everyone else who sees them.

Based on a true episode in New York’s Lower East Side, where the residents of 97 Orchard Street cheered up their bleak homes with morning glories, this is a story with universal appeal. By introducing simple beauty into our daily lives, even the grayest of places, and hearts, can be transformed.

Arlene Alda’s lyrical text is perfectly complemented by Maryann Kovalski’s marvelous art, which evokes the great illustrators of the 1930s. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great book!
This book is wonderful! My daughter loves it! The story and the pictures are amazing and very touching.I love it,too! ... Read more

Product Description
Jenny and Joanna love their imaginative and exciting grandmother. It's hard to guess what Grandma is going to do next. But this time, when the old lady arrives to take them to an outing, Jenny and Joanna are really puzzled. Their parents protest. It's a school day! What could be more important than school? But Grandma won't take no for an answer. And with the promise, "Just this once," she whisks them off to Yankee Stadium for an unforgettable afternoon at the ballgame.Set to the lyrics of the seventh-inning-stretch baseball anthem, Take Me Out to the Ballgame is an exuberant romp. Preschoolers and early readers will sing along as they share in the excitement of banners, hot dogs, a roaring crowd, rooting for the home team - all part of the glory that is baseball. A perfect book for beginner readers, boisterous singers, and all future fans of America's favourite sport. ... Read more

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It's Alice's birthday and she has wished for something REALLY BIG! Her wish is granted, but what she gets is a lost one-eyed giant who loves hot dogs, ice cream, and cake!

Will Alice find a way to return the giant to his home before he creates complete chaos at her birthday party? ... Read more

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An Ontario Library Association Best Bets 2005

Omar loves the pond in winter. On the ice nobody can skate faster, leap higher, or twirl quite as well as Omar can. Now it's summer, and with the new goggles that his teacher Ms. Fudge gave him, Omar sets out with his classmates for a day of fun on the water. But Omar quickly realizes that he isn't nearly as talented as he thought. When the others float, he sinks. When the others do the backstroke, Omar just gets in the way. Worst of all, when his time comes to jump off the diving board, Omar loses his nerve and has to climb back down the ladder. Discouraged, Omar sits on the sidelines and watches the fun, wishing with all his might for the pond to freeze.

But when a friend needs help, Omar leaps into the breach. After a day of doing everything wrong, now is the time to do something right. Omar is about to discover a new talent after all.

Sometimes it's not about being the best; sometimes it's about thinking of someone else. Young readers will sympathize with the portly bear who tries so valiantly to join in. And they will applaud when Omar finally overcomes his fears and creates his own fun. A spirited sequel to the acclaimed Omar on Ice. ... Read more

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Nadine is as content as a cow can be. Her life on Pete's farm is perfect. She loves to wander off on her own to smell the breezes, visit favorite spots, and search for stones for her collection. The other cows snicker at her solitary ways, so when Nadine finds an egg and naively assumes it's a stone, no one bothers to enlighten her. Instead, the other cows urge her to take great care of it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful
Excellent story.Very good teaching book on how gossip hurts others in a very kid-friendly way.

Great!
I loved this book!
It's very beautiful and very poignant.
My nice absolutely loved it! ... Read more

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Recounts the fate of seven very different chairs made by one man over the course of his life. ... Read more

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A little boy becomes a miniature Noah when a zooful of roaring, hissing, slithering, hopping, squawking animals follows him home, as recounted in playful verse and illustrations replete with surprises. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Cute story in rhyme
This rhyming story builds on itself until the humorous conclusion.

It begins with,
"The other day I went to the zoo.
I don't know why I went to the zoo.
It was a silly thing to do.

The pandas were sitting.
The camels were spitting.

They were as bored as bored could be.
"Come home," I said, "Come home with me.""

By the end of the book, twenty different kinds of animals are doing twenty different kinds of actions. The boy does bring them all home.... and finds out WHY animals are kept in the zoo!

The illustrations are cute and detailed. Without being a pure "I Spy" type, there's plenty to look for in each picture, that you miss on the first glance through. (Hint: look at the other people in the picture, then look for them on the next page, the next, etc.)

This book has a little something for everyone.... it's the kind of book I can stand to read (or listen to my child read) over and over and over and over and over and over....... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

One of the most annoying books I've ever read to my kids
The story is way too long and the tongue-twisting is overkill. Can't wait to take this back to the library.

Perfect preposterous princess reading!
Love Margaret Atwood's alliterated tale ....fun to read and the illustrations are adorable.Fabulous book.

A Keeper!
For three years (starting when she was 5) we have enjoyed reading this book to our grand daughter who lives in Belgium and whose native language is French. When she visits us -- it's all about English and this book has lots of fun word twists. The story is great too -- we made hand puppets of the main characters and put on a puppet show for the family, based on the story. I've just ordered another one for our grand children living in CA. Can't wait to start sharing it with them.

Perfect Party Pleaser
When my daughter was 5, this was one of her favorites. Since then, I have given this book repeatedly-- to grandparents! It's the perfect tongue-twister bedtime story. Guaranteed fun.

Allergy alert! May contain nuts.
OK, here is what the book is about, in a purple nutshell.
Prunella, a proud, prissy, princess, plans to marry a pinheaded prince who will pamper her--until a wise old woman's spell puts a purple peanut on the princess's pretty nose.
See, the book is written in profound proliferation of purposely placed "p" words.
It is a real thoroughgoing exercise in alliteration.
Like, here are a few example sentences:
"Princess Prunella lived in a pink palace with her pinheaded parents, Princess Patty and Prince Peter, her three plump pussycats, Patience, Prue and Pringle, and her puppy dog, Pug."
Or, I loved this one: "And for supper she fed Prunella some parsley and paprika soup, a pile of potted pigeon and pike and pickerel pancakes, and some pepper and porridge preserve, on a pretty plate patterned with pendulous poppies."

This is not Atwood's first or only foray into alliterative books for kids. There is also one called Rude Ramsay and the Roaring Radishes, and the soon-to-be-published Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda.
She says: "Princess Prunella began as a story I used to tell my little girl when I was brushing out her long curly hair. I was used to telling stories to children, as I worked with them a lot when I was a teen-ager. I was a camp counsellor, for instance. Also I had a much younger sister -- I was in charge of her Hallowe'en birthday party, which was always a dramatic event. I used to paint my face green, gather the children underneath the dining room table, turn out all the lights, and tell them ghost stories. In addition to that, I had a puppet show, which I ran with a friend of mine. We started out by doing our puppet show at kids' birthday parties, and then went on to give it at company Christmas parties."

Well, I have just read the story, and I loved it.
And every good children's story needs good illustrations, am I right?
Well, the illustrations in this book are just great. They are the work of Maryann Kovalski.
I'm sure I have stared at these pictures longer than a kid would have. She uses a lot of pastel color, and the expressions on each character, especially the animals, is superb.
And when The Wise Woman's bag upsets on the stairway, spilling its contents, we see among the things scattered, a copy of the Enquirer, and the front page reads: 98-YR OLD WOMAN WEDS 22-YR OLD MAN! "I LOVE HER. TO ME SHE LOOKS 80."
And when the peanut-nosed Prunella is served supper in bed, the servant has this emblazoned on her apron, I HATE TO COOK.
Some comic relief for the adult reader of the story....
Terrific. Atwood. As always. ... Read more

Product Description
Omar loves drawing pictures and wishes he could be as good at it as his classmate Elsie.But his teacher, Ms. Fudge, can never figure out what Omar's pictures are- no matter how hard she tries.When the whole class goes ice-skating, however, Omar's true talent emerges.He shows Elsie how he can glide and whirl and spin.After all, it's easy when you don't worry and just have fun.And the whole class discovers with Omar that there is more than one way to draw pictures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

My daugther loves this book!
My daughter loves this story.She loves cute, pudgie Omar and the other bears.She loves iceskating and drawing.I love the subtle message of "try, try again." We read this one over and over and over.- AndI don't mind! ... Read more

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Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2007

Black cats howled. Wind moaned.
Halloween was coming.

Like children everywhere, Omar is excited. This year, after trick-or-treating with his friends, Omar is planning a party. They will bob for apples and tell ghost stories. Best of all, Omar will wear the scariest costume. It'll be so scary that someone might even faint. But like so many children at Halloween, Omar can't decide what he should wear. Nothing seems scary enough, and by the time Halloween arrives, he still hasn't decided.

Omar panics!At the last minute, he had only one choice; a plain old not scary ghost . . . or is he? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

wonderful wonderful!
my son (age 2.85) ADORES this book and we are still reading it many times a week and it is over a month since halloween is over. my son loves the images of omar sliding down the gully (and he went searching for gullies on walks in the weeks just after halloween). he also loves the page where everyone sees omar and screams. my son pretty much has this book memorized. i love it went a book becomes a friend to a kid.

oh and we also went out this week and bought "omar on board".i laughed and loved it. it's my new favourite. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A favorite
I'm a music teacher and my students just love this book!It is
a great way to teach "Jingle Bells" and a great introduction to
a Winter lesson!They love Jenny and Joanna and Grandma! ... Read more