Miniatures Books

For many years I have furnished doll houses, early on as a child, then came my daughters, and am now in the grandaughters phase of my life. The project directions were very easy to follow (you could tell the authors are hands-on) and my grandaughters loved working alongside me with the fabrics etc.to furnish the various small rooms of their dollhouses. I found many of the projects they had no problem in completing themselves while others they only needed a little assistance. I feel furnishing dollhouses is a wonderful on-going project for generation after generation, and this book is one to refer to with confidence that the projects will turn out nice and they don't get discouraged by the friendly writing of the directions. I have purchased one for each of my grandaughters for Christmas, as it makes a great birthday or Christmas gift.

The authors have created some delightful furnishings, and I would recommend the book to those who are only just starting out in the World of Dollhouses. If you're putting a play house together for children, this book is a good starting point. However, if you a serious miniaturist, and have a more discerning eye for scale, you should probably look elsewhere. I would more highly recommend Nick and Esther Forder's "Dollhouse Decor: Creating Soft Furnishings in 1/12 Scale".

I know it's hard to write a book, so I feel badly about dissing this one. However, it is not good. The projects shown are, almost without exception, out of scale and "clunky" looking, rather like a very young Brownie troop's efforts. I was very unhappy when I received it and found nothing in it of value. I suspect I am not alone in my estimation as copies of this book began appearing on Thrift Shop shelves soon after its release. Sorry guys, it's just no good.

For many years I have furnished doll houses, early on as a child, then came my daughters, and am now in the grandaughters phase of my life. The project directions were very easy to follow (you could tell the authors are hands-on) and my grandaughters loved working alongside me with the fabrics etc.to furnish the various small rooms of their dollhouses. I found many of the projects they had no problem in completing themselves while others they only needed a little assistance. I feel furnishing dollhouses is a wonderful on-going project for generation after generation, and this book is one to refer to with confidence that the projects will turn out nice and they don't get discouraged by the friendly writing of the directions. It makes a great birthday or Christmas gift.

Fabulous book! The illustrations are great; directions are easy to follow. Very motivating, new and fresh ideas. Authors are interior decorators and it shows. I wish I could make my own home as attractive as the examples in this book. Highly recommended,you'd love it. From Paris!

I hate reading... Specially a couple pages at a time while sitting on the John... however this book is awesome... It is perfect for those long sittings and those short sittings... :)

I recently received a copy of the book as a gift. This is certainly not the type of book I would buy for myself and reading this volume has not changed that. While mildly amusing and certainly successful in giving me an occasional case of "gluteus circulus" aka buttcheek ring from prolonged sitting, this SUPREMELY SATISFYING edition failed to win me over as a repeat reader. Not that I found that much fault with this book, and I'm sure it has a great following of readers, I just like my mind enhancement non-fiction reading to be a bit more substantial.

I must also point out the flawed editing (or lack thereof) contained here. Typos abound and, while irritating, I can tolerate typos better than I can unsubstantiated material passed down as factual. For example, on page 114 in a short vignette on famous last words, William Bonney (Billy the Kid) is cited. Over a century after his supposed death, there still remains a dispute as to just exactly who lies in Bonney's grave. If we lack conclusive proof that Pat Garrett did in fact, kill Billy the Kid, than how can the publisher say with certainty what his last words were? This is just one example to illustrate that the reader may want to accept the contents with a grain of salt. In fact, the publisher even goes so far as to point out past faux pas' found in previous volumes!

As I mentioned, there is a certain degree of amusement to be found here and the publisher did make a good attempt to include a wide variety of subjects. This is the type of reading Cliff Clavin would have loved. There is certainly water cooler (or neighborhood tavern) knowledge to be gleaned here. I just wouldn't bet the farm on its accuracy.

If you're looking for something unique, different, and just a little crazy I'd most certainly suggest Uncle John's Supremely Satisfying Bathroom Reader. Described as a zany mix of trivia, strange but true stories, hilarious things people just had to and so much more! It's sectioned off into a wide variety of topics and lengths making it a possible reading choice whether you've only got a minute or two or a whole hour (and of course everything in between). Best of all I found all of the different articles equally interesting. Things which I would never even consider reading became personal favorites which I've read again and again. I can say completely honestly that this book actually has something for everyone! Despite the title I found that you can take this book anywhere, which means of course you'll find it evenly "satisfying" on your couch or in bed. Please take the chance to enjoy this fabulous book!

If you have even spent a little time in your life reading newspapers, magazines, the net, etc you will have seen 99% of these trivia lists and items. Save your money so you can buy a better quality toilet paper.

The only reason this book gets four stars instead of the full five is because it is kind of heavy on the typographical errors. They seem noticeable and frequent. Otherwise, this latest installment is awesome!

This book is one of the few available regarding the care of donkeys. As such, it has some decent information. However, it is poorly indexed and written in an anecdotal format, and several important topics are incomplete. Beginners may find more questions raised than answered. It assumes pre-existing equine knowledge in too many instances (there isn't any information, for example, on how to determine if a jennet is experiencing heat cycles - something a non-breeding owner would still wish to know for the sake of anticipating or explaining certain behavioral changes). The parts about training are completely inadequate. The author is opinionated, and writes from personal experience rather than substantive research, although there are a few quotes from veterinarians and others included.

The author's magazine publication is similar, with answers to readers' questions usually answered with, "Buy the book." When I contacted Ms. Gross with a question about something not answered in this book, a brief answer was avoided and I was instead told that I "...must not subscribe to the magazine?" (I do - that is, I *did*, and I mentioned it in my email,) and that I should purchase her *other* book for more information. If one would imagine that basic information should be included in a book pertaining to an animal health for non-commercial owners, then one would apparently be wrong in Ms. Gross' estimation.

That is just one example of the author's personal tone, which comes across as dictatorial and condescending in this book (as well as in her magazine). Too many statements are unsupported by evidence or explanations. It "tells" but does little to educate.

A new book, The Donkey Companion, by Sue Weaver, is going to be published this year (2008) and it will be interesting to see if it has more up-to-date, beginner-friendly, and well-researched information. I'm anxious to see it and have pre-ordered it already. It will cover all sizes of donkeys, not just miniatures.

Perhaps the availability of another book on donkey care will encourage Ms. Gross to update her work and include additional information. Buyers should be aware that she is not the only "authority" on donkeys, though she makes it sound as though she is. Better to write down your questions and spend the $30 on a phone consultation with an equine vet.

This is an excellent book, and a most welcome read after the disastrous experiences I had with my first 3 miniature donkeys. Poor creatures. I'm only thankful that this wonderful edition has helped me prolong the life expectancy of my current miniature donkey, Gerhardt. Donkies are not something you can just buy to play with and show off to your friends, and then leave unattended with a pet monkey for days on end.

One minor qualm I have is how Gross fails to mention the calamities involved in allowing a pet monkey to ride a miniature donkey. Be forewarned - this is not a good thing to do!

Overall excellent, though I wish they'd kept the recipe for poached donkey lung from the first edition....

Since there are only a few books available on Miniature Donkeys this is the one to get. Well written and lots of valuable information for the first time owner. A pleasure to read.

If I had a miniature donkey, I would name it Bonnie Gross. Hey, maybe this book was WRITTEN by a miniature donkey!

I was a little shocked at how small the book was when I opened the box, but got over that very quickly when I started to read it. It has all the spells I thought it would, and even more! For being such a tiny book it sure packs a lot into itself!

hope the kids find what thier looking for with this as its a xmas pressie

this was a nice little spell book to have. but beware of the size because it is a small one but if you are a fan if the show then you should get it.

Since the very first season, my girlfriends and I have made it our little ritual to get together every Sunday (now, Thursday in the past) and watch our three favorite supernatural sisters. I purchased this mini-book for all my friends this Valentine's Day and gave it to them before the show started. They loved them. The spells are fun and there are other sections on demons and quotes from the show. I do wish the book had some of the drawings from the original book of shadows, but I can't complain since the graphics are decent. I am always surprised at the graphics and photos on the other Charmed merchandise; the Season One DVD for example, has a real second rate look to it. It seems like the producers would have some really cool graphics at their disposal - but I digress. The mini book is great. I really recommend this little book as a must have for any Charmed fan.

it was alot smaller then i thought it would be but i still love it so much i am a huge charmed fan so i love evrything they have out about there show

Swindoll's dated book (1992 hardback) claims to be about laughter but it's really a mostly dry Bible study on "joy" in the New Testament book of Philippians. It is NOT a book that looks into laughter in the scripture--as a matter of fact he ignores the fact that there ISN'T laughter in the New Testament! Instead he misinterprets the word "joy" for "laughter" and "happiness." Those are all very different things.

He doesn't use many practical examples--this is mostly a sermon-like, verse-by-verse approach to Philippeans. When he does use examples they are odd choices of people who actually disprove his theories. Mother Teresa is one of the first he mentions, quoting her about the need to be joyful, but the saintly woman who rarely smiled was not talking about laughing! He also mentions former coach Tom Landry (a real sourpuss whenever shown on TV) and British author Malcolm Muggeridge (one of the saddest-looking people ever). So while Swindoll tries to claim the book is about laughter, in reality he can't find laughter in the New Testament nor in the people he uses as examples!

Most offensive is his swipe at the Pope--in discussing the word "saints" (why is that needed in this book?) he claims that "Pope John Paul II has been sainting more men and women than all of his predecesors in the 20th century." He then briefly explains what the Catholic church requires to be a saint, then says, "I should also add you need a pretty good slug of money to saint people." What? They don't saint people in order to make money! His views are archaic and demeaning to Catholic readers.

His interpretation of Scripture is just strange in many places--he takes a simple word and then twists it to fit a different meaning. He says that "the most Christlike attitude on earth" is NOT LOVE but is being "unselfish" (how this ties into the theme of the book isn't exactly stated!). He also claims that he has studied Jesus and "I find no evidence of impatience or anxious irritability as I study his life." What? Did he skip over Jesus sweating blood before he was crucified or turning over the tables in the Temple?

He isn't preaching the pure word of God...he is preaching his own word and then supporting it with scriptures that really don't have anything to do with what he concludes. The theme of the book is a good example--"Laugh Again" implies that God wants you to laugh, yet there is nothing in scripture that supports that. Does he show there are some verses that support "joy"? Yes--but that is not the same as laughter and often those joy verses come from Paul who wrote of having joy through his serious pain. Paul wasn't laughing as he was being whipped in prison, though he did "count it all joy."

This is the first Swindoll book I have read and will be the last--he is tricky in his twisting of scripture and creating a conclusion that just isn't there. I was looking for steps to be happy and instead came away unhappy.

Laugh Again was great. Pastor Chuck offers timeless wisdon from the book of Philippians that should be used in every Christians' life. It was also a fun read.

Well written and easy to understand. Swindoll hits the target with his encouragement to develop and keep our sense of humor, and not let the problems of the world take away our joy.

This book is a prime example of how an able Bible expositor can sometimes rework a scripture text in order to make it say what he wants it to say. Swindoll does this throughout his book LAUGH AGAIN, which is a loose exposition of the book of Philippians. He substitutes the word `laughter' for `joy' and transforms the book of Philippians into a message that helps us to laugh about life. His application of the first eleven verses of Phillipians 1 is that we begin to laugh again when we place our full confidence in God (p. 44, large print edition). Moreover, his title for the chapter on Philippians 2:12-18 is "While Laughing, Keep your Balance." When Swindoll is determined to teach something that isn't in the text, his exposition tends to go awry, and that is exactly what happens in this book.

Dr. Swindoll would have been farther ahead to write a book about experiencing more joy in your life and letting Philippians speak for itself. Not only would joy have been a relevant topic of discussion, but this approach would have modeled for his readers how to handle scripture. I do not recommend this book, but Swindoll has written other books that I do recommend heartily, including his GROWING DEEP IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE and his book PAUL from the stories of great lives series.

Swindoll has written an excellent book encouraging the reader to not take him/herself so seriously that all joy is gone from life.

The book is a refreshing change from the excellent and decidedly more serious titles Swindoll has written in the past.

Each of the 14 chapters contains biblical admonitions to not be so stressed out on life and to realize the joy you can have in Jesus Christ. While life has challenges, Swindoll encourages us to not look like we have been sucking lemons or tasting vinegar all day!

Read and be encouraged to learn to just chill every so often!

One of rare books on the miniature horse.
It was very pedagogic, and easy to read.
A good beginner's book.

This book is a well written easy to understand book. For the first time horse buyer, it is exactly what I wanted. The author not only tells you what you need to know about miniature horses and how to care for them, she also gives you ideas of how she raises her horses.

Just a wonderful book..It helped me with my 31 miniature horses and gave me alot of wonderful info.......I also go a similar book for my 15 regular sized horses.

It is the best book I have found about miniature horses.It is very detailed and gives you alot of very important information you need in the care of mini's.I would highly reccomend this to anyone who is considering a miniature horse.

This guide is incomplete and does not offer enough information for a novice miniature horse owner. Some topics (e.g. "training") are covered in such a rudimentary way that they should not even be introduced. In addition, the quality of the photographs is very poor.

I am surprised to find out that Tasha Tudor's dollhouse is not pictured in the book, but the title leads us to believe we will see the "real" thing. My understanding was that the balnk pages were to have been drawings by Tasha Tudor. Did she refuse to do the drawings because she didn't approve of the book? So aside from the furnishings being from Tasha, the book is misleading. I would rather see Tasha Tudor's real dollhouse not a newly made replica. I was disappointed with this book, especially knowing that Tasha did not want it published.

This isn't Tasha's dollhouse, like I thought it was. I got suckered in like many. Still, it is a well presented book with delightful pictures. And the furnishings are Tasha Tudor's. The ideas and elements of the design are well within the reach of the serious dollhouse collector and for that, the product of emulation, it is invaluable and inspiring. But like Coleen Moore's dollhouse, and Queen Mary's, there is a lot about it that are not within the reach of the average person. One has to realize this was not an authentic doll house, but a item made for display for people to marvel at. And marvel we do. The plans shown in there are adaptable. But I would much rather have seen Tasha's dollhouse...the real thing.

Those who say this isn't the "real" doll house are missing the point entirely! The Williamsburg house was specially made because "Thaddeus Crane" and "Emma Birdwhistle" never had their own proper dollhouse, but lived on shelves. The book explains this quite clearly. The one-quarter life size scale is fascinating in itself. Anyone who is a fan of handmade dolls, doll houses, or Tasha Tudor should delight in this amazing book. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

This inspiring book provides readers a colorful look at the holiday season at the home of renowned artist Tasha Tudor. Accompanying Harry Davis' kaleidoscopic descriptions is illustrations and photographs by Jay Paul. The book is well designed and depicts a wide range of Christmas activities centering on how Ms. Tudor and friends celebrate the season of joy. This is a wonderful gift for individuals who enjoy the art of Tasha Tudor as Mr. Davis and Mr. Paul pay homage to the great artist.

Harriet Klausner

I am surprised to find out that Tasha Tudor's actual dollhouse is not pictured in the book, because the title leads us to believe we will see the "real" thing. Instead we see a re-creation by Colonial Williamsburg. My understanding was that the blank pages and extra white space were to have had art by Tasha Tudor. Little Brown is quoted in the Tudor bibliography as planning 20 line drawings and 20 watercolors by Tudor. Did she refuse to do the drawings because she didn't approve of Harry Davis' writing the book? Aside from the furnishings being from Tasha, the house we really see is a recent replica and is misleading. I would rather see Tasha Tudor's real dollhouse not a newly made replica. I was disappointed with this book, especially knowing that Tasha did not want it published.

... and an absolute favorite in my collection, just for inspiration (which is, honestly, about all it's good for).

But that's no small thing: there is great variety in terms of styles within and the photography, while admittedly small, is clear and good. Several of the most beautiful cakes I've ever seen are included.

Come on, you hard reviewers, you! It's dirt cheap and utterly adorable, and I'd argue very good value for your money. After all, no single cake decorating book on its own will provide you everything you need and want, and this is no exception. Still, it's WELL worth adding to a collection.

And unless your bookends have really huge holes in them, it DOES stand up on the bookshelf ... I swear.

Great little book with glossy pictures of many contemporary wedding cake designs. Nice for brides-to-be or decorator/designers alike to get the imagination going. Also has some neat information on the history of wedding cakes. A friend of mine used these as bridal shower table gifts

I wish I would of known I needed a microscope to see this book. I needed a book to get some ideas for cake styles and I can barely see the cake let alone the details. It should have the book size in the description.

Despite other reviewers' complaints, the size of this is listed if you're paying attention!

Meanwhile, even though the size is bizarre and I can't quite understand what the point of it is, this is a nicely put together little book with some very nice, generally inspiring photos. Thoroughly worth the price!

I would have liked to have known that Beverly Clark Minis meant the book was the size of about 15 credit cards stacked high. The cakes look good, but because the book is so small (smaller than the palm of your hand) details are hard to make out. I can't put this on my bookshelf. It goes straight to the bottom of my purse, along side my lost mirror.

If you don't play the skirmish game, these miniatures are worth the price if you only use them in a P&P game. Pre-painted and durable as heck, these little buggers can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. Get rid of your card-stock counters and pick up a few packs of these things to add that extra something to your home games. But, when combined with the extra rules outlined in the Miniatures Handbook, the fun lasts even longer. With a whole bunch of new game types, you'll just get that much play out of these minis. With four series to choose from, there are literaly hundreds of minis just waiting for you to pick them up, throw them on a grid map, and roll away.

The paint jobs are about what you can expect out of mass-produced plastic figures, but in this series (GoL) they have gotten much better. Eyes are no longer blobs of black or white paint, instead detailed and outlined. The minis are usually made of two or more pieces that have been glued together which allows for much, much more detail than the first and to a lesser degree second and third series. I can't wait to see what the Aberrations (Oct 04) series will look like.

However, I have unfortunately had a couple (not terrible, mind you) problems with them. Out of the last 9 or 10 packs I've purchased, I've gotten about ten minis with manufacturing defects, hence the four stars. Detached limbs, broken teeth/swords, etc. WoTC, however has been pretty helpful in making sure I am satisfied, and out of the 10 I have sent back, I have recieved 9 new minis in excellent shape.

Also, though the prices on this series are usually a little up there (most retail for $20), you're getting 9 minis, including a huge one (ranging from 4" to 7" tall), so it compensates for it a little.

Overall a good, fun, and practical product

I like D&D Miniatures giants of Legend Huge Pack because many huge size monsters come out in this set. You can have a hugh red dragon, which isn't like the red dragon (Young) (God...... So small...... Can this dragon damage me?), which cannot make you feel terror when it's in front of other small pieces. It's HUGE red dragon now so it makes the game more real and more fun when you play both D&D and D&D Miniatures. In addition, painting job is better than other sets. I like it.

However, each box comes with one HUGE SIZE piece (It's what we pay for it.), but there are total 12 huge size piece in this set. It means that it's very eary to get a lot duplicate huge size pieces before you get what you want to have such as Red Dragon or Golden Dragon. It's why I only give it 4 stars, not 5 stars.

I will keep this very short and to the point: The randomizing of the giant figures in each package is horrible. Out of 4 boxes I received from Amazon, I had 3 duplicates of a single Huge figure. The likelyhood of your Huge figurine being one of the rare ones vs the uncommon ones is also much higher, since the set is more likely to get a rare small figure.

I do like them, but for the money it is not as good a deal as some of the other sets.

It seems that the Giants of Legend Huge Pack does have some very nice miniatures that aren't so miniature. However, it is also true that you will likely get 2 or more uncommons (most are not so commonly used) before you will even get 1 real nice 1. For instance, you may purchase 6 packs. Odds seem to be that you will find maybe 2 - bullets, 2 - trents or fiendish tyrans, 1 other uncommon, and 1 rare (Red dragon, gold dragon, etc.) Overall, it's a pretty nice set but you have to expect that the majority of the time you will come out with uncommons with many duplicates before you get what you want.

I have enjoyed all of the sets since this series of Dungeos and Dragons miniatures started, but these are my favorite so far. The extra large figure is a nice touch and the others in the set are excellent as well. The Frost Giant (#48) is particularly well done of the pieces I have so far. I admit I have not actually learned the Skirmish game yet, but they look great as dressing for my desk. My only complaint has been with the assortment. Each box comes with 1 of the huge figures and in the 5 boxes I have purchased so far, I have received 3 Bulettes (#67). It is a nice figure and all but 3 is a little much. Other than that--great job.

Each year without fail, from 1920 to 1939, the children at the Tolkien household received a letter from Father Christmas, telling them of the ludicrous, hilarious events, mishaps and accidents that occurred in the North Pole previous to his yearly visits.
Through his emotive letters and amusing drawings, Father Christmas often explained how most of his misfortunes were directly linked to the curiosity of the well-meaning but rather clumsy Polar Bear (who constantly complained of looking very silly in the drawings). He also shared some little-known facts about life in the North Pole like the "mystery" of the Northern Lights, how he manages to visit all the children in the world in a single night, and who are the real Snowmen.
This pint-sized, delightful book, colorfully illustrated with the author's own drawings, contains a chronologically arranged selection of these letters that is sure to be enjoyable to readers of all ages. This is definitely another Tolkien volume that you can't afford to miss.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

One can imagine Tolkien and his children by the fire. Father Christmas lives in this book and the reader rediscovers his/her childhood again.

I was looking forward to getting this book, and reading it to my children for Christmas. However, the actual edition was quite disappointing. For one thing, it is so small (3" x 3") that it is very hard to read, the pictures are hard to see. The reviews on the website implied that it was the full set of stories, with adventures about goblins. Indeed, the back of the book has an excerpt talking about goblins. However, the subset of letters in the actual book has none of the stories dealing with goblins! The stories that are there are nice, but often disjointed because they refer to previous years' events that are past, and there are too few stories, and the pictures are too small. If I had seen this book in a bookstore, I would not have bought it, but it was difficult to judge over the internet. I cannot recommend this book.

J.R.R. Tolkien was best known for his epic fantasy "Lord of the Rings" and his studies in myth and language. But Tolkien was also the proud dad of four kids -- and he didn't just read "Hobbit" to them at bedtime. Over the course of many years, he wrote and illustrated detailed, whimsical letters from Father Christmas, populated with a clumsy polar bear, elves and goblins.

In these letters, Father Christmas kept the Tolkien children updated with stories about the hijinks at the North Pole -- the slapsticky North Polar Bear and all the things he broke, firework explosions, the discovery of ancient caves full of old cave drawings, and battles with the goblins. (When Father Christmas couldn't write, his Elvish secretary filled in)

When reading these letters, it's hard to imagine any luckier kids in the Christmases of the '20s and '30s. After all, how many children gets detailed letters and pictures from Father Christmas -- complete with special stamps? Tolkien's love for his kids is evident in the care he took to create these letters, and the affection that comes from "Father Christmas" that is written in.

Tolkien's old-school style of writing is a bit formal and very correct, but he tosses in comments of exasperation, amusement, and in the last letter, a sort of sad resignation that children will grow up. Maybe it is because they were given to real children, not intended for publication, that the letters are only a little cutesy, and never cloying.

And of course, Tolkien's detailed, colorful, fantastical, intricate pictures are what make the letters come alive; you can imagine the Tolkien kids eagerly examining the pictures as well as the written words. They aren't terribly realistic -- Father Christmas never looks quite real -- but their detailed fantastical charm makes up for it, such as the murals on Father Christmas's walls, with suns, moons, stars and trees.

Tolkien also sprinkles the stories with things that his kids were probably intrigued by, like prehistoric cave paintings, fireworks, and a comic bear who causes all kinds of mayhem. And fans of Tolkien's fantasy works will probably enjoy checking out things like the invented Elf language (as written by the secretary Ilbereth) and goblin language. Tolkien includes a letter from the North Polar Bear in the latter language.

"Letters From Father Christmas" won't exactly make you believe in Santa Claus again, but it is one of the prettiest and most charming Christmas picture books out there. Definitely recommended -- and not just for Tolkien fans too.

. . .which will be a joy to hobbit-lads and lasses for many years to come. (Most "Big People" don't know that Father Christmas visits the Shire each Yule -- but he does!)

In this delightful book, the Master presents a series of illustrated letters sent from the North Pole each year to his children -- just in time for the holidays. In these letters, Father Christmas explains his difficulty in finding good help (thanks to the antics of the North Polar Bear); relates the true facts behind the great Northern Lights; and details frightening battles with the goblins who reside in caves under the Pole.

An excellent collection suitable for all ages (and guaranteed to instill in the youngest of hobbits a heathly desire to avoid goblins of all sorts!)