Enjoyed this book with my 7 year old daughter


I was happy to find this book at Amazon.com. My daughter and I really enjoyed it. My daughter loves to read about older girls and it is a very enjoyable read.

In bloom.
The English Roses by Madonna was the first children's book for the pop star. I read this book when it was released in the fall of 2003, it is a cute book and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous by Jeffrey Fulvimari but the way Madge writes is kind of one-demensional. What I do like about this book is the message, very positive. Solid book but could've been stronger.

Can't we all just get along?
Madonna, never one to shy away from controversy, has once again landed in familiar territory, allbeit undeserving, you guessed it, good ole controversy. First off, I find it curious that as of this writing, there are 315 reviews for this book which is Madonna's first book. Of those 315 reviews, the overwhelming(175)have given five stars to the book. Yet, the first page(where most people look)has three reviews, two one stars, and one three stars. Hmmm, maybe Madonna should write a book about fairness. The editorial reviews give you the synopsis of this book, judge for yourself if the storyline(not the author) is something that is worthy of your childs attention. The moral of the story is something that is told in a very enjoyable manner by the mouse. Children can be very cruel and if this book, which it can, bring some understanding between children, than hip-hip hooray for Madonna. This book was obviously written for an English audience but it works for American culture too , if you fill in the blanks for your little one that is. All in all I think this is a good children's book and recommended to help a parent teach about being kind to other children. We don't need more Columbine's but can use more good positive messages to help kids get along. Step away from the Madonna haterade and take it for what it is, a good children's book with a positive message and richly illustrated.

The English Roses
OK, for those that don't like Madonna---step aside and give this book the objective review it deserves... This book was a gift for my daughter of 7 years. I loved many things about this book. The story is simplistic which for a target age of 7yo was perfect for my daughter. And yes, Madonna is American, but this is the ENGLISH Roses so yes, football = soccer!! OK, off my soapbox now. The story was fun and if you are really paying attention, you will notice a little mouse following the Roses around throughout the book. The mouse is a great storyteller!! The pictures are absolutely beautiful and each glance at the book brings a detail you didn't notice previously. I found the book to be perfect for any little one who might be experiencing the struggle between doing what's right versus what might be popular.. I thought it sends the right message that people are not always what they first seem. We will read this book over and over again... I hope that she will write more about the Roses than the two she has already written. Well worth the read!!

A tale told 1001 times before
Other than some colorful graphics there isn't much to be had in this insipid tale of poor Binah, who finds herself odd girl out of the English Roses. It seems to be written more with teenagers in mind, but the level of writing is that of 4-8 year olds. I have a copy that was translated into Lithuanian, which pains me to read each time my little girl asks for it. Not so much that my Lithuanian is that bad, but the story itself is so boring and comes to such a trite ending with nothing much along the way to capture my girl's attention. Yet, she likes the pictures. I think Madonna better stick to making music and song and dance videos, because she is clearly out of her realm when it comes to children's stories.