Editorial Review

Surely among the most lovable of all Dr. Seuss creations, Horton the Elephant represents kindness, trustworthiness, and perseverance--all wrapped up, thank goodness, in a comical and even absurd package. Horton hears a cry for help from a speck of dust, and spends much of the book trying to protect the infinitesimal creatures who live on it from the derision and trickery of other animals, who think their elephant friend has gone quite nutty. But worse is in store: an eagle carries away the clover in which Horton has placed the life-bearing speck, and "let that small clover drop somewhere inside / of a great patch of clovers a hundred miles wide!" Horton wins in the end, after persuading the "Who's" to make as much noise as possible and prove their existence. This classic is not only fun, but a great way to introduce thoughtful children to essentially philosophical questions.How, after all, are we so sure there aren't invisible civilizations floating by on every mote? (Ages 4 to 8) Read more

Reviews (41)

Violent -- age range?
What age range is the book appropriate for?
Great Children's Book
It's a lovely story about Horton the elephant who saves a tiny planet that lives in a speck of dust.Very cute story.

Not a movie at all
Very disappointing version of this story.I was hoping to see the actual Horton, animation and all and this was a page turner with a voice attached.Not what I was expecting at all.Don't bother. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Elephants    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Elephants    5. Fantasy    6. Fiction    7. Humorous Stories    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Nonsense verses    10. Readers - Beginner    11. Stories in rhyme    12. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Elephants   

Editorial Review

Poor Horton. Dr. Seuss's kindly elephant is persuaded to sit on an egg while its mother, the good-for-nothing bird lazy Maysie, takes a break. Little does Horton know that Maysie is setting off for a permanent vacation in Palm Springs. He waits, and waits, never leaving his precarious branch, even through a freezing winter and a spring that's punctuated by the insults of his friends. ("They taunted.They teased him. They yelled 'How Absurd! Old Horton the Elephant thinks he's a bird!'") Further indignities await, but Horton has the patience of Job--from whose story this one clearly derives--and he is rewarded in the end by the surprise birth of... an elephant-bird. Read more

Reviews (28)

Horton is Always a Good Choice
I grew up listening to this book on a record.These days, rhymes, like Mother Goose, are not taught in school or pre school like they once were.I teach ELL but even English speakers are having more difficulty with hearing rhymes which has a direct correlation to their phonemic awarness development.This is one of the major components of pre-reading readiness.Horton also is a good example of empathy and we certainly could use more of this in our public schools among the students!

HortonHatches The Egg
Hacton the Elephant and the egg and that lazy momma bird.Oh momma bird just waiting to tricksome animal into watching her egg .Then comes Mr,Elephant .Oh poor Mr.Elephant gets stuck sitting on a tree for months. This book is a real good book .I would give it a thumbs up.

One of the best of the Seuss books in my opinion
Horton Hatches the egg was one of my favourite books when I was a child and it is lovely to be able to read it to my children and it has become one of their favourite too. I certainly prefer this one to many of the Seuss books available (I have never been a huge fan of Cat in the hat or Green Eggs and Ham) This one has a hugely appealing story.
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Subjects:  1. Animals - Elephants    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Classics    5. Elephants    6. Family - General    7. Fantasy    8. Humorous Stories    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Poetry    11. Stories in rhyme    12. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Elephants   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (28)

Classic to cherish
I had this Babar book as a child and could not resist buying it for my daughter, and I am so happy that I did.This book is so incredible, the pictures and colors so vibrant and the text so incredibly addictive, that your child wil carry it with her forever.I know I have.I was stunned by how much of the dialogue and how many of the pictures I remembered.This book is a reasure that you and your children will share for years to come.Some people my comment about some of the themes, but as a child they went over my head, and as an adult, I recognized how tastefully done they are.Highest possible recommendation

Lovely story
This is such an awesome story.I can remember reading it when I was a child.My three-year-old son can't get enough of this book.Other reviewers have expressed concern with the sad parts of the story (Babar's mother killed and the elephant king dying,) but they didn't bother my son a bit.We just talked about what was happening and he was okay.This is a classic!

a classic tale to share with your children
I love Babar as much for the pictures as for the story.When I read it again to my daughter, I turned to the page where "Alas, that very day, the King of the elephants had eaten a bad mushroom" and thought wow, I remember that!The resurging memory of that illustration is so keen in my mind, it's as if twenty-plus years had just fallen away.And next comes my very favorite line, for its old-fashioned text and neatness of phrase:"It poisoned him and he became ill, so ill that he died.This was a great calamity."Which is not to say that the story of Babar dwells on sad things, because it doesn't.Whatever happens to Babar he deals with it with grace and moves on.Endlessly adaptable, this is an elephant who so charms the ladies that he woos and wins Celeste in just their brief drive home.The only sticking point for some parents who are encountering this book for the first time and therefore don't have their eyes all misting over with tender rememberances of their own childhood is that Babar is chosen to be the new king of the elephants because he is considered to have "learned so much living among men".If you are trying not to teach your children that humans are above and beyond all other animals, you may not want this subtle message.Overall, I think this book is wonderful and, at the end, when he and Celeste fly away in a hot air balloon to begin their honeymoon, it is clear that the story continues.This can be taken in the vein of allowing for endless opportunity of sequels but I prefer to think of it as the beginning of your child's opportunity to answer "what happens next" and regale you with their own series of stories about the adventures of Babar, the little elephant. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Animals - Elephants    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Children: Kindergarten    6. Classics    7. Elephants    8. Fiction    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Preschool Picture Story Books    11. Royalty (kingsqueensprincesprincessesknightsetc.)    12. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Elephants   

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Pets   

Editorial Review

All Robi Dobi the elephant planned to do was make his way homethrough the storm to his family. But on the way, he meets a series of troubledcreatures, each of whom he happily agrees to help. The magnificentlymagnanimous elephant keeps adding the needy to his troupe until he has a rag-tagbunch rivaling the crew of the Read more

Reviews (3)

my 1st grader really enjoyed this book.
My 1st grade daughter (a great reader) enjoyed reading about Robi Dobi and his friends. She told me about lots of animals in the story and all their adventures. She got through it in two longish sittings (one on the bus), so it definitely held her attention!

I recommend it for children
Beautifully illustrated fable for children following an Indian storytelling tradition. Robi Dobi is a helpful elephant who meets several smaller creatures in various kinds of distress and seeks to help themovercome their difficulties. He succeeds quite well and has strangeadventures in the process. I recommend it for children of eight and aboveto read for themselves and to be read to younger children.

Robi Dobi: The Marvelous Adventures of an Indian Elephant
Robi Dobi is a wonderful adventure story with a strong focus on friendship, fellowship, and problem solving. Robi the main protaganist is an elephant with a penchant for helping others. There are no lack of thosein need and many strong friendships are built throughout the story. Inaddition, the breathtaking illustrations by Amanda Hall are an intricatepart of the magic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Elephants    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Asian    6. Fiction    7. India   

Reviews (1)

Every Little Bit Helps!
Elephant, Mouse, and all their friends work together and have fun."Just a Little Bit" is a sweet story about friendship and teaches us all a great lesson.As it was inscribed to me by my friend, "Keep this book on hand to remind you at times when you may be tempted to give upon something, that it may just be that next little bit of effort, thatlittle extra push that makes a world of difference."This book mademe smile and I loved the illustrations too! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Animals - General    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Elephants    6. Fiction    7. Mice    8. Munsinger, Lynn    9. Preschool Picture Story Books    10. Seesaw    11. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / General    12. Picture books   

Reviews (5)

Delightful!
This book is a fast favorite at our house.The verse itself is very similar to Dr. Seuss -- lots of license with words and a bouncy rhyme.The pictures are lovely.
Our family LOVES this book
My husband made up a song to go with the words - this is one of our family's favorites!A very sing-songy read with made up words and a short but sweet narrative.Get this book and try to make up a tune to go with the poetry.This is not a counting book.If you like imagination and poetry, you'll love this.

Quite boring.
This book is neither interesting for my kids or for me. I thought it would make counting fun. But it doesn't. This book is quite dull. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children: Preschool    3. General   

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8    2. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Circus    5. Elephants    6. Fiction    7. General    8. Stories in rhyme   

Reviews (20)

Amazing Children's Story Delivered in Style
One of the most original tales in the English language, "The Elephant's Child" by Rudyard Kipling is published again, this time with pictures by Lorinda Bryan Cauley. The book has been around since 1983, and still holds its own in style.
Results of being nosey
Right after "The Cat who Walked Alone" This has always been my favorite "Just So Story." It is good to see it in an individual book, as it is a little unwieldy as part of a group. This is the story of a curious elephant and how the elephant go its trunk. I can not say much more as the reader needs to experience the story as it unfolds. The pictures add a dimension and do not distract from the words.
Take your brown shoes somewhere else
This is a wonderful, imaginative, creative take on an old tale. Nicholson is great -- charming, sly, knowing & on top of each character, McFerrin is pure lyric, his vocal skills put to perfect use here, & the whole production is enough to stop you in your tracks. Unless, of course, you have a zombie agenda -- the stubby mustachioed desire to dictate all that happens in the world around you, to re-write history to your preconceptions. Too much whacking? How about you get a real life, load up on the amazing, the unexpected, the delightful, the instantaneous & then try this. Yup, it'll never live up to any PC ideas. It may not be the definitive telling of this story (though I know of no better & don't expect any real soon), but it is a totally charming variation if you are still breathing when you see it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals - Elephants    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children: Grades 1-2    4. Elephants    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Animal stories   

Subjects:  1. Adoption    2. Children's 4-8    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Elephants    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Early learning / early learning concepts   

Reviews (1)

Rich Heritage
Don't Leave an Elephant to Go and Chase a Bird is a wonderfully craftedkind-hearted tale.The author quickly moves you through the adventures ofAnancy the spiderman.Anancy goes from one person to the next exchangingitems.His trip and the transition and exchange from one person to thenext is so rhythmical, that I can almost hear drums and music as Anancytravels along.I enjoyed this book from cover to cover with such a lightstory and illustrations, which are influenced by traditional African artthemes.Although crafted for a child, this story, a Ghanaian folk tale hasa rich heritage. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anansi (Legendary character)    2. Children's 4-8    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Fairy Tales & Folklore - African    5. Folklore    6. Ghana    7. Legends    8. Juvenile Fiction / Legends, Myths, Fables / Other