Leap Frog-Learn To Read at the Storybook Factory
347489
As a teacher, I can state that children learn sounds and to read earlier with this stimulating video - It has their full attention and they love TAD
265550
I purchased 2 of these DVD's as Christmas gifts, one for my 4 year old niece and the other for my 5 year old niece.  My nieces both love the Leap Frog "Word Factory" and "Letter Factory" and the "Math Circus" was another hit with them both!  The music is fun and catchy and the characters are simple and fun.  A wonderful way to incorporate TV time with learning, witch is always an A+ in my grade book!
4605731
We have loved the leapfrog learning dvds.  My kids are twins and late talkers, and since they have started watching letter factory, they have significantly improved in their vocals.  They also now point out letters when they see them and say the phonic that goes with the letter.  They might read before they talk!  Haven't used the other 2 videos in the set yet but are looking forward to them continuing to learn!
196595
The LeapReader does NOT work with any of the included books -- or any others -- when it arrives.
First, LeapFrog requires you to connect the reader to a computer, download LeapFrog software to your Mac or PC, register the product, help the computer identify the reader...and THEN you can download the included books to the reader.
Why in the world is this so unnecessarily complicated?
A battery-powered, children's learn-to-read tool should come ready to use out of the box; a separate computer should in no way be necessary.
2415951
I thought that The Story Catcher was a great book for kids who are beginning to read! Addie struggles and doesn't understand when the words will come to her. With persistence and practice, Addie starts to believe and have faith that she will be able to catch these words too. I also really enjoyed the illustrations. It seemed to fit the book well. I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
2238159
Designed to encourage practice core skills of reading and writing.  This is only for the LeapReader, not the Tag.  It's not a story and the pages are single use. Replacement pages are not available right now on Amazon.  Recommended for 5 to 8 year olds but it depends on your child's skill levels. Also children should be familiar with the Disney/Pixar characters.
3007627
Young children can find inspiration to read through Grow & Read, an early reader program that spins off from The Nocturnals series. The first book, The Moonlight Meeting by Tracey Hecht & Rumur Dowling, introduces the main characters while also revealing a bit about their real animal characteristics.

Tobin is a shy pangolin who lets out a stinky gas when hes startled. Bismark is a brash sugar glider whos a bit aggressive and quick to take offense. Dawn is a fox, a thinker who comes up with solutions to conflict. The three meet and figure out a way they can all be happy sharing one juicy pomelo.

The Grow & Read program was created under the supervision of reading specialists and that shows in the way the book is structured. It lists a level on the front that corresponds generally to an age group, and theres light copy accompanied by illustrations on every page. Chapters are short, and the story includes well known words as well as more challenging ones to increase vocabulary.

The Moonlight Meeting story is cute and the whimsical illustrations by Waymond Singleton should help budding readers follow along and be encouraged to learn new words as they turn pages. Fun facts at the end should satisfy the interests of kids who are drawn to nonfiction.

I highly recommend The Moonlight Meeting for readers aged 6 to 8 and their parents.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
1677811
Our Grandson Ethan loves to hear the stories with his name in them!
Great books for learning to read too!!!!!
3319898
I've tried EVERYTHING for my 5 year old and NOTHING worked.... Coloring, games, crafts, etc. Then, we try the Letter Factory video and BAM! She learned A, B and C after watching the video twice! I'm amazed. And I don't impress easily. THANK YOU Leap Frog!
4389280
This is a great book for toddlers.  It is used as part of the Kindermusik Our Time curriculum "Fiddle Dee Dee."  This class is taught as a 15-week semester meeting once a week, and this is one of two story books that are read to the children during class.  The book has colorful illustrations of the piggy and his brothers doing various tasks to create a rhyme.  It works based on the traditional "This Little Piggy" nursery rhyme and finger play, only in the story as told here, the pigs are musical.  Check out a Kindermusik class near you for more great stories and ideas for extending the learning at home.
4362702
This computer learning tool for our young granddaughter has made her want to learn how to use her LeapPad Computer.
4879424
This is a delightful book.  It flows when you read it aloud, and the illustrations are captivating to my 4 1/2 year old.

I especially like how the frog learns to respect others, and the rabbit learns it's good to share/interact.  IMO, it's a book that's a stepping stone to discussion, and for making up more stories, too.  I really like that.
3609223
Both the Disney Nursery Rhymes and the Disney Classic Storybook are a nice matching set that should always be on hand for children and grandchildren of all ages. I simply wish they made a matching book of Aesop's Fables and Proverbial Aesop!
3676868
My six year old grandson has been obsessed with interactive app of The Fabulous Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore since he was three, especially the page where Morris hands out Alice in Wonderland, Treasure Island, A Christmas Carol, and Treasure Island.  I told him they were all real books, and that we'd read them as soon as he was ready.  He's starting to read on his own (thank you, Mr. Morris Lessmore!) and I purchased this book for him so he could have a taste of the books Mr. Morris Lessmore offers.

Yes, it's simplified, and no, it's not as good as the original, but it's perfect for a beginning reader to get a sense of the story and experience the thrill of sounding out words to make a story.
905362
My son has been learning to read and these have helped him with learning the way words are built and how they become rhyming words.  There are 4 different games for them to play.  Be careful, the levels advance quickly.  You will want to sit with them the first few times for them to grasp the concept.  Be prepared for a little frustration for the younger users.
171477
Patron walks into my library the other day and demands a video that will teach their child how to read.  Due to the fact that my library only carries Sesame Street videos that deal with holidays or sing songs, there wasn't much to offer.  But the patron's demand got me thinking.  Finding good materials that help children to read can be awfully difficult sometimes.  Books for early readers tend to be dull (like your average "Dick and Jane" fare) or facile.  There are exceptions to this rule, of course, and one of the most notable exceptions is the remarkable, "You Read To Me, I'll Read To You".  This is a book that has killed roughly four birds with a single stone.  It helps kids to read, rhymes beautifully, introduces them to a wide variety of fairy tales, and is funny.  Really honest-to-goodness funny.  This is a book that parents will not cringe to read over and over with their young 'uns.  Hoberman has given us a book that is going to be appreciated by a wide range of ages.  All that and it's a clever idea to boot.

Here's the premise.  Each story in this book is a fairy tale.  Each fairy tale is a conversation between two characters.  It is meant to be read aloud by either two beginning readers or between a beginning and a more-advanced reader.  After picking their parts the readers alternate lines, rhyming all the while.  So, for example, in "The Three Bears" we have one reader say, "I'm Goldilocks" and another say "I'm Baby Bear".  "What pretty fur!".  "What pretty hair!".  You get the idea.  Anything written in blue is meant to be read by both readers at the same time and every poem/story ends with the lines, "You'll read to me!  I'll read to you!".  There are seven stories altogether and each one softens the original tale just a bit.  I was surprised to see references to the Grimm version of Cinderella as well as the original ending of The Three Little Pigs.  As it happens, however, no one gets eaten or hurt in these tales and in each case everyone ends the tale happily ever after.

This is not the first edition of "You Read To Me, I'll Read To You" to grace shelves around the world, you know.  In fact, this book is a sequel to a predecessor of the same name that came out in 2001.  Inanely, both versions have their reviews linked together here at Amazon.com.  I'll state right here and now that this particular review that I am writing refers to the 2004 edition with the fairy tales in it.  Let's just clarify that little detail once and for all.

Now the pairing of author Mary Ann Hoberman with illustrator Michael Emberley is nothing short of brilliant.  While Hoberman has the almost unnatural ability of simplifying stories down to their essential parts, tacking on happy endings without sounding preachy, AND adding humor as well, Emberley is just as adept at pictures that are adorable, simple, and full of delightful details.  Note that Jack in "Jack and the Beanstalk" is decked out in an utterly mod outfit, complete with tiger-striped shirt and go-go boots.  Note also that when the third pig (at first) attempts to cook the wolf in a pot, he is holding a book called, "Cooking Lupine".  Visual gag, meet fabulous wordplay.  How do you do?  How do you do?

So if a patron comes in asking me for a simple rhyming book that will help their child to read, I will be prepared.  I shall promote this book as loudly as my indoor-librarian-voice allows me to.  This is one of those rare buys that need to be touted widely to the public.  A great exercise in reading and a necessary addition to every English-language-library.
1360306
The text consists of words beginning with C, all with a K sound, with a minimum of any other words.  This is a great idea for teaching beginning readers, and I wish there were more books like this.

The illustrations are cute and the story is funny.  In other words, it's by the Berenstains.

If you like the Berenstains, and if you like picture books with alliterative text, then you have two good reasons to try Berenstain's B Book, 0394823249.

However, don't repeat my mistake by ordering both "Berenstains' C Book" and "C is for Clown."

They are both the same book with different titles.