Theme Songs Books

While I don't own this product (yet - have just ordered it), I can tell you all from actual experience that Marjorie Persons, the woman who created this lovely series was my music and piano teacher many years ago. I have a friend from back in those days who I still talk to and many times over the years, we have discussed and marveled at how much information we have retained over the years due to the way this marvelous woman taught us about music.

I have learned the most from her in all of my classes in school because of this method she has transferred to this series.

Buy this series, watch in amazement as your child's mind expands and hold on tight to this series and never let it go!

My boys love this CD! I use the book/CD in our homeschool with my 5-year-old. My surprise was when my 3-year-old autistic son started singing along! If I play the CD, they both come running! Thanks, Classical Magic, for introducing my kids to the beautiful world of classical music!

I have two boys, ages 4 and 6, and they are always asking to play the cd that goes with this book. Although I haven't used the book much, the cd itself was worth the money. A few days ago, my 6 year old was watching tv and suddenly said, "Hey mom, that was Beethoven's fifth," after hearing the music on a commercial. Each theme plays twice on the cd, one time with lyrics, one time without lyrics, and my boys usually sing along as best as they can. This cd plays at bedtime, in the car, and during the day when we are doing legos or play-doh. I actually have a hard time keeping track of it! The book contains short biographies of each composer, as well as the music for each theme. The combination of the book and cd are an excellent introduction to classical music and appreciation for it. I would highly recommend this book to homeschoolers who wish to add music education to their curriculum as well as to parents and teachers of preschool and elementary children.

I am an early childhood teacher with experience using Classical Magic in the pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and special needs classroom. It is a exciting way to expose children to classical music. Through lyrics Mrs. Persons has written to classical pieces, young children learn to sing the lyrics and in turn learn the composer and the title of the piece. Parents have come to me in amazment that their 4 or 5 year old can tell the family what piece Bach, Mozart,or Sousa wrote and then proceed to sing it for them! The best part is that the children ask me almost daily, "When are we going to do classical magic?" They love it! I recommend this concept of learning classical music to teachers, parents, and grandparents. Never underestimate the ability of young children!

I am a music teacher who works with students ages 3 through adult, both privately and in classrooms. I really appreciate both Volumes I and II for their clever lyrics, short lengths to engage even the most wiggly children, stories that can be presented as plays, and especially the CD that allows one to quickly find any track when under pressure! I have used the Four Seasons by Vivaldi in Volume II as a art/listening project. The children drew pictures of the four seasons and learned the lyrics at the same time. They loved the Fall especially--"watch that spider!" Boys and girls alike will enjoy Saint Saens' "Danse Macabre," Stravinsky's "Infernal Dance," and the challenge of the high speed lyrics of Chopin's "Valse Brilliante." Even if the children are too young to read the lyrics, believe me, it won't take them long to learn them. Just take this CD with you on a car trip and you and your children will know classical music like never before! The older children and adults especially appreciate the humor that sails over the younger ones' heads. It doesn't come off as silly or juvenile, for which I am so grateful. It is especially appropriate for those times one gets caught teaching all ages at the same time.

I cannot wait for Volume III. Thanks for a great classroom teaching aid I will use over and over.

As other reviewers have stated, this is a remarkable resource for insect identification. I would like to comment on the quality of the images. I found that a remarkable effort and attention to detail that went into these images. In far too many books the conversion of images from digital to print looks like the author doesn't know or doesn't care how his images look. For Lang Elliott this was not the case. He meticulously ensured that the printed images have remarkable depth of field and colors. I found any number of them to be remarkable pieces of photographic art. I felt guilty for only paying $13.57 for this book.

This book has provided hours of fantastic entertainment for the family. We love looking at the pictures, listening to the sounds and then trying to identify the crickets that we find.
This book should be in every family's library. Get your kids outside and play!

This book and included CD was the answer for learning all the insect sounds on my field recordings and nocturnal adventures. Good pictures for seeing what you heard really looks like, as well as good descriptions with the general range of each species noted. Excellent quality recordings on the CD.

I have long wanted to know what insects I am hearing every summer and now have a chance of knowing which ones they are. The imagery is fantastic. The range maps will be a blessing to my students as they try to determine what type of katydid or cicada and so on they have nabbed for their bug collection.

The audio CD is great too! The only drawback there is that the holding compartment in the back of the book is poor. Right after I got this book I was taking it to school and the brand new CD fell out of the pouch and onto the pavement. Now its scratched and I don't know what to do. I usually make a backup of all my CDs right away but failed to do so with this one!

This book came to my attention when I wrote in my blog about the microphone I positioned in my backyard. I use it to listen to crickets and lots of other creatures out back, sometimes all night long.

Gorgeous photos, tons of info, and a cd of insect songs as well. If you're at all interest in these critters this is a must have book. Who knew there were so many different kinds of crickets out there?

Recieved item on time, right when we were told it would arrive. Book in very good condition.

This Book seems to be a great tool; I have not had the opportunity to really get into it yet!I am sure I will enjoy!

This product has proven to be an outstanding reference for a teacher of any subject. If you're looking to elaborate on a concept studied in class, music is an outstanding way to relate to students. With the ease of downloading music, lesson plans may be materialized in a matter of minutes with authentic discussion to follow. It works beautifully with any unit. Additionally, the book is categorized for easy reference.

As the Video Hound's Guide is for movies, this book is for songs. It categorizes the songs logically so you can always find a song that relates to what you are teaching to help engage kids, help them connect the content to their world, and sometimes even teach content. (Maybe ask your school librarian to buy a copy if you do not wish to spend the money on it.)

Now in an updated and expanded fifth edition with over 14,000 songs added (and featuring over 35,000 songs overall), The Green Book Of Songs By Subject is a comprehensive and very strongly recommended, "user friendly" reference for looking up popular songs by subject. Basic topics such as Freedom, Rivers, specific states and cities, etc. are listed in alphabetical order; each listing is followed by appropriate song entries arranged by title. An especially excellent book for tracking down the title, composer, or publisher of popular as well as obscure songs, The Green Book Of Songs By Subject is a core addition to the reference shelves of academic music history reference collections, and would prove invaluable in the personal reference libraries of professional musicians, DJ's or music-writers who can't afford to waste time struggling to remember (or needing to track down) who composed, performed, or produced a given tune.

Flipping through this book, lingering over the
pictures... what a wonderful way to spend
some moments of your life. It's like looking
through an old family album; tender,
endearing-- elicits lots of happy memories.
Helps the wait 'til the next tour! :)

I have just read the reviews and actually started crying. My intention with this little book was to share with those who loved Bruce what it was like to be on the Darkness Tour. I did not do this for money. I never made a dime on this book. I did it so that there could be a manifestation of a time that will never come again except in our memories. I hope it is a time that you can share more closely with a younger generation who did not have the opportunity to witness what was truthfully the spirit of rock and roll. Thank you to all who shared your appreciation of my work.

Lynn Goldsmith's Springsteen Access All Areas is a photodiary of his 1978 Darkness On The Edge Of Town tour. The photos are all in black and white and they perfectly capture the spirit of Bruce Springsteen. Ms. Goldsmith was Mr. Springsteen's girlfriend at the time and she uses that cache to give us glimpses of the man and his band that other photographers may never have been able to get. For those of you old enough to remember or even attend a show at the tour, this book will bring you back to that time and for those of us who were too young to know, it provides us with a look at an artist establishing himself as an icon.

Awesome - if you've ever been confused as to the reason that Springsteen fans are so...um..commited to their hero, this book will answer all your questions. Quite simply, the greatest portfolio of Concert and backstage photos I've ever seen.

Look in the faces of the people in the crowd - you'll see the connections between performer and audience that remains right up to this day. Fabulous. Buy this book.

This is a beautiful little book which captures perfectly a moment of music history.

Springsteen's 78 tour is widely regarded as one of the seminal moments of his career. Coming of the back of Born to Run, the settled courtcase with his ex-managers and the Darkness album, Springsteen undertook a triumphant tour accross America, playing 1,000 to 5,000 seater concert halls.

This tour was a pure celebration of rock n'roll and Lynn Goldsmith's unrivalled access (she was Bruce's girlfriend at the time) allowed her to record it for posterity.

The concert shots capture the excitement of the shows perfectly, the sweat pouring off the performers, Bruce's mock collapse, the interaction with the audience. I've seen bootleg videos and heard many tapes from the tour but I have to say that Lynn Goldsmith's book captures the excitment of being in the crowd at one of those concerts better than any medium I have seen.

But this is more than a collection of superb concert photos, it also captures the quieter moments backstage both pre and post show (including the infamous Bruce shower shot!) Shots of the band eating breakfast, Bruce writing etc.

This book is pricey but will definately appeal to all Bruce fans and admirers of outstanding photojournalism.

Even if you don't live in the Southeast, this book will wow you with truly gorgeous photography. Highest recommendation from me!!

I saw the book over at a friend's house and started looking thru it...limited on time and cound not read much. The pictures are the first thing that caught my attention; so much nature and serenity. I couldn't help but come home and order the book thru amazon and have not been disappointed. It sits in my living room where I can pick it up and look thru it on a regular basis. The stories of their travels make you feel you are there with them. Would highly recommend this book to anyone who is into nature, the river or just down to earth living.

I ordered this book for research on a screenplay I'm writing about Atlanta. The detailed information was thorough, easy reading and quite useful. I wasn't really expecting the beautiful photographs, which also added a certain "atmosphere" to the screenplay as it developed. Makes a great coffee table book.

If you appreciate old fashioned values and true Americana, get this book. Truly unique and is capturing a part of our histroy that is being lost to development.

This book has won a Southern Books Competition Award of Merit in Book Design from the Southeastern Library Association. This award is given in recognition of the book's aesthetic appeal and design and for fine craftsmanship in its printing and binding. Congratulations to authors Joe Cook and Monica Cook, designer John Langston, printer Pacifica Communications, and the University of Alabama Press.

Basics: 2000, 2nd edition, softcover, 129 pages, 300 color photos of 181 species, CD with 1,300 photos of 335 species, audio clips, no range maps

Compared to other bird books on Puerto Rico or the Caribbean, this book is not formatted to be used as a field guide. Instead, it is a photographic overview of the island's 181 resident and visiting birds, but not the other 150 less common vagrants. Each page covers 1-2 species with 1-4 photos and 1-5 paragraphs of text. As one would hope, greater coverage and more photos are given to the Puerto Rican endemics and the Caribbean specialties.

The color photographs are generally good and are shown in appropriate sizes. Some of them are a little grainy and others might lean towards small, but nothing too bad.

The text gives the usual contents of identification, habitat, habits, status, conservation, and range. Three-quarters of the text is dedicated to the bird's habits, status, and conservation, reinforcing this book is not geared to be used as a field guide. It is an at-home reference to review and learn about the more common Puerto Rican birds.

Enhancing the photographic content of this book is a CD attached to the inside, back cover. This CD contains 1,300 photos of all 335 species to have occurred on the island. Each bird has anywhere between 1 and 16 color photos. Just as in the book, text is offered for the species, often with additional material not found within the book. A nice addition is the inclusion of sound clips for most of the expected birds. The quality of the photos are not as good as those found inside the book, but they do offer more poses and variations. The CD was created to run on both Windows and Mac. It's worked for me with no problems on Windows 2000 and XP.

I've listed several related books below...
1) A Guide to the Birds of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands by Raffaele
2) Las Aves de Puerto Rico by Biaggi
3) Birds of the West Indies by Bond
4) Birds of the West Indies by Raffaele
5) A Guide to the Birds of the West Indies by Raffaele
6) Photographic Guide to Birds of the West Indies by Flieg

I am going to Puerto Rico for a vacation. This book will help me to identify the birds that i might see.
Since it is small it is easy to carry around with you. I think that nature lovers would enjoy it. I give it a hearty recommendation

This guide to Puerto Rico's birds is really quite strong and useful, especially when combined with the information on the included CD (which is well organized in both English and Spanish.) Who wouldn't love to just sit at their computer all day and listen to birdsong, at least when they can't be out in the mountains or mangroves of PR?? I found the photographs quite satisfactory for ID purposes (not something to be taken lightly) and the narrative information is very useful.

Just one nit to pick: why is the peregrine falcon described as "a small hawk"?

El libro y el CD son excelentes, sobretodo porque se conecta al internet y uno accesa otros sonidos de aves. Una lástima que el libro en español no incluya el CD, los puertorriqueños leemos y hablamos el español, no entiendo porque el libro en español no pueda incluir el CD con un sonido que es universal : el de los pájaros.

This is the perfect guide book for birding in Puerto Rico. The photographs, 1340 in all, are brilliant, and the text is detailed and rich in information. The guide itself will easily fit into a pocket or day pack and so when out in the field you will have it at your fingertips.

What's unique about this guide is the excellent CD-Rom that comes with it -- this will help you before you go to know what the birds look like, their calls, their behavior and where you can find them once in Puerto Rico. I used the CD-Rom to check out three of my favorite PR birds and was amazed at the numerous and gorgeous pictures, the superb quality of the audio recordings and the information Oberle has reproduced in this book. For instance, regarding the Puerto Rican Tody (one of the 17 PR endemics covered in this guide as well as over 320 other birds), there were a dozen different pictures of the Tody including fabulous close-ups. The information Oberle gives includes identification, voice with audio, habitat, habits, range, status and conservation, taxonomy and related books and articles about the Tody. The Tody is a tiny forest bird with emerald green upperparts and a bright red bill and throat -- everytime I see one I think of a Christmas tree ornament, they are so cute! Oberle discusses in detail what they eat: katydids, grasshoppers, earwings and dragonflies, and discusses as well their foraging techniques. Because Oberle goes into such great detail about ID and habitat/habits, I think this is the best guide to enable one to actually find the birds once in PR.

I also checked out the PR Woodpecker and found those pictures, audio and habitat/habits information just as extensive as that about the Tody. I learned that the woodpecker's stiff tail feathers helps it to gain balance while chiseling at tree bark to find its favorite insects, including earwings, beetle larvae and ants. I discovered it occasionally eats scorpions and and lizards! Oberle informs the reader that a good place to find the woodpecker is around the parking lot of the El Portal visitor Center at the El Yungue national park.

A third bird that is well covered in both the CD and guide is the Pin-tailed Whydah, which has a most remarkable long tail and perches on wires and branches. I was surprised to learn that the female is like our parasitic cowbird and doesn't build her own nest but drops her eggs in other birds' nests.

Oberle has done a splendid job of bringing together in a compact book all the information and photgraphs of birds that you will need when out in the field. Because he cares so much about these birds and the environment, he also has special sections at the begining of the book on conservation efforts, migratory birds that winter in PR, and the extinction issues that face too many birds and other wildlife today in Puerto Rico and elsewhere.

To anyone going to Puerto Rico who plans to do some birding, I heartily recommend this book and CD-Rom to you.

For those who use scripture for their daily meditation this is a handy and beautiful way to pray. Well done and inspirational pictures.

Imcredible photography! A book perfect for a gift in this difficult year. Since September 11 we are all taking a fresh look at priorities, faith, and family. The pictures and thoughts in this book help to quietly focus on what is important in life.

A wonderful combination of visual imagery, inspirational verse, and thoughtful comment. Interactive opportunity for personal reflections and meditation. An unusual format that is captivating, enjoyable, thought provoking, and peaceful. A perfect Christmas gift for young and old alike.

It's November, but I already have my New Year's resolution. It is to start the year 2002 with journal work using The Songs of Nature as my guide.

I have enjoyed reading and re-reading this book. The photographs are outstanding images of the beauty that surrounds us in nature and the author's meditations depict so well our human awareness of our dependence on the Almighty.Very worthwhile reading.

I purchased this for my daughters, but even as an adult I am enjoying this book and CD. It's fun singing, and learning about the composers, and the songs are funny. My daughter already recognized some classical tunes that wer e used in commercials.

As an educator I haven't found anything close to "Classical Magic - Themes to Remember" (Volumes I and II) for teaching children about Classical music. In short, the kids love it. They feel they own this music. The emphsis is on theme recognition and fun. I move on to teaching musical concepts after the students are familiar with the themes but I love having the kids able to recognize classical music and composers as easily as they do what they hear on the radio.

Because the children like to get their hands on the book I have stocked my classrooms with several copies of each volume. We get them out for small groups, listening centers and for rewards. Our media centers also carry the books for the students to check-out.

The lyrics are catchy and fun but they also TEACH! The name of the piece and composer are there but you'll aslo find the historical information correct. This was obviously written by an educator who knows music and children, not just marketing.

These books make terrific gifts. The only problem may be choosing which volume to buy.The Nutcracker Suite in Volume II is giving The Peer Gynt Suite in volume I competetition as the favorite with my own kids.

As an educator I haven't found anything better than "Classical Magic - Themes to Remember" (volumes I and II) for teaching children about classical music. In short, the kids love it. They feel they own this music. The emphasis is on theme recognition and fun. I move on to teaching musical concepts using the themes after the students know them but I love having children recognize classical music and composers as easily as they do what they hear on the radio.

Because my students like handling the book I have stocked my classrooms with several copies of each volume. We get them out for small groups, listening centers and as a reward. We've also got them in our media center for check-out.

The lyrics are catchy and fun to learn but they also TEACH! The name of the piece and the composer is there but you'll also find the historical information correct. This was obviously written by an educator who knows music and children.

These books make wonderful gifts. They're It may be difficult deciding which volume to buy. The Nutcracker Suite in volume II is competing with the Peer Gynt Suite in Volume I as the favorite of my own kids.

It's about time! Finally an author who found a way to introduce classical music to children on their own terms! My children take violin lessons using the Suzuki method and I am always looking for ways to slip classical music into their lives amongst the Disney tunes and pop-rock groups. It won't be long before your kids start recognizing classical pieces and their composers. If you are a homeschool teacher, this book is a wonderful way to teach your children about classical music. I highly recommend it.

"Rock Dreams" perfectly captures the synapses between fantasy and reality that give R&R its emotional appeal. It is a tribute to the overwhelming power of the music that two non-Americans have so perfectly, obsessively captured the quintessence of R&R and its pull on American and British hearts and minds. Peelaert brilliantly juxtaposes American and British images--for example, putting Gene Vincent in a "teddy boy" bar. In other parts, he uncannily captures American iconography--the teenager's bedroom that accompanies the image of Fabian is absolutely, perfectly 1959. These are just a few examples; the book abounds in others, using contemporary images and photos in creative, dream/reality settings, often with stunning details. Nik Cohn's text is just the right accompaniment, an admixture of fact, supposition and poetry. Unforgettable.

This is wonderful. The illustrations and the captions complement each other so well. I loved the depiction of Dylan. Best of all is the description of the brilliant Del Shannon: 'Del Shannon may have looked and sounded like a lumberjack but he cracked like a sodajerk. He was incessantly on thr run, broke and alone and his trueloves all betrayed him. In the naked city there was an eternal thunderstorm and his teardrops mingled with the rain.' Wonderful!

I found this book in my father's collection back in the 70's before I was even a teenager. Each Icon of rock, soul, pop, country from the 50s to the early 70s is painted perfectly by Guy Peellaert inhabiting their own imaginary world. Such as The Beach Boys on the beach, the Drifters under the boardwalk, Otis, sitting at the dock of the bay, The Beatles being chased down Liverpool backstreets. Nik Cohn adds succint passages that captures the essence of our early rock heroes. Pouring over this book as a kid, kick started a life long love of rock 'n' roll. From Elvis to Oasis it all makes sense now, having attended the Peellaert and Cohn college of rock dreams. Highly recommended for all music and art lovers.

There have been numerous books written on New York baseball, but, at least for me, it is the photographs that make this a unique baseball book. I have vivid memories of the World Series of the 1950's, and all except 1959 involved at least one of the teams in New York City. The New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers series were classics, and will always be remembered. I enjoyed the descriptive writing of New York Daily News writer Dick Young. When Duke Snider made a wide turn at 3rd base in coming home, Young wrote, "Duke, who is a poor base-runner for a man of his superior speed, took the scenic route home...He was out by some 20 feet." Many of the photos brought back the names of players and umpires of my youth. The photographs illustrate how small the dugouts were in that era. Fans are predominantly dressed in suit coats, ties, and fedoras. Also of interest are photos of fans leaving the park via the playing field, and photographers near home plate photographing the action. Photographs of Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds show views from above the playing field in addition to close ups of the center field area of the Polo Grounds and the center and right field areas of Ebbets Field with the advertising on the wall are also of interest. I am a fan of the Detroit Tigers, but I will always have precious memories of those historic New York teams in addition to the arenas they played in. The text is nice, but it is the photos that make this book unique.

You don't just have to be a fan of New York baseball to enjoy this wonderful photo-filled book showcasing the great Big Apple teams of the late 1940's to the late 1950's. This wonderful book containing superb photographs from the baseball archives of the New York Daily News, is like a mirror through time. The large photos, (dont you just hate small photos in large books), showcase the players, (stars or not), stadiums, but above all action surrounding the great New York teams of 1947-1957 with a small but no less interesting text explaining each one. The most enjoyable thing about the book for me were the full-page sized photos showing all the action in ballparks, some unfortunately no longer with us (Ebberts Field and the Polo Grounds) and the pre-renovated Yankee Stadium. The nuances of these parks with their crazy outfield angles and advertising boards gives us an appreciation of what it was like to play or watch baseball in them back then. The shots of the fans who populated these parks also tells a story, of rabid fan allegience and spirited optimism. Any baseball fan will love this book as part of their collection. There is a brief text opening the selection of photos for each year that may be short but this book let's the photos do the describing. A fabulous book!

The seminal book about the Golden Age of Baseball in New York. A must have for any baseball fan. The photograph selection by Claus Guglberger is sublime. I eagerly anticipate another release containing the photographs selected by this gifted photographer.