Studios Books

What a wonderful book! I am a great fan of Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon stories, and this book, Joe Boy, reminded me of them in many ways. It was a heartwarming book, and very funny to boot.

I read in another review of Joe Boy that it was like sitting down to dinner with the author as he told tales of his childhood, and that is a perfect description! It felt like Kirby was right there, spinning stories and reminiscing about his poor-in-money but rich-in-love childhood. Anyone who grew up during those years, especially if they lived in the country, will be delighted by this charming book, since it will bring back memories. But younger people will also appreciate it, because it is a glimpse into the past of an America that can never be recaptured.

I loved every word, and recommend it highly.

The Good Old Days, very funny

This book will be enjoyed by anyone that lived in small town America during the 30's, 40's, 50's, and the early 60's. It lets your mind wonder back in time when life was much simpler. Those were the days when children made up their own entertainment, which like Joe Boy ended up being a lot of adventures. I will definitely put Joe Boy on my shopping list for gifts to buy for anyone growing up during this time period

JoBoy was an interesting, entertaining book. Very well written.
I laughed out loud in so many places! I strongly recommend it.
It will bring you several hours of great entertainment.

This is a great book for the summer, a quick and funny read. Perfect for the beach, gym or a weekend getaway. I loved it! I started it and found I couldn't put it down. The true stories of this man's youth is an example of how so many Americans lived during the 1930's and 40's. It's amazing he survived. Really funny tales and quality descriptions make it seem like you are sitting across the table from this guy over dinner.

I hope there will be a part two!

Telling stories is one of the most powerful ways to teach values and open doors to new possiblities. With Floyd Kirby's rich and varied collection of childhood tales in "JOE BOY", everyone is sure to find at least a few stories that strike a special heartwarming memory from their past......stories one will treasure and want to share. A perfect gift for yourself or a loved one.

The book is great, easy to understand and great images.

Beautiful gardens and parks don't simply settle themselves on a site. They are planned, developed and planted by caring human beings. Those of us who are amateur gardeners and landscapers are influenced by the great public gardens and parks of the world. And the public gardens and parks didn't just appear out of thin air. All of what we find beautiful was influenced by something older or from somewhere else. And this wonderful book takes us back in time and on the highways and byways to times and places where man first came upon natural sites and imagined the possibility of recreating at least the impression of what his eye beheld.

This beautiful volume with its fine black and white photographs and drawings makes everything seem simple. It takes us down two main roads, the formal and informal. What could be more basic? Yet over half a century or more of shaping the land around half a dozen houses and reading dozens of books, some very useful and beautiful, I do not recall seeing an explanation of how these two main roads came to be trod. But in The Landscape of Man, it is all here from the beginning, from the time when farmers gathered on the banks of the Tigris and the Euphrates gazed upon the fields spreading before them and other such early independent beginnings.

We are the descendants of those who sought beauty and consolation in gardens large and small in the great civilizations of the past. Each of these, over great time frames, came to influence and cross pollinate with one another. And the Jellicoes trace all of these rivulets and streams from their headwaters down to the well established gardens of the world to which we are heirs. The writing is simple and direct, the photos illuminate their points, and their site drawings are clear and useful.

This is a book for gardeners to enjoy over the winter so that they may dream about how they might shape their little spaces and understand a little more of the shoulders on which we all stand as we place our first trees and shrubs in the bare ground before us. It is a great book, and I recommend it not just for professionals but for those whose gardens lie far in the future. It is the best book I have ever come across in explaining the history and possibilities of landscaping.

I have owned my copy for years. Hundreds of sentences are highlighted and notes fill the margins. I should have reviewed this fine work many years ago.

My professor introduced this book to us when I took a History of Landscape Architecture course in University of Southern California in Los Angeles. It was only available in hard cover at that time and was very expensive ($98.00). I did not buy the hard cover version and waited many years later and bought the soft cover version at a great price. It has many powerful images to illustrate the gardens and architecture in many different cultures. It'll show you how brilliant human beings can be.

What is a "Landscape of Man"?

"To qualify as a `landscape of man,' an environment must be deliberately shaped at a specific time." "Art is a continuous process..." Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe and his wife Susan wrote, "All design therefore derives from impressions of the past, conscious or subconscious, and in the modern collective landscape, from historic gardens and parks and silhouettes which were created for totally different social reasons..."

"The Landscape of Man: Shaping the Environment from Prehistory to the Present Day" includes 28 sections and they are separated into two parts, Part One is "From Prehistory to the end of the Seventeenth Century." It covers landscape from pre-history to 1700 AD and includes 17 sections covering Origins, the Central Civilization (Western Asia to the Muslim Conquest, Islam in Western Asia, the Western Expansion of Islam: Spain, the Eastern Expansion of Islam: Mughul India), the Eastern Civilization (Ancient India, China, Japan, Pre-Columbian America) and the Western Civilization (Egypt, Greece, the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages in Europe, Italy: the Renaissance, France: Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, Spain, Germany, England, the Netherlands: Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries). The text for each section follows a standard format of Environment, Social History, Philosophy, Expression, Architecture and Landscape. Case studies have striking black-and-white photos, paintings and plans and a brief description.

Part Two of the book is "The Evolution of Modern Landscape." It covers landscape from 1700 AD to present and includes 11 sections covering the Eighteenth Century (Western Classicism, the Chinese School, the English School), the Nineteenth Century (the European Mainland, the British Isles, the United States of America), and the Twentieth Century (Europe, The Americas, the Western Hemisphere: the New World, the Eastern Hemisphere: the Old World), and Worlds Trends in Landscape Design. The text follows a standard format of Environment, History, Social, Economics, Philosophy and Expression for each Century and then a standard format of the Home, Landscape, Comments and case studies for each section.

"The Landscape of Man: Shaping the Environment from Prehistory to the Present Day" has 408 pages, 746 illustrations and 6 maps. It is a great book for architects, landscape architects and urban planners!

The original edition, hardcover with beautiful dust jacket, was printed in 1975 in England. It is one of my favorite all-time photo books, since in includes shots of Borobudur, the Ziggurat, the Red Fort in Delhi, Angkor Wat, Ctesiphon in Iraq - lots of photos hard to find even on the net. History all the way to the opera house in Sydney. A most fascinating book. Large: 9 1/4 x 11 3/4, 383 pages, a sound minimal text with each plate numbered and easily referenced - to me this is one of the great books. Everyone who has travelled, or who wants to travel, will enjoy this tremendously. (Many of the areas shown are difficult and often dangerous to visit, now.) Try it. You'll like it.

This book as a classic. It is not only for those who want to study our changing perceptions of our landscape and our moves to define it over the past few millennia, but also to architects who build 'buildings'. This tome takes us through man's history, and outlines our aesthetic evolution with our landscape as a changing canvas that represent our different social conditions. A must-have if you are a student, an architect, or just a person who wants to see how we became what we are!

With more than enough exotic locales, plot twists, and blazing bullets to satisfy my Bond/Bourne spy junkie cravings, LOM was a welcome addition to my bookshelf! More from Mosher! More from Francavilla! Just plain more, please!

I disagree with the Publisher's Weekly review. I found LEFT ON MISSION to be unforgettable, containing a haunting quality and an emotional wallop that sticks with you weeks after reading it. What was behind the emotions and motivations of both Emma and Eric? These aren't cookie-cutter characters, but rather complex figures that don't easily fit into pre-determined boxes.

But don't get me wrong--this book still contains plenty of action, thrills, and suspense. Mosher has done an amazing job of creating a sense of time and place. You really feel as if you're in Cuba or Morocco alongside the characters. The artwork is stunning and the coloring is particularly striking and impressionistic.

I'd recommend LEFT ON MISSION not just to comic fans, but to anyone who enjoys James Bond, the Bourne series, or just a good ol' thriller that will keep you guessing.

The term 'graphic novel' is one bandied about by the media, but for this reader this book LEFT ON MISSION is an alert that perhaps too many serious readers are missing an important concept. After spending an evening thoroughly entertained not only by a well written spy story complete with the dichotomy of the main character in pursuit of an ex-lover as the nefarious rogue agent, but also by some superb artwork beautifully rendered in style and rich color, the opinion of the significance of 'Graphic Novel' gains in stature as an art form deserving of wide attention.

Writer/Creator Chip Mosher has a keen manner of conveying a page-turning story using a tightly controlled amount of written script woven into the many drawings that propel the story visually and emotionally. In tandem with artist Francesco Francavilla and further enhanced by the important and exciting colorist Martin Thomas, Mosher offers a well designed book that manages to hold the eye as well as the mind, making a tense story feel like walking past stills of a film, animated by not only the skills of the artists but also by the participating reader's turning of the pages. It is a unique experience for the novice: for those who know the medium this book doubtless will be a pinnacle of the genre.

Cover artist Steph Stamb enhances the appearance of this book with his high quality art pieces that not only engage the eye to begin with, but also provide visual interludes at pertinent junctures in the book. Some critics may quibble about awarding this book a rating of 5 stars: the great American novel it is not. But as a sample of a book now granted respectability with the designation of a 'graphic novel', LEFT ON MISSION sets a very high standard. Grady Harp, March 08

Left on Mission does everything a great spy film/novel/comic should do an more. Action? LOM pushes the limits of what you can do in a static medium with tense chase scenes and shocking but believable violence (a pursuit in a strobe filled club is stand out). Exotic Locales (Cuba, Ibiza, Morocco) - refreshing to read a book that feels like the author has done serious homework, not relied on wikipedia for his research. And of course, it's a page turner.

All this would be enough for your average thriller fan. But it's also politically relevant without being preachy. And that emotional wallop the previous reviewer mention? The romance feels real...maybe it has something to do with the fact the author's wife wrote "Before Sunrise", one of the best romances of the best two decades.

Left on Mission is often compared to Casino Royale, which is true. But I think it's edginess break-your-heart characters make it closer to Fleming's novel than the good but slightly over the top film adaptation.

You won't find a better spy thriller in comics this side of Queen and Country. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

I loved the comics. I bought them as they came out. I can't wait to read the story as a graphic novel. Loved the characters and the story.

I just love this book. Anyone who loves pugs will love this story and book. We laughed so hard we were crying and the pictures just add to the story.

You can't go wrong with this one.

This book is adorable. When it arrived I sat down with my 8 year old daughter and read it. She'd laugh at the pictures and letters from the young pug. Many wonderful messages and terrific pictures. I think her favorites were the curler in his tail and him cooling off in the fridge. She got many ideas for creative pictures for our own pug!

After falling in love with Wilson the Pug from the "Tao of Pug" book, I had to get this one. I was NOT disappointed. Very funny exchange between the older and younger Pug, Homer. Photos are just as creative and funny as in the "Tao" book. This is another can't-miss great gift idea and something every dog (and especially Pug) lover will want for their collection!

Letters to a Young Pug picks up the story of Wilson and Homer (from Homer for the Holidays). Wilson's Tao master is retiring, and before Wilson can take on the job he has to train his successor, Homer. The letters he writes to impart his knowledge of the Tao and Homer's humerous responses are wonderfully entertaining. If you have a pug, you will definitely see something of your pug in this book.

Continuing antics of Wilson and Homer. A must read if you have read Nancy's first two books.

I purchased the Magic Tree House audio set because my four-year-old daughter is always asking me to tell her stories. Sometimes, I just can't get my imagination going, so I thought this would fill in my blank moments. And, in fact, it has done a wonderful job of it. We play them in the car while driving around. They really captivate my daughter. The subject matter is very interesting to children: dinosaurs, mummies, castles, pirates. The stories increased her interest in these areas.

The CDs have also given me new ideas for stories--using the characters from Magic Tree House--and in other ways stimulated creative interaction between us. They have increased her vocabulary as well.

It is also a great way to motivate her to get in the car when we had to leave: "Come on, let's go hear a story!", I say.

I also love the fact that they are not the Disney-fied, commercialized versions of stories. I intend to purchase all of Osbourne's Magic Tree House CD sets.

My one comment toward improvement would be to put each story on its own CD. This set has four stories on 3 CDs, which is not quite as convenient when wanting to locate/isolate a particular story.

When I was eight I read these books. I am now 12 and in 6th grade and i say these books are great.I recomend these for kids instresed in science or the world.I am currenly reading Stephen Hawking's " A breif History of time" which is a great and understandable book for anyone. These books inspied me to be a Theoretical Quantum physicist. it got me into the fasinating subject of time travel and Unifeild Feild theory.The boottm line is these books are filles with adventure and fun.

Night of the Ninjas is easy to read with short chapters and pictures. This book can hold the interest of children from 8 on up. The characters are fun and children can relate to them. The characters are a brother and sister, so this book will be of interest to either boys or girls. I have found that the Magic Tree House Books make children want to learn more about history.

Since I like scary stories, I really, really liked this one. The best part was when they heard a ghost playing the piano. The ghost's name is Lonesome Luke.

My name is Grant. I am in third grade. Last week I read DOLPHINS AT DAYBREAK because it looked like a really exciting book. DOLPHINS is my favorite Magic Treehouse book so far. I have already read VIKING SHIPS AT SUNRISE and CIVIL WAR ON SUNDAY. I would give all of the Magic Treehouse books I have read 5 stars, but I like DOLPHINS best because I love dolphins and the submarine adventure was really exciting!!!

Here's a bit of what happened: Annie was curious about the mini-submarine and talked Jack into exploring it. Inside the sub Annie pushed the wrong button and it started to go down to the bottom of the sea. They saw an Octopus, which started to grab the submarine...they also saw a hammerhead shark...

That's all I will tell you or it will spoil the story for you.

This book is just great! I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about the holiness of John Paul The Great.

This is an amazing book! I knew, of course, that Pope John Paul II was a very holy man, but I knew nothing of the many miracles recorded in this book that took place during the lifetime of John Paul. I am grateful to Zuchniewicz for doing a superb job of gathering all these marvelous stories and writing this book.

The photographs throughout the book were so touching as they showed our beloved John Paul changing because of Parkinson's and age. Yet, still he continued his mission. He was a man of great faith and deep prayer.

Reading the stories of the miracles that occured through the intervention of John Paul will touch your heart. It will draw you to a deeper prayer life as you realize the power of prayer. Share this book with friends.

I also recommend the DVD "Karol, A Man Who Became Pope" for those who want to learn more about John Paul II.

Journalist Pawel Zuchniewicz presents Miracles of John Paul II, a bestselling title in Poland and a compendium of miracles that have occurred through the intervention of Pope John Paul II. A poignant tribute to the powers of prayer and faith, Miracles of John Paul II is illustrated throughout with colorful photographs and laced with testimonies and question-and-answer segments by those who knew and loved the late pope. A treasure enthusiastically recommended for Catholic church libraries and anyone who knew and respected the spirit of the late pope.

This book was awesome! It was full of light and a lot of things you didn't hear in the media. There is no doubt in my mind that our beloved JP II will one day become a saint and I know it will be soon.

I would call this book a miniature coffee-table book about the miraculous and near miraculous events that happened to the late Pope John Paul II AND to many people with whom he came in contact. The book has eye and hand appeal.

The contents of the book are really surprising. I had not heard many of the stories in the pages of this book before. Pope John Paul II is not pictured as a showy "faith-healer". Rather the author pictures him as a totally human person with a deep personal contact with the Lord. If he healed anyone it was through his humanity and by the power of the Spirit of God.

You'll be glad you had some tissues handy when you read the first part of the book. Get ready to be amazed and edified.

If you're interested in making lampworked/torchworked glass beads, this is the one book that you need to have on your shelf. It may not become your favorite bedtime reading, but it's an indispensable resource for answering the practical questions that you'll have. There's plenty of technical info, particularly on safety issues, but it's presented in a way that even non-science geeks can understand. There's also a gallery section of pictures of artists' beads, although this is primarily a book for practical information.

When reading through this book it's hard not to believe that this had to have taken Jim Kervin years to finish. I don't think he left out ONE thing. When it comes to molten glass, ... a virtual plethora of information. What a useful book to have around. If you can't find the answer to your glass question in this book, I'd be surprised. I highly recommend this book...it is always within arms reach. Well done!

A great book, a "bible" for beginners such as myself. Would recommend it highly to anyone interested in glass-working.

I want to start making glass beads and ordered this book for that reason. I haven't started yet, but have been reading this book and finding out all the different equipment I need and how to use it. It's answered all of my questions so far and seems to include everything a person could want to know. It goes into detail and also has some pictures which is nice. I'm glad I have this book to use as a reference. With this and the videos on glass bead making I have I'm just about ready to fire up my torch!

This book is invaluable for anyone interested in glass beadmaking, from beginner to experienced beadmaker. It goes from safety and studio setup to techniques used in creating various glass beads both using soft and hard glass. It highligths some methods for pulling cane and making murrini. It is an all around excellent instructional book, but definately not a coffee table book.

Nothing can take the place of hands on instruction and guidance, but with this book, a video or two (Crystal Myths Inc., Glass Beadmaking is helpful), common sense and some patience anyone can make beautiful glass beads. Get this book and give it a try.

Or planes. I read this one on a plane, and several of the strips led up to one that had me laughing... very loudly... for several minutes straight. Its been a long time since I've seen comics this creative and hilarious. Can't wait for the second book.

Narbonic was my first webcomic and is still my favorite. Even those who shy away from comics will love Narbonic. It's hilarious and the storylines are always gripping and suspenseful.

Beware! Narbonic will suck you in, make you laugh, make you cry...and meanwhile, perform subtle but lasting scientific experiments on your mind. By the time Shaenon Garrity is through with you, you'll be a devoted slave.

This is the first major print collection for Narbonic, a daily webcomic that's been around since mid 2000. This book represents roughly its first year. Meet the main characters: Helen Narbon, a mad scientist plotting to take over the world; Mell Kelly, her Evil Intern; Dave Davenport, the Henchman; and Artie, the superintelligent Gerbil.

The strips are funny. The stories are smart. The characters are full-fleshed, with a definite arc. This is one of the very few comic strips I read, and the only one I make sure I never miss. (I'm telling you--scientific experiments = devoted slave.)

Narbonic is the self-titled book edition of the most creative and consistently funny comic strip to come along since THE FARSIDE and CALVIN & HOBBES. It has a unique, offbeat sense of humor that will grow on you like the culture in a petri dish. Narbonic shows the inner day-to-day workings of a mad science lab. Where an insane geneticist has to simultaneously hire a new employee, battle a hero, and get the doomsday machine working, all without getting evicted by the landlord.

One of Narbonic's strongest points is its incredible cast of interesting characters. Helen B. Narbon is the young mad scientist trying to run a profitable mad science laboratory, and make a name for herself, to prove she's not just a chip off her even more evil mother, Dr. Narbon. Dave Davenport is Helen's computer technician, who hates working for the forces of evil, but finds it preferable to working for Microsoft. Mell Kelly is Helen's evil intern, who's fascination with guns and explosives, keeps the other employees on their toes. RT-5478, (Artie) is a super intelligent gerbil Helen created, who considers himself the sane, rational one of the group, but is not above amusing himself by conducting unauthorized experiments on other lab animals or members of the staff. And no mad science comic would be complete without an arch rival, Professor Lupin Madblood, who Helen has a not so secret crush on.

Narbonic is mostly presented as long complex story arcs, and often reads more like a novel than a comic strip. Shaenon Garrity sketches her story lines well in advance, allowing for much richer development than you'll find most other comics.

Narbonic isn't for everyone. It requires some thought by the reader to understand the science, both real and imagined, that the artist often adds to the strip. The humor is mostly personality driven, so a good familiarity with each character is needed to get the more subtle jokes. But if you're looking for a comic strip that panders to the above mean IQ, and if you've ever wondered what REALLY happens in a mad science lab, Narbonic is for you.

Imagine that Nikola Tesla and Jerry Seinfield wrote a comic together. It would be very similar to Narbonic. Garrity's humor is on equal to that Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett. On top of that, the art is quite cute.

Helen Narbon is a young mad scientist who creates things such as 300 lb. gerbils and cellular destabilizers. Along with her slacker geek henchman and homicidal intern, Helen tries to take her lab to new levels of infamy. As you can guess, things do not go smoothly.

In most works, mad scientists are two dimensional villains who are nothing more than opponents for muscle bound main characters. Narbonic documents the day to day experiences of a mad scientist's lab and portrays the characters as real people with their own insane desires and lifestyles. It is not an easy path they follow; doomsday devices don't make themselves.

This is the funniest comic that I have ever read!

This book is a nice and detailed overview of the process, but for me the best part has to have been the darkroom setup ideas for "alternative" spaces. If you've got very little room to work with but you're stubbornly attached to the idea of setting up your own darkroom, this book is definitely worth a look.

I found this book to be very practical and direct. What impressed me most was that the authors took into account the fact that not everyone has the ideal accomodations for a darkroom. Each section goes into the how-to of every phase of setting up a simple, basic to the sophisticated darkroom. Everything is spelled out in detail allowing you to "opt out" of any part of the process that you feel may be "over your head" (call the plummer) and to deal with those that are within your reach. In between, the book allows you to peek at how others have set up their facilities. Over all a great book for anyone looking to set up a dark room the "right way".

This book is amazing. It really has everything you would need to know to build a darkroom, from building the walls, doing plumbing and electricity, to how to build a sink. I am so happy I bought this book - there were so many little things I didn't even consider until I started reading this book. Now I know what I need to build the darkroom, and can actually envision what it will be like. I have so many ideas, and I'm really excited about building my darkroom!

I just purchased this book because i am planning to build a darkroom in my basement, and it has provided me with alot of information. And if you have a really small bathroom and you think it's impossible to turn it into a darkroom and use it at the same time, then you better get this book. There are floorplans/layouts & elevation provided, as well as pictures to give you an idea of how your darkroom will turn out. There are so many alternatives given that you can't go wrong in builiding the perfect darkroom of your own and save money as well.

This is the book you want if you are going to build a darkroom. It is excelent! I got another book and half of it was how to build a wall using drywall. This one was not like that and really had plans and technical information that you want.

Chet Spiewak has created a beautifully illustrated, well written book that fits perfectly into the season before Christmas, that time of year when parents search for stories that address the meaning of Christmas, the anticipation of the season, and the joy that culminates on Christmas morning. Yes, there are other tales such as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' and 'Why the Chimes Rang' and some others that fill that need to build on the holiday without focusing on just gifts. Spiewak's fine little book sets the stage both for the excitement ahead and suggests traditions that children/families can build upon to make the holiday truly a meaningful event.

The main characters are traditional Christmas ornaments stashed in the attic until the holiday comes. Each of the ornaments (beautifully rendered through the magic of computer generated graphics) begins to prepare for Christmas when they spy the Christmas tree brought into the house. They polish each other and prepare, only to find that they are pushed aside from the merriment of hanging on the tree - discarded from their moment of glory. Halloween ornaments frighten the Christmas ornaments and mock the fact that they are stuck in the attic until the little ornaments decide to share the meaning of gift giving with the Halloween ornaments. Then together the band of decor find a way to sneak down the chimney only to fall asleep before they can climb the tree. But Christmas morning arrives and the children of the home delight in the shiny sleeping ornaments, placing them in the most visible spot on the celebratory Christmas Tree.

The tale is simple, but very well told and the lessons for children and adults are enough to make re-reading the book throughout the season a pleasure. Spiewak has a winner here. And now is the time to order this book to savor either as sentimental adults or with children - of all ages! Grady Harp, October 07

Author and illustrator Chet Spiewak uses film quality computer-generated 3D graphics to create his unique picturebook story of a colorful cast of Christmas ornaments who go on an adventure to find the perfect holiday tree. Trapped in an attic and all but forgotten, Percy, Stanley, Fiona and the rest of the Christmas ornaments embark upon their quest. Along the way the rather timid Percy gains confidence and the trust of his companions, all while teaching some old Halloween adversaries the real meaning of Christmas. This wonderfully illustrated and delightful Christmas 32-page picturebook is an enthusiastically recommended addition to family, grade school, and community library collections.

I don't know much about children, but I do know that they are sure to love Chet Spiewak's An Ornaments' Tale. Not only is the story quite good, the artwork is just dazzling. Every single page features incredibly vivid, 3-D images that truly bring the characters to life. In fact, I suspect very young kids will keep reaching out to touch each page - it really looks like you could just reach in and pluck any of these ornaments out yourself.

In the story, a wooden soldier named Percy and his other ornament friends eagerly await Christmas, anxious to be taken down from the attic to hang on the tree and spread happiness all around. Imagine their shock and despair after finding themselves hidden away in a corner where no one will be able to find them. The Halloween ornaments laugh at their wonderful little trick, but Percy and his friends are heartbroken over the thought of missing Christmas. Realizing that the Halloween ornaments did what they did because they didn't know what Christmas was all about, Percy shows them that this holiday is all about giving, not playing tricks or getting treats. Spreading the Christmas spirit around to their new Halloween friends is a wonderful thing - but it doesn't get the Christmas ornaments any nearer to the tree downstairs. Could it be that they will still miss Christmas for the first time in their Christmas-devoted little lives?

If there's a young child alive who wouldn't enjoy An Ornaments' Tale, he must be one ornery little fellow destined for nothing but a lump of coal in his stocking. The incredible 3-D images may be the real hook that keeps children coming back to this book time and again, but the wonderful story will always serve to remind them that there is a lot more to Christmas than Santa Claus and the presents he brings.

The illustrations in this book are stunningly impressive, their three-dimensional appearance and exquisite detail are sure to catch and hold the eye of the youngster. The people at CWS studios, who specialize in 3D design sketches and artwork, are to be commended. Once I completed the book, I immediately went to their website to see what other books that the company has helped create.
The story is about a set of Christmas tree ornaments that can't wait for the Christmas season to get here so that they can once again spread their message of cheer. However, due to some dirty tricks by the Halloween ornaments, they are placed aside and forgotten. Their attempt to overcome this setback is one of struggle and triumph. The combination of the happy ending and the illustrations make this an excellent Christmas present for the child in grades 2-4.

It is nice to see that in a world where entire movies are generated from computers that there are artists who can use that same technology and produce a eye catching book such as Chet Spiewak has down with "An Ornaments' Tale" (Notice that the title is both plural and possessive). The tale begins with Percy, a wooden toy soldier, sees through a hole in the attic floor that the Christmas tree has finally arrived for this year. The elf ornaments make sure all of the ornaments are all dusted and shiny before they go back into their ornament box for the trip downstairs. However, the Halloween ornaments, who only know about tricking and scaring, not joy and cheer, decide to come up with a trick or treat surprise for the Christmas ornaments, and it looks like Percy and his friends might miss Christmas.

Of course, that cannot be allowed to happen, and what I liked most about the way Spiewak works out his Christmas story is that once you accept the idea of talking animated Christmas tree ornaments, most of what happens in this story tends towards the realistic rather than the fantastic (e.g., ornaments cannot hang themselves on a Christmas tree). I know that pretty much anything goes in such stories, but I appreciated Spiewak's logic as to what happens in this charming little story. The last page of the book shows some of the 3D design sketches and artwok from Spiewak's CWS Studios, showing story and character design sketches, along with some nontextured and textured renderings (if you check out the studio website there is a nice little promotional film, where the author throughs hubris to the wind and declares his book to be "a new holiday classic"; fortunately, I read the book first, so I can only chuckle at the quote).

"An Ornaments' Tale" struck me as a mix of elements from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Toy Story" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas," which is not a bad thing, because this story does suffers little in such comparisons. Actually, the biggest problem in comparing Spiewak's book to those beloved animated films is that young kids will probably be disappointed to learn that they cannot get their own version of Percy, Topher, Crystal, Spencer, Fiona, and Stanley to hang on their Christmas tree this December. That kids (and their parents) would want real ornaments of these characters to hang on their trees would be just another indication of how this nice little story could become a personal Christmas favorite for those people who happen to stumble across it. I am glad I did and have salted it away with our Christmas ornaments so sometime in the next decade (or two) when grandchildren arrive on the scene I can read the book to them.