Titles Books

Living in Barrow, Alaska, the farthest north community in the U.S., I have experienced small houses in a harsh environment, like the one in the book. The book takes place in the small Northwest Alaska village of Buckland and is based on tales elders tell the young people all the time.
Kumak and his family have a comfortable little house on the edge of a frozen river, but with several generations living there, it seems crowded.
When I first met my wife Chris in Barrow, she was living alone in a 10x12 dwelling she called "The Box." And we do have a lot of larger and newer houses, but some large families and households still live in smaller houses.
Anyway, the author writes and illustrates the very wise way a local elder helps Kumak and his family deal with their perception of "a crowded house." It is a fanciful and funny at times, but there is a good lesson to be learned.
The book is listed for children age four years old and up, but I'd say it will be interesting to older children and adults ---anyone who has lived the small village lifestyle in Alaska, or who is interested in that way of life.
Now if I can just make some space in our little house in Barrow, so I can find my notes and finish my writing for the day.
Enjoy the book!
Earl Finkler

bravo, michael bania!,more books like this one,please. i adore this book, and so do my nine year old twin son's. the pictures in the book are beautiful, the colors reflect the exact colors in the far north (how did she acomplish that?). and the message this story shares with us is priceless, to be content with what we have, NOW. this is a book we all can learn from, and one we need to teach to our children. give this book as a gift to all the people in your life that you care about. my family is already looking forward to the next one. blessings to you michael bania, your a winner.

My three year old was engrossed as I read this book to her. I couldn't turn the pages too fast because she was busy examining all the details in the illustrations. At the same time, my 11 year old 7th grader who was born reading wanted to see the illustrations also. He did not leave his chair til I had finished the book. My three year old immediately wanted me to read the book to her again. It is a pleasure to be able to read them a story depicting Native children and adults engaged in cultural activities.
From a bush teacher's point of view- a great piece of literature with local ties.
I hope this is only the first in a long line of books from this talented author and illustrator!

We really appreciate the beauty of this series of books as it covers "The Epic of Gilgamesh" in an appropriate and accessible way for our children. We love to use actual historic documents in our study if possible, but the actual epic is too uncomfortably graphic even for our older children, so we use these for everyone as we study Mesopotamia, Sumer and Babylon. There are not many books that cover these Near East cultures, which makes this set especially valuable. Along with "Our Young Folks' Josephus" as our history spine, "Science in Ancient Mesopotamia" and "Ancient Egyptians and their Neighbors: An Activity Guide (covering Hittites, Nubians, Mesopopotamians and Egyptians) this series helps considerably to round out our ancient history studies and to teach our children about one of the most ancient tales in the world in a beautifully engaging way.

My children and I are beginning a study of ancient civilizations and I bought the three Gilgamesh books to expand our coverage of ancient Sumer. These books are just amazing! The story itself is powerful but I wondered how the author was going to tone down some of the violence; not to mention the fact that Shamat was a prostitute in other versions. Ludmilla Zeman has brought this story to children with intensity and grace that comes as a complete surprise. I especially liked her painting of the chaste kiss between Shamat and Enkidu with the explanation that Shamat taught Enkidu to speak and together they explored the ways of love. Very tender.

In her illustrations, Ludmilla Zeman has made an attempt to incorporate actual historical artifacts. These are all high-quality books in every sense and I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Gilgamesh the King

The Revenge of Ishtar

The Last Quest of Gilgamesh:

"At the mouth of a river at the end of the earth a man lies, near death. Could this be Gilgamesh...? What has brought him to this desperate state...?

It was the fear of Death." Yet, with Shamhat's encouragement, Gilgamesh is able to reach inside himself and endure incredible hardships. Besides physical challenges, he will be tempted by pleasure and have to use his wits to reach his goal. And Ishtar isn't through with him yet.

Can Gilgamesh's strength and will overcome the challenges he faces? Will despair win out over determination? Can immortality be obtained by men?

This picture book is the third and last in a series that retells the ancient story for eight to twelve year olds. The beautiful pictures are done Mesopotamian style. The author includes a note at the back of the book concerning the story, the flood legend, hell, and her opinion of Gilgamesh.

Hear an interview with Letter on the Wind author Sarah Lamstein and illustrator Neil Waldman! Listen to The Book of Life podcast's December 2007 episode at www.bookoflifepodcast.com.

I can imagine a child examining the calm cover - moon, birds, a silhouette of old stone buildings, but where is the letter in the dark sky? She or he would open the book and find suspense that's both on-the-edge-of-your-seat and soothingly quiet. By the end of the first line we know the story's problem, which quickly develops. The imagery is gorgeous; I love how we see, in words and pictures, the olive trees at the beginning, then changed at the end. This is an assured retelling of a folktale that will add to a child's understanding of Chanukah and the meaning of love and faith.

Ages 4-8 will find here a compelling folk story of a year without Chanukah, and a poor man who decides to light the menorahs in search of remembering the miracle of the season. He asks a local scribe to write a letter to god and prays for oil to light the poor town's menorahs - and an unexpected result lends to suspicion Hayim might be a thief. This fine retelling of a Jewish folk story is an excellent addition for any Jewish library.

As the other reviewers note, this book is remarkable in that it both offers a reasonably gentle introduction to the subject even for those without too much mathematical background (logically-inclined philosophy students come to mind), and at the same time remains to this day an indispensable reference for the specialistâ€"this for example is the only source where you can find the proofs of Solovay's "other" modal completeness results for transitive models of set theory. George Boolos was (is) famous for, among other things, his gift of didactically brilliant exposition.

There is only one other book on the subjectâ€"C.Smory'nski's "Self-Reference and Modal Logic", now out-of-print, which provides a nice complement to Boolos with surprisingly small overlap. For an introduction, I would not hesitate to recommend Boolos over Smory'nski.

Since 1993 the "baton" has not completely "fallen out of Boolos' hands"â€"the interested reader can follow up on this via e.g. a couple of handbook-chapter expositions, easily found by googling around, that point to current research literature. However, no further textbook-level exposition appears to be forthcoming anytime soon.

As a comment to galloamericanus' review, I would note that Boolos does not restrict his monograph exclusively or even primarily to his own results. The reader gets a fair overview of the research field by 1993 as shaped by many contributors.

This book is an excelent reference for Logics of Provability.
I consider this book a "must have" for anyone in the field, or in the field of Modal Logics.

The author is a leader in the field, and this book is frequently cited in the bibliography of papers in the field.

George Boolos regrettably died too early, at age 56. He was a witty engaging writer, and a brilliant logician. This book,
completed not long before his untimely death, is probably
the high point of his career. The key insight, that modal logic
can be interpreted as a sort of metamathematical algebra,
is Godel's from the 1930s. And a key result is due to Martin
Lob about 50 years ago. But Boolos built a towering edifice
on this slim material. I think that the provability interpretation
of the modal operator is the most philosophically and mathematically satisfying of all, and I hope someone comes
along to pick up the baton that has fallen from Boolos's hand.

Timely story about a courageous prince in ancient Iraq, an unprovoked war, and a ruler that needed help ending the war. Someone should send this book to President Bush, although he probably wouldn't get the meaning of it. Beautiful illustrations and wonderful story for kids and adults.

The ancient story of a young boy named Lugalbanda, is told in this beautiful book. Taken from Sumerian cuneiform tablets just translated in the 1970's, Lugalbanda's epic adventure from 5000 years ago takes place in what is now southern Iraq. War, a giant bird with shark-like teeth, sickness, and triumph make this an exciting story for readers and listeners alike. Jane Ray enhances the work with her watercolor, ink and collage illustrations. Excellent notes before and after the story are included.

The oldest written story in the world. Name it. I'm talking older than the Bible, older than the Koran, and older than the Torah. I hear someone mentioning, "The Epic of Gilgamesh". You're very close. Now just go a mere three hundred years older than that. Did you get it? If you said, "Lugalbanda", then you are correct! Discovered a mere 150 years ago on ancient Sumerian tablets, author Kathy Henderson has pieced together this book out of the poems "Lugalbanda" and "Lugalbanda In the Mountain Cave". The result? An incredibly readable and beautiful book that tells the story of a war in ancient Iraq. Timely, no? The mere fact that Henderson has been able to piece an infinitely interesting tale out of academic line-by-line translations (with some help as well from oral storyteller Fran Hazelton) and combine such a story with the breathtaking art of Jane Ray is reason enough to take a gander at this title. And as the book itself says, "So here, for the first time ever in our days of paper and print, is the story of Lugalbanda told for a new generation".

There once was a boy named Lugalbanda who lived with his seven brothers in the great city of Uruk. Uruk was ruled by King Enmerkar who had built it in honor of the goddess of love and war, Inana. One day, Enmerkar noticed that the faraway city of Aratta had far more impressive treasures and works of art than Uruk. Without further ado then, Enmerkar declared war on Aratta and set off to plunder its booty with his men. Amongst his men came the seven brothers and Lugalbanda. While en route to war, however, Lugalbanda became deathly ill and his brothers were forced to leave him with plenty of good food and drink in a warm cave, praying for his survival. After two days, Lugalbanda awoke and by appealing to the Sun God, the goddess Inana, and the Moon God, the boy was made strong enough to follow his brothers. The tale then recounts Lugalbanda's encounter with the great and terrible Anzu bird, how he got some pretty cool pre-biblical super powers, and the course Enmerkar's war eventually takes. In the end, Lugalbanda is king and his son becomes the great Gilgamesh of lore.

You might ask yourself how interesting a 5,000 year old story (that wasn't even translated until the 1970s) would be to kids today. In this way, Candlewick has been incredibly clever. The book is written with words of a rather large font and then filled to brimming with lush illustrations by Jane Ray. Themes of magic, war, and a boy befriending a great and terrible sky monster... well you might as well be describing the latest, "Chronicles of Droon" adventure. The difference is in the importance of the tale itself. Henderson's care in rendering this tale as accurately and interestingly as possible is to be commended. In the original text it isn't exactly clear if Lugalbanda is the son of King Enmerkar or is just referred to as a prince for another reason. There are lots of questions like that, all handled in an exceedingly deft manner. And as Henderson says of this tale in her "Notes On This Story" at the end of the book, "This was much too important to be left to the world of adults".

Don't go thinking that it was just Kathy Henderson who did all the research on this book, though. Artist Jane Ray studied up on her Sumerian artifacts with visits to the British Museum. This shows in the art. Done in watercolor, ink, and collage, the pictures in this book both reflect the art of the time period while also looking fresh and colorful enough to engage kids today. I was especially impressed with Ray's attention to close details. The baby Anzu bird that Lugalbanda feeds and decorates is spotted with a multitude of tiny flowers and you can make out every barb, calamus, and rachis on the bird's feathered body. It's nice to hold a book in your hands once in a while that can honestly be called beautiful.

Kudos, by the way, to the Sumerians who had the brains to come up with a goddess who was in charge of love AND war. That they could see the connection so directly makes me smile. The story told here about a war fought for the sake of plunder (though in an odd twist, the goddess won't let Enmerkar win until he promises only to take the art and artists and not destroy the town) is slightly odd. Especially when you consider that the hero is on the side of the aggressor. But the struggle for power in the Middle East is an ancient story and here we find the oldest telling of it yet. If you should wish to give this as a gift to a child, I suggest that you talk up the superpowers, battle scenes, and cool monsters as you hand it to them. Children aren't going to find the whole oldest-written-story thing all that cool. But a rainbow colored bird giant with, "the teeth of a shark"? Far better. A surprisingly great read and a wonderfully researched tale. A necessary purchase for all libraries everywhere.

I was given a copy of this book by the author and asked to read it and comment on it. As a former Catholic Priest and psychotherapist, I must agree with Richard Roar" This is how theology and psychology should come together". I found myself captivated by this scholarly,yet understandable masterpiece. This is an inspirational book and should be necessary reading for every seminary and household regardless of your religion.David's expose on archetypes and methaphore reaches to the depths of one's very essence, challenging and clarifying one's beliefs and illustrating to the reader exactly how to pray from your heart and not just with words. It has inspired me to write a book on 150 Psalms, Poems, Letters, Prayers and Meditations for the Millenium. I challenge you to become inspired and search the Mary Within you. If you haven't read Mary Within, you must! You won't be able to put it down. Good reading!

MY BOOK IS ABOUT: The feminine aspect of God as personified by Mary is built into the design of every human psyche.

This book is about how we have always venerated not the literal Mary but the feminine dimension of the divine that she represents and enriches. Using the titles of the Litany of Loreto-including prayers for each- with depth and reverence, this book opens a dialogue about Mary. We see her as a personification of the virtues and destiny of all of us, including the so far unexplored dark side. The book is written with respect for Catholic tradition and it helps us expand our spirituality and update our view of religion in general. (davericho.com)

"What a brilliant confluence of images and energies! David Richo has made a very useful set of connections between Mary and the deepest archetypes of the human psyche. This is how theology and psychology should come together. Good scholarship that could lead to good prayer." -Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M.. Franciscan priest and writer

I read this book a while ago and still go back to it occasionally. It is a wonderful exploration of the true power of Mary and is also an inspiring rendering of adult faith that I so yearn for (and find so little of) in the Catholic Church I was raised in and am so familiar with. This book, as well as others of Mr. Richo's, deepens our understanding of religion, giving it the permission to grow that is denied it by fundamentalist and institutionalist forces. He encourages us to move beyond literal belief into a more universal realm that has room for more of creation.

Being fluent in `Catholic,' `Jungian,' and `American,' he enlightens our common experience by revealing that there's a place below all the various kinds of religious thought. Many Buddhists have understood this more universal and more present place, and it is refreshing to see Richo bring these truths through the Christian matrix.

Too often religious ideas, symbols and scriptures are kept frozen by being referenced outside of ordinary people in their ordinary lives. Why are we so afraid to let them come alive? Mary is not only the woman who lived 2000 years ago and was the mother of Jesus; not only the teachings that have come down through the ages; not only whatever we can think about her. She is something real, something present, something beyond explanation that can only be experienced. Richo brings Mary alive by showing how for each of us she is here in the present and indeed resides within.

This wonderful little book uses a repetitious pattern (ala "A Hole in the Ground" or "The House that Jack Built") to explain the events of a family Passover Seder. The text is full of rhythm and the illustrations are beautiful, warm, and soft bringing to life the closeness of community and illustrating the importance of family during such an important celebration. Those familiar with the traditions described herein will enjoy the book for the memories it can help evoke and those unfamiliar with such things as "matzah", "Dayenu", and "afikoman" will delight in learning about them.

Although this is a child's book, like Tevye, it drinks to life. It's a real seder! No one sits down! Someone spills something. A kid falls alseep! The tateh can read and see naughtiness out of the same eye! Here is genuine glee and warmth. A well-meaning Protestant reviewer called its form "The House that Jack Built," but it is, of course, "Chad Gadyoh" Everything in the contextual information at the back is clear and accurate - I used it at a seder for a mixed crowd who, after they understood the references, fell in love with the rhymes. And with the girl who Reads the Four Questions Nice and Loud.

This book, especially the illustrations, captures all the warmth and poignancy of family sedars. The subtleties in the pictures (Papa's hand clutching the son's arm, who is reaching for the matzah; the child asleep on the table; the many conversations being held at once) bring back so many childhood memories. A beautifully written and magnificently illustrated book for all ages!

My 3 yr old daughter loves this book. We read it over and over. It's an adorable story about a spunky little girl who makes friends with an ogre. I highly recommend this book.

A plucky little girl and an ogre in need of some manners become best friends in this original fantasy. May Belle gives Ogre a bubble bath, teaches him to bake a pie, and gives him a home in her cozy house. Ogre bumps, clumps, and ka-thumps throughout. The cheerful, lively illustrations are full of humor and delightful details. Short chapters, silly sounds and songs, and lots of repetition make this an easy, fun book for beginning readers. Kids will take May Belle and Ogre to their hearts!

My four year old THOROUGHLY loves "May Belle and the Ogre" ! This is an easy-read book....but in no manner does it lack in laughs for kids and adults alike. I was so thrilled to find how inovative the author was in creating and giving a "personality" to the little ogre.... totally non-threatening. May Belle says, "Why, you are just a little Ogre...." and proceeds to clean him up, help him learn some manners, and create a great playmate in the process! Awesome illustrations, and the sweet songs May Belle sings gives you and your children free creativity over tune, tone and volume...(whew...just that aspect is enough for great laughs!)

When I read this book to my little one, I "pretend" that it may be 'too scary'.... "no, bud. We probably should not read this story, it might be too scary. Let's put it down." And of course, I get the response, "Oooo, no Mom.... I will protect you, it isn't too scary... I will hold your hand!" :) It is absolutely one of his very favorites... and we read it daily!

I would suggestreading age from age 2-3 and up. Enjoy!

A mucho good book; filled with a sharp, sensitive, wisdom that is constantly searching for the light on the surface, through the depths of the forgotten and ignored....rare like all great things.

The great Spanish philosopher Ortega y Gasset left many followers, some of them also important thinkers, like Julian Marias. But most are common people who became much more educated and civilized persons by reading his wonderful books. Ortega was one of the rare species of philosophers who expresse his ideas in a very clear prose. Others in this line are Plato and Augustine, or Bertrand Russell, an Ortega contemporary. Meditations on Quixote is a small book where the master strives to give a synthesis of his thought. A synthesis of this synthesis could be given by two of his phrases: "Yo soy yo y mi circunstancia" (I am myself and my circumstance) and " I only offer a way of considering things" (modus res considerandi). A great philosopher and a great writer. His was my main intellectual influence.

Meditations on Quixote is the first major work Jose Ortega y Gasset published in Spain; as such, the reader will stumble across several infant notions that were later subjected to major philosophical treatments by Ortega. Naturally, therefore, this book is often passed over and dismissed. However, I believe it holds within its pages a very mature, coherent argument. It should be noted that Don Quixote is not actually the central focus of these meditations. Rather, Ortega only delves into Cervantes's great novel during the second half of the book (the "first" meditation), using that knight of rueful countenance to clarify his analysis. I will not attempt to explain the philosophy presented in this book, as I feel there is a reason it takes hundreds of pages to express these concepts. It is such with all philosophy; think of it as a food - I can compress all the contents of a five-star dinner into a dense pill and give that to you, but it would not serve justice to the original pieces. Having said that, I can certainly relay (as another reviewer has) the famous expression "I am myself and my circumstance." Ortega puts significance into what this "circumstance" is composed of, mentally dividing the material things in life and their deeper meaning, explaining that this deeper meaning is just as real as the material surface. He then leads into the concept of man as a hero via his own will ("the will to be oneself is heroism"), focusing on Don Quixote, and modern literature in general (as opposed the ideal epics of old), as examples. Julián Marías makes interesting notes throughout. Recommended!

From back cover:
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
It's sixteen years since the girls of the Class of '78 graduated from the Berkeley School for Girls. Four young women, four close friends, stood on the brink of adulthood and dreamed about the directions their lives would take. None could know what lay ahead....

For Meg Delgado, it's an exciting carrer as a private investigator specializing in cruise-ship crime. Her latest assignment is to catch a thief--by playing the role of a wealthy socialite aboard the glamorousluxury liner Galileo. She's already got a suspect in mind: a debonair Cary Grant type named Noah Danforth. But if Meg's not who she seems to be, neither is Noah! And they'll both discover that deceptions and disguises lead to danger...and to romance.
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I didn't think this was awful at all, really what an awful so-called review! Anyways this is a charming little book, filled with everything you could ask for. I highly recommend it!

...it's so much fun to make fun of! Especially when you read it out loud with accents for all the characters...there's no way you can help laughing hysterically. Painfully hilarious descriptions of every article of clothing and characters who are so wonderfully stupid and overemotional. It's the second best piece of complete trash that I've read in the past year. ("No Boys?" is the first!)

Meg Delgado has an exciting career as a private investigator in cruise ship crime. Her latest assignment is to catch a thief. She's already got a suspect in mind, a debonair Cary Grant type named Noah Danforth. They both discover that deceptions and disguises lead to danger...and to romance.