Editorial Review

Even a piece of garbage can change your whole life. One morning Zeke Pippin, a young pig, is moseying down the street when a harmonica falls off of a garbage truck, right in front of him. He takes it home, cleans it, and begins to play up a storm. He is a natural, soon regaling his family with the prelude to Read more

Reviews (3)

One of William Steig's very, very best books for kids
There was a time in my life where I practically had "Zeke Pippin" memorized, start to finish, so enormously popular was it with my young son and daughter.Even to this day, William Steig's superbly offbeat text (he describes harmonica-playing as "zeezling and zoozling" and when a character nods off, he later "nods back on again") is something to behold. Innappropriate for the intended age group
This book is not appropriate for 5- to 8-year-olds in either content or context. Zeke, a pig, picks up a harmonica that he sees fall off a garbage truck and cleans it up, "using his father's schnapps as a disinfectant." Zeke then "regales" his his family "with the prelude to La Traviata". DO MOST PARENTS, LET ALONE 2nd GRADERS, KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? Offended that family members fall asleepto his playing, Zeke leaves home. After putting others to sleep with his "supernatural" playing, Zeke "ponders his remarkable piece of garbage," falls asleep and dreams of his family's "agony" while they are missing him. "If I don't see [Zeke] soon," his mother wails in his dream, "I'll shoot myself." Zeke wakes up, crying, "reviling" himself for having lost faith in his family. He knows he must bring them "surcease of their sorrow" - now honestly, I have a bachelor's degree in journalism and I had to go look up "surcease." COME ON! On his way home, some unsavory characters, called "Samaritans," rob, kidnap, and tie him up, debating how to dispose of him. Drown him? Bake him? "We could have baked ham, ham sandwiches, chitlins, pig's knuckles, et cetera." ET CETERA?? He escapes, but "two nanoseconds later, a death-dealing coyote" pins him to the ground. Zeke plays a song on the harmonica, and "the wretched carnivore is rendered unconscious." Finally home, Zeke is greeted enthusiastically, and smothered with hugs for serenading children and patients to sleep in the Quayhogue (??) Hospital. Another classic from Steig
If you normally find yourself nodding off while reading picture books to your kids, try Zeke Pippin. My sons love the part where Zeke "zeezles and zoozles" on his "supernatural mouth organ" and thelanguage keeps them (and me!) on our toes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Harmonica    7. Humorous Stories    8. Juvenile fiction    9. Legends, Myths, & Fables - General    10. Performing Arts - General    11. Pigs    12. Swine    13. Picture books   

Reviews (1)

Fun Bedtime Read
This is one of the bedtime favorites in our house.We have a budding astronaut so we are always looking for space themed books.This book has really cute drawings and a bit of a "surprise" that the kids enjoy revealing at the end.(A little hokey but cute).No to many words so even the early readers (like my K like to pick it up himself). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronauts    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Drawing    5. Extraterrestrial beings    6. Fiction    7. Science & Technology    8. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    9. Social Situations - Friendship   

Editorial Review

Have you ever felt alone in the world while everybody else prancesaround "two by two, / he and she, / curly and / straight, fancy / and plain, / different and same"? The little white kitten in Chris Raschka's heartwarming picture book Read more

Reviews (8)

Perfect for toddlers & pre-schoolers
This is a terrific, heart-felt, picture book to share with a friend.Diversity is covered (white cat-brown cat; and same but different).Independence and initiative are introduced (white cat sets out on adventure to find like).Don't try to ask for it to do more with a story line for older readers -- it is not a Pulitzer and not meant to be one.The young (and young-at-heart) get all the simple messages loudly and clearly.Brilliant.Read it with someone you love.

likes it
My 12 month old daughter loves this book.She always brings this book to me thoughout the day so that I can read it to her.It is such a fun book to read and I enjoy it as much as she does (which is good because she makes me read it to her at least 3 times a day).I disagree with the idea that there is a lack of diversity and that diversity is portrayed as a bad thing in this book.At the beginning of the book when the cat is seeing pairs of animals going by the author says "Two by two, curly and straight, fancy and plain, different and same go."That to me starts the book on a note that the important thing is to have a friend that you get along with no matter if s/he is different or same.I think that the book isn't saying to be friends with people (or animals) that are similar to you, but that life can be more fun when you have friend.And yes, the book doesn't have a traditional storyline, but that is what makes it fun.It's different and I think that exposing kids to things that don't follow basic prescribed methods is a good thing.

illustrations and words are perfect together
I am a children's librarian. Read it to several groups of kids, and they loved it.Challenges our accepted idea of what a picture book should be, but don't assume that because of that, it won't appeal to children.It's apoem in picture book form, and the illustrations are a delight. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Cats    2. Cats    3. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    4. Children: Kindergarten    5. Fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Love & Romance    8. Juvenile Fiction / Social Situations / Friendship   

Editorial Review

European comics artist Miguelanxo Prado describes his two life passions as "listening toand inventing stores, as well as painting." In this adaptation of the classic folk tale by Sergei Prokofiev, Prado combines thesepassions into a glorious work of art. The soft, shadowy colors give this redition of Read more

Reviews (9)

Peter and the Wolf
Have not as yet received Peter and the Wolf Pop-up Book

Good intro to a classic story
I use this version of Peter and the Wolf when I teach music classes to young children.I also use a separate CD (a good one is narrated by Leonard Bernstein).The reason I like to use this edition for the younger kids is because in the end the duck actually comes out of the wolf alive, even though that's not the way it originally was written.

Peter and the Wolf connects!
A spectacular visual accompaniment to the music and narration!Beautiful pictures.My 2-year-old daughter asks for the music by name and sits down looking at the book while she listens to the instruments, pointing out the different animals/characters when she hears the different instruments appear.I never imagined she'd be learning words for "oboe" and "clarinet" at this point, never mind their sounds, but she is entranced and easily goes back and forth between the music, the story, and the different instruments and characters. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Comics & Graphic Novels - General    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - European    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    6. Fairy tales    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Comic strip fiction / graphic novels