Book Description

It all started when I told my friend Art I would meet him on the corner of Fifthand Fifty-Third. I didn’t see him. So I asked a lady walking up the avenue,"Have you seen Art?" "MoMA?" asked the lady. "Just down Fifty-Third Street here." When this address turns out to be the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, confusion andhilarity ensue.As the narrator continues looking for Art inside MoMA, he views the best pieces ofmodern art. ... Read more

Book Description

Transformers: The Ultimate Guide is a detailed look at the fantastic world of these mechanical marvels. Follow each character's history and witness the amazing evolution of the Transformers, from physical structure and weaponry to personalities, alliances, and important battles. Detailed illustrations show exactly how each character "transforms" from warrior robot to high-powered vehicle. Special feature spreads cover all aspects of the Transformers' world and include specially commissioned maps and detailed city plans of their home planet of Cybertron, descriptions of the giant space ark in which the Transformers traveled to Earth, major wars in Transformers history, and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

How Ultimate Is It?
This is a book that has guts - with its back cover proclaiming it to be "the first fully authoritative history" of the Transformers, and the interior introduction claiming that it is the "one true history" of G1, hardcore Transfans would not be frowned on for finding such statements insulting, sounding for all the world like the book will be dismissing the original comics and cartoon in favour of what IT says is right and wrong.

Thankfully, the reader will discover that this is NOT the case. The "one true history" that the entire G1 section revolves around proves to be that of the latest incarnation of G1 - the Dreamwave comic book series. While perhaps a little disrespectful to the cartoons and comics that CREATED the universe that these comics have to thank for their existence, it's understandable that this is the route taken - and the cartoons and comics themselves are hardly set by the wayside, getting multiple pages to cover their own stories. With everything from the geography of Cybertron, the history of the civil war, massive cutaways of Optimus Prime, Megatron and Unicron, profiles on selected individual soldiers and sub-groups like the Dinobots, Constructicons, Headmasters and Pretenders, the book provides a wide, general look at the G1 universe. However, it is in the cartoons and toy sections that its weakness shows, as scribe Simon Furman's lack of knowledge outside of the DW and Marvel comics results in several niggly factual errors - he's done his research, but he hasn't gone far enough to eliminate all his errors. The look of the pages is worsened by the fact that many of the toys photographed are mis-transformed, or look somewhat worn. It would have been child's play to find fans with toys that looked better than this, but they didn't bother.

Of course, the book doesn't stop at G1. There are sections for all the ensuing series - Generation 2, Beast Wars, Beast Machines, Robots in Disguise, Armada and Energon. The Beast sections are some of the nicest-looking ones in the book, with beautiful CGI art from animation company Mainframe, but each section could have done with just one or two more pages to add a little more details on the events of their latter seasons, with information on the BW events relating to G1, Transmetal 2's, or BM's Noble, Botanica and Megatron's numerous bodies limited only to the vague episode guide page (like every section of the book dealing with cartoons, the episode guide only has enough to room to include selected key episodes, so the whole story evades the reader even in these entries).

The G2 and Robots in Disguise sections, however, leave a bad taste in the mouth. There is very little to say about G2, and the section required nothing more than a comic summary and toy pictures, but in addition to this, it's been padded with an entry on G.I. Joe crossovers and fanfiction - two things which, while presented and written perfectly fine, are simply needless, and whose pages would have been bettered served elsewhere - namely in the RiD section, which is stuck only showing pictures of toys, lacking any real information on the cartoon series or characters (speculation was that this was because Disney, who own the show, wouldn't allow competitors DK access to it in time for print, but other comments by Furman imply it was bumped for the Energon section). Worsening the matter is that most of the pictures for the section are taken from adverts and package art for the toys, and feature some pretty bad mistransformations and missing parts.

The book ends with a look at Armada and it's current, sequel series, Energon, then a brief look at the Dreamwave comics, two of the best-handled sections of the book.

Looking back at what I have written here, it seems overly critical - but please, make no mistake, I heartily recommend this book. It's a brilliant overview of the history of Transformers and as concise a written guide as you could want - but it's just infuriating to me that DK's other guides for characters like Superman and Spider-Man, with their 60 and 40 years of history, could be so comprehensive, and yet the 20 years of Transformers has to be so abbreviated, with so many characters and episodes flat-out left out, to make the book an acceptable length. I am not pointing the finger of blame at anyone, however - Transformers simply has a *massive* history of characters, concepts and scenarios, making it all the more impressive and enduring. Furman's name power may make him come off as the most qualified person to write a book such as this, but some fan assistance would not have gone amiss. This would have stopped the mis-spellings (Elita One becomes "Eleta-1", for example, or the Armada episode "Cramp" becomes "Clamp") which are just the result of carelessness and not enough research, and would have provided superior toy pictures, and more accurate information about them. The toy pages are truly the weakest sections of the book - not one of them goes by that a factual error is not made. A fact-checker who truly knows his stuff - or perhaps several of them, one to each category, toy, comic, cartoon - would have caught these errors, and the book would have felt as though more care had gone into it.

Bottom line - this book is by no means an "Ultimate" guide. Entirely too much is left out, generalised or glossed over for that. But it's still a brilliant overview of Transformer history that both hardcore and casual fans should not hesitate to add to their collections.

More Than Meets The Eye
Every Transformer fan, new and old, needs to have this book. People who are only familiar with the newest incarnations can learn how it all started and long time fans will appreciate having a complete chronological account of the phenomonon. The book starts right where it should - before the original toy line or TV show and eplains the history of the Transformers homeworld Cybertron and the beginning of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. What follows is a detailed examination/explanation of EVERY incarnation of the Transformers up to and including Energon. Character bios, selected show synopsis, toy descriiptions and inner workings of key players are all covered and supported by detailed artwork and photographs. Multiple pages are givin to the Japanese toy line and continunity as well as the US and UK comics, including the latest from Dreamweave. What more could you ask for?

Before reading this book I was skeptical about it's ablity to cover the entire Transformers universe with the detail it demands. Now that I've read all 141 pages, it has become a jewel in my Transformer collection. For once the title "Ultimate Guide" has been used appropriately!

These Transformers ARE more than meets the eye!
When I first picked up my copy(today) I thought "I'll just pick it up for Nostalgic Value and to put on my coffee table along with every other DK book" This book rocks!!!! It has like every thing Transformers ever! It has Transformers things that came out like 2 months ago! Thats really suprising to me. This book has toy guides, episode lists, detailed character bios, and comic book runs! My nitpicks about it are...
1.No prices on the toys(I have about 100 of them!)
2.Episode Listings only have about 10 eps for every season. If youre going to do it at all,do it right!
3.Major characters get 1/4 of a page bio. Bumblebee NOOOOOOO!!!!
Anyway, buy this book if you like any form of Transformers. If it be G1,Beast Wars, or even Armada...

This IS The Ultimate Guide!!!
As a longtime Transfan who hasn't even gotten halfway through this book yet, what can I say but...WOW!!!
I'm well aware of just how comprehensive and attentive to detail DK's series of guide books are - from the Marvel and DC Comics character guides to the Star Wars books, from that super-cool James Bond guide detailing every movie up to 'The World Is Not Enough' to the Lego Book which contained almost every bit of info on the Lego company you could cram into print. But the Transformers guide goes above and beyond to appeal to both the rabid fanbase and those uninitiated in the multiverse of the Robots In Disguise. If you're not a diehard Transfan but are fascinated by that little toy line that became something of a pop-culture phenomenon, then this is the perfect place to acquaint yourself with the Transformers saga.
For starters, the first part of the book deals primarily with the story that started it all - the Generation One saga. And it's pretty expansive. Everything you could possibly want to know about the Transformers - from the geological makeup of the planet Cybertron to the exact inner workings of Optimus Prime and Megatron themselves, to the personalities that make up the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons - is covered here in glorious full-color detail. Veteran TF scribe Simon Furman was the right man to put in charge of cataloguing every little detail, smartly melding elements of both Marvel Comics' continuity and that of the G1 cartoon AND the newer Dreamwave Productions comics into one cohesive timeline. Furman does pick a little at the continuity conflicts and errors that have cropped up in the past twenty years of the franchise, but it's largely unimportant as the most critical elements are still covered. And there are some elements injected therein that even a Transfan would crack a smile at: Macadams Old Oil House, for one (complete with a transforming bartender who more or less looks like an Old West barkeep in robot mode), and even a chapter outlining Optimus Prime's many deaths and resurrections (I'm not sure, but I think only Dracula has come back from the dead more times).
But there's more. The book also covers the ill-fated Generation 2 segment of the franchise, the Beast Wars days and Beast Machines, Robots In Disguise and even the Armada-Energon continuity, all with the same depth and informative style, although not nearly as much as G1 given the rapid succession of these later series. And apart from character schematics, historical data and episode synopses galore, the book also hits upon the toys themselves, detailing some of the greats and even touching upon their Japanese upbringing in lengthy exposition. It allows for a great sense of prehistory to the Transformers franchise, explaining how the original G1 line was culled together from figures included in a multitude of toy lines released in Japan by Takara.
The comic book continuities are not left out, either, making up quite a bit of the foundation of the G1 backstory. Publishers and entire story arcs are referenced here, as are some of the defining personalities who helped flesh out an ever-growing mythology - from original TF writer Bob Budiansky to innovative TF artist Don Figueroa. There are segments dealing with both Marvel's American comic and its UK counterpart (both written, at one point, by Simon Furman, which gives him further credential for bringing this thing together).
But I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the more tantalizing, more mystic aspects of the Transformers saga brought up in this volume. Specifically, the origin of Cybertron itself, and of the everlasting duel between the heralds Unicron and Primus. Their struggle adds something not expected in a toy brand involving robotic characters: a defined mythology to their world. The Transformers' religious reverence for their origins highlights another dimension to the saga that, in the big picture, may enable the unseasoned reader to understand why these big lugs continue to ignite the 'sparks' of countless legions of fans.
When they say the Transformers are 'more than meets the eye', you'd better believe it...and if you don't, get this book. Kids will be drawn in by the outstanding graphics, and the young-at-heart who enjoy all things sci-fi and fantasy-related will not be disappointed. It's worth ever penny.

the ultinate guide transformers
This book is absolutely fabulous. The illustrations and graphics are wonderful. Definetly worth the wait and money. My son is 5 and adores this book. This is his new bible. ... Read more

Book Description

All over the country, kids are picking up knitting needles and wildly colorful yarns to make really cool clothes and other fabulous stuff--from cozy chenille scarves to snuggly shawls, funky rag bags to furry tank tops, whimsical brimmed hats to classy cardigans. Whether on their own or together with friends in after-school clubs, recreation centers, or even yarn shops, these kids are discovering that knitting is more than learning basic stitches and following pattern directions.

Knitting is a way to get exactly what they want to own, and it is also a fun way to relax and hang out, a way to surprise a friend with a handmade sweet sixteen present, a way to discover the creative "me" in themselves.

Teen Knitting Club shows them how they can do it all--from learning the basics to forming knitting clubs of their own. Firsthand stories and tips from scores of teens both advise and encourage teens, while lively four-color photographs of their handiwork show what can be done with just a little practice.

Cool kids everywhere will be saying, "Move over, Grandma," and joining in this creative and rewarding pastime. ... Read more

Book Description

Using more than 100 illustrations from 20 Caldecott Medal or Honor books, this delightful resource provides teachers with all the tools necessary for teaching art. Classroom teachers will find that the explanations of artistic elements and principles of design, as well as examples and project directions, provide everything a busy teacher needs. Complete with bibliographies and lists of related fine art, this curriculum also relates the projects to the Core Knowledge Sequence Content Guidelines for Grades K-5. Teaching Art with Books Kids Love is an invaluable resource for teachers required to teach art and art instructors looking for fresh ideas. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great resourse for Primary Grades
A great resource for learning how art is put together and different types of is Teaching Art With Books Kids Love. It is an easy read for the educator. Each chapter has projects for helping children understand the concept as well as recommendations for children books to see the idea in action.

The book begins with the elements of art such as line, shapes, texture and so on, followed by the principles of art like harmony, balance, movement ... and finally to artistic styles such as realism, impressionism, etc.

Art and Literacy at its best!!
Great connections of art and literacy. I highly recommend this book for art educators!!

teaching kids art with style
Teaching Art with Books Kids Love presents the elements of art in a way that engages students and is clear enough for the 'artistically challenged' classroom teacher to follow! The project directions and examples are excellent. This is a great find for teachers who want to present a quality art program.

Teaching Art with Style
Teaching Art with Books Kids Love presents the elements of art in a way that engages students and is clear enough for the 'artistically challenged' classroom teacher to follow! The project directions and examples are excellent. This is a great find for teachers who want to present a quality art program.

This author walks her talk
Not only is this an excellent way to bring art and literature together in the classroom, but the author proves each day how well her strategies work. I am a colleague of Darcie Frohardt and see the amazing results she gets from children every day. This book is for "all" teachers (not just art teachers), and the books she teaches from are readily available in your school library. In fact, you'll probably own most of them yourself. In a time when the arts are being threatened by the standardization of education, Darcie's book is a shining light. Go ahead, give it a try. You will be glad you did. ... Read more

Book Description

Drawing is what Ramon does.It's what makes him happy. But in one split second, all that changes. A single reckless remark by Ramon's older brother, Leon, turns Ramon's carefree sketches into joyless struggles. Luckily for Ramon, his little sister, Marisol, sees the world differently. She opens his eyes to something a lot more valuable that getting things just "right."

Combining the spareness of fable with the potency of parable, Peter Reynolds shines a bright beam of light on the need to kindle and tend our creative flames with care in this companion to The Dot. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If I Ran the Circus is a grand rhyming Seussian hymn to every child's grandest and wildest plans. Behind Mr. Sneelock's ramshackle store, there's an empty lot. Little Morris McGurk is convinced that if he could just clear out the rusty cans, the dead tree, and the old cars, he would have no further obstacles to using the lot for the amazing, the world-beating, Circus McGurkus. The more elaborate Morris's dreams about the circus become, the more they depend on sleepy-looking, innocent Mr. Sneelock, who stands outside his ramshackle store sucking on a pipe, oblivious to the fate that awaits him in the depths of Morris's imagination. He doesn't yet know that he'll have to dispense 500 gallons of lemonade, be lassoed by a Wily Walloo, wrestle a Grizzly-Ghastly, and ski down a slope dotted with giant cacti. But if his performance is up to McGurkian expectations, then "why, ladies and gentlemen, youngsters and oldsters, your heads will quite likely spin right off your shouldsters!" Welcome to the big top. (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (10)

for circus fans
My 6yr old daughter picked this book out at the library because she saw a poster of it being held by Jonathan Lee Iverson - the ringmaster for Ringling Bros. She fell in love with the circus at age 4 and had to read this book when she saw the poster. She was so upset when it was time to return it that I decided to buy it for her and give it to her when she completes kindergarden. She looks for it every time we're at the library. It's a tongue twister for adults (what Seuss book isnt't) but actually kind of fun as you get into it. Lengthy too but if you have a circus fan I'm sure they'll love it too.

Perhaps the most perfect Seuss!
If I Ran the Circus is a delightful cross between the tongue-twisting Fox in Sox and the classic Cat in the Hat. I read it to my children until they begged me to stop. Then I read it to my wife. It demands to be read outloud with the greatest of enthusiasm, almost child-like glee, drawing out the unique word combinations and stunning metre and rhyme. Fabuluous.

One of Seuss's finest
Absolutely topnotch Seuss--a rollicking, over-the-top display of his art, word play, imagination, and humor. The Foon, the Drum-Tummied Snumm, the Organ McOrgan McGurkus, the spouting whales--all are among Seuss's most delightful creations. This book is bursting with optimism and energy, and to read it well to a child you have to give it your all.

I'm surprised this book is not mentioned very much in the current burst of interest in Seuss (2004 is his birth centennial). It's a marvellous tale and it would be a shame for someone to go through a childhood (or parenthood) and miss it.

If I Ran The Circus
My dad bought me this book when I was quite young and to this day it is still my favorite book. I read it when i'm having a bad day and it always makes me smile. It has something for everyone. As a kid I liked the language and the amazing drawings. As an adult I like the idea of the dream of running a circus, so to speak.

From Childhood to Adulthood
This is the one book I would not let my parents put down as a child and now with my first child on the way I have a new copy to read aloud to him. The book is a fabulous adventure that never gets old. If you need a reason other than the wonderful story and its characters, try challenging yourself to read it all the way through with out getting tounge-tied. My father never could! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The diverse and prolific art career of Pablo Picasso
Well, if there is one artist who is perfect for Mike Venezia's "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists" series it would have to be Pablo Picasso. Venezia comes to a key point about Picasso right off the bat, comparing a 1896 painting "The Altar Boy," done when Picasso was 15 with "Boy in Sailor Suit with Butterfly Net" done when he was 57 in 1938. Of course the first is done in a realist mode and the second is abstract. In fact, Venezia would be hard pressed to identify all of the different styles in which Picasso painted over the course of his career, but he does try. Venezia is able to focus on Picasso's Blue Period as the point where his work finally became different from anyone else's. We also look at the Rose Period and Cubism, with a lengthy section devoted to Picasso's most powerful and serious painting, "Guernica." However, the most insightful part of the book is when we see Piccaso's "Portrait of Jaime Sabartes as a Spanish Grandee" with another portrait done from a photograph. The comparison shows that although the painting was abstract, he still managed to make it look like the real person.

This book certainly serves as a decent introduction for young readers to the life and art of Picasso. The problem is that we are talking about one of the most prolific and diverse artists in the history of art and 32 pages is simply not enough space to do the subject justice. Venezia provides enough specifics about a few of the paintings to constitute some first steps in the direction of real art appreciation. There are 16 paintings by Picasso reproduced in this book, which are about how many are seen behind the artist in the picture of Picasso in his studio that opens the book. As always with Picasso, the most interesting thing will be to see which "style" youngers decide is best after reading this book.

This book is about...
This book was about a painter. The book is non-fiction. Picasso was in his teens when he started painting. He painted lots of famous pictures. One of his paintings was 12 feet high and 25 feet wide. He painted it because he was mad about people dying in the civil war in Spain. He likes to move noses and body parts around in his paintings. I liked learning about Picasso.

A huge hit with grades K-3
I use this whole series in my elementary art class - and my students absolutely love it. Venezia highlights what is interesting to K-3 students while avoiding aspects of artists' lives that may not be appropriate for a young audience. Students love the cartoons Venezia includes along with the color images of the artist's work.

Tells the story of Picasso's life
It was a very readable historical biography of Picasso's life and the evolution of his painting styles.

A great way to introduce your child to modern art!
Mike Venezia shows paintings from Picasso's various "periods" and explains them in terms a child can understand.("...Picasso felt alone and sad.") He compares the realistic portraits of Picasso's youth to the cubist portraits of his later career, asking the child questions and providing terminology to help him appreciate the difference. ("The man...looks like he's been broken up into little cubes....Can you see the man's face...hands...cat?)

Venezia's humorous cartoon comments highlight the controversies that surrounded Picasso's work and give the adult reader a chuckle, too.

After reading the book with him, my six-year-old grandson had fun trying to imitate, with his own body, the movement that Picasso was trying to portray with his "displaced" body parts. ... Read more

Book Description

I want a pony. I want a pony more than anything in the world. At the heart of Susan Jeffers's exquisite picture book lies the idea that in her imagination, a child can journey anywhere and do anything-even fly through the stars on her very own pony. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Perfect Book For Horse Lovers Of All Ages
Beautiful illustrations and nice story too. Little girl in
story longs for a horse. Gets one in her dreams. Author's
own childhood desire for a horse was the inspiration for
her artistic talent at drawing horses. She states that she
now owns horses and tries to ride every day. Inspiring
message for horse lovers. Never give up on dreams!

Delightful, One I don't mind reading every night
My Pony/horse obsessed 3 yr-old daughter received this on Christmas eve from her Aunt and just loves it. It is one of those books that is just mesmerizing to her. It has also been helpful in showing her that she can have "her pony" in her imagination as well. It is really a sweet tale that has already been described in detail so I will simply leave it at that.

A wonderful book for horse lovers, young and old alike
My Pony is a wonderfully enchanting story of a young girl's dream of having her own pony. Each night when the young girl is supposed to be doing her homework, she dreams of riding her pony. The pony, Silver, comes to life when the young girl draws the beautiful dapples and shiny coat. Together at last, the girl and Silver ride the clouds and visit a fantasy world.
Susan Jeffers' latest story is beautifully illustrated and eloquently narrated. The words of the story combined with awesome illustrations seem to drip like honey off of the pages of this book. Jeffers' has done a spectacular job. This book is filled with whimsical fantasy allowing the reader to escape to a world filled with beauty and wonder.
This book is told from the young girl's point of view and the reader will quickly become lost in the story. Even though this book is keyed to young girls, 'old girls' are sure to revel in it as well. This book would be highly recommended and considered a valuable addition to any children's library. The breathtaking illustrations, done in fine line pen and watercolor, make a significant contribution to be viewed as an example of art for children. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Most children are captivated by snow, but how many go on to make it theirlifework? This beautiful biography, winner of the 1999 Caldecott Medal, tells the true story of a Vermont farm boy who was mesmerized by snowflakes. Wilson Bentley was fascinated by the six-sided frozen phenomena, and once he acquired a microscope with a camera, his childhood preoccupation took on a more scientific leaning. Bentley spent his life taking countless exquisite photographs (many that are still used in nature photography today), examining the tiny crystals and their delicate, mathematical structures. Jacqueline Briggs Martin tells this tale with simple, graceful prose that will engage children's imaginations. Edifying and snowflake-scattered sidebars offer more information about Bentley's methods and snowflake science. The artwork of Mary Azarian, whose 19th-century hand-press illustrations decorate the charming Barn Cat,shines once again in Snowflake Bentley, with woodcuts that reveal an appreciation for detail as well as for the man who loved snow. The lovely illustrations and equally fresh text will inspire and comfort youngsters (and grownups too) who wish they could capture snowflakes all year long. (Ages 4 to 8) --Brangien Davis ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Review of Snowflake Bentley
I really enjoyed reading the story of Snowflake Bentley. Jacqueline Briggs Martin does an excellent job of telling the accomplishments of Willian Bentley in a way that is exciting and entertaining to children. Snow brings much excitment to all children, they love playing in it and sledding so to read about a man who dedicated his life to snowflakes is fascinating. This story shows how hard Wilson Bentley worked to show the world what he loved. This story gives a great example to children, the kids see that with hard work you can accomplish whatever you want. Snowflake Bentley is not like any biography I have read before, it gives justice to William Bentley's accomplishments but written in a story like form that will interests the children. The facts on the side of each page are a great additive of information as well.

The story of Wilson Bentley and snowflakes.
This children's book, illustrated by Mary Azarian, won the 1999 Caldecott Medal for best illustrations in a book for children. It is the story of Wilson A. Bentley (1865-1931) of Jericho, Vermont, who had a passion for studying snowflakes. Having developed a technique for photographing snowflakes, he spent years collecting and giving lectures in the midst of running his farm: a true farmer-scientist. He even wrote a text called Snow Crystals. He noted the six sidedness of most crystals and a few three-sided. One wonders what he would have said upon hearing that some researchers in the late 1990s had found two identical snowflakes since he had never been able to find two that were alike. This book is a celebration not only of the man but of our love and interest in the natural world. Children will enjoy this book with its magnificent woodcuts immensely.

Wonderful book & idea -- throw a Snowflake Bentley party!
My son (7) thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was his first biography and he was very interested to learn about the farmer-scientist who loved snow. We were lucky enough to attend a Family Day at the National Museum of American History (Wash DC) where the author read the story and told the gathered families about writing, editing and publishing a book. The museum staff then had snowflake & microscope activities for children to enjoy.

My son was so inspired and excited by the story and the day's events that he suggested, when reading the book in mid January, that we throw a "Snowflake Bentley" party. We picked Feb 9th, Wilson Bentley's birthday, and invited all the neighborhood kids over. A couple of parents read the book and then kids either cut out or painted snowflakes. We had a copy of Wilson Bentley's book available so they could see all the different snowflakes he photographed. We ate cake decorated in a snowflake pattern.

It was a great way to share this wonderful book. Many of the kids requested to borrow the book afterwards.

Snowflake Bentley
...I chose Snowflake Bentley for my Caldecott Presentation in Childrens Literature. This book gives children a rich history lesson in a personal and meaningful way. It helps children to become better acquainted with a important person and learn the reasoning behind what he was interested in. The book also gives little facts on the sides of every page which are interesting to look over. I recommend this book for children and parents to read to their children.

How do they figure the Caldecott Award?
Of all the children's books I have borrowed/read, this has to be one of the best bedtime stories. I was yawning by page two, and I wasn't even tired. My daughter was looking around the room & sighing while I read it. Do the Caldecott judges keep children in mind when they award these books?

While I can appreciate the idea of living your dream, no matter the cost, the "tale" itsself was drawn out, boring and choppy. The story could have been told & illustrated with *much* more whimsy, for such an interesting fellow/life. I can imagine what a great book this could have been. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great book!
This book had such a wide variety of games and alot of ones I hadn't even seen before. I do recommend this book!

Great for all Ages!
During my years studying drama in high school, college and in England, I've been exposed to many theatre games and activities. Since my summer school assignment this year was teaching drama to middle school kids, I thought I'd get this book as a back up to some of those games, especially since level might have been an issue. I was so surprised and delighted to see almost every improv, character, voice, etc. activity I've ever done in this book. It is thorough, creative and can be used with any age group, from pre-schoolers to college students. Don't be fooled with the "for Kids" part of the title...some of the games would even be entertaining at adult social gatherings!

Wow!
Mrs. Bany-Winters writes a great book! I've tried all of the theatre games and they are all very fun to do.. even if you aren't into theatre! I recommend this book to everyone.. try it at parties, try it by yourself, try with friends.. just try it!

Most Used Theatre Book I Own
I teach theatre courses for all ages of kids, and this is the book that I turn to most often for quick ideas. The illustrations and explanations are clear as day and the games themselves are alot of fun.

Great book for anyone who has works with children's drama.
I recently taught an enrichment course in drama and used this book as well as others to start off all sessions with the children. My drama students actually started to request that we play the games found in this book more than any of the other games I had available. These theatre activities can be used in concert with any dramatics program out there. It is a wonderful stepping stone for any dramatics instructor to add to their collection. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

If you love musicals, plays, and the like, this is for you!
I have been hooked on musicals and plays in general since before I can remember. When I first found this book, I couldn't believe my eyes, I got the script for West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet together in one volume, so I had the words to all my favorite songs and I could study the varied, hilarious lines too. I could relieve the thrills of watching the play, or just reread my favorite scenes. If you're the least bit like me, you'll love this too.

A logical pairing of 2 great theatrical works
This is two books in one: the text of William Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" and the text of "West Side Story," the 20th century musical with a book by Arthur Laurents and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The book also includes an introduction by Norris Houghton, who notes, among other things, that WSS is based on R&J. Each text tells the story of a love affair between a young woman and a young man who are caught between warring factions.

I find it stimulating and useful to have these two pieces, linked in theme but separated by centuries, together in one volume. Each is a great text on its own, but having them together may help the reader to see each piece in a different light. One of the things I find most striking as one moves from R&J to WSS is how the latter text adds the element of ethnic tension to the fundamental story of "star-crossed lovers."

R&J is more than just a classic piece of literature; it's also a touchstone of pop culture (hey, it's even been incorporated into a "Brady Bunch" episode!). Despite the passage of centuries, I find Shakespeare's portrayal of the joy and pain of forbidden love to remain relevant and compelling. And R&J holds up as a reader's text, even with the availability of filmed versions. I think that WSS, being a musical play, naturally loses some impact as a text strictly on the page, but nevertheless I found it a rewarding reader's text also. One might try listening to a CD of WSS's songs as an accompaniment to reading the text.

To supplement WSS's portrayal of urban Puerto Ricans, I recommend that interested readers seek out some writings by "Nuyorican" authors; to start with, try Roberto Santiago's illuminating anthology "Boricuas: Influential Puerto Rican Writings."

Dancin and Singin in the streets
I liked the movie. I admit, yes this teen, has a soundtrack of west side story. I found the movie very funny when the guys where singing and dancing but admittedly I cried at the end. This story was very good.

Jeany's review
Romeo & Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is written by William Shakespeare, it contains lots of old English(reason why I find it difficult to read it). It is a very tragic story that took place in Old Verona, Italy. As all tragic stories, it has a tragic heroe (person who suffers a big problem as a result of his deffects), in this case there are two tragic heroes, Romeo and Juliet. They died because they didn't know how to control their inapproppriated love, by inapproppriated I mean that their love couldn't be permited because their familes hated each other more than death . The story has been adapted into many stories, plays, Etc. The best character is the Nurse. The only one who expresses her feellings without hidding them.

romeo and juliet
This book was written by William Shakespeare and it has the old language. Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story, interesting, full of problems and the story is attractive. The story is about 2 families that are in a feud. The families are Capulet and Montague. Romeo Montague is a boy who is very romantic. He falls in love with Juliet Capulet. Romeo tries to be with Juliet and Juliet too but because of the feud they can't be together. The pair have friends who help them. Many deaths are involved in the story. After the problems they plan to be together. In the end the pair dies because of love. ... Read more

Book Description

The foundation to drawing a character is the penciled under-drawing. An under-drawing that has somehow gone astray, once penned, ultimately results in artwork that just will not pull together or lacks balance. This volume explains in thorough detail how to handle the pencil, before the pen ever touches the drawing. Using actual examples of how a well or poorly penciled under-drawing can affect the final work, this book passes along many helpful pointers. Use this book to learn the absolute basics of penciled artwork, manga-style! ... Read more

Book Description

This is no ordinary coloring book! With playful drawings, funny scenarios and fun-to-follow instructions, this book is not just for coloring, but for doodling, drawing, imagining and thinking! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A sheer delight!
I bumped into this book in an airport in Minneapolis. My grandaughter did not budge from it for three days when I gave it to her. I am jealous I didn't think of it. It is a wonderful creative expression gift!

Endless Creative FUN
My daughter just received this from her grandmother over the weekend. It has never left our kitchen table. Any free minute Taylor gets, she sits down and draws in this book. It is a creative coloring book that allows children to use their own creativity and thinking. Endless hours of fun and great for any road trip. I am going to buy several for birthday presents which are great with a nice set of thin magic markers!

imaginative fun for all ages
What a great find this book is! Scribbles is full of many zany ideas to get kids imaginations flying. Gomi's simple artistic style is appealing to kids and adults alike. Pages have simple instructions that will guide kids without them feeling hemmed in. Gomi often has several pages in a row with the same simple illustrations but with different leaders: a quaint town drawn at the bottom of several pages has the headings: "Its a beautiful day today: draw a bright sunny sky," Today it is not so nice: Draw a dark cloudy sky," and "Today there's a thunderstorm: draw lighting and rain." Or a simple stick drawn on several pages and children being asked to draw a dragonfly sitting on one, a sparrow on another, a crocodile balancing on another and finally an elephant! Kids will love the crazy ideas. There are also masks, mazes, time- telling exercises etc. I prefer the thin line drawings to the thicker more abstract ones but there sheer abundance of ideas makes up for the few that fall short of perfect. A great score for the classroom or the craft table! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A wonderful way to introduce Shakespeare to kids
As a homeschooling parent I was looking for a way to introduce Shakespeare to my kids (9 and 10) -- they have loved these stories -- which we read aloud and then discussed (plot, characters, themes, conflicts, setting, motivations, etc.) -- the verse is enjoyable and effectively incorporates selected passages from the original in a seamless way. My kids have also enjoyed the illustrations and writing samples (all by 2nd-3rd graders) included in each book. After we read R&J, we watched the old Zefferelli film version and my kids got much more out of it. We've also read the Evelyn Nesbit prose versions but they didn't "feel" like Shakespeare the way these do...I have already purchased the exisitng Burdett versions and hope she has others in mind (PLEASE do Merchant of Venice!). ... Read more

Book Description

Here, for the first time, is your very own collection of paper dolls inspired by the classic Little House books. Inside this book you'll find Laura, Mary, Baby Carrie, Ma, Pa, and their faithful bulldog, Jack. From helping Ma gather food in the garden to watching Pa play his fiddle, now you, too, can be a part of Laura and Mary's happy days in the Little House in the Big Woods.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Little Girl Play Day
The Big Woods Collection of My Book of Little House Paper Dolls is a charming and endearing set of paper dolls and props. You can either be inside the log cabin or outdoors in view of it. Either way, it will provide an afternoon of delight for any little girl ... Read more

Book Description

"We're the protectors of the innocents.
We're known as the Charmed Ones."
-- Phoebe Halliwell, "Something Wiccan This Way Comes"

When Phoebe Halliwell returned to San Francisco to live with her older sisters, Prue and Piper, in Halliwell Manor, she had no idea how much her life -- all of their lives -- would change. Because when Phoebe found the Book of Shadows in the manor's attic, she learned that she and her sisters were the Charmed Ones, the most powerful witches of all time.Battling demons, warlocks, and countless evil spirits, Piper and Phoebe lost Prue but discovered half-witch, half-whitelighter Paige Matthews, the sister they never knew. The Power of Three was reborn.

Now go behind the scenes on television's sexiest supernatural thriller with The Book of Three, the first fully authorized companion to Charmed. Featuring:

• Exclusive in-depth interviews with the cast and crew
• An introduction by Executive Producer Brad Kern
• Episode guides
• Character profiles
• Notable quotes
• Color photo insert

and more! The Book of Three -- your essential companion to the witty, witchy world of Charmed! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

I can't complain
This book rocks!!! It's really cool! Definitely a must-have for any Charmed fans. First of all, the appearance is cool, it has great pictures, nice printing, easy to read fonts.
It contains so much information about the show including episode guides, history, the characters, and interview with casts and crews!
I think the writers have done the best they could. I'm willingly give it five stars.
I'm really satisfied with this book. And if you like Charmed and thinking of buying it, buy it NOW!

The Best First Only Charmed Companion
The book is great, it has eveything you need, except color photos. It has the episode guide, character profiles, the spells used in tht show defenitons of terms, evey good witch's name, interviews and biographies of the charcters. Also for those of you in the dark side, it has the Grimore(think that's how you spell it), the name of every evil person, and some of the Grimore's spells. There is a speacial intro by Aaron Spelling. Just buy it and find out more, it's the best and only OFFICIAL Charmed companion.

Almost perfect book
I am obsessed with the charmed show!! This book almost a perfect companion. I am also a Prue fan, and it did not have a interview with Shannon. It also did not have a very good review of when Prue died. Otherwise, this book is really awesome! I loved the spell part of the book. The "demon-dictionary" was another highlight! I gave this book 5 stars because other than some minor glitches, I would reccomend this book to anyone in a heartbeat.

Charmed at heart

Wonderful !!!
Well, I have spent a really long time waiting for a book of Charmed like this !!! It's a treasure, a Bible of every kind of informations we could expect for about the show : the démons, all the spells until the 5'th saison, interviews... and several things moreover. Besides, it's a very confortable book to read since there is a great distribution of all the chapters. for the fans of the show, you should buy this book!! I swear you won't be dissapointed!!!

Charmed forever in our heart

The Book of Three
This book is like all the charmed books. It has a picure inside. (thats cool!)Its like this ....... Piper, Paige, and Pheobe wake up in the morning. A demon attacks so they try to find ways to kill it.So they call leo to see what he knows. If he doesn't Know anything they look in the book of shadows. They can't find anything about it in the book of shadows. Finally the Demon attacks again. So they check in the Book of Shadows again. They see a spell and potion. They make the potion and write the spell. When the demon attack the third time everything is ready so they kill him. That's mostly what happens in the charmed books. ... Read more

Book Description

In the tradition of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Little Princess come Noel Streatfeild’s tales of triumph. In this story, three orphan girls vow to make a name for themselves and find their own special talents. With hard work,
fame just may be in the stars! Originally published in 1937.
... Read more

Reviews (48)

a childhood must-read
Ballet shoes -- and all of Noel Streatfield's "shoes" stories -- were by far my favorite books as a child. My copy of Ballet Shoes is nearly worn out from being read so many times. The mix of fantasy and reality is perfect -- it sparks a child's imagination of what could, just maybe, happen to her. Interestingly, the "shoes" series was given a bit of publicity in the recent flick "You've Got Mail;" perhaps one of the movie's writers was a fan of Streatfield as well? In any case, I'd recommend this book to any child . . . and any adult wishing to relive childhood through the eyes of three orphaned -- but very lucky -- British children.

A delightfully good book!
I didn't actually read this book until I was an adult, but I still enjoyed it very much. Streatfield did a good job with describing the characters of Posy, Pauline and Petrova. Each girl has her own individual characteristics, personality and background. In the book, you'll see their struggles to acheive their dreams; Pauline as an actress, Posy as a ballerina, and Petrova as a pilot. Girls who are theater-minded will relate best to Pauline and Posy; tomboys will relate better to Petrova, who dislikes her ballet and theater training and puts up with it only because she knows she's helping the family out financially. Petrova is the sort of girl who is interested in airplanes and cars, and could care less about being an actress or dancer.

However, while this is a charming story, it is very unrealistic in some ways. The girls, all of whom were orphaned in infancy, never wonder about their real parents, and Posy seems perfectly content with the fact that her mother abandoned her. Gum, who brought all three girls home, simply drops out of their lives before they're old enough to know him -- he never writes to them, comes to visit, asks about them, anything. Yet this never bothers the girls, and they accept his absence as a fact of life. All the girls' problems center around some aspect of their work; there are never any issues about things outside of it.

Even the ending, while touching, seems a little amiss. Instead of worrying about who she will live with(Posy and Pauline are both moving away to different places when promising opportunites arise for them) Petrova is wondering how she will make the Fossil(the name she and her sisters chose for themselves)name famous. If I was in that situation and my two sisters were going to live in two different places, with each of my guardians going to live separately with them, my concerns would be a little more practical. Thankfully, at this point Gum shows up and solves the dilemma.

In spite of that, this is a sweet, charming book, just delightfully good reading. I think that it would have been even better with some subplots regarding personal, non-work-related issues in the girls' lives, such as wondering about their real families, and what it would be like to have a dad. For this reason I give it four stars. Most likely this style of writing wasn't popular for children's books in Noel Streatfield's time. Nevertheless, I still find it a very enjoyable book, even at 28 years of age, and still recommend it heartily for any young girl.

A Great Kids Book!
When I read this book I wanted to read it every night. Since I've finished reading it (boo hoo!) I've wanted to read more of the Shoe Books. I completely fell in love with the characters from this book, and met them every night when my dad read it to me. I think kids just like me will love this book. (...).

Best Book
The Ballet Shoes was a very good book. If you dont like ballet you probably will not like it. It was a very interesting book.I would recommend it to everyone.

simply an enjoyable read
I usually read sci-fi trilogies and the like. Then I heard so many nice things about this book that I had to read it. It was a happy story about the three little girls was interesting and funny. By reading about the bygone era of the 40s, I learned a lot about the issues of that time period (the illnesses and social issues), and the culture (proper attire, tea time, and formalities). I also some about Shakespeare. Anyway, I'm an adult and I would recommend it. --anjchang ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Even when Roberto was little, he went against the grain. Like mosttermites, he melted over maple, and pined for pine. Oak was okay, too. ButRoberto didn't eat his food. He played with it."

Young Roberto has a burning desire to become an architect. Even when the othertermites mock his ambition, Roberto is never derailed from his dream. So, likeso many career-minded youth, this mite with a mission sets off for the big,buggy city. Here, sadly, he is thwarted by his heroes, Hank Floyd Mite and FleasVan Der Rohe. But this inspired insect decides not to wallow in his sorrows butto help out other bugs with even greater problems. Soon, a fantastic, eclectichousing development is in the works. The mysterious architect chooses to remainanonymous, but ultimately can't avoid the grateful adulation of the carpenterants, ladybugs, and house flies he has helped.

Nina Laden's fantastic collages use old catalog and magazine images, blueprints,cork veneer, and lots more, to create buildings, cities, and buggy creatures thelikes of which you've never seen. The Leaning Tower of Pisa tilts away from theEmpire State Building, with Gaudi's quirky sculptural edifices looming nearby.Some of the hilarious wordplay may fly over the heads of non-architects, but theoverall humorous effect--and the go-for-your-goals message--will not be lost onanyone. For more charming and artistic pun-ishment, try Laden's When Pigasso Met Mootisse.(Ages 6 to 11) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

My architect husband loves this book!
My husband just recently purchased this book. We both love it! I love the story line and how Roberto does not quite fit in with the other termites. He follows his dreams, and eventually, parent termites want their kids to be just like him! The illustrations in this book are also great!

A Terrific Little Termite!
From the beginning, Roberto was different. He loved his wood, but he'd always rather play with his food than eat it. More than anything he wanted to become a famous architect like his heroes, Hank Floyd Mite and Fleas Van Der Rohe. Belittled at home by the other termites and never taken seriously, Roberto sets off for the big city to "build his dreams." Life in the city is hard, and not just for Roberto. He meets all kinds of bugs with housing problems, including roaches chased from a diner, a housefly with no place to go and a poor ladybug whose house is on fire and children are gone. Marshalling all his determination, Roberto decides to build a new community, that will meet the needs of these out-of-luck bugs and maybe make his architect dreams come true at the same time..... Nina Laden has written and illustrated a delightful and amusing story with a most improbable hero and youngsters will be rooting for Roberto as he chases and finally realizes his heart's desire, in his bug eat bug world. Ms Laden's witty text, full of creative wordplay, will charm adults as well as children and her outstanding collage artwork, so full of wonderful detail, really brings this story to life. A terrific picture book for youngsters 4-8, Roberto the Insect Architect lets everyone know that with hard work, your dreams can come true.

Fantastically fun and ingeniously imaginative
A delightful story about a termite who overcomes all opposition to become a world renowned architect. The message that you can be anything you want to be is very obvious but the unusual characters and clever word play keep the book from sounding preachy. The illustrations are an integral part of this tale and greatly enhance the overall effect. My only reservation about this book is that while the length and format are ideal for younger children, many of the plays on words that make the story so enjoyable will only be understood by an older audience.

A Howard Roark for the termite set
Insect architects! This is an inspired little story with theunlikely prospect of a termite who dreams of building with wood instead of eating it.... Roberto sets off for the big buggy city in search of his dream.

The story is encouraging, and the wordplay witty but it's the fantastically funky collages that win you over. Laden uses all sorts of images... to create unreal insect edifaces. You'll find yourself staring at the quirky seussian architecture and chuckling at all the in-jokes.

A treat for the eyes and very fun! ... Read more