Mark Taylor (1) (1927–)

Just took a walk into town with my wife and a nearby yard was filled with those little marker flags the utility companies post before something gets dug up. Immediately remembered this little book that I bought in the PX Bookstore in Augsburg, Germany, around 1979. HENRY THE EXPLORER is about a little boy named Henry who, after a snowstorm, packs his backpack with supplies, takes his dog, Angus (a small black Scottie), and sets off on a hike up a snow covered hill and into the woods to show more explore - and maybe find a bear. Our daughter was about a year old, already walking and talking (a LOT), and she loved this story and its pictures so much she nearly had it memorized. She knew everything Henry put into his pack - a sandwich, a flashlight, and more. But, most importantly, the small triangular 'flags' he took to mark his route and claim his finds. We must have read this book hundreds of times. And many years later we read it to her little boy, our youngest grandson. He loved it too. It was, still is, a perfect bedtime , or naptime, read. Not too long, not too short, but just right, with colorful, detailed illustrations that our daughter, and her son could study and imagine. Our whole family loved this little book. Kudos to both author and illustrator. My very highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER show less

The night after the big blizzard Henry and his dog, Laird Angus McAngus, decide to go exploring and discover the whole world. He promises his mother that they'll be home before dark, unless, of course, they meet a bear. When darkness falls and Henry isn't home a search party is organized. Fortunately, Henry, a well-prepared explorer, has marked his trail, and makes it home before the search party, even if he did meet a bear.

Out of all the books that I have had to read this year, this one is my favorite. It was part fairy tale, part life lessons. The pictures were absolutely beautiful and the lesson behind it was something that everyone should learn. I would refer this book to everyone!

Illustrated by Barbara Garrison and written by Mark Taylor, the Frog House depicts a story about a family that places a birdhouse in the tree. As the story goes, the birdhouse was very special, it had been made to look just like a big, ripe red apple. Beautiful illustrations show a little frog, watching the placement of the apple tree house from afar.

"The frog had seen birds move into birdhouses but never into a wooden apple. The people must have put this apple here just for me, he thought. show more It must be a frog house."

It's easy to see this book used to support bird- house making in an educational setting, at the library, or at home. A whimsical story with wonderful read-aloud potential for children and young adults. show less