New Books

When I looked up Darryl Brock to see Havana Heat, I was thrilled to see that If I Never Get Back was rated 5 stars by *SO* many people. So I'm adding my own rave.

I read a library copy of this book shortly after it was published. I loved it so much that I immediately bought my own copy and some extras to give away. I even wrote a fan letter to Darryl Brock, who wrote back and included some cartoons & other items that were apropos to the story.

I love the entire book, but want to add special mention about the last page or 2. The ending is unique and charming and absolutely perfect. I can't help but smile whenever I think about it.

The book is like a grown-up fairy tale based on an actual historic era. If this appeals to you, READ THIS BOOK!!

"If I Never Get Back" by Darryl Brock has something enjoyable for everybody. It's a historical novel with adventure,danger,action,humor,fantasy and romance, but will be especially loved by those who love time travel and baseball(and train enthusiasts as well). You'll go back in time and escape to a time with no electricity,phones, credit cards, TV, radio or cars, but in the just post civil war era of 1869, there was our National Pastime - Baseball.

Sam Fowler does not start out as the most likeable character. He's a drinker,has a bit of an anger management problem, and is brooding over the separation from his beloved little girls due to a messy divorce. On top of that he has just been notified of the death of his own absentee father(no great loss to Sam) but has the dubious job of burying him.
The boozing had led Sam to "milky" periods where things are just not quite in focus. While at the train station on his way back from dealing with his father, he is having one of his episodes and falls into unconsciousness. He awakes on the same platform but things are quite different. He hops the train - some old classic - and finds himself aboard with one of the first pro ball teams - The Cincinnati Red Stockings.

Not knowing at first, if he is hallucinating or just having a bad day, he eventually comes to realize he has somehow gone back in time and forms a relationship with the team. He travels with this extraordinary group of young men and becomes a big part of their world.On his transcontinental travels- using the early RR system, horse and buggys, etc)there is one adventure after another. He falls in love with a woman he feels a deep connection, gets in hot water with some real toughs who are after him throughout, befriends the great Mark Twain, has a spiritual connection with an apparition,and plays baseball 19th century style - a might rougher and faster then today's version of the game. He's even involved in a shoot out in a poker game in a western saloon! While searching for the reason he is there(an enjoying the change of pace quite a bit), he becomes a new man. One we can't help but cheer for as his life is in danger at so many turns.

The book is a page turner. You can't help but become attached to Sam and the boys. Brock puts you right there in the 19th century, with remarkable detail of each city,the trains,food,clothes,dress,etc and through Sam we are living the life of someone who has gone back over a hundred years(this book was published in 1990, so there are even more differences now!).The Civil War plays a small but integral part of the story too. And then there is Baseball - we are treated to a real look at how the game was played, and feel the intensity with which they played.Even then, the game was popular and the players heroes. But think of never seeing them play unless you were fortunate enough to actually be at a game.

Also available in hardcoverIF I NEVER GET BACK. A Novel. check for best deal and availability

I for one was having such a great time, I hoped he would never get back! Baseball, apple pie,old trains, wonderful colorful characters...and a refreshing look at historical America....enjoy!.....Laurie

I first read this in high school. I reread it recently and am happy to say that is still one my top favorite books.

This is a book I've read several times. I'd like to know where Mr. Brock found out so much about Charlie sweazy, Asa Brainard et al, to make these characters come alive the way they do. There were a few political issue editorials Darryl brought into the story. But these surely do not detract from the book. I wish I had Andy Leonard as a brother as well.
You will hate to see the end of this book as it is entertaining(and historically accurate) from first page to last. As I said earlier, it's my favorite baseball book and one of my favorite of any genre.

This is one of the greatest baseball novels ever written. If you like baseball,time travel,romance and "rooting for the good guys" this is a book that will never get old. I'm sorry they never made a movie if it. However I doubt Hollywood could do it justice. Superb!!!!!!!!!!

Tracy is a great story teller and the way she took us into the lives of lamin and made is fall for him weas terrific. Go get this book, if you aint up on it, you late!!! Tracy is one of the best out in the game.

I was so in love with the idea of Lucky and Lamin it's ridiculous! I loved everything about this book. I loved the loving relationship between Lamin and Lucky, between Lamin and Zion, and his relationship with his sister Olivia. The lives of the characters were so descriptive, I felt like I knew them personally. I HATED that Lucky and Lamin didn't end up together but it was for the best. Lucky wanted to try again (despite his betrayal) and he chose another path. I've read Tracy Brown's other works but I think this one by far was her best! LOVED IT!!!

I thought CRIMINAL MINDED was outstanding tracy brown did a great job writting this novel keep them novels coming ms. brown. This book will hold your attention from start to finish this book is so true in life some men think that the grass is greener on the other side but soon they fine out it's not and they never miss a good thing until it's gone. IF you are looking for a good read this is my suggestion.

I am a huge tracy Brown fan and loved all of her books so far and this one was great as well. The characters were well developed and the story line was great! This is another must read!

This book was well put together. I just loved it. I recommend everyone to read it. It was so intense from page to page. I can not wait tell the next book.

I really loved the Phantom Stallion books, and I recommend you start with the first one so you can follow the series. It's a great story, and hard to put down. My mom and I read it together and she thought the writing was great. I liked it because it really tells a lot about how Samantha loves horses and gets over her fear of them after a fall.

I read three more books in the series after this one and will read more. Highly recommended.

IF YOU LOVE HORSE'S YOU WILL LOVE THIS SERIES! IT IS GREAT FOR EVERY AGE GROUP AS WELL! I AM 27 YEAR'S OLD AND COMPLETELY CAPTIVATED BY THE CHARACTER'S BOTH HUMAN AND HORSE ALIKE!!!!!! THE AUTHOR TERRI FARLEY HAS AN SUCH AN ABILITY TO DRAW HER READER'S IN AND GIVE THEM A WILD, DRAMATIC, AND EMOTIONAL RIDE!!! THE CHARACTER'S REALLY COME TO LIFE AND YOU FEEL FOR THEM ( AGAIN BOTH HUMAN AND HORSE)!!!!!!

Phantom Stallion The Wild One is about a girl named Sam. When she was little she fell off her horse Blackie, and was injured very badly. Her dad sends her away to live with her aunt in San Fransisco for two years. When she comes back home Zanzibar (Blackie) has run away and didn't come back. That night, Sam sees a silver horse walking around outside. It has been appearing every night. It has also shown Sam a secret place in the desert where there's a whole herd of wild horses. When Sam, her dad, and some cowboys go on a cattle drive, Sam meets Linc Slocum who wants the phantom for himself. Can Sam stop him?? I really liked this book because it's about horses and I love horses. It is also a great adventure, and the author really describes it well. I hope you'll enjoy this book as much as I did!

liked this because I'm very into horses and this book is about a horse. It's sad about what happens to the horse, but the end of the story leaves you wondering what happens later on. This is a series and I do plan on reading the next book.
A girl named Sam got thrown off by her horse Blackie. It had been a near-fatal accident. Two years later, Sam returned to the farm and saw a silver mustang. She believes it is Blackie because when she said Blackies secret name " Zanziber" his ears would prick up to listen to what she had to say.
I would recommend this book to people who like horses because this book is about how Sam tries to find and keep her horse from being captured.

There is a very simple way to sum up my review. This book, and the rest of the series, is fantastic. In comparison to other horse series, this series ranks the highest, far above most others. This is my favorite horse series.

Here is a list of other horse series I've tried:

The Saddle Club - The books were pretty good. I read the first two, but since the books were never avaliable to me, I never read any more. However, the two books I read were pretty good. The television series was a little too corny for me. The acting and script was awful. There were some decent actors, but some over-acted. Dialogue in the script was not well done. There was a lot of, "Oh, will my horse be okay? Whatever will we do?!" One hundred plus books in a single series is not recommended, either. The main reason this series was a turn-off.

The Horseshoe Trilogies - I read one of the books in this series. It was pretty good, but it didn't make we want to read the rest. The book was too short and lacked a certain zing.

Thoroughbred - I think I read one of the first ones in the series, and I thought it was good. So, I friend went out and bought one of the books further into the series. A different author had taken over and I stopped after the first couple of pages. Not much in comparison to the original author, even if I only read one book that she wrote! Besides, this wasn't the series for me anyway. I don't have the feel of horse racing, because I've never been to a race and it has never been a huge thrill to me. Of course I love watching gorgeous Thoroughbreds race around a track, but I'm biting my nails at the same time, worrying that one will trip or break a leg. Take Barbaro for example. So this series didn't cut it.

Heartland - I liked these books. Many people say the books were too dark, but I disagree. I think they were scary at times, and made me worry, but that kept me reading. Best of all, these books were realistic, unlike other horse series I have come across. The events, characters, dialogue, ect. all seem real. HOWEVER, the books sometimes veered off the subject of horses. I felt there was too much romance and not enough horses. Problems with the horses seemed realistic, though. This series still didn't hit, but it was better. At least it kept me reading.

Chestnut Hill - I read the third book in this series and it was wonderful! Again, realistic characters and horses. However, in the first book, why would Dylan do something so stupid? If she was experienced with horses, she would know riding at night and taking a bet from one of those girls would lead to trouble. In the third book, there wasn't as much romance as Heartland, so that was an improvement. And this series seems more on my age level. Plus, the characters dealing with the horses seemed realistic. Lauren Brooke is a very good writer, but again, this series wasn't the best in the world. All of these series seemed to be following a pattern. They were all in the English style and some of them either spoiled their horses rotten, or veered off the subject of horses too much.

Phantom Stallion - That's when I came upon this series. From the first book, I was instantly attached. The author has such realistic characters, plots, dialogue, events, and settings.

Samantha Forster was in a riding accident two years ago. She fell off her colt, Blackie, while riding through a gate. In Blackie's attempt to escape, Sam fell from his back and catapulted to the ground. As she was falling, Blackie's hooves caught her head. Jake Ely, Sam's friend, galloped back to Sam's family's ranch to get help. Two years later, Sam is returning from living with her Aunt Sue in San Franscico, California. She was in a coma and, deciding that being closer to a hospital in California then two hours away in Nevada would be better for Sam, Sam also lost Blackie during all this. He had galloped for the range, the wild blood from his mustang father, Smoke, carrying through the tough events that life on the range can bring.

The night Sam comes home, a stallion comes to her and she knows it's her beloved horse grown and gone wild, with now earning the name of the legendary Phantom. Sam's horse was no longer the midnight-black colt named Blackie, he was now the silver stallion known as the Phantom. But along with every good friendship, their are tough times thrown at them. The antagonist (bad guy) named Linc Slocum, is determined to get the Phantom off the range and own the stallion himself as a "trophy". Sam won't let that happen. She knows the Phantom wants to be free, but how can she guarentee his freedom? Linc Slocum pulls a totally horrible and very realistic stunt that threatens to take the Phantom off the range. Only Sam can help him. But how?

The rest of the series is fantastic. All of the books are packed with adverture, realistic events, exciting plots, believable dialogue, and horses! And the subject does not veer off horses. There is the occasional couple of pages with Sam being in school at Darton High, which is always interesting and fun to read! Every book is a pleasure to read and the best horse series I have ever come across.

The idea for the series is also original. This series, unlike most horse series, features the Western style of riding. It also includes ranch life and mustangs, unlike the usual stable-bred, glossy horses in a fancy riding stable with girls running around pampering them and slipping them horse cookies every second. Sam and her family treat the horses on River Bend Ranch where Sam lives with respect, but they don't spoil them rotten. Sam tries to see through the horse's eyes, but she doesn't make a big deal out of petty things. She uses the same saddle for years, and never complains, she doesn't polish her saddle every time she spots a speck of dirt, and she makes her horse Ace work for his food, a nice warm bed, and a long curry-combing session.

Character personalities, actions, and dialogue are also what keep the series moving. Sam has two best friends, Jennifer Kenworthy and Jake Ely. Jen is extremely intelligent, but is always cracking me up with her sarcastic sense of humor! Jake is the quiet, silent type and is a cowboy through and through. He is always teasing Sam and it's always fun to read about what this mysterious, quiet, and horse-loving guy will do and say next! Another antagonist, although not as big as Linc Slocum, is Linc's daughter, Rachel. She has perfect clothes, hair, and is popular in school. But she has a horrible personality and is determined to make Sam's life miserable every chance she can get. Whether that's by dissing a horse, questioning Sam's clothes, embarrassing her, or flirting with Jake, Rachel will do anything to make Sam want to sock her. Terri Farley depicts all of her characters well and realistically.

The author also doesn't talk down to her readers. For some unfamiliar phrases, she'll take a moment to explain, but she'll expect you to know horse colors, breeds, tack, habits, ect. Terri also goes in vivid detail when describing a horse, a herd of mustangs, or a new character, which keeps me reading. This is a fantastic series. It's adventerous, exciting, realistic, heart-wrenching (but not dark), the horses are treated with respect, but not spoiled rotten, the dialogue is interesting, the characters are fun to read about, and the series is one of the most realistic series I have ever come upon. And most original!

Keep up the FANTASTIC work, Terri! And every horse lover should read this series!

This was such a great book! It was really cool how it told about Ashleigh before she got all famous and stuff. It was also a really sad book. Also, yet another book to add that the evil Cindy wasnt in I mean its great that she has her new loving family and stuff but shes a brat! I dont know how they can put up with her! So it was great to see another book without her. Not to give anything away but why did they do to Black Night what they did? Give him at least something! But all in all this was another great book!

Well, It was an okay book to read about.. I dunno. I just hate the fact that in the Ashleigh series books, hardly any of the things mentioned in this book were real-this was supposed to be the skeleton for the series, and it was hardly followed. They had a stallion, Stardust had a foal, and in the Ashleigh series, they died of strangles, wish is obviously not the paralyzing disease that they suffered from in this book called Paralytic Rhinopneumonitis.

I mean, do the 5-8 athers that write these books even READ the previous books for history? For referance? They are doing a horrific job of stringing this series together! I see NO point in having more than one author writing this series! I don't care if it takes alot longer than the usuall two months between each new edition of these books-I want quality, not quantity. I dont have the last ten books in the TB series yet, or the last 5 of the Ahleigh series, but from what I've heard, when comparing two stories together from past and present, they don't align properly to flow together. I figure they should pick one GOOD author to keep the series alive.

AND, has anyone seen the inconsitancy of the art work? I mean, in Ashleigh's diary, she for once looks her age, instead of about three years older. The art work of the early TB series and early special editions was lovely. And then, after that, it got all spread out-the horses didn't have the same markings, colors, or build. In book #9, Prides Challenge, his legs look horrific, and his legs, at least the forelegs, look like they are bay colored (black). All the very early artwork- in the ones centered around Wonder and very early works of Pride that is- have the signiature of 'Casale' somewhere on them. Those are some of the best works that are non-digital. 'Close Call' had a wonderful artist as well. Yet, alot of them are very poor quality, wich sadly, in some cases, matches the writing.

I miss the old artwork! I miss Joanna Campbells origional writing!

Also, I wish that the series would move up in the age section-the series, all compiled together, makes around 70 books. Does anyone else think that they should now be for the older, faithful readers? Little children will take a long time to read them anyway, and I love the books, but I do still wish that they would be a more challenging read, and longer. I can finish two of them in a day if I really focuss.

Thoroughbred are my favorite books in the whole wide world!!
They rock!! About Ashleigh's diary. It was one of the best books I've ever read. Also the saddest. I got very sad when
black night and wanderer got stolen. The saddest part of the book is when all the horses die. I cryed when black night died.
Also when Ashleigh had to move and leave stardust. I've been
reading thoroughbred books for about 2 months. This book is a
nice long sad story. IF you don't like it your crazzzy!!

P.S There are some happy parts too.

This is a real sad book! I felt bad when the horses were stolen. Then, when everything seemed fine and Ashleigh's grades broke a record, the virus struck. It was so awful when I found out about Jolita, I cried! It got sadder and sadder. I felt like I was the one holding the horses and crying and buying disinfectant. I kept hoping, hoping Black Night would live--the horses seemed so real! Then five mares died along with Black Night, and I was crying. By the time Ashleigh left Stardust and the farm, my tissue was soaked.

This book is the best ever. It was SO sad when Black night died, but I was happy when Stardust got better. HORSE LOVERS READ THIS BOOK!! ( P.S You might love this book too much )

Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul; 102 Stories to Give Kids Courage, Hope, Laughter

This book is more than just a book. My friends and I have read it and we agree that it's an awesome book.

My wife loves this book. I get tired of the same fables with pictures. It's nice to read something that peaks the child's curiosity and allows discussion about meaningful things.

I bought this book for my little daughter, but I ended up reading it, too. It had good, inspirational stories about kids. I really enjoyed it.

Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul
JAck Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger, Mitch Claspy
K. Gan
P. 6

This book is what everything a kid goes through. They go through love, friendship problems, family problems and attitude a justment. Every kid should get this book because this book has the answers to your problems. No matter what situation, good or bad, this book does have the answers. This book shares a lot of problems a kid goes through and a lot of good times in their childhood. For me, i don't dislike the book, i really love it!
As I was growing up, I had a lot of problems. One of my problems was the fact that my bestfriend was moving. In this book, it says "But the more i thought about it, the more I realized I wasn't really losing her. The person taught me so much in life and laughter, the person who had helped me grow to be myself, was just going away for a while, to do some growing and learning up of her own." This quote is really true. The person who taught me so much is still here with me. I think that he just needs to keep learning. He was always there for and he made an impact in my life that no matter where he is, he is always going to be apart of me.
This book teaches a kid not to take things for granted. Lately, I been taking time for granted. Me and my brother has been really distance in the last few years. Me and him are seven years apart and we and him never really talked. In one short story in the family section it says " Hey Tova,It's me Sara. I just called to tell you I love you." This quote is a good quote. In this story, Tova is travaling to Egypt to study by herself. Her sister, Sara, is a few years younger then her. Sara wanted to be everything her sister is, so she copied everything she did. On the night Tova left, Sara noticed how quiet it is without her older sister so she cried all night. She then got the courage to call her and say I love you and she did. I wish that I could do this, so this short story gave me the courage too.
I have no favorite part in the book because everything in this book is really usefull in a kids life. This book covers every aspect in a kids life. Turning from a kid to a teenager, this book has it all. I advise every kid to read it because it's really handy when your in need.

I have not read this book, but my nine year old daughter has read and enjoyed most of it. Last night though, she cried herself to sleep after reading graphic stories (near the end of the book) by an incest victim whose father was sent to jail and the daughter of an injection drug user who woke up one night with police pointing guns at her. I'm sure the inclusion of these stories was well-intentioned, but there's no way they are "chicken soup" for the average kid's soul.

this book may or may not be true, but if it is not then it's probably based on one or more true stories. it is told from the first person, and is very exciting. it does jump around some, leaving wide gaps of time. it is the story of an SS commander as the german army surrenders, and after. it also details the mens handeling of communist terrorists, and the battles they engaged in. there is lots of action and an intersting echo of todays events. this is a book i highly recomend. particularly for VETs of the current war on terror.

I loved this book. I don't believe as a christian that this is necessarily the right approach to win a war, but it is indisputable that you can win a war using Hans Josef Wagenmuellers methods.

This is a great story for all of the reasons mentioned in the other reviews, but the writing is really second rate. The use of exclamation points is childish in many instances.

Well worth your time if you can get your hands on one.

I enjoyed The Five Fingers by Gayle Rivers more than Devil's Guard.

It is another may or may not be true war story set in Southeast Asia.

To a soldier conflict and combat are the mainstay of his vocation and profession after a certain point the victor and vanquished become little more than facts to be minded by the history keepers (usually the victors) and refered too by the participants in abbreviated rhetoric and broken dialogs. The author has done the reader a great service in the delivery of this redition of the activities and experiences of soldiers as they traverse the perilious and unforgiving realm of those involved in the arena. The fact that this material is non fiction affords the reader the added benefit of being a glimpse of history rearely exposed from a participants perspective.

This book purports to be a barely edited transcription of "18 days" of continuous tape-recorded narrative by Elford (a zoologist working somewhere in Southeast Asia) of a former Waffen-SS non-commissioned officer, encountered by the "editor" in a local bar. Unfortunately, the "Devil's Guard" is just a bad novel. There are too many historical anachronisms for this tale to even vaguely approximate a factual recounting. For example, the author refers to a French encampent at Dien Bien Phu, which places at least half of the action on or after March, 1954. As the defeat was not mentioned, it was before May, 1954 and as there was no reference to the battle, it's got to be before November, 1954. Within a page or so (in the Hailer Publishing edition, anyhow), our protagonist mentions working with a British military man who "fought in the Malayan Emergency for 3 years": the Emergency was declared in 1948 and ended in 1960. In order for there to be an encampment at Dien Bien Phu and for the British soldier to have fought for 3 years, the action had to have taken place in a very short time span in early 1954. This seems to contradict the chronology, as the narrator and his pals were former SS who left Europe in 1945 and joined the FFL around 1946. There was absolutely nothing in the story to suggest they were fighting for over 7 years at the time these references were made. Additionally, noted authorities on the French Foreign Legion, such as Bernard Fall, do not describe a unit comprised of German nationals, exclusively, much less one that was all former SS. Finally, none of the massacres nor any of the French FFL officers named appear to have existed. Aside from these major flaws, the approach to "counter-terrorism" espoused by Wagemueller, the putative principal of this yarn, was just that used to such worthless effect in the USSR. By thoroughly alienating the civilian population, the Wehrmacht was left without "native" allies and without indigenous support. A much more effective approach was outlined by David Galula in his seminal work, "Counterisurgency Warfare". If you are looking for a comic book or cartoonish tale, this might be for you. If an historical account is your object, look elsewhere.

It was a good action book, alot of unexpected things happend to the Animorphs, another good into to the Animorphs series.

This book is interesting for kids that like their mind wonder and imagine how it feels transform into an animal. Also, this book is for kids that like to read adventure. This book is about a group of kid that can transform into diffrent kind of animals, but they cant stay to long into an animal or they will stay stuck into that animal and they cant go back into being a human and they have to act like an animal and think like an animal so that they can survive and live long. Also they have to to eat real live animals, and watch out for predetors that will eat them. It also lets know kids that its ok to be diffrent than others that every kid is unique in thier own way.

In this book, Tobias has been trapped in hawk morph since book 1. He dicovers that the Blade ship needs to refuel with water and air every so often, so the other Animorphs morph Trout and try to destroy the ship. This is a great book.

Tobias isn't like the other Animorphs. When they're done fighting Yeerks or flying through the sky, they just morph back from their animal bodies to their regular bodies. But Tobias stayed in hawk morph for longer than two hours. Now, he's going to be stuck as a hawk forever. Tobias is trying to deal with this pain, but nothing can make him feel better about it. Especially when he starts to feel attracted to a female hawk--even though he's a human on the inside.

Jake, Rachel, Cassie, and Marco are trying to help him get used to life as a hawk. But they're busy worrying about a gigantic Yeerk ship, and a new secret discovered--the Yeerks need lots of water from Earth for them all to survive. The kids use this information to morph fish and get inside the Yeerk ship. But when they get trapped, it's up to Tobias to save them--even though he's not human.

THE ENCOUNTER is the first Tobias book, and Tobias books are one of the best of the Animorphs. I thought that K.A. Applegate described Tobias's struggle through life as a hawk very well. The only problem that I had with this book was that it was a little boring. The only real action of the book was towards the end. But it's a good-read for Animorphs fans, and a must-read for all Tobias fans.

A delightful find. This is the third book in the young adult/teen series "Animorphs" in which the character Tobias permanently becomes a Red-tailed Hawk. The Animorphs story is generally very good and the characters interesting and rich. The author manages to write about the animal aspects in a believable way. I usually find transformation and shapeshifting stories to have story lines that make the whole point of transformation become lost. Applegate keeps the adventure intact by being descriptive, entertaining, and involving. This series is a must-read for those who enjoy animals, shapeshifting, and adventure.

My wife and I have purchased six of these books with the bunny doll. The reason we have bought six is my little girl has literally hugged them to death. This is her favorite doll, bar none. No other one competes. She takes it to bed, to the store, to the doctor.

[...]

This is a must give present for any baby shower. I learned of this book from a pre school teacher. The familiar tune with all the consumerism taken out. In its place instead are lessons about teaching your child about the awe in nature and quiet moments bonding with Mommy. I love this book and at 3 years old, my son still insists that I "sing me the song book" to him before he goes to bed. We sing it together before he goes to bed. What a wonderful lullaby to sing your child. Illustrations are a little too "vintage" for me but the lesson is wonderful. My son seems to love the pictures though.

Updated words/lyrics and instead of stressing materialism--"going to buy you a..." it speaks of experiences parent will share with child. So what if it's "mama" in the story. You can (and should!) easily substitute papa. The mama rabbit wears a bathrobe throughout the whole story, so for all your not-yet-reading-baby knows, it's a daddy rabbit wearing a slightly ruffly nightshirt under his bathrobe. This is my favorite gift book to new moms and dads.

Good concept, but still very old-fashioned---I don't know anyone, let alone a mom, who plays a banjo!

"If that lighning bug won't glow, Mama's going to play on her old banjo."

I thought it was going to be more up-to-date. One the plus-side, the board book seems good and sturdy...

Really well drawn and written - nice updated version of the nursery rhyme. Its a wonderful story to sing and definitely a favourite bedtime book.

If you can get the ingredients--and these days there are Arab/Persian food stores in most cities--you will not go wrong with this book. It's totally authentic food, cooked the way they cook at home in Iran. Persian food, if you happen not to have tried it, is unusual--pomegranates, compotes of greens, meat and fruits in same dish, pistachios, saffron and rose water --but always delicious and kind to the stomach. Beautifully set out, clear instructions, mouth-watering photos. Highly recommended both as cookbook and as guide to a vital part of Persian culture (they take their cuisine very seriously, and rightly so!)

Original recipes in this book are not only colorful but very tasty. Iranians sure know how to cook a meal. It's nice to see someone take such pride and effort in compiling a book as varied, complete, and beautiful as this one.

This book is written by the same author of "Persian Cooking for a Healthy Kitchen", and shares with this one the simple way in description of different recipes. This book has a more wide content of dishes, a chapter devoted to ceremonies and a lot of pictures, many with food and many devoted to Persian culture. It is not generally known that Persian Cooking was and is rather modern, previewing rules for a balanced diet, there are foods hot and cold and they cannot be mixed indifferently. It is a world to discover and this book gives a good help.

This is a wonderful book, not just as a cookbook but as a guide to some of the traditions of the Persian Culture. The pictures are beautiful and the recipes simple to follow. A must have for any household.

I grew up eating Persian food -- as a Persian-American I have pretty high standards for Persian food; the recipes in this book rival those my mom made when I was a kid... and she's a fantastic cook in her own right. I've made several of the khoreshes (hearty stews/soups), rices, and appetizers, and the directions are exactly right and easy to follow. There are very few "specialty" techniques in Persian food; if you can chop, fry, boil, and measure, you'll have no problem making these dishes even if you've never had Persian food before.

An outstanding, and beautifully constructed, book that works as well in the kitchen as it does on the coffee table.

the book is so beautifull, as a huge "alice" fan- its the top of my items!!! its like having something taken out from a museun in my house!i highly recomend

I purchased this book as the first pop-up book for my three-year old son and two-year old daughter. I knew it could be a risk, due to the fragile nature of pop-up books, however this one is truly a treat for my children, my wife, myself and everyone else who has seen it!

I'd recommend the book (for self-reading) to older children who know how the fragile the pop-ups can be, but if you read to your kids I recommend this to anyone. It's a classic story which inspires a child's imagination and has an excellent graphical presentation of the story which really captures my children's attention while they're read to.

I only gave this book four of five stars due to the small portions through-out most of the book which actually has the written text. These are also created with mini-pop-ups, but are not incorporated into the whole width and length of the book. Instead the main text of the book is grouped into small 3-4 inch wide pages with small text. Not something you want if you read to your children at bedtime with minimal lighting.

However, don't let this prevent you from buying the book! It is worth the price and has some of the most fantastic pop-ups I've ever seen!

I purchased this book because of the last page. I had seen it at my Book Club and knew my grandchildren would love it. They love peaking down the rabbits hole and finding the additional pop ups on each page. A book you will definately want to pass on down the family. Truly a classic come to life.

I love this wonderful portrayal of Alice's adventures in the form of pop-up art. Sabuda's Pop-ups are a constantly source of amazement for my sister. We are full of admiration for the skill and intricate detail that goes into creating these masterpieces. I got this book last Christmas together with Sabuda's pop-up "Encyclopedia Prehistorica" and Nowiki's short story Why Some Cats are Rascals, Book 2 - a charming story with a lot of information about from the world of felines.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1D1HQPBU6PKBA This is a brief video walking you through the pop-ups.