Party The Books

I received this book as a baby gift when my daughter was born. It was my favorite book to read her as an infant, she seemed mesmerized by the bright pictures even when she was only a few months old. The illustrations are bright and beautiful. Now as a toddler, she still loves to read it, making the "shhhh" motion and clapping and giggling at the "suprise" at the end. We own the board book version and even so our pages show a lot of wear. I think this book is so wonderful for babies that I have purchased several copies as baby gifts as well.

I will note, if you're looking for the perfect ABC book to teach your preschooler his/her alphabet, this probably isn't the book you want. The letters are a little curly-que and only capitol letters are shown. However, it a great book for introduction to the alphabet and is very entertaining for children. I also recommend purchasing the board book version on its own (not as part of the set). The board book is much sturdier and the books in the set are a bit more abbreviated in their illustrations--which to me are the best part of this series. Of course the hardcover version has paper pages, which is impractical for a toddler to whom this book is well-suited.

Wonderful book and highly recommended!

i bought this for my 14 month old daughter and she loves it!! although she is a fan of the miss spider tv show too. her big brother, 6 years old reads it to her which i love to see. it is colorful and not too big so i can take it in my bag when we go out and she can hold it herself. nicole

My kids love this engaging abc book. Its artwork is beautiful, and its bug theme is fun. My son learned the whole upper case alphabet (at the age of 3) just from having this book read to him (he wanted it again and again).

Even after almost three years, I still love to read and re-read these books to my girls. David Kirk's artwork is rich and deeply textured and the words are not your usual fare ("K" is for "Katydid"), roll of the tongue, and, in my experience, pique children's interest -- I particularly love introducing my girls to "hummingbirds hide inside irises" and "jumping june bugs kiss katydids" His books are where poetry meets art for the under five set. Added plus: I get a break from chanting "Brown, Bear"! For this alone I am grateful.

This is a great book for a young child. The bright illustrations and the engaging text have kept my son entertained for many months, and he in turn has kept me entertained, as he fandangos with the fireflies, kisses the katydid and laughs with the ladybugs.
At least as important as the entertainment is the fact that at 22 months, my son is learning to recognize the letters of the alphabet and the different sounds that they make, and he has been exposed to words, like fandango, that probably would not have come up in our every day world.

A real eye opener for anyone interested in the future of our country (and the world). This book clearly illustrates how the United States has become the least democratic country in the western world. It is the responsibility of every U.S. Citizen to read this book, something the Democratic and Republican parties do not want you to do. After reading this book, you will know how to make your vote really count!

I don't think the founding fathers had an iron-clad 2 party monopoly based government in mind when this country was founded. In fact in was thought that the most intelligent and creative citizens would volunteer their time and energy to run the government and then return to their real vocation. What a distance we have traveled since those ideas. Robert Roth really tells it like it is, not like we hear it from the political parties. Our government is way out of control, when it cost $40 million to run for a primary in California's gubernatoral race and when big business can buy legislation almost on demand. It's time for change, and Roth's book sheds all the light we need to see how crucial and timely that change is needed. What an extraordinary book he has written and what a must it is for all of us to read it.

For anyone interested in third party politics, this book offers a good snapshot of the Natural Law Party, which, along with the Libertarian, Reform, and Constitution parties stands as one of the "major minors" -- often on the ballot, with a fairly professional operation. That said, much of the book drags, as Roth preaches about NLP views on several issues at great length, and gives short shrift to the party's actual plans for future electoral action. Perhaps silliest -- though most telling about what a minor party must face -- is a lengthy section about the creation and publicity of just one press release.

This is a very humorous and readable indictment of our political process. It manages to clearly present the ways in which our democracy is not in the least democratic, without whining or complaining. It also presents the startling and surprisingly realistic proposals of the Natural Law Party.

Bob Roth has done us all a great service with his highly readable, timely book that offers us a vision of a simple, practical way out of political gridlock and incoherence and into a more harmonious age. The new millennium is upon us. It is time we thought in new millennium terms, not in an obsolete paradigm that is bringing us down. Bravo for this book and the courage and promise it holds.

This is one of my son's favorite books. He's a huge dinosaur lover and I remember reading him this book all the time...still brings it out now and then. If you have a dinosaur lover, you'll love this book.

We first found this book at the library and found ourselves checking it out time and time again. My daughter is two and a half, though she first fell in love with this book right around the time she turned two. After months of checking it out, I decided it was time to buy our own copy.

It's full of clever rhymes and ideas about dinosaurs and lots of dinosaur identification in a fun way. The pictures are great and the words are even better. Boys and girls alike would enjoy this. My daughter knows all the words to it now, but I still enjoy reading it to her frequently.

My 5 yr. old son bought this book with his allowance as one of the "recommendations" from Amazon. I love reading it to him as much as he loves having it read to him. He's a HUGE dinosaur fan and loves to rhyme so this book is right up his alley. We highly recommend it!!

This book is amazing. The pop-ups are incredible, I can't believe how great it really is!
My 4 yr old daughter is really into dinosaurs, so this was one of her B-day presents. She loves to look at the pop-ups. But the T-rex scared her the first time she saw it. Now she loves it.

My 4 yr old loves this book. It has great rhymes, and nice pictures. It's just a really fun book!

My older children read this book to themselves and were not impressed, BUT when I read it outloud with a british accent they were mesmerized. It's now one of our favorites. The pictures are delightful. Now my five year old is a Redwall fan too!

If you like Brian Jacques' Redwall series of stories, then you will like The Great Redwall Feast. As a picture book, it provides colorful, concrete images of characters that you have seen in your imagination. You'll see the mice, moles, hedgehogs, hares, and other animals prepare a surprise feast for their Abbot of Redwall. Without the violence that is characteristic of the Redwall stories, it is well suited for young children. But it is a fun book for older children too, and even adults (like me).

This book shows the talent of Chris Denise. Being the cover illustrator of the American Redwall books, he shows his work again in this very neat picture book. All the animals are so cute in this book, like hamsters, and it shows you how they prepare, what to prepare, and what to do in the abbey feasts. I recommend this book for all ages.

Fabulous illustrations occupy most of the page in this 64-page poem of 101 six-lined stanzas with an AACBBC rhyming scheme. The story incorporates many of the series' favorite characters, including Matthias and Cornflower, and depicts not only the preparations of a wonderful Redwall feast by hares and mice and otters, but includes a riddle as well.

This book is really beautiful and should be read aloud.

I bought this book because my oldest son (5 years old) saw a part of the Redwall series on PBS. He loved it but the book series is too old for him yet. This book is a great introduction! The pictures are gorgeous and the language and imagery are exquisite. I highly recommend this book and I hope there will be more like it!

Al-Saadiq brings it again...........another 5 star read! He is one helluva writer. 6 part series.....this is definitely "classic urban lit". I always said I would never re-read any book, but after reading his books, I changed my mind, this is one author that I will gladly re-read and keep every one of his books. Al-Saadiq...if you are reading this.....keep bringing it!!!!

Bang-Man you have done it again!Psst! With Cash dead he still lives in his two sons Mir and Mad.This is the 5th book B on my shelf Man. I think everyone should purchase all your books for themselves,cause you keep it real. And THANKS for the head- up on Suave and Sincere (Sincerely yours).Bring on the Major!PSST!

al-saadiq out did his self in block party 2. just waiting on his next book.

Al-saadiq Banks is fast becoming my favorite author. This book was so good I read it in one sitting. The characters make you love and hate them and also sad to see them go. I hope the next installment is on the way. Mr Banks you are the BOMB!!!

I am a great fan of this author. I mean really I have read every book. I have to say this ending is not the best.Talk about fairytale ending.. Blockparty 2 was alright,not his best. But this book is still better than some others authors. I would still recommend this book,because you need to have all his books in your collection.

What it comes to Christian mothering help (with the right touch of humor) Jean Stockdale is by far the BEST! Biblical principals, much needed empathy, and large doses of humor make her entire teachning series a hit with me. I'm on my 2nd teaching book and I actually enjoy & look forward to doing my homework. I have learned so much.

There is so much advice on how to be a good mother. Jean Stockdale teaches that it is impossible to be a good mom without being a godly mom. What our children need are mommas who are walking in the Spirit, submitted and obedient to the Lord. How do we do that? Jean makes it clear - become a faithful student of the Word of God. There is no other way! God used this book to radically change the way I study and apply God's Word to my role as a wife and mother.

Jean Stockdale has truly changed my life and the way that I mother my two girls. She has so much wisdom and provides so much insight on how to raise Godly children. She is also very practical on how to handle such things as sibling rivalry, discipline, and releasing your children one day to go into the real world. I have learned so much from her. I recommend this book VERY much. You will be blessed.

Jean Stockdale is such a Godly example of what a mom should be. I love how Jean incorporates her own life experiences as a mom as well as God's word to teach. I recommend this to any mom or expectant mom. It is very insightful and uplifting.

The author's sense of humor from her own experiences as a mom mixed with truths from God's Word make it an easy read. She shows how relevant and applicable the Word is to our every day lives as moms. She teaches how important it is to be a student of God's Word and how to pass that on to your "built-in disciples". Even those times you feel exhausted as a mother, she shows you how to run your race well and to finish strong. Excellent study! Would highly recommend to all moms!!!

Ida Mae Tutweiler is pleasantly surprised to learn her oldest and dearest friend Jane is coming to town for a visit. In preparation, Ida Mae places her heirloom china tea set on the table, puts the water on the stove and even finds a few cookies to share. The scene is set for a relaxing catch-up session between two unlikely pals. But when Jane arrives, she brings tragic news, and Ida Mae's life is never the same.

Ida Mae is a woman of her time -- which to the modern reader feels incredibly homespun and old-fashioned. Her personality is offered in snippets of journal entries and first person narratives, which provide a history of broken hearts and haughty relatives.

Jane, on the other hand, is flamboyant and fresh. She's an actress with a flair for entrances and exits, but one who hasn't let celebrity cloud her understanding of real friendship. Even her poor decision-making skills are endearing and understandable. However, her decision to enjoy one last tea party with her more steadfast counterpart is a wise one, and gives this tender story a glimpse at the unbreakable bond of their friendship.

Ginnie Siena Bivona has a gift for using all the reader's senses. Close your eyes and feel the old South emerge in this tale. Listen for the strains of Billie Holiday coming from the parlor. Feel the warmth of the summer sun on your skin. Hear the sound of children's feel slapping against the wood floor. Taste the sweet
jam slathered on homemade scones.

"Ida Mae Tutweiler and the Traveling Tea Party" is a simple, charming little yarn, delicate as a crocheted lace doily. Bivona's writing is crisp and fast-paced, and her storytelling skills will invoke long-forgotten memories of how good a cup of tea with friends can taste at the end of an afternoon.

Ida Mae is the kind of book most men will avoid like the covers are radioactive. That's unfortunate because Ginnie Bivona reveals a great truth all men should be aware of but never seem to understand. The relationships between women who call one another friends is deeper and more profound than any all us ole hairy legs ever know. The feelings expressed by her two leading characters is the kind most men would refer to as weepy and that because we're generally about as shallow as a water dipper when it comes to such things. If you're one of the male type animals and want to get some heavy duty insight into the female mind set you need to read this book. The rest of you already understand the message, but the beauty of the package makes it well worth the trip. Brew up a pot of Earl Grey and curl up and let your emotions go. It'll do you a world of good and you'll recommend it to all your friends.

A charming story of love, passion, friendship, and the mourning of things past. This book should preserve the tea party as a wonderful tradition among "proper" ladies, and will hopefully encourage all women not to neglect health issues that impact their lives. A super first novel for a published author and editor. How will Ginnie top this?

I do hope Ms. Bivona has a signing in Atlanta. I would love to visit with one who can write about friends, friendship and life the way she does. Ida Mae shares her existence, her life and her experiences of everyday living with you. Ida Mae is always true to herself, even with her self-doubts. Jane, her lifelong friend, leaves town as soon as she can to make for herself an interesting life, but keeps coming back to her taproot of living, Ida Mae. From grade school best friends throughout forever-best friends, Ida Mae and Jane let us touch the textures of friendship. Ida Mae and Jane are two very different, very tough, common sense women, each in her own way. They believe that one makes a decision, lives with it and if it needs to be changed, then change it and move through. To make the ritual of afternoon teas be warp and fill for the fabric of life is to have great mastery; Ms. Bivona does a wonderful job. This story about friendship is different from any that I have ever read. The friendship-bond story can be over used; Ms. Bivona did anything but.

IDA MAE TUTWEILER & HER TRAVELING TEA PARTY is about women: mothers and daughters, sisters, friends. This book will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it certainly will make you think. Ultimately, the story distills to a psalm showcasing the power of love, set against the ritual of an old-fashioned tea party. Author Ginnie Bivona even includes some lovely recipes for the readers' own teas.

My 4 and 5 year olds love Junie B. Jones. This is the first chapter book on cd we have purchased and they love it! They listen to it while they are going to bed at night. They even tell me which chapter they were on when they fell asleep:) Great buy!

Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

I love all of Barbara Parks books about Junie B. Jones. I think they should make a movie of this book. I think this is the funniest of all the Junie B.books. If you have a little girl who loves to read or be read to, I cannot recommend all of the Junie B. books enough.

Would make a great addition to any Easter basket! This book is a little better than cheater pants!

My daughter has the whole collection she love keeping up with Junie B. I have not read a book in it's entire but from what I've read she is a very curious, funny little girl. I recommend this book and all the others also. My daughter was hooked after the 1st Barbara Parks books and althought she is older now she still cracks up laughing when reading. Totaling entertaining!

After more than 25 books, Barbara Park's series about a very loquacious first grader with a vocabulary far beyond her age (and the writing ability to go with it) is still going strong. So I suspended my disbelief and read JUNIE B., FIRST GRADER: DUMB BUNNY to my six-year-old.

In this adventure, the rich girl in class, Lucille, invites everyone over to her mansion to participate in an over-the-top Easter Egg Hunt that will result in a play date in Lucille's heated indoor swimming pool. Lucille wants her boyfriend Sheldon to win, but Junie B. and her arch-nemesis May (the original "dumb bunny" in the title until Junie B. gets something of a comeuppance later on) are ready to pounce, pound and scrabble their opponents in order to get a dip in that grand pool.

There is a lot of falling down and Batman-type expletives (WHOOSH! SMASH!), and the kids are none too nice to each other until Junie B., in a sudden acknowledgment of good judgment, makes a quick and well-appreciated sacrifice to save the day. We laughed at some of the pratfalls, and Lucille's annoyed Nanna character was amusing as well. Junie B. shares the stage with a lot of different people, but she is clearly the star of the show, the story told from her point of view.

Whether humiliated in a pink bunny suit or gloating over her lack of selfishness, Junie B. thinks in capital letters with lots of exclamation points and writes in her journal about what she has learned. The journal entries are cute and engaging, and spell out the moral of the story without being too pointed, which we appreciated.

If this is your first Junie B. foray, it might be helpful to go back and read some of the earlier books first to relax into her strange environment. Otherwise, DUMB BUNNY certainly will offer fans of the series more of what they have come to expect from this little girl and her friends.

--- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano

My daughter love this series. It's a little hard for me to read due to the poor grammar and name calling. Let's face it though most first graders have poor grammar. There are worse things that she could be reading. We have all of these books and they are well loved.

This book has a great variety of 9 1/2" blocks (9 inch finished). If you wanted to make a block a different size you'd have to redraft it. Many beginning and intermediate piecing classes teach students to make a sampler from 9" blocks. This book is a natural next step to continue adding to one's repertoire without having to experiment with too-tiny pieces. An excellent book for different sized blocks is "Around the Block with Judy Hopkins". I found it to be a good companion to "Block Party".

Pages contain information about 9" blocks. This includes a finished picture of the block, a graphed block, Rotary cutting instructions of fabric colours and sizes, assembly of the units within the block and shaded optional variations of finished block assemblies. The next section includes different considerations involved in designing your own quilt. Lastly there are detailed pictures and instructions for construction of the projects offered. This is a fantastic reference book for beginners and designers.

A great book with very clear instructions and diagrams. Good reference book for making a variety of different large or small scale quilts.

I am the Block of the Month Coordinator of my quilt guild. I bought this book to help with ideas for BOM. I was NOT dissappointed!! I have ideas for the next 2 years!! I have ideas for quilts to make for family, friends and myself! I LOVE this book! It has suggestions on layouts, different shadings on each block not just one layout, it has different projects in the back. It is WELL worth the money and also a GREAT gift for the quilter who might have everything but you want to buy a gift for. Any quilter will enjoy this book!!!

I found this book helpful because it gives you an idea how a block looks with other blocks like it, or other kinds of blocks. It also gives you an idea how different color(lt, med, dark) choices would look in the same block.

This is an excellent and hillarious poetry book. I used to work in an elementary school library. The kids would love it when I would read it out loud to them. This also makes a good oral language book. My own kids love it as well. The pictures are great.

I teach kindergarten and my students picked out this book for me to read to them during snack time and I fell in love. Now it's one of their favorite and I have it memorized. I'm buying one through amazon to have at home to read to my own son. Not only is the text funny, flowing, and interesting... but the illustrations are absolutely hilarious! My students love to act out the pictures and point and laugh at pigs in their underpants and a cow tied down to train tracks. Did I mention that I love this book?

We checked this book out from the library and it has become one of the top ten requested reads from my daughters (4 & 2-years old), so we've decided to purchase a copy.

Not only are the story and rhymes great, but the pictures are incredible for playing "I spy". "I spy a pig in a kilt! Who else spies him?" There's alot of action and detail, so it's a lot more than just a good reading book or a great picture book.

I think this book should be on the book shelf of every kid!!

David McPhail's art work is reason alone to buy this book but the story is an added delight! I highly recommend all of his books, but this one in particular. Children will love it as well as adults!

I happened to catch an episode of PBS's Read Between the Lions, which highlighted this book. I thought it was cute and picked up a paperback version at the bookstore when my daughter was still a baby. My daughter loved it. It was one of those books that ended up being a repeat bedtime book and she still enjoys it today. Of course, the paperback version started to wear and tear, so I went to Amazon to find it in hard cover. We will keep the book until she has kids of her own to read it to.