Reviews (3)

King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table
In all honesty, though I have always loved the stories of Arthur and Camelot, I too bought this audio book merely to hear the amazing voice of Sean Bean. The two combined make for a very powerful and gripping story.

This would be a perfect gift for children, the young-at-heart, or anyone who is captivated by the stories of Camelot.

A Voice to be Heard
I honestly have to say that I purchased this audio CD through Audible.com only to hear the beautiful voice of Sean Bean. I wasn't disappointed! Then, after hearing a great story, I purchased it again through Amazon for my 9 year old nephew. Sean does a brilliant job, that would keep any person, young or old, interested in hearing the story of King Arthur. Highly recommended!

Good Version for Children - and Adults too
When I originally purchased this "Junior Classic" - as a gift for my little brother, an Arthur aficianado - I didn't expect to enjoy it much myself. However, the adaptation is well-done, and is not so inane as to make it unbearable to anyone over ten, which is what I expected. I was so pleasantly surprised that I went out and bought myself a copy!

British actor Sean Bean has an incredible range of voices and accents, which he uses impeccably to enrich the characters he reads (though all the narrative is done in his lovely native Yorkshire). Morgana le Fay, Lancelot, Elaine, and, yes, Arthur all come to life as one listens. A very enjoyable audiobook, for bedtime or listening to in the car, or just as a mini-holiday! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This collection of five complete, illustrated Dr. Seuss classics is a "hatful," but you'd have to have a Cat-in-the-Hat-sized chapeau to contain all the treasures in this hefty book. Within its pages you'll find Theodor Seuss Geisel's exuberant creations Bartholomew and the Oobleck (1949), If I Ran the Zoo (1950), Horton Hears a Who! (1954), The Sneetches and Other Stories (1961), and Dr.Seuss's Sleep Book (1962). In Bartholomew and the Oobleck, a non-rhyming Seuss story, prepare for an eyeful of green goo. In If I Ran the Zoo, young Gerald McGrew decides he would make a few changes if he ran the zoo--including the acquisition of more unusual beasts (such as an Elephant-Cat) from places "quite out-of-the-way." In addition to the potentially unsettling concept of traversing continents in search of wild beasts to trap and cage, there are a couple of dated references that parents may want to preview before reading to kids. For example, McGrew proclaims, "I'll hunt in the mountains of Zomba-ma-Tant/With helpers who all wear their eyes at a slant,/And capture a fine fluffy bird called the Bustard/Who only eats custard with sauce made of mustard."

As for the rest of this delightful collection, Horton Hears a Who! is a tale that teaches us "a person's a person, no matter how small." And of course, you may remember the Star-Belly Sneetches, the "snooty old smarties" who pranced antagonistically in front of the Plain-Belly Sneetches, or Mrs. McCave who had 23 sons and named them all Dave. Finally, Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book is about the snortiest snorers, the curious sleepwalking Crandalls, World-Champion Sleep-Talkers, and other somnambulant types--a perfect bedtime finale to a book that could keep youngsters entertained all night. (All ages) ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Good story selection, questionable book quality
There is little to add to the chorus of praise for the works of Dr. Seuss. The content is unimpeachable and the choices of his works for inclusion here are a good random mix.

That said, the book itself has a flaw common to books of this type. It is not durable enough for extended use by children. Because it contains multiple stories, it will see more use than a single storied book. Books of this size and length need the strongest bindings and reinforcing possible. A "Curious George" compendium that we own that is made similarly to the Seuss book fell apart after a few readthroughs, and only the adults handled it. The spine of the Seuss book is weakening after only a year of ownership. Manufacturers need to offer us better quality.

I also must say it is disappointing that no complete collection of Suess's material exists. His entire works would be quite large, but it is still odd that no one has seen fit to put everything he wrote for children in a multi-volume set. The best we have at this time is the five selection book here.

Who doesn't love Dr. Seuss?
It's fun for kids and for you! Everyone will be entertained for hours.

Like a window into a perfect world...
There was always something about Dr. Seuss. I read a lot of books when I was a kid, and before that my parents read them to me, but there was always something about Seuss's work that even a little kid can recognize as genius. I could read them over and over again, even when I got to an age where Seuss was "baby-stuff." Maybe it was the pictures and maybe it was the musical nature of the words, but more likely it was the fact that Seuss's stuff is as close to putting pure imagination on paper as your ever likely to see.

There are lot's of imitators these days, but they're not Seuss. No one could draw a Sneetch, Grinch or Who like Seuss could. Heck, nobody knew what a Sneetch was until Seuss showed us. His creatures and creations were so real at times, yet so completely unlike anything we had ever seen before how could we not be amazed. Like Gerald McGrew from "If I Ran the Zoo" Seuss offered us a menagerie of creatures so wondrous and amazing that they could actually make our own world seem dim in comparison.

While it's hard to have a "best of" compilation when speaking of Seuss, Random House has done it's best to compile five classics into a tome equal to Bullfinch's Mythology, Aesop's Fables or Grimm's Fairy Tales (the book I ordered along with this one). Each of these stories teaches us something without coming off as pretentious or preachy. In fact, the moral's are sometimes so subtle as to be invisible, but they're there.

Now that I have a daughter of my own I try to read to her every night. This book fascinates us both and when she reaches out to try and touch one of the characters on the page, I know exactly how she feels. What kind of father would I be if I denied her the world of Seuss? It would be like stealing the color yellow or putting her imagination in handcuffs. Plus, it gives me an excuse to read all those cool stories all over again. Seuss is just cool.

great and economical
In this day and age when children's books are getting prohibitively expensive, this book is a great deal.

While I knew the stories as a kid, I got to re-live them with my daughter with this book. She loves to read and re-read them with me, and she asks questions about the stories and the values that are in them. This is first rate stuff, the kind of thing that sticks in a child's mind for their entire life with their quirky detail, humor, and vivid stories you can identify with.

So often, it is of individuals who find the courage to defy the authorities and mainstream opinion to do what they think is right.

Warmly recommended.

The Sneetches
As a former grade school teacher, I wanted to take a moment to say that "The Sneetches" is the finest story in the annals of Children's Literature. It is another example of the Good Dr.'s "Einstein" capacities to teach about the insidiousness of bigotry in a manner which captivates both young and old alike. Anyone interested in promoting the commonalities which bind all of us together, will be delighted to have this story as a permanent piece of magic within his or her library. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes," first published in 1837, has been told and retold in hundreds of ways, but never, ever by such a star-studded cast of scribes and artists as this. Sure, we still get the vainglorious, fashion-obsessedEmperor who is duped into parading down the street in an "invisible suit of clothes."And, of course, we still welcome the Honest Boy, the only one with enough gumption to point out that the Emperor's fancy-pants birthday suit is exactly that--a birthday suit. In this quirky, comical version, however, the story is crafted from the diverse, occasionally vulgar, often charming narrative perspectives of the Emperor's entire entourage--from his servants to the Spinning Wheel to the ImperialDresser's spectacles to His Royal Highness's own underwear--all of whom have very good, self-invested reasons for not wanting to reveal that the Emperor's new clothes are nonexistent, however expensive. A smart-alecky moth, drawn by the beloved illustrator Quentin Blake, ironically patches holes in the piecemeal narrative with smoothing, if not soothing, transitions.

Each snippet of story--doused in shameless punnery--is performed on the audio CD by one of 23 celebrities, including Jay Leno (the Moth), Madonna (the Empress), Fran Drescher (the Heralding Horn), Jeff Goldblum (the Imperial Wizard), Robin Williams (the Court Jester), and Calvin Klein (the Emperor's Underwear). The Honest Boy? Steven Spielberg himself, the creative director of this ambitious enterprise designed to benefit the Starbright Foundation for seriously ill children. If the startling display of glitterati isn't enough to spark your interest, then the truly astounding, fresh, full-page art of 23 preeminent children's book illustrators (including Maurice Sendak, Mark Teague, Chris Van Allsburg, Tomie dePaola, and William Joyce) surely will. The bumblingly hilarious accents of the celebrity narrators, combined with the whimsical and eclectic musical effects, make this quite an auditory treat. Though the words on the pagesand those on the audio CD don't exactly match, the combined experience of a favorite old story, clever narrative play, gorgeous artwork, and just plain silliness will amuse kids ages 8 to 108. (Click to see insideart from the book! © 1998 The STARBRIGHT Foundation) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (17)

A lot of FUN!
This is a wonderful re-telling of the classic story! It is told from various points-of-view. The stars that were picked for each role are perfect choices! The book itself is great, and you can really picture each star performing the role -- but the CD is a must! To hear each star, and the ad-libbing that they do, makes the story so much more fun! Probably more fun for adults than children! We loved it!

Excellent and entertaining for kids four and above.
The book itself is beautiful and the CD is wonderful and easy to follow. Its a great way to entertain a child or children and get tham interested in reading. My daughter never liked the story until now. She almost has it memorized and is beginning to recognize words. My one criticism and caution to other parents is the Fran Drescher character because of the use of an inappropriate term considering the audience this was meant to address. I was shocked to hear it and surprised that it was not edited out. Children hear enough bad language elsewhere, there was no need to tarnish such a wonderful product in this manner. I hope that the Starbright Foundation and Steven Spielberg will gift us with many more such books.

Star-Spangled Spectacular
This book is wonderful!!! I purchased this a little while ago and I love to listen to it. It has Beautiful illustrations by Steven Kellop, Tomie dePaola, and Graeme Base. Plus, if you get the CD with it, you get to hear Stars like Robin Williams (Jester), Johnathan Taylor Thomas (Prince), Melissa Joan Hart (Princess) and the Narrator, Jay Leno, read their own words. Speilberg did a great job giving actors parts that match their personalities like Fran Dresher as the Heralding Horn, Angela Lansbury as the Spinning Wheel, and Madona as the Empress. This is a great rewriting of a traditional story. The one thing that I didn't like was that the CD isn't broken up into sections so you can't just skip ahead to your favorite actors part. But that doesn't really matter because the whole thing is great.

A great boy's book!
I have three boys 10,7,and 6. They absolutely loved this book, especially my 7 year old! He must have listened to it 50 times in 2 weeks. We read a lot of books and I have never heard him laugh out loud like he did for this book. He has talked about it ever since he first read it. This version adds humor and wit to an old classic without ruining the story line. The story is told from the perspective of the people and objects involved in it. This is a fabulous way to tell the story! The wonderful artwork and change of voices on each page holds the attention of younger children all the way through this rather long book. The kids enjoyed looking at the pictures and retelling the story themselves without listening to the CD as well. The only problem we had with this was the fact that the CD couldn't jump to the page we left off on. We always had to start the story over. The kids never seemed to mind it - just me!

Delightful Attempt that misses the point.
I enjoyed this book and the accompanying CD very much. It is appropriate for the 8-12 year old set as well as for adults. My only problem was that the moral of the story was misconstrued. The moral of this story is that we should have the courage to challenge the status quo. While the moral of the original is to point out the outrageously foolish lengths that people will go in support of leaders (Royalty or Presidents). Irreverence and attacks on the status quo were interesting when they were unusual. The generation of Hollywood stars who so amusingly narrate this story appear cut of the same 1960's cloth and use this format to promote their ideas of the proper role of the individual in society. All In all this is a good book/CD package and I recommend it. ... 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

Book Description

Three strangers, hungry and tired,pass through a war-torn village. Embittered and suspicious from the war, the people hide their food and close their windows tight. That is, until the clever strangers suggest making a soup from stones. Intrigued by the idea, everyone brings what they have until-- together, they have made a feast fit for a king! In this inspiring story about the strength people possess when they work together, Muth takes a simple, beloved tale and adds his own fresh twist. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

great book
This is told differently than the version I read as a child, but it is told very nicely. The pictures are nice as well. Both my 4 year old son and my 11 year old niece love it.

food really does bring people together
what a wonderful book. the watercolor is enchanting and the book is beautifully written. the subject matter of sharing and rebuilding a community not only teaches children to love their neighbors, but it also reminds adults to live in harmony.

I too can make Stone Soup.
Stone Soup.....what a lovely retelling of an old tale. I like that it takes the simple message of one by one sharing, gaining happiness and all sharing to gain community. I bought this book for my nephews. We very much enjoyed reading the story and examining the wonderful pictures. They very easily noticed the beautiful color progression as the story develops into something full, warm and sweet. The best part was reading all about the same foods we have at home. It is good to know that we too can make Stone Soup.

Wonderful! New Soup from an Ancient Recipe!
My two children and I loved this book. They enjoyed following the little girl and her cat and finding them on different pages. It works very well to read out loud at bedtime. The monks were sweet. I don't know how they could have scared anybody. It was nice to see these faces in this story. Some of them were very funny. I was surprised to see how well it all fit. This was a nice retelling.

Share this Book
This is a beautiful book. The illustrations are masterful, and the story is quite sweet. I would definitely share it with young children, yet the exquisitely depicted images make me want to show it to adults. The cross-cultural elements of the story are especially good for young children. To find a children's book that contains this much beauty is a treasure for any child. ... Read more

Book Description

Set in the fourteenth century, the classic story of one boy's personal heroism when he loses the use of his legs. ... Read more

Reviews (44)

A DOOR TO SELF-DISCOVERY
It is unusual to find an example of YA literature which is set in the Middle Ages and yet is not Time Travel. De Angeli's illustrations add much to the authentic flavor and general understanding of the times. This story relates the ageless conflict between the Welsh and the English.

Ten-year-old Robin, the son of knight, contracts polio (not so named) during London's Plague years. Abandoned in error and haste, he is rescued by a kindly monk who takes him to his monastery to recover--both his health and his social skills. He learns woodcarving and patience, which are compensations for his new crutches and appellation: Sir Crookshanks.

Ultimately Robin helps save the town and castle where he is sent to serve as a page, earning both the King's gratitude and his parents' amazed pride. The author casually inserts much historical detail and interesting information, so that elementary readers learn about the Middle Ages without quite realizing it. An entertaining tale, with a good moral: "Thou hast only to follow the wall far enough and there will be a door in it."

Better as time went on
I remember reading this book ages ago, and I hated. I thought it dated and dull, with its archaic language and details about medieval life. Now, after years of studying mythology, including the Prose Edda, I can better appreciate it. It's not a GREAT book, but it is a good one.

Robin is the son of a knight, destined to become a knight one day himself - until he falls ill and loses the use of his legs. The plague is ravaging medieval England, and it claims several of the servants who were caring for him. Robin is rescued by a kindly monk, Brother Luke, who takes the crippled boy to a local monastary and patiently cares for him there. Under Luke's guidance, Robin learns how to swim, read, whittle, and how to become a humbler person rather than the rather snobby noble boy that he once was.

But all is not well in England. Robin must "open a door in the wall" -- the walls that hemmed him in when he lost the use of his legs -- and discover that you don't necessarily have to be a knight to serve your king and country.

This is not a 9-12 book. Oh, not because of any objectionable content or attitudes, but simply because the, majority of 9-12 children will be bored witless by it. It's better suited to young adults who can handle the gradual pacing, softened archaic language (a fair number of twills, thous, amisses, and arts) and virtually actionless plot. As a result, "Door in the Wall" resembles a a slice of real life from the POV of a crippled boy rather than a fictional story. Such gruesome details as the plague and the violence of war are smudged out, by the way.

It seems a lot longer than its 120 pages. Ignore the silly cover art, the characters aren't like that at all; the interior illustrations are soft and realistic. de Angeli's writing lacks detail much of the time, but her dialogue is well-scripted. Robin's responses to the loss of his legs, his plans, and fear of his father's disappointment are perfectly done. He isn't a perfect lead character; he gets irrational, angry, snobby - but overcomes all of them. Brother Luke seems a little too perfect at times, but is also a good character. So, for that matter, is minstrel John-go-in-the-Wynd. (Yes, this book has those delightful Middle-Ages names based on the job, physical characteristics or past experience)

As for complaints about this book: Note that virtually all of them say that it was a schoolwork book; once again, we have disgruntled students seeking "revenge" on a non-fluff book that they had to read. This is not a book that should be assigned, but a book that should be selected individually. Don't read it just because it's a Newbery, read it if you can handle it!

In short, I recommend this book -- but not to everyone...it if you love to read, and if you enjoy a story where characters are emphasized over action.

Not What I Had Hoped
While I am a lover of reading and especially Newbery literature, I was disappointingly bored. I appreciated the basic storyline, how a crippled boy becomes stronger with the help of a community of monks who teach him patience and work ethic. I also love the theme that there is always a door in the wall if you look hard enough, and that anyone can be a hero. However, the story moved too slowly and the language made me sleepy, despite my appreciation for medieval literature. This is definitely not a book I can see many children enjoying, certainly not my own class of 6th grade students.

Not that Great of a Book
The Door in the Wall wasn't that great of a book. The way the the characters talk is very confusing to the reader and can become annoying after a while. The story plot is hard to follow, even if you're a teenager. Overall, I think this book is so over-rated.

The Door In The Wall: More Than Just A Door
(...)The book was a basic book with a medieval background, it told of the many things going on, like the war between Ireland and England, and how there was the black plague forming everywhere, killing anybody unlucky enough to catch it. The story basically consists of the little boy, Robin, who has fallen ill due to some sort of disease, he believed it was the plague at first, but then realizes, that it was a different sickness, because it had made his legs useless, thus, the word "crook shanks", and as common knowledge tells us, he was useless to do anything, but he had a job, a job to become a knight, at his godfathers castle, for his father was a knight and as we all know, a knight's son must also become a knight. Robin was lucky enough to be taken in by a kind church, St. Mark's. There he meets a monk named Brother Luke, they become great friends, and Robin sends word to his father, and he goes on his great journey to Sir Peter De Lindsey's castle. They encounter many great problems in their journey, but he makes it safely to his castle, Robin tells Peter that he is useless and cannot do anything, and so Robin learns to do something, something that he had wanted to accomplish...

I think this book is one of the greater books I have read, it shows courage and honor, and how Robin was able to do anything despite his disabilities, and how he was able to do anything he wanted, as long as he put his mind to it. I this that this author was an excellent writer, because this book contain such great sentences, such as, "The calm sound of the peaceful lake was silent". Nevertheless, this book was based of a great plot and had a great background.

Despite how much I loved this book, there was also a catch, I didn't like this book because of how there was so much tragic death because of the black plague and how many people suffered "The Black Plague was everywhere." It makes the medieval times seem like a very horrible place in time where nothing was supposed to go right. Despite the minor issue, I still believe this is a book worth reading.

My favorite part in this book is how cunning Robin was in the situation of being robbed, he was sure not to make a sound, and made sure that he was able to warn Luke without making a sound, I would've enjoyed looking at the face of the thieves. Overall, this book was excellent, the medieval plot, and the great writings of the author. I think this book is a worthwhile book, and is worth reading, and you enjoy reading it over and over again. ... Read more

Book Description

A popular Potter favorite is available again in a handsome new package. The carrying case comes complete with a handle, and buckle closure, and has the smart new design celebrating 100 years of Peter Rabbit. Books inside include titles such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Tom Kitten, and The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. Now being re-issued because of high demand, this is a great way to start a Potter library. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Frankly, one can never have too much Eloise. For all those who love lovelove the irrepressible 6-year-old resident of New York City's haughty PlazaHotel, and shining star of Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight's classic Eloise, the ultimate joy is tosee four favorite titles collected in one enormous volume: Eloise: TheUltimate Edition. Sit back and watch as our heroine braids Skipperdee theturtle's ears, brushes her teeth with pear lemonade in Moscow, absolutely goeswild in Paris, and jingles around her lobby at Christmastime, tying tassels onthe thermostat. This edition, with a lovely new dust jacket by Hilary Knight,includes our absolutely darling little sweetnik in Eloise in Moscow, thefantastique Eloise inParis, the rawther festive Eloise at Christmastime, andthe splendid scrapbook of memorabilia, photos, and drawings, The Absolutely EssentialEloise. It's all absolutely essential, if you ask us. (All ages)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (6)

great, except for some errors..............
The picures are wonderful, stories are great, but the part of The Story of Eloise, they miss judged the spacing and left out the 1st letter of the starting paragraph. Someone didn't proofread it right. You get all 4 book, one great buy with the extras! ( the scrapbook and the story of Eloise) Hopefully they caught the errors for the next printing. A book you can pass down from generation to generation!

Finally A Treasury
This is definitely one of the best treasuries I have ever bought. Eloise is such a fun and adorable character. I don't know who couldn't like her.

This treasury contains Eloise in Moscow, Eloise, Eloise in Paris, and Eloise at Christmastime. Not only that, there's a special scrapbook all about the author Kay Thompson featuring pictures and info about the author of this beloved character.

This is a must have book for the holidays, or anytime. So pick up a copy, and charge it please.

What am I missing?
A spoiled brat lives in a fancy hotel in New York: that's kind of what this series boils down to for me.

I read to my kids a lot, and this is the one series that I completely don't get: I don't see why it's funny or touching or...anything. Neither do my kids.

Her language can be quite fun and ingenious, but holy cow...I don't understand all the fuss.

It's about time we had all 4 at once
A few years ago, I was waiting with baited breath for all the Eloise books to be reprinted. It just could not happen fast enough for me. Finally, all 4 were out, and I was happy. Then they came out with this book that collects all four books in one volume for the first time, and I bought this too. Why did I buy this? Well, for one thing, the new Hilary Knight cover is rather fabulous. I am all for new Knight artwork whenever it appears, and this cover was obviously not dashed out but carefully drawn, and it shows. This is definitely worth having for the Eloise fan.

Oooooooooooooooo I Love This Edition of Eloise Best!
This is the book about Eloise that Eloise would buy. As you may remember, Eloise is the six-year-old who lives on the top floor of The Plaze Hotel in New York City with her English Nanny, pug (Weenie), and turtle (Skipperdee). Here are some of the ways that Eloise has been characterized: "Holden Caulfield for kindergarten girls"; "a mini-Auntie Mame -- a protofeminist"; and "independent and saucy."

Contained in this volume are the original Eloise story, the Scrapbook by Marie Brenner (containing the origins of Eloise and the story, and biographies of Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight, and how readers responded to the stories as they appeared), and the three sequels (Eloise in Paris, Eloise at Christmastime, and Eloise in Moscow). Each of the four stories contains the deluxe fold-out drawings from the original books, and the Scrapbook has many wonderful photographs and drawings that will delight those who would like to know more background about Eloise and her creators.

With one exception, the material is outstanding. The story, Eloise in Moscow, is very poor in its humor and plot line. But having the story in this collection will allow you to savor those parts of the story that happen to appeal to you.

The reproduction is also superb, except for the frontispieces of the four stories. These should simply have been omitted.

I usually avoid recommending expensive editions, but this one is a good value. It contains all the best material about Eloise, and you may have trouble finding the same versions by buying the books separately. Also, this edition is likely to be a hand-me-down item from one generation to another and another. The cost per reader is probably going to be quite small as a result.

To me, the best of the four stories is still the original. Reading the Scrapbook adds a lot to my enjoyment of that story. Of the sequels, I like Eloise in Paris best. Some people will not like Eloise at Christmastime because Kay Thompson's rhymes are not the best. I can enjoy fractured verse, so I found it appealing instead.

Space does not permit me to review each of these sections in detail here, but you can read my reviews of each story elsewhere on Amazon for the individual books. I gave five star reviews to all but Eloise in Moscow, to which I gave a two star review.

After you have enjoyed this book, I suggest that you grab a partner who also loves Eloise and write a new Eloise story that brings her into the 21st century in a locale and at a time of your choice. Then find a young person to read that story to, and draw some illustrations together. That will add to your enjoyment of this book and of your love of Eloise.

J'aime beaucoup Eloise . . . toujours! ... Read more

Reviews (28)

A wonderful and exciting excursion
The adventures of Ulysses is a excellent book. It was fun, exciting and filled with irony. It always keeps you wondering what is going to happen, and keeps you at the egde of your chair. There was no best part of the story, the whole adventure was thrilling. He was faced with many challanges and was able to over come them all! For examle when Ulysses was in the cave with the Cyclops he was very clever; he tricked the Cyclops and got him drunk by drinking unwatered wine. Then he stabbed him in his one and only eye, which left him blinded and Ulysses escaped the cave by the help of rams. Ulysses was faced with many enemys, Poseidon was his greatest. Poseidon put a curse on Ulysses which made his voyage home very difficult. Like Circe said, Ulysses was sly like a fox; he got home to Ithaca in "the Return."

Man or Myth?
Ulysses. His adventures are beyond imagination. This book is really exciting to me. After fighting the Trojan Wars, it took him 10 long years to get back to Ithaca, his home. On his way, he battled and tricked the great one-eyed Cyclops, sailed to the world of Darkness, visited the Underworld, and even encountered the Sirens and Apollo's flock of golden sheep. Not only that, he and his crewmembers had to sail in a perfect way between two rocks to avoid being eaten and dashed to pieces by rocks, but he was able to survive and reach home.

The main character in the story is Ulysses. I liked the way in which Ulysses not only fought bravely, despite the members of his crew that betrayed him, but used his wit to help overcome obstacles. Ulysses was faced with numerous obstacles, harsh decisions, and enemies, all trying to prevent him from returning home and to his wife, Penelope. Ulysses was able to overcome every obstacle and make his way home, even though he lost all of his crewmembers.

I enjoyed this book because this is a book of action and adventure. It is also a book of betrayal, decisions, and bloodshed. I just can't put down the book once I started reading it. This is a great book, and I really enjoyed reading it. I recommend this book to anyone, young or old alike, to people with a taste of adventure.

This Book is Interesting
I have read The Adventures of Ulysses and I think it is a great book. It has much action in it, like sailing past monsters, and using the wind to get Ulysses and his men home. The book is full of interesting and unique monsters that all do many different things. The one bad part about the book is that there are many hard names to pronounce. If you're too lazy to get the book and read it yourself, at least get the book on tape. The narrorator isn't annoying or weird. This book is good for anyone who enjoys books about battles and fights between men, monsters, and ancient greek gods. Buy this book, you'll make someone very, very wealthy and they might need the money. Please, buy this book I will be happy. :)

Cool Book
This was a riveting book. The plot is action-packed, the characters superbly developed. I highly recommend it!

This book is so terrible it doesnt even deserve one star!!!!
This book was unbelievably boring. All it talked about was this man who went to islands. He cheated on his wife like three times and even when one person turned all his friends into pigs. I despise this book it should be in the literary hall of Shame this book is supposed to be read to students in the sixth grade. i dont think it should be because of how seductive it is. I think that no child under 16 should read it because of how in appropriate it is. I t is also very boring too. there are many scenes where it desribes the blood and violence in horrific detail and some parts are just discusting. i have read many books and this is by far the worst one i have EVER read. ... Read more

Book Description

How did the camel get his hump? How did the leopard get his spots? How did the elephant get his trunk?

These are questions that children around the world have asked for centuries, but it took Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling's lively, hilarious stories to give them answers. For one hundred years, these classic tales -- drawn from the oral storytelling traditions of India and Africa and filled with mischievously clever animals and people -- have entertained young and old alike.Intertwined within these delightful tales are little pearls of wisdom about the pitfalls of arrogance and pride and the importance of curiosity, imagination, and inventiveness. Kipling's rhythmic prose makes these tales perfect for sharing aloud with the whole family.

This deluxe edition contains all of Kiplin's unforgettable stories as well as ten stunning watercolors, along with numerous black-and-white drawings, from award-winning artist Barry Moser, bringing this timeless masterpiece brilliantly to life for a whole new generation of readers.

Reviews (20)

Elephant's child in particular
This book is the most valued in my family history. Now my children are asking after it to read to their children because of all of the beloved memories it brings back. The language is a delight. The way Kipling draws the reader and listener in to feel they are part of the story, it is story telling magic at its very best. I can't believe anyone who has this book in their home, once read, will ever be without it. As long as children and that child in all adults long for the gifted story teller's magic, this book is special.

Delightful Stories to Read Aloud
If you enjoy language and good story-telling this book belongs on your bookshelf. I've been reading the stories to my seven-year-old daughter who eats them up. Yes, the vocabulary is challenging - it isn't Berenstain Bears! But there is a time for "I Can Read" books and a time for "Read to Me" books. This will challenge kids and their imaginations, especially if they love animals like my kids do. And it's not just for kids - I love the stories too! Buy it!

Charming stories with a charming presentation.
I recently purchased this set on cd with a gift certificate for my young daughter. The price tag may have put me off at any other time, but since I was getting it with a certificate, I went for it. I read these stories cover to cover repeatedly as a little girl and took great delight in the hilarity of the answers to such questions as "how did the leopard get his spots?" or "how did the camel get his hump?" Kipling's stories are marvelously nonsensical - which makes them fit for a child's world. However, it was not until hearing them read aloud on this very set that I realized his rhyme and use of repetitive words or phrases is very similar to our modern master of children's literature: Dr. Seuss. It would not surprise me to find that Seuss took his inspiration from the works of Kipling. This is not striking to a reader, but as you listen to his words brought to life by the human voice it is hard to miss.

Geoffrey Palmer, of As Time Goes By, is one of my favorite actors. His voice and interpretation of these beautiful stories enhances the experience so much that I was laughing out loud listening to him in my car. His dry sense of humor is felt in his characterizations of the cast and the lulling of his voice lends a calming, gentle, and sophisticated quality to the text. I now can simply not imagine these stories being read by anybody else.

Finally, the classical musical selection is superb and adds an intelligent whimsiness to the piece. I would highly recommend this set as a lovely gift for any child you find "tenacious and full of segacity". What a delightful alternative to the screech of today's cartoons and children's "pop" albums full of Britney Spears remakes.

Just So Stories
The just so stories
By: Rudyard Kipling Published by: William Morrow and Company

This book O best beloved (meaning you, in the language that the author used) is a short story book that has many adventures to it and the one that I'm going to tell you about is the story called, The Beginning of the Armadillos. This plot takes us to the steamy jungles of the Amazon rain forest in South America in the Northern part of Brazil. Also in this plot there lives a painted jaguar, a stickly-prickly hedgehog, and slow and solid tortoise. Now O best beloved (meaning you) this particular jaguar isn't very bright so he goes to his mother for advice on how to eat the hedgehog and the tortoise. Well, as any mother would, she tells him ohhh, so many times graciously waving her tail, "Painted Jaguar to catch the hedgehog you must dip him the water so he will uncoil and you must scoop the tortoise out of it's shell with your paw, got it?!" So he goes to the river to find the hedgehog and the tortoise so he can eat them. The first time they barely got away by confusing him. The hedgehog and the tortoise confuse him by messing up what his mother told him. But the second time Painted Jaguar is confused just by looking at them. You'll have to read it to believe it.

As you know, in this particular story you are introduced to a hedgehog named Stickly-Prickly and a tortoise named Slow and Solid. As you might see these two unique animals are very close and have the same predators. In this story Stickly-Prickly hedgehog and Slow and Solid tortoise are being hunted by a creature named Painted Jaguar, as you know, who is not too smart and has spots. Now since Stickly-Prickly and Slow and Solid were able to fool the jaguar once they want to make him so confused that he won't know which is which just by looking at them. So day after day they teach one another how the other works, like Stickly-Prickly teaches Slow and Solid to curl up and Slow and Solid teaches Stickly-Prickly how to swim. After they have done that and are comfortable with their skills they wait for Painted Jaguar to come looking for them but they don't know that they will never be the same again. Stickly-Prickly hedgehog and Slow and Solid tortoise help this particular story because they are smart and they fool the jaguar and they surprise the reader with their cunning and hard work.

This book has been really fun in the fact that there is more than one story in the book and for me more than one story meant that it was a page turner. The story that I described in this book review was easy to concentrate on because I liked it so much. Some stories in this book were just plain old boring so it was harder to read them . The thing that caught my attention was the language that the author used in the book, I thought that the language was very unique and very funny. To tell the truth I thought that there weren't very many surprises at all, the only surprises would be all the purposes of the story that was being told, like how the camel got his hump or the beginning of the Armadillos. To me they make the language in the book fun, like Oh best beloved and stickly-prickly and slow and solid. The people who might like this book would have to have a sense of humor, so if they have that then the person reading this book will have a very fun time indeed.

Complete lack of worthy content
This book lacks substance and the qualities that make a read worth the while, especially since it's for children who may not read that much in the first place. You'd be MUCH better off with something like The Wind in the Willows, or the Berenstain Bear. ... Read more

Book Description

Nobody could capture the Phantom. She was the wildest mare on Assateague Island. They said she was likethe wind, that the white "map" on her shoulders was her mark of freedom.

Paul and Maureen Beebe had their hearts set on owning her. They were itching to buy and tame her; andworked hard to earn the money she would cost. But the roundup men had tried to capture her and for twoyears she had escaped them....

Pony Penning Day holds a surprise for everyone, for Paul not only brings in the Phantom, but hernewborn colt as well. Can Paul and Maureen possibly earn enough to buy them both? ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Misty of Chincoteague/bunny
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry was published in 1947. The main characters are Pual, Maureen,a hose named The Phantom, and Phantom's colt Misty.Paul and Maureen buy Misty and her mother at Pony Penning Day ,when men from Chincoteague go up and try to get wild ponies Assateague Island. Pual and Maureen raise Misty and the Phantom on their own. Their grandpa didn't think that they could raise both of the horses on their own because they were just kids.They proved him wrong by giving a lot of their time to train them.They had to work hard on the Phantom because she was wild.Tthe two kids learned that hard work pays off.Both Pual and Maureen changed in the story.In the end the kids are more resposible and work harder.I like this book because it shows that can do things that grown-ups usuay do. I rate this book five out of five stars.

A basic for the horse-lover's library
If you have a child that loves horses, you've probably already seen this book.......either brought home from the library... or in their own collection. This is one of the staples of any horse-lover's collection.

The story of Misty, a wild pony from Assateague Island off the coast of Virginia who is captured as a foal and adopted by Paul and Maureen Beebe. True story of a truly wonderful foal and her family. This story sparked three sequels that still sell millions of copies around the world.

Misty of Chincoteague
Misty of Chincoteague is a wonderful book for all ages. The Phantom is the wildest horse on the Island of Assateague. The "map" of the United States on her whithers and the fact that she ran like the wind made the lead mare of the Pied Piper's herd the most desirable horse on the entire island. Paul and Maureen Beebe want the Phantom, and work hard to earn the hundred dollars to buy her if she is caught. But no one can catch the Phantom, right?
Surprises are in store for the young reader, and old friends will enjoy coming back time and time again to this book for all, Misty of Chincoteague.

ANIMAL lovers this is the book
Misty of the Chincoteague is about the Phantom, a horse that is wild and free. Little does the Phantom know that there is a dream of a little girl and boy? The boy's name is Paul and the girl's name is Maureen they are brother and sister that have the same dream to buy the Phantom. Their grandpa owns a horse farm where a whole bunch of people go out and capture horses to sell them. So Paul and Maureen start working because they want that horse so bad. They're going to do anything to get the Phantom. Does Paul and Maureen's dream come true?
Misty was one of the best stories I have ever read! If you are a horse lover then this book is for you! This is all thumbs up. An animal lover out there if you are looking for a magnificent irresistible wonderful book to read this book is for you!

Great book for pony lovers!
This is one of our daughter's favorite pony books and a classic story. As a publisher of another children's pony book, "Mint's Christmas Message" we think "Misty" is the standard against which other children's pony books should be measured. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

The Honorable Knights of the Round Table
The Knights of the Round went through numerous adventures in their time. In the book, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, the author, Sidney Lanier, illustrated some of the knights' quests. Written from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d' Arthur, this novel has eight mini books on the Knights of the Round Table. From the "Coming of Arthur" to the "Passing of Arthur" Sidney Lanier depicted Arthur's knights such as Sir Lancelot du Lake, Sir Gareth of Orkney, La Cote Mal Taile, and Sir Tristram. There wasn't much conflict between the different knights, except for when they decided to joust.
This medieval book, written in third person, concentrates on the Knights of the Round Table, not as much on King Arthur. I highly recommend not reading this book because it doesn't have much conflict, so it isn't very interesting. For this reason, the book, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, is unique (because of the fact it doesn't have much conflict). This book should be read by people 13+ because of its unique words and ideas, and by people who are interested in learning more about King Arthur and his Knights.

A great legend that everybody should read
The Legend of King Arthur is a book that everyone should read at least once in his life. The Legend actually consists of hundreds of stories passed down for generations orally. Then somebody wrote it down, someone else read different ones of those and wrote his own. This way there are many different versions. The one that I read, and this review is about, is written by Roger Lancelyn Green. Unlike the other ones, which are hundreds of years old, this book is written in modern English. Because of that you can read it pretty fast.

Every chapter in this book is a story for itself, which have only a little to do with each other. The only character which is mentioned in every of those stories is King Arthur. He is the famous King of Logres, the holy realm. The story takes place in the 400s, when the Saxons invaded Britain. God thought that Britain will fall if he doesn't support them. So he decided to establish the Realm of Logres, which should be ruled by King Arthur. As soon as he began to ruled Britain, most of the world's best knights were at his court. The most famous one is Sir Launcelot. He was the best knight at the Round Table, but Logres also fell because of him and the beauty of King Arthur's wife.

And when Britain is in need, the Holy Realm of Logres can be reestablished at any time.

Awesome tales in the truest sense of the word.
I really like Rosemary Sutcliff's books, including her Arthurian
trilogy; however, I prefer Green's King Arthur because, for me,
it captures the sense of dread and awe that hangs over the
legends so well. The illustrations are very nice, as well. For my money this is a first-rate rendition.

a little fantasy for a change - almost interesting
I am 14 years old. I had to read this book for school, and considering the school usually assigns boring books, this one was pretty good. I thought it was okay, because I like fantasy books, and this book has a lot of fantasy and love stories. It was rather interesting, but I never would have read it if I hadn't had to.

King Arthur and his Brave Knights
King Arthur and his Brave Knights
King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green, were a whole bunch of different stories. They were how Arthur was raised and became king, how each of the knights came apart of the round table and how each of the went on their quest for the Holy Grail, and the departing of King Arthur and his kingdom.
The author, Roger L. Green, emphasized some differences to the original tale. For instance, Launcelot never loved Elaine. Elaine loved Launcelot very much but she was sad because Launcelot did not love her back. So Elaine went to Brysen who was a sorcerer and she made Elaine appear as Guinevere (Launcelot's love). When Launcelot saw Elaine that appeared as Guinevere he asked her to marry him and she said yes. The next morning when Launcelot saw Elaine in bed with him instead of Guinevere he went mad and started to live in the forest. Another change in the story was that the author called the Lady of the Lake, Lady Nimue. This book took place in the 6th century and the narrator is in 3rd person. The themes of the book were basically stories of each knight on their quest for the Holy Grail.
I would recommend this book to avid readers and people who enjoy fantasies. This reason because it is hard to understand some of the words are difficult to understand. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (289)

The Call of the Wild is a wonderful novel despite some of th
I found that The Call of the Wild by Jack London is a very odd but unique classic liked and disliked by many. Personally I found the beginning drab and it did not seize my interests. Around the time when Francois and Perrault bought Buck is when the action started to rise and grasp my attention. The overall plot of this story was found unlikeable but I really liked the theme that was expressed. "And not only did he learn by experience, but instincts long dead became alive again." (London p.14) In this passage London symbolizes the digression from civility and the progression into the primitive by displaying how Buck's ancestorial behavior was awakened when he adapted to a new environment. There were many passages I enjoyed because they were filled with description. This quote is a wonderful example of descriptive writing: "Something wriggled under his feet. He sprang back, bristling and snarling, fearful of the unseen and unknkown...a whiff of warm air ascended to his nostrils..." (London p.11) I found the dogs' personalities were believable however, London lacked realism in the people- especially Mercedes, Hal, and Charles. I have come to the conclusion that The Call of the Wild is a wonderful novel despite some of the weak points. I would recommend this to anyone.

Call of the Wild - an Exciting Book
The exciting book, "Call of the Wild" by Jack London, is a call worth answering. This book is about a loveable dog named Buck who has to learn suddenly to defend himself in the wild. The different characters will undeniably delight you for hours. Buck has an interesting life and you will surely want to find out about it.

From the beginning, the narrator starts the story with Buck's happy life in California. Unfortunately, Buck the Husky is stolen and taken to Alaska, where he is sold! As a result of his change, he has to gain the respect from other dogs and becomes happy again. Buck is sold to many masters and has as unusual a life as a dog has ever had. Lives that you will have to read about in this fascinating book.

Truly, Mr. London has captured the essence of the hard and unusual life of the wild. The characters are all different; therefore; this book is for everyone. For instance, Buck the dog is loyal and tough, but one of his masters is ignorant and weak. There are many places in this book, so everyone will learn something. The main places are California and Alaska, which are as different as night and day. All in all, this book will take you on a wonderful adventure.

To sum it all up, "The Call of the Wild" is one of the best known and loved books. In this book, we see the incredible challenges that Buck faces. This book tops some of Mr. London's other great books such as: "White Fang" and "The Star Rover". More importantly, this book will teach everyone that with perseverance and a little courage, you can do anything.

Call of wild
This is really one of the finest books on the market. The Call of the Wild is about Buck, a German Sheperd, who is dagnapped from his home when word comes of a Goldrush up in the Canadian wilderness. From then on, Buck experiences adventure, companionship, and tragic, tragic losses. This all, however, is character-building to Buck, and he becomes one of the best sled-dogs ever, except for the fact that this is fiction.

That is the overall premise of this book. In case you didn't know, this book was written in the early 1900's by the world-reknowned author, Jack London. Jack London wrote many other books based around canine-human interaction, but none were as masterfully done as this one. The whole adventure that Buck has in this book is both tragic and woderful at the same time.

One of the things that makes this book so wonderful is the way that it is written. The description, the emotion, all of the writing is done is such a great fahion to the point that that this book is amazing on a grand scale. In short, the writing is really good.

Another great thing about this book is that it deals mostly with what is going on in Buck's head, and dialogue is kept to a minimum. This book is just so great in ss many ways, that I am entitled to give it a five out of five stars.

Call of the Wild
The title of this book, "Call of the Wild," by Jack London, shows how Buck straddles between two worlds, one as a domestic dog with the ability to be loved and trained, and the other as a primordial beast constantly having the instinct to return to his primitive ways. His journey takes him from being a pampered household pet to running with the wolf pack and surviving in a savage environment. Along the way he learns to fear some humans, to survive among savage dogs, and to love a master.

No words to describe
In this spell binding, compelling, truly amazing book, London grabs you and never lets you go. It follows the story of Buck, and dog who is yanked out of his lazy life by a cruel gardener and forced to travel to the Yukon to aid men (and women) in search of gold. He experiences intolerable cruelty; he gets beaten and whipped almost to death, he is almost starved by a set of owners, and he learns the basic rule of thumb; kill or be killed. He often fights with the other lead dog until he finally knocks him off. It isn't until he is taken care of and showed what real love means by John Thornton that he finally warms up to humans again. But his love is cut short when a group of Yee-hats kill his entire team; Thornton, the other dogs of the team, and Thornton's friends. He then becomes full of rage; he spies the Yee-hats some distance away and knocks off almost the entire pack. He wanders around, not quite conscious of what has happened until a wolf pack come along...then he finally recieves "the call"; hence "The Call of the Wild"
This is one of the best books I have ever read, but also the saddest I've ever read. It had a huge impact on me; I wasn't quite sure of it until I almost burst into tears when talking about it. It hits you on a highly personal level...so if you are the type of person who gets affected by things easily, I would make sure you can handle it before you read it. But I guess that's what makes a great author; one that can touch you so deeply that you remember it for the rest of your life. ... Read more

Book Description

"Once upon a time, a very long time ago, Winnie-the-Pooh lived in a forest…" The world of Pooh is a world of enchantment. It is a world forever fixed in the minds and hearts of countless children -- a world where Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and the others share unforgettable adventures with Christopher Robin.

Winnie-the-Pooh is filled with delight: Pooh goes hunting with Piglet, celebrates Eeyore's birthday, and accompanies Christopher Robin and the others on an "Expotition" to the North Pole. Through it all, Pooh remains the whimsical philosopher and staunch friend, captivating children as he has for generations.

Reviews (20)

There's no classic like an old classic
Ah, the adventures of Pooh & Co. Far fewer people have read these light lovely little books than seen their animated semi-accurate Disneyfications. Should the average reader choose to actually read, "Winnie the Pooh", they'd find a series of adventures set in a child's safe/tame landscape. The great recommendation of this book (and its subsequent sequals) is the jokes that kids won't get but that adults will adore. Aside from some of the more C.S. Lewis-like twistings of the English language, some characters are written as charicatures of the timid, the pompous, and the dejected. After all, who hasn't known their own Owls or Eeyores at some point in their life? In my opinion, Piglet is almost the quintessential timid Englishman. As for the original illustrations, they cannot be improved upon (especially since the movie has so invaded the public consciousness). My advice? Get kids to read this before they see the film (which is probably an impossible thing to desire these days). You won't regret it and they'll take them to heart.

A pre-schooler's delight
Ah, the treasures you come across cleaning out your adult child's closet once he's grown and left the nest. How could I have forgotten this enchanting book? My son used to love Winnie the Pooh and all his friends when he was three years old. In Piglet, Kanga and Baby Roo, Eeyore, Rabbit, Owl and Pooh himself, A.A. Milne created some of the best-loved characters in children's literature. The stories in the book are funny and endearing, what child doesn't laugh out loud over Pooh and Piglet hunting for Woozles, and Eeyore losing his tail? Read this book out loud to your child (or silently to yourself), and you may find yourself transported back to your own childhood:

"Isn't it funny
how a bear likes honey?
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
I wonder why he does?"

Excellent reading of the book.
This is a review of the Jim Broadbent recording of the first Winnie the Pooh book. Although it does seem to include the other recordings I have heard, and I expect his version of The House at Pooh Corner would be quite similar.

Jim Broadbendt does a great job reading us WtP. Anyone who has heard the Charles Kuralt version- this version is 300% better. Jim not only has a sense of of humor, but does a different voice for each character. Two things sorely lacking on the CK versions. Now, for those who have heard the Peter Dennis recordings, well, those are better, there's no getting around that. Peter's piglet cannot be topped and he also does the most wonderful versions of the songs I have ever heard. But alas, those tapes are no longer available and Dennis never recorded the entire book(s). So, I figure Jim is still deserving of the 5 stars.

Broadbent does a wonderful job of bringing out the humor in the stories, something which the Kuralt recordings do not. His Eeyore does sound a bit like Ringo Starr- but, that works rather well now, doesn't it? Pooh, well, he's a bit on the not-so-bright side, but he's cheerful and trustworthy. Piglet does sound timid and sweet. Rabbit, well, he could be a bit more edgey in these. Jim has made Rabbit a bit more sympthetic a character than I envision him. Still, the subtle nuances are not lost, even on children. And, it is nice to have an unabridged version of the story available.

My children just love these cds. Which is nice. It's always good to have something that the entire family enjoys and is still a worthwhile use of time. Especialy something that one can listen to in the car that doesn't bore the pants off the driver and yet amuses the children enough to keep them quiet. I highly recommend this version for anyone who would like to expose their child to the original Pooh stories.

Sing Ho for the life of a Pooh
Unless you were just teleported here from an alternative universe where Walt Disney was a hobo and stayed locked up in jail, never to entertain the world with his many talents, you _had_ to have heard of Winnie the Pooh. This _is_ the A.A.Milne stories with the beautiful Ernest Shepard's illustrations and if you never read this, you are in for a real treat.

The illustrations are gorgeous watercolors. The characters have more dimensions to them and the effect is more subtle. You'll recognize some stories from the Disney movies / shows - some you won't. They are great bedtime stories for your little ones and work equally well for adults.

If you have little ones in your life, you are going to want this book to read to them or give as a shower gift to an expectant mom. If you want to see what Pooh, Piglet ant the gang are like without all the "Disneyfications", this is also a great book. And, if you're like me and have fond memories of this book, it's _definitely_ for you. Read and enjoy:)

black and white originals
Horn Book review hit it on the head: the black and white illustrations are superior in every way to the colored-in versions. The original editions were, after all, illustrated with simple, clearly-outlined sketches. So now, finally, we have have Winne-the-Pooh as it was originally intended to be. On top of that, excellent quality paper, beautiful binding, a perfect size, this slip-cased edition is a collector's item. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If Ready...Set...Read! were a movie, it would surely be a box-office hit with its all-star cast, including Little Bear, Morris the Moose, and Frog and Toad. This rich treasury of children's favorite stories, as well as poems, riddles, tongue-twisters, and hidden picture games, will delight and inspire every beginning reader. There's something for everyone in this diverse collection: Have a young poet in the house? How about a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks or Robert Louis Stevenson? Let the budding scientist discover "Our Earth in Space." The amateur comedian might pick up a few tips from the knock-knock jokes and riddles. And be prepared to untie some messy knots after the tongue-twister section: "Wendy went to rent one red room."

Ready...Set...Read! is a perfect introduction to many well-loved authors and illustrators, including Maurice Sendak, Else Holmelund Minarik, and Russell Hoban. Most importantly, this all-in-one collection, with its easy-to-read type, simple vocabulary, and variety of lively and colorful illustrations, will provide a jump-start to reading that will soon have children racing to the bookshelf for more. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good collection for early readers
I bought this b