Elizabite: Adventures of a Carnivorous Plant

Rating:
Summary: Great book for kids
Review: As a botanist, I particularly like that this book has a plant for a main character! As a parent, I like the message of the story, that is being different isn't bad. Elizabite begins as a "different" plant, treated with caution and potential scorn, but soon shows how her difference is her strength and saves the day. The illustrations are wonderful - I noticed something new each time I read the book, from grateful smiles on the faces of insects as Elizabite is captured to tie-ins to previous pages. The language is rich, and the only change I made was to substitute "hot dogs" for "frankfurters" when reading to my kids so they would understand what it meant. Great book for anyone's shelf.

Rating:
Summary: childhood favorite
Review: I still have my 40 year old copy of this wonderful book, which I have enjoyed re reading to my 3 year old. The rhymes are better than average (for this age group), and the premise, while familiar to us now as "The little shop of Horrors", still seems fresh when told and illustrated by HA Ray. If you like Curious George you'll love Elizabite.