Baby Books

I liked ballet shoes so since this was the sequil I wanted to read it and was disapointed. It's not as funny and there's not as many crazy adventures as the first. It also has lots of flaws that the first didn't have. But read the third shoe book called dancing shoes way better than even the first one!

I think Theater Shoes is a great book fo kids intrested in acting,dancing or singing.This book had three strong charcters intrested in diffrent areas of theater so it was easy to find a charcter I could relate to.I would suggest this book for girls ages 9 to 14.

Theater Shoes is a wonderful story with an attention grabbing plot, a lovely setting, and a well thought out conflict and resolution. This is, now, one of my favorite books and I really enjoyed it.
Throughout this story, there is a great plot. In this book, Sorrel, Mark, and Holly's parents die. They are forced to live with their grandmother, a bitter, but famous, english actress. She puts the children through a Childrens Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. Almost everyone in their family, before the children, had been a famous in the arts. Their grandmother was determined to keep the family tradition. At first all three children hated the academy. They thought that all of the teachers were too harsh and too serious. Then, after getting used to it, the academy "grew" on to them. Each of the three children discover something about themself at the academy. Sorrel, the eldest, discovers that she is a real actress. She can be very dramatic and play roles quite well. Mark finds out that he is a really fabulous singer. Little Holly can do a lot. She charms almost everyone at the academy with her adorable ways of doing things.
There is a lovely setting in this book. It takes place in England! I have always wanted to go to England, and by the way Noel Streatfeild, the author, describes it in the book, it seems so beautiful. It is in such detail and it is so easy to put an image in your mind.
The conflict / resolution in the story, almost stated in the second paragraph, is the children are forced to go to an academy, by their bitter grandmother, that they have no interest in. But in the end, it all pans out. Each child learns something different about themselves and are now striving to learn more. They end up loving the academy and treating it like their home. It means more to them now, than just pleasing their grandmother. Do you think that all of the hard work the children put into learning will result to something? Read this wonderful book and you will find out quickly.
In conclusion, this book was really great! I think that one reason why I liked it so much was because I can really relate to it. I love to do musical theater, and I think that reading about something that I really enjoy helped me understand the text better than it was already described. You don't have to love musical theatre to enjoy this book, but I think that it really helped. This book was enchanting and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did!

I started the Shoe books a few years ago. The first one was absolutley stupendous and cute. This one is amazing too.

Although each book is its own story, they are all linked with an amazing writing quality and performance.

This one is the story of Holly, Sorrel and Mark, whose grandfather, who supports them, just died -- so they go and live with their grandmother who puts them in an Academy for Stage Training and Dancing. It starts out rough but they learn to like, and even love it.

The overall story is really sweet a precious, which still warms my heart to this day.

This book is about three children named Sorrel, Mark and Holly. When their grandfather dies and they are sent to live with their maternal grandmother, and former famous actress. They are sent to the Children's Academy of Dancing and Stage Training so that they can carry the family's stage tradition. Holly is very good at dancing, Mark at singing and Sorrel at acting. The grandmother is very distant and cold, yet the children find love in their nanny and other family members. Meanwhile, they must put up with their talented, bratty cousin.
The story is wonderfully told and once again, the characters are completely lovable. Kids and adults will love this story, especially Shoes fans.

This is a great book for preparing a young child for what it will be like to labor and give birth at home. Of all the books about the new baby we bought, we liked this one the best. The illustrations are great. Our 2 year old (who's almost 3) really likes this one alot.

This book is fantastic! I've read it to both my first born and now my second born to prepare them for the birth of their sibling. I believe it really helped my son, who even at 3-years-old wasn't bothered at all by seeing his sister born and just quietly watched with his daddy. My son was never jealous of his sister as I had heard often happens with a new baby, instead my son quickly bonded with his new best friend and he is now excited about his new sibling on the way. I recommend this book to any mom-to-be or anyone interested in home birth. This does a great job portraying a natural birth and is now my gift to any mom expecting a second or third baby.

This is a superbly illustrated book that tells the story of a homebirth in a rural setting from a child's point of view. It is relaxed and introduces the idea of birth free from fear ~ something this culture desperately needs more of. :) It truly is a joyous read, and extremely touching for those of us who have experienced this particular wonder ~ peaceful, warm, and life-changing. And what is even more fabulous about THIS book is that it is one of the only books about welcoming a new baby that is not afraid to show the REALITY of birth ~ mom yelling, walking around, leaning on her Support Team... it's not just another book that shows the mama disappearing and then mysteriously reappearing with a little bottle-fed bundle of blobby baby goodness. Instead, the entire family sees the baby emerging from his mother... then baby, messy and wrinkled and beautiful... and then mama putting him to her breast. And to top it all off, they co-sleep. Absolutely a fantastic read and a needed addition to any Natural Family home library.

Beautiful pictures of family and mom and baby. The story being narrated by the soon-to-be big brother was very sweet and perfect for my own son as I am due to have another baby soon. The birth was a perfect example of a natural homebirth, with a midwife and cozy family setting. One of the best childbirth/homebirth children's stories around.

It is not like in this book at all. Mom was not fully dressed and there was poop and blood and way more cyring than this book has. Don't want to see the next one get born! No way! Locking myself in my room.

My daughter is now 17 months old, ever since she started being interested in books (as early as 11 months) she has always loved this one. She gets more and more excited as we get closer to the end and she loves looking behind the door. I noticed all the little kids at the daycare also just stopped whatever they were doing when I read this book to them once. The best 'Peek-a-boo' type book we've seen.

If your child loves Maisy, they will love this book! My 20 month old never tires of "looking" for Maisy under the flaps and will sit for 15-20 minutes at a time "reading" this. Even her older sister enjoys it!

Both my son and my daugther LOVED this book from the age of 6 months on. It keeps them in rapt attention, and my daugther loves to "knock" on the door.

My daughter loves these books. They are simple, quick & colorful. She turns the pages & loves it. She is under 1 yrs old & has been reading theses with me for about 6 mo. Stays focosed since it is so fast, not so wordy!

My 21 month loves Maisy. She enjoys "looking" for Maisy and her friends in this lift the flap book. This book also introduces counting numbers, colors and shapes. A great book for toddlers. Another great Maisy book is Maisy's Playhouse.

This is a heart warming story about a small Christmas tree that is not perfect, because it shares from the heart.
This story was read to my child at school, and it was liked so much that she wanted one for Christmas.

The little book impresses children (and adults) with the true spirit of Christmas, giving of one's self. The illustrations are beautiful and the text well written. It has become one of my favorite Christmas stories.

This book has a great message for young and old alike! This is a book for anyone who has performed acts of service and wondered, "Does it count for anything?" And the answer is yes. Every act of kindness has a lasting impact on the giver as well as the receiver.

This story is beautifully told and illustrated. This book is a great addition to any home library--it is the kind of book you want to own not just borrow from the public library.

Also recomended:Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--another poignant story about the rewards of giving...

I wanted a Christmas tree book to read to my kids when we went to cut down our tree. I had never heard of this book, but I chose it from the library because it was about a Christmas tree. It is a wonderful heartwarming story. It has everything my fou-year-old (and me) loves. It has animals, a queen and castle, and a touching ending. I am going to purchase one for our family to make it a tradition on the day we go get our tree and I will likely purchase a few more as gifts as well.

A simple answer to the question in the book title -- because in imperfection you find beauty and grace and wonder. The this story is full of such things.

This book is one of our family favorites -- a classic we return to and will carry with us in memories. Reading this book together gives us the chance to stop in a very busy season and wonder about things bigger and more important than wrapping and running. The message that defines perfection is a life lesson we all need.

I will be purchasing this book to give to my children's families as they marry and begin their own Christmas traditions.

Like millions of others, I read this book for the first time when I was in the Fourth grade and I absolutely fell in love with it. I felt like I had been transported in time and I wished that I could take a journey like Maureen did. (This could account for my love of victorian houses) I checked this book out of the library so many times that the Librarian had to convince me to read any other books. As an adult I went in search of it again only to find it was out of print. I checked amazon.com over and over again, hoping it would be reprinted and to my surprise I found it!!! Only it is no longer called "Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Garden" it can now be found under the title "The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House". It is the same great story, only it has a new name. Personally, I prefer the original title, but I am happy to have it in my hands once again. Go forth and find it and may your children (or inner child) enjoy it as much as I do.

I too, have fond memories of reading this book waaay back in the 4th grade...It was the first book which really made me feel like I was THERE...in a different time and place. Now that I have a 4th grade daughter who also loves to read as much as I do, I'm happy to see that this title will be back in print. I can't wait to read it again !

I bought a new, hardcover copy of this book from Powells.com, with the title "The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House." The price was approximately $16.00.

Like everyone else, I came to this book in the mid-70s when I was in about 4th grade. I got it from Scholastic Books back then.

Unlike most everyone else, I just found the book in my parents' attic, and screened it before considering reading it to my five-year-old. The tale is suspenseful without being violent, and that is quite an accomplishment. Also, the protagonist is a 9-year-old, which helps kids relate even better. My five-year-old looks forward to our nightly readings, and there are just enough drawings to stimulate his imagination further. (He's made it through "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "The Magician's Nephew" already, so he's able to handle the fantasy storyline.)

I would recommend the book for children that are able to handle scary situations without falling apart. The language is also easy but not "dumbed down" for kids, so any child who reads the book should feel good about finishing such a grown-up type book. It will stimulate the imagination, and the "time travel" section does a good job of suggesting a late 19th century reality, which is even FURTHER removed for today's kids than it was for me and many of the reviewers that preceded me.

So, for all you who remember Ingrid saying over and over "Give me my bracelet," good luck finding the book and passing it on. I'm lucky enough to be doing so already!

In 1988, when I was attending the fourth grade, our teacher (name long since forgotten) began reading us a story that has stuck in my mind ever since. Over the years I remembered odd snippets of the story. The old abandoned house. The portraits of beautiful women that moved. The shoe repairing leprechaun in the garden. It was only recently that I decided to track down this story and reread it for myself. You see, my fourth grade teacher never finished "The Wicked Pigeon Ladies In the Garden" (since renamed "The Wicked Wicked Ladies In the Haunted House") and, when last heard from, the heroine of the story was in dire straights.

In this tale, a bratty young girl gets the ultimate comeuppance. Having broken into an abandoned old mansion, she quickly finds herself at odds with the horrible inhabitants. When Maureen (the aforementioned girl) steals a bracelet belonging to one of the long lost daughters of the house, she sets off a chain of events that takes her back in time. Along the way, she makes the acquaintance of a leprechaun, who offers her the only way possible back home to her family.

So I reread the story in its entirety. Originally published in 1968, I was disappointed to find the writing mediocre. For some reason, author Mary Chase was excellent at making memorable characters and plot points while not being particularly good at writing itself. In this story, seven vain sisters from the Victorian era break their parents' hearts by turning themselves into pigeons and flying away. The leprechaun muses that perhaps a greater good will come of it. Unfortunately, that greater good is apparently the same moral Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" learned. Namely, teaching our heroine that there's no place like home. So ruining the lives of two people is worth one young bratty girl learning a lesson. Mmm hmm. There are other problems as well. I remember being very confused as a child as to the fact that the girl, Maureen, is never helped by the one pigeon lady who she was nice to. And then there's just the writing itself. It's not awful. But any kid who's suddenly thrown into the past is going to catch on pretty quickly that they aren't in the present day. For Maureen, it takes roughly 36 hours.

This isn't a terrible story, mind you, but there are better ones out there. Still, there's no arguing with the fact that this book made a huge impression on me when I was young. For the kid interested in mysterious goings on and ladies in beautiful evening gowns, this book is a great read. So sayeth my former 10 year-old self.

Block has to be one of the most beautiful, most creative writers in the whole world! I love her writing style. It is so easy to get lost in her books with all of her wonderful descriptions.... pretty soon you are breathing the musky air of her world.
Witch Baby is adorable with her purple hair and her bad attitude.
The story that Block included within this book about the people who find the glowing globe of blue and then die after decorating themselves with it was haunting....
I felt so bad for Witch Baby because she felt so unwanted....
I love the scene when she dances on the pancakes after hiding in the trunk when Dirk and Duck go on vacation.

A Review by Brittany

This book is about a baby that a family took and called her Witch Baby and raised her as their own. She grew up in Shangri, Los Angeles. She had purple eyes, wild, dark hair and looked at the world in a very special way. Even though Witch Baby tried to fit in, she never felt as if she truly belonged. One day she packed her bat-shaped backpack and put on her black cowboy-boot roller skates and went into the world to find out who she really was.

The realism of this book is that there are some real character names like Rachel and Dirk and two other names, there are such things as surf boards and surfing and water and cars and roads, and a few other things, but other than that there is not a lot. The conflicts in this book there are a few like in the beginning Witch Baby wants to go with Dirk and Duck on their little adventure to one of their moms house. Then there was the conflict when Dirk and Duck found out that Witch Baby snuck into their car and ate all of the fig-newtons. The relevance of this book to todays world is that it almost has a lot of the same things we do as in cars, roads, people, water, surfing, surfboards, etc;. This book is pretty boring. So basically I did not like this book.

The kind of person that might enjoy this book is a person that enjoys mystery.

Never, EVER think that this book belongs on the children's fiction table. Well, it belongs there, obviously. But it would also fit in very comfortably in the adult fiction section.

Witch Baby is a girl who has never quite felt at home in the family who adopted her. This book is all about her trying to fit in, to relate to the people around her, and to find her true niche in life. Although it all sounds very cliche, this is one of the most rewarding books I've read in a long time. The print is large, the book is small enough to read in an evening, and you walk away feeling as if it was more than worth the effort.

Written in fairly plain, even childlike language, using slang that could seem forced in another context, but fits in nicely, it is truly a work of art. At times it is hard to fit Witch Baby into an age bracket - at times she seems little older than ten, but at others she could be seven or eight years older than that.

With characters such as My Secret Agent Lover Man, and Angel Juan, again it seems childlike in its outlook. However, issues confronted in the book, like acceptance of homosexuality, being adopted and finding your true roots are deep and well presented in this book. In this kind of book, a younger reader could encounter, for example, homosexuality in a non-judgemental light, and completely accept it at a younger age.

This book is a jewel to read.

Witch baby the book stands out among the other works in the Dangerous Angels series just as Witch Baby the character does from her colourful, sparkling, and seemingly wonderful almost-family in glittering LA. The story of Witch Baby is written from the point of view of a mysterious, elf-like little girl with a dark, secretive, and magical nature about her. She lives in a world of family, friends, sunshine and movies, but never feels that she really belongs to it. Is it because she's the daughter of a witch? Because she never knew who her father was? Whatever the reason, Witch Baby is determined to find her place in the world (most importantly in her own family), and opens peoples eyes in her own mysterious Witch Baby way. I love this book because it really makes the reader see things from a unique point of view, using the colourful imagery and feeling that Francesca Lia Block is known for. This is a particularly good read for adolescent and teenage girls, but I would encourage anyone to try it, because I think everyone can relate to Witch Baby and her struggle to fit in at some point in their lives.

Francesca Lia Block, Witch Baby (Harper, 1991)

The adventures of Weetzie Bat and Co. continue in this second book in the cycle, though Weetzie takes a background to Witch Baby here. Witch Baby is almost the darker side of Weetzie's coin, and gets into a number of the same messes (the names and dates change, but the situations sound somewhat similar). Block's Acker-esque fasination with ways to twist language continues apace.

The book's major failing, as compared to its predecessor, is that Block lets her prejudices bubble much closer to the surface here, and the books smacks far more of politics than did Weetzie Bat. Political polemic and novels do not mix (though, to be fair, it's easier to do in fiction than poetry; a handful of poets can do it successfully, while perhaps a dozen novelists have managed it over the years). While Block seemed to have the trick down in Weetzie Bat, here it comes off as pedestrian at best. (To be fair, though, unlike most political screed masquerading as fiction, it never gets in the way of the story or interferes with the pace.)

I hope the politics calm down in the series' later books, and that this was just a dip in quality easily remedied. Guess I'll find out as I keep going. ** ½

Another Boynton fun book. A great 'read to me' book and also good for early readers. I left it on my grandson's night stand so he would have it when he woke up on his 5th birthday. The story has 5 birthday monsters so it was perfect.

Love this book! My two year old grandson has me read this at least 10 times a day! He calls it "favorite".

My daughter is 2 and loves this book along will all of Sandra Boynton's other books. She can't get enough of them. You will laugh so hard when you read them all. She has a wonderful since of humor and the books are very easy to read. My daughter has many of them memorized already, so do my husband and I from reading them over and over. This book along with her other ones are a must have.

My son loves all of Sandra Boynton books...it is a great Birthday book for a boy or a girl!!! I always keep a copy on hand for birthday parties that are short notice!!!

Once our family got hooked on Boynton we had to have all of them. This is one of my favorites and the one that my 2 year old and 4 year old ask to have read to them just about every day. I think we love this one just because it's so much like birthdays at our house.

It's fast pace is great for toddlers and preschoolers. Boynton books are generally great to start out with as early as possible, but even if you don't pick up your first one until your child is a preschooler they can be great for learning to read. They're very quick to memorize.

If you have a child age 4 - 10 years-old get this book now. Do not wait. The world could be coming to an end. What is that thing in the sky anyway?

Adventures abound while above the comet looms. The characters are filled with foibles and nobility. Moomintroll and the Snork Maiden are one of the world's greatest couples, even if they are about 11 years-old and completely asexual. Love does not conquer all, but it sure takes the sting out.

Hurry! Moominmamma, Fillijonks, the Snork Maiden, Little My, Hemulens and Groks are all waiting to meet you. You do not want to miss them, but more importantly you do not want your child to grow up without them.

I too grew up reading these books, then bought them for my own children to read, and now still enjoy reading them from time to time - sure it is an easy read for an adult, but what better way to spend a dark, rainy day then to curl up with a fun book that brings back all those warm and happy thoughts of childhood?!

I am so delighted to find that these are still available today and recommend them to everyone, young and old alike.

If you're intrested in more great Scandinavian literature, I highly recommend Kay Nielsen, who published a book by the name of "East of The Sun, West Of The Moon" filled with fantastically magical Scandinavian folk/fairy tales and his stunning artwork! I am not sure if it is still available to buy but should be in your local library. If not if you request it they can probably send for a copy.

Hope this was helpful!!:-)

~Most Happy~
¸.·' .·'¨¨))
((¸¸.·' ..·' -:¦:- ~Lady Anne~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·'

Wonderful book for both children and adults. I fell in love with moomin adventures as a kid and wanted to share it with my child. He loved it too.The charm of the Moomin Valley never fades.
The shipping was fast and the book was in mint condition, I am very pleased with this purchase.

Large astronomical objects blow up everything, even trolls.


So what is a young moomin to do when threatened with extinction by big space rock smooshing? Set out to save the world of course, preferably with a bunch of friends. If you make some new ones on the way, then that is perfectly fine as well. How exactly a short funny looking little guy can have his own astronomical impact requires a bit of invention.

Tove Jansson, Comet in Moominland (Ernest Benn Ltd., 1946)

It is one of the great travesties of literature in translation that of the fourteen legendary Moomin books written by Tove Jansson, three of them have, as far as I have been able to tell, weathered over half a century without being translated into English, despite the great success of the other eleven. It's a twist of the knife that The Little Trolls and the Big Flood, the first of the series, is one of the three. (Note: the book has, in fact, been recently translated, but it only available, as of this writing, in Finland.) Thus, for over fifty years, English children delving into the Moomin books (and they have been legion) have started their journey here, with the second book, Comet in Moominland. And while it's a decent book, it's not the highlight of the series by a long shot. Would it be better if we had access to the first? I've no idea. I hope to find out eventually.

Moomintroll and Sniff are young, and they do love a good adventure. During a wild storm, they meet the Muskrat, a philosopher who foretells the end of the world. Sure enough, not long after, astronomers spy a comet rushing towards the earth, and Moomintroll, Sniff, and their new friend the Silk-Monkey head off to find astronomers to consult with. A grand adventure, indeed.

Back when I was a kid devouring the Moomin books, Comet in Moominland was my least favorite of the series. I'm not terribly sure why, rereading it, now, because it's got pretty much everything a kid could want-- fantastic creatures, grand adventure, the fate of the world hanging in the balance, all that stuff. I really did like it a great deal this time round. If I find the rest of the series that much better in rereads as I did thirty-odd years ago, I'm in for a wonderful series of re-reads. This is great stuff. *** ½

This is a must have referance/gangster/outlaw book. If this subject or even this era of history intrests you at all this book is a goldmine.

If there's a bible to crime, this is it. There are hundreds of books out there that deal with Depression Era crime. You can buy them all and plow through them for information, but seldom know how accurate that information is. On the other hand, you can get this one volume and have it all at your fingertips. Researched in detail and written with a light finger, this well-laid out book is easy to read. You get the dates, times, details, photos and personnel that made America's Golden Age of Crime what it was. Get it; read it; refer to it. It's a winner on all levels.

Not much can be added to previous reviews. This updated edition has given my earlier dog-eared copy a rest. For anyone who does any kind of Prohibition era crime research, this book is a must have by two of the masters in this field. The most complete compendium of crime information from that period available today. Whether you research or just enjoy reading about crime, this book is tops.

For those of us interested in true-crime, particularly the Roaring Twenties and the Depression era, this is THE reference book. This hugely informative and significantly expanded version of the earlier Public Enemies Almanac by Helmer and Mattix has photos, timelines, biographies and lists galore. Not a book that is intended to be read cover-to-cover, this is a crime browser's dream. The bibliography, which is fully annotated,is worth the price.
Writer, researcher, crime aficionado, or whatever, this book should be at the top of your list.

Respected authors William Helmer and Rick Mattix have provided us with a reference book of nearly 900 pages relating to "the gangster and outlaw era: 1920--1940." The book is divided into seven sections dealing with all facets of crime during this turbulent era. Parts of this book can be read like any other book while criminal incidents from various years are listed chronologically. I feel this part of the book can be best used as a reference. The book contains numerous photos, several of which I have never seen before. The big shots of both Chicago and New York are all here as are the depression-era desperadoes. Depending on your interest level you may feel you are being told more than you care to know. However, as I said, much of this book can be used as a useful reference book to your crime library. If you do have such a library this book would be a worthy addition. Co-author Rick Mattix has reviewed numerous crime books on Amazon, and his opinion carries considerable weight with me in whether or not I decide to purchase a book.

I received this book in brand new condition and quick shipping. I am satisfied yet again with my experience ordering from Amazon!

Thanks

The book is excellent reading both for kids as well as grown-ups.
The language keeps the balance as few books do - not condescending, but appropriate for children

The youthful adventures of the ever-sensible Frog and his seemingly naïve companion Toad demonstrate important qualities of lasting friendship. This dynamic duo cleans a house, flies a kite, shares ghost stories, celebrates a birthday gift, and even discovers benefits to being alone on occasion. In each of the five vignettes there is a unique balance between the elements of repetition and surprise. Also remarkable about this book is Lobel's one-of-a-kind illustrations. Each green and brown image brilliantly depicts action which serves as a cue for early readers. The simplicity of the drawings allows readers to focus on the text while enjoying the illustrations. In addition to the close match of images to words, the large print, short chapters, and overall themes of the book lend themselves to younger children ages five to eight. While Frog and Toad have many dissimilar characteristics, their differences do not get in the way of their close friendship and their love for each other. Lobel's masterpiece leaves children with several new lessons while remaining exceptionally entertaining.

I've bought several of the Frog and Toad books for my grandson (who is now six) and we loved them all, this one included. They are delightful and refreshing. There is a lesson in every book, and my grandson never loses interest in hearing the stories. One of the characters is a pessimist, the other an optimist, and I think this causes children to really think about life, and consider looking at life as the glass being half FULL! Frog and Toad really rock!

My daughter's nursery is decked out in Frogs, so the discovery of these books made them books we had to consider. They are fun and the illustrations are grest. At eleven months she is too young to read them herself, but we read them to her - and she enjoys them. The stories are simple with a central theme - do good for others, treat your friends with respect, help your firends when they need help, laugh, and aporach life with adventure. These are great virtues to instill in young minds. If the books were made in cardboard stock, Teah would be even more happy with them - as it is she frequently grabs one of them when it's time for her bedtime story - and great bedtime stories they are. By the time she starts to read she will know the stories by heart, but that's ok - fond memeories of bedtime stories like these should help her build a lifelong interest in reading on her own.