Reviews (3)

Great Book
I started reading this book to my kids when they were both around the age of four.Now they are about six and eight and they still love it.Funny book.

Read it, love it!
My son and I have read this book over and over and over again.Whether it's Halloween time or not this book will be a sure favorite of kids' who like the dark side.Don't take this to mean that the book is dark or scary.What I mean is that if your kids have a taste for spookies then this book will not fail to please.Great pictures with subtle hidden pictures that show that the spookies and such aren't real in this haunted house.The text is fun to read outloud to the wee ones.
great for inspiring writing!
We write sensory descriptive stories about a fictional visit to a haunted house so this one is very inspiring!Not too scarry but nice descriptive language! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Kindergarten    3. Fathers and daughters    4. Fiction    5. Halloween    6. Haunted houses    7. Holidays & Celebrations - Halloween    8. Horror & Ghost Stories    9. Stories in rhyme    10. Juvenile Fiction / Horror & Ghost Stories   

Reviews (3)

Two ways to count to ten
What I dislike about this book is that the book is suitable for second and third graders not sixth graders like me. So I wish for a chapter book. So for kids in grades second or third I would purchase alot of these books for them. I give it 3 stars.

A multi-cultural math tale
I have used this book to teach mathematic lessons to grades one through three. It serves as a great springboard for discussion on factors, prime numbers and patterns.The pictures are delightful and the children love to make predictions on just who will make the King happy.My students choose to return to this book over and over again.

Two Ways to Count to Ten
I really enjoyed this retelling of a Liberian folk tale.This book is a great book for helping young readers to explore math concepts like counting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Babies & Toddlers    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - African    6. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    7. Folklore   

Reviews (18)

Gently humorous
Downing a bowl of alphabet soup the family dog comes up wordy in Susan Meddaugh's gently funny picture book. Friendly illustrations will soon have sympathetic kids relating their own version as Martha wears out her wonder with incessant chatter.

Very Funny for Dog Lovers
I bought this book as a gift for a 5 year old, but found the humor to be a bit more sophisticated. My 9 year old son (& dog lover) found it to be hilarious. It will become a favorite gift of mine to give children in the 7-9 age bracket.

a talking dog!
Kids love the idea of a talking dog, and Martha's story is amusing, as she develops the ability to speak after eating alphabet soup and then drives her family mad with her nonstop talking (except during her own televisioin shows, of course).It's unfortunate that the family eventually collectively yell at Martha to "SHUT UP!" but we just talk about the inappropriateness of the family's response, even when they're frustrated.Eventually they resolve the situation when Martha proves to be brave, intelligent and lucky during an encounter with a burglar.A bit loopy but kids love it/ ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dogs    2. Animals - Pets    3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    4. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 1-2    6. Children: Kindergarten    7. Dogs    8. Fiction    9. Humorous Stories    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Dogs    12. Picture books   

Reviews (5)

Yakety Yak
When I heard that "Martha Calling" had made the New York Public Library's "100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know", I immediately decided to read it.By mistake, I accidentally picked up the first Martha book, "Martha Speaks", in which a clever canine who can speak (due to a healthy diet of alphabet soup) foils a burglar's plot.The book was fine.Not particularly different from any other, except perhaps that it used cartoonish bubbles to convey speech (not too common in picture books as of now).So I returned it and located "Martha Calling" next.To my chagrin, the book is not quite as good as its predecessor.Yes, we still have that lovable puppy dog yabbering away and causing all sorts of kooky adventures, but the emotional impact found in the first book is lacking here.
martha calling
I love this book. Anyone who has a dog will love this book. Actually, anyone will love this book. A funny, touching, Especially good for dog lovers...
I love reading this book to my kids age 3 and 6. It makes me laugh as well as them! I have given it as gifts several times. I especially enjoyed giving this to a vet. friend's son! The other Martha books are good too, but if you can only have one, I think this one is the best. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dogs    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Dogs    5. Family - Vacation    6. Fiction    7. Humorous Stories    8. Vacations    9. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Dogs    10. Picture books   

Reviews (6)

Magic Market
Very fun read for kids old enough to sit and enjoy about a 10 minute read.The story is excellent, and not scary at all so it stays fun.Lots of dynamics, trying doing a kind act leads to an encounter with with a witch's market, the book is worth it just to see what's on the shelves.The suspense of waiting to see how long the dog will behave with all the cats around, and lastly the clean get-a-way...lots of opportunity to interact with your "readees" while you page through the book.I found the kids loved to look for new things in the book all by themselves.

Great Book
This is a great book, great story with great pictures.My daughter who is 2.5 years old loves it very much.The names for the produce and candy in the witches supermarket are great and very creative.Highly reccomended.

Does the Witches' Supermarket Carry This Book?
A trick-or-treating little girl with her dog (who's dressed up like a cat) picks up a coupon that an old lady drops and follows her to return it. Quite unsuspectingly they end up in an exclusive supermarket for witches and cats!The drawings in this book are a stitch and are so filled with funny details that I had a lot of fun pouring over each page.When the girl & her dog as cat are discovered, chaos insues.The madcap adventure is a nice Halloween treat to slip into your little goblin's bag of goodies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Dogs    4. Fiction    5. Halloween    6. Holidays & Celebrations - Halloween    7. Holidays & Festivals - Halloween    8. Juvenile Literature    9. Supermarkets    10. Witches    11. Juvenile Fiction / Holidays & Festivals / Halloween   

Reviews (5)

Hilarious
This book has to be one of the funniest children's books we have ever read.We originally checked it out from the library and loved it so much we had to buy our own copy.It provides tons of giggles.It is perfect for our 5 year old's silly sense of humor.

Wonderfully funny and imaginative.
Hog-Eye is one of my children's (6 and 8) all-time favorite books. (It's one of my favorites as well!)The little pig's creative explanation of how she missed the bus is humorous, but her family's sideline responses to the story are what make this book really wonderful.Hog-Eye demonstrates just how important a little ingenuity and the ability to read can be.

One of my daughter's favorite books ever...
My six year old daughter and I have read this book over thirty times, and we're still laughing! A little pig, trying to explain why she missed school, invents a tall tale about a hungry wolf, a soup recipe, and her owningenious efforts to escape the wolf's clutches.Don't miss this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Pigs    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Humorous Retelling    5. Fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Pigs    8. Reading    9. Wolves    10. Animal stories    11. Early learning / early learning concepts    12. Farm & working animals    13. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Pigs   

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Reviews (1)

Poor Harry!!!!
This is one of the funniest books that I've encountered in some time.All Harry wants to do is take a little boat trip, maybe do some fishing, and relax.If page one is an indication of the things to come, it's not good news for Harry.We see a seagull trying to break open a clam shell by dropping it on Harry's head.He gets caught in a storm and is stranded on an island with a lot of rocks, a scraggly tree, and an egg.As the egg hatches Harry figures it must be a bizzard, but comes to the realization that it's actually a dragon, a dragon that is continually eyeing Harry going "Mmmmmmmmmmm".The ending is a delightful twist and a valuable lesson is learned--there are fates far worse than death.Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - General    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children: Preschool    4. Dragons    5. Eggs    6. Fiction    7. Islands    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Preschool Picture Story Books    10. Shipwrecks    11. Social Issues - Friendship    12. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Friendship    13. Bargain   

Reviews (3)

Cute, funny fairy tale
My 5-1/2 year old and 4 year old boys loved this story and asked me to read it to them again and again immediately after listening to it the first time.FYI - - It was one of more than 20 books on our school's reading award list for Kindergarten - 2nd graders.Very engaging and entertaining. Good lessons about being kind/good vs. being mean/evil.A dog snatches a witch's magic walking stick, and the witch asks a girl to get it back for her. The girl had been mistreated at home by her older siblings since their parents died.Caveats: I did not like the fact that it mentioned that the parents' died, although it was just in passing, so I edited it to say the parents were not there. It is also worth pointing out to others who may be concerned that the girl runs away from home. I edited that out, too. I just don't like bringing up subjects unnecessarily. I said she left her home and left it vague as to how long she was planning to stay away. I know, I know ... but, I'm sorry, I'm just not reading that to my children. Nevertheless, we loved the story.

5 stars from gobbysreviews
"There once was a very old witch who had a magic walking stick.Over the years she had used it to make a thousand miserable wishes come true...."
Margaret's days are all bad since her parents died and her siblings make her do all the work
Margaret's days are all bad since her parents died and her siblings make her do all the work. When things get bad she runs away into the forest and encounters an old lady stranded: her desire to help may bring her into danger through a wily old witch's plans in the engaging picturebook The Witch's Walking Stick.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - Science Fiction    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Children: Kindergarten    5. Fiction    6. Holidays & Celebrations - Halloween    7. Holidays & Festivals - Halloween    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Magic    10. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    11. Wishes    12. Witches    13. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (4)

Fun to read to children and loved by Elementary aged children
A fun book about the power of words.

It's a good thing!
Take one dog with attitude, add one can of alphabet soup, and you've got Martha, who not only talks, but isn't afraid to speak her mind. In this book, her fourth adventure so far, Martha learns the power that otherpeople's (or animal's) words have on our self-image. Bad dog Bob and Martha are a great read!
We can all learn to speak a little nicer and be open to change others through kindness, by reading this to kids of all ages.My three year old loves this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dogs    2. Bullies    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Dogs    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Preschool Picture Story Books    9. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Dogs   

Reviews (1)

My daughter's favorite
This book is so fun to read and a 2-3 year old can get involved in reading it with you.Your child will enjoy it - because every child understands what "no nap" means.Children will love this book and ask for it over and over. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bedtime    2. Bedtime & Dreams    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Preschool    5. Fiction    6. Naps (Sleep)    7. Early learning / early learning concepts    8. Juvenile Fiction / Bedtime & Dreams    9. Picture books   

Editorial Review

Sometimes even the most ordinary rat can experience the extraordinary. "I was born a rat. I expected to be a rat all my days. But life is full of surprises." So begins Susan Meddaugh's wonderfully understated, comically illustrated Read more

Reviews (11)

This Time It's Not About the Girl - A review of "Cinderella's Rat"
I liked this book.I thought the artwork was nice and the story very silly and fun.My two children (boy and girl; 4 and 6) liked it as well.
The best book ever!
This book is the best book anyone can ever read. I recommend everyone to read it. When you finish you will recgonizethat even little things can make a tremendous effort. This book is about a little rat changig into a human and he wanted his sister to turn into a human too and he realized after having his sister bark like a dog and turned into a human being, that being a rat is fine with him and he turned bakc into his normal.

The best book ever!
This book is the best book anyone can ever read. I recommend everyone to read it. When you finish you will recgonizethat even little things can make a tremendous effort. This book is about a little rat changig into a human and he wanted his sister to turn into a human too and he realized after having his sister bark like a dog and turned into a human being, that being a rat is fine with him and he turned bakc into his normal. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - MiceHamstersGuinea Pigsetc.    2. Brothers and sisters    3. Characters in literature    4. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    5. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    6. Children: Grades 1-2    7. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Humorous Retelling    8. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    9. Fiction    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Magic    12. Rats    13. Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Single Title    14. Picture books   

Reviews (9)

further adventures of the talking dog
Martha still speaks ater eating alphabet soup, and everything is fine until the new owner of the soup company decides to save money by eliminating half the letters.No one can understand what Martha is saying anymore.Footnotes let you know Martha's intents, and eventually she solves the problem in an amusing way.Kids enjoy these Martha stories.

Entertaining for kids AND adults!
I was lucky enough to come across this book while searching for a birthday gift for a little friend of mine. I was intrigued by the title, picked it up, and then had to read the ENTIRE thing. What a fabulous book! Martha Blah Blah
Martha Blah Blah is about a dog who can speak when she eats alphabet soup. With her new-found language, Martha has adventures, helps people andanimals and learns new things.She does have a dilemma, but she overcomesit to save the day. The illustrations in this book enhance thestory.The illustrator uses large watercolor images that are humorous anddoes a good job of showing what is going on in the story.The author useswords that make the book easy to understand and employs a large font sothat they are easy to read.The author also includes footnotes in someparts of the book, which can draw the attention away from the illustrationsto the footnotes.Without the footnotes, however, one would not be able todecipher what Martha is saying when she loses her voice.Even though thefootnotes draw attention away from the illustrations one can have funtrying and decipher what Martha is saying and then the answer is at thebottom of the page.In a small way, the footnotes make one think whilereading the book. I believe that this book is entertaining and sparks theimagination.Like most children' books, it has a happy ending, which makesthe story even more likable.Overall, I think that Martha Blah Blah is anexcellent children's book that deserves to be read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dogs    2. Animals - Pets    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Dogs    6. Fiction    7. Humorous Stories    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Soups    10. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Dogs   

Reviews (1)

Too cute
I use this book in my reading program and it is adorable. The story is sweet with a twist at the end. What makes the book, however, is the pictures. The little birds are so funny. My students, all of them from kindergarten through fifth grade, love this story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Birds    2. Birds    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Babies & Toddlers    5. Fiction    6. Migration    7. Animal stories    8. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Birds   

Reviews (1)

Annie dresses in her own UNIQUE style to please her grandma.
This book was tons of fun. Annie manages to stay out of her mother's view while she creates her own unique ensemble. While mom has visions of a sweet, demure girl in ribbons and a pinafore, Annie is transforming herself into a wild mix of long underwear, ballet tutu and ponytails all over her head! A smear of peanutbutter on the lips is the final touch before she shocks her mother and runs to the door to throw herself into the arms of her grandma -- a grandma who is sporting a cowboy shirt, purple pants and big bobbly earrings! Looks like Annie's taste in clothes skipped a generation. What fun ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 3-4    4. Clothing and dress    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Grandmothers   

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Animals - Wolves    3. Behavior    4. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    5. Children: Kindergarten    6. Fiction    7. Social Issues - New Experience    8. Views    9. Wolves    10. Early learning / early learning concepts    11. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / New Experience   

Reviews (5)

One of the best books
My 3 year old daughter loves this book! The stories are funny and the illustration are hilarious.

The Five Little Piggies Review
The five Little Piggies is a cute book on the true story about the ryme: KinderKids Love It!
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Subjects:  1. Animals - Pigs    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children: Preschool    4. Family - General    5. Family life    6. Fiction    7. Humorous Stories    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Pigs   

Reviews (1)

"The Hopeful Trout and Other Limericks"
This poetry book contains all limericks. There are 5 chapters, which include 39 limericks. Each limerick contains its own special uniqueness. The characters used in this book are people, animals, and insects.There are a couple old geezers working on their friendship, a Martian named Zed, and young lady named Sue. They are all extremely original, humorous, and imaginative characters.Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    2. Children's poetry, American    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. General    5. Limericks    6. Juvenile Nonfiction / Poetry / Humorous   

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dogs    2. Children's 4-8 - Fiction - General    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 3-4    5. Girls & Women    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Readers - Chapter Books    8. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    9. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (1)

Martha and Skits
In this episode, Martha's family brings home a new brother, Skits.At first, Martha is amused by his puppy antics.When Skits bothers her alphabet soup, she lays down the law-#1 She's the alpha, and #2 Don't mess with the alphabet soup.Skits specialized in "anything airborne"-bugs, balls, balloons.When Skits tried his first alphabet soup, it didn't go to his head and come out words like it did for Martha.He was sad because he knew he disappointed the family.But then he bit down on an angry yellowjacket, and in trying to run away from it, he got completely lost.Does he get back home?Who figures out how to find him?If you like a good laugh, and a good dog story, and if you believe there's something special about everyone - read Martha and Skits. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Dogs    2. Animals - Pets    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Dogs    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Preschool Picture Story Books    9. Animal stories    10. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Dogs   

Subjects:  1. American poetry    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children's poetry, American    4. Children: Grades 3-4    5. Emotions    6. General    7. Juvenile poetry    8. Poetry