Tops and Bottoms

Tops and Bottoms adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens

Bear was lazy.  He had money and land but cared about neither.  All he wanted was sleep.  Hare was a hard worker but had lost everything to tortoise in a bet.  He needed to take care of his large family....so he made a deal with bear.  Hare would do all the work to grow some crops on bear's land.  Bear got to choose if he wanted to keep the tops or bottoms.  Hare was clever in his planting though.  Bear always got the raw end of the deal and hare had plenty to feed his family. 

This is one of the cutest books.   I like how the book needs to be turned sideways to show the tall pictures of the crops.  The pictures are great and the story line is a wonderful lesson about doing your own work and not expecting others to take care of business for you.  Cute, cute, cute!

my BIG DOG

my BIG DOG
by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel...
This is the cutest book!  It is about a cat named Merl.  He is the kinda cat who is stuck in his ways and likes it that way.  The sofa is his, the chair is his, the dish is his...and he likes it that way.  His world is turned upside town when a puppy is brought home.  He is sloppy, drooly, wiggly and clumsy.  Merl decides to leave and find a better place to live.  Unfortunately he doesn't like any of the other homes he visits.  Finally the BIG DOG picks Merl up and brings him back home.  The BIG DOG misses, needs and likes Merl.  Maybe Merl can live with this...maybe.

I loved this book!  It is told with the voice of the cat.  He seems so real.  Cats are so temperamental and this book portrays that perfectly.  The grass really isn't greener on the other side and this book is perfect for that lesson!