Michael K. Frith

Featuring such classics as Rodin’s The Smooch and da Vinci’s Mona Moi, Miss Piggy’s Kermitage Collection, is truly full of wonders. Included in this book is a map of the entire museum and notes from Piggy herself on the various pieces. She even gives advice on how to collect truly great art.
This book is worth it for the art alone. Trust me on this. However, Miss Piggy’s descriptions of the artwork, and what is most important to her regarding art (if she’s in it or not, usually) is show more also incredibly entertaining. show less

An alternate title for this book could quite well be 'Chaos Theory for Kids' or more aptly 'The Butterfly Effect for Kids'. This little book pretty much outlines the idea behind the Butterfly Effect: the theory that if a butterfly flaps its wings in China it causes a hurricane in Miami. Okay, this book is not that extreme, but because a little bug sneezed it created a chain of events which resulted in a boat sinking, a helicopter crashing, a farmer running around the city with a bucket on show more his head, and a policeman crashing against a rock.
Another way we could look at this book would be 'Cause and Effect for kids' meaning that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, though the reactions in this book are not necessarily equal, but rather compounding upon compounding until such a time as all hell breaks loose, and this is all because a little bug sneezed. I wonder if fans of this book sit in their science classes and when the teacher asks then to explain the theory of cause and effect whether a cheeky kid will put his hand up and say 'is it because a little bug went ka-choo?'
The other thing that caught my attention was that I discovered that this book was written by Rosetta Stone. What, The Rosetta Stone? I didn't know that the Rosetta Stone was an author, but I wonder if it is actually a pen name. I wonder if Rosetta Stone uses that name because the Rosetta Stone actually taught us how to read Ancient Egyptian and as such the modern Rosetta Stone is not only teaching children to read, but also teaching them to understand the complexities of modern science? There are many questions, and not enough answers – maybe there is a Dr Suess book out there that will help me understand that as well? show less

I enjoyed this booker for many reasons. The first is that it is an easy read for children and teaches students many sight words. The next reason I liked this book is that it has a good flow to the story and is a rhyming book which students often take a liking to. For example, the book states, " I'll teach him dark and light, and day and night". By doing this, the author engages the reader in the flow of the story. The book also included several illustrations to go along with the action words show more that were stated in each section.By doing this it allows the students to make a visual connection with the word that is stated and the action that goes along with it. When it comes to the overall theme or message of the story, it is that the main character is going to teach his dog 100 words. This is a very fun and cute book, and is something I would include in my classroom library. show less

A boy talks about all the words he'll teach his dog. He wants to teach his dog 100 words, to be exact. As the story goes on, the boy provides the reader with the number of words that have been mentioned so far. The reader never sees his face--only his arms and legs. He wants his dog to be the smartest one and wants the adults to praise them. He wants to be proud and do something exciting with his furry companion. The ending of the book reveals that the boy plans to wait until next year to show more teach his dog 100 words, and he says all of this while relaxing by a tree with his pup.

I liked this story, even though it is simple. Sometimes it is nice to read a simple book, especially in times of anxiety or stress. I also liked the element of mystery in the book where the reader cannot see what the boy looks like. Maybe this element is a good one because then, the reader cannot be biased based on physical traits of the protagonist. I also thought it is funny that the boy says he will do all of these things next year. At the end where he is relaxing, the reader can understand that some things can wait and that the little things around you are to be cherished in the moment. show less