Children's Books

This book is chock full of specific and useful information, everything from shopping for agencies to how to evaluate a child before you adopt for potential medical/developmental issues (including a list of pediatricians who specialize in international adoption) to what to put on line 12 of form I-600A. He describes the regions and gives web addresses for online information. The most recent edition is from 2004 and as international adoption rules seem to change frequently, it would be great if the author did another more current edition. It seems the changes are more 'in word' than 'deed' however, and the gist of things is much the same. As someone just beginning the journey, this book has already helped me make major and solid decisions. Maclean is honest and doesn't talk down to you. This is for parents who want to be active, engaged advocates for their children even before you've met them and has good info. about countries other than Russia as well.

This is the everything you need to know about Russian adoption in one book guide. It is a little dated right now with re-accreditation issues starting in 2005, but it is still a very relevant and important guide to adopting from Russia. I suggest purchasing this book before you choose an agency as it gives lists of very important questions to ask a potential agency. This book breaks down the Russian adoption process and walks PAPs through the paperwork they will be filing. There are chapters on everything from what to pack to how to find a good pediatrician. We pulled chapters about our region and questions to ask doctors trip one out of the book and traveled with them. This is one book about adopting from Russia all PAPs need to read.
Written by Christina Stinsa

I just adopted my son from Russia and this book made everything so much easier! It should be a must have for all prospective adoptive families!!!

There is a lot of general information contained in one easy to navigate location. I do recommend it highly, especially for one who is just beginning the adoption process. The only problem is that things are changing so fast, that even though the book was recently updated, it is already somewhat out of date.

I recommend this book as it offers more information specific to Russian adoption than you will find in any other book. The author adopted two children from Russia himself, and he is an attorney, so he is informed about the process. He researched thoroughly for this book.

In spite of its depth of information, however, this is the most poorly edited book I have EVER seen. And this guy's a lawyer? If he were going to publish, he should have taken a little more care with the editing. Also, don't get your 'basic Russian' lesson from this book. I studied abroad at a university in Russia for one semester, and I have studied the language quite extensively. If you use some of his language advice, you're sure to get a laugh from some Russians. For example, on page 165, he says that 'Hi!' is 'Draws-vee.' It is actually, 'STRAST-ee' with the emphasis on the first syllable. If you say 'Draws-vee' with your American accent, you are sure to get some strange looks. On page 166, he says that bread is 'kleb.' It's actually pronounced, 'khleb' (with a khah sound that catches in your throat). 'Kleb' just sounds ridiculous.

The terrible editing and language mistakes make me wonder if I can trust the rest of the information! Still, I think it's worth buying because it is more extensive than any other source on Russian adoption that I could find. Don't buy this book, though, unless you've already decided to adopt from Russia.

Great book as it plays on the the silly humor that we all share. Simple story line with colorful illustrations that my 3 year old could relate to. I sent this book to my daugher's daycare and her teacher commented how the other children loved the story too. That really made my day. Its a great book to make kids laugh.

I bought this book for my daughter after reading the reviews on amazon. She absolutely loves the book and has memorized the book from front to back. At 2.5 years old, she can repeat the text in the book word for word when I read it to her.

An entertaining and great book for little girls. I am glad that I bought it for my daughter..

Can Audrey and Don Woods go wrong? I have not seen a single book by this pair that I haven't liked. I love the illustrations as usual, but I really love the meter of the text and the way it is combined and placed with the illustrations. It has a very musical quality and really lends itself to being read aloud. I have it almost memorized after only a few readings. I think I probably like to read it more than my daughter :-)

My children have loved this book from the very first reading. It has a nice pace and the notions are silly (as advertised in the title)--great for preschool kids who are prereading. It is one of the few children's books that I never (truly NEVER!) tire of reading to my kids.

Not to be gender biased, but my boys just didn't enjoy it as much as some of the reviews on here had suggested they might. It was cute, sweet, giggly. Perfect for a giggly sweet little girl.

A book that is a literary puzzle, an adventure of sorts, and full of sneakiness and tongue-in-cheekness. I have read quite a lot, and when I read this, I had trouble trying to work out who was who in quite a lot of cases. I suppose this is a lot of the appeal, though, being like a really, really hard cryptic crossword, at times.

The first third of the book is very promising. Unfortunately, the book runs out of steam when Lucius enters the picture. I found that storyline completely uncompelling and the resolution is rushed. the latter third of the book is no better--it is filled with cliched moralizing and an unsatisfying deus ex machina conclusion.

Silverlock is a fun, roller coaster ride through literature. It chronicles the journey--inner and outer--of an American cynic as he travels through the world of literature. Some of the fun is tracking down the literary characters, from Beowulf to Don Quixote to Becky Sharp. Part of me regrets not having been born in the 1950s to relish Silverlock fully; the Internet makes finding the sources of the characters effortless. Hopefully, readers take the next step and read the original sources to expand their understanding and appreciation of literature. In my opinion, the novel posits that literature is an evolving, cumulative organism. Modern (American) literature is built on the foundation of the stories that came before. The novel shows that someone can find meaning in the stories he or she encounters, and sharing those experiences--and possibly using them to invent new stories--is one of the joys of life. Anyone with respect for literature and the history of speculative reading should give Silverlock a try.

_This is truly a book for book lovers. It starts with a middle-aged Chicagoan with a degree in Business Administration and a life that that has ceased to hold any meaning or charm for him. He boards a freighter as a passenger in order to try to put a little interest and excitement in his life. Well, he finds it. The freighter is shipwrecked after several days of running before a storm and the main character, Silverlock, finds himself cast adrift without a life boat. As he says- if he had cared to live, he would have died. As it is however, he doesn't struggle and exhaust himself- he merely surrenders himself to his fate and the currents. Fate soon finds him....

_What Silverlock finds is the Commonwealth. This is a place where all the great stories from myth, legend, and literature actually exist, somehow, side by side. This requires a suspension of belief, but given the excellent story telling that isn't too difficult. That seems to be what the Commonwealth is all about- it is the Commonwealth of story telling, or imagination.

_It is more than just a survey of great characters and stories, however. Silverlock comes across as pretty unsympathetic at the beginning, but through experience and suffering in his travels from east to west he grows immeasurably in character. Perhaps the Commonwealth is a mask for purgatory, where lost souls are given a second chance at growth and redemption. In any case it is more heaven than purgatory for the reader.

_Save this book for special quiet times when your spirit needs a recharge. I know that I do.

I suspect that this is one of those polarizing books: those that love it REALLY love it; others will be, at best, blandly indifferent or outright bored. I hew more closely to the second camp.

The book has notable adherents and in recent years has been hailed as a bit of a neglected gem, but I found it only moderately diverting. It was written in 1949 and so it's a bit dated (and its attitudes toward women are not the most advanced, but then again, the protagonist is by his own admission a cad and a bounder), but that's really not much of a problem.

The novel is your typical Pilgrim's Progress type of thing, and is divided into three parts, which turn out to be Chance, Choice, and Oracle, or as I see it, Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell, based on the decreasing level of quality (and the not-concidental Dantean shenanigans toward the end). It starts out strong, but the charms grow old fast, and the overarching quest in the middle section simply is not very gripping. In the final third, the book becomes unbearably didactic and wearisome, and then, rather suddenly, the words "The End" scroll across the screen.

On a side note, I found myself often contrasting this book to Stephen Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant". Both feature (anti-)heroes thrust into a strange land and both deal, to some degree, with large philosphical concerns. (In fact, Donaldson acknowledges having read this, and having plucked the titles of a couple of his novels from one of the songs within, but purports to find the book sub-par.) The major contrast, of course, is that Covenant believes nothing of what he sees, but Shandon easily rolls with all that he finds, no matter how fantastical, to an extent unbelievable of someone from mid-20th century America.

Filkers and others who enjoy making songs out of poems will like "Silverlock", as will those who excelled in high school English classes and who can pick out some of the myriad allusions. I suspect most others will find this to be much less than advertised.

I would, at any rate, recommend picking up an annotated version to get details on some of the more cryptic appearances of characters from myth, fable, and literature.

My son has been reading this series. He loves the story line - he's 11, but reads on a college level. So, I would say this is appropriate for that age group, and interresting enough to hold the attention of an older reader. The sory line seems interesting enough for an adult reader wanting a quick read too.

This book is really awesome. This book starts when a runt silverwing bat named Shade wants to find his father. His father, Cassiel, disappeared after he wanted to see a human building. So, Shade, Chinnook, Ariel, Freida, and a lot of other bats go to find him. On their trip they get stuck in an indoor forest, where humans put exploding metal bands on bats and birds because they use the explosive bands to blow up building for war. Shade and Chinnook have to escape from exploding and then they run into Goths forest, and then they have to save the world from eternal night. Goth is a vampire bat. One of the coolest things about the bats is their echo-vision. Shade uses his echo-vision and makes himself look like a vulture to the vampire bats. The best part of this book is when Shade and his family and other silverwing bats and some rats enter the bone room. I like when they crawl into the bone room because it is really creepy and full of bones.
My favorite character was Throbb, but he dies in Silverwing. My favorite character in Sunwing is Cassiel because he says things that can be funny. The thing I don't like about this book is how there are too many things to do with forests. In the beginning they run into a human forest and it takes them 6 chapters to get out of that forest. Later in the book they run into Goths forest and it takes them 3 chapters to get out. But sometimes they do interesting stuff in the forests. My least favorite character is Goth because at the end all he does is roar. I want every body to buy this book! But, you must read Silverwing first to understand Sunwing.

This book is as good as the first one, and is as enjoyable as the first as well. But, don't read Firewing, you'll hate it. I did.

Sunwing was one of the BEST books I've EVER read! It has lots of fiction in it but, it also has a large amount of true facts in it also. I truly reomend this book. And it has a bunch of action and adventure in it. And I think people who like animals such as, bats, mice, owls etc. will LOVE this book completley.

Jacob Milette

My daughter is 9 years old and not into traditional girl stuff. She enjoys stories that feature animals. She has firewing and one other in the series qnd has enjoyed them all.

My son has been reading this series. He loves the story line - he's 11, but reads on a college level. So, I would say this is appropriate for that age group, and interresting enough to hold the attention of an older reader. The sory line seems interesting enough for an adult reader wanting a quick read too.

This book is really awesome. This book starts when a runt silverwing bat named Shade wants to find his father. His father, Cassiel, disappeared after he wanted to see a human building. So, Shade, Chinnook, Ariel, Freida, and a lot of other bats go to find him. On their trip they get stuck in an indoor forest, where humans put exploding metal bands on bats and birds because they use the explosive bands to blow up building for war. Shade and Chinnook have to escape from exploding and then they run into Goths forest, and then they have to save the world from eternal night. Goth is a vampire bat. One of the coolest things about the bats is their echo-vision. Shade uses his echo-vision and makes himself look like a vulture to the vampire bats. The best part of this book is when Shade and his family and other silverwing bats and some rats enter the bone room. I like when they crawl into the bone room because it is really creepy and full of bones.
My favorite character was Throbb, but he dies in Silverwing. My favorite character in Sunwing is Cassiel because he says things that can be funny. The thing I don't like about this book is how there are too many things to do with forests. In the beginning they run into a human forest and it takes them 6 chapters to get out of that forest. Later in the book they run into Goths forest and it takes them 3 chapters to get out. But sometimes they do interesting stuff in the forests. My least favorite character is Goth because at the end all he does is roar. I want every body to buy this book! But, you must read Silverwing first to understand Sunwing.

This book is as good as the first one, and is as enjoyable as the first as well. But, don't read Firewing, you'll hate it. I did.

Sunwing was one of the BEST books I've EVER read! It has lots of fiction in it but, it also has a large amount of true facts in it also. I truly reomend this book. And it has a bunch of action and adventure in it. And I think people who like animals such as, bats, mice, owls etc. will LOVE this book completley.

Jacob Milette

My daughter is 9 years old and not into traditional girl stuff. She enjoys stories that feature animals. She has firewing and one other in the series qnd has enjoyed them all.

I have to agree with the only other two-star review of this book: I'm rather amazed by all the praise. The message the book conveys is a fantastic one, true, but that's all it is~a message. In my opinion, Where Peace Lives is a "peace class" masquerading as a story. The metaphors all exist right on the surface; there is no need to look deeper. Because of this, the characters are not real~they're just different mouthpieces for the author's "message," like puppets. And the main character (the "I" of the story) is not developed at all. We know almost nothing about her, except that she likes the taste of orange popsicles and she's felt bad because other children have made fun of her or refused to play with her. She also doesn't seem like a child, despite her juvenile speeches. Writers need to understand that talking about tasty popsicles and play-dates is not all it takes to write for children.

I realize this all sounds pretty scathing, and I need to apologize somewhat for that. It's just that I was really looking forward to reading this book because of its premise, and now that I have, I feel immensely let down. I don't mind the idea of educating children about peace~in fact, I think that's great~but I expected more of a story from a book marketed as one.

Like all of us, the main character in Where Peace Lives longed for true peace. Each night she wished for peace and then fell into a deep sleep, as if wrapped in the arms of an angel. However, when she awoke each morning, she returned to reality. It seemed to her that despite everyone wishing for peace, that end seemed impossible.

A knock at her door would change everything. There stood Luther the Bear. Luther was king of The Mountain Where Dreams Are Made. He came with news that the angel Peace had been locked in a glass box and only the three keys to peace could set her free. The two set off to The City of Right and Wrong where the debate over milk had completely divided the city. Their real journey was about to begin.

Where Peace Lives is a beautifully woven entertaining tale from which we can all gain insight. The story and the characters are inspired by and based upon the historic Buddha, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr, Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad. I love the interfaith quality of the story showing that we may all think and believe differently but ultimately we all want to be treated fairly and live a peaceful life.

Where does peace come from? It isn't something born of war, or won through argument. Author Debbie Robins explores peace and finds three keys to it in her book, "Where Peace Lives." A book for all ages, children and adults, it is sure to become a classic along the lines of "The Little Prince." More than that, it is a delightful read, and a tool for spreading some very valuable lessons.

The narrator is worried about the world and wonders why everyone can't just get along. One night, a visitor comes and insists that the angel, Peace, needs to be set free. Peace is trapped in a glass box and three keys are needed to open the lock. They need to find the keys, and they begin by looking in the City of Right and Wrong. There, terrible things are happening. The residents are divided and each side insists that the other side is wrong. What's even worse is that the Cube of Bitterness hovers above and devours those who are the "right ones". Donkeys and elephants play tug of war, only it isn't a game. It looks like there is no hope for peace. However, Mister Buddha, a poetic cat, is sharing a potion called Acceptance, and so there is hope after all.

Mister Buddha introduces our narrator to the concept of acceptance and the fact that kindness begets kindness, and also to his best friend, Mahma. The adventure continues with a story of understanding and Oneness, and then on to the Sea of Forgiveness, where two orangutans, Chris and Mo impart more wisdom. Through a desert and to a waterfall, and up a mountaintop, the keys are sought. Will they be found in time to set Peace free?

A parable, the story can be taken at face value, with lessons still understood. Upon further reflection, deeper meanings come to light and the reader can see how important choices are. The colorful characters' teachings are inspired by and reflect those of Ghandi, Jesus, Buddha, Mohammad and Martin Luther King. With exquisite illustrations, a delightful cast of characters, and a most important plot, "Where Peace Lives" rates my highest recommendation. Additional biographical information on these key people is included at the back of the book, as well as journaling space and an exercise to "strengthen your peace muscle'. Well written and enjoyable to experience, this book is a must read for everyone you know.

In this lovely fable, Peace is an angel who appears in the narrator's dreams--and then is suddenly the object of a quest. She has been locked inside an unbreakable glass box, and three keys must be found in order to free her before the evil Cube of Bitterness devours the world.

In the search for the keys, the narrator meets and is assisted by a bear named Luther, King of the Mountain Where Dreams Are Made; Mister Budd Ha, a Siamese cat who peddles bottles of Acceptance; and several other creatures who promote peace. Philosophically, the characters are based on the peaceful teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Moses, the Prophet Mohammad, and Jesus Christ. Debbie Robins portrays their ideas with both humor and understanding.

While the outcome of the story is fairly obvious, the language used to tell it is lyrical and peaceful in and of itself. The pen and ink illustrations by Victor Robert are also fantastic. I loved the Roomy Tea Garden and the tree named Bodhi. This is not just a picture book, but a book to be shared by child and parent/caregiver. It should appeal on different levels to both reader and listener. I read several sections aloud and found the words and phrases to flow in a charming way. I especially recommend it to those like their children's books to have a bit of substance.

At the end of the book, Robins also provides the reader with biographical information and philosophical summaries of those figures whose philosophies of peace she incorporates. There are also a few pages to jot down the reader's own ideas of how to bring more peace into today's world.

Armchair Interviews: An unique children's book about peace.

WHERE PEACE LIVES is a captivating adventure for children and adults alike. It teaches us that peace requires a profound internal shift in how we perceive and respond to each other. This book is essential for those of us who seek to transform ourselves and change our world. Eleanor Barr

Hi, how are you all? Well I know this book is wonderful! Acually i never read the book charmed but i did read the book so little time, which is by the same author. That was a very good book. So if that was a good book that she wote then this should be good also. The book is very intersting and tells you alot of information and some good heads up and tips. Kids my age would like the book, i would belive..... I might not be giving alot of information right now but the more information you want is right inside the book. So i would suggest to read the book and i think you will injoy it! I also think Charmed is a good book to read too.!.!.!.!.! Well i hope i at least helped you out a little bit. And i hope you read BOTH books because reading is good for you , and just enjoy them! Thank you for taking your time out to read this.

I have a penchant for time-travel stories, as they are striking, interesting, not to mention compelling. This book is inevitably one of them. Phoebe being abducted into past by a time-demon during the times of the Salem Witch Trials was huge (amazing)!! I'm not going to reveal details of the story, but what I don't get is that how on earth could the Charmed Ones use their powers in the past, and how the Law of no coincidences is oblivious to the author.


But as this is not the tv show, I suppose authors are able to use their imagination freely. My fave bit of this book is how Piper and Prue was under the evil influence of the root tea Prudence drank, given by Hugh, and they acquired amazing powers, which included being "evil" themselves and coming in handy to rescue their sister. I especially like the fact that Prudence did not succumb to the tainted root tea to nearly kill her own descendant, as the power of good always prevails!!! Also, its nice to involve the Charmed Ones' ancestor to this book, as readers somewhat know more about certain witches from the Warren line. Rosalind Noonan did a good job portraying each sister's characters, and how all their different and unique personalities combined together can pack a huge wallop. True to the series, with dry humour added and the Power of Three situation makes Whispers from the Past all the more enjoyable. And the fact that poor Phoebe, despite "stuck playing cinderella", she was determined to stay focused on the path to solving the problem, is also rather warmth-evoking.

In a nutshell: If you like Charmed, there's no doubt you will like this book. Not as excellent as Soul of the Bride, but close. One of my all-time faves. Well worth it!!!

Finally, a Phoebe episode [well book] that any Charmed fan can get behind. It's a time travel piece and a family get-together. Need I say more?

Fantastic addition to the Charmed series :) Not as good as 'Soul of the Bride' but up there with the best of the books.

I always love a good time-travel story if it's: 1) Well-Written, 2) Believeable. This book gets it on both counts.

The evil piper/prue angle was kinda amusing *ducks* The new powers they got were awesome too (though Piper's was kind of an extension on her stopping tme power)

This book does have a couple errors (Girls using their powers in the past to get home) but considering these books aren't written as fast as the series is ('least most of them seem that way)... we need to give the author's a break. We can't expect them to keep up with the pace/storylines of the show.

Considering SOME of the storylines 'Charmed' has taken, maybe the creators should look to some of these books for plot ideas.

I hope Miss Noonan puts in another contribution to the Charmed series again sometime.

This was the very first Charmed book I read and it was solid. I have now watched every episode of every season and there were no holes in it. I love all episodes that the sisters go back in time or forward or relive memories etc. If you are like me, then you will love this book too!

My seven year-old grandson introduced me to Mary Ann Hoberman's work. He loved reading to and with me. I'm a volunteer reading tutor and I use her books to teach first graders to read. They love it.

I highly recommend the books by Mary Ann Hoberman to excited kids about reading.

Judith Hays

I love Mary Anne Hoberman's "The Cozy Book", it is always a great bedtime story. So, when I found this title on Amazon, I couldn't resist. My son is 7 and enjoys reading, so this was perfect for us; he reads to me, I read to him, and we read the last verse together. The stories are cute and short, good if you only have a few minutes at the end of the day. The emphasis on reading is an added bonus.

This is a light book that contains short stories. The stories are cute and quirky, fun to read. Our 7 year old collects books and this one is one of her many favorites. We bought this book for a gift. We have the larger version. We take turns reading together, I read a verse and she reads one. Our daughter started reading before age 5 and I know it's because we read to her every day and just before she went to bed.

I purchased this book for my son when he started to read. He's now 7 and, although he mostly reads chapter books, he still likes to pick this one so that we can read it together. He focuses on the tone of his voice and we have such a great time together whenever we read "You Read to Me I'll Read to You".

I bought this book for my granddaughter who is 5 and is just learning to read. She lives in NM and I live in MI. I thought this would be a good way for us to share something together over the miles and over the telephone or computer webcam. The stories are cute and snappy keeping the interest of the young reader. It is a perfect way for us to stay connected over the miles. We take turns reading and then we both read together.

This is a really sweet book! My 9 year old daughter really enjoys it. My 6 year old son could care less right now. But if I talk to him about the meaning, he then understands it more and asks some really smart questions!

The story is about how we (the children) are a big part of earth. How everything is a part of us. Everywhere we look on earth and above is what we are made up of... kinda cool. I really liked it!

If you have a universal outlook on spirituality- you will love this book! My children beam after we read it. They feel special, loved, secure... all the things we want for our kids. There is not ONE THING scary or negative in this book. It voids the polarity idea. It is fantastic.

This is a wonderful book. I have a four year old son who has owned this book since before he was three. He loves and understands it, probably more so than many adults. It is the favorite book for my husband and son to read together.

If you like this book you will love "Child of Fairy, Child of Earth". Both books have beautiful verse, illustrations and messages.

This book is beautifully inspiring and a needed aid in nuturing spirituality in children, I love it as much as my 3-year-old.

This is by far one of my most favorite children's books. "I am part of all I see, and all I see is part of me." Those first two pages sum it up.

The illustrations are warm, gentle, and beautiful. If you look closely you can see little elves and fairies hiding in the forest. My girls love to try and find them while we are reading.

I have given this book as a gift many times and it is always well received.

Thank you Chara for creating such a wonderful book for our evolving little ones (and their parents)!

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 and she took it for granted that they actually existed. 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. 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.