Readers Books

Lucy Micklethwait is a thoughtful children's book creator. When her daughter was small, Lucy would sit with her and look at art books. They would talk about each item in the painting. While they may not have discussed the meaning, the first step in developing art appreciation and understanding is art awareness. What better way to teach a child awareness than literally let the child point out items in the painting?

Even though I am now a children's librarian bringing this book to you, in another life time I was a high school teacher. One course I taught was a kind of art appreciation. The first activity I did was post a dozen famous prints across the board, then ask students to pick their favorite and write why and least favorite and say why. Examining a painting without knowing a thing about it is the first step in art awareness.

In "I Spy" there are 26 famous paintings. The one on the cover is "Son of Man" by Rene Magritte (a man). The words on the left page inside the book say: "I spy with my little eye something beginning with Aa." On the right side is the painting.

Here is a sampling of other included paintings: Picasso's "Sitting Woman with a Fish Hat" (let their little imagination roam with this one!), Goya's "Don Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuniga," Matisse's "Interior with Etruscan Vase," Renoir's "Umbrellas," and Hockney's "A Bigger Splash."

What a wonderful way to reinforce the alphabet, introduce the child to masterpieces of art, show cultural and time differences in clothing, style, and customs. Perhaps at some point you could locate a book in the library which has those paintings. Take one at a time to discuss meaning, technique, painter.

Ms Micklethwait has several other books to consider:
Colors: A First Art Book
I Spy Two Eyes: Numbers in Art
Child's Book of Art: Discover Great Paintings, A
Animals: A First Art Book

This is not at all like the other books in the I Spy series - and at first I did not like it because of it. The other books have pages filled with tons of things, and you pick out certain items in the poem. This has a series of famous art pieces, and the thing to look for is very obvious... so from a "spy" standpoint it is not the greatest. BUT I do like that it is exposing our young children (5 and 3) to famous works of art. We have tried to make it more difficult by finding different things to seek out in each famous painting. Still, I don't know that I would totally recommend unless you really wanted to expose your children to famous art - your child would likely find a book from the regular "I SPY" series more entertaining.

I highly reccommend this book--it is an excellent introduction to the arts. Some of the references are a bit vague in terms of everyday language, e.g M is for Magpie or H for the teeny heart on the playing card. But it is quite easy to make a substitution or let the kids find their own match. My almost 3yr old son loves it! Thank you for this wonderful intro to a much larger and beautiful world.

My son is autistic and has always been obsessed with the Alphabet. This book is one of his all time favorites. He carries this around with him constantly.

This is a lovely book with which to introduce the alphabet and classical art to your child(ren). Each two-page spread contains, on the lefthand page, the jingle "I spy with my little eye something beginning with ... " and the upper and lower case of a letter of the alphabet, while the righthand page contains a large reproduction of a work of art by one of the masters -- Rousseau, Hogarth, Picasso, Botticelli, Vermeer, Sargent, Renoir, Seurat, etc. Kids can think about the alphabet while being exposed to some great art.

Terrific idea!

This is a memmorable book for a child

I use this book in the beginning of each school year with my fifth grade students. It always leads to great discussions about what is important to them and leads into interesting writer's notebook entries. The book is a great tool for inferencing, noticing details, and celebrating the little events in our lives that make us who we are. A good book to use when teaching about differences that make each of us unique and how we all have our own set of priorities.

Byrd Baylor's book "I'm in charge of Celebrations" is the best "any age" book I've ever known. Everyone I know has started keeping a celebration book modeled after hers! What an absolutely marvelous journey! And Parnell's illustrations are magnificent!!!

One of the best picture books ever. I'm one who believes picture books are not just for children and this one proves it! It reflects a wonderful attitude that there's always something out there to celebrate. A most uplifting book. Byrd Baylor is really tuned into nature and Peter Parnell turns those words into unforgetable images.

I stumbled upon this book recently and, as an avid reader of children's literature, believe it is one of the most amazing books I have seen -- for readers of all ages. It is lyrical, humorous and quiet. The illustrations are spare--and that's all that's needed. Life in the desert is depicted beautifully. I felt like the book was speaking me, calling me to a more mindful way of life. I plan to buy it as gifts for all my friends this year, no matter their age.

What else can be said about a book that contains every UN and League of Nations document about the Israel-Palestine conflict? It is a necessity as a reference for those engaged and a great book to learn about the conflict and its basic political evolution.

If one is a previously biased reader, this book will doubtlessly contain some documents that are upsetting to read on grounds of including inciteful material. However, the only real criticism that I have is that the 3rd edition has several documents that are of interest to those seeking to research the early Mandatory period, such as documents by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the Revisionist Zionist and ideological founder of the Irgun Zvai Leumi. It is understanable though, that as future editions come out the length could get phrohibitively long without pruning some data. As a basic and intermediate level documentary text it is one of the best I have come across.

I will not spend a lot of time writing about how valuable a reference this is - the other reviewers on this site have already more than done it justice. Aside from the relative lack of material on early Zionism (also pointed out by one of the other reviewers), this book has most if not all of the relevant documents. I have only one major criticism (the reason I gave the book four stars instead of 5): the almost complete lack of information about the original sources. Apart from a one-liner preceding each document, no information is given regarding 1) the citation of the original work, including page numbers, where appropriate; 2) the language in which the original work was written; 3) if the work was not written in English, credit for the translation, the date thereof, etc. While these may not be of interest to the casual reader, to anyone doing research in the field, if only for a college paper, these details are critical. Furthermore, in an area as controversial as the Arab-Israeli conflict, the ability to trace documents back to the original and verify translations is everything.

I write in relation to the sixth revised and updated version of this work. My purchase was based upon the recommendations of others here and I was certainly not disappointed with my acquisition of this book.

It really is a priceless reference and guide to the way in which the Middle East has taken shape and how the whole Arab-Israeli issue has developed since it's inception. Indeed, references are quoted with effect from 1882 through until the present day.

We are treated to a seemingly endless accurate list of letters, speeches, reports and articles from a considerable cross section of sources, both in the international arena and in the region itself. This latest version even contains sections on the Camp David negotiations and their subsequent failure in 2000/2001.

One is able to see from the direct quotes of the parties concerned, exactly what was said, and moreover in it's true context, making this an indisputably essential asset to understanding the conflicts and `peace-making' in the region. This level of understanding is made accessible not only to the Camp David talks but also to virtually every other episode of significance relative to this ongoing issue throughout the many decades.

A highly recommended read.

The book is simply a collection of documents on the Arab-Israeli conflict, dating back to the British Mandate in Palestine. The editors included all the important papers such as the Balflour Declaration, the "White Paper," various UN declarations, and speeches made by both Arab and Israeli leaders. The latest documents it contains are those covering the Camp David meetings between President Clinton, barak, and Arafat near the end of Clinton's presidency. While it is not a history of the conflict (merely a collection of historical documents), it certainly can provide you with plenty of info on the subject.

I love this book. I use to read this book to my children when they were little. Now my children have children, and I wanted them to also enjoy this fun book. To me, this represents all my childhood memories of Halloween. I love the illustrations! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Halloween.

I still have the copy my mother gave to me in 1978!! It is my favorite children's book, and it should be a part of every home library. The illustrations are great, and the little poems are so catchy.

Great poems for Halloween. Fun to read aloud with one child or a group of children. I used it in my classroom for many years. I bought this copy to donate to the library at my church.

my mom enjoys telling this story:

when i was about four, she checked "it's halloween" out at our local small-town library and brought it home. i made her read it every night, memorizing every word, and if she tried to skip a page, i'd call her on it.

when it came time to return the book, she couldn't find it and had to pay for a new copy for the library. some time later, she was cleaning my room and discovered where i'd stashed my copy under my bed.

greatest halloween book, and among the greatest children's books in general, ever.

It is the best Halloween book ever. It has just the right amount of creepiness to get kids really excited about Halloween. A fun book with simple rhyme schemes and memorable illustrations, it will keep kids interested. I'm 27 and I still love it.

When Jessi baby sits for Matt Braddock, Matt is a special child. So Jessi teaches him a sign language.

Yes I did like this book because it's by one of my favorite authors and I have almost read every single book in the series.
The book was about this girl called Jessi who has just moved into a new neighborhood. Jessi Jessi has this really great group of friends called the Baby Sitters Club. Jessi gets a sitting job for this deaf boy called Matt. Matt uses sign language instead of lip reading. Jessi is going to be in a ballet show called Coppelia and Matt's mom has been making arrangements so that the 8 kids in Matt's class can go see Coppelia. They have arranged for Haley to be the narrator and for Matt and Haley's mom to stand up on the stage and sign everything that Haley says so that Matt isn't left out. After the show Jessi finds out that Adle came to watch the show. Jessi's cousin Keshia is from Okley, New Jersey came to see Jessi be Swandelia. To celebrate the show being a success everybody who knows Jessi went to a restraunt to have ice cream.
Anybody will like this book.

this book shows jessi to be a passionate, caring and even talented protagonist/narrator of the story. She is very much into ballet and recently joined the babysitters club, so when she babysits for a deaf 7 year old boy who communicates in sign language, she befriends him and is interested in learning it and does so and also teaches it to the neighborhood kids and help matt make friends that way who were very understanding of his situation. Also, jessi had a great awareness of how the deaf and disabled are marginalized by society for their disability and invited a bunch of deaf kids to a ballet she is dancing in and got a translator to do sign language onstage to show what the plot of the story is like as they watch the beautiful dancing, and in turn empowers them and gives them the message that just cause they can't hear music doesn't mean they cannot appreciate the arts. Also because jessi experienced racism from neighbors after moving to stoneybrook from new jersey, she could probably relate to the pain of being marganlized. Great start for jessi I love this book!

i'm taking ASL in school and i was looking on my books shelf and found this book and i decided to re-read it. its really good. the only thing that bugs me is that on the cover jessie is using see sign when the book said it was ASL. it doesn't matter to much though. it is a really good book and shows how people who may seem diffrent at first glance can have a lot ion common with you. i hope you enjoy it.

A very touching and realistic story. It features a young boy named Matt who was born deaf and this family, the Braddocks, move into Stoneybrook. Putting Jessi as the main character in this Babysitter Club book is very interesting because the deaf cannot hear music and therefore, none of them had exactly went to watch a musical or a ballet concert. Jessi's a ballerina and she feels especially sympathetic towards the deaf in that very aspect.
This story touches on the sensitive areas of a deaf person's life, about being ridiculed by others, looked down and thought of as weird. However, the babysitters were intrigued by Sign Language and the other kids int he neighbourhood begin to slowly accept Matt and were fascinated with sign language.
We also find out more about the deaf in this book, we learn some sign language, we learn that it is crucial that the deaf are kept well away from busy roads as they cannot hear cars approaching. We also find out how some families are being inconsiderate in not bothering to take up sign language to communicate with their deaf family member and instead, expect him/her to lip-read instead. Lip reading is extremely difficult.
The story has a happy ending and reveals what Jessi does to make the children in the school for the deaf happy. A must-read.

The first time I read this book was when I was a child in 2nd or 3rd grade. I fell in love with the descriptive details found within the text. Stephen Cosgrove painted an amazing picture in my mind with his colorful language. I found this book again when I started teaching. It was at the bottom of a box within the classroom in which I was teaching. I read it again and was so impressed at how timeless this story is for all children. It's about accepting differences and believing in yourself. It's kind of like-"You're good enough, you're smart enough and gosh darn it people like you." My students fell in love with this story and its sequels. This would be a great book for teachers and parents to have on hand to read aloud to children. What a wonderful way to deal with compassion of others and teaching acceptance. This is a great story with a timeless moral.

bought several of the serendipity books, the illustrations and story
lines are wonderful for children...hope to obtain more

My children enjoyed this and the other Stephen Cosgrove books when they were young; now we've been able to read them to our grandchildren. The stories are straightforward, teaching lessons about self-confidence and sharing, and good to read to toddlers, or for early readers on their own.

This book is the first of three others. This book is magic. I have used this book with all ages (adults to the non-reading child). I have given many copies away. There are beautiful illustrations. Both the author and the artist are very talented. This has a story that we each could remember when confronted with difference (our own or others). This book is one of my favorites of all time.

The first book I ever learned to read! I am now teaching a few reading classes, and in my attempts to tap into whatever it is that motivates us to read, I immediately thought of this book. Partially I loved it because it represented an achievement, but I loved that Leo's differences ended up making him so special in the end. I am sure that we can all appreciate his struggles to "fit in", such as hanging upside-down from a tree to make his ears go straight. My mom still says, "Normal is whatever you are," whenever I have needed some affirmation, or when I have become critical of others. The use of animals to portray the moral makes the story universal and entertaining. I guess it's geared for readers 4-8, but I recommend it for anyone.

I listened to the Burl Ives song when I was a little girl. Now that I have my own little boy, I was so happy to find the song in a sturdy board book. You can still find Burl Ives singing "Little White Duck" on iTunes. :)

This is probably my 14 month old son's favorite book. We read (sang) it three times in a row today. I think it helps that the illustrations are incredible, and the lyrics flow nicely.

If you're looking for a baby gift, Little White Duck would be a great choice.

I bought this book for my 21/2 yr old daughter after her Kindermusik teacher read it to her class. The children loved all the animals and quickly learned to anticipate with excitement who is coming next. The rhythm of the words is delightful, and I find myself humming it throughout the day. A real classic that every child should read.

This book is great. I sang this book to my babies when they were only 4 months old, and they loved looking at the pictures. They still love the book and song. We always sing it in the car. After months of reading this book, we put it away for a couple of months but brought it back out when we started sign language. It is fun signing with this book with appearances by a little white duck, green frog, black bug, and red snake sitting, swimming, and playing in the water.

Even if you don't know this song, the rhythm of the lyrics, the story, and the illustrations will keep your child's attention to the end.

The fact that it's been pc'd (everybody lives in the end because it was "just a play") is fine. It's less likely to be traumatic (as opposed to, say, Go Tell Aunt Rhody) for a small child.

Another keeper.

(*)>

This is a ok book its kinda for younger kids.Its about a shipwreck and alot of kids get stranded on a island Andrew Lian Ned they look to see if anyone else was on the island they were on. But when they were looking they encountered dinosaurs and they get scared and hide. So now they must over come that great fear. Also during the middle of the book they see them starting to fight and they try to kill the dinosaurs and it has a really suprising ending.

Even though this book is short, it is filled with action for a person of any age to read. In the story it also gives the story of the sea monster, the Kraken. I like the creativity of Scott Ciencin's books on Dinotopia, as well as the Dinoverse series. At first you thik that the Unrivaled are going to invade, but later you find out that they are the most peaceful race on Dinotopia. Congatulations, Ciencin, you've done it again.

Even though this book is short, it is filled with action for a person of any age to read. In the story it also gives the story of the sea monster, the Kraken. I like the creativity of Scott Ciencin's books on Dinotopia, as well as the Dinoverse series. At first you thik that the Unrivaled are going to invade, but later you find out that they are the most peaceful race on Dinotopia. Congatulations, Ciencin, you've done it again.

I own this book and a few other Dinotopia titles and I really recommend this to any Dinotopia fan or just about anybody who likes to read really good books. Once I started reading it I could'nt put it down, it is one of the best books Ive read in a very long time. I also recommend the Dinotopia book Windchaser for another good read

or anyone else, for that matter! I own this book and have reread it a few times. Three friends journey into the Lost City of Halycon, and what they find is not what they expect. They meet new friends and face new challenges. But will it be enough to stop the power-hungry Lord Lucius? You'll have to read it to find out! This book has adventure and excitement, and some humor mixed in also. Over all, an excellent book.

When I was about four years old, I couldn't get enough of stories about lost and buried treasures, treasure maps, and daunting adventures to follow such maps. Naturally, I had to rely on someone to read those stories to me. When I was older, I graduated to reading the stories myself and eventually found books such as Treasure Island and She. Later, I began to read about real-life adventures in exotic locales. As a teenager, a local radio station buried a "treasure" and teased us with clues for months; I joined my friends in digging on vacant desert land in all directions. It was great fun.

Ever since then, I've wondered how I could find a book to start my grandchildren, grand nephews and nieces, and other favored children with to help them develop the same appetite. I mention that desire because I never quite found the right book for my children when they were growing up.

The Geronimo Stilton series is off to a grand start in Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye. It has all of the elements that anyone could want: lost treasure, a mysterious treasure map, a treasure island, and the need to sail to get there. To make the story more appealing, we have a mouse family with interesting quirks that reminded me of the many Uncle Scrooge comics I loved as a child that involved looking for lost treasure in obscure locales while Donald Duck did the heavy lifting.

Geronimo Stilton is a mouse designed to please anyone. He has all the personality that Mickey Mouse (that venerable Disney icon) lacks. He's the serious responsible one (the correspondent to Uncle Scrooge). His sister Thea is the intuitive one, encouraging everyone forward. Trap is the hopeless relative who manages to be more helpful than anyone expects (including Trap).

The drawings are very imaginative, drawn in rich warm colors that make you want to spend time with them. The book has lots of background illustrations about Mouse Island and New Mouse City to help youngsters get into the mood.

The typography is brilliant. Words are reproduced to reflect what they mean. "Rocking back and forth" at sea is represented as a sine wave like a roller coaster, for instance. How can any youngster not want to know what those words mean and then quickly memorize them?

The later books in the series have more educational content than this one, but they are certainly no more fun.

Start with this book, and I predict you'll want to read the whole series!

My 10-year-old son discovered the Geronimo Stilton books in his classroom. He has ADHD and he can't put these books down! I bought him a few for Christmas and he keeps asking for more. The text is written in a very unique way. Some of the words are in colors and different fonts and sizes. They appear to "pop out" at you, making it very engaging. There are also pictures scattered throughout the text and the stories are humorous. 5 stars I HIGHLY recommend these books!

This is the first in a series of books, that my son was introduced to by a friend. The unique thing about the series is that although there are pictures, many of the words are written in creative text or printing, in a variety of colors, right in the paragraphs as well. This really makes for keeping a young reader engaged with the story, especially for those that are transitioning from books with pictures to chapter books, and chapter books that are all text.

My son is currently in 2nd grade, but is reading well above grade level, independantly. The challenge for him is that what he CAN read, he's not intested in yet, and what is at his grade level doesn't hold his interest. He has been devouring these books in around a week each. We also read aloud to each other from them, and they are very entertaining, even as adults.

A wonderful series, great, I think for boys and girls alike as there are very strong, positive main characters that are both male and female.

If you are looking for a new book series, this should be it! There are 24 books out so far, and I have read them all. They are funny, clever, and have lots of funny mouse jokes. They are perfect for ages 7 and up, and come out bi-monthly. They are the best series of books ever. They originally came from Italy, if you're wondering. They are great, so read them ALL!!

There's one fine line between well-played and over-played layouts. The full Geronimo Stilton series falls into the well-played category: the outcome is pleasant and not too loud and the fonts / colour used are really a statement on their own.

Another point to note is the translation involved. While this is not "literature" literature, the adaptation in cultural and linguistics aspect are well taken care of.

I don't know any Italian but have compared the Chinese and English versions of the same book (yes, my colleague at work has the entire Chinese series while I'm catching up by matching the English version). The funny bits are transformed elegantly.

Recommended to not only children, but anyone who's intersted in translating humour and layout.

I bought it for the picture of my 0018 guitar but I love looking through this book. A beautiful book for beautiful guitars.

I gave this book to Eric Johnson - Yes the one with his own signature Martin - for Xmas. He told me after Xmas that it is the single best book on Martin guitars he has seen and he has a quite a few books on the company and their guitars. So I don't think you are going to go wrong buying it.

I found this book to be truly fascinating. American history often has blanks in it and one of those blanks has always been the archival of American music types and instruments. Martin is America's oldest guitar manufacturer and thankfully for us, they believed in meticulous records keeping, they kept every letter and even the envelopes ever mailed them as well as invoices and other types of business related material, giving us a small glimpse into the American music scene all the way back to 1833. The Authors had unlimited access into this treasure trove of documents which they carefully chronicled for us to enjoy and learn from. All I can say is Thanks! The many photos, copies of letters, and assorted tidbits of knowledge kept me utterly enthralled for well over two weeks, and my librarian has told me I am the fastest reader she has ever seen with almost total recall. If you enjoy peeking into the past, and love music, especially stringed instruments , particularly Martin's you'll love this book.

This is my true favorite CF Martin book. It is a little outdated by now, but it is, after all these years, still a great pleasure to read in the book. I use it as a reference on a regular basis because it has plenty of good information.

The amount of good or interesting pictures is endless. You can't wihsh for more.

I also enjoyed the format, it is not just a dumb collection of text and pictures. It has been designed to be enjoyed.

I understand there is also a paperback edition but I would definitely prefer the bound edition (which I have).

I was just a boy in the 60s, in Italy, when i first heard that very particular sound. Only after a lot of years i could buy a Martin Guitar, 'cause they were too expensive for us, really impossible to buy! Today i'm a player and I play that sound, and I never got tired of it! Like Stephen Stills says in the foreword, it's something magic, pure magic. This book doesn't explain magic, but it shows it! Paging, photos, notes, history, all is excellent. The only gap (yes, there's one!), is the cover: paperback!?! It's like finding plastic instead of wood in your guitar! This book was made only for a hardcover! Thanks also to Amazon for selling & shipping with care and so fast! ..in any case highly recommended!