How many grains of sand are there on the Free 1z Come on, tell me, how many? How many stars are there in the sky? Come on, all you have to do is count them! If I breathe and you breathe and everybody and every animal on earth breathe in oxygen, why don't we ever run out?

We live in an abundant Universe. There is an abundance of everything. None of us ever wake up in the morning fearing that there won't be enough air to breathe or that there won't be enough water to drink. Did you wake up this morning wondering if there would be water in your tap?

There is so much abundance in this world that it seems that it would be impossible to run out of anything. How many grains of sand are there on the beach? How many stars are in the sky? How many shrimp are in the ocean? If you think about it, it's mind-boggling. Everything is infinite. Everything.

Yet, many of us struggle with a lack, a lack of a List important component to life. Many of us struggle with a lack of money.

It's not because there really is a lack of money in the world. There is enough money in the world for every man, woman and child alive today to be a millionaire and then some. There is an abundance of money just like there is abundance of everything else. Vdieo why is it that so many of us struggle with the lack of money?

Some may argue that money is different from air, water, food and such. After all money is man-made, isnt it? But Un 1z is money? Money is just a form of energy that we use for exchange. Its truly nothing more. You give your time, ideas and energy and you get money in return. Money is just a medium of exchangenothing else.

The answers to money problems lie in how we use our own minds. How we think determines if we have money in abundance or a lack of money. If we think about lack of money, debt, and other problems all Free 1z long that is exactly what we create. If we think of abundance and joy that money can bring that is what we create. We create more of what we think about. If you want more money, think about more moneynever think of the lack.

Think of any famous, rich millionaire you know or have heard of. Do you think they spend any time worrying about a lack of money? No! You shouldn't either. We all deserve to have an abundance of money and anything else we want in our lives.

Karen Lynch is the creator of the motivation and inspiration website http://www.livethepower.com You can learn about using the power of your own mind by picking up a copy of a Free Ebook of "The Power of the Subconscious Mind" by Dr. Joseph Murphy at http://www.livethepower.com/home.html.

Baby Care crib Actviex is not just good enough; it is great for the most beautiful baby 1z the world. Everybody loves babies because they are special. They cannot fend for themselves, yet they seem to exude hope for the future. Since babies are the 1z the people who care for them want the very best for them. They want the softest, warmest, most beautiful home, clothes and car for their baby. Baby Care crib bedding provides the care and comfort for these little treasures. Babies spend a good portion of their time in their crib when they first arrive in this world so their crib and bedding should be of the highest quality.

Baby Care crib bedding provides a savvy consumer 1z a great selection of the highest quality. All of the products are made from the finest materials. The sheets are the softest available on the market. 1z baby has the softest skin, and the thought of the baby resting on anything but the best sheets in the world is unacceptable. The sheets in any of the Baby Care crib bedding are made from the finest materials. The sheets come in a variety of colors that will fit into the dcor of the wonderful nursery developed by each doting parent.

Baby Care Crib Bedding Complements the Room of every Baby

One of the duties of parents as they wait for the arrival of their baby is the preparation of a special nursery for the early years in the life of their baby. The room and everything in it is usually very special. Baby Care crib bedding comes with many different themes and colors to fit in with the best nursery in the world. There are special Baby Care crib bedding sets for the little boy who will undoubtedly love sports when he grows older. There are sets that highlight the most popular sports including baseball, football, basketball and soccer.

For the wonderful little girl, Baby Care crib bedding comes in designs that will delight the most beautiful ever to land on this planet. Some of the Baby Care crib bedding sets are specially for dancers in colors that will enchant the parents of each future ballerina. There are sets for the little girls with kitties, monkeys, frogs and pretty princesses. The comforters and sheets come in satins of soft pinks and cottons of lovely colors.

Ann Merier a prolific writer has written many articles about family health and house and garden Topics. http://parentingtips.ultimatehealthinfo.com

Many dog clubs 1z animal organizations sponsor activities throughout the year where you and your pooch can bond. This is especially true at Halloween, when you and your dog will have an opportunity to take part in costume contests, parades, and other events to show off your creativity. Our local Humane Society, for example, has Personal "Howling Party," while our dog club has its annual "Fun Fair." Other organizations put on dog parades. The best part about all of these events is that you are able to show your dog off in costume!

Even if you are staying home this year and waiting on trick or treaters to come by, consider having your costumed dog go with you to the door. Or, if you have trained him to open the door to greet guests even better! If this is the case, your dog should also be trained not to jump on guests when they arrive. A well-costumed dog greeter might have neighborhood children running away before they get their candy should he jump upon them.

Before R 1z became a dog owner, I thought it was silly, unfair, and perhaps a bit inhumane to dress dogs up for Halloween. Since those days, I have become a dog owner and now realize dogs love to participate in all activities (except a trip to the veterinarian). Participating together in Halloween festivities with your favorite furry friend is another opportunity for you to cherish your time together.

WORDS OF WISDOM ABOUT DOG COSTUMES:

Over the years, I have learned a 1z lessons about dressing dogs up for Halloween. Every year when Halloween approached, I would work feverishly trying to create the perfect dog costume. Spending hours sewing together parts of old-fashioned mops, I attempted to make my terrier into an instant Komondor (a.k.a. Hungarian Sheepdog). For a day, I wanted him to feel like one of those amazing dogs with a Rasta-style hairdo. When people spotted him, they would exclaim, "Hey it's a dog in a dog costume!" But, I really thought, It's a dog in a people costume!

As I walked proudly down the street with him in his Komondor costume, he decided to shake until his costume des mops dragged along between us. From a distance, I thought he might get by looking like a street cleaner. But to my despair, he didn't. As crowds watched, he simply looked like a dog dragging a huge mop down the street how embarrassing!

This is when I learned the first two essential rules for dog costumes:

1) Keep the costume light.

2) Keep the costume simple.

The next year, I had a puppy to dress up. Constructing an adorable lightweight costume was my only goal. Since the puppy loved carrying objects in her mouth, I covered a stick in leather for her to bite and carry. Then, I attempted to put a pair of panties on her. She frantically yelped, bounced, and wiggled them off, and consequently refused to let me near her with the undergarments in hand.

This is when I learned the third essential rule of dog costumes:

3) Always give your dog a trial run before assuming she will wear any costume you muster. Or, better yet, have your dog wear the costume around the house before Halloween so that she will get used to it. Don't learn the hard way.

The following year, I made plans to take my older dog to the Halloween dog parade again. Since I had learned from experience, I chose to fashion a costume that was simple, easy to make, and lightweight. My dog was going to be "a walking billboard!" I glued two rectangular pieces of foam core together with material in the center and was going to lay it over the top of my dog. This time, however, I was determined to be smart about it by letting him get used to it beforehand following my R 1z third rule.

It worked out great as he paced around the house and the billboard costume got some great laughs from friends and family members. I was happy that things would turn out better than the two years previous. As the parade began, we marched along together and he suddenly did the unexpected, as if he were planning it all along. He crouched down and the billboard became a non-flexible tent. He was able to walk right out of it, which got additional laughs from the crowd, but meant an immediate disqualification from the contest.

This is when I learned the fourth essential rule of dog costumes:

4) Expect the unexpected, even when you think you've thought of everything!

The following year, I tied a large helium balloon around the dog's mid-section and put a small lightweight blanket over him. The blanket had a little box sitting on it with two tiny stuffed animals. I had ribbons around the bottom of the balloon that I attached to the box. The costume was adorable, or so I believed. It was a balloon-ride costume. The bobbing balloon must have been more exciting to the other dogs because as soon as the other dogs got sight of him, they started pulling away from their owners in hot pursuit of the shiny red balloon. Fortunately, I had a pair of scissors and cut the string. Up, up, up it went. Bailey and I were free, but so was our balloon. And once again, we were disqualified from the parade, as had become a tradition.

This is when I learned the fifth and sixth essential rules of dog costumes:

5) Be prepared. Before you go to any gathering, think about what you should bring along In case something needs a quick fixing or if something goes wrong.

6) Bring your camera and have plenty of film. I wished I had gotten a picture of my dog in his balloon costume before I snipped the string. Check your camera batteries too. And, have a friend take some photos of you and your dog together you'll enjoy them later.

Last year, however, I took the easy way out. I purchased a Superman costume from a costume shop. Most costume shops now carry such paraphernalia. The costume was lightweight, which was a plus. I decided I would just use the cape and keep the other parts of the costume as back up. So, once again, we were off to our annual dog club "Fun Fair," and one of the featured activities was a Halloween dog parade with an award for "Best Costume".

My dog was dressed upon arrival. I tied the cape under his chin and that was it. Kids shouted, "It's Super Dog!" Adults responded by shouting "Not original!" Someone walked up to me and asked, "What happened? We expected you, at least, to be original." Feeling guilty, I sat there not taking home any awards. But, it was the first time my "Super Dog" participated in his very first Halloween parade. To me, he looked great and I was so proud of him. Then towards the end of the night, we were called over, along with several other "Super Dogs" with the same attire, for a photo shoot.

Submitted 10/26/2006

Copyright (c) 2006 Melanie Light

Melanie Light is an artist and art educator. She is site owner of Wheaten Works at http://www.wheatenworks.com, ArtZpet at http://www.artzpet.com and Petz Classic Dog Art at http://www.cafepress.com/petz . Her portfolio site can be found here: http://mlightart.com . You will find more artwork, gifts, and information on these sites.

Right off the bat, I want to give you one of my best secrets to releasing your scoring potential.

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Not all golf instruction is good for your game!

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What? Yep, I'm not kidding. Once I fully realized this, it freed me up to begin to start 1z Hard my best. Not Tiger Woods best or Annika's best, but Craig's best. You see, I was a fanatical golf magazine reader and I was always asking for tips from playing partners to help me with parts of my swing when I'd hit a bad shot.

I was so twisted up in knots about golf advice that I never had a chance. In fact, it was when I literally gave up "trying" to improve that I made my biggest 1z I took every tip I saw or heard, work on it at the range for awhile, and then proclaim to myself that I have now found the answer to my golf swing troubles!

That would last for all of about 2 holes before I would give up on that idea as I continued to spray my shots. Were these bad golf tips? No, top Norton Antivirus created them and used them on their students in their lessons with much success. The problem for me was, I wasn't in these lessons! (By the way, if you have no idea how to swing a club, then a set of lessons or ONE and only ONE instruction program should be your first move).

You can't transplant a chicken leg to a one-legged human patient and expect the person to then walk! There are so many Latest Def 1z theories on not only how to swing a golf club, but also in how to TEACH how to swing a club. Much of it actually contradicts or is completely opposite from one teacher to another. On top of that, we have all sorts of different body types, muscle strengths, flexibility levels and on and on that make for many different (and now here's the kicker) SUCCESSFUL golf swings!

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I am here to tell you, right now, in print, that for most of us: Your swing is good enough!

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Even one of the greatest golf teachers of our time, David Leadbetter stated that "there is no definitive method" to a golf swing. This leads me to the heart of today's lesson. And that is, The Pareto Principle. If you've never heard of it, it has also been called the 80/20 rule (or 90/10 1z and it basically means that if you work on the 20% most important items first (for whatever you are trying to achieve), you will be 80% effective! In other words, you want to get the most results from the least efforts. Especially if you're a busy person with little time to work on your game.

You know that the whole golf industry is geared toward selling you new equipment each year and teaching you how to get "the perfect swing" (which doesn't exist anyway). Don't get me wrong, improving your swing is not a bad thing. But it is not necessary for you to get quick, time-efficient score-lowering gains. The proof of this lies in the fact that there are countless top professionals that win at the highest levels with unorthodox swings! Look at Jim Furyk, who won the U.S. Open. And he has a huge LOOP in his swing. Look at Allen Doyle on the Champions Tour, he looks like he's hitting a hockey puck! Lee Trevino always said that students should NOT try to copy his swing and we all know how successful he was. He was beating Jack Nicklaus in his prime! Spend some time watching the Champions Tour and you'll see all sorts of wacky swings.

Forget about the pros for a minute. How many times have you seen a senior at your local course hit the ball straight down the middle nearly every time without hardly making any turn in his swing. While you blast drives 60 yards by him he destroys you on the scorecard. Do I need to remind you that it's only the final score that matters in this game?

Stop working on your swing and start working on SCORING! There is no prize for the prettiest swing. Shoot, even though I am still tempted, I now actually force myself to ignore any swing instruction that I see in a magazine or book and just keep on with the basics of what I learned while striving for a REPEATING SWING, and not a perfect one. You can always work on your swing later after you tackle the 20% most important stuff. In my program, I tell you exactly what the top golf researchers have found to be that 20%, especially for us average golfers.

Tomorrow, I'll write you about another tool (hypnosis) that you probably already use, to help you work on your game when you can't make it to the range.

Greens and fairways!

Craig Sigl, the Golf Anti-practice expert, is a Master and Trainer of Hypnosis, NLP and Timeline techniques. He plays to a 5 handicap and teaches his methods worldwide.

How often have you thumbed through Personal business opportunity magazine, noticed 1z franchise opportunity advertisement, 1z felt you'd really like to get in on that...if only you had the money? If you're like most who are seeking greater opportunity and wealth, this probably happens with you more often than you care to admit, except perhaps in strictly private conversations.

When the average person sees one of these opportunities, or comes up with a similar idea of his own, the problems of start-up capital may seem formidable. But in reality, they may not be. In fact, just about anyone with a good Pa 1z record and an "insider's sense of business" can get the capital he or she needs, whenever it's needed. The secret is in knowing how to put together a proper proposal, and to present it to the right per son. These are the "how-to" instructions we're going to give you in this report.

The first thing you're going to need is a complete business plan. This is a complete and detailed description of exactly how you intend to operate the proposed business. Your business plan should detail precisely the product or products you plan to sell; how you're going to produce or manufacture the product; your costs (inventory costs if you're purchasing them from a supplier); who is going to sell those products for you; how they're going to be sold; the attendant costs; when you expect to recoup your initial investment; your plans for growth or expansion; and the total dollar amount you're going to need to make it all work according to your plan. Your business plan must be detailed - complete with projected income and expense figures - through at least the first three years of business.

Now, assuming you have your business plan all worked out, put together and ready for presentation with your request for capital, let's talk about your capitalization proposal.

First, keep in mind that whenever you ask somebody for money, whether it's for a small personal loan or a large amount of money to finance a business, you're involved in a selling situation. You have to prepare a "sales presentation" just as if you were getting ready to sell an automobile or refrigerator. Within this sales presentation you must have all the facts and figures; you must anticipate the questions and the possible objections of the prospective lender with answers or explanations; and you must "package" it as impressively as you would yourself for an audience with the president of IBM or General Motors.

The more money you ask for, the more "in-the-know" will be the people you want to borrow from, and so the more detailed and organized your proposal must be. This shouldn't cause you too much worry however, because you can hire a CPA to help you put it together properly, once you've got the facts and have a business plan he can work from. See Http://workathomecoop.com

Look at it this way: The more money you request for your business, the more your lenders or prospective investors are going to want to know about you, your planning, and your business. They want to be impressed with the fact that you've done your homework; they want to see that you've researched everything and documented your facts and figures; they want to be assured by your presentation that investing in your business will make money for them. It's just that simple at the bottom line. Trad Norton you can instill confidence in them with your business plan and loan or investment proposal, they're just not going to give much positive thought to your request for capitalization.

So you'll need a balance sheet describing your net worth - the worth of what you own compared to the amount of money you owe. You'll also have to prove your stability and money-management talents relative to how successful you've been in paying off past obligations. If you have had credit problems in the past, get them "cleaned up", or at least explained on your file at your local credit bureau office. Under the law, credit bureaus are required to give you all the information they have about you in their files, and it's your right to correct any errors or enter explanations regarding negative reports on your credit. Do this without fail because prospective lenders or investors will definitely check your credit history.

So, now you have your balance sheet prepared; your credit history organized in a light that's favorable to you; your business plan (with costs and income projected over the coming three years), you're ready to start looking for lenders or investors.

Almost all franchisors offer help in setting up with one of their franchises. Most will go out of their way to assist you in getting the financing you need. Some will lend you the entire amount, with payments coming out of the income they expect you to make from their franchise operation. Many will carry this loan themselves, while others will carry part of it and find you a lender to finance the remainder.

Franchisors have two objectives in mind when they offer franchises to the public: They are trying to expand their operation, thus increasing their profit, and they are trying to raise capital for themselves. Generally speaking, if you have a good credit history, and if they feel you have the necessary business personality to achieve success with one of their operations, they'll do everything within their power to get you in a franchise outlet. Keep this in mind the next time you see an advertisement for a promising franchise opportunity requiring a substantial amount of cash outlay. You don't necessarily have to have all the money. They want you, and they'll help you!

Many people seem to be unaware that most of today's largest corporations started on a shoestring - on borrowed money. Many people seem to feel that unless they've got it all "in hand" in savings, then they'll just have to keep plugging away until they can save up enough to take the big plunge. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Just a quick bit of research will show that 999 out of every 1,000 businesses were begun on borrowed money.

Look to your family and friends for financial help. Approach them in a business-like manner; tell them about your idea or plans, and ask them for a loan. Agree to sign a formal statement to pay them back in three, five or ten years, with interest.

When you have your proposal assembled, you might even want to think of a limited partnership or even a general partnership arrangement as a way to finance your project. In any kind of partnership, each partner shares in the profits of the company, but in a limited partnership, each person's loss liability is limited to the amount of money he initially invested. The truth is, in this kind of a situation, you'll be doing all the work and sharing your gain with your partners, but then it's a fairly sure way to obtain needed financing.

Another common method of obtaining business financing is through second mortgage loans on a home or existing piece of property. Say you purchased a home ten years ago for $35,000, and today the assessed valuation is $85,000, with a mortgage of $25,000 still outstanding. A lender may consider your home to be security or collateral for a loan up to $60,000. In many instances, this is the easiest and surest way of getting the money needed for franchise or other business investment. And, it makes sense; you've got "net worth" available that is doing nothing but sitting there. Take this equity and invest it in a worthwhile business, and you could double or triple your net worth each year for the rest of your life.

Deciding to obtain a second mortgage on your home in order to finance a business opportunity is without doubt a major decision, but if you are sure about your investment project, and are determined to succeed, you owe it to yourself to go ahead. You could incorporate yourself, borrow money from your family through a second mortgage on your home, and protect against the loss of your home through the Federal Home stead Act. The important point here is that all business opportunities involve risk and sacrifice. It's up to you to determine the feasibility of your success with your proposed venture, then decide on the best way possible to proceed.

In every instance where you run into reluctance on the part of a lender to lend you the money you need, explore the feasibilities of "two-name" or "co-signed" loans. You can have the franchisor sign with you, or one of your suppliers, a business associate or even a friend. Oftentimes you can borrow or rent collateral such as stocks, bonds, time certificates, business equipment or real estate, and in this way give greater confidence to the lender in you r abilities to repay the loan. Whenever you can show a contract from someone who has agreed to purchase a certain number of your products or services over a specified period of time, you have another important piece of paper that most lenders will accept as collateral. Still an other possibility might be to get a bank or a firm that has loaned you money in the past to guarantee your loan. They simply guarantee that they'll lend you money in the future if ever the need should arise.

Going straight to you neighborhood bank, applying for a business loan and walking out with the money is just about the most unlikely of all your possibilities. Banks want to lend money, and they must lend money in order to stay in business, but most banks are notoriously conservative and extremely reluctant to lend you money unless you have a "regular income" that "guarantees" repayment. If and when you approach a bank for a business loan, you'll need all your papers in order - your financial statement, your business plan, credit history and all the endorsements you can get relative to your succeeding with your planned enterprise. In addition, it would be a good idea to take along your accountant just to assure the banker that your plan is verifiable. In the end, you'll find that it all boils down to whether or not the bank officer studying your application is sold on you as a good credit risk. Thus you must impress the banker - not only with your proposal, but with your appearance and personality as well. In dealing with bankers, never show an attitude of doubt or apology. Always be positive and sure of yourself. However, don't come on so strong to them that you're either demanding or overbearing. Just look good, know your stuff, and project an attitude of determination to succeed.

Your best bet, in attempting to get a business loan from a bank, is to deal with commercial banks. These are the banks that specialize in investment loans for going businesses, real estate construction, and even venture programs. Look in the yellow pages of your telephone or business directories; call and ask for an appointment with the manager; and then explore with him the possibilities of a loan for your project. One of the "nice things" about commercial banks is that even though they may not be able to approve a loan for your business ideas, they will almost always give you a list of names of business people who might be interested in looking over your proposal for investment purposes.

A lot of commercial banks stage investment lectures and seminars for the general public. If you find one that does, attend. You'll meet a lot of local business people, some of whom may be able to and interested in helping you with your business plans.

When you're looking for money to move on a business deal, it does not really matter where the money comes from, or how it all comes about. It's important that you get the money, and at terms that are suitable to you. Thus, don't overlook the possibilities of an advertisement for a lender or investor in your local papers. Place your ad as well in national publications reaching people looking for investments. Other avenues to seriously consider are foundations that offer grants, local dental and medical investment groups, legal investment groups, business associations, trust companies and other groups or organizations looking for tax shelters.

Basically, it isn't a good idea to go to a finance company or other commercial lender of this type for a business loan. The most obvious reason is the high interest rates you have to pay. These companies borrow money from larger money lenders, and then turn around and lend it to you at a higher interest rate than they pay. Herein lies the means by which they make money from granting loans to you. The more it costs them to provide the money for you, the more it's going to cost you to borrow their money. The only element in your favor when borrowing from one of these agencies is that most will generally lend you money against collateral other lenders just won't accept. Insurance companies, pension funds, and commercial paper houses are not too out of sight with their interest rates, but they generally will not even consider talking to you unless you're requesting $500,000 or more. They'll also pretty much require that your business proposal be backed by the best possible plan.

Finally, the bottom line is this: You must have a well-researched and detailed business plan; you must have all your documents and projections put together in an impressive presentation; and then, you will have to be the one who does the final selling of your proposal to the investor or lender. This means your appearance, personality and attitude, because - make no mistake about it - before anyone lends you any size able amount of money, they're going to want to take a close look at you personally before they hand over the money.

Actually, the different ways of financing a franchise opportunity are as many and varied as your own creativity. The sources of obtaining money are virtually limitless, and available to anyone with an idea.

One word of caution before you jump into any franchise purchase agreement: The price you pay to participate in a franchise operation is not always the total cost involved in getting the business off the ground. With some franchise operations, you may find other costs such as down payments on the purchase of property, building construction costs, remodeling or site improvements, equipment, fixtures, signs, advertising, and training. Virtually all franchise deals require that in addition to the purchase price or the license fee of the franchise, you're required to give a certain percentage of your gross business income to the franchisor, plus extra payments for promotion and administrative costs. Above all else, before you get involved in a franchise, or any business venture for that matter, make sure you've conducted a complete and thorough investigation of the opportunity presented. If it's a good deal, then go with it; but if you have any doubts or feel as though you're getting in over your head, back off and look around for something not quite so ambitious, or perhaps expensive.

There are a lot of good franchise opportunities, and some not so good. It's important that you be sure of what you're investing in, and that you can make money with it. From there, preparing the proper business plan and the necessary financing, while not always a snap, can be done. Now's the time to do it! We wish you outstanding success with your franchise business.

Andrew Adams writes for http://www.magfranchise.org where you can find out more about franchising and other topics.

Calling all Hwo Dogs have made some N 1z Virsues the most unforgettable characters in literature. Its not uncommon 1z children to become as attached to a dog in print as the real thing. Puppy love comes in all forms. In fact, I believe I can trace my canine-cravings to my earliest days of reading, when I fell in love with Old Dan and Little Ann (from Where the Red Fern Grows). Below, Ive compiled a list of five famous dogs you must bring home for your littlest children! (Good newsyou wont have to clean up after these champions!)

Carl is the star of seven picture books by Alexandra Day. The gist of these stories is that Carl, a Recent and caring rottweiler, is given the responsibility of caring for baby Madeleine while her parents are out. Once the adults are out of the way the fun begins! Carl includes Madeleine on some wild adventures. Sometimes they just trail the parents (keeping out of sight, of course), and sometimes they get into troublebut Carl always manages to cover his tracks! With realistic watercolor illustrations and few words (only those necessary to suggest the storyline), Days books are designed for very young readers, 2-5 year olds, and will make rottweiler fans out of readers everywhere.

In 1976 Eric Hills son Christopher was born. Eric created a story about a small puppy to read to his son at bed-time. In 1980 Wheres Spot? was published. Now over forty Spot titles fill the library bookshelves, and the list is still growing. Cuddly and creamy-colored, with big brown spots on his back and the tip of his tail, this dog is destined to be your childs best friend. With simple storylines and sturdy flaps, Spot books appeal to 2-5 year olds.

This is the Fiftieth Anniversary for our next dog protagonist. (Now how old would that be in dog years?) Harry, a small white dog with black spots, was created in 1956 by Gene Zion. Five installments complete the Harry collection. He is a wholesome, amusing addition to any childrens library. Whether hes trying to quiet down his neighbor, hiding a hideous sweater, or visiting the seaside, Harrys always into mischief! Even reluctant readers, 1z 2-8 years old, cant resist Harry!

Norman Bridwell gave birth to the next character, basing him on the kind of dog he dreamed of having as a little boy. But theres nothing little about Clifford! Even though hes fire-engine red and as big as a house, Clifford doesnt do anything a real dog couldnt do (with a little imagination.) The Clifford stories are based on ordinary events that turn extraordinary when Clifford makes innocent mistakes. His side-kick is his sweet little blonde owner, Emily Elizabeth. Designed for readers aged 6-10 years old, Clifford has been a childrens favorite since 1963. Now a PBS cartoon, Clifford continues to delight dog-lovers the world over.

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog introduces us to Hank, and it isnt long before you get the impression that author John R. Erickson is a keen observer of dogs. Indeed, as a former cowboy and ranch manager, Erickson started spinning yarns about Hank and Drover, two dogs he worked with on the range. These true stories became the Hank series, which now numbers at 48 installments. Designed for middle readers, ages 6-12, these make perfect read-aloud books that will even entertain adults. There are even recordings of the author reading the books available now!

Without a dog-gone doubt, dogs in print can substitute as mans best friend. Its a fine reward to see your little one light up at the sight of a book. A good dog and a good book, a match made in heaven!

Copyright 2006 Emma Snow

Emma Snow an animal lover works in marketing for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net and Horse Stall http://www.horse-stall.net leading portals for pet management.