Mythology Books

Secret pouches, treasure gems, letters, pirate flags...lots of fun!

We bought this for our young children (5-year old and 4-year old) as they were excited by the Pirates of the Caribbean movie trilogy.

We bought this book along with "Pirates" by John Matthews last year. We take the books off the shelf every couple months and read through them for bedtime. The books will stay in our collection for years to come.

This book helps introduce a large amount of new vocabulary but, more importantly, covers so much ground that it acts as a fantastic springboard to further study history or science.

Avast thar ye bilge rat, I thumbed through this yar book at thee "Pirates of the Caribbean" shop in Disneyworld and me thinks, "I gots to get me one of these treasures". Knowings thats Amazon can beat prices like a full broadside I waited and ordered online once I got home, saving about ten dollars. This book is amazing with all kinds of stories, pictures, and facts. Aye, Ye kids may be setting up a pirate camp once they reads it. This will entertain ye kids five to one hundred and five. If you or anyone you know thinks pirates are interesting, cool, or scalliwags of the Earth, be sure to get them this here book matey. I highly recommend this yar book for ye piratical family types especially.

it's a great book, filled with all kinds of pirate facts, legends, stories, and "artifacts" . My godson got a real kick out of it. He loves pirates and the book is written as if first-hand by a privateer (a pirate commissioned by the government to hunt down enemy state vessels, and rogue pirate ships).

This book will definitely be one he enjoys for many years. Some of the subject matter is just within his attention level and understanding, but the more intricate details and artifacts will prove fun discoveries as he gets older and has the patience to read over each part carefully. i'm a big fan of the whole series.

This book was received timely, and my son loves it! All the books in this series are great!

My 7-year-old son could not wait to sit down and start looking through this. The day it arrived we had some younger children visiting, and he "wowed" them all by showing them different parts of the book. He is very excited about it, and I am a happy mother for finding another great book for a young reader.

The princess needs a bit of deportment apparently.


When you decide you need to work on the aristocratic side of a girl, of course you would send her off with a pig keeper and a beast man, wouldn't you?

Because of this, and a bit of a princess triangle, they all end up in a Land of the Giants type scenario, or at least in part.

Here, along with a bit of magic, is a fantasy book where a crow actually comes in useful as a good thing.

This is a great series. One of my favorites and my husband's favorites.

All of Alexander's main characters are back in this book (besides Doli I think), and once again Alexander does a wonderful job of portraying the battle of good vs. evil in the fun garb of a fictional adventure. This book highlights self-sacrafice, as Taran has to choose whether or not to help the man competing for the same things that he wants. It also highlights the immorality of selfishness, as Glew is pretty much selfishness incarnate and ends up stuck in a cave with no way to get out, until Taran and co. decide to be merciful to him even though he tried to kill them.

This books is lots of fun, definitely a recommended read, along with the rest of the series.

Overall grade: A-

As a kid I read the Prydain books again and again. I can't resist some Harry Potter comparisons, and since they make a good common point of reference, I'll use the device here. The Prydain books aren't quite as exciting and magical as HP, but they have many of the same coming of age problems expressed through allegory, and frankly I find the characters better developed, more humorous, and more likeable. This is the third in the five book series, and to my mind the weakest but still very, very enjoyable. The protagonist of this book, as of the others is Taran of Caer Dallben, an orphan of unknown parentage and now an Assistant Pig-Keeper. He is being raised by a monastic collection of former war heroes and semi-wizards, and is always insecure about his lineage. In this book he also struggles with the crisis of his best friend, the princess Eilonwy, being forced to leave to learn to be a lady. Other main and recurring characters, save perhaps for the princess, are more or less also neurotic in delightful ways. Alexander avoids formula, even though the plot when described could sound like a million sword and sorcerer books. The depth and likeability of the characters lifts it above most fantasy books,though, especially fantasy books for kids. We grow up with Taran, and the character he develops is character that would almost universally be recognized as admirable. I highly, highly recommend all of them- at least as much as the HP books. Again, I think this may be the weakest one, but it's still terrific.

Dont mind if I rated this 4 stars. THis is a great book, I couldnt stop reading it, but its just that THe book of Three was more interesting. I read this book since 5th grade(now im in 6th grade)its a lot interesting.
I hope this review will be useful to you !!!
thanks!!!

Checked it out from the library.

*I* liked it quite a bit, from the cut-outs on every page, to the sheet music at the end, to the little cultural tidbits and little yiddish morals on every spread.

My nieces weren't very enthralled, and asked to read other books instead.

Can't win 'em all. Gave it four stars anyway because, hey, I have a voice too!

This is a great book! My son loves it, and I enjoy reading it to him. The pictures are interesting and there's a lot on each page to entertain the eye. Plus, the story is really cute.

i love this book. the illustrations are great and the story is simple yet enjoyable for all ages.

I wasn't expecting much from this book, really.

It was given to us as a gift, and I sort of set it aside in the book basket. My wiley children pulled it out one day for a read, and it has been on the top of the heap ever since.

The text isn't much.

But oh, the illustrations. The pictures are full-page cut-paper collages and they will suck you in, as your kids point out all these little details. The people are hilariously real -- you can recognize people you know in their expressions.

Each page has a little peep-through to the next -- we love that!

The paper has a wonderful heaviness -- this is a high-quality book. I need to write another thank-you note to the giver, now that months have gone by and we really enjoy it.

Oh, even the animals in the story have funny little personalities. It's just a darling book.

And the moral of the story is, even when you have nothing, you can make something of it.

We were introduced to this book on Between the Lines. I found it at the library and once we got it home, my 3 yr. old feel in love. The message is great, the images fun and the story enjoyable. My son loved the book, but he wanted us to sing the song in the back. We did a poor job, then I found the audio book at the library. We listened again and again. Even my 1 yr. old enjoys it. Whenever my son sees sheet music he pretends to read it and sings "I Had a Little Overcoat". How could I not treasure this book forever?

I LOVE Jan Brett's books! I buy them anytime I see them whether on sale, old ones on Amazon as remainders, or new.. They make great gifts. I have a backup of many to give to children, particularly my granddaughters. The illustrations in this one are so beautiful it is really a keepsake to save as well as enjoy. Give it as a gift and you will make some child very happy and a parent happy,too.

Beautiful illustrations reprinted from over 40 sources. All illustrations are credited on last page. Book measures 9"X11.5" Only down side was that the price changes by the day. One day it's almost $11 another it's $8.97. But that's just the way Amazon works; something to be aware of. (It's worked in my favor often while shopping at midnight--price suddenly went down!)

it's a classic, so of course you can't go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there... well, I'm sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one

I bought this for my grandchildren last Christmas. The wording is traditional, and the illustrations are wonderful! This has become a part of the Christmas Eve tradition at my daughter's house.

These illustrations are the best ever for The Night Before Christmas...Stunning even! A worthy heirloom Christmas Book. The illustrations cover both sides of the page for a large panoramic view seldom seen in other books...

My boyfriend's father convinced me that, as an art history major, I needed to read this book. I was a little hesitant, but after the first chapter I was completely hooked.

This was a truly powerful book. No matter that it is not a true biography, it was beautifully written and moving. I would recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in art.

Amazing book and so very well written as all of Stone's other books are...I have always been mesmerised by Van Gogh's paintings, especially when I saw an exhibit of his in London.The colours were so wonderful that I just stood there infront of those pieces of art like a zombie ! I loved this book !

I loved this book. For someone like me, with just a passing knowledge of art and art history, it was pretty amazing to learn about Van Gogh's development as an artist and the Impressionist art movement. In addition, I think that its two major themes of expression and immortality are going to have a lasting effect on me.

By expression, I mean that Van Gogh put all his time and energy into expressing himself in a way that he felt was making the best use of his skills. For him, his calling was a new form of art, and he stuck with it despite receiving no recognition or profit for his work during his lifetime. By immortality, I mean that although Van Gogh was not successful in his lifetime, his work lives on and is hung in the most important museums in the world.

Highly recommended.

This is a beautiful novel about a beautiful human being. If you love Van Gogh's paintings (he is my personal favorite of all painters) then by all means, you need to read this wonderful book. In his prose, Stone is able to paint a vivid, vibrant, illuminating portrait of an amazing artist. I was truly blown away and completely consumed from the first chapter on. I actually read this fine story after visiting the Musee d'Orsay (Museum Orsay) in Paris and seeing first hand the magnificent works of this illustrious Impressionist. Of all the great many paintings presented at the Louvre and d'Orsay, it was the Van Gogh's that captivated me more than all the others (which is saying a lot, because the whole place is captivating!). I couldn't believe some of his self-portraits. What really fascinated me the most was the despondency in those steel blue eyes of his. This is what led me to read this story. I wanted to know where all that pain and suffering came from. Irving Stone answered all of my questions and then some. He is a brilliant and insightful writer and I will be looking forward to reading his novel "The Agony and the Ecstasy" which is based on the life of another favorite artist of mine - Michelangelo.

Anyone who is struggling to become an artist needs to read this! Talk about sacrifice and desire and heart and passion... this man Van Gogh was a true original. A man like no other before or since.

"...for by sadness the countenance of the heart is made better."

I can't recommend this one enough.

I should have read this biography sooner. I used to be in love with his paintings, and even fantasized that IF I were to travel back in time, I would've married him -- all this BEFORE I read this book. After I read it I found out that there was one such infatuated woman (Margot), and also a tragic unrequited love story that led him to religion and then to painting. Anyone who is creative will sympathize with the extent to which pain can be transformed into the strength to create. The creative path is not always materially rewarding, and even if it is all an artist has, it will continuously change others' lives. I absorbed every word of this book and was hooked until the very end. Poverty and disinterest is ephemeral... belief in oneself is revolutionary.

this story was somewhat reminiscent of the alanna series, what with the cross dressing to fulfill a dream. i'm not all that well versed in arabian culture, but from what i know of it this story seemed to be a valid representation. Buran is one of seven daughters, and of course in a patriarchal society this is not the best of luck as your daughters can't work or (in this case) even go out into public. She was her father's favourite and as there were no sons, her father taught her to read and write and play chess, basically educated her, and spent time with her in place of the son he never had. when buran's father gets sick he realizes that his family will be in trouble if anything happens to him, and as a result he allows buran to go out into the world, as a man, to try to better their family's fortune. she's a clever and courageous heroine. she comes up against several obstacles and approaches them with her strength of will and sharp wit.
the story was set up well and the characters were discussed in sufficient detail, or enough so that a reader of the target age wouldn't be left wondering anything. it was well written.

This book is flat out exhilarating. The suspense is so high that it keeps your eyes glued to the book from the first page all the way to the last. The plot is rock solid and I would recommend this book to anyone.

This book (based on an ancient tale) is amazing. While it is on a reading level for younger children, as a 21 year old I feel that a lot of the themes are better understood by those who are a little older. Still, unlike others who have posted before me I don't believe that anything in the books is inappropriate for younger readers. You've got to accept the material in context. This book was wonderful because it has a wonderful revenge plot, a love story, and overall theme of female empowerment. It also gives a look into a completely different culture. If you enjoy The Count of Monte Cristo (this book shows someone getting even in much fewer than 1400 pages), Pride and Prejudice, or the legend of Mulan I PROMISE you will enjoy this book. I picked it up in new condition at a thrift store and couldn't put it down once I started reading. :) I was so glad to discover it, as I'm in a reading slump because I'm caught up with all my favorite authors and definitely searching for something new!

My favorite quick read of the year! A very entertaining, romantic story.

Some of the observations about business are still true today. Venture capitalists are still looking for that unique product that will make a fortune.

There was one page I could have done without: at the point in the plot when the main character decides she's tired of pretending to be a man and is ready to be a woman, the authors got a little carried away, even risqué for children's literature, in describing the main character viewing her feminine body. I understand what they were trying to achieve, but we "got it" with a lot less ink.

I loved the "lesson" at the end of the book: you can't always just sit and wait for blessings to "fall into your lap". Sometimes you have to be willing to seek, to risk, and to work for them. Catherine Marshall encouraged the same kind of action in her book Adventures in Prayer, in the chapter entitled, "The Prayer That Helps Your Dreams Come True."

Buran is the fourth of seven daughters, living with her parents in Baghdad. She has no brothers, which is unfortunate for her parents. In the days of this story and in the place she lives, girls are not permitted to work for a living and only end up costing their parents more money, as they need to be fed and housed and clothed. Girls also need wedding dowries if they are to be married to the right sorts of men. Buran has always been her father's favorite and although she is a girl, he taught her to read and write and to play chess, and he talks to her seriously about his business affairs.

Buran's uncle is a very rich man, who has seven sons. He enjoys bragging about them to his poor brother, and describes how they will go abroad to different cities, where they will become businessmen who will bring great weath and honor to him. Buran is upset because her father is upset, but she seems to have few options to help him. When her father is suddenly struck ill, though, Buran chooses a desperate solution. She convinces her parents to allow her to disguise herself as a man and go to a distant city to set up a business.

Soon Buran's business is thriving and she is very wealthy, sending home money to her family. She has even become friends with the prince of the city in which she works, and in the evenings she often walks and talks with him, covering much distance and all possible subjects of conversation. But the prince grows suspicious and then discovers her secret. She must leave the city and go home where she will be safe. She can't stop dreaming of her prince, though.

I liked that this story was about a girl who refuses to let anyone tell her she can't achieve what she wants. I liked her relationship with her father, and I especially liked the way she was able to take revenge on her cousins and her uncle. Although this story was very empowering in one way, though, it still ended with the ultimate goal being winning over the prince.

We really like this book. It makes kids really think about doing the right thing and being honest. It's great!

"The Empty Pot" is a nice Chinese fable that teaches an important lesson about honesty.

The Emperor was getting old and wanted to choose one child in the kingdom to succeed him. He posed a challenge for the children. He gave each child a flower seed. Whoever grew the most beautiful flower within one year would become the new emperor.

For one year, all of the children spent their time growing the most beautiful flower. Everyone was doing good, except for this one child named Ping who could not seem to get his flower seed to sprout a flower.

When the time comes to present each child's flower to the Emperor, Ping brings the empty pot with his flower seed and is declared the new Emperor. To find out how Ping becomes the Emperor, just read the book. It will surprise you.

As expected from Demi a beautifully illustrated (clean colored and detailed) book, a simple, sweet story with a gentle message. Ages 3 1/2 +

A great introductory book to different cultures. Can also be used as a jump start to many conversations (doing your best, being brave, honesty, growing seeds, seed viability etc)

Our family loves this book! It is a truly wonderful story that teaches such lessons as the importance of hard work and honesty! There is just something about this book that warms your heart!

This is such a wonderful book about honesty and humility. I saw it on Between the Lions one day and fell in love with the story. Not much else to say but to make sure you get this book!!

I showed this to my small children, older nieces, sister, mother, friends, and grandmother. It appealed to all of them. I bought the deluxe book of flower fairies, the complete flower fairy book and the paper doll book. I needed them for art reference books.

The difference in the first two is:
The deluxe book has a history of the author, her sketches and inspirations, timeline, her prosesses, lots of botanical notes. very collectiors edition, silver leaf and all.

The complete book has fairy's has a 1 page intro of the author then goes straight into images and poems. each has the seasons collections, but the complete has; in addition, the fairies of the garden, trees, wayside and a flower fairy alphabet.

I purchased this book as a Christmas gift for my sister, who loves Barker's illustrations. It arrived even more quickly than scheduled, in great condition.

Cicely Mary Barker's eight little flower fairies books were published between 1923 and 1985 making her a household name, especially in Great Britain. Published at the height of the "fairy-mania" that swept England during the early decades of the 20th century they captured in sweetly beautiful images and verse the wonder that many people felt about these elusive tiny creatures. Cicely Mary Barker (1895-1973) was predominately a self taught artist who during her lifetime suffered from ill-health and physical fragility, thus she escaped into the world of the imagination and make believe. Her unselfconscious, delicate and jewel like watercolors were influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, fellow women illustrator Kate Greenaway (1846-1901) and her love of England's many gardens.

Her inspiration for the flower fairies came from the lush English countryside and observing young children at her local village kindergarten where her sister worked as a teacher. Her fairies are delicately and truthfully observed depictions of these young children in naturalistic poses and postures, standing on or clinging to botanically correct and beautifully rendered flowers. Being no bigger than 20cm tall they live and sleep in their birth flower taking care of their respective tree or plant, as the tree or plant grows so they grow in wisdom and power too. Fairies were most popular in the late Victorian and the Edwardian ages but they continued to hold sway over the imaginations of countless children (primarily girls) up into the early modern era... and beyond.

This enchanting and wondrous volume is a collection of all eight flower fairies books including: flower fairies of the spring, summer, autumn and winter and the flower fairies of the alphabet, trees, garden and wayside. As some of the most timeless depictions of the world of faery Cicely Mary Barker captured the innocence and naivety of childhood in exquisitely rendered illustrations and simple verse. While some may see these fairies as "safe" and "tame" depictions of the primal and elemental forces of nature, in my mind they capture the spirit of a bygone era when peoples mores and values were just plain different to ours, if not in some ways better. As such her little fairies lack the cynicism, artificiality and worldliness of the modern age and will continue to hold sway over the minds of generations of fairy lovers to come and will bring out the child within in anyone willing to let themselves go.

Sixty Five years ago, when I was a little girl, I sat at my fathers feet looking at a book that had marvelous pictures of beautiful fairys, so stunning were their bright colors and silky wings that it completely took my breath away for never could I have pictured anything quite so awsome as these tiny little creatures, that I was sure were hiding beneath the petals of flowers in mothers garden, that I had yet to see. I kept this memory all my life sharing it with my children, when they were little, and now my grandchildren. Imagine my astonishment to once again see these beautiful little people again. Take a trip back to childhood and enjoy this beautiful book, share it with your children but keep it for the child that is you.

Beautiful book - I am painting a mural for my daughter's room and wanted to get all the images possible so I bought all the books by this author thinking I was getting a menagerie. But I wasted $ on shipping both ways when I had to send them back upon seeing the smaller tree, flowers, and seasons books were all put together in one place. Just wanted others to know that this large hardback pretty much has it all.

I recently visited the Hawaiian Islands. The moment I stepped off the aircraft and the air hit my face I felt the magic. I started researching and reading everything I could get my hands on to discover the secrets of the islands. Pila's book was the most helpful in explaining the incredible energy of Hawaii. His book is not only a guide to the magical places you can visit, it is also a guide to connecting with spirit and healing your life. A wonderful book that I highly recommend. Although it was written over ten years ago, it is even more relevent as we watch our world rapidly changing. Mahalo Pila!

There are a couple of places where the author veers off a bit but for the most part he draws the reader into the mystical side of Hawaii that captivates the imagination and adds a new layer of "must do" items for ones next visit to the big island.

I particularly enjoyed the parts where he explores the subtleties expressed in the Hawaiian language and how they relate to place names and metaphysical practices and experiences. I think the author does a good job of connecting modern places and practices to traditional Hawaiian belief and faith practices. His chapter on the Big Island's place of refuge is exceptional in this regard.

The book is written in an easy to read fashion... But don't be fooled! Even if you gobble the words down like a good meal.. there is much more you will me digesting...
The essence remembering Joy is something that will forever remain in my heart..!

Pila of Hawaii takes you on a journey through paradise, all around the Big Island, but also through paradiscal realms within us all, while also sharing with us some of his own amazing journey. Pila opens the door to the little known esoteric world of Hawaiian spirituality, making it accessible to anyone willing to take to look and to open themselves. And he does all this in a style that is easy and fun to read. He leads the way joyously with a descriptive style that has you humming along as you follow his courageous. Thanks Pila. Whenever I get homesick for the islands, I just pick of the "red book" and I am back home again.

After reading many amazing books on Hawaiian Philosophy and more specifically Huna and Kahuna teachings, I must say - this is one of my favourite books. This book is so much fun to read and has many, many secrets to share.

More of us need a mirror so we can truly see ourselves and discover that there are positive changes we can make that will enable us to be better people and that can make the world a better place to be. This is perhaps the weakest book of the five, but is still a good read. Do start at the beginning, however, of the series, or nothing will make much sense (if anything DOES ever make sense in this mixed up world of today).

Mark Rodriguez 2/26/06

The Mirror of Merlin, Author: T.A. Barron, ISBN: 0-441-00846-1

The Mirror of Merlin book review

As Merlin realizes that his home, Fincayra, is in grave danger of the ever growing haunted marsh, he steps up and decides he is going to find who made that happen and why. This story takes place at the legendary island called Fincayra, just before the medieval times. The characters in this epic story are Merlin, his friend Hallia, the evil witch Nimue, and a friend he meets on his way, Ector, (otherwise known as Arthur). As Merlin and Hallia find a ballymag (a water creature who lives in the marsh) in a stream instead of a marsh, he tells them that the haunted marsh is growing rapidly. They also discover that the marsh ghouls are attacking innocent people, which they only do when someone invades their territory. But they don't know that the evil witch Nimue is behind it all. The reason why the haunted marsh is growing so rapidly is because Nimue traveled through the magical mirror. This can take people into the past or future. Since she traveled through the mirror she has the power to control the marshes because someone unexpected taught her about the magical way. So she uses her magic for evil and controls the marsh ghouls and the marsh itself so she can take over the legendary island Fincayra. This book is one of the better fantasy books I've read.
The reason this book tops my list is because I really like fantasy books and that this book seemed really good to me. This book was also a real page turner. It kept up with the story and it sometimes got really suspenseful at times which caused me to read it even more. There are also really good descriptions throughout the book. I really enjoyed this kind of genre for this book because I love fantasy and anything with swords, dragons, or wizards has always interested me. This book really hit on all of those things that I love. I would recommend people from 6th grade to 8th grade to read it and if you are the kind of person that likes fantasy I would really recommend this book for you. Also there were a couple of surprises in the story that really got me. One of them was finding out that the little boy named Ector is really King Arthur. So if you need a book to read, pick this one up and enjoy!

This novel is a fast, fun, and thoroughly entertaining read. While not on the same level as the classic fantasy novels, Barron has found a way for the reader to connect to the young boy Merlin, and always want more at the novel's close.

In the long winter in a enchanted forest a child was born Merlin enchanted life. This book was a skill fully written book by Rosemary Sutcliff. A novel that will catch the readers eye. Set in England and partly in Norway, far away from the world we know to a unreal universe beyond imagination.

This book set in a fantasy/ medieval setting. The main character in this book is the all powerful Merlin, described as a towering, wise and tattered man. Merlin created by the evil, dark, shadowed, witch, and queen of evil Mab to bring the people back to the old ways. Queen Mab's plan backfired and merlin will do anything to get the queen back for killing his aunt Antasia. At just a hand wizard merlin is ready to fight. But is Merlin ready for the challenges he is about to face? Read the book and find out.

This phenomenal book I would recommend it to any young reader looking for a good book. If i were to rate this book on a scale from 1 to 10 it would be a 10. Any young reader would love this book.

This book review was written by Philip Davis

I liked this book because it presented problems not yet thught of in the average reader's mind. This bookis also intertwined with the other books so you didn't have to meet the whole cast of characters. It took little characters from the other books and made them bigger in one way or another.In every book new information is presented, this book holds alot. Not considering learning about Fincayra itself this book is only second to the fifth book.
I think the best part of this book was when he meets himself, it was a comical meeting. Full of questions and anwsers. The meeting of young and old made me feel and think of pity, sorrow, laughter and wonder on what is to come in the future.
I think the most vivid part of this book was when older Merlin grows a tree right in his own house. In the middle of his own living room! Reading the tree grow is as if you are right in the room when it happens. As if the tree is planted in the book and you are riding it yourself. Not only do you feel that you were there but that you belng there.