Performing Arts Books

I learned more from this book than all of my screenwriting classes combined. The information therein is priceless.

This is a practical and necesssary tool as well as an invaluable road map to writing action films.I've been a successful screenwriter for over seven years and I owe much of my success to reading this book four years ago. Mr. Martell is an excellent coach and I can't recommend enough that anyone who wants to write action films needs to study this material. Its a very funny read and you can tell its written by a smart writer who is dedicated to watching far too many DVD's. He's a fan just like us. If you want to know all the tricks of this genre and some really cool tips on coming up with script ideas then get this book.

What a gem. This book is packed with everything the author deems necessary for ensuring you have an action-packed SP. He uses small chapters that are easy to follow and provides lots of examples from films and fragments from actual scripts (his own as well as others). This is not a how-to, more a what-others-do-that works. Actually, even if you're not a writer, this book is a great read for an insight into what analytically makes an action-flic.

This book isn't a broad examination of story structure like you find in Robert McKee's "Story," or an abstract analysis of archetypes and forms like in "The Writer's Journey" by Christopher Vogler (both excellent books in their own right). Instead, Bill Martell bypasses the forest and takes you straight to the trees to explain the nuts and bolts of storytelling through screenplays.

The book's title sells itself a bit short; this isn't just a book about writing screenplays for what are traditionally considered action genres. While the information is certainly presented in the context of action films, much of it would be just as applicable to, say, romantic comedies or period dramas. Topics covered include sidekicks, love interests, building suspense, plot twists and reversals, all of which have broader application than just "action" films.

Martell knows his subject well and has studied hundreds of movies to figure out what works on film and why. He frequently uses examples from specific movies-often his own-to help drive home his points. And he doesn't pull any punches in pointing out where some films go wrong.

While explaining the common storytelling devices used in film, Martell draws on his real-world experience as a screenwriter to help you appreciate the perspective of producers, directors and actors who might read your script. These are obviously important considerations if you ever hope to see your baby on the big screen.

Somewhat surprising is the number of typographical errors in this book, which easily could have been avoided by a careful review of the manuscript. But it's a minor distraction from an otherwise excellent book.

I'm a big fan of Tony Robbins. Yeah, the infomercial guy. One thing that Tony teaches is that if you want to learn how to do something, find an expert and model them. Learn what they do, how they do it, and learn those exact same habits, actions and ways of thinking.
With over seventeen sold screenplays, Bill Martell is an excellent choice for you to learn action screenwriting from. He's sold over seventeen scripts! How many screenplays have Syd Field, Robert McKee, Linda Seger, Michael Hauge and John Truby sold recently? Not a hell of a lot, because they are too busy raking money in, hand over fist, by doing nothing but teaching arcane, over intellectualized and just plain weird ways to write screenplays.
Martell breaks it down to the basics, baby. Every page, I'm having an 'Ah Ha!' moment. I break out the highlighter, I write the nugget of information down, for use in my own scripts.
Do yourself a favor and get this book. It's small, it's succinct and it's learning from a guy who's a working, selling screenwriter.
Deal with the facts of the business and learn how to write selling screenplays; get Bill Martell's book today.

- William Mize, Shamus Award nominee, creator of the Denton Ward and Monty Crocetti mystery series.

Out of maybe a few hundred, this is probably the funniest book I have ever read. I remember reading it late at night in my parents house, trying to stifle my laughter so I wouldn't get in trouble for waking people up. "...a cry went up from the sleaze-mavens"

With this book, you could argue that John Waters is a better writer than he is a film maker.

This book is impossible to describe in one word. It's no surprise that Water's life is funnier, and more bizare then any of his films can ever hope to be. We learn about Baltimore life, his childhood, Divine, Edith Masey, Pink Flamingos,Desperate Living,and more. THIS needs to be his next film project! The only thing sad about this book is that it feels dated at certain parts (especially when it refers to Divine in the present tense, since this was written before he died...and before Cookie Muller died...and Edith Masey). But it remains a fascinating read that really encourages people to feel grateful for living in Baltimore(or makes you wish you lived there).

Shock Value is like Waters' autobiography, mainly focused on his film career. There are only two chapters about his childhood. The book will be very interesting to every Waters fan as it provides in depth looks at the making of several of his earlier films. The book's material is dated, however, since it was written before he completed "Polyester". Waters' updates you in the new introduction though. It is very clean and has few curse words, unlike Waters' films, but is still good. I recommend it.

This book was without a doubt the funniest book I've ever read. Naturally, readers familiar with his movies will get the most out of this book, but there's a lot in there even for those who can't sit through one of his movies. I especially like Waters's tales of his mischief as a lad attending Catholic school. Considering the time, his educational background, and the Baltimore environment, I can really understand how Waters turned out the way he did.

I finished Shock Value only moments ago, and i feel like i should go to baltimore and fall on my knees worshipping Waters and the crew. i thought i was weird...This book focuses on the early years and has truly inspired me to raise myself above the boring muck of semiconformist existence. READ IT

Excellent, heartwarming story about the friendship between a white girl and a slave girl. The story takes them both through the Civil War days and afterward as they mature into changing life roles and experience the different social and cultural mores of the times. Touching and thoughful presentation! An excellent read for all.
Evelyn Horan -teacher/counselor/ author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One-Three

"Sisters Forever" by Sharon D. Martin should be on the Best-Seller list. From page one my interest was captured and the action that followed held me captive to the very end. Martin proves to readers everywhere with "Sisters Forever" that she is the ultimate storyteller. Woven through out the narrative is the premise that love can overcome the troubles that life tosses our way. Martin's use of dialogue and action to move the story forward enables readers to feel they are living the story with her characters. I plan to recommend this book to all my reading friends. "Sisters Forever" is a great reading adventure.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" &...

Sharon Martin tells a heartrending story of two women raised from birth as sisters - one the daughter of a plantation owner and the other a slave. Set in the Antebellum South, Martin's research is told through the eyes of the women giving a human connection to plantation life, the road to freedom, the War Between the States, and the aftermath.

Sisters Forever begins in 1822 with the birth of April Cothran on the Cothran Plantation near Charleston, South Carolina. When her mother learns that she can't have more children, she goes to the slave cabins for a wet nurse with a new baby girl. She names the baby "May", hoping for the girls to be raised as sisters.

April and May are inseparable as they grow. They share the same bedroom and are treated as sisters by all. Though technically a slave, May does not know hard labor and the hardships of other slaves. While in Charleston, April makes a scene about May being her sister, and the rumors spread about her father's slave baby. To put the rumors to rest, he decides to separate the girls, which causes his daughter to fall ill to the point of being at death's door. To save his daughter, he promises that May will come back to the big house as April's sister.

However, as the girls become young women, hard times cause David Cothran to reconsider his protection of the beautiful slave who has been raised as his daughter. That event sets the course of the novel.

April and May face trials that test their sisterhood, but their love holds strong. As they mature into women with families of their own, they touch each other through letters. The most moving are those from the battlefields.

Sharon Martin is a natural storyteller as her story of oppression and freedom is weaved through the culture and events of that era. The cast of characters who waltz through the pages create scenes that touch all of the emotions. The reader will cry for the sisters hardships and cheer their victories.

A historical novel that will leave you anxious to read a follow up. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Two young girls (I had a tendency to forget that one girl was black and one was white) grow up more like sister on a southern plantation and like all sisters they don't always agree. At times one questions the motives of the other, but no matter what happens, they remain good friends, bonded forever as sisters. A good book Sharon Martin, I look forward to reading your next one.

Sharon D. Martin begins this poignant tale in 1822 South Carolina. It's the Old South, that antebellum era of plantations and parties, southern belles and courtly gentlemen, free men and slaves. Into this world of privilege, April Marie Cothran is born to wealthy plantation-owner parents. April is born breech, a difficult and traumatic birth. She is the only child her mother will ever bear.

One month later, a 13 year old Cothran slave named Lilly gives birth to a girl child sired by a Mandingo warrior. April's mother names the newborn slave May. Lilly, little more than a child herself, is taken into the master's house as wetnurse for April. Thus begins this story of two lives that remain entwined together for a lifetime.

April and May - one the white child of privilege, the other a result of mating slaves like prize animals - are raised as siblings. These two children of diverse backgrounds are oblivious to color barriers and taboos of the time.
Southern race and class issues mean nothing to them. In their minds, they're sisters. Sisters forever.

Ms. Martin masterfully intertwines the lives of April and May through ensuing decades. Through marriage, births, joys, deaths, sorrows, the Civil War and its aftermath, the author shows us the lives of these two women. Along the way we witness human cruelty and courage, hatred and forgiveness , the blessings of unconditional love, and the surprise of reward and resurrection.

This is a beautiful story, written with honesty and compassion, about a time in our history that was not always pretty for either race. The surprise ending lays the groundwork for a sequel to Sisters Forever. Readers should prepare themselves for more southern history, and another well told story by Ms. Martin.

I order this book and I am just to happy with it. I have to say that I've play electric bass for almost 6 years now and I really enjoy slapping, but this books help me learn so much thing and give me tips to practice that it's unmissable for anybody who wants to improve his slap!

whether Rock, new age, or incidental the sounds of treb in a bass are unique to say the least. You can double up a mix(as with Fleetwood Mac's "Make Lov'n fun") and play it as a lead or rythm bass along with the fretless or lower and your electric lead gitar. that's three insturments that sound great and harmonious.(This is mentioned as inspiration and has nothing to do with my review of the book). I use slap in insidental music in self programed video games and movies as well as music.(so do the Japanees, notoriously funk.) If you learn the concept of bass notes(more on tuning in) you can obtain concepts for how the bass gitar and all it's amps work. You need a lot of extra equipment for this caliper of playing, not just your basic long necker kit that is sold here. An 8 string would be nice too.

After having learned the fundamentals of technique using The Slap Bass Program, I needed exercise material. This has it in spades. The exercises are catchy and challenging. However, you might want to ignore the pictures showing the technique. Sklarevski's technique in the Slap Bass Program looks more solid and comfortable.

I studied with Tony for a couple of months to get things going back in 83? I must say I had the book but it wasn't until I studied with Tony that I understood how important the beginning exercises are. I Overlooked them because they were simple... big mistake. There are subtleties to the right hand position that Tony uses. It is not easy to describe with words in a book. I think Tony should consider a Youtube demo of the technique and use it as an advertisement.
Anyway do the beginning exercises using a metronome in the 40's and get clean strikes with a full sound. This was Tony's first lesson. I resisted inside but took his advice and never regretted it(thanks Tony). Precision in the beginning will payoff later.

Enjoy

As a bass teacher for approx 10 years, i have used and seen many bass tuition books...This is by far the best Slap Technique book i have come across yet...Will suit beginners and seasoned players alike...
Beginners take the time out to study the first section of the book .Audio is great quality and the Tab is helpful for those who dont read...

This is a wonderful Buffy the Vampire Slayer resource guide. It really is a shame that it is so hard to find now, because it really does answer a lot of questions.
Unlike the Watcher Guide books it gives great detail about episodes and characters There are also interesting side notes about meanings for some episodes and what the entitle idea for them were.
Characters like Xander, Willow, Giles , and etc... Are also mentioned a lot, and there is no doubt that you will learn something new about the series in this.
Even though this is a very heavy novel I totally recommend it. As a Buffy fan and reader I really think it is worth hunting for.
If you want some other good Buffy references. Then check out the Monster Book by Christopher Golden. This is another really good book about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
However, if you can handle all of the reading in this book. Then you will defiantly enjoy this.

This really is a very good book and it's a shame that it's so hard to find. There is so much covered in this book about Buffy. Ever since Buffy has ended a few years ago. It seems like more people are interested in it then ever.
There are a few resources books out there that really can explain the series well.
This is one of them.
One of the things I found hard about this one though was that it was rather long and ongoing.
However, if you can get past that I think you'll enjoy it.

Don't bother with any other unauthorised Buffy reference guides as Keith Topping's 'Slayer' books are the only ones you'll ever need. This guide is packed with all sorts of information and Keith doesn't shy away from giving his informed and personal opinions about the series. He also briefly covers the spin-off comics, books and websites.

Keith Topping is a talented writer (check out his Doctor Who novels from BBC Books and Telos) and his episode guides are the best ones on the market. He has also written a companion book that covers Angel called 'Hollywood Vampire' which is well worth purchasing.

Each episode, up to and including season 5, gets 3-to-6 pages of coverage, organized under various thematic headings: Plot summary, music, memorable quotes, comments on the women's clothing, continuity errors, logic flaws, pop culture references, etc. Books of this nature are enjoyable because it's fun to compare one's reaction with the author's reaction, and Topping notices every tiny detail.

There are also separate essays: (1) History of the vampire myth, (2) 'The Outsiders' as a series theme, (3) BtVS and real-life school violence, (4) BtVS and the internet, and (5) disputes with the TV networks. As well, each BtVS novel gets about a page of coverage.

This differs from other BtVS books because of Topping's perspective as a Brit. He's a bit thin-skinned about the anti-British jibes, especially Principal Flutie's snide remark about the royal family in the second episode (Flutie was right!). On the other hand, Topping sees connections between BtVS and US culture with an objectivity that US viewers lack. Apart from the vampires, Sunnydale is a bit too perfect to be realistic, and it's certainly bizarre that a southern California town would be so lily-white. It is only in the 7th season (beyond the scope of this book) that we see a recurring black character (Principal Wood) and a recurring hispanic character (Iyari Limon as 'Kennedy'). Topping notes that (white) Americans often see themselves as decent people, perhaps overly trusting, fighting off non-white underclass intruders who seek to ruin their caucasian paradise. See the connection? Does the shoe fit?

There are a number of Buffy episode guides on the market, but Keith Topping's are my favorite by a considerable margin. Both volumes of THE WATCHER'S GUIDE are very fine, but I find they are more useful for the large number of interviews with cast and crewmembers. Although Topping ends his volume with some interesting essays and reviews of various Buffy-related publications and websites, the vast bulk of his guides are devoted to the episodes themselves. Currently this guide to episodes 1-5 is out of print in the United States (though available from Britain, I believe), and only the guide to Episode 6 in print here. Hopefully, they will bring out a new one-volume edition of seasons 1-7.

Each episode is covered in around 4-6 pages, offering a very brief synopsis of the plot, some of the better quotes, some ravings about the highpoints, a fun section about illogical elements, a general comment section at the end, and a host of other fun things. Oh yeah, those wanting to know about the music in each show can find a list here. I don't agree with his evaluation of each episode (e.g., he hates "Anne," which starts off Season 3, along with many others, but I think it is one of the best episodes ever, with a great deal of super clever writing that many people seem to miss), but he is always fun to argue with, and he is never merely sloppy. Most of all, Topping is clearly a fan of great TV, and there is the spirit of a fellow-fan informing the book as a whole. I also like the fact that each episode is introduced with the publication of the original date in the U.S. and in Great Britain, and also gives the titles in their French and German releases.

Now, I don't want to be misunderstood here, but this is also one of the great bathroom books of all time. It rates right up there with Dave Marsh's THE BOOK OF ROCK LISTS,THE NORTON ANTHOLOGY OF POETRY, and THE ESSENTIAL BIFF. Never underestimate the value of a good bathroom book.

I just read Vickie Rubinson's book "Sorry...Your Name's not on the List," and I got a really good laugh. Ms. Rubinson displays a keen wit and eagle eye when it comes to reporting on her many humerous encounters with everyone from former Nazis in Vienna Austria, to the rich and famous in Beverly Hills California. I finished the book in two days. What's interesting is her interview with former Austrian President Kurt Waldheim on her last trip to Vienna. It's a fascinating story and ends with the disgraced President of the country, giving her a bunch of autographed books. This book is a must read.

I loved this book. It's well written, faced paced and humorous. The author talks about her experiences in a comical Catholic school in the San Fernando Valley, (where priests dance the can-can and nuns wax poetic about the mysteries of life), to the strange world of tabloid reporting.
There are numerous encounters with Hollywood celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Arnold, Anna Nicole Smith and Harvey Keitel to name a few, plus some run ins with famous and infamous politicians and lecherous diplomats.
If you ever wondered what it's like working the tabloid world, this book is for you.

I loved this memoir! It was well-written, insightful and touching. The author takes us on a wild tour from her early childhood days as the only Jewish girl in a Catholic school, to her 20's as a Hollywood reporter.
St. Christopher's prep school is the setting to this book. The teachers are whacky and the priests and nuns all seem like they came right out of central casting. This is a must read!!!!

This book has it all...encounters with aging ex-Nazis in Vienna Austria, to minor run-ins with mysterious Saudi princes. I couldn't put the book down. It's the story of Hollywood reporter Vickie Rubinson's comical life, from her upbringing at a strict Catholic School in Los Angeles, (where she was thrown in the trash can by her beloved English teacher), to the crazy world of Hollywood reporting...where she was chased down the tree lined streets of Bel Air by Priscilla Presley's Doberman's. It's a real page turner!

Sorry Your Name's not on the List is a past paced breezy memoir that takes readers on a wild and crazy ride through the halls of a Valley prep school where stern priests suddenly break into musical numbers in the middle of class, and smoking nuns wax poetic about the mysteries of life-to the offices of Private Eye Magazine in Hollywood, where the main character is sent on some pretty harrowing tabloid assignments.
The stories are short and comical and yet very believable. It was a real page turner and gave me a few good chuckles.

The shipping was slow but well worth it once I received the book, a very thorough and professionally prepared work!

Mr. Britton writes a scholarly and fairly much complete analysis and history of the secret agent/spy genre on television. Not even that, but the review is fun and enjoyable to read and not burdened down with academic jargon (a definite plus). In the opening chapters, there is a readable history on how this type of adventure series evolved from the earlier pulp literature of the twenties and thirties, and in the conclusion an examination of the "why" are the spy series so popular?

The author even mentions some of my favorite but short lived favorites such as "Spy Games" and the seventies "Hunter" series (wish they would come out on DVD).

However, favorites such as "I Spy," "Mission Impossible," "Get Smart," The Avengers," and even "The X-Files" are given a chapter each to discuss each of what the series brought to popular culture. Again, highly readable.

I encourage all (serious) TV fans and secret agent afficiandos this text a try.

Now, if someone can just help me find the exact titles and authors of the rest of the Praeger Collection on Television?, it would be appreciated.

Sincerely,
JThree
[...]

Dr. Britton's Spy Television is must reading for any nostalgia buff. If a person thinks that all TV is garbage, he or she should read this book and find out otherwise. In a smorgasbord of informatively well-written chapters, Dr. Britton has reminded those of us who remember many of the shows featured here that once upon a time, TV spy shows were better than rock concerts and modern sitcoms and soap operas. Finally, one can read in one volume: what The Prisoner was really all about; how The Man from U.N.C.L.E. paved the way for this genre and its influence lives on. Even The Bionic Woman gets encyclopedic coverage. The Avengers is given a delightful treatment and one will never view the series in the same light again after reading this book. Dr. Britton has conducted personal interviews with Robert Vaughn (U.N.C.L.E.) and Robert Conrad (The Wild Wild West) to relate their intriguing retrospectives upon their own fame and series. One will want to purchase DVDs or blow dust off VHS boxes and go down memory's mansion of wonderful spy TV.

I loved the chapter on I Spy and Sheldon Leonard. I Spy was my dad's favorite show when I was a kid. He enjoyed the on-location sets in Hong Kong, Japan, Europe and Latin America. We got to see contemporary life in those countries, not the stereotypes (Chinese can't speak proper English; they're subservients or gangsters; women were either prostitutes ("World of Suzie Wong") or cunning Dragon Ladies. (Remember, the only Chinese then on TV were "Hop Sing," the manservant in Bonanza and the housekeeper in The Courtship of Eddie's Father.) I Spy dealt with stereotypes by ignoring them. It had the nerve to show Culp and Cosby with regular business people, competent police officers, family folk, etc. who just happened to live in Hong Kong or Japan or Mexico. In one show, gangster Martin Landau tried to buy the services of a Chinese waitress. She rejected the money and his "offer," and I expected him to explode. Instead, to my surprise, Landau looked at the waitress with respect and said something along the line of "you can't be bought. I like that in a woman," and he backed off. Wow! Very heady stuff in the 1960s! I now watch the DVDs with my kids. It was interesting that I had to explain some of the racial stuff because it's not so obvious nowadays and/or we've made advances along the way. Thank you, I Spy, SL, Bob Culp and Bill Cosby.

This book also covered more obscure and hard-to-find shows such as Bergerac, the Sandbaggers, and Return of the Saint. And, of course, there were lots of silly or just plain awful programs as well. Fans of the Man from Uncle, Secret Agent, etc. will find much to enjoy, though. Great read, especially when you want an escape from watching TV.

From the early 1960s, TV spies were presented in light of anti-Communist propaganda, and through the years this model has developed to cover murky motives and adventures fraught with international intrigue. Spy Television considers how both popular and obscure spy shows came to TV, analyzes how and why the shows either succeeded or failed, and examines how fact and fiction have been incorporated into the genre. Britton earned his Ph.D. in American Literature and his penchant for uncovering sources and roots readily shines.

This is definetly the best book on Star Wars I've ever read...

The beautifully designed coffee-table book takes the reader through the process of creating the Star Wars galaxy and then turning it into one of the most successful toylines in history. There are tons of photos depicting vintage Kenner toys as well as other merchandise.

The illustrations come with quite an informative text by journalist and collector Stephen J. Sansweet -- truely an expert when it comes to Star Wars toys.

A beautifully written book -- Sansweet is the reigning expert on Star Wars (have all of his book, with the Scrapbook and Encyclopedia being my favorites). I just had some quibbles with some of the design elements in it but it's a wonderful edition to my library nevertheless.

A must own for fans of the collectibles spawned from the greatest space fantasy of all time. Sansweet takes you through the entire process that brought about the Star Wars experience and gives details about little known information surrounding the film's creation, collectibles and magicians who brought it to life. A nostalgic trip into the past to relive three great films accompanied by crisp, clear photos. Check it out.

If I were to teach a class on the history Star Wars and Star Wars collectables, I would definitely use this as one of the textbooks. It is a very well written and interesting book. It contains lots of great pictures, including early drawings of movie characters made before the movies were ever created, as well as pictures of a variety of collectables (including both prototypes and finished products). Also contains lots of interesting factoids. This is not a price guide or a comprehensive guide to Star Wars collectables (so if that's what you are looking for, this is not the book for you). But if you want to learn about the Star Wars universe (literally from concept to screen to collectable), this will be a great addition to your library.

I have been a big Star Wars fan since the first film was released back in 1977. I used to own many of the old action figures and played with them all the time up until my grandmother gave them away to the Goodwill. I picked up this book in 1997 just as I was getting back into collecting Star Wars figures once again. This is a very detailed book with lots of great color photos. Seeing the pictures of all of the older toys brought back a lot of memories. And it makes you stop and think about how much your old collection would have been worth if you had saved it. I recommend this book to anyone who is a true Star Wars fan and collector. You will not be disappointed.

This is good book that briefly describes the events of Episode I in a picture format perfect for young and non-readers

this is the best book you can look at to see all the details put into episode 1! there are pictures, quotes, and much info about each character! it truly is a good buy!

I just bought this book and I just can't get over how amazing it is. I learned who played Darth Maul finally and I found out a lot of things about the movie I really didn't noticed when I watched it.

When I got this book, It was totally AWESOME! there are a lot of pics and COOL stuff that you couldn't of had guessed...I mean is was "THE BEST" I couldn't stop reading it...it's REALLy good...trust me!

This book is really great. I learned a lot of stuff I didn't know before! For example, it explained more about the Jedi council and other characters.

There are a lot of books that our kids ask us to read over and over, but there aren't that many that we ask them if they want to hear again. Tightrope Poppy will have both parents and kids asking for another read.

This isn't just a book about a pig who fails and has to pick herself up and try again. This is a story about a pig who thinks she is very good at what she does, and fails spectacularly and publicly, so her inner sense of failure is compounded by massive embarrassment. A lot of us parents will see ourselves in Poppy's place, but seeing it from another perspective is as good for us as the story is for our kids.

The rhymes are clever and fun, and the style of the artwork is a perfect complement for Poppy's personality. Tightrope Poppy works so well on so many levels it has quickly become a family favorite in our house.

This book is a favorite with my children, their friends, and all the adults who read it at storytime. We recommend it to everyone out there!

Who doesn't need a perky pig in their lives? Poppy is the perfect pick-me-up! Not perfect herself, Poppy perseveres and becomes a tightrope star. It's great for kids to see that you can try something, fail (in front of large crowds, no less), fail again (did I mention the large crowds?) and again, and ultimately succeed. An important message in our instant gratification society.

Move over, Wilbur and Olivia. There's a new pig in town.

You're not likely to forget this porker. Poppy perseveres and reminds us all of that old standby: If at first you fall off the high wire, get your cute, curly tail right back up there.

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is an author to watch. She has a natural, funny sense of rhyme that delights children and doesn't nauseate adults.

This is one great book.

A sweet, funny, and uplifting story, TIGHTROPE POPPY is a hit at our house!