Characters Books

I am an elementary teacher and I use these books in my class to supplement our Character Ed program (which isn't the greatest). My students love the Little Miss and Mr. Men books. I have to keep them behind my desk and let them "check them out" like library books or they fight over them. The are excellent to use in a pinch if you have a book that pertains to a problem that has developed in class (especially rudeness or bossiness). It is easy to read the book and have a quick class chat about what is going on. I highly recommend all of the books for anyone who teaches, home schools, or children in general. They are a great asset.

Like the rest of the Mr. Men and Little Miss books, this book is adorable! My son loves it!

MY son absolutley loves when we read this book!! He loves to pretend he is Mr. Noisy himself and clomp around the room as I read to him!!

I enjoyed the Mr. Men books as a child and was pleased to see they had been republished now that I have a 4 year old son of my own. Mr. Noisy is the best of the bunch, in my mind. It's great fun to get loud with Mr. Noisy and SCREAM REAL LOUD THAT I'D LIKE A PIECE OF MEAT. And it is just as much fun to whisper - something Mr. Noisy tries for once in his life to good result. Get in character and have some great fun reading this book with your kids!

I've bought a few of the Mr. Men books for my son as I grew up reading them when I was his age, growing up in the UK. I find that a lot of the really good children's books are 10, 15, and 30 years old. A lot of the new books are books about nothing. Nobody gets offended but the tree that died to produce a boring inferior work. Anyway....
Mr. Noisy is a really noisy person (a big round red blob with hands, feet and eyes) who is rude to Mr. Butcher and Mrs. Baker (who are an item??;)). They then get together and conspire to change Mr. Noisy's rude and noisy ways by simply pretending they are deaf. After going to bed hungry (and with a little more encouragement) Mr. Noisy changes his brash ways and everyone is happy. Don't you love those happy endings?!

Desiree Shapiro, a Manhattan PI who loves food, throws her niece Ellen a bridal shower with Allison Lynton, mother of the groom, at Silver Oaks Country Club. Unfortunately Bobbie Jean, Allison's sister-in-law, takes a few bites of her green salad and keels over.

Desiree believes this to be a homicide and begins investigating. She discovers many people didn't get along well with Bobbie Jean. Bobbie Jean had stolen many fiances and husbands over the years. The suspect list keeps growing and changing.

Allison's husband Wes, Bobbie Jean's brother, has a tough time accepting her death. This adds to the tension in the family.

A new love interest starts calling Desiree. This makes it quite difficult, at times, for her to concentrate on the investigation.

Unfortunately Chief Porchow has set his sights on one suspect, and Desiree has to speed up her investigation before they arrest an innocent woman. She also finds Chief Porchow is not very receptive to her help and information. But, narrowing down the suspect list is not an easy task.

Desiree is the type of PI I'd want to hire if I ever needed one. She is very down-to-earth and loves food. We get to know her strengths and weaknesses in this series. She is a three-dimensional character. She also has a great relationship with Ellen -- who is a character in her own right.

The society ladies that Desiree investigates are very realistic. It is easily believed that they could be hiding something and adds to the overall mystery.

At the end of this book is a tasty new recipe for Desiree's Wild Mushroom Croustades. Food is a big focus in this series.

This cozy is one of my favorite series. I highly recommend this book. When you read one book, you'll want to read the whole series.

Plus-size Manhattan private eye, Desiree Shapiro, may be scrimping on luxury items for herself, but when she learns about her absolute favorite - and only - niece, Ellen's upcoming wedding, Desiree does the unthinkable...she breaks the bank and gets together with the mother of the groom-to-be, Mike, to throw a fabulous bridal shower to ring in the special occasion. Making arrangements at Connecticut's extravagant Silver Oaks Country Club, Desiree keeps things under wraps in an attempt to surprise Ellen. And surprised she is. For amongst the lavishly laden table full of scrumptious treats lies a killer salad that literally does Ellen's aunt-to-be, Bobbie Jean, in. Having known the woman for an extremely brief time, Desiree is clueless as to why someone would want to do Bobbie Jean harm. However, when Mike hires her to investigate the woman's death, Desiree can't say no. After all, they're practically family, and she doesn't want to rock the boat before he and Ellen have said "I do." Contrary to popular belief, Desiree instantly learns that Bobbie Jean was not the saint that Mike and his father may have believed her to be. Quite the opposite in fact. Upon digging up the dirt, Desiree actually learns that Bobbie Jean was an extremely manipulative woman who was hated by many for various scandalous reasons - namely the fact that she was an adulterer and a home-wrecker who left many women without spouses and in tears. The police, however, are not as convinced as Desiree that Bobbie Jean's death was a homicide, and refuse to treat it as such until they get their lab reports back. But Desiree refuses to wait. Dragging her dimpled behind through the streets of Manhattan, and all the way out to Connecticut various times, the pudgy PI begins interrogating her four prime suspects - Carla and Robin Fremont, Lorraine Corwin, and, worst of all, Mike's own mother, Allison Lynton. The process is slow-going, considering each woman appeared to hold a very strong grudge against the deceased, but Desiree is determined to solve the crime no matter how long it takes. After all, aside from some canceled dates with the irresistibly nerdy, Nick Grainger, who just happens to occupy an apartment in Desiree's building, as well as hold a place in her heart, Desiree doesn't have much to do on a Saturday night. And, if she plans on reviving her love life, she'll have to first muddle through her awaiting case before making dates that will undoubtedly leave her mind somewhere else. But as Desiree navigates through the world of love and death, she begins to find clues leading to a suspect she hoped would escape without a mark on her record. Now, however, Desiree must gather as much evidence as possible to convict her for the crime, otherwise a seemingly innocent women will be thrown in jail by the hare-brained police who refuse to look deeper into the mystery at hand.

As a die-hard fan of the portly Desiree Shapiro, as well as an avid Food Network watcher, I instantly knew that MURDER CAN RAIN ON YOUR SHOWER would be scrumptious - and it was just that. As always, Desiree's signature self-deprecating humor is at an all-time high; while her adventures out of city limits through bad weather, bad food, and bad company are not only humorous, but original, and laugh-out-loud funny, as well. While Ellen is quite often featured within the pages of the Shapiro novels, Selma Eichler made her a much more prevalent character in this particular installment, most likely because it's her bridal shower where the murder takes place, which was extremely enjoyable. Ellen is such a fun character, whose freak-out sessions really illustrate a vulnerability in her character, making her even more appealing; while her penchant for shoveling tons of food into her tiny frame makes you green with envy. The supporting characters in this particular installment are also quite enchanting - in a semi-evil way. Eichler has created four society ladies whom you absolutely love to hate. Each one is privy to her own quirks and feelings regarding Bobbie Jean's death, which makes it impossible for the reader to solve the mystery on their own; while their ability to remain so passive over the woman's death is not only surprising, but extremely convincing to the reader, as we attempt to navigate through this sordid world of money, scandals, cheating, false accusations, and so much more. Eichler has certainly outdone herself with this Shapiro novel, not only crafting a delightful, hard-to-solve mystery, but inserting a gem of a recipe - Desiree's Wild Mushroom Croustades - as well. A mouthwatering addition!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Selma Eichler continues to write good mysteries involving this plus-size detective who is comfortable with herself and her love of food.

In this one, Desiree is helping her niece Ellen plan her wedding at a posh country club. When one of the guests keels over dead, Desiree is asked by Ellen's fiancee to look into the matter.

Despite the snobbery of the society ladies and bogus clues galore, Desiree manages to solve the crime.

If you like a cozy mystery with a little meat on its bones, be sure to check out this Desiree Shapiro mystery. You'll be sure to read the rest.

Ok, so it isn't exactly a *love affair* but I adore Selma Eichler's books. I'm currently reading my way through all her books and with my busy schedule I only have time to read before bed each night. Thank you Ms. Eichler for giving me that *something to look forward to* each day.

Desiree Shapiro, a Manhattan PI who loves food, throws her niece Ellen a bridal shower with Allison Lynton, mother of the groom, at Silver Oaks Country Club. Unfortunately Bobbie Jean, Allison's sister-in-law, takes a few bites of her green salad and keels over.

Desiree believes this to be a homicide and begins investigating. She discovers many people didn't get along well with Bobbie Jean. Bobbie Jean had stolen many fiances and husbands over the years. The suspect list keeps growing and changing.

Allison's husband Wes, Bobbie Jean's brother, has a tough time accepting her death. This adds to the tension in the family.

A new love interest starts calling Desiree. This makes it quite difficult, at times, for her to concentrate on the investigation.

Unfortunately Chief Porchow has set his sights on one suspect, and Desiree has to speed up her investigation before they arrest an innocent woman. She also finds Chief Porchow is not very receptive to her help and information. But, narrowing down the suspect list is not an easy task.

Desiree is the type of PI I'd want to hire if I ever needed one. She is very down-to-earth and loves food. We get to know her strengths and weaknesses in this series. She is a three-dimensional character. She also has a great relationship with Ellen -- who is a character in her own right.

The society ladies that Desiree investigates are very realistic. It is easily believed that they could be hiding something and adds to the overall mystery.

At the end of this book is a tasty new recipe for Desiree's Wild Mushroom Croustades. Food is a big focus in this series.

This cozy is one of my favorite series. I highly recommend this book. When you read one book, you'll want to read the whole series.

The Clue of the Leaning Chimny is a book filled with adventure!!
It all starts with a man in a raincoat and stolen potery. Then a
friend asks Nancy to investigate his missing friends. Can Nancy solve a clue,and wrap up both cases? Read The Clue of the Leaning Chimny and find out!!!!!

When I first read this book I couldn't put it down.It was sointeresting and excitable.All the time I couldn't wait to read whatwould happen next.I would encourage anyone who is interested in mysteries and detective novels to read this book, as this is one of the best book I have ever read.

in this exiting mystery nancy tries to locate a missing vase wich is in dick miltons pottery shop.this vase is very rare and the only way dick thinks he can pay mr.soong,the owner of the vase,back is to locate a clay pit near a leaning chimney.while nancy is searching for the leaning chimney she finds a bording house that has one and when nancy goes in one of the rooms of the bording house to investinate she sees a man enter a secret panel in a closet nancy goes in the secret panel and finds it leadsto the next doors house attic.the man nancy saw eneter the attic escaped but when exploring the attic she finds a lot of rare pottrty vases in the attic!!!!!latter on nancy and bess and george go in the woods to investigate to see if they can find the right leaning chimney which they belive it is in the woods because a professor told them something about remenbering a leaning chimney and the girls soon find out that there is a leaning chimney in that area!the way nancy solves the mystery of the missing vases and the fake imitations of vases is exiting.expesially when nancy and mr.soong go to the leaning chimney to find out if mr.soongs friends which went missing five years before are being held prisinor there.

This book is really really good. Instead of a 5 star rating it deserves a 10 star rating. I could not put this book down. It was so bad that my reading teacher had to yell at me to pay attention and stop reading.I read this book in one day because I could not put it down. It was like my eyes were glued to the pages. My friend was doing a book report and she needed a book, she never ever reads so i was like just take this one and she finished it in one day also! The whole collection of Nancy Drew's book are like this, they are all really good,at least a 4.5 rating for all of them.I have only 30 books of the collection and I am still going, I am trying to finish the whole series, Carolyn Keene won't let you down, when it comes to a good book.Ths book is really, really good and i have nothing bad to say about it! Now since my friend read "The Clue of the leaning Chimney," she has asked her mom to get the rest of the collection. This book has action,laughs,thrillers, and much much more. Anyone who reads this review should believe me and get this 5 star rating book!

This review concerns the original 1949 edition as well as the edited 1967 edition which has a plot similar to the original. Bess' cousin Dick asks for Nancy's help when a valuable, old, oriental vase that was on display is stolen from his pottery shop. He also tells Nancy about a pit of china clay that is supposed to be located somewhere around River Heights near a leaning chimney. The clay is used in making fine pottery and could make Dick wealthy if he could find it. Finally, the owner of the stolen vase, Mr. Soong, seeks Nancy's help in finding his missing friend and the man's daughter, who came to America a few years previous, but disappeared before they arrived at Mr. Soong's. This is certainly one of the more interesting books of the Nancy Drew series. The book quickly grabbed my attention and managed to hold it until the final page, which I can really only say happened with about 1/3 of the books in the series. There is quite a bit of action in the book and the writing is very good, at least in the original edition; unfortunately, in most of the revised editions the writing has been dumbed down. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end and I think that most Nancy Drew fans would place this one on their Best Of the Series lists.

Outstanding service. Book was in better than expected condition.

This is not a story, it's an informational book about Nancy Drew. Everythin in it is factual and it even shares a few mysteries of the life of Nancy Drew. I recomend this book to any mystery fan, ND fan, or the curious reader.

...and other fascinating background trivia for the queen-of-teen-sleuth buffs! I'm not a true Nancy Drew fan, I'm a bookseller with a mercenary interest in the vintage teenage sleuth, but this book almost made me a believer! The author approaches her subject matter with the infectious enthusiasm of the true fan, and delves into carefully guarded mysteries of secret ghostwriter identities, Riverview's true location, and other gems of trivia too numerous to cite, with a determination and verve Nancy herself would be proud of! Fun to read, captivating, and informative to the collector and bookseller alike! (and by the way, the writing is adult-level, not 4-8 yrs., as the description implies!)

What a fun read! I loved seeing all the old pictures, and was amazed by the "behind the scenes" intrigue of the Nancy Drew publishing syndicate. Plunkett-Powell really tracked down the many Carolyn Keenes, in true "sleuth style." Anyone who ever stayed up late reading their Nancy Drews with a flashlight under the covers will absolutely love this book.

This was the best and most well-researched book I've ever read about Nancy Drew. Not only does Ms. Plunkett-Powell "introduce" us to the REAL Carolyn Keene -- Mildred Wirt Benson -- but she gives us a history of how the idea for Nancy Drew was born and some of the politics involved in it for Wirt when Stratmeyer died and his daughter, Harriet, took over everything and tried to control too much of the writing. We learn which NDs weren't written by Wirt, and how much of the writing was changed as well as the covers.

She tells collectors how to know the worth of their stash. She goes through each of the characters and their start with the series. She even talks about the TV show and MOVIES in the 1930s that were made -- more for the fun of it than to truly showcase the books. Info about Russell Tandy, the illustrator of the early books and the first to design covers, also is described.

She hasn't forgotten anything. It's truly a work of genius for the Nancy Drew collector, a "must have" for all of us!

I became introduced, and subsequently hooked on the Wolfe books through watching the A & E series a few years ago. While I own all of them I have thus far only managed to get through half of them. As I began reading the books I thought to myself if ever a series begged for a cookbook it was this one, and, much to my delight, there was one.

I recieved the cookbook as a present and have thouroughly enjoyed cooking meals from it. I have yet to make some of the more adventurous dishes such as the Starlings, Grouse (raised on fresh huckleberries), and turttle soup; due both to lack of fund$ and lack of supply. However, I have enjoyed making both the melon and crab salads. As well, I highly recomend Wolfe's Onion soup [especially if you have a cold], Cornbread Griddlecakes, Spareribs and Cassoulet all are delicous and finger-licking good. I warn you now the Nero Wolfe Cookbook is not for those who are on a diet Atkins or otherwise, the character of Wolfe is not known for his sveltness and, besides his relatively sedentary lifestyle, his epicurean nature is a clear indication as to why.

Inserted througout the cookbook are but a minutia of the plethora of food references found throughout Stout's, arguably most successful, series. These mouth watering recipes and qoutes make the cook/reader want to go and read more of the books to see what else Wolfe ate which in turn makes you want to go make more of the food because the books are so detailed about what is served. My only reget in reading this book is that Stout did not publish a second volume of Wolfe's dishes since readers of the series are left wanting more of the recipes to Wolfe's great feasts

If you are a fan of Nero Wolfe, then this is the book for you. REAL recipes used in the stories, the recipes that Fritz Brenner and Nero Wolfe cook with and sometimes fight over, while Archie Goodwin just sits down and enjoys it all. With a forward by Fritz, the book has everything from how to make the pie crust (for the many pies)to griddle cakes (which Archie loves). It even has Nero Wolfe's salad dressing!
ENJOY!

"I beg you not to entrust these dishes to your cook unless he is an artist. Cook them yourself, and only for an occasion that is worthy of them. They are items for an epicure, but are neither finicky nor pretentious; you and your guests will find them as satisfying to the appetite as they are pleasing to the palate. None is beyond your abilities if you have the necessary respect for the art of fine cooking - and are willing to spend the time and care which an excellent dish deserves and must have. Good appetite!"

The above quote from the account one of Nero Wolfe's first investigations ("Too Many Cooks," 1937) serves as one of several introductory notes to this compilation of recipes from Rex Stout's famous mystery series involving the New York epicurean, orchid lover and heavy-weight detective whose exploits have long become as indelible a part of literary history as those of Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Lord Peter Wimsey. And the quote not only sums up to perfection Wolfe's view of the meals served in his house; it also - consequently - provides a taste of the approach one should adopt in using this cookbook. For unlike many other literature-related recipe collections, "The Nero Wolfe Cookbook" need not rely on a great many third-party sources to determine what the great detective might have consumed; a key part of the mysteries themselves are the descriptions of Wolfe's meals, and Wolfe's (as well as his Swiss chef Fritz Brenner's) attitude towards food in general.

All of the recipes presented here were initially developed by chef Michael S. Romano and tested personally by Rex Stout and "New Yorker" food critic Sheila Hibben. And it's all there, from Eggs au Beurre Noir, griddle cakes, and apricot omelet to Fritz Brenner's various duck, duckling, and pork dishes, Wolfe's "relapses," and even the complete menu served by Fritz on the occasion of the annual Ten for Aristology dinner in "Poison a la Carte:" Blinis with Sour Cream (of course without the fatal dose of arsenic someone had added, to Fritz's eternal horror and shame, to one of the guests' plates!), Green-Turtle Soup, Flounder Poached in White Wine, Mussel and Mushroom Sauce, Roast Pheasant, Suckling Pig, Chestnut Croquettes, Salad with Devil's Rain Dressing and Cheese. As you would expect with cuisine as refined as this (and given that we're talking, after all, about the culinary arts of the early and mid-20th century), not all ingredients are easy to track down or even still available; turtles being the obvious example - and frankly, I don't quite share Wolfe's predilection for such things as starlings and marrow dumplings, either. But even foregoing those recipes, there are plenty of others to try your hand at, and to get a flavor of the culinary delights that fueled Wolfe's and his "legman" and chronicler Archie Goodwin's investigations.

In addition to the recipes, the book is lavishly garnished with quotes and excerpts from Rex Stout's - err, excuse me, Archie Goodwin's - narrations, providing the context in which individual dishes were served, as well as an array of photographs by renowned photo artists such as Norman and Lionel Wurts, Roy Perry, Samuel Gottscho, Andreas Feininger, John Muller, and Bernice Abbot; displaying the New York of the 1930s through the 1950s (by many considered the city's golden years, and the heyday of Wolfe's and Archie Goodwin's career), with brownstones like Wolfe's on West 35th Street and other fashionable residences (seen both from outside and inside), 5th Avenue, the Financial District and Times Square, the Empire State Building, Central Park and other green spots, Madison Square Garden, Fulton and other markets, the Staten Island Ferry, Grand Central and Penn Stations, and New York restaurants of various degrees of elegance and refinement. Thus, this is much more than "just" a cookbook - in fact, it's an introduction to Wolfe's entire world and style of life; tastefully uniting the essence of Archie Goodwin's manifold accounts in a single volume.

"I have not a great hope that many people will eat superior meals because they buy this book and use it," cautions Fritz Brenner in his own foreword. "The facts about food and cooking can be learned and understood by anyone with good sense, but if the feeling of the art of cooking is not in your blood and bones the most you can expect is that what you put on your table will be mangeable. ... But I do not think this book will make your food any the worse. At least it should help with some of the facts." And that, after all, is plenty already, I think. So savor, enjoy, and, in Wolfe's words - good appetite!

A wonderful companion to the Nero Wolfe experience, but the recipes are not for the inexperienced cook. We started with the baked scallops and were delighted, but there are several steps and you can screw up easily if you lack the right equipment or skills.

The excerpts are sly and the pictures are endearing. We wouldn't have minded a few images of the entrees, but the photos of period New York gently blur the line between fiction and reality, as does the whole book itself.

Buy this one if you are Wolfe obsessive, or (much better) if you can cook. But beware! Wolfe's tastes reflect a complete disregard for his health, so butter, eggs, and cream are in every second dish. A few call for ingredients you can't get (turtle meat, for example), but most rely on a short litany of spices and vegetables on top of easily found meats and fishes.

You will never really be able to have Fritz come visit your kitchen, but it's fun to imagine him watching over your shoulder, or peeking into your dining room, as you savor what might have been his own cooking (if you're chef enough, that is).

(Oh, our copy lacked the last page of the index, and it appears to be a printing, rather than binding error. Annoying, but we've given it 5 stars anyway.)

Yes, like the previous two reviews stated, this is a MUST for Rex Stout aficionados, but also for those interested the period. There are very nice photographs showing New York and the various locales mentioned in the books. I particularly enjoyed the pics of the brownstones like the one owned by Nero Wolfe and inhabited by Archie Goodwin, Theodore Horstman, Fritz Brenner and Nero Wolfe.

It appears that Ms. Monfredo's books are no longer in print, which is a true shame. I generally have no use for historical fiction, but she takes great pains to try to have the facts in a row. One of the things I like best is the encyclopedia-type entries in the back of the books detailing where history stops and where fiction begins. As somebody with a bit of a mental block where history's concerned, I appreciate not learning "fiction in the guise of facts" to get myself in trouble. LOL

In addition to this, the stories are just plain good. The publishing order is the chronological order, and I recommend reading them that way. They don't go immediately head-to-tail, but they do interconnect in ways that will make more sense if you read them in order.

I have to say that, being in VA, I found a small mistake in this book where it takes place in my area. It doesn't hurt the story a bit, and, according to other locals I've talked to who wouldn't have recognized the mistake either, it doesn't seem to be all that common of knowledge.

This is an EXCELLENT series, and I strongly urge people to check it out.

I loved this book. Though it is the second in the series, it was the first one for me, and I intend to read the rest of the series now. It rates a close second to City Of Light in the realm of historical fiction based in my part of NY State. I like that it includes real characters along with the most important issues of the time, and murder, mystery, romance and good fictional character development.

Miriam Grace Monfredo is one of the best historical mystery writers today, and her skills are well displayed in this book, the second in the Glynis Tryon series set in the upstate New York town of Seneca Falls in the middle of the 19th century. Glynis is the town librarian, with a strong belief in women's suffrage (along with her friend Elizabeth Cady Stanton). Until this story unfolds, however, she has been less supportive of the abolitionist cause which was strongly supported around Seneca Falls through participation in the Underground Railroad. Through the events linked to this murder mystery, however, Glynis is forced to rethink her position and ends up travelling as far as Richmond to fight against the Fugitive Slave Act.

One of the best things about Monfredo's stories is that she shares with you an entire town, in all its complexity and liveliness. Every character in the book is lovingly and lavishly drawn, and several plots unfold simultaneously which gives the stories a feeling of authenticity that is hard to beat.

You will want to rush out and buy the next story (Blackwater Spirits) immediately, to see how Glynis's friendship with the new Seneca/French constable, Jacques, turns out!

This wonderful and touching mystery gives wonderful insight into life before the Civil War in various parts of the United States. The characters are extremely well drawn--the reader develops real concern and care for them--and seem very representative of the times. This would be a challenging time period to write about and Monfredo does it with compassion. An excellent series best read in order but don't let that stop you from reading any of them. I can't wait for the next one.

This is the second Glynis Tryon Mystery, and it is even better than the first one, Seneca Falls Inheritance. It is now 1854, six years after "Inheritance," and the abolitionist debate is going strong. The Republican Party has just been founded in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Glynis strongly believes in obeying the law of the land, but she is unable to obey the Fugitive Slave Act by turning in Kiri, a lovely young girl who has escaped from a plantation in Virginia, and who is the beloved of Glynis' landlady's son, Niles. Glynis helps get Kiri to the home of Frederick Douglass, where she is hidden awaiting the opportunity to escape to Canada, where Niles plans to join her. When Niles is captured and taken to Virginia for trial, Glynis and Jeremiah Merrycoyf go to Virginia to try to save him. There ensues a fine courtroom drama, with Glynis turning up a key piece of evidence. Glynis and Merrycoyf return to Seneca Falls, and the villian, Thomas Farley, is unmasked.

This is but a small sample of the plot twists of this delightful book. It is a great read, and you will learn a bit of American history in the bargain.

watziznaym@gmail.com

he loves this Hamtaro stuff :)

I was like 26 when I bought this book. I know it's for kids, but I love the Hamtaro cartoon and animation style so got it to get more into this and it worked perfectly. I enjoy the high quality illustrations and all the fun activities through out the book. If I was a kid I would have gone crazy about this one. It's as cool as the cartoons.

I REALLY like this book. It has to be still one of my favorite books. I got alot of hamtaro books and this has to be the best book of Hamtaro I own. The only thing is that I wish they could of included information about the Japanese verison but still a great buy!

And I just love all those colorful pictures!

I am a huge Hamtaro fan. I surf over the web and have lot's of information about the show. So I decided that I should try to start collecting the books a little while ago. One of my first ones was this book, but I didn't expect to learn more about the show with it. It surprised me a little bit. I found out a few more things with the book and learned alittle bit more about the Ham-Hams. I also really enjoyed the little comics in the back. It doesn't have much new things in it like Season 2 of the show or the guest Ham-Hams (Like Hannah in Season 2 in that one episode), but I enjoyed very much. It is a must have for Hamtaro fans.

For those who are fans of Hamtaro, you won't want to miss this book. This has information about all the major ham-hams --- pictures, age, gender, owner(s), star sign, hobbies and more. It also has human info and family trees. You'll also get an episode guide with varying detail, song notes and lyrics for the original opening theme (but not the new second season theme) and dance steps and lyrics for the closing theme. You'll even get to see what Penelope looks like without her yellow blanket on.

A nice bonus in this guide is an original story with the ham-hams sporting a 3D look called "Bijou's Lost Bracelet." There's also several short stories from Ritsuko Kawai (Hamtaro creator) about a group of ham-hams called the Helfpul Hamsters who are a lot like the characters from Hamtaro.

Unfortunately, it seems like Hamtaro has largely gone into hibernation lately. I hope that someday, though, they'll be able to release another book. With two seasons and a 104 episodes (and some specials) aired in the U.S. and Canada, there's a lot more episode and character info they still could cover, even if there never are anymore new episodes of the show.

I have just started reading the Disney Girls and enjoy them very much.In the story,Jasmine has 4 best friends but no best best friend.I thought it was funny,and very well-written.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. The story is very interesting and I can put it down! The most inspiring part is that Jasmine wanted to find out if Isabelle was a Disney Girl as I was curious and I wished Jasmine could had a best best friend. I am very glad the other Disney Girls accepted Isabelle and Jamine's dream had came true! What a wounderful ending! I would recommend this book to my friends and relatives!

Why didn't I find out about these books before? Being an ALADDIN fan, I really enjoyed this one. Jasmine and four other girls share characteristics like those of the Disney princesses, but Jasmine is the odd-girl-out with no best-best friend, and when a new girl, Isabelle, arrives, Jasmine starts to become hopeful...maybe she's even a Disney Girl! Great way to start a series!

I picked his book out in Disney World, because it looked good. This is one of the best series I have ever read. The book is about a girl named Jasmine and she is supposed to be like Princess Jasmine. The other Princess's are Belle, Ariel,Snow White, Cinderella, and Pocahantous. My faverite princess is Belle.

I love the Disney Girls! I decided to read this book on a trip mostly because it was In at the library (when I read a series, I like to read them in order) and because I couldn't find anything else. I am SO GLAD that I couldn't, because these books are SO COOL!!!

The footnotes for each episode are by the far the best part of this book.

I was exposed to this series in reverse!! I read the books, then saw the BBC shows, and finally heard the BBC radio show. There are subtle and not so subtle differences in all the different media, but they are all pure Douglas Adams!!! The radio scripts are an essential, and clarify (At least for me they did) many things that were not co clear. Not everyone is drawn to the scripts of the favorite shows/broadcasts, but as I have all the scripts for the Monty Python shows, it works for me. Especially if you are a fan of "British" humor, most of which lies in the dialog, it is pure delight to read through these scripts!!

So, you've read the books... bought the tv series on dvd, gone through all the special features (including the comment captions on the film)... read the biographies... and hunted up collectors items on ebay. What next?

Get this book. "The Original Hitchhiker Radio Scripts" contains many scenes not in the books and, if you've already heard the radio series, many lines that were trashed for time. There is also commentary after each episode by Perkins and Adams.

Some things will seem eerily familiar, then zoom off into a completely different direction and, in my opinion, a better direction. Of course, some things are missing that make the books equally essential.

You can currently get this at a pretty good price used from amazon. Get it now before you can't get it at all.

Although it requires a fair amount of effort to sift through the directions and radio-style writing, the reward is some stuff that I, frankly, find much funnier than much of the Hitchhiker novel series. Recommended to anyone who wants a good laugh, and especially to Hitchhiker fans.

...life forms are required to use a seldom-exercised ability called "imagination" which, with effort, allows the user to paint a mental tapestry that is superior in many respects to any computer generated image or subjective image of perfection.

(takes a breath)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy goes on a bit about the relative superiority of radio as a medium that stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain, but it also notes several references to various works that endure in a medium regarded as deader than the telegraph.

The Hitchhiker's Guide is not only proof that radio is still a viable medium for drama, but that Douglas Adams is a genius. The show, scripted week-by-week by DNA and Geoffrey Perkins was easily translated to books and television with minimal edits. Yes, the second series is a bit off the ultimate track, but it is quite original and the foot notes from Douglas and Perkins are very insightful. These footnotes exist as a log of what took place when it all began and, sadly, as the only memoir to them.

If you can find it, get it.

Ohhhh Petunia!!! Believe it or not I found this book for 50 cents at a thrift store in mint condition having never read it before, by far the best deal I ever got with money from the bottom of my purse! Petunia is a silly goose for sure thinking just cause she "finds" a book one day that carrying it under her wing is enough to make her wise, but of course its not and proud, proud Petunia keeps stretching her neck out and butting her big neck into everyones troubles and only making them worse till one day it finally blows up in her face (literally)! But that was the best thing that could have happened to the silly goose cause it humbled her back to where her little neck belonged and teaches her its not enough to just carry a book but to learn to read it and thats the way to be wise in your mind and your heart, and maybe then she can truly help her friends! Absolute Classic!!! A good spoonful of humble pie right at bedtime.

This is a book I remembered vaguely from my own childhood and bought for my son on a whim. He loves it. In fact, he received it on Christmas day and has insisted that it be read at bedtime every night since then. Literally.

So, will your child love it? Probably so. Will you? Probably so, at first. For our part, my husband and I are growing a little weary of it. But in the land of childrens books, that's probably the best you can hope for, right?

The illustrations are fun and entertaining and the language is clear and fun. I'd give this as a gift again, or would certainly recommend it to others.

Petunia is a silly goose who finds a book and believes she'll be wiser if she's seen carrying it around. And the other barnyard animals actually think she *is* wiser because of it. The thing of it is, she's still just a silly goose, who gets her friends into all sorts of scrapes.

"Petunia" is a pleaser but gets a little too philosophical in the last two pages. That's okay-- the first pages and clean 1950s illustrations make up for it. A classic.

Petunia is a goose, she finds a book and suddenly realises that she must be very intelligent. So she carries the book around under her arm. Other animals in the farm come to her for advice which she dispenses, but usually without good results. Then she comes across a box, she thinks she knows what to do - unfotunately her advice is not good for dealing with a box of fireworks.

There is disaster and Petunia has enough sense to realise that she has not gained any knowledge from simply carrying a book around but must read what is within the pages.

An appealing and quirky book. Also try out Petunia's Christmas. Very good child appealing parables.

Petunia was a fourth grade favorite of mine many years ago. Her "wisdom" was so cleverly revealed in the end that I kept the book checked out of the school library all year long.