Clouds Books

Sara Donati's series just gets better with every new book. I wish I could pre-order the next book. Outstanding series of books.

This is an excellent read. This is the latest in a series of great books by Sara Donati. READ THEM ALL!

This regards the quality of the book itself... Several of the pages near the beginning were cut off at the ends -- the book had been bound poorly. It was a gift for my mother and we were very disappointed.

It usually takes me months to read a long book since we have young children at home. However, I find myself reading this book whenever I can squeeze in the time. The story is involving and keeps the reader connected and looking for answers. The characters of Jennet and Hannah are strong and empowering. Ben Savard is a new character to this series of novels and is a great addition. I can't wait to see how this book ends and will be looking forward to the newest novel late next year or early 2009!

During the War of 1812, Montreal merchant Luke Bonner searches the Caribbean for his abducted wife-to-be, Lady Jennet of Carryk. Jennet, daughter and sister of Scottish earls, is also Luke's cousin; and as the story begins, she becomes the mother of his son. Joining Luke in his quest are his Mohawk half-sister, Hannah, and a British military officer who is interested in Jennet's abductor for reasons far less personal. Jennet is rescued, and Luke learns of his son's existence. This book's opening chapters could be a novel all by themselves, as they pick up a tale that ended in another book's cliffhanger.

Jennet has turned her infant over to one of her abductor's visitors, in hope of keeping the baby safe - something she thought impossible, had she kept him with her. So Luke, Hannah, and Jennet head for Florida in pursuit of that visitor, New Orleans planter Honore Poiterin. Soon they're separated and on their way to New Orleans, where Poiterin and his grandmother - a harpy worthy of a Bronte's pen - have taken the baby, after Poiterin passes it off to his grandmother as his own child.

Now we've got the setup for the rest of the book, which in paperback reaches over 700 pages. It's a fat, delicious historical thriller, distinguished from most other works in its genre by its incredibly strong and satisfying women. Jennet and Hannah, Quaker nurse Julia Savard, Julia's giddy yet solidly grounded adolescent daughter Rachel - that list takes in just the novel's major female players. There are plenty more, and the men are equally well realized. Want a bodice-ripper? Don't bother picking this one up. Want a good, long, satisfying read, with even the villians (and they also abound!) skillfully drawn? Then this is the book for you. I'm happy to say that it works just fine as a standalone, since I read it without having heard of its author before - much less having read the previous books in this series. My one criticism is my own inability to quite believe in the Bonner and Savard families both being so utterly untouched by the prejudices of their time and place.

The kind of story which takes you in and doesn't let you out. Planet Earth in jeopardy and human race at stake. Communication with alien matter rather believable though a bit outdated. Dedicated scientists to save humanity. Politicians out of their depth. A great read.

Gaseous, but smart.


When the astronomy types detect a giant titular object heading Earth's way, they get rather stressed, and there is a bit of a conspiracy to keep things quiet.

It becomes a bit hard to do that when it turns up, and it is discovered it is actually intelligent, not just your random cosmic disaster.


2.5 out of 5

In this slender tale (190 pages) from 1957 -- the year of Sputnik and tailfins -- renowned astronomer Fred Hoyle managed to foretell AI (artificial intelligence), OCR (optical character recognition), TTS (text-to-speech converters), digital burst communications and a whole host of other technologies which didn't become commonplace until 40 years later.

Perhaps his most famous innovation in this story, however, is one very few other writers or thinkers have been able to contemplate, even today: non-organic intelligence. Most science fiction assumes "little green men" with bilateral symmetry and carbon-based morphology (think "Twilight Zone" with bad rubber masks). Hoyle was one of the few to theorize information-processing as the hallmark of life and/or intelligence, rather than some biological definition. In this, he is still ahead of us, nearly half a century later.

I, like many of the other reviewers below, read "The Black Cloud" many years ago in paperback, lost track of my copy and/or had it simply disintegrate after many lendings and rereadings, and searched in vain for years until able to buy the recent reissue. It's just as good as I remembered it, with the Astronomer Royal and the Cloud itself as wonderfully drawn characters that the reader wants to hear much more of. The laments that "Ossian's Ride" is unavailable are silly -- just look under the "Used & New" line of the initial book request display for "Ossian's Ride" and you'll see a whole bunch of listings of used copies for -- $1.45 and up!!! We truly live in a great age; all those books you grew up with and can't find any more are available for certainly no more than $10 a copy. I have recently bought "Sheila Levine Is Alive and Well and Living in New York", Adam Smith's "Powers of Mind", and, of course "Ossian's Ride" this way. All (without exception, all) were deaccessioned library copies in good shape, hardbound, with the original dust jackets and transparent library covers. The concept of "out-of-print and (hence) unavailable" is dead.

I "inherited" this copy from my dad. I read this first at the age of 14, i.e last year. I loved the book! Its science fiction, with fiction facts, dunno how I can explain that, but ill give it a try. What all Sir Hoyle has put up, he has given full calculations, and little proofs of those things. So it really sounds very logical.

I liked Kingsley's character very much. Brilliant minded character, but a bit unsound.

Once you read the book, you might as well start wondering "Can there really be a living cloud in space?"

I bought this book with two goals in mind: 1) learn how to develop an eye for pleasing photographs, and 2) learn how to shoot pictures through dirty, scratched airline windows. (How does she do that, anyway?)
Goal #1 was not met. The author has dozens of great photos taken from the window seat of an airplane, but no words at all to go along with them. I thought she would discuss why she thinks her pictures are appealing, but she doesn't say a word about that. I was able to analyze her shots for myself and it helped me understand a little bit about lines and color. However, having someone else help me see concepts is why I buy books.
But the most important part of the book (for me) was the Appendix. It contains the details of how she fixed photos taken through dirty, scratched windows...and how I can use this concept to improve any poor photo (incorrect exposure, low-contrast, etc.) by the specific techniques she discusses, along with "before" and "after" photos illustrating how well the technique works. It also gives specific instructions in how to use Photoshop to correct other problems in photos, too.
Mission #2 (shoot through airline windows) was brilliantly accomplished. The appendix is a terrific "Photoshop" book and gets to the point quickly and concisely.

I have learned a new consepts in showing what is important in the picture. Great book and learning tool.

I love aviation and photography yet lack any professional training in either field. I had hoped this book would be at a level I could gain something from--I was wrong.

I absolutely love this book!
I found every image, every page to be filled with breathtaking beauty.
Even the most simple photos of clouds, Julieanne Kost has managed to create images the likes I have never seen before.
She has managed to take something that I had always taken for granted, the view from a plane window, and created a whole new vision for me to enjoy. Maybe that is the best way to describe it, her work is the difference between simply seeing and true vision.
I flip through this book whenever I am in need of inspiration.
I have bought 5 copies now and given 4 as gifts.
Everyone whom I gave these to, genuinely loved them as much as I do.
I suggest you buy your 5 now ;-)

Window Seat (The Art of Digital Photography & Creative Thinking) by Julieanne Kost
Reviewed by Diane Williams, member of the Eureka Photoshop Users Group, 6/20/07

Window Seat is 90% coffee table photo book and 10% self-help and imaging techniques work flow book.

This 147 page book is a beautiful visual memory of those sights you see when you gaze out the window of a plane. I know I have tried to capture what I see out the window of a plane and have been very disappointed by the images. I may be able to make something of them now with this work flow.

Kost shows us sample original images captured by her and we see the final image after she has applied image corrections in Photoshop. Her instructions are brief. This is not a step-by-step tutorial giving all the input numbers. It is a general overview of the work flow what may be necessary, how you get there by pointing to the tools, and what they can do for you.

The self-help part of the book lists Julieanne's 18 self help and creative thinking hints. Here they are:
Master your tools.
Listen to what your life is trying to tell you.
Be open to whatever comes your way.
Share what you know and learn from others.
Collaborate with other creative people, especially the quiet ones.
Be flexible. Learn to negotiate.
Fix whatever you complain about most.
View every challenge as a possible discovery.
Take 15 minutes for yourself everyday.
Figure out what you need to do to reach your zero point.
Integrate work and Art; both will benefit.
Take up an interest in something you know nothing about.
Look at new stuff- and what you already know- with fresh perspective.
Keep a journal.
Visualize first, Photoshop second.
Replace your thoughts with intuition
Play! Play! Play!
Know when you're done.

This book is worth a look even if it is just to vicariously have the window seat. It will not teach anyone much about Photoshop.

After reading "Cloud of Sparrows" I was quite captivated and couldn't wait to read "Autumn Bridge". So much so that I downloaded the audioversion so that I could listen at times when I wouldnt have the chance to read. Seemed like a good idea at the time but I found myself cringing after every other line because of the way the Japanese names were pronounced. If only the narrator had been given a little more insight, I might have been saved the pain while I tried to enjo the novel!

Takashi Matsuoka took us on a WILD ride in his first effort, Cloud of Sparrows, so I was really looking forward to this book. However, for me Autumn Bridge wound up being the yin to the first book's yang. The way it's chopped up made it more work to follow, but the extra effort was somehow unrewarded. Compared to "Sparrows," I found this a little tepid.

Lady Shizuka was fun, though; strongly referenced from the "hannya" characters in Noh theatre.

No spoilers

I tried hard to like this book as much as I did Cloud of Sparrows, but it was just too hard. I easily gave Cloud of Sparrows four stars because it was such a delightful read that was as much an easy read as it was a complex story, which is a rarity. Unfortunately, Autumn Bridge doesn't live up to its predecessor.

I didn't like this novel not because of its story, but because of the style in which it is written. The plot is just as good as Cloud of Sparrows and is the only reason I was able to give it three stars. As one of the critic reviews on Amazon alludes to, the entire story is told from multi-generational perspectives, and these perspectives switch, on average, every several pages. Many times in the beginning of the story I had to go back a few pages to see if I was reading in the early 1300s, lat 1700, mid 1800s, or late 1800s. As the story went on, I started to pick up on this writing style, but because it's always switching (every paragraph in a few parts), there is little to no flow. When I was finished the novel I sort of felt like I had read several fragments of a book instead of one whole book.

My advice is that you read Cloud of Sparrows and stop there. I enjoyed just about everything in that book and was sad to see it come to an end, but with Autumn Bridge, I almost shed a tear of joy.

Having read clouds of sparrows first I had high expectations from this book and was afraid to be not a little disappointed. Although I have enjoyed Clouds of sparrows I couldn't help but feeling that something was missing. Both the story and the quality of writing were delightful and yet it seemed to be lacking that final touch that would've put it on par with Clavell; From Autumn Bridge I could expect nothing less and I was not disappointed to say the least. The story is magnificent, the way Matsuoka chose to unravel it, jumping between different time points across several centuries is captivating and adds a thriller's quality to it. I was expecting a Clavell, but got something different altogether.
Now I just can't wait for the author's next book.

Having said all that I do share some of the sentiment raised by other reviewers regarding the apparent [over] zealousness with which western culture's `superiority' (over pretty much any other cultures) is heralded in the book. I really doubt that's what the author had in mind and perchance a second read shall dispel that notion.

In 1311 Lady Shizuka visits Lord Kiyori in the highest tower of Cloud of Sparrows Castle in Japan. The odd thing is Kiyori lives in 1860.

The Autumn Bridge is a complex story with a very convoluted plot. It takes place in 1311, 1860, 1882, 1867, 1308, 1862, 1281, and 1291, in Mushindo Abbey, Tokyo, San Francisco, Quiet Crane Palace, Edo, and Cloud of Sparrows Castle.

Lady Shizuka is a sorceress born of a long line of sorceresses. Her gift, or curse, is to experience all times simultaneously. Past, present and future have no meaning. Until her first menses she cannot even distinguish one from the other. Once she becomes a woman, she is able to differentiate what is happening now from what has happened and what will happen. This talent naturally gives her a unique interpretation of time.

I found The Autumn Bridge fascinating. I cared for the characters in the variety of time frames and read, despite occasional time confusion, with great anticipation of what would happen next. It is a compelling story. It is not, however, a story for everyone. Normally I am able to read a book in a day without any trouble. The Autumn Bridge took me weeks. The story is too complex and the plot too sinuous for it to be a quick read. The cover says it is "an epic tale" and it certainly is. If you are in the mood for a story as deeply layer as Michener's The Source, pick up Takushi Matsuaka's The Autumn Bridge. You won't be disappointed.

When I read this story, I couldn't stop. It captured not only my attention but my heart as well. I was so touched by the enduring love story between Hope and Paul. It is also filled with history and compelling stories, which make the weave only tighter. This was one story that will grab you and hold you.

This book is well written and very ambitious in its scope. It is fascinating to get a "people's eye" view of the rise of Sun Yat Sen. Additionally it empathically covers the social response to mixed marriages by two very different cultures. This is a women orienated book about a very tumultous time and ties the events together skillfully in the Western U.S. and the emerging China of 100 years ago.

Aimme E. Liu has written a wonderful fictional accounting of a true story. I have been a friend of the Luis family for over forty five years. Aimee's cousin John was my boyhood friend. And we still keep up. The family story has always fasinaated me. (John is Herb Luis' son, Teddy in the book.)Although Aimee says it is about 70% true, I know through conversations with John's mother that basically ALL of the major persons, dates, places, and events are true. The 30% is mostly side sories and details for dramatic effect.

I also want to point out that in a prior review of "Cloud Mountain" by "Elizabeth" she states that the only place in 1908 where the name Jennifer existed was Cornwall. Well, the fact is Hope's real name WAS Jenny Trescott. In fact, I found that Aimee used family names for fictional charactors in several instances. But never the real name for the real person.

Although I have to say that I read this book because I had already heard the story and had a personal interest in it. But even if I hadn't I still would not have been able to put it down. Aimee Liu's use of words to describe are incredibly original (I don't know how she came up with some of them) and they really do "paint" a picture in your mind as you read.
She is a real literary artist.

This is not only a love story. In fact, I would just as much descibe it as a story of courage, of two people who dared to cross the bariers that a bigoted society had placed between them. It is also the story of a man committed to saving his counrty by bringing it democracy even if it could have cost him his life. It is a story of a woman who stood by him, travelled halfway around the world to an unstable society trying to grow up into democracy, but turned out to be a house of cards.

Read this book and take a trip back to a past and place few Americans are aware of. Enjoy the exciting people and places, but also learn a history of a different place, time, and people.

In the last few years I have read many books that deal with China's history and this book was by far one of my favorites. It is a beautiful book that I felt compelled to share with others and purchased more than one copy so I could lend it out and make sure to have a copy for my collection. This book will not dissapoint, especially if you are as intrigued with China and it's history as I am! When I got to the last 20 pages or so I turned them very slowly in hopes of making it last longer! :) I urge you to buy this book and one for your friends! It is a very moving picture of what a person can live through and still see the beauty in life around them!

When I received this book I was really eager to read it. The whole storyline appealed to me and I was convinced, based on the first few chapters, that I would enjoy it. I'm not sure when I changed my mind. Maybe it was after reading countless details about historical and political China when I just wanted to know more about the main characters. Sometimes I felt as if the author couldn't decide if she wanted to write a history book or a love story. While her descriptions of the surrounding enviroments within the book were very colorful and evocative, the presentation of historical events taking place was a bit on the boring side. I found myself fighting the urge to just skip over those parts. Also, the ending (which I won't give away) sort of left me feeling cheated. I suppose I could've overlooked all of those things except for one thing. The fact is, the main character just isn't very interesting or likeable. To me, that's a deal-breaker.

Everybody wants success but many often fail to grow a capacity to handle it. Right choices, introspection,
consistency, and determination contribute to the proper mind-set to steward good success. Being open
to the critics and remaining flexible to new ways to achieve equip from the inside out. The authors are able,
sensitive and committed to nurture the reader. It's a must to read and re-read the contents How People Grow: What the Bible Reveals About Personal Growth for fresh perspective, self-exam, and unlimited growth.

It's been a while since I've read this book and I didn't finish it. However, I remember two things very clearly from this book (and from other of their books). One, they make good sense. Secondly their material is the testimony of what has actually WORKED.
Too many people stuck in "traditional" Christianity will call this book unbiblical. However my experience has been that although these people can quote much scripture, like the Pharisees didn't they too don't understand the heart behind the truth.
Like in Celebrate Recovery (a great Christian program for people who need any kind of healing) these authors don't just have theories. They have experience with people who have experienced REAL healing.
Many Christians who were destroying themselves and others in addictions and other destructive patterns have turned to this kind material after trying "traditional" Christianity.
Although the church still does much good, I believe a very large portion and perhaps even most of church "leadership" and consequently their followers have become just like the Pharisees were: dry, stagnate, judgmental, condemning and useless. That is not how Jesus' ministry or the apostle's ministries were.
This book is not perfect, but I would HIGHLY recommend this book and even other of their books such as "Boundaries" and "Changes That Heal."

I give this book 5 stars. This book took me by surprise. I purchase it to help someone else, but I end up helping myself. I enjoyed it and have recommended it to others.

It has been an excellent study for me. It raises questions I had not thought about and attitudes I didn't realize I could be harboring. It was an excellent study guide for me.

How People Grow is an easily accessible, Biblically-centered, psychologically-deep, and thorough overview of the growth process. I have read through this book twice and refer to it sporadically to refresh my memory on various parts of the growth process and, in my work with college students, urge them to read the book. I have found that living out and sharing its insights has helped me in every area of life, from becoming a more effective evangelist to developing stronger work habits. My main challenge in reading it is owning up to how misguided my understanding of the growth process has been, how I have subsequently misled others, repenting of these mistakes, and seeking to think and live differently in the future. It is a book that speaks to deep issues in a grace-filled but challenging way.

This is a must read for anyone interested in Vietnam, and/or the era of the Vietnam War. The book follows the author's life- but in doing so offers an excelent portrait of Vietnamese History. The author is a strong and amazing woman, who continues today to advocate for Vietnamese Victims of human trafficking and sexual/labor exploitation within the highest circles of the US government.

Many books and numerous studies have been written about the war in Vietnam, by protagonists,government officials, journalists, scholars and others. But none can compare with the unique perspective and deep humanity of Jackie Bong-Wright. Hers is the moving story of a courageous woman, daughter, sister, wife, mother who lived through the prelude, the war and its aftermath. As the young wife of the most prominent representative of the democratic opposition to the last South Vienamese government - assassinated by the Viet Cong - she came to know all the principal figures involved in this tragic war.
Her insightful reflections on the Vietnamese people, their history and culture are extremely helpful for those of us in the West to better understand and appreciate the Vietnamese people. Despite the numerous obstacles she had to face in her last-minute flight from Saigon with her three small children, Jackie Bong-Wright never lost her detrmination to survive, to overcome, to prevail. Aided in no small measure by her deep faith.
This book is a tribute to the human spirit, to human solidarity, to courage in the face of despair. It is also beautifully written and leaves one with a sentiment of hope, hope in a world torn by the tragedy of violence, terrorism and war. Hope that the world is also made up of persons such as Jackie Bong-Wright who writes: "Life swirls around us - love, hate, joy, suffering, unity, division, failure, success. Each person has to go through them all." And that is precisely Jackie Bong- Wright's unique and compassionate story.
Frank and Alma Tonini, Rapallo (Italy)

This book helped me understand the history of Viet Nam and what led to the American intervention. This book was also historical, as well as personal and I enjoyed learning about the author's family and how they coped during their many trials. She and her people have all been through very difficult times. I now have more respect and understanding for the South Vietnamese people and those who relocated to the United States. A big "Thank you" to the author for contributing to my greater understanding.

I enjoyed this book a great deal as it has helped me to piece together bits and pieces of information from the television news and the newspapers that I saw and read during the war. Being only a teenager at the time the war occurred, this same information looks different now that I am an adult. Also, though I read the paper and watched the news, after reading Autumn Cloud, I realize I did not have the South Vietnames perspetive about the war.

My ex-husband served in Viet Nam from 1969-1970 when we were newly married - I was 18 years old and this book has helped me understand several things he told me when he came back from the war. I would recommend this book to all wives of Viet Nam veteran's.

My daughter gave me a copy of "Autumn Cloud" for Christmas 2002. What a wonderful present it was. I was much moved, crying and laughing, as I made my way through the story of Jackie Bong-Wright's life. We are justifiably horrified by 9/11, and yet many Vietnamese, including the author, braved similar clamities over their lifetimes with resiliance and determination. Despite the havoc and danger, a beautiful spirituality shines through the pages of this personal saga. I agree with the author's analysis of the great tragedy and the cautionary tale that marked and marred the lives of all in Viet Nam and most in the US.

Autumn Cloud is a valuable addition to the small but significant body of personal stories by Vietnamese refugees who have resettled in the United States. The author's early life was privileged with French schooling in Vietnam, a university education in France, and marriage to an intelligent and sensitive man with a bright future in both academia and politics. Her life was shattered when her husband was assassinated as he was about to be appointed prime minister. After the fall of South Vietnam in 1975 she and her three small children were forced to leave their homeland, and they resettled as refugees in the U.S. There she established herself as a community activist helping other refugees, eventually happily remarried, and with her husband represented the U.S. in diplomatic posts abroad.

This is a very readable book. Particularly memorable for me were the descriptions of the author's early life in Vietnam and how the war affected members of her family in different ways. She effectively portrays the trauma and depression of being a refugee and the difficulties in adjusting to life in a new culture, something that not all Americans fully understand. I recommend it highly.

Want a book that holds your interest? I recommend this entire series. I discovered Gunn on accident; really it was a blessing! I liked this entire series. Good wholesome values and interesting plots that intertwine with the other books.

I am sort of distressed at the situation I am writing about. Mrs. Gunn has one major problem in this book: NO BALANCE. The ending surpasses the rest by far. The sweet and timeless ending of true love makes the rest look like the remnants of the holidays. SAD. However, it still has a good plot and gracefully moves the series on to the 6th book.

Wow! Wonderful books. Robin Jones Gunn is amazing! I have read Glenbrooke Series 1,2,3,4, and now I'm on the 5th one, Clouds. I read theese and my mom reads Sisterchick Series which Robin Jones Gunn also writes. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, make more of the Glenbrooke Series. I love them, this one is my favorite.

Wonderful book, very readable, not overdone in anyway. Simply a good read for the romaticly driven person.

Maybe it's because i didn't have a high school sweetheart and i couldn't relate to the storyline but I really didn't enjoy this book as i have the other ones. It wasn't a bad read but the characters also didn't seem to have as strong a build-up as the other stories i have read by her. Especially Jonathan --- his character seemed kind of weak and didn't peak my interest. I know that all the other reviews are strong and I respect them but I have to be honest here on this particular one. But I love Robin's work and think she is an awesome writer. I can't wait for her to do a new book since the only one i haven't read yet is waterfalls...

I have read several Cloud books, and although sometimes he can be a little too secular for my tastes, I always walk away feeling a little wiser and more confident. Very easy to read-I found myself looking forward to getting back to it, and plan on reading it again soon. I am already putting some of the [very practical] advice to work. The material could be useful for everyone-from a high school student to a CEO- not just for the business class types. This is LIFE advice-not career advice.

From the cover, it appears that the book is marketed at the success oriented crowd. Dr. Cloud is identified as a psychologist and co-author of the best selling 'Boundaries'. We have to go to the back flap to detect the biblical orientation via a citation of his previously published 'God Will Make A Way'.
There are wonderful biblical quotes that illustrate points made along the way and the context freshens our perceptions of biblical wisdom.
The brief, but very helpful concluding chapter might be read first. Here, we get a little from the author on how he came to make a success of 'Success'. He very frankly offers 12 steps toward applying the 9 things, and the first is 'Do Not Go It Alone'. It seems Dr. Cloud came up in a community of like minded folk who could support each other's ambitions.
In the absence of such support, 'you are not going to go far'.
With chapter 12 in mind, you might very profitably read the book from front to back and keep it handy for future encouragement.

Anyone who is living in this world and wants more out of life should read this book. It is amazing at the simple things successful people do that seem so small and that you don't even notice that are really huge oaks in their lives and make them so successful over long periods of time and through their life. This book can help you in every area of your life and especially if you are finding life difficult, a living death, a hard road to walk... this book will give you great insight on how to live LIFE to it's fullest in practical way and get results that you didn't think were possible. I could go on and on about it, but I promise you, get it, read it, and you will never look back.

This is a MUST read for 2007. It is very good, and very practical and really makes you think. It's is beautifully written. Hands down, amazon is by far the cheapest.

Cloud does a good job on how to have a successful life. First, you must find what you would like to do as a career. Second, deal with problems by fixing it or eliminating it. Third, create a well thought out plan step by step all the way to reaching successs. Also think about options and see if they will hurt you or help you in the future. Fourth, be proactive, be a person of action. Fifth, be dilligent and industrious by doing something and make progress, no matter how small the progress is. Sixth, Be sure to fix what you hate in a positive way. Seventh, do not seek justice for yourself, seek rather to give mercy and forgive. Eighth, study and grow in humility. Ninth, realize that you cannot please everyone.

My son loved this item! When we encircled him with the "World Around Me," for the first time (at 7.5 months), he laughed and spun around. He loved it. He lit up like a Christmas tree! It is as if he is "inside the book" looking at all the different pictures and words. He gets to go to the part he likes best (the tree with the owl) and not just the pages of a book. I wish there were more of these types of "books."

It was probably one of the best purchases I have ever made for my son.

The only problem is that my son likes to get up close to the "pages" of the item and he wants to support himself on it. He really wants to interact with the pages. It really doesn't support an 18+ lb baby - not that it is supposed to. You really need to keep an eye on the infant while it is being used. It has collapsed on him on occasions (no injuries!) and it is ripping a little.

I've used this with my son since he was 5 months old and he loves it!

This book was wonderful for my son when he was a baby! I would stand the book up in a circle around him, lay him on his belly and he would scoot around looking at the book. He just loved it! I've given this book to all new mommies and their children love it. He even loved it as he was learnign to walk. We would lay it on the ground and he would "walk" to his favorite page. It is a must have for all

My child liked the book and its colors but it ripped the first day we had it!! He is only 1 and ripped it along the page fold, so nice book, poorly constructed

This is a fun toddler book with surround entertainment as it opens around the child!