One The Books

This work contains a lot of great information for a difficult time. Much thought and research was done to produce a sensitive and practical approach to a difficult subject. I read and referenced this work in my own book, The Wisdom of Death: Six Paths to Understanding Loss and Grief (available here at Amazon)and found it helpful in taking that journey into sorrow.

When I lost my father at the age of 25 and was left to handle *everything* (funeral, flowers, arrangements, property, and so forth) amid grad school and two jobs, I received too many pieces of advice and useless, but well-intentioned, texts. This book does wonders for the spirit, as it's a refreshing, true-to-life book to honestly get us through the loss of loved ones. No matter what anyone says, he/she doesn't know what you're going through; this book assists one with the unique experience of loss. I've given this book five times over as gifts to my siblings and friends who really needed these words and healthy, sensible suggestions. Kudos to the author! I still pick it up years later when I cycle back to struggling with my father's death.

Jill Brooke writes where others fear to tread. Her simple logic and easy-to read style gave me a feeling of peace while reading about this painful subject. Brooke writes of death as a muse and motivator and builds her theme slowly and in such a spirit of sharing that I felt I was being guided by a friend. One of the most important lessons learned, was how thinking, talking and remembering your loved ones with others keeps them alive through memories. The book is full of practical information and advice from grief professionals entwined around interviews from well-known personalities such as President Clinton who've experienced loss. A great gift,not just for the bereaved, but for new mothers looking for ideas on how to keep the memory of their parents alive with the next generation who never knew them. After reading this book, I felt I had the tools to help continue my loved ones legacy. This well researched book presents a very real way of thinking about death that removes some of the stigma and fear and leaves in its place compassion and hope for the future. Highly recommended.

I began reading books and articles on death and grief more than 40 years ago, and after a while, I found they all said the same thing, more or less. Then I read Don't Let Death Ruin Your Life. I was delighted to find a book that reflected what my experience working with grieving people has shown -- that while painful, our relationship with loved ones continues and grief provides the opportunity to learn about life and living with greater purpose. Jill Brooke provides a new framework for the stages/phases of grief and offers everyone hope. I recommend it highly, both to those who are grieving and to those who are working with grieving individuals. And as I think about it, I recommend it to anyone who is interested in living a better life.

...It was with great interest and relief that I read the book, Don't Let Death Ruin Your Life, by Jill Brooke. It's filled with insights, wisdom, and compassion. What I like most of all about it is the fact that it gives us permission to miss our loved ones--in a healthy way--for the rest of our lives if we want to. Brooke assures us that it's okay to 'keep our loved ones close by and honor their memory while integrating them into our lives that have now been changed by their physical absence.'

"Some of the ways that she shares how to do this is to notice how our loved ones live on in our beliefs and our feelings, and to tell stories about the positive ways they affected our lives. In doing so, we continue to have a meaningful, significant relationship with them while, at the same time, moving through our grief to a brighter place and reclaiming our happiness.

"This is an amazing book, and one that I'll be buying for others and sharing with people for a long time to come...

I have been trying my best to follow Je Tsongkapa's advice for years now. These teachings are very special as they are the 'Lam Rim' or 'Stages of The Path' teachings originally formulated by Atisha for Tibetans. It is a very condensed yet essential presentation of all Buddha's teachings. In Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's Lam Rim texts, the number of meditations is 21. In other contemporary Lam Rim texts like that of Geshe Rabten, H.H. Dalai Lama, or Geshe Sopa, the number varies.

What is amazing is the Lam Rim's simplicity and clarity. Add to that Je Tsongkapa's stainless reasoning and vast scriptural knowledge and you have a spiritual masterpiece.

This is not to say other texts from other traditions aren't valid. I just relate to these teachings most powerfully.

If I have any complaints about the text it would be in the translation the word 'sin' is used instead of 'negativity' or something less charged. Also, there was not one Tibetan out of like 20 people on the translation committee for this book. That's why 4 stars.

This is a great book!! Karma, 6 perfections, spirit of enlightenment, wisdom and many other topics are explained perfectly. What each term means, what it doesn't, how to achieve it, how not to... I read it all and now use each topic in my meditation sessions.
I wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to Buddhism, but it is great if you are already familiar with Dharma.

To read the , by Tsong-kha-pa demands great patience and diligence for the average reader.

In particular, the difficulty is partly due to the excellent and faithful translation of the three volumes of the author's work from Tibetan to English. And since the original work was written scholaric language during Je Tsong Khapa's time six hundred years ago, I reckoned that I needed some help when I purchased all three volumes of the Great Treatise several months ago after reading the first few chapters.

Help has come in the form of an useful preliminary reading. A companion, compendium, discourse-commentary on Je Tsong Khapa's profound and scholarly work has long been translated and available in English and in print for decades before as < Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand: A Concise Discourse on the Path to Enlightenment >.

It is to my knowledge that some Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Gelug/Gelupa school are actually using as a course outline to teach Je Tsong Khapa's to members of the Sangha in 24 days.

is a document of a series lecture delivered by Pabongka Rinpoche over 24 days in Tibet the 1920s,the book is authored by Trijang Rinpoche and translated into English by Michael Richards.

Based on Je Tsong Khapa's work in The Lamrim Chenmo, delivers an "executive summary" of the three volumes of into 898 pages vis-a-vis three volumes of Je Tsong Khapa's detailed scholarly work.

This book is not a Great Treatise on the Path to Enlightenment for Dummies, it is a concise commentary on which readers of The Great Treatise may find as a useful companion to the three profound and wonderfully translated volumes of .

For readers who do not know what really to expect from three volumes of the , I would stongly recommend as a preliminary read. By itself, is already a classic, however, its next greatest value add is to serve as a pathfinder guide for the reader who would be learning the three volumes of the Lamrim Chenmo.

The books are a great help in doing essays on refuge and boddh. vows great learning tool for those that only get to see their teacher once a month

Many people are looking for the entire picture of Tibetan buddhism, and this English edition of the "Lam Rim Chen Mo" is one of the most suitable works to get this entire picture. All the stages of the path of liberation are covered in their natural, logical sequence.

It is wonderful that such a thing exists: that it is possible to have a general and complete understanding of the path.
Reading and hearing, studying the teachings allows us to then contemplate their true meaning, that is, come to a personal understanding and conviction that the topic at hand is indeed true, relevant and workable. That is what contemplation is all about: coming to such a workable conviction.
Contemplative understanding is then the basis for meditation, or applying the workable conviction in daily life, until it becomes second nature, thereby transforming our life.
In this way we progress, step by step, from understanding to natural conviction to application to effortless realization.

It is therefore very, very beneficial to acquire a taste for this type of literature - which is itself often a gradual process. It may seem very dry in the beginning, but once you acquire a taste for a certain aspect of the teachings, you will want to read the entire chapter, and then marvel at the profound logic. Once you have a few of such experiences you will understand that other chapters just "might" contain equally valuable treasures, and slowly acquire a taste for them as well, by reading the text and pondering its profound meaning. Drawing our attention to the parts that we tend to ignore then proves to be the quickest way to true understanding!

This is why it is taught that by these very teachings you come to understand how all of the scripture are instructions for actual practice, and that these teachings cover all stages of the path in their natural sequence. Marvelous! Your intelligence, no matter what your present level, will develop naturally, and soon you will encounter understandings not previously met.

I started out with some attractive chapters or topics, and only much later my curiosity for the other parts of the book developed. And even then it took a while to translate the "script" into recognition in daily life. But now I use it as a reference: when I want to have a more thorough understanding of a certain aspect, I study from this book, by looking at its various parts and looking how it fits into the total picture (or mandala of the teachings).

Once you learn how to acquire a taste for this basic, foundational literature of "lam-rim" (graded path) and "lojong" (mind training), you can soon continue into the wisdom literature of "prajnaparamita" (transcendent perfection of wisdom), "tathagatagarbha" (primordially enlightened disposition), "madyamika" (middle way of no dualistic extreme), "secret mantra" (path of swift accomplishment through deity meditation), "mahamudra" (great seal of ultimate bliss), "dzogchen" (great completion in total awareness), and so on.

This "Lam Rim Chen Mo" belongs to a category of literature that is a direct legacy of Atisha, the great Indian master of the early 11th century, whose student founded the Kadampa school, one of the earliest denominations of Tibetan buddism.
These Kadampa teachings still form the basis of training in all four Buddhist schools and their monastic colleges, each school having its own slight variation in interpretation. Most of these have now been translated in English, so you can choose from among the following:

* Geluk school: the "Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lam Rim Chen Mo)" (subject of the present review) is the classic that belongs to this school;
* Kagyu school: "The Jewel Ornament of Liberation" (ISBN 1559390921) is the famous classic by Gampopa, founder of the Kagyu school, by seamlessly integrating the Kadampa teachings of the gradual path with the Mahamudra teachings of the non-gradual path;
* Sakya school: "The Three Levels of Spiritual Perception" (ISBN 0861713680);
* Nyingma school": "Treasury of Precious Qualities" (ISBN 1570625980) by Jigme Lingpa.

Although each of these four works cover the same main subject, they are not necessarily exactly the same. Which work you choose for study will probably depend on your main spiritual teacher, if you have one.
What I particularly like about the "Lam Rim Chen Mo" in its present English edition, is that the subject is covered in full detail, separated by chapters with clear titles, for easy reference. So it is very suitable as a Western student's manual.

From the Editor's Preface: "The "Lam Rim Chen Mo" has the special feature of blending the three types of persons (those of small, medium, or great capacities) with the three principal aspects of the path (the determination to be free, the spirit of enlightenment, and correct view."

For those of higher capacity this means: travelling from the intent of acquiring a better life in the future; to the intent of liberation from samsara; to the mahayana intent of an open, compassionate heart with sacred outlook and pure vision, in order to liberate all sentient beings.

In this English edition, there are three volumes: the first volume covers the training of small and medium scope; volume two covers the mahayana training of superior scope; of which volume three covers the training in meditative serenity (shamatha) and wisdom insight (vipashyana).

From the Foreword: "Jey Tsongh-kha-pa's "Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment" is one of the greatest religious or secular works in the library of our human heritage. It presents a stunning vision (...) locating the precious jewel of an individual human embodiment at a critical moment of personal evolution. It provides this revelation in such a way that individual readers can be moved to achieve a fundamental paradigm shift in their vision of their lives: from having been a self-centered, this-life-oriented personal agent struggling with the currents and obstacles around them (...) to becoming a magnificent awakening being, soaring (...) in marvelous evolutionary flight toward an unimaginably beautiful destiny of wisdom, love, and bliss - buddhahood, or simply the supreme evolutionary glory attainable by any conscious being.

I like this literature tremendously, because it allows me to understand the foundation of the entire spiritual path, in the context of Tibetan buddhism in particular, but comparatively in the context of many other wisdom traditions and religions as well. Acquiring its taste has provided the condition, for me, for opening into endless study, imagination, reflection, meditation.

The idea for this book came from all the fun, interesting and informative emails Patty had written to us. I'm so glad she listened to Roswell Park and not her husband. Buy it - you will LOVE it!

I read Patty Gelman's book to better understand my mother- in -law's struggle with chemo, I ended up making a friend. You'll finish this book feeling like you just hung up the phone with a treasured girlfriend from college, or from your first job in the City. You know, the one who could always make you laugh.

Patty Gelman leaves you feeling hopeful; about marriage, about having kids, about middle age, without sugar coating a thing.
She's funny, unflinching and funny, and I can't wait till I hear from Patty again.

If one finds themself on Cancer Road personally or because of a loved one, they need to read this book. Patty provides a detailed map on how to cope, laugh, and most importantly...be informed. She revealed so much of what she went through...we had no idea!!! Thanks Patty, for helping others.

Best Lesson....ASK QUESTIONS!!!!
What exactly is this poison going to do to my cancer cells and my body??????

This book is will make you want to hug Patty Gelman or anyone as funny as she is! It makes one feel great about family, friends, and conquering adversity. Patty Gelman is a beautiul writer who portrayed in this book what it means to not take yourself too seriously - a very important lesson for all of us!

This is compulsory reading for anyone who has been touched by breast cancer. It provides a perspective that supports patient, family and friends. It transcends medical application and bridges generations.

I've read many travel books and searched out various resources over the last year, but Thalia's book really hit home with me. She prompts the woman traveller to dilligently question her own motives and to really delve deep into why she wants to travel and how certain aspects of travel may affect a woman's TOTAL well-being. I've answered many questions in my journal and I have to admit I've adjusted my travel plans (for the better) because of Thalia's insightful book.

This book is outstanding. It is about real travel and interaction, not the 9 countries in 13 days type thing. It is very practical, addressing the real problems faced by the solo woman traveler (harassment, cultural attitudes, personal safety issues). It also has the standard advice of what to pack,etc. I appreciate the special aadvice for seeking interaction with other cultures by actually living and working among the local population......travel is much more than what you can see thru the tour bus window.

At last an intelligent, informative, approach to spending time in other countries. Simple promptings to ensure you don't offend the local people, hints on gaining the most from the areas to which you travel and good, sensible logistics info. on packing, booking, travelling etc.

I first bought this book when I was preparing to travel to Europe at 19 - over ten years ago, and my rough worn copy is still a favorite on my shelf.

Chock full of great advice, anecdotes from author Zapatos and women she interviewed, inspirational insights and down to earth tips, A Journey of One's Own is the perfect gift for any woman considering an extended travel adventure - or armchair traveller looking for a new perspective.

This is a wonderful resource. As I read it, I always had a pen in hand, taking notes. I have a plethora of websites, notes, and good tips to take into consideration when planning my three-month trip. She helps you ponder each decision carefully, whether it is to travel solo or with others, where to stay, travel lessons, safety, how to pack light, and traveling for a long period of time. Even though I am not traveling with a partner, I still read the entire book cover to cover. I *highly* recommend this book--I would give it way more than 5 stars if I could. Any woman (even a man would benefit from most of this book) should read this book before traveling.

Jessica Nagler takes the reader on her spiritual journey from Los Angeles, California to the dense rain forests of Costa Rica, onto the hustle and bustle of Guatemala City then deep into the remote Mayan ruins at K'umarcaaj in Guatemala before she somehow finds a path back to Los Angeles. An open-mind is all that's needed as you walk through the pages with Jessica -- her writing style welcomes readers to walk in her shoes as she finds her personal truth. This is a story that contains vivid imagery of travel, adventure, spirituality and determination of the human spirit. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to walk away from your life and set off on an unmapped journey then this book conveys the ups and downs, accomplishments and setbacks of one woman's walk. Review by JoAnna Carey, Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life

I LOVED this book. I read it in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down. Jessica Nagler is great at story telling. Her writing style is excellent. The book is sprinkled with words of wisdom. If you like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho you will LOVE this book. I am positive that this book is headed for the Best Seller's List. This book IS required reading for anyone who has a spiritual interest. IT IS SO ENLIGHTENING AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

From the very first sentence, Nagler leads the reader on a journey that is refreshing and engaging. If read with care, the reader will gain insights that will facilitate his or her own quest. What is crucial here is that the true journey is an inner one. It is not necessary to travel to the jungle to reach past layers of indoctrination and conditioning, but Nagler's story helps.

Laura Ramirez, Author of "Keepers of the Children: Native American Wisdom and Parenting" www.walk-in-peace.com

With all the interest in the Mayan Calendar and the coming changes, Jun Q'anil author Jessica Negler introduces us to a real Mayan Shaman. This is an amazing story and Jessica Nagler's honesty and vulnerability as she shares her sometimes perilous journey is a tribute to the human spirit. We are indeed the ones we have been waiting for, and this story brings this home in a personal - yet universal - manner.
Sunny Ariel, author, Shalom my Love

From the moment I started the first chapter, I felt a sort of peacefulness that I never before experienced from reading a book. Jessica Nagler's courageous journey towards self-awakening is both inspiring and thought provoking. She does what many of us only dream of doing; leaving our familiar life behind in order to find our spiritual path. Her clear and creative writing style enables you to feel the awe, excitement, fears, and revelations she experienced while on her enchanting path towards self-growth. I would (and have) recommend this book to anyone who has expressed any interest in spiritual development.

Utterly and completely charming.
I'd read all her books but had never seen these.
I've returned to them often.

I have read every Moomin book available in English and I loved them all. I decided to get the comic for some children I know. I actually have not read the comic and my review is concerned only with the physical properties of the publication.

I have to say that the book look beautiful and makes a perfect gift. I will order second copy now so I can read it myself. :)

Moominfamily gets bumped around in a world that is much too big and chaotic for anyone to understand. Moomin may be driven into trouble, but his goal in life is beautifully pure: to "live in peace, plant potatoes and dream." While Moomin world may had its start in the books, in this English comic strip, its full richness floats to the surface like cream, and the love put into the art is visible. Tove Jansson's intricate illustrations and lettering are made clear and bold in this volume thanks to the carefully laid out folio.

If you've never heard of Tove Jansson's comic strip "Moomin," you're in for a treat. The title character is a troll, but looks like a hippopotamus. He is a loveable character with a childlike innocence. He tries to be friends with everyone, and like many nice people, doesn't know how to set limits. In the first sequence, he has dozens of friends and family visit him, and are extremely demanding, but he doesn't seem to be able to say no. He then gets a rather smelly friend to drive everyone away, but he eats Moomin's house! We then follow Moomin and his friend Sniff as they search for riches and fame. That's the first of four parts in this collection, and the storylines flow into each other nicely. There's great character development with real pathos, and the art is unique and a pleasure to look at. If you're looking for a comic strip that's different from the ones you typically see in the paper, look no further.

In 1953 the London Evening News began running Moomin comics on a daily basis - and soon the little fantasy animals were published in over 40 papers around the world. Tove Jansson, creator of the strip, drew it for five years and these black and white strips offers her complete Moomin features to delight new and old audiences alike. It's too whimsical and funny to limit to younger audiences, and is reviewed here as a top pick for any general-interest library strong in comics history and illustrator representations.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book has changed my life more dramatically than any other I've read. The amazing part is how fast it works! I've already read it twice and have reluctantly loaned it out to a friend. I tell everyone I know to buy a copy. They make great gifts too. You get more than a book when you learn The One Command, you enter a beautiful and inspiring community.

Asara Lovejoy is incredible!!!! This book has made me look at life in a different way. I can now command what I need or want in my life at any moment. I am able to stop all of the negative chatter that goes on in my head with The One Command. This book and the priceless information inside, allows you to really take a look at your life and figure out where and what you want and change it. The Once Command takes all affirmations to the next level. This book is a MUST if you want to change your life!!!

I received Asara's book The One Command as a gift. I had read The Power of Intention and saw the DVD The Secret but could not bring all this together. The One Command is easy to read and understand. It is truly the "secret" to achieving your heart's desire in all aspects of your life.



This book will change your life and you will want to share this book with all your family and friends.

The information in this book is life changing. Once you begin to apply the One Command you will wonder how you ever managed without it.
If you have any desire to create a better life for yourself on any level this is a must have book!

The One Command takes you where other books and teachings on the Law of Attraction do not tread. Asara Lovejoy has discovered and shares in a clear, concise, step-by-step way, exactly how to bridge the divide between wishing and manifesting - at a speed I did not think possible.

I am absolutely amazed at the simplicity in applying the teachings of The One Command in daily life. More amazing were the positive results that begin to quickly materialize in almost every aspect of my life - personal and professional.

As a business analyst, I measure success by results. I was delighted to discover that The One Command delivers! It is definitely a "must read" if you are serious about learning to generate abundance in all aspects of your life.

Word to the wise - keep an extra copy of The One Command on hand. My experience has been that friends and family will borrow this book and never return it!

Talk about dreams coming true! In "One Little Secret" Ursula Rhoades a suburban housewife and mom has the chance of a lifetime to sing with the great Nik Prevel an awesome rock singer in his own right - son of the great Cristoff Prevelakis who is known as the love ballad king. There's only one small problem Ursula can't seem to tell her husband who is in New York for the summer working on the biggest case of his lawyer career the case that could lead to a senior partnership in his law firm. A dream that Ursula and her husband Don have worked towards all their married life. Yes Ursula had dreams of her own just as we all do. She dreamed of winning a Grammy. But she gave it all up for her husband and children, Victor and Valerie - that is till now.

Who would have thought just one innocent night of standing in for the singer in her son's band would lead to a chance of a lifetime invitation by Nik Prevel who wants to record a CD of love ballads with or without his father's blessing. Ursula agrees after much persuasion to do the project but no one is to know except Nik and his manager Arnie. So she becomes Alexandra Arcano or Alex the mystery woman. Ursula tries all summer to tell her husband but he's so busy they hardly have time for phone conversations. Ursula begins to wonder if God really wants her to tell her husband as something happens everytime she tries. Ursula knows she's lying to her family something she has never done. Deeply religious, all this is tearing Ursula apart.

Wow! the author Allison Bottke does an amazing job on this her second novel the first being "A Stitch in Time" where we first meet Ursula. God is all over this novel! An awesome read for teen girls and adult women alike call it fiction, contemporary fiction or chick-lit this reviewer calls it God's light as this novel has more reference to God than most Christian fiction books I've read in along time and that is so awesome. So find a comfortable chair, maybe some popcorn and sit back and enjoy "One Little Secret" as you won't want to put it down and I promise you'll come away never looking at your own life the same again!

Ursula Rhoades isn't "just" a housewife- she is a gourmet chef with an eye for fashion and a knack for hostessing exquisite events. She is also a faithful wife and mother who is very clear on her priorities, God and family first. Ursula finds herself offered the chance of a lifetime: to record an album with the hottest pop star in the nation- Nik Prevel.

Born into a lifestyle of fame and fortune, Nik is accustomed to getting everything he wants which leaves him feeling strangely empty. It also makes him completely unable to accept Ursula's refusal to work with him. Enter mystery woman Alexandra Arcana... and a secret which will change the lives of Nik, Ursula, and her family forever.

Allison Bottke's novel is a fun indulgence into a lifestyle many of us daydream about. She does a lot of name dropping of designer everything (which is a bit overkill) in the early chapters, but in her defense this sets the tone for a world where image is everything. Central to the storyline are the concepts of sacrifice and gratitude. Ursula reminds women everywhere to never give up on a dream because through God, all things are possible.

If you are a fan of "chick lit" but are looking for a little more spiritual meat, you are guaranteed to enjoy Allison's very delicious One Little Secret. You might even find yourself wanting a second helping!

Ursula Rhodes, last seen in A Stitch in Time, is a regular housewife and mother who's taken the summer off to relax and perhaps even take some opera lessons. Her plans are ruined though when her husband is called away for business and seems to busy to talk to her about his plans. Meanwhile pop star Nik Prevel is looking for a singer who can make an album with him and boost his career. When he hears Ursala's singing at a party, he knows that she's the one. Suddenly the housewife becomes a singing sensation that everyone wants to hear. Mom - lit meets American Idol.

This was a really fun book to read. I enjoyed learning about what goes on in the music industry. Who hasn't had the dream of winning a Grammy? Even if you sing horribly, you always wish that you could be up there singing a duet with your favorite star and then getting rewarded for it. I liked how even though I know that there are negative influences in the music world, this story was able to stay in the positive area. I was proud of Ursula for not backing down with her priorities with Nik. I'm glad that she set down what conditions she was going to follow and not give in to him simply because he was famous. I know that there would have been many women who would have fallen for Nik's advances especially if their husband had been distant like Don. I'm glad that Ursula did not fall prey to him. Although I will admit, I got frustrated that she kept giving in to her family and Don at the end of the book. They keep getting mad at her for keeping a secret yet she didn't seem to explain to them the real reason why she did it. She just kept apologizing when I felt she shouldn't have to. But other than that minor quirk, I really did enjoy this book. Very fun and I learned a lot too! I really loved seeing all the famous celebrities stop by and make little cameos throughout the book. It's more fun than seeing fake names pretending to be stars. They didn't have to interact with the main characters but it was fun to not know who would pop up next. I would love to own a copy of Blissful Love. It sounds like it would be the perfect CD to listen to on a romantic evening or to kick back and relax

Ursula has everything: an upper class lifestyle, a beautiful house, a rich husband, talented children, classic beauty, and she sings opera, to boot--but I like her anyway! A fun read, especially if you're like me and occasionally want to escape to another world. You'll find yourself pulling for Ursula one minute and ready to knock her in the head the next. What a treat! Thanks for the ride, Allison!

"One Little Secret" is fun, fun, fun...and inspirational too! Whether you're going on vacation or you need a little vacation, this is the book to throw in your tote bag. I loved it!
Tracy Klehn, author of "Prayer Starters for Busy Moms" and "Growing Friendships"

We bought this one used from a library and it was worth looking for. A different look for Mercer Mayer -- and a hilarious, surprise-on-every-page story. We like the Typhoonigator the best, especially when he gets full to bursting and then... SPLATTERS slime on the next page. That's a real hoot. This one makes us all laugh -- I love that!

I loved this book, with all the illustrations. I could just sit for hours reading and looking at the pictures of monsters. I plan on reading it to my child someday....

THE OTHER REVIEWERS ARE RIGHT ON. I NEVER LIKED 'WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE' AS A KID & WASN'T TOO INTERESTED IN TRYING ANY OF MAYERS OTHER BOOKS. I'M SO GLAD I RECONSIDERED. WE LOVE THIS BOOK! PRONOUNING SOME OF THE MONSTERS' NAMES TAKES A LITTLE GETTING USED TO, BUT OUR TODDLER LOVES IT SO MUCH, THAT THE NAMES JUST ROLL OFF OUR TONGUES NOW.

Although now in my mid thirties, I still remember the story and illustrations from this book -- my childhood favorite. Now that my friends' children are almost to reading age, I plan to give this book for birthdays and holidays so that others can enjoy the whymsical tale with ornate illustrations.

One of the all time greats. But I was disappointed after ordering a new hardcover copy. It is smaller than the original printing, with the result that the binding cuts across monster faces. Very lame. I am sending it back and ordering a used copy from the original printing.

I've said it in other reviews and I'll say it again--I love everything by Mary Ann Hoberman that I've read. This book is great for reading aloud, is fun and engaging, and has a great message for children (and adults, for that matter)!

My daughter is 14 yr. and this is still her all time favorite book from her childhood. It is beautifully written. When read aloud, the rhymes are truly lyrical. I also love the underlying message re. the life enriching qualities of friendship and sharing. Illustrations are gorgeous, unique and really hold a child's attention. I just ordered three copies to give to friends with younger children.

I got this book from the library for my 2 year old and he absolutely adores it. He asks me to read it all of the time! I have to force him to pick a different book to read (for my sanity). The illustrations are very colorful and just grab his attention. There is a nice rhyme to the story that makes is pleasant to read aloud. This is one that we will definitely be purchasing!

The illustrations are what really sold me on this book and the story is wonderful too. It is one of those rare kids books (much like Maria Kalmans) that combines beautiful art with a sweet story. It is quirky and dear.

This is a great book for children. It teaches sharing and how to make friends. I like this book becuase Oliver learns about how to treat others. He doesn't know what life is like, becuase he has always lived by himself and never talks to any of the people in his town. He has one of everything in his house. He doesn't know that his house was only made for one person until he makes a friend and invites her to his home. Peggoty Small tells Oliver that his home was made for one person and she couldn't live with him.
My favorite character was Peggoty Small. I like her becuase she told Oliver Toliver what she tought. She wasn't afriad to tell him about her feelings, she just told him flat out what she thought. Even though she hurt Oliver's feelings, she old him anyways because she thought he should know the truth. This book teaches kids how to make friends, and how to share what you have with others.