Editorial Review

Reviews (17)

Dogzilla...Fiction? I don't think so.
I just want to say that I am so happy to be here today. I feel it such a privaledge that you all would take the time to read this. This book truly helped me and my children. It taught us how to love each other. This book acted as a uniter for my family. we would sit around the table eatingwheat donuts and drinking caffeine free Surge discussing the plots and symbolisms of Dogzilla and how it applied to our own personal lives. My children who are 2 and 18 months thoroughly enjoyed it. We got into several heated debates about whether dogzilla was corrupt or just struggling to find out who he is and his purpose in the world. When my wife left me for a Bob Barker impersonator it devastated me. But DogZilla was there for me during my times of prayer and just whenever I needed him. He truly is the wisest. He gave me great advice. He even told me to put my mother into a nursing home, even though she is only 52.Every night my two sons and I hold a community Dogzilla service.We invite members of the community to come and dress up like Dogzilla with us. We sing hymns to him. Here is a sample of some of our hymns:
All hail the almighty
i look good in whitey tighties
you came from a volcano to destroy the earth
but we've now realized that you've been deranged from birth
and those petty fools, those stupid mice
I bet they couldn't stop you twice.
Do not listen to their hate, don't be filled with pain
and most of all seek revenge out on Dwayne.

(...)

Unexpected gem from the book fair
My 7-year-old son listed Dav Pilkey's two books - Dogzilla and Kat Kong - on his wish list for the school book fair. I was prepared to be underwhelmed - a cute idea, but not earth-shaking, if you will.

I was pleasantly surprised with the quality - the original idea was cute, basing his stories on the old monster movies, and he's carried that theme through with several amusing movie tie-ins, including "credits" and "ratings" - as well as "in" jokes from the movies and groaningly bad puns. These little extras help keep the adult reader's interest.

The art is lavish and fun as well. I amused myself with trying to figure out how he created the images, and he discloses that he collages stuff with graphics software, but uses acrylic paints and photos of his live pets as well. It's one of those good ideas that you'll kick yourself for not doing (if you're a writer/graphic artist like me) - but it's so well done, I'm happy to have a copy.

The energy in the art, as well as the paint and palette remind me a bit of Eric Carle (Very Hungry Caterpillar). But the humor is more subtle, snarky, aimed for the school-aged child.

There's no violence or bathroom humor, but Dogzilla managed to amuse even our jaded 12-year-old neighbor without resorting to those tactics. Both kids are quick to dismiss a story that's been "sanitized for their protection" - and there was no hint of that, despite the fact that no mice get eaten.

There's great material here for a hammy read-aloud performance - squeaky voices, especially, since the main characters are mice. Lots of self-consciously bad dialog that's really fun to read.

Pilkey knows it's a silly idea, and has the maximum amount of fun with it - this equates to fun for the reader and the kids you're reading to. You'll want them both - Kat Kong and Dogzilla.

Reviews (10)

Kat Kong helped me overcome alcoholism
before i read this book i was on a constant whiskey binge, not being able to stand up straight or find the toilet,i couldnt even push a shopping cart in a straight line or stay sober enough to drive my 8 Ecudorian children to their dialysis appointments. I used to go into seizures and have vivid hallucinations of the budweiser frogs floating over me with angels wings singing hymns and playing harps while Samuel Adams played the fiddle to "Devil Went Down To Georgia" while stabbing me in the side with a ice cream scoop. Then I knew it was time to stop, I drunkenly stumbled into my kids nursery room one day and found this book that i thought read "bat thongs" but upon further examination after i sobered up a little it obviously read "rat bongs", but no, no it read "Kat Kong". It originally scared me to the point that i began to feel paranoid that nazis posing as space aliens were trying to invade my brain via my nasal cavity. I still havent gotten all the stitches removed yet. Then i gradually began to realize that i didnt have to waste my life away on liquor and spongecake. I could, i would get my life together, and as God as my witness i did. I now operate the Batman ride at Six Flags, and am sober at least six days out of the week with the exception of Sunday. I get reconstructive nasal surgery sometime soon after i can pay off the debt i ran up on star wars figurines and prosthetic heads for my pet beavers to chew on. Anyway i higly recommend this book if you are going through a personal struggle or crisis of some kind, such as your husbands cheating on you with the milkman or your love of chocolate opium keeps you from chewing food properly. Persevere my fellow Kat Kong Bretheren! i keep hearing the supernintedo mario theme song and strangely enough i am not drunk at the moment.

4 1/2 *Feline Fantasy
From the mischievous mind of Dav Pilky ("Adventures of Captain Underpants") comes this clever spoof sure to please grade school children.The story adheres fairly closely to "King Kong," except that the giant beast is a cat and the explorers are three mice.Pilky's trademark puns and silly jokes punctuate the text.

This is fairly sophomoric stuff that is not quite as clever as "Captain Underpants;" however, the book is highlighted by Pilkey's "manipulated photographic collage, heavily retouched with acrylic paint."Photographs commingle with vivid surreal colors for a unique book that is as gratifyingly cheesy as the text.

Reviews (8)

Captivating!!
My 5 year-old godson is absolutely enchanted by this book. It is his absolute favorite and the first thing wants when he comes over. It has been a source of countless evenings of entertainment for our family. The layout and photography of each page is very creative. This book is one that can be enjoyed by kids of all ages, over and over again!

My Favourite in the I Spy series
I have been a fan of Walter Wick's photographs and Jean Marzollo's rhymes since I was nine years old and my school friends and I huddled over the mat at school trying to find all the hidden items in the pages. Now that I'm eighteen I still love these books, not so much for the riddles but for the amazing and merticulous photographs, some of which just *beg* to have a story written about them (such as 'The Ghost in the Attic' photograph on pages 14-15). Each photograph has some sort of an enigma or mystery involved in it, whether it be messages written in the letters on building blocks, lost puzzle pieces or clues to a secret birthday party.

A complaint was made that 'I Spy Mystery' has no story to it. This is because this book was one of Wick/Marzollo's earlier editions, and it is only with their latest books - 'I Spy Spooky House' and 'I Spy Treasure Hunt' that they add a plot thread. But there is a theme in the other books, and this one is obviously 'mystery'. Each photograph is intriguing, and each riddle has a specific object to find that harks back to many old mystery and adventure books that you may have read as a child, whether it be 'the missing key to the chest', 'proof that the cat knocked over the can', 'the stolen diamond ring' or 'the pirate's X'. These types of clues add an extra dimension to the pictures and children will be more drawn into the hunt for the objects in the pictures, and as I mentioned before there is no end to the inspiration the photographs create - these are the perfect books to use to kindle a child's imagination.

It isn't just the riddles at the bottom of each page that will keep you occupied, there are more mysteries to be found at the back of the book: riddles that have to be matched to the photos, a charm bracelet that had its charms scattered throughout the pages, a cat that can be found in every page and a heart shaped box that's lost all its contents - these too are concealed throughout the book.

All in all, this is one of the better 'I Spy' books - in particular the photographs 'The Birthday Hunt', 'The Golden Cage', 'The Ghost in the Attic' 'The Secret Note' and 'Chain Reaction' are particularly well made.

P.S. (spoiler) To the reviewer who had trouble finding the 'dolphin' in the photograph 'The Naughty Kittens', it can be found on page 24 in the large tree. Look closely at the green on the right-hand side and you can see that it frames the blue shape of a dolphin against the blue background.

Reviews (5)

mr. sir.


Censorship reveals a shortage of assurance in a community.Yet censorship is used very frequently in our community today.To this date, the banning of the children's series " Where's Waldo," is the most immature thing I have seen our community do.To me, the banning of any book shows a real lack of confidence in us, as parents, and in our children.I have looked into it, and it appears that the reason "Where's Waldo" got banned was because it features adult material such as "topless sunbathers," and other adult "hidden pictures."I believe that these things are a necessity for our children to find, and contemplate by themselves.

The BEST Waldo book
If you have never seen a Waldo book before, here's a short overview:
"Where's Waldo" series consists of unique colorful picture books where the illustrations are filled with hundreds of tiny characters doing all kinds of funny things. Your goal as a reader is to find Waldo, a guy in red and white shirt on all those pictures. If finding Waldo gets too easy then you can spend countless hours trying to find other special characters and situations. Mentally, this activity is similar to assembling a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle, only it's more fun.
One great thing about Waldo books is that even small children can spot Waldo as well or even better than adults, it doesn't require any skills other than good eyesight and ability to pick out details. This makes it fun to read together and compete with your kids of virtually all ages, not just 4-8 as the Amazon reading level suggests.

Now when you know the basic idea of Waldo books but only want to get one (just one book can keep anyone busy for days!) and don't know which one to pick, "Where's Waldo Now" is definitely the best one in my opinion, being the most educational and interesting of the series. It features Waldo traveling through time from one era to another. He has to visit cavemen, ancient Rome, Vikings, Crusaders, a Middle Age European town, Aztecs, samurais, pirates, a royal court, Wild West, and finally a space colony.

Definitely worth the money.

Championship Waldo Watching . . . Past and Future!
If you haven't met Waldo before, he's a funny-looking cartoon fellow who appears amid busy scenes filled with other characters and objects.Although he's always out in the open and quite distinctive, finding him takes some careful looking.

The new edition of Where's Waldo Now? has a great feature.Waldo has been moved in each illustration from the first edition of this book!So if you loved these illustrations before, here's your chance to enjoy them all over again.

The scenes start with cave man days, and move on to ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, Viking voyages, the Crusades, the Middle Ages in Europe, Aztecs, 1600 in Japan, 1750 as a pirate, 1900 at a Paris ball, the Gold Rush, and also a future look at a space colony.

Although finding Waldo is challenging enough, this fascinating volume is filled with dozens of other people and objects to seek.There are 25 Waldo watchers, each one of whom is unique to an illustration.You also get Wenda, the Wizard Whitebeard, and Odlaw in each illustration.In addition, there's a mystery character in each illustration whom you need to find on your own.(There's a clue at the end of the book if you can't figure it out.)Woof the dog appears just as a tail in each illustration.You also have Woof's bone, Wenda's camera, Wizard Whitebeard's scroll, and Odlaw's binoculars in each illustration.At the end of the book are lists of a dozen or so characters and objects to find in each specific illustration.

If you haven't seen this book before, the illustrations are done across a two-page spread filled from the edges of both pages in both directions.The characters and objects are very small.You can profitably use a magnifying glass if you have trouble seeing small things.Bright light is a must!As always, the details are filled with lots of humorous situations that will keep you amused as you search for your goals.

This tininess is a plus for youngsters.The objects and characters seem like they are youngster size in each case!

You can also use the illustrations to teach a little world history to your youngsters.

Basically, this book can provide dozens of hours of laughter and shared fun.You can obviously set up your own searches in addition to the suggested ones.

After you finish seeing how hard it is to find a needle in a haystack that is out in the open, you should think about where else the object of your searches is hard to find.How about locating loyal, considerate friends whom you enjoy?Or a great job?Or an exciting hobby?Or a life-improving book?

Look for the best . . . all around you!

Editorial Review

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has been wildly popular with children and adults for over 50 years. Children adore her because she understands them--and because her upside-down house is always filled with the smell of freshly baked cookies, and her backyard with buried treasure. Grownups love her because her magical common sense solutions to children's problems succeed when their own cajoling and yelling don't. For the child who refuses to bathe, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle recommends letting her be. Wait until the dirt on her body has accumulated to half an inch, then scatter radish seeds on her arms and head. When the plants start sprouting, the nonbather is guaranteed to change her mind about that bath.

Reviews (5)

I love Harry!and his sweaters too!
This is one of the best stories ever.
Simple, funny, well constructed, satisfying,
It's also my favorite of all the "harry" stories.

Wish there were more books like these instead of today's pretentious, shallow,and expensive kids books.

Delightful
Children will find this series of books delightful!Like many of the writers of the reviews I to grew up with "Harry The Dirty Dog".Recently I came across "No Roses For Harry."I couldn't resist purchasing it for my son.He loved the book so much that I came to Amazon.com to find some of the other "Harry" books.I recently read it to my niece and nephew.They couldn't wait to see what creative way Harry was going to try to get rid of the flowered sweater. Little kids and "Big" kids alike will enjoy this wonderful book.You like this one?Try "Harry By The Sea."

Reviews (22)

Did you ever wonder where balloons really come from?
First, for the record, Harvey Potter was out there on his balloon farm raising balloons in all shapes, sizes, and colors several years before his more famous English cousin Harry found a stone of a philosophical or sorcerous nature.First time author Jerdine Nolen explains to young readers where balloons really come in this delightfully imaginative tale and the answer is "Harvey Potter's Balloon Farm," which is an actual U.S. Government Inspected Balloon farm.Everybody in town is curious about how Harvey works such wonders with his "latex thumb," which inspires a young girl to climb up a tree late one night to see how Harvey does works his magic by the light of a full moon.

Harvey Potter reminds me somewhat of Willy Wonka, probably because both would end up on most people's short list of jobs they wish really existed.The other parallel will be clear once you read this imaginative little story.Mark Buehner's rich acrylic artwork does a wonderful job of capturing the rich colors of all the balloons on Harvey Potter's farm, making you understand exactly why "Pleasin' Purple" and "Orange-Ray Sun" called what they are called.More importantly, both the simple text and the vibrant drawings bring the characters in this tale alive.The most important similarity between Harvey and Harry is that both tales are magical.Nolen has crafted a wonderful story for young readers, even if they do not live near a balloon farm.

I Remember Reading This
I really loved this book when it was read to me in early elementary school.I don't remember how the story goes very well but when I think of Balloon Farm, a happy feeling comes over me.This is a great book and everyone, no matter what age, should read it.

Reviews (1)

Mr. Putter and Tabby Walk the Dog
Simple language and a hilarious storyline make this book perfect for the voracious or the reluctant reader. Mr. Putter and his cat tabby are a delightful pair, and their encounter with the neighbor's nightmare poochwill have kids laughing aloud. The accompanying illustrations only add tothe text.

Editorial Review

Reviews (24)

Great read aloud book for kids!
I bought this book to read aloud to my daughter's first grade class the week before Halloween when I was the "Parent Reader" of the week.It was great!The class loved it!They laughed aloud throughout the whole book!The story is adorable and the illustrations are cute (pay close attention to them).And everyone, including adults, will like the ending.Oscar (the Hallo-weiner dog) demonstrates what friendship should be about.

Fabulous!!!
I've got to get me more books by this dude Dav Pilkey. This story was hilarious! Poor Oscar is a wiener dog who gets dissed by all the other dog-bullies at school. He dreams about Halloween, but his mom, who obviously had a very different sense of humor, dresses him up as a hotdog, bun included. Poor Oscar is not happy! But before the night is over he will show everyone what a hero he truly is.

This story is just funny from beginning to end. I love the little details: did anyone notice the mailbox in front of Oscar's house? They are the Myers! The cocker spaniel is supposed to be Merlin, but his costume makes him look like a Supreme Court Justice! How about the book that the teacher is reading? "Dogs who Hate Fleas (and the Fleas who Love Them)"!!! The typeset on the inside cover spells Hallo-Wiener with hotdogs!!! This book is precious from cover to cover.

Reviews (4)

This is the best book ever!
Would you ever like to visit Asteroid # 6 in space?Tales of the House of Bunnicula Mind Swappers from Asteroid # 6 by James Howe is a good book to read.A dog gets it's mind switched with a squirrel from asteroid #6!Delilah the dog gets sent to asteroid #6 in space.I like this book because it has a lot of cool characters in it and it is really funny. The moral is you should always help your friends when they are in danger.Read more to find out about Tales of the house of Bunnicula mind swappers from Asteroid # 6!

You have to see this review!
Would you ever want to go under a bed to get a potion?Well, It Came From
Beneath the Bed by James Howe is full of mystery.This story is about a dog who wants
to become a writer just like his uncle.Delilah helps Howe save the world from a large
stuffed-animal bear from eating the city. I liked this book a lot. It was good because it was funny and interesting. I don't really have a favorite part because the whole book is
good. Read more to find out.

Isbn: 0688162932
Sales Rank: 673807
Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Animals - Pets    3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    4. Children: Kindergarten    5. Christmas    6. Fear    7. Fiction    8. Holidays & Festivals - Christmas    9. Humorous Stories    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Social Situations - Emotions & Feelings   

Reviews (1)

4 1/2*Excellent Book for Elementary School Kids
Billy was nicknamed "Pinky" because of his love for the color; even his stuffed animals have a bit of pink somewhere on them.He's got no problem with the name until a school bully begins taunting him, calling him a girl (generally not received well by seven-year-old boys), and generally intimidating him.

Pinky, wondering if he's too old for such a nickname, decides to change his name back to Billy, and give his beloved animals to his sister.Fortunately, an older neighborhood woman teaches him to accept himself as he is:

"It's hard to be different, isn't it, Billy? ....But, believe me, it's worse not to be yourself. Don't change for other people, Billy. Other people will come and go in your life. Do what's right for the one person who will always be with you--yourself."

Reviews (13)

Toddlers love this book too
My husband picked this book up because of its sense of humor and bright and colorful illustrations, when our son was about a year old. What we didn't count on was how much he would enjoy this book at such a young age. Right away it was one of his faves, and he "reads" it himself every day - sometimes 4-5x. Also, he requests it for bedtime and sometimes he wants it read 2-3x. However, we don't mind the repitition, as the puns and clever illustrations make it fun for adults too.

King of the stinky dogs
Dav Pilkey's Dog Breath! has a witty story, amusing puns, and indispensable artwork that makes this book both comic and clever.

4½*Tongue Wags the Dog
The pleasingly familiar illustrations and comic sensibilities (i.e., silly, punny, off-hand) of famed children's writer Dav Pilkey are evident from the first line(and its accompanying illustration): "There once was a dog named Haley, who lived with the Tosis family." (Get it--Haley Tosis?). This dog is so smelly that Mona Lisa holds her nose, a skunk tries to hide, and Grandma Tosis faints after Haley gets in her face. After this, there are some typical Pilkey puns and visual humor as the family kids try to clean up her act.

Editorial Review

The clinical name is transitional object, but for young children, a beloved blanket is more likea lifeline. And that's exactly how Owen feels about his baby blanket, fondly named Fuzzy. The Owen-Fuzzyrelationship is cruising along smoothly until a nosy neighbor, Mrs. Tweezers, leans over the fence and askshis parents, "Isn't he getting a little old to be carrying that thing around?" With kindergarten just around thecorner, Owen's parents wonder if he should in fact relinquish his prized Fuzzy. Kevin Henkes uses hissignature mouse characters and jewel-tone watercolors to explore the antics and foils of one mouse-boy, onerag-blanket, and two parents wondering how to help their son kick the habit. This is what Henkes does best--playfully bringing childhood fears and feelings to the surface while portraying real-life parent-childtensions. Mrs. Tweezers, a real sourpuss, is no help at all. She offers terrible over-the-fence advice, such asdipping Fuzzy in vinegar (as if to cure a nail-biting habit) or stealing the blanket in the night.

Reviews (2)

A Great Series for the Only Child
This long and growing series is terrific for all kids, but especially only children.Although Henry has no siblings and his best friends are his dog Mudge and his cousin Annie (also an only, apparently in a one-parent household), with the exception of the first book, the series does not dwell on his sibling-free status.It simply presents a well-adjusted kid enjoying a wide range activities.Henry is constructive with his time (but not so much as to be unrealistic; see "Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend"), sociable, not prone to loneliness and never portrayed as pining for a little brother or sister.As the parent of an "only", I find the whole series great for subtly conveying an affirmative message without beating it over the head.
To be sure, Henry's is a somewhat idealized, white-kid, small-town life and the books are not entirely p.c. - the illustrations of the family car never seem to picture seat belts and Henry's diet apparently includes lots of hot dogs, potato chips and refined sugar.But as part of a wider reading program, Henry and Mudge provide a great series of simple chapter books to be read to youngsters or read by beginning readers.

Reviews (3)

Don't miss this one
The Island Light is a fabulous book for children and their adults.The story is simple and very moving. The characters are appealing, real and fully revealed.The illustrations are out of this world.Have a hankyready.Be prepared to be uplifted.

A wonderful book for a father to read to his children.
This book, which my 14 year old son still enjoys as much as he did at age two, reaches deep deep down into the place inside all of us where we most want to be with our parents: safe, warm, cozy, together. It never fails tochoke me up; it never fails to comfort my children. The other books in the3 book series evoke the same feelings, too.

Editorial Review

Reviews (1)