Miniatures Books

I recently purchased the "Art of the Bonsai Potato" kit for my husband who enjoys a good laugh now and then, and he loved it. I read the book as well, and we have both began our own "Zen cultivation" operation in an unused cupboard in our kitchen. They're fun, quirky, and great for kids, too. Young and old will appreciate the quick-witted tongue-and-cheek writing in the book included in the kit, and the Bonsai Potatoes are fun and easy to grow and "maintain" with the handy-dandy clippers and tweezers included! This kit makes a superb little gifts or stocking-stuffers at Christmas (or big-money dreidel ante at Chanukah!). Also, in doing a little more research on "Potato Bonsai," I discovered even more information on this new artform on the internet! This kit is very cool, and I would recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor and an open mind!

My daughter is 16 months old and picks up this book several times a day. She just loves to open the flaps and pretend to count the goodies found underneath. Although we've read it her countless times, she enjoys just spending her own time with this adorable book.

I like the concept of explaining a particular technique, then showing how the same technique was used to make several different ATCs. Instructions are clear and artwork examples are beautiful and inspiring. Some materials may be difficult for some readers to purchase, however.

I need more than 5 stars to adequately describe just how good this book is. If you are even remotely considering building and/or decorating a Georgian or Regency dollshouse, you must purchase this book. It fills many gaps left by other books of its kind - where else would you learn how to build an authentic fire crane and spitjack for the kitchen, a service crane and lamp snuffer for the front fence, and downpipes progressively dated? His attention to period accuracy is unsurpassed, covering the development of items such as the kitchen range and toilet through the age and a host of other important features. Brian Long has saved me weeks of research, thoroughly exploring every room and household function and the associated equipage, which is a particular boon for builders of this kind of house who live outside of England. Although he gives many useful suggestions for doing your own research, all but the most particular of dollshouse perfectionists will not need any other source. Plans for several houses are included, (including the one on the cover)although many builders would also need some prior experience and a good book devoted to the topic. I wish a book like this existed for every period. Brian, if you're reading, please start planning a library of these. Begin with the Tudor period and just keep going!

The Little Leather Library was a series of miniature, abridged leatherbound volumes of famous speeches and works by classic literary authors. The leather covers were uniform in style and color. They were stamped with the title and author's name printed inside identical floral borders. The series was founded around 1914 and continued to be sold until 1923. Expect the pages near the covers to be age tanned by the leather.

I bought this chunky little book for my 10 month old nephew and he loves it! The words are recognizable to him, and he can hold it all by himself. When we read it to him, he giggles and giggles!

Both my toddlers adored this tiny book about 2 kids trying to keep others (animals, vehicles) from making noise and waking the baby. Simple yet attractive rhymes and colorful pictures combined with a theme almost any young child can relate to (infant to pre-school) make this book practically a magnet for small ones. You'll need to hide it if you want to keep from having to read it numerous times daily. Mine wore out after nearly 3 years of use, and I have been unable to replace it. Perhaps someday, it will be in print again, and I will be lucky enough to add it to a small keepsake collection of books my children loved.

I bought this book for my two little nieces to go with the plush rabbit. What a darling book! Many collections of other books by Beatrix Potter. The rhymes and riddles were very clever, and reading the poems brough back many good memories of my grandmother reading to me! Great little book!

In 1982, Australian Lew Blackmore (not Len) entered his fully functional, one quarter scale model of the Bentley BR2 rotary engine in the British Model Engineer Exhibition, winning the Duke of Edinburgh Challenge Cup and becoming the first winner to take it from British soil. The Model Engineer magazine later published a long series of articles by Lew, illustrated with drawings, plans and photographs, for others wanting to build their own BR2 model. Lew followed up in 1986 by refining and expanding his series into a hardbound book which he self-published. This work has long since sold out, and has become a collectors' item, but Camden Live Steam (UK) has reissued it in softcover to form the subject of this review.

For constructors of model internal combustion engines, I'd call this book an absolute must. It contains all you require in the way of plans, drawings of jigs and special cutters to reproduce Lew's engine. Many have done so and the sight and sound of one in action is something you'll not soon forget. The book is nicely composed, in two column format, profusely illustrated with plans, drawings and photographs. The text is clearly written to be enjoyed by builders and arm-chair model engineers alike. It begins by describing the history of WO Bentley's second engine design for the British Admiralty during World War One, showing a sectioned drawing of the BR2 and the Clerget rotary it was derived from. Subsequent chapters describe the research for the model and devote individual chapters to the components, including a working, scale oil pump and scale, but dummy, magnetos that hide the contact breaker system for a conventional coil ignition system. The book concludes with a reprint of the official BR2 Aero Engine handbook of 1925.

Sadly, Lew is no longer with us, passing away in the mid 1990's before he was able to complete the astounding Napier Lion miniature replica he was working on. His achievements are all the more noteworthy for his not having an engineering background--only taking up model engineering following his retirement. His legacy, in the form of this book, will be enjoyed by model builders and aero engine historians alike.

When I saw the frontpage I already fall in love with the book. I could not stop reading it. I read it 10 times after each other. I wanted to start with my next quilt as soon as possible.