Product Description
When Koala Lou’s mother becomes so busy that she forgets to tell her firstborn how much she loves her, Koala Lou enters the Bush Olympics, intending to win an event and her mother’s love all at one time. “A first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud.”--The Horn Book
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Customer Reviews (26)

Meh
Overly sappy and sweet... and why did it take the koala doing a whole big THING to make her mom say she loved her?

The perfect children's classic
My Mom used to read this book to me every day when I was little, and I just bought it for a little girl that I take care of. It is still the perfect children's book, and I still love it just as much as I did when I was 3.
It is a beautiful story of a loving mother-daughter relationship; it's not too short, not too long, and the pictures are delightful and charming. I would (and do) recommend it to all my friends, and have bought it for more than one baby shower or young child's birthday.

Koala Lou
The children just love this book. The Mother Koala told the baby Koala everyday how much she loved her. When more babies arrived the mother did
not tell the Koala everyday she loved her. So she went and joined the Olympics hoping her mother would tell her how much she loved her. Even though she did not win the olympics her mother told her that she always had and always would love her. Children never grow to old for their parents to say they love them. The colorful pictures hold the children's attention.

A gentle reassurance tale for all first-born children with a new sibling.
Popular children's author Mem Fox has penned a gentle story of a young koala who fears her mother won't love her as much now that she has younger siblings. With lovely illustrations and comforting words, this picture book has been a sure-fire hit since its first appearance in print.

Several lessons to be learned -- for parent and child!
I first discovered this book through one of my children's book authors courses.I was attracted by the beautiful illustrations which are colorful, expressive and capture all sorts of wildlife from the Australian bush (one of Mem Fox's intentions).Koala Lou's facial expressions truly tell the whole story, and the mother koala's face radiates love and pride.Then, upon reading the book, I truly realized the book's value.
Koala Lou received a lot of attention and affection from everyone, but it is her mother who loves her most.She would always say, "Koala Lou, I DO love you!"But then siblings were born, and Koala Lou didn't receive as much attention.To get her mother to notice her and to win back that affection, Koala Lou decides to enter the Bush Olympics.After much training, she comes in 2nd place and is devastated.When Koala Lou returns home at the end of the day sadly dragging her 2nd place medal behind her, her mother hugs her and assures her that she still loves her and always will no matter what.
The lessons children and parents can take away from this story include:winning isn't everything, and 2nd place is not the most horrible thing in the world; a parent may be busy with other siblings, but that doesn't mean a child goes unloved or unrecognized;children do not need to do spectacular things to win the love of their parents -- that love is always there and it is unconditional; and finally, as a parent, I need to let my child know how much I love her every day, all day. ... Read more

Product Description
Join in the fun with all the little animals from around the world. Can you cuddle like a koala, holding on tight? Or can you creep like a mouse in the pale moonlight? Can you leap like a frog in the bubbling stream? Or can you stretch like a tiger, waking from a dream? With so many animal actions to copy, even little ones will want to join in with the rhyme, until they're ready to curl up like a squirrel, getting ready for the night! John Butler's beautiful illustrations and delightful text capture these animal antics perfectly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

One of my daughter's favs
My 18 month old daughter loves this book.It is simple and short but she loves to act out the activities.I'll read 'Can you creep like a mouse?' and she will bend over and creep around the room.The illustrations are beautiful.My favorite part is that I get a big bear hug at the end.

Super sweet story
My three year old daughter and I absolutely adore this bedtime story. It's not terribly long, but the words and pictures are a real pleasure to read before bed every night. The animals in the story are neat, too, such as a tiger, mouse, monkey, etc. It describes something that the animals do (stretching "like a tiger waking from a dream") and then shows them all getting ready for bed ("now copy these creatures all ready for bed, close your eyes tight and rest your sleepy head"). I'd recommend it to anyone, it's so great!

Cute book, amazing illustrations
This is a really wonderful children's book, and my children loved it very much. The illustrations are exquisite, and the test is adorable. This is a great staple for home and makes a wonderful gift. Highly, highly in favor of this book.

John Butler books are wonderful
John Butler books are my 3 year old son's absolute favorite.He is captivated by the beautiful soothing illustrations, and loves to chant along with the story being told.I have been reading this story to him since he was 6 months old, and have since bought all of the John Butler board books.They are lovely, and a wonderful bonding experience with your child!

Wonderful early book
We got this book for my daughter when she was around one year old, and read it constantly for a long time.For awhile she even had it memorized.Now she's 3 1/2 and prefers longer books usually, but still occasionally likes to go back to the comfort of this one.The illustrations are wonderful, the rhyme is catchy, and it makes a great bedtime book because it goes from animals in action to animals curling up and getting ready for bed.We just bought a copy for a bday gift for a friend who's turning 1 soon. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

Zoo Story
This novel is the second in a new series, following the author's well-received Lena Jones detective stories.The protagonist in the current Gunn Zoo Mysteries is Theodora "Teddy" Bentley, who prefers working at the zoo to the ease of living the life of Riley with her well-to-do mother who is forever attempting to get her daughter married off to some rich man.Instead, Teddy is in love with the widowed Sheriff Joe, and regularly gets into trouble.

In the present tale, Teddy fishes the body of Koala Kate, her fellow zookeeper, out of the harbor in which her houseboat is docked.It turns out she was strangled.Soon, another nearby "liveaboarder" is found murdered with a similar MO.It remains for Teddy to solve the mysteries.

A zoo is a strange setting for a crime novel series, but it enables the author to develop material about the animals and the people who care for them as excellent background.The novel is more of a cozy than a hard crime mystery, but that, of course, is what it is intended to be.Many of the characters seemed to me to be stilted, especially the Sheriff, who seems merely to utter the usual hackneyed phrases and take the expected stance that Teddy should not become involved in the case.Of course, Teddy has now, with this book, solved his cases in two novels, so the roles are pretty well set.In any case, the novel is light and enjoyable reading, and is recommended.

Good characters and animal friends
This is the first of Betty Webb's books that I have read, but I am sure it will not be the last. Teddy and the motley group at the Gunn Zoo are an interesting, diverse group of characters that keep the story moving along. Teddy is an independent, fiesty woman who keeps finding dead people and getting pulled into the mysteries surrounding their murders.

Caro, as Teddy's socialite, blue-blooded mother, is a good foil for down-to-earth Teddy and their clashes make for good fun. Astor Edwina, Caro's lifetime foe, complicates matters by alway one-upping Caro and by using Teddy as her own little pawn at the zoo.

The only character here that disappoints is Joe, Teddy's boyfriend. He is the local sheriff and par for the course with so many cozies, he is rabid about his girlfriend not getting involved in HIS job. Joe refuses to acknowledge Teddy's knack for finding out whodunnit and harps about her staying safe and out of his way.Despite the fact that everyone knows he and Teddy are dating, he always speaks her to her with uber formality during an investigation and is harsh and dismissive in his official dealings with her. It's very formulaic and I hope that Webb has Joe do some significant changing in the next book.

For anyone who loves animals and mysteries, this is a book sure to delight. I look forward to the next book.

Mayhem at the zoo
What a complete delight is this book The Koala of Death!
We are back at the Gunn Zoo with Teddy Bentley and her wonderful menagerie of exotic animals.
She takes some of them to a local TV show and the show's host receives a few surprises of her own.A couple of murders take place in the harbor's liveaboarder community and Teddy has to save her fellow zoo keepers from being accused until she can track down all the pieces of this peculiar puzzle.Yes, her mother still wants to find a rich husband for Teddy and Teddy is still dating Joe, the town's sheriff.The Bowling for Rhinos fundraiser, the animal psychic, and other delicious oddities make their appearances in this charming mystery.Betty Webb's creativity and writing ability know no bounds as she plunks the reader right in the middle of the excitement.Great for animal lovers, zoo projects, animal rescue, liveaboarding.The various zoo keepers come to life with their unique personalities.The mystery keeps you riveted to the book to the very exciting end.

fun amateur sleuth
On the Central California coast, from her houseboat the Merilee, Gunn zookeeper Theodora "Teddy" Bentley goes to feed Maureen the Otter only to find the body of the new Gunn Zoo Koala keeper Kate "Koala Kate" Nido floating in the Gunn Landing Harbor.However, she is stunned to realize her peer was strangled to death.Her boyfriend San Sebastian Sheriff Joe Rejas asks her questions and pleads with Teddy to stay out of the investigation.She cannot though she knows she should heed his advice.Everything points to other Gunn Zoo employees like her former boyfriend Outback Bill the marsupial keeper and Robin Chase the big cat keeper.Teddy also finds "liveboarders", an animal psychic and her serial married mom acting weird, which says a lot as this is an eccentric crew.

Her embezzling father remains on the lam from law enforcement.Finally with her motor to her houseboat needing repair, Teddy appears on a weekly live television show focusing on misbehaving animals such as Wanchu the koala and Abim the wallaby.All hell breaks loose on the set, on the Merilee and at the zoo compounded by a killer targeting Teddy.

Once again as with The Anteater of Death, the animals at the zoo and in the harbor in many ways mirror the zany idiosyncrasies of people.That underlying philosophy makes this amateur sleuth a terrific thriller as Joe tries to get Teddy to stay out of the inquiry as he assumes she is a former wealthy spoiled peacock used to getting her way until he realizes how wrong his assessment is as he knows they are penguins.This is a winner unless you are the person cleaning the animal habitats.

Harriet Klausner

Great Characters and Suspects
This was a good mysterey and a fun read. This is a wonderful book for those of us who like a sleuthing but do not want so much gore that we can not sleep at night. The detective zookeeper heroine is someone I really identify with, she is realfrom her job to her prying uppity mother, from her loyalty to her boyfriend to her living on a boat. The story revolves around a small harbor village and its nearby zoo. This is also a good read for animal lovers as the book moves through the animal habitats of the world at the zoo. The author has a gift for giving animals a voice yetnot humanizing them like so many others do, her imagination of the animal thoughts and actions show how familar she is with these animals. She even weaves the story so the koala can help catch the murderer. The story will hold your attention, have you listing your suspects, have you giggling at situations like bowling for rhinos, and have you holding your breath with suspense.I read the first in this series too, the Anteater of Death, and I can hardly wait for the next installment in the series! ... Read more

Product Description
An addition to the CRABAPPLES series which looks at the world of the koala, which is not a bear at all but a relative of the kangaroo. Illustrated with 45 colour photographs and artworks, published simultaneously in hardback. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Koala Is Not A Bear
Thank you for your prompt service. I received the book in a timely manner and was able to use it for my class this semester. I appreciate the great condition the book was in. ... Read more

Product Description
While exploring the coastal sand dunes near Goolwa, Patrick McWaid and his siblings encounter a ship breaking up on the rocks. They soon learn it's a boatload of Chinese immigrants headed for the goldfields. In a dangerous rescue, Patrick meets a boy named Jasper who seems to be hiding something. Nevertheless, Patrick vows to help the boy in any way he can.

Product Description
It's no secret that koalas are some of the best-loved creatures in the animal kingdom. Now for the first time, the koala's story is portrayed in a large format with 160striking photographs and accompanying text. The Koala Book describes the native forests before the onset of human settlement. Only in some of the old-growth forests such as Wild Cattle Creek can one catch a glimpse of how koalas might have lived. The lovable koala's physical attributes are then discussed, covering everything from its paws and claws to its backward opening pouch.Maps illustrate its population and range. The type of habitat that supports the koala and the factors that determine where koalas occur are also given. Sadly, its habitat has been decreased by 80 percent since the encroachment of civilization. Interaction among themselves and with people, as well as the very important issue of species endangerment and the need for increased conservation efforts to save the koala, are covered. Written in conjunction with The Australian Koala Foundation, this book is an attempt to educate the public as of the seriousness of the koala's predicament, while celebrating its presence.Chapter 8 promotes the koala as a symbol for hope, conservation, and other causes, providing countless examples of how the koala has been used in the past for publicity, promotion, and advertising.Pretty enough to be a coffee-table book, The Koala Book is much, much more. Readers of all ages will find the wealth of information stimulating, inspiring, and just plain fun. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Full of Facts About These Beautiful Animals
Koalas are one of the most beautiful, gentle and loving animals in the world. Sadly, the population is steadily declining due to the destructionof their natural habitats. This book is a wonderful way to learn aboutthese very intelligent creatures. Full of darling pictures, everyone whopicks up this book will instantly fall in love with koalas (who, by theway, are not bears)! Read about their habits, diet and social activities,and you will develop a new appreciation for these fuzzy friends!

Koalas for All
This is a wonderful book on many counts.Information isabundant, so you can use it for reports.But the best part is thedelightful photos of koalas at sleep, play, and the dinner table.I left out "work" because it doesn't seem to be in their vocabulary.One or two of the views of relaxing, snoozing koalas are alone worth the price of the book.Instead of reciting a mantra or meditating to relax, all you need do is look at those photos. A book for all ages. ... Read more

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Product Description

Did you know that koalas have two thumbs? Or that wombats sleep with their feet in the air? Big, colorful photos and simple text explore these charming creatures and their habitats. Simple maps show where each animal lives its remarkable life.

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Product Description
Has anyone ever told you to stay out of an argument because it didn't involve you? Do private disputes really stay private, or do they have a larger effect on the world around them? What if a domestic disturbance caused a ghostly disturbance?

Mike and Angie are just another couple on just another Friday Night date having just another argument. But this time it doesn’t stay between the two of them. This time their fighting stirs something in the nether world--something that threatens the entire city!

Only a lone wanderer can save them. ... Read more

Product Description
Ages 6 to 12 years. A koala lives most of its life alone, eating and sleeping high up in the eucalyptus trees of Australia, and yet it is recognised and loved around the world. This book looks at the life of this ancient marsupial and explains: how marsupials are different from other mammals; the birth of the koala and its life in its mother's pouch; the growing koala and how it feeds; life outside the pouch, but close to mother; the dangers faced by koalas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Koala Report
This book was well written and on an appropriate level for our 2nd grader. The pictures really helped to keep my child's interest. There was enough information covering all the required parts for the written report my child was writing. ... Read more

Product Description
Panda and Koala adopt a goldfish from the pet shop, but when he is unhappy with his life in captivity they decide to set him free. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice!
Delivery was very prompt.The book was in new condition as specified and perfect for a young child enamored with pandas. ... Read more

Product Description
Join the Koala Brothers and their friends on three different adventures in this hardcover storybook collection. In each tale, Frank and Buster are on a mission to help a friend in need. Whether it’s welcoming their crocodile neighbor to his new home, teaching a little kangaroo how to jump rope, or making a traveling penguin feel at home, the Koala Brothers show youngsters that even the littlest acts of kindness go a long way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

True to the t.v. show
Three fun stories that are basically the exact same that have been shown on the t.v. show.The pictures are very clear and my 3 yr. old daughter loves listening to the stories because she already knows what's going to happen. ... Read more

Product Description
What if animals could talk? These charming books each depict a day in the life of a young animal-as told by the animal itself! The simple stories will delight small children and the art is simply outstanding. Author-artist Francois Crozat was 1994 winner of the coveted Critici in Erba prize at the international Bologna Children's Book Fair for his illustrations in I Am a Little Panda. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent series of books
We have several of these "I am a Little..." books. They are excellent for reading to toddlers and preschoolers, who generally love animals. These small-sized books are not too lengthy to lose their interest, but also not too baby-ish in the wording. You can't go wrong with these books, especially if your child enjoys animals! ... Read more

Product Description
When Tree Kangaroo and Koala dig a well to get some water, Tree Kangaroo ends up doing all of the work and Koala ends up with a stumpy tail in this origin story from Australia. ... Read more

Product Description
This title features the adventures of Kippy Koala. There are pop-up surprises hidden behind simple flaps and a pop-up finale to finish the heart-warming tale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Phenomenal Kippy
To All Who Ponder this Book,
This book is a HUGE hit in our house.My daughter is 21 months and it is her favourite book by far.We spend at least 30 minutes each day exploring this book.It needs to be monitored for now though because sometimes she can tug a bit on the pop-ups and we don't want her to rip them off.She loves looking under the rocks, behind the bushes, and seeing all of the nature.I also like the fact that it reiterates the environmental message that jewels are in nature.It is a beautiful book.Hope this helps.

Another good Maurice Pledger children's book
Maurice Pledger's book have the great illustrations that are detailed and true to life. Any of his books should be visually pleasing.

This book contains nine two-page layouts; six have peek-and-find pop ups/movements and one has a full pop-up (the remaining two layouts have no pop up or flap). The book covers animals from Australia (koala, jewel beetles, wombat, platypuse, pygmy possum, kookaburra, spiny anteater, and kangaroo). There is a brief description of the eight animals on the first page.

The pop-ups are simple and nice. I do not feel the pop-ups are lacking, but know that they aren't as dazzling as some of the paper engineering out there. For example, the wombat movement is its eyelids sleepily opening with the flap movement. Another, the pygmy possum peaks out from a bottlebrush flower. These are simple, but very pleasing. However, this isn't a book for complex, intricate castles popping up five inches off the page.

The story is nice, too. The koala is searching for jewel beetles and finds the different animals along the way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

This book made me want to see the world
I received this book for my eighth birthday and without a doubt it was one of the best presents I ever received. The illustrations so colorful and inviting made me want to be in that balloon with Koa Koala and learn about different cultures. I wanted to eat the foods, see the money, the stamps..I wanted the entire experience. I learned Geography and an appreciation for things outside of the United States.

I'm taking my first trip to Europe this week and I truly believe had I not gotten this book as a kid I would have probably been a content child but I believe this book set a fire within me to want to see the world.

Koa gave this kid a passport!
I was 6 years old when I received this book, and to this day I credit Koa and friends for instilling in me a great curiosity and appreciation for international travel, foreign languages, and cultures beyond my own. The illustrations are brilliantly colourful and tenderly rendered; these alone will invite the reader to sit down and follow the koala from country to country (or from cover to cover, as it were). Today I realize I have been inspired by this dear book for almost 30 years, both creatively and in my travels. Hope this one comes back in print someday soon.

Koa Koala's adventures
I received this splendid book as a Christmas gift, I guess I was about ten.Just to remember the artwork gives me the wanderlust!Sorry to see it's out of print for the time being.

This was the defining book of my childhood
I received "Around the World with Koa Koala" for my ninth birthday. I read this book from cover to cover about a million times. I credit this book with my desire to travel all around the world. I am now 30years old.

I want to thank the author for giving me my travelling jones. ... Read more

Product Description
The popular author of the #1 bestseller A Quilter’s Ark is back! This whimsical collection of blocks and quilts features the beautiful birds and animals that inhabit Margaret Rolfe’s native Australia. And with the simplicity of paper piecing, quilters at any skill level can stitch these fanciful patchwork designs with ease. Includes:

• Eighteen lively animal and bird block patterns, with designs ranging from a charming koala, kangaroo, and possum to a graceful swan, pelican, magpie, and owl

• Complete step-by-step instructions for 14 delightful quilts

• Ideas for featuring finished blocks in a range of original quilt designs ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great PP patterns for a baby quilt ...
But not good for people who are new at paper piecing.This book does include basic instructions, but the patterns all need to be cut apart, which is not the usual practice.If you've succeeded at PPing before, you will do just fine - but if you just want to try it out, I'd recommend starting with a Carol Doak book until you feel confident.
On a way postitive note, this book was ordered so that I can make a baby quilt for my SIL and BIL.They spent some time in Australia and had a blast trying to decide on just 12 animals out of this book for the quilt. ... Read more

Product Description
"Katie, a young adoptee, is curious about babies and where they come from. . . . Jabar's brightly colored illustrations add a coziness to London's reassuring text. A good choice for the parenting shelf, this will be most useful with preschoolers who have learned of their own adoptions."--Booklist. Full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

children's adoption book
I agree with some of the other reviews in regards to the whole "real mommy" wording. This is something that has recently come up with our 6 yr old daughter. She wanted to know why her real mommy couldn't keep her. It's very important that these children understand that we are their "real" mom and dad's. That the mother that gave birth to them loved them and loves them very much, but that we are their mom's and dad's now and will always be. To me I just didn't love the wording. The illustration was great. Yet the story just didn't do it for me, or for our daughter.

Nice story
"A Koala for Katie" has been great for our daghter. . .we bought it when she was three.In it Katie wants to be reassured about why her "real" mother didn't want her and finds comfort in "adopting" a stuffed Koala at the zoo and role-playing as the Koala's mother.My daughter enjoys role-playing, so this is right up her alley.

I will say, however, that in trying to keep with "proper" terminology, I didn't care for the author's us of the term "real mother" when Katie asks her mom why her "real mother" didn't want her.I actually went through and use white-out and changed it to "birth mother" for the sake of consistency, especially since our daughter is at the age where she's trying to distinguish between "real", "birth" and who I am, and I am her "real" mother.That would be our only complaint about this book.

Could Have Been So Much Better
I was so excited to read this new book to my 2 1/2 year old adopted son, but the farther I read, the more disappointed I became.I think the author's (Jonathan London) choice of words in explaining adoption were VERY poorly chosen.When Katie asks about her "real" mother, I just about lost it.Mr. London needs to understand that the adoptive parents ARE the REAL mom and dad.In relating this story to small children he could of at least used real and relevant words like "birth mother/birth parents."

Adopted children can be confused enough as it is, but using this misleading language is totally unnecessary.

Great
Here's another of our son's adoption favorites. Like Katie, he wondered where babies come from, and why he came to his parents differently than most. He identifies strongly with Katie, whose trip to the zoo let him, early on, explore the adoption theme. He pulled this book from those I intended to review, exclaiming, "OOOOOOO! I love this book!"

The zoo will find a new mother for a baby koala that suddenly lost its own. Katie's parents compare this to the way that an adoption agency found parents for her when her birth parents could not care for her. Katie's parents buy her a stuffed koala, which she adopts to act out her concerns.

This is simply a great book for any child who was adopted, as well as for his siblings.

---Alyssa A. Lappen

Good for adopted children
My 3-yr old adopted daughter really likes this book. It is a good story and well written. The part where Katie becomes motherly toward the stuffed koala is very age appropriate for the 3-4 year olds. ... Read more

Product Description
Cubs, calves, pups, and puggles.Baby animals have all kinds of names, but whether they're joeys or owlets, growing and surviving is never easy.Look inside to discover more about what it is like to be a true wild child. ... Read more