Play Groups Books

This play was originally developed through discussions and improvisations with teens, and its messages are positive and presented with humor. The story follows two teenagers on a quest for heroes as they navigate their way through street gangs, religious sects, unethical pop stars, TV characters, and vagrants. The cast is very large (doubling OK), with an even balance of male/female roles; the staging is best when performed in the intimacy of theatre-in-the-round. The teens finally find their hero in Mrs. Jones, whom they can't persuade to go back with them. In their quest, however, they have gained important insights about the hero in each of them.

The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, lyrical in its depiction of Cuban-immigrant life in New York City, is a very interesting read. The main thing that separates this book from others (and that probably won it the Pulitzer Prize) was the fact that the story was so rich and original. No other author, in terms of contemporary literature, that I'm aware of has so successfully depicted the lives of Hispanic-Americans in the United States.

The book delves into many facets of life (Latin American life, and life in general) including love, loss, and age. Granted, the book did have its fair share of flaws. For example, the sex scenes were a bit much, often bordering on obscene, and the length made for a somewhat staggering and repetitive read. However, the book, overall, was entertaining enough and entirely worthy of the Pulitzer Prize. If you have nothing to do and want to read an interesting story, go pick up the Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. Do not, however, go to the ends of the Earth to find this book because you may get disappointed.

"Like a forlorn bird in a bolero, he felt his wings being singed by the flame of tender love" (pg. 88).

If that sentence leaves you hungering for more, by all means pick up this book.

While I enjoyed the writing and the story, and appreciated the atmosphere invoked both for the 1950s and the present day, there were two major flaws that hindered my total enjoyment of the book. Firstly, while I am far from a prude, I found that the constant, graphic explanations of sex and body parts borderd on the pornographic. The man had many lovers--I get it. I don't need to read gory descriptions for 500 pages. That brings up the other flaw--the book could have been cut by 100 pages. Those last pages told us nothing new, and were basically a rehash of Cesar's musings and rememberances. This made the book very draggy, and really diluted the emotional power for me.

I found this book pretty boring and too focused on the main character's sexual escapades. Very disappointing with very little depth to it. Perhaps had the book focused more on the other brother's woes, it would have had the potential to be a great read. I'm wondering if the book won so many awards because it is a Cuban story written in English for an English speaking audience.

Sensual, sensuous, sensitive--Hijuelos's elegy to Cuba, its people, and especially its music is charming, wicked, uneven, humorous and ultimately sad, much like the 78 RPM recordings the fictional Mambo Kings made in their heyday.

The novel opens with the apex of the band's career: an ephemeral appearance on "I Love Lucy" with the Caribbean demigod Desi Arnaz. This opening scene and the epilogue, both featuring Arnaz in fictional mode, are told through the eyes of Eugenio, the son of one of the two brothers who led the Mambo Kings. The novel is, above all, an attempt to understand the previous generation, and the bulk of the book is a wistful look at the world of rumba and mambo and booze and women and more booze and more women as recalled through the eyes of Cesar Castillo, who came to New York in 1949 with his brother Nestor and, at the time the narrative takes place, three decades later, is drinking himself into a lethal stupor in a dilapidated hotel.

During their glory days in the 1950s Cesar only rarely looked back to his youth in Cuba, but Nestor was in obsessive mourning over the loss of his first love (more imaginary than real), a deprivation that caused him to write nearly two dozen versions of "Beautiful Maria of My Soul," the song the duo eventually performed with Arnaz before a national television audience. They are sudden celebrities in their Harlem neighborhood, but their joy is short-lived. It's not giving anything away to reveal that the neurotically melancholy Nestor dies tragically and young, destroying the magic of the Mambo Kings and leaving Cesar to pick up the pieces of his once-exuberant life. He seeks relief in the arms of women--many, many women--and his sexual prowess seems to be the only consolation left to him as he flits from job to job, as a building superintendent, as a night-club owner, as a music teacher.

Hijuelos frequently and almost seamlessly alters the tone of the prose. When recounting the brothers' careers, his style almost echoes the narration for a VH1 documentary, replete with discographies and studio lore. This tone contrasts sharply with the eroticism and occasional violence of Cesar's sexual exploits and the nostalgic romanticism that pervades the portraits of the brothers and their families. I wouldn't have thought such a juxtaposition of the journalese and the literary could have worked, but Hijuelos somehow pulls it off, making me wonder just how much of these lives are really fiction.

If the book has a failing--and it does sometimes falter--it's that Hijuelos consistently favors hypnotic repetition and overwritten description when a sparser, more straightforward style would have better served his characters. But such lapses are hardly the rule. Yes, it's depressing and, yes, it's coarse, but "Mambo Kings" ultimately celebrates Nestor and Cesar and their long lost loves and lives.

i thought this book would be interesting. instead, it was too intertwined with daydreams, multiple plots and different characters. it was difficult to read and hard to stay focused.

The whole idea of the postmodern novel has been rather disintegrated in this book. Hagedorn makes it seem as if giving a slice of life can never reconcile with an actual plot. If anyone has read Salman Rushdie or Marquez, that is obviously untrue. For the other folks, I'm truly sorry you haven't read anything worthwhile written in the past 30 years. In the end the entire theme of coming to age has been hastily written in the last thirty or so pages and everything else before was simple background to the terrible life that most of the characters experienced. If you want something thats almost strikingly similar in style and statire to this novel, read Ishmael Reed's phenominal Mumbo Jumbo.

People condemned colonialism as being the exploitation of one country by another. The dominant power sucked the resources out of the weaker one, paying only a little back in terms of some technology and a semblance of law and order. But I think now we have realized that that economic bloodsucking was only one of the evils of the imperial experience. More subtle, but maybe longer lasting, was the degrading of the self among the dominated. The ruled felt powerless, they felt their whole culture had failed them and offered nothing of a future, while the West (almost always the dominating powers) remained glamorous, powerful, sexy, and almost unreachable. The dominated peoples shucked off their traditions, rejected their pasts, and tried to become Western. If this is only partly true, it is truer of the elites, who could aspire to local power if they mimicked the real rulers. In the post-colonial era some countries adopted Western institutions to benefit themselves, while others took only the outward forms of the West and used them in corrupt ways. If these remarks hold any relevance to post-colonial society, they are even more true of the Philippines, where America held out a vision of "Americanization"---democracy, education, and pop culture---which could not be delivered in reality in a Southeast Asian peasant society that had lived under loose Spanish control for over 350 years before the Yanks arrived.

DOGEATERS is an achingly realistic portrait of Manila society, where nobody wants to be what they are and everyone wants to be somebody else. Identity comes from trashy Hollywood and Manila movies, soap opera is life. The shopping-obssessed elite rejects everything in their own land. The demi-monde leers around every corner. Phoneyness is next to godliness. The riffraff rule. Everyone survives on the edge. Marginal men become mainstream. Snowy Christmas scenes and "Jingle Bells" greet a holiday, but it's all "out there" somewhere; Manila remains hot and humid, home to a Malayo-Polynesian tradition that is walled off and laughed at by the would-be foreigners that dwell in the vast city. Imelda Marcos, a character in the book, collects her shoes and puts up huge "cultural" monuments that commemorate herself. She has no clue about and no sympathy for the problems of her nation. A thinly-disguised Benigno Aquino gets assassinated and everyone betrays everyone else. Everyone turns out to be marginal in the end.

DOGEATERS starts off in a brilliant way. The first two thirds of the book is exciting and insightful. If you have ever read Vargas Llosa or Lobo Antunes, you will not find Hagedorn at all difficult. Changing narrators and jumping back and forth is part of post-modern literature. Hey, what's so new about that ? I am not at all Filipino, though I have visited that country. OK, I didn't understand most of the Tagalog words tossed into the text without explanation, but you get the sense even so. In the last third, however, the author runs out of ideas. She can't keep up the momentum created through her intense, accurate description of certain classes of Filipino society. The story becomes diffuse and kind of limps across the finish line like "American Graffiti". Still, for anyone who fancies a novel that really opens up a culture quite neglected and unknown in the West, DOGEATERS is a must read.

Hagedorn's noteworthy novel presents a story of the Philippines through a Baroque layering of interconnected plots, as the many characters swirl around in the urban landscape of Manila. As some posters have complained, the plot can be confusing because of the many interconnections. In addition to the many characters, the novel is at times overwhelming because it is so filled with named things: imported foods identified by their national origins, references to Hollywood actors and pop culture figures from both the US and the Philippines, and places in the Philippines. The density of this short novel deliberately challenges the reader to follow along by figuring out the plots' interconnections and the many cultural references. For those who aren't willing to meet the novel half way, it certainly would be easy to become lost or bored. In certain ways, I would compare this novel to the experience of entering a virtual world in which the reader has the freedom to explore a different reality. The reader's job is to engage and connect all the people and things to be found there. It is an effort worth making.

Let me preface this by saying that I am Filipino, but have very little knowledge of what life in the Philippines is like, so in many respects this novel breaks new ground for me (although I did recognize much of the Tagalog that Hagedorn uses). That being said, I have to say that this book moves beyond being easily categorized as a transculturation text or something that simply received press because of its introduction of Filipino culture to the American populace (much in the same way that Alvarez and Garcia wrote books that could not be dismissed as simply being Latino-American fiction produced for an ethnic-hungry reading population). The style reminds me of the book "Twelve" in its fast paced movements and I especially liked the way the storylines of all of the characters had a way of intersecting with one another. I loved reading about Joey's character and also liked the way Hagedorn discusses a major problem with many Asian cultures - the problems of navigating the way with which Western culture bleeds into almost every facet of society. Hagedorn writes vivid descriptions of characters struggling with and enjoying the way Western entertainment has become the norm.

Problems with the novel? I guess one major concern is the over-emphasis on explaining what makes a Filipino a Filipino and the constant explanation of every little tidbit of Filipino culture. The way she uses language is well-done and people can understand the Tagalog without any translations, so I wish she had chosen to take a step back and not necessarily explain every cultural tidbit she thought a non-Filipino would not know. If that's what someone wanted they would have purchased a sociology textbook.

In the end, this is an entertaining read that does a good job of playing with narrative forms.

Caryl Churchill has written many strong and valuable plays, many of them about female identity and social roles, but none has supplanted Cloud 9 as her masterwork.
A biting farce of sexuality, gender, traditional familial and class roles, and pointedly, the mask of the Victorian and the Modern English persona, Cloud 9 is as funny as it is awkward, deep as it is quirky.
A true classic of the English stage. Read and if you can, see this.
Highly recommended.

Caryl Churchill's dark comedic play, "Cloud Nine" is a masterpiece. Though written in 1978, its commentary on gender roles and sexuality is quite compelling to our youngest generations. With the current controversey over homosexual relationships/marriage, Cloud Nine serves as window into the frustrations and fears of gay characters. People who have a hard time identifying with alternative lifestyles would have a lot to learn from reading through this play. In a way, Churchill's play is a bridge builder between the heterosexual world and the gay minority.

Cloud Nine follows the story of a family. The first act takes place on a South African plantation during the English Victorian Era, while in the second act, though the characters have only aged 20 years, the action takes place in London, England in the 1970's. Clive, the family patron, is the center of a male-oriented soceity and incourages traditional family and gender roles. For the first act, his wife Betty is played by a man, his gay son Edward is played by a woman, and his black servant is played by a white man. Immediately we learn that only Clive is satisfied with his station in life, where the other characters suffer many indignities to themselves that go unnoticed by everyone else (i.e. Edward is being molested by a friend of his father, who eventually attempts to seduce Clive as well). By the second act, time has moved forward and we watch the characters trying to adapt to an ever changing world in which parts of them is too withdrawn.

Chruchill's play is clever and intense with emotion. To connect with one character is to really experience the mental frustration and the indignities that we suffer from a judgemental society. I praise Caryl Churchill for this commentary in hopes that readers will gain a sense of sympathy for such people and in turn will promote tolerance.

For those of you who are familiar whith Brechtian practices this is a very good source. However, if you are not into the study of performance this might not be the book for you. It is very explicit with sexual orientation and questions gender and social status.

When you first start to read this play it will strike a few cords. If you can get past the enormous amount of sexual activities that goes on in just the first act, then you will find this play very interesting. What makes this a must read is the way the author has men playing women, women playing men and a doll for a baby. The explanation the author gives for doing this will causes a few hairs to stand up, but that is what makes the book. You won't know whether to hate the author or love her. I feel the author's talents really show in the way she transforms the characters. Betty who is Clives wife is played by a man in the act one. She is confused and incapable of making her own decisions, but by the second act she is played by a woman and she is more independent thinking on her own. Edward is another character that I find very interesting. In act one he is played by a woman because his desires are that of a woman, but by act two he start to accept his homosexuality and is then played by a man.
Cloud 9 is full of dramatic irony as well as plenty of oxymorons. If books had to come with warning label this one would definitely qualify.

As far as Brechtian plays go, Churchill is a master at alienation and disidentification- characters in this play are played as the protagonist's projection of who he thinks they should be (ie: the westernized African servant is played by a white actor). Although the effect is extremely powerful onstage, particularly when it raises up complex social and ethnic issues, the different characters can be hard to keep straight on paper. This play works far better in performance than it does in print, but it remains a valuable teaching tool for both Brecht and World Theatre studies.

In Roadrunner Trisha Thomas presents the seemingly perfect family Dell and Leah Fletcher. Dell and Leah are classic lovers from college who have a wonderful history but have hit a bump in the road. Dell unravels from a injury resulting in drugs and alcohol abuse leading to his dismisal from the league while Leah become victim to aggravation and loneliness. A moment of strife and confrontation between a grief stricken Dell and an over-burden Leah changes their lives forever. From accidents, arguments, infatuation, substitute lovers and fading dreams of what could be, the suspense in Roadrunner chronicles heartache,lost,frustration, false facades,lust, denial and redemption to its fullest. I read this novel in two days and it was well worth the trip.

Leah is married to Dell Fletcher, a famous baseball player, who has recently suffered a bad injury that puts a halt to his career. The injury puts a strain on their relationship, with Dell not being able to handle not playing, and he is addicted to pain pills. When Dell disappears for awhile, Leah finds herself attracted to Angel the cop, who is in charge of Dell's case. I thought the book was ok, but kind of boring at times, I also thought the situation with Angel could have ended a little different.

I'm sorry to be so harsh, but this book was so horrible. I absolutely did not buy one single word of this story. The whole accident at the beginning was way too unbelievable. Officers leaving citizens stranded and causing accidents and not reporting it. Then lying about it all (yes, omission is lying) and lying to the man's wife...All the while insinuating...no FORCING his way into their lives. Only days after the man disappeared. Making assumptions and assuming another man's role. Unacceptable and hard to buy. He practically preyed on all of them. Accosting Leah on her steps...um, he should know that NO MEANS NO. It was so insulting. I hope no one was actually rooting for this man? He was just repulsive. All around. Wanting to kill Squire, Leah's friend. Get out of here. I'm glad the story ended with him getting his due, but I'm also glad that the Fletcher family had their ending. No other way, b/c of the way this book was written would be acceptable.

Oh, and you mean to tell me that this woman never EVER thought to talk to maybe a detective or another person at the station to find out about her husband? She finds out he was never booked and she doesn't get curious? Gimme a break.

If you must read this, do what I did and borrow it from the library.

This novel hits alot of life situation that one time another we all have to endure.The storyline are great,sectioning off family,and work.We all are roadrunner somewhere in life.Nice book!!Must read!

I read Ms. Thomas's first novel, and I was eager to read the second. I am torn on whether or not to say that I was disappointed. I will assume that you have some idea of what the story was about, from reading the reviews above. My problem was not with storyline, but with the depth. I still don't feel like I got to know Leah -- who she was, what motivated her. For example, when the author writes at the end of the story was Leah had been unhappy in her marriage for a while, I am surprised to read it. That wasn't clearly conveyed before. It was clear that her husband, Dell, had problems, but not that she or that he had been unhappy for years before the problems began. I was also able to quess where Dell had been after he "disappeared," long before it was clearly revealed, and I really, really wish that Ms. Thomas had concealed that from the reader a little more, so that it would have been more of a suprise. As it was, there was neither buildup nor shock when I learned where he had been.

Finally, I will say that I truly enjoyed the portrayal of Angel. Thomas does a good job of getting into his past, his thoughts, his motivations, his desires in a subtle, but intriquing way. I enjoyed the way she played up his moral, concerned-officer role slowly. He seems like he is just has a crush on Leah, and bit by bit it is clear that he is self-righteous, controlling, petty, and selfish, not just obsessed. He really did seem harmless at first, and the reader slowly comes to see that he isn't quite right, even though he doesn't see that himself. Ms. Thomas makes it clear that Angel finds his actions justified.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I appreciate that it was not a completely frivolous read, raising some interesting, important questions about love and relationships and forgiveness. And betrayal. And I do recommend it, and I look forward to reading her third book. I'll be going to the bookstore today.

Tolstoy's Anna Karenina isn't a book that you would usually think of people
getting really passionate about. The cigar factory becomes a place where
people have issues about love and it is centered around a handsome
reader of books. The explosion is a while building and when it happens,
you knew something was on the way...
It is well written play, but I really don't like it very well.
Maybe that is a good thing?

Nilo Cruz, Anna in the Tropics (Theatre Communications Group, 2002)

I've been trying, on and off, to review this for almost three months now, and I haven't been able to get anything to stick. My original idea was to write something about what a fine period piece it is, but it kept ringing hollow, since I'm not old enough to have been around during the period in question. It feels right, but if I've learned anything in forty years, it's not to trust my sense of nostalgia for things that occurred before I was born. (And the more my daughter's generation embraces the seventies, the more I have that reinforced in my head.) Then came ideas for a long missive about the parallel between the plot here and Anna Karenina, the novel read by the lector in this play, but that seemed far too obvious to spend a great deal of time on; it is, after all, the mechanism that moves the play. I eventually came to the realization that this is so far outside my normal sphere of experience that I don't really have much of anything to say about it except what I felt. I enjoyed reading it, though I do think it got heavy-handed at times. Cruz id very good at letting the surface story mask what's really going on; most of the actual action of this play goes on just to the left of the stage, as it were, and we're left to interpret things ourselves. I find this to be a very good thing. It is overshadowed at times by that heavy-handedness, which is just as much a paradox as it sounds, so I ended up with conflicting feelings. But the fact that I'm still thinking about it three months and almost one hundred fifty books later certainly says something about its power to stay with the reader long after the cover is closed. ***

I saw a university perform it and it blew me away! I saw the reviews and pictures for the broadway production and I feel that the more professional version is not doing the play justice as UTEP did. I still think that it is a beautiful well, written play.

Given that most plays should be seen and not read, this play is, for contemporary drama, refreshingly ambitious. It takes on the question of the transformative nature of art in life. Art gives dignity: These people, after all, roll cigars. But in a world of dignified work, they dress to come to work, take pride in their craft, and spend their days listening to performances (like those attending the play, right?), analyzing characters and plot and performers. To be displaced by a machine is not only to lose the craft of their work--the hand-rolled fine cigar displaced by the MacStoagie--but to lose, in the din of tending the machine, the opportunity to listen to performance. Is the bottom line more important than art? The symbolism may be heavy-handed, but the dramatist, after all, must work quickly to make his point. Shakespeare it ain't, but I found it refreshing to read a play with aspirations to lofty content.

Living near McCarter Theater in Princeton my AP English class got to go see a production of this play while it was still being work-shopped for Broadway.
Afterwards, my teacher asked what we all thought, of course first stating that she loved it so that all of the "favorite" students knew which opinion to take.
They all raised their hands and said they loved it to, however, no one could say why. Why not? Because everyone hated it.
I was the first to open the flood gate.
"I thought it was ridiculous. It has no real substance to the plot."
"That's because the language is the point"
"Well the language is the worst part. Why would poor factory workers speak in absurdly flowery metaphors? Especially ones that stupid ('Does the bicicle miss the boy?')?"
My teacher flipped out at this.
"You don't understand! That's what literature is all about! Metaphors!"
The woman, asides from being a gigantic b**ch, was merely blinded by what reviews had told her to think and by her crush on Jimmy Smitts.
A month later, the New York Times, reviewed the play after its Broadway premiere. They said pretty much exactly what I thought. I was going to bring the review into class, but why bother? The woman already hated me.

PS. One earlier reviewer discussed how it was impossible to determine from the production the the daughter was raped. During a Q&A afterwards, Emily Mann stated that they were having problems deciding how to show this. I agree with the reviewer that they clearly didn't come to a good solution.

Oh my gosh, half my through I just wanted to scream
" I don't care just get me out of here"

This book is exquisitely faithful to the original score. If you have not yet heard the Light in the Piazza, go buy the soundtrack and get this book if you're a piano player. The music from this production truly captures the beauty and romance of Italy and the lyrics give heart to a simple story of love and loss. I'm 18 and I've played piano my whole life and I find a few of these pieces challenging, if you are a beginner you won't be able to play this. A novice will have to work at them, and a more advanced player will still have some rhythms to work out. Overall a perfect addition to a lover of music's library.

Reiterating Daniel F. Pinkerton "danpink", THIS IS NOT THE PIANO-REDUCTION SONGBOOK. This is only the libretto, dialogue only, NO MUSIC.

I didn't catch danpink's proviso in the midst of these other reviews, and have spent money on a book which isn't what I wanted.

The American musical in the past few years has often been
of the "jukebox" type(Mama Mia, Good Vibrations)or
featured music that hearkens back to a particular period (Hairspray)
or verges on contemporary pop. There is a lot of
tongue-in cheek out there (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,
Urinetown), and much of it is excellently crafted.
What has often been lacking are
musicals where genuine emotion is allowed to be expressed,
with all the risks that that entails, by a composer with a definitive sound of his/her own.

The Light in the Piazza is an admirable attempt to craft
a musical where the scenes and songs aren't drawn from a
pool of pre-packaged emotions. And Adam Guettel's 'sound'
blows like a fresh breeze. His simple yet subtle lyrics
allow the characters to display themselves as individuals,
not stereotypes. His harmonic and formal choices,
characterized respectively by comparatively
frequent modulations and subtle departures from strict
AABA convention, allow melodies to soar and sweep in
a manner that never sounds old-fashioned, only human.

This CD is worth buying for listeners interested in hearing
the sound of a composer/lyricist whose range encompases both
gravity and levity; who is willing to let characters express
themselves and reveal their weaknesses and vulnerabilities
without being subjected to the composer's superior oversight.

The simplified arrangements in this book gut the harmonic resonance of almost all the songs. Numbers like "Dividing Day" and "The Beauty Is" are very nearly unrecognizable.

Thank you for the performance edition of "Light in the Piazza," now please,

release the Vocal Score, Mr. Guettel.

Since I work with a wide variety of ages, upper elementary through adult, I found this book to be a valuable resource. A lot of the activities are geared more toward the adult side, but I have very successfully adapted several of the activities to the younger aduience. The section at the beginning of the book with the How-To's for facilitators presents some excellent advice. The activities are categorized very nicely, and the lay-out of the activities themselves is very similar to an educator's lesson plan, which I also think is a big plus.

Although there is a lot of information packed into this book, I was very unimpressed with the layout and visual design. It looks like it was typed up in 1970. The graphics are ancient and the layout is just one big binder with no cross-referencing or indexing available. To find a useful game, you have to sift through hundreds of pages. It really is a shame, as there are some clever games here to loosen up an audience.
Frankly for this price, I expected something a bit flashier and filled with reproducibles that I would want to copy and hand out. The way it looks now, and with it's unwieldy format, it's going to sit on my shelf.
If I hadn't spilled water on it, I would have sent it back for a refund.

The best thing about The Complete Games Trainers Play is its sheer size. Actually, it isn't nearly as big as some reviews imply. It is really around 1000 pages, not 2000+. And for some reason, a significant percentage of those pages are left blank. But even with that caveat, this is still a sizable resource.

If you are willing to devote 30+ minutes to finding an activity, you are sure to find one (or five) that are ideal for your training event. The fact that individual "games" can be removed from the ring binder is also helpful. This allows you to use the activities without carrying the whole book around, and to easily photocopy sheets for individual participants as some activities require.

However, there are some significant downsides. There is no real way to find appropriate activities without flipping through virtually the entire book. A large number of the activities aren't very good. And, most of the book is in a strange "typewriter" typeface that makes it look like it came from 1972. (Oddly, there are some pages which are randomly sprinkled through the book that use a different, more recent-looking typeface.)

To really upgrade its usefulness, Games . . . would benefit from taking a leap into the computer age. In other words, along with the printed book, a computer CD should be included. This could feature a good, searchable index, which is now lacking. It would also make it possible to print out games, and modify handouts on the computer to your organization's needs.

I've never bought any other resources like this, so I can't say if this is better or worse than others. I can say that in spite of the steep price and the drawbacks, I'm definitely glad I purchased it. It was very useful to me, and will be again in the future. However, there are a few simple steps the authors and publishers could take to greatly improve it.

This is a great tool of Trainers. Keeping your trainees engaged throughout the training is always a challenge. This tool give creative ways to assess retention of information. The games are great and the administrative forms and suggestions are wonderful.

People love playing games a lot more than listening to lectures; this is indisputable. I didn't like all of the games listed here, but so what. Several I found helpful and intend to use.

SO LET THEM JUMP AND JEER AND WHIRL
THEY ARE THE SWINE, I AM THE PEARL...
LET THEM LAUGH, LET THEM SCREAM,
*THEY'LL ALL BE BEHEADED WHEN I'M QUEEN.*
WHEN I RULE THE WORLD, WHEN I RULE THE WORLD
IN MY MOMMY'S HIGH HEELS.

This is a poem called "In Mommy's High Heels" by Paul Selig, included in this book, about A LITTLE BOY who defiantly wears his mother's shoes for show and tell and then lashes out at his schoolmates with the above statements. This is just one of many works of this nature included in this book.

This book is currently being pushed into the nation's school curriculum, especially targeting the ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, along with JESSE'S DREAM SKIRT, KING AND KING, and HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES. It is clearly just another tool being used by extreme liberals to indoctrinate our young children into HOMOSEXUALITY, CROSS-DRESSING and VIOLENT INTOLERANCE (THEY'LL ALL BE BEHEADED WHEN I'M QUEEN) towards those who would oppose to their moral values.

The real effect will be to confuse children about gender differences, and encourage cross-dressing. This could be the first step in confusing children about their sexual identity. THis is one example out of the volumes of material being produced and pumped into our schools by well-funded groups like GLSEN.

I rated this book 4 out of 5(with 5 being the best) becuase it had a little bit of bad language. Besides that I thought the book was great! It really made me think about how other people can be different and that you shouldn't tease, make fun, or judge them differently,when you really don't know them. I learned that you should always respect people because of who they are. I would recommend this book to bullies, people who get bullied, and people who like to read about standing up for yourself and appreciating who you are. I'm really glad I read the book.

This is a wonderful book for ANYONE interested in children's theatre and civics education. The writing is sensational--and the subject matter is timely, meaningful, and handled with great care. Don't miss the Islamic grandmother and the snake!

This book will capture your imagination and inspire you at the same time. Every page offers a new suprise and new unexpected delight! This is the "Free to Be You and Me" for a new generation. It speaks to children and adults both while never talking down to either of them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in bringing smart and fun theatre to children. Plus the artwork is fabulous!

I was diappointed in this book. I expected a whole bunch of ideas for simple games. What I got was a book which spells out what we already do with our daughter.
The "games" consist of things as obvious as pointing to a toy and naming it then having your child point to their toys as you name them. I mean, who doesn't know to ask thier child "Where's your kitty toy?" or doing this little piggy with them.
Those are not "games" so much as simply interacting with your child. And I certianly don't need a book to tell me to do that!

I am a stay at home mom and I try to have activity books on hand to be helpful to me, even if it reminds me or gets my creativity flowing again. If you are an educator, I have read Pam Schiller books and I feel they are geared in format towards educators. If you want activities to plan for this book and judy herr books are layed out in a more organized manner.

The first thing that should be noted about this book is that is really intended for babies, not toddlers. The games are for children from 12 to 24 months. I bought it for a 2 1/2 yr. old and he's pretty far beyond many of the suggested games. For a younger kid, it would be pretty good. All the games feature stuff that's laying around the house and they are very short games, which is great for kids with an attention span of about 2 seconds! I would recommend this book for anyone with a baby, but be forewarned there's a lot of gushy stuff in there like "sit back and watch your little cherub have fun!"

This book mainly contains activities and games that don't require a lot of props. Or if a game requires a prop, the materials are usually already in the house. We loved the balance beam game and made our own out of a 2x4 laid across two books. Our toddler learned balance and increased her confidence.

I like the book categories - can easily find a "type" of game. I also like that the book is additionally sorted by age.

This definitely is not an arts and crafts book; if you're looking for a variety of artsy things to do with your child, this is not the book to buy.

But, I have plenty of those books and was happy to find a book that my husband could thumb through and pick an activity without having to make a shopping trip.

Also nice to leave out for babysitters or visiting relatives, to help them interact with the baby - and to help the baby get used to them.

This book includes many more exciting activities to play with your toddler. While my daughter does a lot of exciting activities at day care, it gives me an opportunity to have some creative time with her in the evenings and weekends. This book is wonderful in giving her uncreative mother a head start in coming up with ideas for her to do.