Baby Books

From the very first pages to the last page of this book, I found lots of information that helped to fill in some blanks on some of the little dolls that I was interested in. Amazing Resource for many dolls of this particular time period. Lots of color photos also. I highly recommend this book as a must have if you are adding old dolls to your collection or just need more information on dolls that you may have.

This book is a very good reference guide to check out the value of dolls from the 40's and 50's. I would recommend it to any doll collector.

As a longtime doll collector, I have often found 8-inch hard plastic dolls that I could not identify. Some of the dolls were even mint with original clothes. I always passed them by thinking that I would never be able to learn about the companies that made them. This "Small Dolls" book will go a long way to answer these kinds of questions. The author has written a great book with lots of excellent illustrations, which includes pictures and information of the more well-known dolls like Ginny, Ginger and Muffie. In addition, dolls are pictured from over 50 other doll companies, including Norma Originals, Unique, Virga, Carlson Manufacturing and many more. For collectors who like small dolls, especially those from the 1950s, this book is a must.

I found this book to be full of valuable info. Its a must have for the 40 and 50's doll collector. A great asset!!!

this book is a wonderful reference book -have learned so much, highly recommend

I was able to read Ms lee's book in 2 hours. I did not read every little detail, I found all the indepth journalling to be more than I wanted to know, but it highlighted her struggles and determination to have a baby. I did not find it helpful per se. IMO it is the kind of book that is best shared with family and friends who know you personally. A great book for her to share with her son one day...

Unless you struggle IF you will never know the pain and heartache. In this book you will see what we go through. You will laugh and cry with each entry.
Another reviewer wrote, "Too much info" If more people spoke out the stigma and embaressment and shame we go threw would lessen.
Thanks Robin for being so couragious to write this book.

Lori

There aren't many people in this world that would open up their most private wishes, struggles and disappointments for others to experience through publishing. This book is a must read for anyone who has struggled or is struggling with infertility - as well as their friends and family members. I read this book in one sitting. It was so compelling to see how each attempt came out that you can't stop reading. I thank the author for sharing her journey with us. And I heartily congratulate her on having the family and son that she fought so long and hard for.

The story of Ms. Lee's journey through infertility is a 'must read' for anyone embarking on their quest for a child. Those who have not experienced this heartache would benefit from learning what it is like to yearn for a child who is seemingly so out-of-reach. It really makes you count your blessings!

This journal is very open and honest. I couldn't stop reading once I started it! The author does a wonderful job of capturing the rollercoaster ups and downs of trying to conceive a child. There are a lot of emotions, both good and bad, that go along with this process and they are all shared within this journal. Financial and social struggles are also seen along the way. This journal is a very good description of the nightmare that infertility can be.

Touching book about conceiving and the messages and lessons our children-to-be have for each of us. A gem of a book filled with wonderful stories that make you realize there is so much more to being born and coming into the world. What a gift to read and share. Great insight into abortion, adoption, pregnancy and fertility issues.

I purchased this book because the name caught my eye. I have been trying to concieve for a few years and i am trying to figure out why i haven't been successful. Though i cannot say i am pregnant yet (i haven't had a chance yet since i just got the book a few weeks ago!), it is well worth reading. The author gives lot of examples of couples and their "babies" and different reasons the babies weren't coming. It is easy to read and i finished it in just a few days. Anyone who wonders why they were adopted or what happens when a miscarriage occurs should read this book.

This is a warm, happy book that will help you understand that you will receive the baby you are meant to have, no matter how it comes to you.

This is an absolutely excellent book, it was referred to us after the loss of our twin boys at 23 weeks. Even my husband, the biggest skeptic in the world loves this book. I would have given it 5 stars, but I found the chants a bit airy fairy. We often feel the presence of our sons and feel that they will visit us again in the future when their time has come. There really is something in here for every parent, adoptive parents, parents who have lost a child, parents trying to concieve.

I too studied with Walter Makichen for over 20 years and I am always touched on Walter's ability to take concepts that have been accepted as unexplainable and allow them to be actually understood. I recommend Spirit Babies even to people not considering children as his definitions, such as on the chakra system, are so easily understood one can then integrate the information into our lives daily. This book answered questions I had in the year's past while helping to raise two children.

Thank you again Walter for being such a wonderful and clear teacher with this book as well as in the past.

The Melendy family has moved from New York City. It's summertime and their father is in Washington on important business. The loveable housekeeper Cuffy must leave to care for her cousin who has suffered a fall. Since Willy (also employed by the Melendy family) is in residence, Cuffy decides to leave the children on their own.

As in the previous two books in the Melendy series, there are adventures enough to last a lifetime. Some are fun and others are darker, sadder and more dangerous.

The children meet Mark Herron. He's a lonely orphan who has a nasty guardian in Oren Meeker. Then there's the wonderful story of Mr. Titus and the 12-pound catfish, an illegal whiskey still, a house fire that results in death, the despicable DeLaceys, the resolve of the children to make sure the canning of the victory garden is done and the house is spotless by the time Cuffy returns home, and a surprise involving Mark and the Melendys. There are obstacles to overcome and everyone pitches in to see that the story has a happy ending.

Then There Were Five is nostalgia at its best. The time is World War II and life is difficult, but the Melendys love each other, care for their neighbors and work hard keeping up their home while Father and Cuffy are gone-and manage to have adventures at the same time. I'll read this novel again and again.

Armchair Interviews says: The entire Melendy series is a must read. Start with The Saturdays. You'll want to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

I read the Melendy books at around the age the rest of you did--but that was 55 years ago. At the age of 65, I'm about to order the Quartet to read them again. I just saw on someone's blog a photograph of a beautiful light-green moth chrysalis with golden flecks that looks like a jade earring. I'd never seen such a chrysalis, either "live" or in a photo, but I recognized it instantly as the one Mona discovers by the brook (forget which book now). I was swept by a wave of nostalgia and came right to Amazon to order the books, and that warm feeling was only intensified as I read the reviews mentioning readers' favorite bits, almost all of which I remember. I can hardly wait to read again the wonderful description of Fafner the dragon at the Met, and the chaotic scenes of Randy and Mona in the throes of preserving summer produce, complete with exploding jars of tomatoes.

I can't imagine why I haven't gotten hold of these utterly magical books that were such a blessing in my childhood to reread long since, but better late than never.

"Then There Were Five" in the third book in the Melendy Quartet, and picks up immediately where "The Four-Story Mistake" left off. We meet the Melendy children again on a hot June afternoon, when they are building a dam across the brook on their property to make it deep enough to swim in. It's a team effort and everybody is pulling their weight. It's typical of this family; they play and share alike.

But unlike the first two Melendy books, which were more or less a series of unrelated adventures, "Then There Were Five has a plot running all through it. World War II is on everybody's mind. Father is away in Washington for most of the book, working at a government job "so secret I have to guard against talking to myself". The four Melendy children are left in the care of Cuffy, their housekeeper, and Willy Sloper, their handyman. The war has everyone involved. Cuffy is growing a Victory Garden. Oliver is adding to the family diet by fishing every day in the brook (Rush has chub coming out of his ears), and Rush and Randy start on an ambitious scrap drive. And its on their scrap drive in the countryside that they meet a person who will become a part of their lives forever.

Chased off one farm by an evil drunk named Oren Meeker, Rush and Randy meet his young cousin Mark Herron, thirteen years old, orphaned at an early age and living with Oren because he has no other family. Oren is cruel and abusive; we learn that on the infrequent occasions Mark has been allowed to attend school, he has shown up with black eyes and an empty lunchbox. But he's managed to survive despite his depressing home; he's bright, friendly, hardworking and resourceful. Randy and Rush take to him right off the bat. If only there were some way they could help him.

Parallel to Mark's story there are plenty of amusing sidelights such as Oliver's obsession with creepy-crawly things, Mona's impulsive decision to can everything in the vegetable garden while Cuffy is off visiting a sick cousin, and a family picnic where Oliver manages to fall down a well. But the story of meeting and rescuing Mark is central to the book, and lends the book much of its undertone, which is darker and more mature than the first two Melendy books. Enright shows her young readers that not all families are happy like the Melendy family; some families are unhappy, abusive and cruel. The Melendy children realize how fortunate they are not only to not have a family like Mark's, but also to be able to share what they have.

Although the book spans only one summer, the Melendy children do a lot of growing up in three and a half months. They prove themselves to be resourceful and resilient, remarkably able to look out for themselves and each other with only occasional adult supervision while Father is away in Washington and Cuffy is off attending a family emergency. We realize how lucky Mark is to become part of this vibrant family. We almost wish we could be part of it as well.

Judy Lind

The third Melendy novel has a darker undertone than the preceding two, with the introduction of Mark Herron, a lonely orphan befriended by Rush and Randy, and his guardian-cousin, the fearsome Oren Meeker. There are thrills and heart-clutchers a-plenty--Rush and Mark spying on an illegal whiskey still, a vividly described house fire--but they're nicely leavened by the lighter incidents like the character of Mr. Jasper Titus, rural gourmand, and the resolve of Mona and Randy to undertake the canning of the family's victory-garden produce. And in the end everything comes out right, as it should in a juvenile. This is the book to which Enright was leading up with the previous two, and perhaps the best she wrote. The whole trilogy would make a splendid miniseries on TV (is any executive reading this? I'll even do the script!).

I agree with those who say that this is the best book out of the four. It's definitely the most complex, and has the most character development. Mark, who was an abused child long before that became a catch-phrase, is sketched out wonderfully. Oren's sister, who he mentioned early on, must have been a good influence on him, because he's resilient, kind and intelligent, despite what he has to put up with from Oren. I agree with Rush when he said the Melendys were the lucky ones, to get Mark for a brother!

Although I did think Rush was pretty rude, barging in every day while the girls were canning, and demanding to be fed immediately! Did he think that just because Mona and Randy didn't have a five-course meal ready and waiting, that they were going to let the guys starve? And it's not like they'd been doing nothing! God bless Mr. Titus for helping them out!

My favorite bits were when Rush and Mark spy on Oren and his pals at the still---that was real adult talk, but still appropriate for a kids' book: not easy to bring off---and the auction and fair. I loved when the Delacey brothers showed up and bid on the boar. "The three of them should be very happy together"---good one, Willy!

And I felt so bad for Oliver when he fell down the well! That was a good device, too. For so long, he'd gotten so little attention because he didn't demand any, and look what finally happened. It forced the other kids to realize how much they cared about him, and show it, and they handled it themselves, showing how capable they were. Good for them!

And I also liked when Cuffy was leaving to visit her cousin and had to cram weeks worth of nagging into an hour. "Close the windows whenever it rains! (Duh!) Call me long distance if anything goes wrong! (And that will help, how?) Don't forget to feed the DOGS! (Like they'd let you!)"

I have a hardcover of this book - first edition - and where my kids have long since destroyed the dust jacket, the book sits amongst other treasured stories of my youth. I loved this book so much, I 'borrowed' this copy from a friend and never returned it -- another story in and of itself. But the book haunted me, as did the transgression, and when I finally offered to return the book to her some 30 years later, she told me to enjoy the book and give it to my children! Few books today capture a child's love of time travel like this one. Read and enjoy Susan's journey.

I read and re-read this book as a kid. Recently a student of mine ased abotu books on time traveling and I thought of this one and another book, "The Root Cellar" that could be of interest.
I loved Time At The Top, Susan was a great character and I truly loved to read about her comprehension of her situation and her strong decisisons to help the family she comes to know...

I never thought I'd find it again! Lovely plot, great characterization, a heroine you feel strongly for, and an unforgettable ending. By mere chance I found this title on a recommendation list and knew it was the book I'd half-forgotten. Now I get to recommend it to my nieces, nephews and someday my daughter!

I purchased this book to pre-read for my 8 1/2 year old advanced reader. I couldn't put the book down! The book was very well written with several fun twists and turns. Books with age appropriate content that are challenging to read are often hard to find for her age group. I can't wait for her to read this one.

This book was one of my favorites when I was a kid...too many years ago to mention. Oh, all right then...40 years ago. I loved Susan Shaw and was so thrilled with her adventures. It is wonderful that this book is back in print so that more kids can run away to the past with Susan.

This book may not be the best choice for very young children, as it is rather long (it takes about 25 minutes to read aloud), and they might lose interest. I loved this book as a child, and was not disappointed to re-read it as an adult. This tale of mutual understanding and shared compassion and friendship is very satisfying. While bits of it may be a bit tense for some children, the ending is thoroughly uplifting. I highly recommend this book for children who like stories about animals, as well as for anyone who just wants to read a pleasant, well-illustrated story.

I read this book to my inner city 4th graders--the quiet and stillness in the room was magical. As soon as I finished they asked me to read it again. This is absolutely the best read aloud book I have shared with students in my 30+ years as an educator. Why oh why is it out of print?

I enjoyed this book, but I hate to do the homework.

I'm on a mission to collect all of the Warton & Morton books. When I was growing up, I had all of them, first on tape, and later in print. I wore out the whole series listening to and reading them so much. They're very entertaining and wholesome stories that are captivating to young minds. I can't wait to read them to my daughter when she gets a little older.

This is such a sweet, gentle, loving little book.

It's about two brother toads, Morton and Warton, one very stodgy, and the other more of an adventurer. Warton, the braver brother, decides to go out into the snow (toads are supposed to hibernate in winter) to visit his aunt. Almost instantly he is plucked up by an owl who wants to eat him, but decides to save him for a week, to have as a special treat on his birthday. It turns out the owl is lonely and friendless and little by little he is won over by Warton's conversation and small acts of kindness.

On television and in movies, and even in many books, children are constantly exposed to the idea that violence is the solution to almost every problem. I love the fact that in this work, intelligence, kindness, and compassion solve Warton's dilemma.

If you have a child who is just developing enough of an attention span to sit through a chapter book, it's hard to beat this little gem. It's very short, for one thing -- under seventy pages -- which makes it great for restless five or six year olds. And it has just enough danger in it to have small children on the edge of their seats without being too scary. It's cute and funny, and it's message is a great blessing.

It also has lots of sequels, which is a big plus when you're trying to get kids interested in reading more. Unfortunately most of the other Warton and Morton books are out of print, but any reasonable library should have them.

I was a little disappointed. THis book doesn't keep my almost-two-year olds attention as well as I thought. He prefers his Sandra Boyton books much better. I do love the colorful pictures though. Maybe in a year or so he'll be more interested.

I love this book. It's a great "find-the-hidden-things" kind of book that kids love, and it teaches vocabulary in a fun way. Kids can learn the names of many different kinds of animals, as well as the descriptive words that illustrate them (e.g. who has horns, who is backward, who is sleeping, etc.) Finding the hidden descriptors is not super obvious even to adults, so it also teaches them to look closely at details when finding things.

I recommend this book to anyone with young kids - the kids love it and it's a great teaching tool as well!

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Awesome, awesome book. Great for memory skill building, great for noticing detail, fun for interacting together. This is a book we all look forward to at our house! Love, love it. Wish there were more books like it. Love the illustrations too, and the clean modern design. Just awesome, you won't regret buying this one- the sooner the better!

Always looking for new and imaginitive books for my 2-year-old. Was pleased to find this one. The "guessing games" get more difficult as you turn the page, with fewer clues as to the animal's species being revealed. Eventually the child must call upon memory recollection to guess the animals. Wonderfully challenging for a preschooler, or any child learning their animals.

This book gives moms-to-be the facts without being overwhelming or having a judgmental tone. I have found it to be easy to understand, and the section on newborn care contains helpful information that is missing from many pregnancy books. After all, the experience doesn't end when the baby is born- it's only the beginning! My husband appreciated the detailed illustrations showing how to hold the baby, swaddle the baby, etc.

The book is written in an easy to understand, personable style. It is as if "Nurse Colonero" is sitting in the room with you. In many contemporary medical environments, the emphasis is on expeditious teaching interactions. The immediate post-partum period is often a time of emotional and physical exhaustion, and so a family's ability to learn new information may be limited. This book will not only give you a comprehensive outline of important concepts, it should also provide the patient and family with a fundamental framework of knowledge which will empower you to be a more savvy "medical consumer." You can think about issues and concerns and present them to your health care providers for discussion. Jerri Colonero's book should be a template for patient education and empowerment. Managed care is here to stay, and the more educated families are about their health care needs and their access to potential information and services, the better the outcomes will be for everyone: patients, families, providers, and payors.

I, too, was very fortunate in having Jerri as my nurse when I had my son 11 years ago. She was the reason I didn't give up on nursing my son. I told her this when I saw her in a restaurant one day--remember Jerri! I'm so glad you got to write your book. You did a fantastic job. This woman knows her stuff!

I purchased this book because it has so much information about Pregnancy, Birth, and beyond. It encompasses the entire process of becoming a new parent which I am most concerned about. It is a terrific medical reference guide written in a friendly, easy to understand format with descriptive diagrams. The chapters and index make for quick and easy subject locating. I know I will refer to it again and again once the baby arrives. Thank you to Jerri Colonero for writting this complete guide which every expectant mother (and father) should have.

This is the best resource on pregnancy and post-partum that I have found. Completely accessible, easy to read, well organized, thorough and detailed... I can't give it enough praise. I was especially impressed (and thankful) for the detailed childbirth section, which provided a wealth of information that most books only touch on. This is my first baby, and I feel so much more prepared and in control (despite the all-day nausea!). Where other books prescribe unrealistic diets and regimented rules, Jerri Colonero presents sensible guidelines and helpful suggestions in a warm way: no scare tactics here! Further, the section on bringing baby home covers all sorts of material, from breastfeeding basics to bathing. This is just the resource I was looking for and I've already consulted in again and again. I plan to spread the word about this wonderful book.

I bought this book for my 3 year-old son and he loves it. The illustrations are really beautiful and it is a sturdy book that is perfect for young children. I highly recommend this book.

I recently discovered _A B C: A Child's First Alphabet Book_ by Alison Jay. What a delight! Each letter of the alphabet is given a full page, if not a two-page spread. The text is very simple, following the "A is for apple" format. Both upper- and lowercase versions of the target letter are shown.

The art, however, is extraordinary! It usually occupies most of the page with the target object most prominent. The subtleties, though, are what give this book its whimsical charm: other objects on the page that begin with the same letter (they are all listed on the last page) and the recurrence of objects throughout the book. Nearly every page contains as a small, obscure detail the object that will be prominently featured with the next letter of the alphabet. Sometimes these are embedded secondary details -- in the pattern of a plate, for example, or on the cover of a book.

Jay's book contains all the seeds for the discovery and excitement that prompt a child to exclaim, "Look! That's just like . . ." and scurry back through the pages, searching for the remembered image. The suggestion of a story line is there, too, with an explorer, a map, and a treasure chest.

I am so grateful to have discovered Alison Jay (both author and illustrator). _A B C: A Child's First Alphabet Book_ is the first book I have bought for my first grandchild, due to be born next month.

For a format so simple, there is so much to see, and a story reveals itself within the pictures. I admit that I loved this book more than my daughter who was 18 months old or so at the time. She was too young to appreciate the story aspect. It is a high-quality book that I suspect children will find engaging as they grow older.

This book and its companion by Alison Jay, "Picture This," are two of our daughter's favorites books. The illustrations are beautiful and capture her attention. She loves pointing out all the characters and toys, especially as they repeat onto pages throughout the book. I also love how each letter page will have many things starting with the same letter that may not be immediately obvious. For example, the "D" page is for "Dog," but the Dog is Dancing, there is also a Donut on a Dish on the table, with a Duck in the picture on the wall, a Doll on the shelf, a Doorknob on the Door, Diamond shapes in the floor, etc. The more we look at these pictures, the more we see! We've given this pair of books to several new parents with rave reviews. You can't go wrong.

The illustrations are wonderful. Each page has a main image corresponding to the letter, but also many minor examples as well. Cow is the main picture for 'C', but there is also a cat, car, cabbage, etc.

So many of the ABC books on the market today have unusual themes or exotic examples; it was refreshing to find a book with classic examples that every child can identify with.

The running themes and hints as to what is on the next page make it an enjoyable book for Mom and Dad as well.

I love Michelle's After Baby Abs book! Her photos prove that she knows what she is talking about and that it IS possible to have awesome abs after pregnancy (or multiple) & even a C-section. The book is simple & straight-forward and the 7x7 abs is easy to fit into anyone's day, no matter how busy.

I was so happy to read this book. Michelle knows what she is talking about. I joined her sight to get some ABS! I had a c-section and thought I was doomed. No way. Look at Michelle! She looks wonderful and so can you!
This book is so imformative and just sends out so much energy! A must buy!!!

Don't think you can have an awesome midsection after having children? Think again! Michelle proves that YOU can achieve this in her follow up book "After Baby Abs." The book is a quick read, easy to follow and includes detailed pictures to guide you on your way to awesome abs. Michelle shows you that YOU are in control of your abs and with YOUR hard work you can achieve them without resorting to pills, surgery, or temporary diet plans. Take control of your body and use this book (as well as "Hormal Timing") as tools to reach your fitness goals. The sky is the limit with these books.

This book is packed full of information! Way more than just traditional ab crunches. Michelle breaks it down and explains how to target the different muscle groups to build a great set of abs. She sets up a easy to follow plan and gives great illustrations. This book is a the perfect partner to Buffmother's first book "Hormonal Timing: Female Fitness Evolved". Read this book also and you are on your way to a transformation!

I loved every minute of this book! The author really gives away all her "secrets" and doesn't hold anything back! A must read for your bedside!