Titles Books

This book is so great I had a old copy that was my moms when she was litle then mine, so I bought a new one for my daughter it is GREAT, very interesting and good for the imagimation. However there were some coffe stains in the book when the seller listed it as new.

Over the years I continue to love this book. Part of the reason is that it is a well told story involving animals. I also love the drawings.
I recently purchased this book for my niece and for the older children of two families who will be having a new addition. When I was asked to present a child's book to my class in middle school this was the book I chose.

MY DAUGHTER LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH, THAT WHEN SHE WAS SELECTED TO READ TO OTHERS DURING LIBRARY WEEK, SHE CHOSE THE MITTEN. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAVORITE OF OUR FAMILY'S AND NOW I AM ORDERING THIS ONE FOR MY FIRST GRANDCHILD. A READER FROM CA.

Even though I buy them for my daughter, I try not to review items that I owned or remember from my childhood as I feel I am biased towards them simply because of the nostalgic factor. However, I do think I would still love this book even if I had just recently come upon it. For starters it has such vibrant colors with the alternating turquoise background and the bright red and gold Ukrainian clothing. And what child wouldn't love the thought of woodland creatures taking refuge from the snow in his or her lost mitten, although the story is just folklore and the product of a child's imagination...or is it?

What a treasure: the illustrations and the story go hand in hand so wonderfully, quiet and witty and authentic. If you have Slavic roots, the Ukrainian illustrator's work may have extra resonance for you. Yaroslava drew the animals wearing Ukrainian costume, but with subtle touches of real life; this one's boots have creases, see the wrinkles in that one's heavy coat. I always wondered if there was an anti-Soviet subtext to the characters all insisting on sharing one living-space until it bursts at the seams (literally)...

I stumbled onto David Loy's work after years of reading books concerning Heidegger, phenomenology and (recently) Buddhism. And I will have to say that I am now a very enthusiastic David Loy fan. This book has provided a kind of philosophical "glue" that has suddently made sense of the past 15 years of Heidegger. If you are interested in Buddhism and phenomenology I strongly suggest you buy up everything David Loy has written and read it twice. Very accessible. Very creative.

I am a great admirer of David Loy's work, especially his book "Lack and Transcendence." This work is chock full of fascinating information and discussions, and I have learned a great deal from it, but the material Loy presents for discussion is a good deal better than the conclusions he draws from it. Loy's philosophical background is in the Heigegger/Derrida continental tradition, and unfortunately he has inherited some of the logical sloppiness of that tradition. Worse, and this is a flaw that pervades just about the whole book, is that he seems not to fully understand that the Nagarjunian theory of the two truths means that you cannot meaningfully mix the conventional mode of discourse with the ultimate. Certainly you cannot draw logical conclusions from such a mixture. This failure to grasp the most foundational point of Madhyamika leads to a variety of confusion, such as his discusson of the role of sense organs in non-dual perception. Worse, it completely undermines the thesis of his central chapter, the Deconstruction of Dualism, in which he tries to show that fundamental identity of the different non-dual traditions he discusses: Mahayana Buddhism, Sankara's Advaita Vedanta, and Taoism. Loy's is certainly the most sophisticated attempt I have seen to defend this "perennial philosophy" blenderized view of eastern religions, but all Loy succeeds in doing is to create the proverbial the coal bin at midnight in which all cats are black.

But I still recommend this book. It is full of treasures, and it is a pleasure to enter into a mental discussion with a writer as sharp and learned as Loy.

This book is absolutely brilliant. If you're grappling with the subject of nonduality then this should put you straight (at least intellectually!) - I've read parts of this book numerous times, and the sections on the deconstruction of nonduality and Derrida are mindblowing stuff. Loy has nailed 'it'.

Flawed? Only in the sense that it uses language to describe something that subverts language and avoids description. That's saying a lot, but Loy can be forgiven for that - even Lao Tsu and Nagarjuna wrote a book!

David Loy has done a superb job of being true to the standards of academic comparative philosophy, true to the traditions, and true to direct pointing to transconceptual awareness, all at the same time--which is every bit as rare as it is desperately needed. But then, I would expect nothing less from a philosophy professor who is also a spiritual teacher in the Zen tradition. Don't pass this one up.

David Loys book is simply too far ahead of its time. That's why it is so under-appreciated (see the lukewarm editorial reviews).
In 20 years this will be a classic. If your "on the verge" this book can help you do the quantum-leap.

As an eager but somewhat overwhelmed newcomer to the world of ambient music, I've found this overview to be informative & invaluable. It's constructed like many ambient pieces: layers of information & exotica that overlap, shade into one another, and in many ways recreate in prose the experience of the music. Yet at the same time, there's a clarity & focus to the writing, which becomes apparent as the reader flows from one topic to the next. By the end, I'd not only gained some real knowledge & understanding, I'd been given some excellent starting points for further exploration. An exemplary volume, highly recommended!

I love to read about music, but there are so few good music writers it seems. This book approaches the development of incidental, ambient, experimental, avant garde, and world musics in a way that mimics the music itself - with random bursts of observations, anecdotes, interviews, and just plain bizarre missives. I encourage anyone with a sense of adventure and an open mind to grab a copy.

There is a similarly-titled double CD which came out to accompany the book, but I can't see it on Amazon. It is as eclectic as the book and features a lot of the artists interviewed and mentioned - Sun Ra, Aphex Twin, and others. I have played the CD to death and would recommend it. You gotta respect a compilation that puts The Beach Boys right next to African Headcharge, or My Bloody Valentine next to Brian Eno - and makes it work so well.

The book also features a list of albums and artists in the appendix, which I found useful as a way of doing further research.

Another book in a similar vein is Kodwo Eshun's "More Brilliant Than The Sun", though it focuses solely on the innovators in electronic music.

If you like ambient, or....atmospheric music of any sort you should give this book a chance as it a nice erudite survey of the various genres and musicians that are linked to..or been influenced by ambient music. It is not a linear survey thru time, but rather this book reminds me of a map which Toop rolls around visiting here and there with a few jumps now and then as he discusses how in the last 100 years "music has reflected the world back to itself and to its listeners". The writing is enjoyable, and full of poetry, such that I kept finding myself underlining odd bits and pieces every few pages and I wound up compiling them for myself for future reference. There is also a nice bibliography and discography at the end of the book.

Incredible in many ways, Toop's book attempts to trace a quiet revolution in twentieth century music. One cannot deny the impressive breadth of his knowledge, from Stockhausen to Miles all the way to Future Sound of London and their ilk. His writing is quite often beautiful, if occasionally one feels like he is writing too many words to actually say anything.

Ultimately, however, I leave the book feeling a bit underwhelmed. Ironically, it is the book's very eclecticism that works against it. I personally did not see the connectionsbetween, say, the music of Kraftwerk and Toop's (admittedly fascinating) discussion of the sound of the Amazon jungle. These disgressions ultimately make the book useless as a survey. Of course, I doubt that it was meant to be so, but Toop fails to make the kinds of connections that have given books by Greil Marcus and others a fascinating unity.

Perhaps, though, this is the point. Much like the ambient music that serves as the centerpoint of the book, this book simply floats by, not asking you to make any conclusions. It is probably best read in bits, before bed or in the bathroom, where the individual moments of brilliance can be better appreciated. Very ambient, indeed.

David Toop is both a musician and writer, having done ambient music, dub music with the likes of Prince Far I, and of course numerous written articles on ambient and experimental aspects of popular music. I'd have to say that this book is perhaps one of the definitive studies on this musical genre, covering the aesthetics, listening practica, concepts, influences, directions, and so on of this growing musical field in a very inclusive and insightful style. This is perhaps one of the best written companions to everything ambient, as well as influences on ambient music from as far afield as Sun Ra and Karlheinz Stockhausen. Anyone interested in knowing more...either in scope, or deeper within...on ambient should obtain a copy of this book.

Mr. Bittlestone argues that the Paliki peninsula in present day Cephalonia is the location of Homeric Ithaca. He tries to support his hypothesis with literary and geological arguments.

First, let me say that although I live in Cephalonia, I was born and raised in Thessaloniki, so I don't have a vested interested in this affair any more than the author. I 'd like to believe that I am just as impartial as he is.

The book makes a good case for the existence of an ancient channel between Paliki and Cephalonia, although it does not prove that the channel was navigable. Even if it were navigable, the existence of a channel does not prove that Paliki itself was Ithaca. As far as I am concerned, Paliki was close enough to the rest of Cephalonia to be regarded as one kingdom, just like the United Kingdom is composed of several isles. Also, the author has not considered all the alternatives. What if Strabo's channel was further to the North-East, across Pylaros? There is a narrow valley running across Pylaros, and one of the maps in the book clearly shows a fault line running through it.

According to Homer, Mount Neriton is pre-eminent. What Mr. Bittlestone calls Mount Neriton is rather unremarkable. It is not visible from afar. On the other hand, Mount Ainos on mainland Cephalonia has been a navigation landmark for centuries. It is hard for me to believe that Homer refers to an insignificant mountain on Paliki, while ignoring majestic Mt. Ainos just across from the strait.

What does "panypertati" mean, with respect to Ithaca? The author interprets it as furthest out to sea. "Panypertati" in Greek means tallest or topmost. In what way is Paliki tallest or topmost? I could not find a satisfactory answer in the text.

There are ambiguities in Homer himself. He claims that Ithaca has a mountain visible from afar, yet the island itself lies low in the sea. How is this possible? He claims that Ithaca is the westernmost of four islands, yet it is surrounded by three islands. Although the co-author, Mr. Diggle, interprets amphi as "near" rather than "on either side," how can we be sure of the intended meaning? To me, all this means that you cannot rely on a literal interpetation of Homer. By the time the epics were first recorded, Homer was long dead. In the intervening centuries there may have been any number of changes to the original verses. During much of their life the epics were oral tradition, and therefore continually evolving. In the appendix, Mr. Diggle explains that there have been different versions of the epic, a fact that Mr. Bittlestone has not considered once in his text. I think I would rather stick to the spirit of the poem rather than try to decipher it word-by-word with strict logic. Trying to interpret art using science is a potentially controversial proposition.

Some of the author's initial speculation regarding the location of Odysseus' palace (e.g., figs. 19.17-19.18) remind me of the interpretations of a Rorsach inkblot: One can see what one wants to see. All these signs on the landscape could be manmade, albeit much more recent. As far as dry stonewalls in the Greek countryside, like the author says, they may delineate livestock corrals, or property boundaries more than anything else. The soil in Paliki naturally is stony, so to improve land productivity farmers removed the stones by hand and made walls out of them to mark their property. I understand that the author is eager to discern signs to support his hypothesis; On the other hand, people have been seeing artificial canals on the face of Mars. Finally, we should do not underestimate the power of pranksters. Mr. Bittlestone is not the first visitor looking for homeric Ithaca, and the locals know that.

The author suggests that the final act of the Odyssey unfolds in winter or early spring, yet Telemachos sailed to Pylos with a following wind from the west. First of all, a favorable wind from Paliki to Pylos should be northwest, not west. This is not a minor point. Island people have a very acute sense of wind direction, so if the wind is northwest (maistros in modern Greek), Homer would say so. Second, northwest is the predominant wind direction during the summer. In the winter and early spring the predominant wind direction is from the southwest.

As far as convincing the Greek authorities to share his vision, I think that Mr. Bittlestone overestimates the English proficiency of Greek bureaucrats. Unless he translates the book into Greek, nobody (of importance) will read it, and even that will be an uphill battle.

Mr. Bittlestone does not prove that the Paliki peninsula of Cephalonia was Homeric Ithaca. He just shows that it is possible that Paliki was ancient Ithaca. Whatever the case, it makes for an enchanting reading. I am looking forward to the continuation of his searches.

*** UPDATE (17 JAN. 2008) ***

Tonight I had the rare privilege of chatting briefly with the author, Mr. Bittlestone, during his visit to Cephalonia. He kindly clarified a few points for me, such that Ithaca could be lying low AND have a tall mountain at the same time. He ruled out the possibility of Strabo's channel running through the Pylaros valley based on the angle of the rock strata.

I did not get a satisfactory explanation as to what "panypertati" means with respect to Ithaca. Mr. Diggle, his co-author, translates panypertati as "furthest out to sea." Two authoritative modern Greek translations of the Odyssey (by Maronitis and Kazantzakis-Kakridis) translate "panypertati" as taller, not furthest out to sea. This is very puzzling...

Mr. Bittlestone's logic is that if assumption A is correct, then B is correct, and if B is correct, then C is correct, you get the idea. If all the assumptions in his train of thought are correct, then there is a good chance that he has found the real Ithaca. The problem is that some assumptions rely on a specific interpetation of key terms, such as panypertati, amphi, and island. Here is an example:

Assumption A: Strabo's channel existed

Assumption B: "amphi" means "near" as opposed to "on either side"

If Assumptions A and B are correct, then Conclusion C is unavoidable:

Conclusion C: Paliki was the westernmost of a cluster of four islands. Now, continue with the assumptions:

Assumption D: Asteris island really was a peninsula

Assumption E: Strabo's channel was navigable

Because we accepted C as correct, and if Assumptions D and E hold, then Conclusion F is unavoidable:

Conclusion F: Telemachus avoided the suitor's ambush at Asteris peninsula by circumnavigating Paliki through Strabo's Channel.

However, as we have seen, some of these assumptions rely on specific interpetation of key terms.

My greatest concern with Mr. Bittlestone's theory is that he takes a specific version of Odyssey literally. He claims that Homer had no reason to commit a so called motiveless crime by changing the facts of the myth. On the other hand, 200 years may have elapsed between Homer's time and when the epics were first recorded. In the intervening years, the epics were memorized and passed on to the next generation as oral tradition. There is no way telling what changes have happened in the intervening years. As an amateur stage actor, I have to memorize lines, too. When I fumble a line, I will make up something believable and go on. The Odyssey contains 12000 verses, who knows how many have been improvised after Homer. Language is a living, organic thing that constantly mutates, not fixed in perpetuity. Although Homer may not be guilty of a motiveless crime as Mr. Bittlestone puts it, there may have been accidental crimes along the way. This problem may reflect fundamental differences in the backgrounds of the two personalities: Homer is a product of an oral culture, Mr. Bittlestone is the product of a decisevely written culture.

To me, Mr. Bittlestone appeared like a man that has passed the point of no return. That is, he has invested so much intellectually and emotionally in his theory, that there is no going back. All the same, I wish him luck because I believe he is onto something.

The book has been translated to Greek. Let us hope that it will be more accessible to Greek intellectuals who can exercise a more expert judgement than me. I sincerely wish to thank the author for taking the time to chat with me.

There are lots of speculative archaelogy/history books out there by authors who are not specialists in the field and many have interesting ideas to share. Sadly, most are flawed in their interpretation of evidence or wander off into the realm of complete speculation. This book is not one of those books.

Bittlestone is not an archaelogist, he's just someone who had an interesting theory that could explain the controvery surrounding attempts to identify Homer's Ithaca (home of hero Odysseus) as an historical location. Most would have just written a book right then full of whatever evidence they could find. Instead Bittlestone went to the experts and got them to review his ideas and then modified them based on what they said. The result is a theory that real professionals will likely pursue further in the future rather than ignoring it as uneducated speculation by an amateur.

Even with that, however, his theory isn't airtight. There was one major issue that he raised that he seemed to gloss over when it came time to prove his point, but that stood out precisely because he didn't do it anywhere else. Perhaps he didn't have time to fully explore this particular issue or maybe he didn't find any evidnence for or against it, but in the end it is a relatively minor issue in his theory.

The book is a little dry in it's writing style but makes up for it with tons of pictures, charts, and diagrams to help you understand the more technical details.

Highly recommended if you are interested in the real world of Homer's stories or if you find speculative archaelogy interesting.

I bought this book for my husband and he said it was everything he could have ever hoped it would be. He is so pleased with it and he reads from it or just browses through it just about every single day.

a very convincing review of the story of the Odyssey in terms of modern geological and other scholarship

Any admirer of Homer's Odysseus will love this work. It is important in reminding us also never to underestimate the work of amateur historians and archeologists. Through convincing geographical example and a thorough knowledge of ancient classics, the author takes us on the investigation to find the home of the ancient Odysseus. The result is a very convincing tale and perhaps the best hope yet that the ingenius warrior's home is real and has been discovered. A wonderful collection of photographs and maps enhance the study. Very well done and very convincing.

Trollope was a master of the domestic situation. There is a scarcity of dialogue in Orley Farm, but the detailed explanations of the emotions, surroundings, and background of each character offers so much more than dialogue ever could. Anthony Trollope's Orley Farm is by far the best fictionalized trial drama that I have ever read. One would be hard-pressed to find another like it.

I would offer the warning to those who dislike long, tedious readings that this work would not be for them. It is nearly 850 pages with very little action/dialogue. It more a study into the human psyche as it relates to guilt, pity, law, and the moral implications of all these things.

Orley is simply timeless. Just as in the Palliser series, the characters are the people all around you, in the office, in the news, and on the tube. Trollope's ability to understand the subtle differences that shape the mind of men and women is simply uncanny. If you are a truth seeker, this is a book for you. Anyone with exposure to a legal system with its basis in the English common law will understand the perceptive analysis it is subjected to in Orley Farm. The distinction between evil deeds and the often sympathetic humans that are their authors is one that modern American culture often forgets to make. Orley Farm is here to remind us. As a trusts and estates lawyer, I can not believe that I practiced for fifteen years before someone told me about this gem.

One of the great novels of 19th Century fiction, with characters you will learn to appreciate and understand; not the kind of sensationalist fiction of Collins or Dickens, but a real probing into morality, responsibility and compassion. Set aside your summer, or perhaps your winter in front of the fireplace...do not pass this up.

I love Anthony Trollope. His writing style is very readable compared to Dickens or Tolstoy. His subject matter is oriented towards subjects which are still relevant today -- politics, money and power, women's rights, relationships. His character development and imagery makes it feel like you are there. His books aren't "pretentious" but just plain good stories that you an relate to -- even though they take place in the 1800s.

One of the reasons I like them is it reinforces that many of the personal, moral, and emotional struggles you think about in your day-to-day life are exactly those that individuals have been pondering since the beginning of time. I think that we like to think that the problems we face are unique to our generation, our country (the US), our times, our families. When you read something like Orley Farm or the other Trollope books, you realize they are not and that there is still a lot to be learned from these "old guys".

In addition, if you are looking for a good "escape" and a window into how the "other half lives", Trollope novels also give you that vehicle. You can imagine yourself as part of the British Aristocracy living in a life of influence and power -- which can be a lot more interesting than being part of middle class suburbia working every day just to make enough money to pay Uncle Sam, get health insurance and hopefully have enough paid time off to afford a 1-week beach trip every year.

with Trollope, but this one is particularly overweight. A great deal is made - by Trollope and others - about the lack of suspense, which is said to make the novel 'realistic' (versus 'sensationalist'). Why? Anyway, we know from the beginning that the heroine forged the will, or rather the codicil (always a worry, the codicil). This means she spends 800 pages wallowing in terror and guilt. Others around her gradually find out; she wallows deeper and deeper with never a change of tone. This woman is TIRESOME. So is the bee in Trollope's bonnet about the adversarial legal system. As ever when nearing a political issue, Trollope uses it to bring in characters and set up oppositions, but he has no idea what to do with an idea, that is with an issue to be thoughtfully discussed. Given that this book slowly reaches a criminal trial, and that there is really no other serious plot, it becomes annoying to be told repeatedly that lawyers defend clients they don't believe in, and witnesses are badgered. The alternative hinted at - that the law should try to reach the truth - is awe-inspiringly feeble. Once the heroine is found 'not guilty', another non-surprise, and her son gives back the property fraudulently acquired, she is dropped with no gallantry into a fuzzy future in which she may, perhaps, the author hints, have one or two pleasant days. Though the book is treated by critics as a work about guilt and redemption, nobody seems redeemed, or changed in the least. How could they be, given the rigid Trollope rules of conduct.

So why did I read it? Because of the richly populated, vividly conjured Trollope world - and also of course for the exciting hunting scenes. Which in some sense is the whole book. But if the heroine is the fox - and to support this, there is a thrown off line about foxes tails resembling womens' tails (you'd have to be a Victorian male to know what THIS means) - she spends an awful long time in the woods.

What would you do if your principal was going to be tricked, but you didn't say anything? This happens many times in The Principal's New Clothes by: Stephanie Calmenson. The Story is about a principal who is a sharp dresser, but to fake designers come along and trick him into something embarrassing.
It is a great book for a young because it will make them laugh. The story takes place in a present time at a regular school. The story is silly, yet it has a valuable meaning; you should never lie it may hurt someone.
The author writes in a style that kids can connect t. It is a good topic for kids. What kids wouldn't want to see the principal in their underwear?

I like this book because there are lots of funny parts in it. The principal gets new clothes that are invisible. He doesn't know they're invisible! At the end, the kids all throw him some of their clothes, but not all of them, like hats and jackets.

The Principal's New Clothes by Stephanie Calmenson is a children's book that is extremely hilarious. Mr. Bundy, and elementary principal, is the best dresser in town. All of a sudden theese strangers show up and tell Mr. Bundy, "We can make the best suit for you. You will love it!" But this is not an oridany suit, this suit can only be seen by people who are good at their job. When Mr. Bundy finally gets to view his new suit, he can't see anything at all. This worries Mr. Bundy. What will happen next in this story?

This book made me smile while reading it. The way that the author really paints a picture in your mind is amazing. All of the descriptive words are wonderful as well as the language is just right for kids reading it. Although this book is fast paced it's very easy to keep up with it. The Principal's New Clothes is a easy and fun book to read. I reccomend it to anyone who wants a smile on their face. I know for a fact that children would definitely love it. I suggest you go check it out today!

I am Daisy, a third grade student in California, and I am posting this under my teacher's account and supervision.

This book is very funny and it rocks. They wear fancy clothes and they make fancy clothes. The kids were taking out their extra clothes and giving it to the principal. It was so funny.

As the title implies, this book is a modernized version of Hans Christian Anderson's classic tale, The Emperor's New Clothes. The general plot remains the same: the principal (the Emperor, in the original) has a new outfit made by tricksters who convince him that the material is special, and that it can only be seen by intelligent people. The principal sends various liaisons to check on the progress of his suit, and, knowing the "amazing properties" of the non-existent fabric, they are ashamed that they can't see it, and so they lie, telling the principal that it's a wonderful suit. When he finally sees it (and pays for it), he thoroughly believes that other people can see it and his ego won't allow him to admit that he doesn't. He wears it (to a school assembly) and the charade goes on until a kindergartener reveals the truth.

Despite the well-known origins, this book takes on flair of its own because of the modern-day setting (a school, which works because of course this is a children's book) and the wonderful illustrations. I especially liked the artist's interpretation of the various word images: when the text says that Mr. Bundy is the sharpest dresser in town, the art shows a smooth-looking guy in showy prints. In other words, it's a kid's idea of well dressed, and it looks great on the page, though it would probably be terrifying in real life.

Though the ending is a little different than that of the original tale, most kids will like this ending better, and it could be used as a great jumping off point for discussions about honesty, conceit, and sharing.

It's a great book to share in Ramadan at your school. We all read it at home, and we gave it as a gift to our kids' teachers to share in the classroom. Very clear, explains everything about Ramadan and everything that's related to Ramadan up till Eid-El-Fitr. We all loved the book.

As other reviewers mentioned, this is a beautifully illustrated book. Common, day-to-day words used by Muslims (Imam, Suhur, Zakah) are explained in an understandable way, so I could see this being a reasonable way to introduce the concepts to non-Muslim children (or even adults). Overall, however, I was disappointed. The interesting, personable little details about Hakeem were heavily weighed down by the "adult talking to child" background information about every last little aspect of Ramadan. I would guess that a quick brush past two dozen new vocabulary words, painstakingly defined, will not actually teach those concepts to non-Muslim children. Meanwhile, I fear that the Muslim children for whom I intended this book as a gift will not find enough story among the definitions and explanations to hold their attention. We have so many stories set at Christmas-time that do not attempt to explain the entire Christian religion and all of the symbolism and rituals of Christmas... I haven't been able to find such stories to purchase for my young Muslim friends. Must every book about them be a child-sized textbook on Muslim faith and practices?

I am so glad that Ramadan received such as fitting tribute in writing. So many holiday books are boring descriptions of a holiday and forget to be interesting. This book taught me about Ramadan and interested me too. I would not hesitate to read this book to my students.

We are Christians, but I want my children to grow up knowing about religious diversity and learning about the beliefs of other religions. It's hard to respect what you don't know.

I'm very much impressed with this book. The text is very clear and gives an abundance of information on both Islam and Ramadan. The illustrations are excellent and fit the text beautifully.

Whatever your faith (or age), this book will provide a beautiful introduction to the religion of Islam and to their holiest holiday.

We are Christians, but I want my children to grow up knowing about religious diversity and learning about the beliefs of other religions. It's hard to respect what you don't know.

I'm very much impressed with this book. The text is very clear and gives an abundance of information on both Islam and Ramadan. The illustrations are excellent and fit the text beautifully.

Whatever your faith (or age), this book will provide a beautiful introduction to the religion of Islam and to their holiest holiday.

It can be difficult to find a fairy tale collection that manages to hit on a wider spectrum of stories, rather than the hish-hash collections of everything that everyone has memorized or the collections that go out of the way to find the most unknown and unusual. This has both, from the familiar to the distinctly different, and told in a classic Victorian voice. There is a story for everyone here, romantic, macabre, and even funny, and from a variety of countries and cultures. It's a good, basic show of different types of stories, and each one is memorable! Defintely a must-have for the fairy tale collector!

I originally heard about the Red Fairy Book in the Annotated Hobbit, it was listed as one of J.R.R. Tolkiens influance's.
Anyways I found it and started to read it, and I must say it is the best fairy tale book I own. It's much more lush and interesting than Grimms, though Grimm is great, this book is so far my favorite.
Quite possibly the best fairy tale book ever written.

I bought Lang's Red Fairy book on a lark, expecting it to be just another re-collection of Grimms' tales and various English and French fairy tales that I had already been exposed to. I expected it would be nice, light bedtime reading and little else. When I saw that the first tale was the Twelve Dancing Princesses, I settled in for a rehash of a tale I've know since childhood.

Was I ever surprised! The Twelve Dancing Princesses was related in a manner I had never read before, the end result being a much more engaging storyline. The hero and his bride were given names, personalities, and a depth that is missing from practically every other fairy tale collection I own. The result is a story that is short enough to be read to a child at bedtime, but lush, engaging, and interesting enough to grip even the most jaded folktale enthusiast. Just a small list of the differences in the Twelve Dancing Princesses story from the "traditional" versions I already owned:

1. The hero seeking the elusive answer is not an old, jaded soldier, but a young, thoughtful peasant boy.

2. The princes who fail to find the answer do not have their heads cut off by the murderous king (a plot device which made no sense, because it discouraged questors who might gain the answer, not to mention that the kingly fathers would likely object to this treatment of their sons), but rather "disappear" completely - a development that is carefully explained in the story.

3. The princesses come to accept the loss of their nightly amusements and relish a chance to grow up, put away childish things, and become queens.

4. The princess who marries the questor marries him out of love and acceptance, and the marriage is a joyous one, not a form of humiliation and punishment of the 'proud' princess.

Each of the stories is this way - old, familiar, completely recognizable, and yet totally new and compelling. I cannot recommend this collection highly enough, and once I finish the Red book, I will happily move to the next colors in the rainbow.

As Tolkien's enthusiastic, I read The Red Fairy Book because I wanted to know about Tolkien's early influences.
Andrew Lang's books were the first books that Tolkien ever read, he owned The Red Fairy Book and even after long time he remembered it fondly.
If you are searching for Tolkien in this book you will not be disappointed. You will find there the source for the name of Pippin for instance, you will find in the stories grains of ideas and themes that later found themselves in LOTR.

But you will find there more than just LOTR references. You will find great stories, some of them a little naive for the cynical reader, but all of them interesting. Even if you are adult, this book will conquer you completely. This is a book for all the members of the family. You will love it and your children will love it. Some of the stories are suitable for very small children to read to them before bedtime.

If you are searching for so called "sophisticated" books, this book is not for you. It contained simple stories, some of them with moral and it is lacking complex motives and emotions, after all, it is fairy tales.

When I was in third grade, my school had the Red, Blue, and Yellow Faerie books, and as I was an avid reader I read all 3 of them. The one I continued to check-out and reread over and over again however was The Red Fairy Book. I have fond memories of many hours spent turning the pages of this book, and admittedly, it could be that I am looking back thru rose colored spectacles, it made such an impression on me that I am now collecting the whole fairy book series.

I did like this book, but I gave it 4 stars mostly to draw attention that this book might not be for everyone. My children (ages 4 and 6) were definitely a bit disconcerted when the sweet granny got eaten up. Certainly not what they (nor I) was expecting! Of course, it all gets happily resolved in the end - but I had my reservations getting through the book myself. So if you have especially tender-hearted young'uns in the audience, you may want to go for the "sanitized" versions of this classic.

I love all James Marshall books. They are clever, funny and I love the illustrations.

We liked this book but I don't think we'd give it 5 Stars. Five Stars should mean a knock-you-socks off book. This is nice, but rather typical of Marshall, and more or less what you see with most Red Riding Hood stories.

Which is not to say that there isn't humor nor merit in the book. I love that Granny gets cranky at being interrupted while reading in bed (she has a stack of books by the bed), and that in one picture there is an empty box of after dinner mints laying open on the floor. [Granny in fact comments that it was so dark in the wolf's stomach that she couldn't see to read.]

Four Stars. [B-]. Good Read-aloud. Marshall's usual clever artwork. Story follows the older versions in that grandma and Red are swallowed.

Robert Barfield
Book Review

Red Riding Hood by James Marshal


In this version of Little Red Riding Hood Little Red disobeyed her mom. Her mom says, "Stay on the path". But she did not stay on the path. She found woof the wolf and he told her to pick flowers so he could get to Grandmas house before little Red Riding Hood got there the wolf got there and ate the Grandma. When Little Red Riding Hood s mother knocked at the door the wolf opened the door and he let little Red come in side. Little Red said " What big eyes you have" The walk said "More the better to seeyouwith my dear" "What big teeth you have". The wolf yelled "More the better to eat you my Dear"


Theme: Caution


Message: do not talk to people or animals you do not know. Because it is a warning sign because you could get eaten or kidnapped.

Genre: Fiction. Why: because wolfs cannot talk.


Audience: I would recommend this book to little kids because they do not know whets in the woods.
I liked this book because it was funny and it had a good lesson in it.

You have to love ANY version of this where Grandma and Little Red get EATEN! Younger readers more familiar with the Grandma getting thrown in the closet or under the bed version may be a little shocked, but it's usually short lived. I find that kids appreciate and enjoy the versions that have the "nasty" bits left in much more than the sanitized version. We are treated to an even greater delight with a few sly details in both the art and text that give the characters some personality traits you don't normally see in the standard retelling...in this version Granny loves to read, Red is charmed by the sly and slightly urban wolf, and the wolf is, well, wicked (he says so himself, more than once)! I really love the silly "surprise at the very end...nicely done!! A very nice retelling that is manages to convey a lot in just a few words and everything is enhanced by the simple (but highly effective) illustrations! I'll definitely be adding this one to my permanent collection! I give it a solid A!

"In this unusual Christmas picture book, the author/illustrators combine a breezy, rhyming text with humorous pencil and watercolor illustrations." Gisela Jernigan, Children's Literature

"The verse and illustrations are reminiscent of Dr. Seuss classics." American Bookseller, Holiday Pick of the Lists

"A somewhat bizarre though humorous story about a Christmas tree that ends up at Rockefeller Center and the Redbird that inhabits it. The whimsical illustrations and clever rhymes keep kids interested but might leave parents scratching their heads." Boston Herald, 12/97

"Redbird at Rockefeller Center shows what can happen when two authors/illustrators have wonderful imaginations. Peter Maloney and Felicia Zekauskas have created a hilarious tale sure to bring lots of holiday cheer. The verse is full of rhyme and flows naturally. The rest is non-stop humor. The laughter factor is enhanced by the whimsical illustrations Maloney and Ms. Zekauskas create. Check out the lady's hair; it's a sight to behold. Youngsters and the young at heart will chuckle at this tale. This is a title you won't want to miss." Richmond Times-Dispatch, 12/97

"When the humongous spruce in her yard is chosen to be Rockefeller Center's Christmas tree, young Kate is heart broken. But off it goes, with a newly hatched and very confused cardinal hidden in its branches. Energetic cartoon scenes, festooned with feathery splashes of cheery red, reflect the story's quick pace and tongue-in-cheek charm perfectly. Beyond this picture-book's New York City setting and its value as holiday reading, the birds' mass cooperation creates a natural link with Leo Lionni's Swimmy (1963)." Booklist, 11/97