Fables and Fairy Tales Books

This is a good book of a few rhyming couplets featuring fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters, perfect length to catch the attention of a young child - and enough detail in the pictures to keep the attention of an older one!

For those people who are concerned about this sort of thing, there are some references to "the Wicked Witch" (she's not shown being any more wicked than anybody else, and she eats pie with her neighbors at the end. Wicked is just her name, I guess) in the book, and there are also a few images of the three bears being very careless with guns while hunting. I don't find that this hampers our enjoyment of this book, but if these are sensitive topics for your family, you may want to check the book out of the library before committing to a purchase.

Memorized this book reading it to our four children as they grew up and am now giving copies to them for their children.
It's a classic.

This is an Ispy HIT in my house! Ever since I brought out my old copy of this book my daughter has to have it! She loves to find everyone from the witch to robin hood to the three bears! The Ahlberg's really did an excellent job of weaving in all the classic characters.

I read this book to my own children, and I just bought it for my grandchild.
We would read this book every night and they loved it!

What a wonderful, and exciting way to get a child involved in problem solving, and reading experience

This book is perfect for anyone that has been reading the Disney Fairy series of books. Ties together where mother dove came from and why she is important to the fairies, etc. Great for reading with 5-7 year olds. A little "scary" or "intense" for younger than 4 or 5. We own all of the disney fairy books, and my daughter loves them! Would buy this again in a heartbeat!

Gail Carson Levine, author of the insanely awesome novel "Ella Enchanted," always thought that Wendy was crazy for going home when she could have stayed with Peter Pan in Neverland. At least that's what her mini-bio on the dust jacket of her new novel says. Levine also dedicates the book to her first boyfriend, Peter Pan.

One of Disney's newest marketing ventures is Disney Fairies, which is promoting Tinker Bell and the other characters found in Levine's novel among other fairies. (There's also a series of Fairy books for younger readers and a CGI film, not directly related to the events relayed in "Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg," which is due out this fall on Disney DVD. If you want to learn more, the Disney Fairies have their own website--but be advised it might take a bit to load on slower computers.) When I first heard about this new project, I was intrigued since I am a fan of fairies. At the same time, I was a bit worried. There's something very commercial, and even counterintuitive, about a writer creating a story with characters that have already been dealt with by other authors (and a lot of movies!). Still, I decided to give it a try.

Before even getting into the story, though, I have to say that this novel is quite beautiful. The actual book is made of high quality paper to accommodate the illustrations that often feature as tw-page spreads throughout the novel. These pictures, watercolors painted by David Christiana, are stunning. The colors are subtle and really the skill is just so obvious in all of the drawings that viewing them is a joy. Christiana manages to stay true to the original Disney vision for Tinker Bell while making her "look" slightly new and different to better fit in with the other fairies.

Unfortunately, it takes more than great illustrations to sustain a good book. The basic plot stays pretty true to some of the elements found in the original story of Peter Pan. The book starts when a baby laughs (every time a baby laughs for the first time, a fairy is born). This fairy, named Prilla, is special. Not only is she going to be a Never Fairy in Neverland, she is also unlike any fairy the island has seen before. Prilla says "please" and "thank you" like humans (called "Clumsies" by fairies). She even curtsies and apologizes. Stranger still, Prilla is able to move between Neverland and the dreams of Clumsy children.

Every Fairy in Neverland has a special talent (water, baking, pots and pans, etc.)--every fairy except for Prilla. However, when a storm strikes the island injuring Mother Dove (the source of the Fairy Dust that allows Never Fairies to work their magic) Prilla doesn't have much time to worry about not having a talent as she and two other fairies are sent out to try and find a way to heal Mother Dove.

I had several problems with the story. The idea of each fairy having a talent, while superficially cute, has deeper problems upon further investigation. It just feels too much like each fairy having a clique and, even worse, the story spends a lot of time focusing on Prilla being special in a bad way for not having a talent. This issue is resolved by the end of the story, but it just seems like a bad message to send to children. (And what's up with the name Prilla? Seriously.)

The narrative of the story also started to grate very near the beginning of the book. I haven't read J. M. Barrie's "Peter Pan" so I don't know if Levine was trying emulate his style or not--I think she was but need to investigate further--but it just didn't work. Frankly, it sounded like Levine was writing in a style that was not her own and with which she was not entirely comfortable.

"Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg" also seemed to be having an identity crisis. The book looks like a novel for older children. The print is small and there is a lot of it. But the story sometimes sounds like it was written for much younger children with prose that lacks the dimension and depth of books for an older audience. At the same time, though, the events of the novel (a fairy cutting off her own wings, a dying dove, among other problematic events) suggest that it's more appropriate for an older audience.

The best parts of this novel were when Levine was looking at the characters originally found in "Peter Pan." Her descriptions of the mermaids, and of Tinker Bell's relationship with Peter were really enjoyable. Captain Hook also features in the plot and was awesome. Unfortunately all of these events take only about ten pages combined(the book is 208).

This book has a lot going for it and I wanted to like it more than I did, but all of the great pieces never come together (with the mediocre ones) to create a solid, enjoyable whole.

My daughter is six, and she loves this book. She is a big fan of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. Gail Carson Levine has written a book about Neverland that is in the spirit of Barrie's Peter Pan. She even dedicates the book to Barrie. I especially like the idea of talents among the fairies. Every fairy has a talent, and every talent is valued and necessary for the well-being of the Home Tree and Fairy Haven. Here is my daughter's review of the book:

I think the book is really great! I really like Prilla! She is funny and silly! She is really good at blinking to the mainland. Prilla is sad when she thinks that she doesn't have a talent, but at the end it turns out that she does have a talent, and that talent saves Mother Dove.
I know you are going to like this book! Grace

While fairies are common fodder for girl's entertainment, the Disney Fairies series is something that stands out. Starring Tinkerbell and a host of individual characters, these books do not employ the trite character formula of "Brainy Girl", "Fashion Girl", "Sporty Girl" and "Shy Girl" that so many books and movies fall back on.

There are real, personal issues addressed within these fantasy adventures and pixie dust or not, there are no easy fixes or straw men challenges here. The characterization is solid throughout and while the characters do grow and discover things about themselves, there are no pat changes of heart; no last-chapter redemptions from evil to sweetness and light.

I highly recommend these books to any parent who wants a little bit more from their daughter's entertainment.

A story about the newest fairy in Never Land and her affinity for Clumsy (read Human) children. Prilla has no idea what her talent is, unlike other fairies, who know what their special gift is from the moment they arrive in Never Land . When a storm hits the island and cripples its inhabitants, Prilla and two other fairies are chosen for a dangerous quest that will pit them against sea people, Captain Hook, and a dragon! Engaging, with gorgeous color illustrations. This author is known for spinning out fairy tales in award-winning fashion.

WOW! I am a huge Arthurian legend fan and know a good deal about it. This is my favorite book!
However, I would not recommend this book for anyone who is into the whole 'King Arthur's so great' and/or 'Mordred was born evil.' No one was born evil, and if your father tried to kill you because HE screwed up, you'd be ticked off, too!
I am a fantasy writer myself, and I found this book absolutely amazing! Springer showed that Mordred was NOT born evil, and that he tried to fight his fate. I like to think that if Mordred had lived, he would of been like this.
The whole book is amazing- and the end is so sad! I'm not a sentimental person and I cried (in school I was reading, so that was just great :-)
People, you need 2 read this book!

I Am Mordred is a fascinating and exciting book. It begins with a young boy, about nine years old. He lives with his adopted family who found him in a small boat at sea. He lives his life happily until Lady Nyneve comes and takes him to his true mother, Queen Moragause. On the way to his mother and step-father's castle however, he learns who his real father is and, what his fate is. Foretold by the magician Merlin, it was said that Mordred will kill his father in battle. Not only is it a heinous crime to kill but Mordred's father is none other than King Arthur. The book continues to show how Mordred tries many times to save himself from the scornful eyes of the entire country and also save his father from this fate. Mordred gets very little help on his journey. He only has Lady Nyneve, his faithful dog Gull, his brothers Gawain and Garret, and lastly the king himself. However, they all help him at some point. For instance, Nyneve helps him escape from Morgan Le Fay's castle, Gawain and Garret train Mordred to be a knight, and Gull helps him to face his fears and accompanies him through out his journey. Lastly King Arthur helps him to relieve the pain of his life.
The book is full of revenge, such as Gawain and Garret killing their father's murderer. The book also has several points of betrayal, an example being Mordred's aunt. Morgan Le Fay trapping him in her castle.
Mordred is the main character in the story. He only wants people to not judge him and to be able to settle down and live his life peacefully. Nyneve wants almost the exact same thing only with one crucial change; instead of people not judging her, she wants to be an equal to the men of the court. Gawain and Garret just want to serve King Arthur and King Arthur wants to please everyone. By putting all of these characters together, Nancy Springer has achieved a high place on my respected authors list.
Historically, the book itself is only semi-accurate. It shows fighting with swords as illustrated on page 83 "Gawain swung his sword". It shows what the main form of transportation at the time was horses as shown on page 78 "Pellinore sent his charger into the courtyard". It shows many of the beliefs that were common at the time such as the king being able to heal the sick. But it introduces magic at a very early point. By magic, I don't mean pulling a rabbit out of a hat, but more like shooting lightning out of your hand and killing someone. Fairly early on in the book, Mordred learns to scry. Scrying is a form of magic in which you can see what other people are doing and where they are. Later on in the book someone turns in to a bird then disappears. Someone also has their soul stolen.
I feel that this book is aimed at more sophisticated readers who are prepared for anything. The book requires some endurance to read because often there is lots of boredom followed by lots of excitement in a repeated pattern. The book can also be very emotional, especially during the final chapters. Also the book gets quite violent, so young readers beware.
I truly enjoyed reading "I Am Mordred" and I think that you will too.

Interesting to have a story of just Mordred and why he became what he became...

Nancy Springer's novel presents Mordred in a more sympathetic light,
delving into why he is who he is, and did what he did. In a similar
manner to Mary Stewart's Crystal Cave, it starts with him as a
teenager, after having survived a purge meant to kill him as a baby.

A bit of a geeky boy, he returns to Camelot to try and come to an
understanding with his father, and a reverse Lex Luthor/Superman type
of problem continues to get in the way.

Very well done.

It had seemed like a good book when I had started reading it, but, no, it wasn't, and for a lot of different reasons. The first (and probably the most annoying) is the way the author sets this character up: in a good story, you'd want to make your audience sad when they die. When Mordred died, I was very happy. When Arthur lived, I was disappointed. When Mordred didn't die, I wondered what the point of the story was. To make everyone hate Mordred? Um, that's already happened, Miss Springer. The second, is its details, which were not only boring, but pointless. The third, is that I couldn't stop reading it. Really, I wanted to rush this over to the nearest recycling center, but the book won't relieve you of its awfulness. If ever you concider this book, DON'T READ IT! I'd never read a bad book until I read I AM MORDRED.

I was sure that I wouldn't like this story at all after reading The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, but this tale by Nancy Springer is indeed captivating and does a good job in drawing the reader in.

This book is geared to the young audiences of twelve and above but adults would enjoy this telling as well. The author writes with a light hand and fluidity that makes the reader completely forget their surroundings. This is only the second Arthurian story that I have read, also being from the viewpoint of the women, but I am not left wanting for more of the story to put all of the peices of the puzzle together. It is a complete tale.

The story starts out with Morgan as a child witnessing the horror and the trickery of her mother, and how her mother came to be with child from a man who was not her husband. We watch as Morgan comes into her powers and at first the use of them literally knocks her silly, but then she is summoned to Avalon to learn how to use them and to accept that she is the fate she that she fears. Others dwelling in Avalon try to teach her to embrace the dark side of herself before it overtakes her, but that is a lesson she does not learn or cannot learn. Events unravel and we see at each unfolding how she became to be the fearsome enemy of the King that she is known as to this day. She was delt many hardships and has tried to overcome them, but some shadows still stay with her and encourages her position as Arthur's rival.

If one never had sympathy nor empathy for Morgan le Fay, one will by the end of this story. It is beautiful. I am not aware if there is a sequel to this tale, but there definately should be. The story ends just short of seeing Morgan in her role as the dark side of Morgan le Fay. Instead this story focuses on her life and the reason behind her chosen role as King Arthur's arch enemy.

An enchanted retelling of the life of Morgan Le Fay. Nancy Springer did such a great job in writing this book. I felt all Morgan was feeling and you can no longer view her as a villian after reading this book. Her [the author] view on Avalon was refreshing and original as well. Overall, a bloody fantastic read!

In the medieval ages kings and queens ruled the land. Morgan was the daughter of the Duke of Cornwall and Igraine the beautiful. Morgan lived in a castle with her mother, sister, and her nurse. Her father was often at war. Morgan loves her family, but one day when she is sitting in a wheel shaped rock at the top of a hill all of a sudden she finds an extraordinary blue stone in her palm. She realizes that she had been digging into the ground. She hears a voice calling for her, a boy named Thomas. The boy claims that her mother needs to speak with her, but Morgan just wants to be left alone so se is uncooperative. Soon Morgan finds out that her father has died and her mother is to marry Uther Penndragon a rich but evil king. Her mother is devastated and as of now Morgan is in line for the throne, but many cruel and greedy people are out to steal the throne from her. So her, her sister, and her nurse who is not who Morgan thought she was move into the nurse's home. After meeting a few times Morgan has grown to enjoy Thomas' company and he is in some trouble so he stays with them too until he has to go off and fight. Morgan and her sister are called to Uther Penndragon's court for the naming of their new half brother Aurther. Morgan despises Aurther not only because he stole the crown from her but for stealing her mother's love and attention. But several years later when Aurther is kidnapped and Igraine disappears Morgan is drawn to an unknown land and is sent on a quest. On the way Morgan has many surprises thrust upon her that are strange and unexpected, but still she is being summoned to the unknown. Once Morgan gets there she is reunited with someone she hasn't seen in years. I strongly recommend this story because of its unexpected plot and because it is one of the most intriguing books I have ever read and putting it down is nearly impossible once you have started reading it.

Seriously, I have no idea where to begin. I've read this book about four times now, and each time, I ended up getting so caught up in the book, that I felt I was the character. I felt Morgan's love for Thomas and Ongwynn. I felt her hatred for her half brother, Arthur. I felt all of her confusion, sadness, happiness, and wonder.

It's a very well written book. If you don't love fantasy and the legends of Camelot, this may not be your book. But if you absolutly love Camelot and fantasy, this is an amazing read.

Ok, so the things Morgan was able to do were a little inhuman, but she was still a really awesome woman. She reminds me of myself, very independent. The story of Morgan le Fay is a dark tale about a girl who becomes fate herself. After her father, the king, is killed, her mother is the most sought after woman in the country. The country is driven into war over the throne and many wish to get Morgan out of the way. With a powerful druid stone she is able to perform magic. She falls in love with Sir Thomas only to see him die a terrible death. Morgan goes through some excruciatingly painful times in this book. The road she must travel in live is very rocky indeed. Perhaps the tragedy of this tale is what attracts me to it. It does not have a happy ending at all, but sometimes that is how life goes. It is extremely well written by author Nancy Springer. I Am Morgan le Fay actually won the Edgar Allen Poe Award. I have to say that this is one of my favorite, if not me FAVORITE book of all time. I am almost addicted to it. I plan on reading it again as soon as I get a chance. I recommend this book to a teen, females audience simply because the main character is female and young. But I wouldn't limit it to females, I think there are some males out there who would enjoy it to. If you're looking for a good read, this is your book.

Don't get me wrong, this music is beautiful, Horneresque, but sadly its the same Horner we have heard many times rehashing his old stuff trying to give it a new sound. He really didnt even try on this one. I was hoping for something new and inspired but didn't get it. Loved the movie anyway though.

There's been nothing but trouble for the Grace children (Jared, Simon, and Mallory) since they found the book "Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You". More than one monster wants the Guide and Simon and Mallory are eager to destroy it, but Jared isn't so sure that's a good idea, so they go to their Great Aunt Lucinda to see what she can tell them about the Guide. Lucinda will tell them some of her secrets and they will discover even more as they try to solve the mystery of the Field Guide.

"Lucinda's Secret" is the third book (of five) in "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and picks up where the first two The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles) and The Seeing Stone (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 2) left off. Authors Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black have already filled the books with magical creatures such as goblins, griffins, trolls, and boggarts and add even more in this book - fairies, elves, ogres, a unicorn, and more. Not all of these characters are benevolent and there is a delicious underlying sense of danger throughout the book and series. Some of the best creatures in this book include the unicorn, the shape shifting and cryptic speaking Phooka, the fairies, and the elves. The three children continue to grow as characters throughout the series, especially Jared who is maturing as the adventures continue. The addition of Lucinda in the book adds much to the story as she can explain at least some of what is going on, although her character isn't in the book nearly enough.

Since "Lucinda's Secret" is the third book in the series, it sometimes feels a bit like filler with only a little plot development. Still, it is a charming book in a charming series.

In Lucinda's Secret the Grace kids get to meet their great-aunt Lucinda, who used to live at the Spiderwick estate, and they find out why she is an asylum. Its not hard to guess, but the fun just blasts off from there. This chapter of the Spiderwick Chronicles really ramps up the tension and introduces more fantastic creatures such as a phooka, elves, and little faeries whose food you should avoid. If you've come this far don't miss this third installment of the Spiderwick Chronicles!

All Fantasy Scores for a movie sound alike to me for some reason. They all have those moments where the score rises and then lowers and so fourth. But, some stand out like this soundtrack. I'm a big fan of James Horner and I must say that he has done it again! Some moments of this score are loud and full of action, but some are quiet and relaxing. James uses winds and brass to his advantage. He definitely knows what he's doing since you hear all of the wonder that these kids will be experience as they look into the hidden world of faeries all about them. The music is perfect for burning onto your Ipod and sitting down and reading a book or writing a short little story. This is the type of score that can help you think; paint pictures in your head and let you concentrate. Some personal favorites of mine are * Thimbletack and the Goblins* *Closing Credits* and *Discovering Spiderwick's Secret Workshop*.


1. Writing the Chronicles 5/5
2. So Many New Worlds Revealed 4/5
3. Thimbletack And the Goblins 5/5
4. Hogsqueal's Warning Of a Bargain With Mulgarath 4/5
5. Discovering Spiderwick's Secret Workshop 5/5
6. Dark Armies From the Forest Attack 4/5
7. Burning the Book 4/5
8. A Desperate Run Through the Tunnels 5/5
9. Lucinda's Story 5/5
10. The Flight Of the Griffin 5/5
11. Escape From the Glade 5/5
12. Protective Circle Is Broken 4/5
13. Jared And Mulgarath Fight For the Chronicles 4/5
14. Coming Home 5/5
15. Closing Credtis 5/5

Excellent Score ! Recommended :D
Overall Grade* B+
Jordan (:

Being a composer myself, I've always done my best to not be too hard when it comes to comparing a composer's scores. Simply because each composer has his own style and own kind of magic...and there is only so much of it. So there are times where two or maybe even more of their scores sound very similiar. Quite honestly, there is nothing wrong with scores sounding similiar with each other....however when a score is practically a copy of others..that's where problems show up.
The action music was no more than monotonous and repetitive and one of the themes in there was 'Casper's Lullaby' save for two notes which were simply flipped around.Yes, I sensed what Mr. Horner was trying to capture..but it lacked the originality. The uniqueness...

This book focuses on Menolly's young friend, the irrepressible Piemur and what happens to him when his voice starts to break. It is a don't miss for fans of McCaffrey and for Harper Hall as it does extend the understanding of the "other tunes" a harper can play in Pern's society.

I would not recommend this book as the first one to read for someone not familiar with the series. The plot suffers structural flaws and loses steam. Some themes and concepts are repeated here without the force they had when originally presented in other Pern books. The ending seems a little contrived as if the author is starting to write to a formula.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN AVID BOOK READER AND HAVE COLLECTED MY FAVORITES OVER THE YEARS, BUT WHEN I READ DREAGONS DAWN WHICH LEAD ME TO THE OTHER ANN MCCAFFERY BOOKS LIKE DRAGONDRUMS, I WAS HOOKED. I HAVE NOW COLLECTED ALL OF THE PERN BOOKS THAT BOTH MOTHER AND SON MCCAFFERY HAVE WRITTEN AND IT'S ONLY TAKEN ME SIX MONTHS TO COLLECT THEM ALL. DRAGONDRUMS AND THE OTHER HARPER HALL BOOKS ARE WONDERFUL IN THE FACT THAT WE GET TO SEE HOW THE BACKGROUND SUPPORT PEOPLE IN THESE BOOKS COME TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE DRAGONRIDERS LIVES. FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO ASK WHY ABOUT EVERY LITTLE THING, THESE BOOKS ARE WONDERFUL. THANKS, MCCAFFERY'S.

The harper Hall Trilogy is my favorite set by McCaffrey and interestingly the first books I read by her. I love dragons and there for dragon stories, particularly ones were dragons are not mindless monsters of destruction, so it would be odd for me not to like these books. The story is very original and the characters well written. If your not sure of getting into the Pern books, this is the series to read! Dragondrums is the last in this set and it does not disappoint, well maybe the fact that its such a short book.

Dragondrums is a similar sort of story to Dragonsong/Dragonsing. A young man with musical talent has the puberty thing hit. He ain't singing soprano anymore.

So, off he goes wandering on adventures, gets into trouble, and makes friends with a fire lizard, and takes up drumming, eventually settling down.

My admiration for Anne McCaffrey knows no bounds. I think she has created some wonderful fiction. I credit her Harper Hall series with fostering a great love of reading and music in me at a very young age. I found the first book DragonSong at the library when I was about eleven or twelve and proceeded to devour everything I could find that she had put out. I eagerly awaited each new book. I became interesting in vocal music after reading these books and decided to try out for our choir in high school, choral music is still an important part of my life.

I feel badly for the people who came to this book expecting something that they did not find, namely it looks like folks thought it was going to be about Menolly and were disappointed to find it was about Piemur.

In this book as with all of her Pernese novels McCaffrey has constructed a wholly believeable world (Dragons and fire lizards? Sure! I'm down with that!) inhabited with wonderful characters who live interesting lives. They are by no means perfect. Most of the major characters evolve or transform at some point, so I have never found the world stale or boring.

A favorite wrinkle of mine is that there is no smoking on Pern. I always thought that was funny when it was compared to Tolkien's world and those of other Sci-Fi authors. No one is lighting up a pipe, no one is smoking anything. It is funny how much time can be spent padding a novel with smoking business. No smoking on Pern. At least I couldn't find any. Which was a wonder for me since when I was a kid my Mom smoked and I hated it.

I think these books are a perfect intro to Sci-Fi/Fantasy for young readers.

When I happened across this book on Amazon, I was so pleased. It was a childhood favorite. Any cat lover would be happy with this book, and the little poems have not lost their charm. It has been beautifully reillustrated and I certainly recommend the book. I wish I had looked for it in hardcover, though.

This is one of the best children's books I've ever read. I came across it at my school's library many, many years ago and must have read it 10 times before returning it. I haven't seen it for 20 years, but I think of it often... maybe its time to pick up a copy again!

I read this story when I was in Fourth Grade that was many, many, many years ago. But I have always held a deep place in my heart for this wonderful story of the Budda and his heavenly affection for the Feline community. From the first time I read this book in 1960 to the present it still captures my heart. It is a story that never grows old. And both old and young would enjoy this wonderful fable....

My daughter absolutely loves this book and had to have it. Says it's her favorite book. She read this at school and wanted it for her own personal library.

I LOVE this story. Several times, I have given it to friends who had lost a loved one and all of them have loved it, too. It may a little slow for children, but good as a bedtime story! I love her writing: it's simple and not cluttered with loud colors and exciting events. Coatsworth has done some timeless children's stories and everything I've seen has been terrific.
After reading the children's reviews, it occurred to me that this is a book for adults and children to read TOGETHER. The concepts involved (prejudice, loyalty, plus the messages in the stories of the individual animals) are pretty advanced for young children. These two reviewers obviously missed the good stuff entirely!

This is a very basic morality story - Big Anthony (who never listens) was told Not To Touch The Pasta Pot, but when he had a chance he went right for it! Alas, he hadn't paid attention and so neglected to properly learn how to turn the pasta pot *off* - with predictable results.

The image of Big Anthony eating his debt to the village is priceless :)

All of Tomie dePaolo's books are treasures, and this one is no exception! While in first grade my son Joshua was assigned this book and to make a shoe box diarama. It is the best memory I have about his childhood many years ago, as he is 21 years old now. This was "our" first Tomie dePaolo/Strega Nona book, and after we completed reading it we went to our local library and found all others written by dePaolo.

dePaolo's books are so creative and colorful, matched only by mischievious but innocent, captivating story-telling and magical intrigue that kept my son reading for hours. I would highly recommend Strega Nona and all other Tomie dePaolo books to all parents of pre-school and grade school aged children and grandchildren.

I really liked reading this book. I chose to read this for a book report in my second grade class in Germany. What I liked best about it was that Strega Nona could sing a special song to her pasta pot and the pot would make pasta for her. It was funny when Big Anthony didn't see the part when Strega Nona had to blow three kisses to the pot for it to stop making pasta. When Big Anthony was trying to show everyone that he knew how to make the pasta pot make pasta, he didn't know that he had to blow three kisses. What a mess it made when the pasta pot kept making the pasta! He did not listen to his directions and his punishment was to eat all the pasta that the pot made! It taught me that I need to listen and follow directions all the time or something terrible or silly could happen to me.

Whoops! I order this title in Spanish by mistake. I was disappointed, but ended up giving it as a gift to one of my Spanish-speaking students. He's five years old, so I'm sure he will enjoy this classic. I remember this book being read to me by a school librarian when I was a child. The story stuck with me through the years, and as an adult,I searched around to find "the one about the big spaghetti pot and all the noodles". I found it and I still love it, as do my preschool students.

My husband and I bought the book for the baby we are expecting, the drawings and the story are great and bring sweet memories from our italian roots. One important thing: please check the grammar before publishing!
(i.e in italian Grandma is written Nonna)

I have read the Eddas and many sagas, so buying this was kind of a whim for me. I wanted to read an adaptation into fairly modern language. Crossley-Holland does this well. If you are a scholar, this might not be for you. If you want to get some perspective on Norse myth, by all means, buy it. This is a really good place to start for that. The author combines prosaic and poetic Eddas for more "cohesive" stories, which is nice. I don't think that it is out of line with oral tradition to tell stories a different way. In fact, retelling the story in a slightly different fashion may be closer to oral tradition than referencing the Eddas directly. Crossley-Holland also explains all of this in his intro. The appendix in the back is great as well. For the beginner, it breaks down where the ideas for each story were obtained, so you can get an idea how spread out the "narratives" were. Anyway, this is a well written entry-point to the poetically haunting and absurd world of Norse Mythology.

This book is a great intro to Norse Mythology. The stories are well-written in a style that is easy to understand. The Introduction is outstanding, the sources are clearly stated, and each myth is discussed in the "Notes" section at the back of the book. As for the myths themselves: they are highly entertaining and will appeal to a wide audience. I highly recommend this book.

...and that this is the book Neil Gaiman recommends on the subject.

If you're looking for a good cheap book on norse mythology then you should buy this book. It starts off with an introduction which tell the kind of roles these myhs played in the lives of the norse. It also helps set you up with some information on some of the god's and how these myths came into being.
Then come the stories which start with the creation of the world and it ends with the destruction of it. In all you get 32 stories, most of which deal with the god's interacting with humans, dwarves and their enemies the giants. The stories themselves are told very nicely and they never get dull. The only problem one might have is trying to pronounce some of the names.
After the stories he gives information on each story on which source he used and sometimes he had to use differnt sources or how he had to altar some things so that the stories didn't contridict each other. There is also an index and a glossary at the end.
I really enjoyed this book for the stories and the history behind them and I would highly reccomend it to anyone who has an interest in the norse myths, young or old.

Finally I've found it: the book of tales of Odin, and Thor, and Bifrost, and Ragnarok! What a pleasure to read the tales that inspired so much of the world's fantasy literature! Here you'll find the background stories behind and the likes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied or the Volsungs' Saga, and obviously the roots of Professor Tolkien's own Middle-Earth mythology, so numerous are the similarities.

Not only are the thirty-two myths comprised in this translation very well told and captivating, but the introduction and notes are very complete and interesting, not to mention the very practical glossary and index. I haven't read Snorri Sturluson's Edda so I can't compare, but I'm pretty sure Kevin Crossley-Holland's is one of the best reference books on the subject, a must-have on one's shelf.

i think the great good thing is a great book to read. Its about a 12-year old princess living the same story everyday she gets bored and finally has to do something out of her lines, so she breaks the number 1 rule for a character she looks up at the reader and thats where all the adventures begin now i know you probably want to hear more about the adventures but if i told you i would have to write the whole book,i think you read it to find out.

After reading A Great Good Thing, which Santa delivered to my nine-year-old daughter for Christmas, I was not surprised at all to read on the dust jacket that the author is also a poet. Townley has written an engaging tale that plays with the borders of imagination, memory, and fiction; yet the human elements and characters are solid and real. Even though the story is far-fetched, the emotions run true.

Like so many of the best children's books, this story satisfies different audiences at different levels. At one level, it is a tale of adventure and humor and friendship. At another level, it is a study in character, maturation, and personality as guides to one's path in life. It is a story of growing old and of staying young, and a story of love across the generations from mother to daughter, grandmother to granddaughter.

The central "trick" of the A Great Good Thing is that the characters in a book are like actors who actually live out their lives in the story even when the book is closed, and that they then act out the story whenever the book is being read. Princess Sylvie, the protagonist of the story book named "A Great Good Thing," is also the protagonist of Townley's book, also called "A Great Good Thing"! The fate of the characters is thus tied to the fate of the book in which they live; when the book is forgotten or destroyed, the same fate befalls them. But the second "trick" of A Great Good Thing is that people, even fictional people, live on in one's heart and memory. Thus, this is also the story of Claire, Claire's grandmother, and Claire's daughter -- readers of Princess Sylvie's story.

So, you can sit back and enjoy this as a good children's book, full of imagination and storybook elements, suitable for ages 8 - 14. But readers of any age can also enjoy the depth and intelligence of the emotions. Townley's book may not be the greatest book ever, but it is certain a great good thing.

This is a story within a story. Princess Sylvie is trapped in a book, reliving the same story for 80 years or so, each time a Reader opens the book. When the book is set on fire and burns to a crisp, the princess and many of the other characters flee, crossing over into a Reader's mind, where they become part of her subconscious. Interesting concept, clunky and sometimes boring execution. Some cute moments. I think a different writer could have gone far with this idea.

although this book is a bit hard to follow, i think that it is really good. there is a girl named sylvie who lives in a book, but one day , the book gets burned. sylvie and her family have to escape somehwere- but how? they eventually go to the mind of a reader and live there. but then everyone has to move somewhere else because no one knows if the reader is going to live much longer. this book is sooo good!!

The Great Good Thing is exactly what the title says - it's a great good thing! The first step to enjoying this book is to suspend belief. If you can approach with the notion that this is a fantasy/fairy tale and not a true story, the book becomes a much easier read.

Sylvie is a princess in a story. But she is actually real. When the book opens, the characters have to be in their places and reprise their roles many times over. Sylvie is adventurous, though, and wants to see what the world is like beyond the margins of her book.

Sylvie meets the only reader of the story that she's ever known. What will happen when that reader gets older and forgets about Sylvie, her family and their friends.

I thought the author did a fantastic job of describing what it would be like if a character in a book was an actual person. How many times have you described a book as if the characters were real? TV characters, etc.? There are so many characters that I've come to love as if they were real, so this was a wonderful premise.

There was just enough detail and complexity to give the sense of actually being a part of a story, then a part of someone's subconscious. I love that the original author helped her characters to continue on in so many ways. There were parts that weren't always easy to understand but my connection to the characters and the story were strong enough to let go and realize that I may not understand it all. On re-reading, things became clearer.

If you prefer books with realistic characters in real-life settings, this is not the book for you. Or if you are looking for your standard, princess, fairy-tale fare, this may also not be for you. But if you would like to take a fun, fancy-filled ride through the words on a page and then off its margins with a brave and curious princess then this is the book for you.