Synopses & Reviews
First published in 1988 and now back by popular demand, Good Dog, Carl illustrator Alexandra Day’s Frank and Ernest is the entertaining tale of a bear and an elephant who learn to run a diner. The charming illustrations of the Deco-era diner and the novelty of its animal employees will appeal to children, but the diner slang that Frank and Ernest learn and use will delight parents and children alike. Frank and Ernest will reveal the meaning of “burn one, take it through the garden and pin a rose on it,” “a stack with Vermont and a blonde with sand,” as well as “guess water,” “balloon juice,” and “million on a platter.” As in her popular Carl books Day excels at visual jokes and loving detail, but in Frank and Ernest the text is as delightful as the pictures.
- In skillfully executed paintings Day depicts a diner that is sure to evoke nostalgia among old-timers. Children should enjoy adding these novelties to their vocabularies, and making the connections that inspired the descriptions is good fun. Kirkus Reviews
- Clever and original, this playful romp serves up its message with a smile. It’s bound to become standard fare…. School Library Journal
- Frank, appearing as Elephant, and Ernest, as Bear, answer an ad for someone to run human-shaped Mrs Miller's diner for her. Bibliophiles that they are, the friends research the lingo of the diner restaurant trade, and with grace and aplomb they serve a "bow-wow. . . red" (hot dog with ketchup), "nervous pudding," (Jell-O"), and "white cow" (vanilla milk shake"). Alexandra Day's paintings render a mannerly world of measured language and punctilious decorum. Mrs. Miller returns safely from her trip, and we are enveloped in nostalgia--it was all so recent, so very long ago. Peter F. Neumeyer. - Professor Emeritus University of California, Berkeley. Author and recipient of the Ann Devereaux Jordan Award by The Children's Literature Association.
Synopsis
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First published in 1988 and now back by popular demand, Good Dog, Carl illustrator Alexandra Day’s Frank and Ernest is the entertaining tale of a bear and an elephant who learn to run a diner. The charming illustrations of the Deco-era diner and the novelty of its animal employees will appeal to children, but the diner slang that Frank and Ernest learn and use will delight parents and children alike. Frank and Ernest will reveal the meaning of “burn one, take it through the garden and pin a rose on it,” “a stack with Vermont and a blonde with sand,” as well as “guess water,” “balloon juice,” and “million on a platter.” As in her popular Carl books Day excels at visual jokes and loving detail, but in Frank and Ernest the text is as delightful as the pictures.
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Synopsis
Thank goodness Frank and Ernest have returned! And just in time to save the day, but of course in a most unexpected and hilarious way; this time the beloved duo puts their best paw forward to help out on the baseball diamond.
Frank, a bear, and Ernest, an elephant, must master the language of baseball during their stint as managers of the Elmville Mudcats- a minor league team.
The animal pals have their work cut our for them; the team is in the cellar (in last place in the league) and Frank and Ernest have to do everything- sell tickets, run batting practice, announce the game to the fans, and more! But once they learn the right language, it all seems easy.
Soon expressions like “fly hawk”- a skillfull outfielder, “smoke artist”- a pitcher who throws lots of fastballs, and “can of corn”- a ball that’s been hit so high it can easily be caught- no longer sound strange to the animal friends. Readers will cheer for Frank and Ernest whose skill with the lingo makes for a great day at the ballpark.
Synopsis
Alphabet books were among the first books made for children, and are still being published in great numbers. They are so popular because they serve the useful function of helping children learn the alphabet's connection to the world of creatures and things, and because they teach this in such an enjoyable manner. Our alphabet, like our very popular
Synopsis
Many years ago we published an illustrated alphabet book using a rhyme by Carolyn Wells. It has sold well every Christmas since that first publication but recently Welleran Poltarnees - our master of illustration reviewed his work and decided that, with our amplified resources and improvements in the art of color scanning and printing, he could do a better job. We told him to go ahead, and here we present his new version, and at a reduced retail price that we think will make it even more saleable. Some of the Christmas themes depicted are: bells, gifts, stars, ice, holly, wreaths, and reindeer. Artists include Willy Pogany, H.C. Leyendecker, Palmer Cox, Maginel Wright Barney, James Montgomery Flagg and Frances Tipton Hunter.
Synopsis
Laughing Elephant presents a reproduction of a shaped ABC book (circa 1905) featuring various breeds of dogs and puppies (A is for Afghan etc). The book features breeds both familiar and not so familiar and the charming Victorian illustrations prove that affection for our canine friends is by no means a new phenomena. This is the latest in Laughing Elephant's popular shaped books series for children.
Synopsis
Santas ABC Coloring Book is Laughing Elephants first foray into coloring books, a reproduction of a Christmas coloring book, c. 1900. Coloring books of this era are superior to modern ones because they tend to display a colored and black-and-white ve
Synopsis
Originally published in 1945, this beautiful book is really three titles in one - a counting book, an alphabet book, and an object book. It is rendered in a naive style and primary colors, and the illustrator's Scandinavian heritage shines through in the deceptively simple and charming illustrations. Inside the front cover is a little house under a rising sun, and inside the back cover the same house sits under a crescent moon. Within we find an enchanting world of a red-haired little boy in blue overalls named Peter, princesses with pigs ( for P of course) and a very fine tiger, among many other delights. The reader is taken through Peter's day, and the frequent appearance of old-fashioned clocks will puzzle but delight the modern child.
About the Author
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“…Frank and Ernest are an elephant and a bear, respectively who take over the Elmville Mudcats for one game… Frank and Ernest know nothing about the game, but with the help of a dictionary of baseball, they learn about such mysterious words and phrases as cellar, pepper, frozen rope, hot corner, hot dog and can of corn. Kids love this sort of whimsical language, and the book has plenty of it. Which may surprise those who know Day as the author of the wonderful and almost wordless, Good Dog Carl books”.
From: Sports Illustrated June 11th 1990
“The engaging bear and elephant team introducded in Frank and Ernest have this time agreed to manage a baseball team… The pleasurable result as they prepare the field, sell tickets and attend batting practice… Her (Day’s) expansive watercolors are full of action, interesting perspective and clever detail… Rewarding fare for anyone interested in America’s favorite pastime, playing with words, or the adventures of an ingenious couple of aptly named business types who enjoy a challenge”.
From School Library Journal February 1990
“The interepid bear and elephant duo are once again in the business of business-sitting, when an emergency calls, they will run the show for the owner…. Day’s rich watercolors nicely caputure the pastoral quality of the game, and young fans will enjoy Frank and Ernest’s determined efforts to learn new meanings for old words. It’s never too early, after all, to appreciate the poetry of baseball.
From Booklist March 1st 1990
Frank and Ernest, the bear and elephant of all trades, take over a minor league team in Alexandra Day’s appealing second book on their exploits”.
From People Magazine May 14, 1990
“Frank and Ernest Play Ball by Alexandra Day is… wondrously illustrated. With pictures that manage to be both magical and realistic in the same frame….Through their (Frank and Ernest’s) research, children are introduced to the workings of the game”.
From: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram April 8 1990
“…This is an excellent introduction to the vernacular of baseball. It will be useful to those who are devoted to the game, and those who just want to develop a passing familiarity with the national pastime.”
From Sun Sentinel Fort Lauderdale May 6 1990
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