This book has intrigued my 5 year old for hours
351700
We got this book used and it was in EXCELLENT condition. It was clean and all the parts were there. It is very informative and great for the child that has CONSTANT questions. I also have learned A LOT!!
602051
My son is about to turn 5, and this has been one of his favorite books for the past two years.  He reads it over and over, laughing at ickle and lardee every time, picking out different details in the pictures, recounting all their adventures to me, etc.  He often falls asleep at night with this book in his hands.  And, it is one of the few books I actually don't mind looking at a million times--it is adorable and sweet.  It also attracts attention from kids and adults whenever he takes it out--I know several people who have ordered it after seeing his.  I just came online to try to buy the second book for his birthday, but no luck on Amazon--had to go to the author's site, which would be fine except the shipping isn't as fast.  It will arrive after his birthday, but it's still worth it.  These books are definitely keepers.
2863400
My 5 year old LOVES this book.  After I read it to her she said "AGAIN!" I ended up reading it about 5 times.  That rarely happens and we have hundreds of books! It's silly and it makes her laugh.
4063268
I'm very picky about what I give 5 stars to but this book has been requested by my 3 year old son every day since we gave it to him for Christmas (February 1 is tomorrow). My 5 year old daughter requests it nearly as often and my 7 year old daughter will also pick it up and read it from time to time.

PROS
1. The illustrations are fantastic - the illustrations are my favorite thing about this book. They are very engaging with lots of action, bright colors and detailed enough to be interesting even after multiple reads. I'll be googling the illustrator to see if he has done any other books we might be interested in.
2. Informative & interesting - my kids seem to enjoy knowing the real words for the different types of fire trucks and the day-in-the-life format weaves everything together.
3. I also appreciated that they show multiple ethnicities (kids and adults) in the book.
4. This one is more subjective but after reading this book every night for the past night *I* still like it, which I can't say for all the picture books we own...

CONS
1. I really had to rack my brain to think of anything. I guess it can be a bit of a long read if you're trying to rush your kids off to bed, but I think that could be said of ANY book. ;) And it's not nearly as long as any of Dr. Seuss' books (which I love but not if I want to get the kids to bed any time soon).
3196259
I found this title on a list of "living books" and ordered it.  I am so glad that I did.  I have a five year old boy who is totally fascinated by it!  He immediately asked if he could have paper to draw the amoebas and could tell me everything about them days later ... they really are fascinating.  My eight year old daughter is equally as excited.  We have collected our pond samples and will soon search for our own tiny creatures.  I am so happy to have found a book, without a super hero in it, that has sparked such interest for him.
3026798
My 5 year old daughter is entranced by this book.  The pictures are wonderfully evocative. My daughter and I have had many conversations about what is happening in each character's mind - I have discovered things about her as she talks about each character's dreams.  I highly recommend this book - see what your child is thinking!
2582976
I have not read this book, but my eight year old son is reading it now and loving it. Yesterday on the way to school, he related the story to me in very rapid, no-breaths-in-between-sentences fashion. I don't know that I've ever seen him so excited about a book, so for that reason alone I give this book 5 stars.
2445977
my 4 year old has loved other titles by Peter Stein - our collection began with Cars Galore, and we added Toys Galore last Christmas and this christmas added Bugs Galore and my kiddo could not be happier. we have read it every day since it arrived. He loves the illustrations and searching for each type of "bug." it's a very clever formula for a book, with a fun rhythm and interactive possibilities. my kiddo especially loves trying to find each bug that is referenced in the text.
4666630
I'm always on the hunt for interesting and unique books for my kids. I get tired of the cookie cutter sameness of so many kids' books, so when something like this comes along, based on a true story that seems too fantastical to be true, it grabs my interest.

And that is the big draw in this book. A true story that just seems like it can't possibly be true. I read it to my daughter without explaining it was real until the end, and she was fascinated (she's 6, by the way). The story is easy to read for those children who are fluent, and the artwork is lovely for those who are not. I particularly liked the information at the end, with the extra resources for those who would like to find out more about the whole story. I have since loaned this to a teacher friend of mine who teaches 1st grade - perfect for that grade level!

I'm glad we got this book, because the questions the story brought up left us talking about it far longer than we otherwise might have. Even my 12-year-old got in on the action. It's certainly a worthwhile book to have on your bookshelf if you're looking for something a little different.
812541
I read this book to my 5-year-old daughter and she enjoyed it a lot. Skip forward 6 hours, she comes home from school and wants me to read this book to her again. Kids do not take things literally out of books so no need to worry about the solution the animals thought out by pushing Hippo in the water. The pictures are awesome, I love the style with black outlines and blurred background. My daughter even decided to use this story for her homework in which she had to write about a story, the beginning, middle and end of it. She wrote in her own words:
Beginning: Hippo has a toothache.
Middle: The animals push him to the water.
End: His head aches.

I think the book is adorable and the animals are beautifully drawn. We have read it 5 times already since me buying it, so that's two days. I think it held the interest of my daughter. :) So definitely, a 5 star book for me.
4696234
I have a 4 and 5 yo. The adore this book and after receiving it demanded to have it read every night for quite a while. Their mom is going to read it to their classrooms soon. .... vjh
1636152
As a question and answer type book, your child will soon remember where to locate the correct answer in each picture.  However, that's when you can move to the next fun phase of the book.

Hidden in each of the illustrations you're sure to find dinosaurs, bumblebees, cats, and all sort of recognizable creatures.  The authors have imaginatively hidden these animals using subtle shading and coloration, they're really hard to pick out!  It's even more rewarding when you're finding them all for the 25th time, and suddenly come across one you've never seen before.  Your child will get so much out of exploring these pictures, this book is really worth getting.
4022783
My 7 year old wants to read 1-2 pages of this book every night along with a story book. He loves it. It is amazing for me to watch him learn from what the book offers. We have not done any of the experiments yet, but will be doing those very soon.

What I love about the book is that it is appropriate for young children, and equally engrossing for adults. I'm not a scientist, so perhaps that is why I find myself fascinated by the pages of this book. I'm learning right along with my son. What more can I say!
3470783
Best book for my 5 year old. She is enthusiastic to do the book..I make her only one chapter at a time so that she doesnt get bored. She says its so fun .can i do the next chapter? Easy going and slowly increases the concept. Going to order the book 2 soon.
488474
My daughter is 5 y.o. and this is one of her favorite books. At some point, she used to ask me to read it every night. She knows it by heart.
3281054
My 5 year old daughter was thoroughly intrigued by the secret ninja family.  I read this book to her today; she asked me to read it to her again.  Then, she sat at the dinner table entranced by the illustrations, which are bold and eye-catching.  The whole story fascinated her.  She kept asking question after question about the secret ninja family.  I admit, I am surprised by her reaction.

Some things did stand out for me initially.  The phrasing of the sentences sounds foreign -- at times a little awkward -- but I realized that it adds to the appeal of the book.  It is, after all, set in Japan.  I imagined we have traveled to Japan and someone there is telling us the story in English.

This is a terrific book for the young reader -- boys and girls alike.  Be prepared to be thrilled.
4316920
My 9-year old loved this book.  He has been a bit discerning in his reading choices lately,and it's been a struggle to find something that gets him interested.  This one hooked him right away, and he wanted to stay up late a few nights to see what happened next.
The story follows four "unusual" children, Pippa, Max, Sam and Thomas, who live at Dumphrey's Dime Museum.  They form a family of sorts, and are drawn even closer together when they must solve the mystery of the shrunken head.  The head, recently acquired by the oddity museum, is believed to be cursed.  Matters only get worse when the head disappears!
My son and I both thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The characters were well done, and my son loved the mystery component.  A few of the plot points were a bit dark, but my 9-year old didn't find them too scary. It is about 360 pages, but lured my reluctant reader right in and held his interest the entire way.