Boynton's Greatest Hits The Big Yellow Box (Boxed Set): The Going to Bed Book; Horns to Toes; Opposites; But Not the Hippopotamus

This box set is good value. It costs about $15, and to buy the books individually would cost about $24. If you're thinking of purchasing any 2 of these books individually, you might as well buy this box set and essentially get another 2 free. As far as the books included, this is a pretty good set. However, if you're only going to get one Boynton collection, my personal recommendation would be to go with the Big Box of Boynton: Barnyard Dance! Pajama Time! Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! as the Barnyard Dance! and Pajama Time! are in my top 4 Boynton Books (along with Happy Hippo, Angry Duck, Hippos Go Berserk). Now, my specific book recommendations:The Going to Bed Book is great. A bunch of animals live on a boat Noah's Ark style, and practice their evening routines before going to bed. The rhythms of the story are great, and you can almost hear the sounds of the animals thumping up and down the stairs and jumping around on the deck as they exercise. It's short, sweet, and fun to read.Horns to Toes is pretty silly. The book tells the story of several monsters showing off their various body parts. It's a bit long and boring for my 10 month old who loses interest pretty quickly, but my sense is that a 2-year old would love this one because for the most part, humans have all the same parts. However, every so often horns or tails are thrown in for humor.But Not the Hippopotamus tells the story of a hippo (shocker) who is not included in any activities that other animals are participating in together. However, at the end she is invited to hang out with all the other animals. Unfortunately the armadillo is not. I'm sure almost every child will experience times when he/she doesn't feel included, and I think the book sends a good message about having empathy, patience, and fortitude as eventually everyone tends to find their place (and sometimes even hippos unintentionally leave the armadillos out).Opposites covers a lot of ground in terms of big/small, etc. etc. There are lots of Opposites books and I don't think this is the most original. It seems to borrow from Dr. Seuss. However, it's good and typically silly and full of rhythm as you'd expect from Sandra Boynton. For a throw-in book, it's fun and educational for young kids.

Sandra Boyton is such a joy to read to the kids (I love the illustrations and the stories too). 😁♥️

This set is THE BEST of Boynton for very young kids (like 0-3) & maybe the best baby books EVER. Volume II collection is much better than Vol.I. I read these books w/my daughter when she was a baby & continue to give them as gifts to new parents. They're very educational but also very sweet, funny, & INTERACTIVE (betw. you & your child), esp., if you're an animated reader. The Going to Bed Book is the best bedtime story I've read for very little kids (0-3, & up). (Goodnight Moon great for toddlers.) Eventually my daughter & I memorized it, & I'd recite it every night as I tucked her in. Horns to Toes is equally great, easily teaches counting & body parts, & so fun to help kids find the same parts on their own bodies. Opposites is also fabulous: a really cute, funny way to teach abstract concepts (like in/out, on/off, loud/soft, etc.). "But Not The Hippopotamus" is very touching but also a bit sad; deals w/feeling left out. One could argue that it's good to give kids a place to relate to issues that they have to reckon with anyway. Boynton has very cute characters & a great sense of humor, & her books capture a lot in a very small span. I don't know why this collection isn't in stores anymore, it's really a fantastic group and makes a great gift. Guaranteed these will be the books you reread hundreds of times w/your little ones & want to save because they are filled with happy memories.

Boynton has a wonderful turn of phrase that makes her books as fun for adults as the kids. This set is just as fun as the green box set.

Charming and educational, but very age specific.

I bought these as an add-on gift for a young couple who are expecting their first baby. (They had asked everybody to bring a book to the baby shower.) My now-adult kids loved these, and we all remember them fondly. *I* loved them because they're clever and don't take forever to read on those nights when the little darlings want "just one more story" and you just want to tuck everyone in and enjoy some peace and quiet. The other parents at the shower confirmed that this is definitely a thing, and one of the guys and I recited part of one of the books from memory--which just goes to show how popular they were with us and our children. Definitely a great shower gift!

Great price for a wonderful set.

These were among the first books we bought for our son, who is now one year old. We like them so much we ended up buying the other box set, too. And some other Boynton books as well.Sandra Boynton's books have a terrific rhythm to them that makes them fun to read. "The Going to Bed Book" was an immediate hit with my husband because it's fun -- a great bedtime story, but not as sappy as classics like "I Love You as Much." The other three titles in this collection score just as well with our son and with us.What I love is how these books work on several levels. For the youngest readers, they present eye-catching illustration and simple rhymes. As the child gets older, the books have larger lessons to teach, from the concept of "Opposites" to the deeper, more poignant message of "But Not the Hippopotamus," the tale of a hippo who's left out of all the fun until the other animals finally invite her to join in.If you're asking yourself whether you really need FOUR titles by Sandra Boynton, well, at least for us, four was only the beginning. So take advantage of the low price of buying them as a set.