Barton Books

This edition has helped me better understand what our lord has done for us and how we are on earth to bless him.

The nice thing about this Bible is the wonderful commentaries. This is one of the only Bibles that I have read where the commentaries actually challenge the reader to put things into practice in their own life.
This is really an "application" Bible giving practical applications to the areas of the users life that are referenced in the reading.
I would like to have this Bible handy each time I am doing a study, meditation or listening to a preacher speak. It gives challenging and in-depth explanation of topics.

THIS BIBLE I HAVE READ SEVERAL TIMES COVER TO COVER. I JUST ORDERED IT IN LARGE PRINT AS MY EYE SIGHT IS FAILING. I GET COMFORT AND PEACE FROM READING IT. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE AND APPLICABLE TO ENTIRE LIFETIMES.

The bible has a lot of interesting and helpful features. The large print really makes it easier to read the great study notes. I was disappointed that the words of Jesus were not in red, I thought all newer bibles had that feature and did not even check it out before I purchased the bible.

This is an excellent study bible! The large print is great. It makes it much easier to read. I would highly recommend this bible.

Our copy has now passed on to our third child -- Anna and Jane loved this book, and Danny loves it, too.

Byron Barton really seems to "get it" -- what captivates a child. Bold illustrations, nice use of color, and just enough detail for a board book.

Board books aren't necessarily meant to teach or be encyclopedic -- they're like good friends that you visit every day, and look forward to doing so. "Machines At Work" is just that -- a good friend.

We've named the characters, we make construction sounds when we read, and we love the lunch break and the end of the day pages.

Solidly constructed, wonderfully illustrated, and age appropriate, "Machines At Work" is a winner, sure to please any pre-reader. Thank you, Byron Barton!

My two year old recently figured out all the sentences in this book, and reads them aloud. He feels so proud after finishing the story, and reads it almost every night. Of course he's just memorizing but its one of a few books that he "reads".

My three year old son usually only lets me read him books with characters he knows. I gambled on this one and came up a winner. I'm not sure why, but he laughs through the whole thing and wants to hear it again and again. He loves to beat me to the first line, "Hey you guys!" For my reluctant reader, Machines at Work is a winner.

When I first got this for my son (2 years), I thought "What a snooze-fest!" We were still high on the Mo Willems wave, still in love with Knuffle Bunny and the slightly off-kilter viewpoint of the Pigeon, so the utter barrenness and simplicity of Machines at Work honestly put me off. But, as it is all about the baby (and don't he know it!), Connor simply loves it! Although he is fickle (we have now moved on to the pop-up Bug series by David A. Carter) it firmly held the New Boy Times #1 bedseller slot for a good 3 weeks (an eternity to the toddler set). It also was known to douse many a tantrum (great diversion - "I know you just ka-bonked your head on the dining room table for the fortieth time today, but LOOK AT THESE COOL TRUCKS!") and entertain on long car rides.

The story (as it is) involves a diverse work crew doing stuff with simple 4-5 word narration for each page. It is so simple, it is almost zen-like. And Connor came to be able to repeat each phrase as we turned the page - as soon as I opened the cover he would gleefully shoud out "Hey, you guys!". Reading this to him at bedtime has become one of the fondest memories of my fatherhood experience, and hopefully one of my son's funnest moments.

When you write as many reviews of children's books as I do (and is there any more pompous way to begin a sentence, I wonder) you sometimes find yourself at a loss for words when it comes to the simpler ones. And author/illustrator Byron Barton is, if nothing else, the patron saint of picture book straightforwardness. There is no wry undertone to a Barton book. No sly wit. No winks or nods to parents and educators beneath the simple childlike text. Nope. Byron Barton is an author that writes stories for children and children alone. In "Machines At Work", Barton (who's millions of books have covered every topic from planes to dinosaurs) tackles that perpetual toddler fascination - - the worksite.

In this particular book, we observe a wide variety of small workers (male, female, white, black, etc.) off to work. Some climb readily into their machines. Others dictate instructions from below. For this day, the workers knock down a building, bulldoze trees, dump rubble, take a lunch break, build a building, and build a road (amongst other activities). Then the expressionless crew heads for home after a long and satisfying day. Says the text, "More work tomorrow".

The book begins with the sentence, "Hey, you guys!". For those parents amongst you who remember the heyday of that classic PBS show, "The Electric Company", you know how best to read that line. Otherwise, the sentences in this book tend to be instructions. The narrator (and, hence, the child reading the book) tells the little people what to do and they do it. I was intrigued by the prior reviewer of this book who commented that though we see the workers apparently build a road and building, no final product is ever shown at the end. It would be nice to see the result of all this work. Obviously Barton thinks kids would be far more interested in the breaking down and building up than in the end products. I was also a little amazed at the amount of destruction in this book as opposed to the significantly smaller amount of construction.

But these aren't really criticisms. If you've a kid who likes machines that go vroom and boom, it's hard to find fault with this book. There are plenty of simple words with thick black lines for kids to understand. No, it won't name the machines one by one. You'll have to find a different book for that. Still, it's a nice enough preschool title to entrance those kiddies who're already enamored of these friendly agents of destruction. A simple text that is certain to find a wide appreciative audience.

My son received this as a gift when he was about 18 months old and absolutely loves it! It is a regular favorite... he loves the graphics and simple story line. He is almost two and loves to recite some of the lines and point out things in the nice, colorful yet simple pictures. Great book for boys!

Our twin toddlers love this book. The simple language and vivid illustrations are excellent.

My husband is a "car guy" through and through and he loves to read this book almost as much as my two year old does! They read it at least once a night - sometimes more! It's really adorable. Highly recommended especially for all gear-head mommies or daddies to share with their little boys or girls!

This is a great book if your child is obsessed with cars as ours is. It explains all the car parts, and is very colorful. It's a cute little book. Very general.

My 17 month old son loves having this book read to him and pretending to read it. He already loves cars, so the subject is great. It has bright colors, the pages aren't too busy, and the words are simple. Great book. We have the trucks book too. We also have the trains book, which he got for a gift and is also great.

If you like pop ups, and want to try different ones, this book is one to have! You can also buy more to cut up instead of cutting up the ones included in the book. There is also websites that you can find (search: Tunnel Book) and you will find a link to this book!

The perfect book for a beginner. As a bonus, the book itself has a fantastic design concept. It presents an example, then you can tear out a card with the pattern for that example, and when you finish, it has a pocket on the next page where you can store the card you just cut. Also, if you don't like cutting up your book, there is an order form for replacement cards. It's nice to see form follow function!!

the Pocket Paper Engineer book is very informative from tools that you'll need to templates for a variety of designs. The only negative i have is that i wish it wasn't on spiral for greater ease of removal of the templates.

Below is an edited version of the note I sent to the author, Carol Barton, after receiving my (first) copy of Pocket Paper Engineer:

Dear Carol,

Yesterday I received my copy of PPE and wanted to let you know how delighted I am with the book. Wow! I had ordered it as a gift but when I saw it, I immediately ordered two more -- one for myself and another as a gift for my daughter (she's a magazine publisher).

I've been making pop-ups for 25 years and have copies of most pop-up how-to books that I know of, including some long out of print. I've taught pop-up book making and even made an "award-winning" pop-up (audience favorite). We've been in touch before back in the 1990s. You sent me some slides of your work. Your book is unique in that it is itself an artist's book. Colour, dimensions, texture, images, layout -- they're all perfect. It's all I can do to restrain myself from taking out the exacto knife on the copy I've got rather than waiting for my own copy to arrive in the mail.

My immediate question is: when is volume two coming out? Will you be doing pull-tab mechanisms, too?

Best regards,

Of the several how-to books I own on creating & designing pop-ups, this book disappointed me.
The vast majority is devoted to what is basically one pop-up technique, and the author gives numerous variations on that one type of pop-up as if each were entirely different. Yes, this book is simple & easy to use... great for those who want to play a bit -- or people who work with kids.
For true pop-up explorers however, pop-up mechanisms such as floating layers, scenery flats, boxes, etc. are not included in this book. To really dig into the subject of pop-ups and paper engineering, look elsewhere.

I looked through the book and some items were read. Very informative. This was a book that I would have liked to have when I had my child several years ago. I had purchased this book for my daughter in law to have for her child. She also looked through the book and said WOW! This is good. Yes, I would recommend this book to any new mother.

I received this book as a baby shower gift before my first child was born, and I have to say, it was the most helpful gift I got. There is so much real, helpful information, including detailed guides on when to worry (and how much). A guide like that can do wonders for new parents, especially if you tend to jump right into panic mode at the first sign of trouble. When my pediatrician gave handouts at the end of the well-baby checkups, and many of them were taken directly from this book, I knew it was a winner. My oldest is 11 and it's still my go-to reference. I buy it every time I'm invited to a baby shower - it really is the best gift.

I can't say enough about how great this book is. I give it to all of my expecting friends now. I really like how you can search by symptoms and most of all how it guides you on the seriousness of the symptoms.

This book has been very helpful as a reference book whenever I've had a question about my daughter's health. It is easy to find what you need and is very common sense about such things as fevers and how to treat them. It's a great companion to the "What to expect" book and I find myself turning to this one first now.

I am a RN and have used Dr Schmitt's book for years. I am glad to see a newer edition come out because my other book was all torn up! I currently work phone triage, but have also worked in a Pediatric office and Labor and Delivery. I tell so many new parents to buy this book! I buy it for shower and baby gifts as well. I can't imagine how many unneccessary trips to the ER this book has saved for parents.

Zane Mackenzie is everything you want to see in a Navy SEAL -
Dang! but he is hot!
Finally we get a young woman that is worthy of the hero.

Barrie Lovejoy takes the only out to driving away the emotional and physical trauma she was subjected to in her kidnapping.

Zane Mackenzie, in the tradition of his father and brothers is man enough and sensitive enough to deal with Barrie.

When Zane is wounded in portecting Barrie, she becomes distaught at being forced to leave Zane behind without knowing if he would live.

I loved finding about Wolf and his family, especially Michael and Josh [why don't they have stories of their own?] Poor Joe, 5 sons and no daughter. It took Barrie and Zane to pull a fast one.

There is just something about these Mackenzie men that puts your hormones on red alert. We need more of these guys and more women like Barrie.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- definitely all are keepers - what a collection of men.

Linda Howard loves to minimize her female characters into nothing more then sex objects. All of her female main characters are virgins. Quite frankly I am sick of reading about how super important that really is. All of her female characters make love for the first time like insatiable beasts ignoring their physical response to having been made love to for the first time. These characters are so fake and I am really getting sick of them. This novel really hit the bottom because her virgin girls theme I have just described to you, that has been a consistent theme in all of her other books in the Mackenzie line repeated the same ridiculous line. Why can't someone write about a beautiful woman who isn't a virgin and who really does enjoy sex for sex...without having to write an erotica?

Another satisfying story about a MacKenzie brother. I enjoyed every word. And Barrie was a good match for Zane. Linda Howard is a master story teller.

I also like Beverly Barton but didn't care as much for Defending His Own as I have some of her other books. Secret baby stories bore me so that's probably the reason. Also, I don't much care for stories where something happens to a character as a teen and he/she holds it against the world forever. Good grief! We all grow and mature. Some of these people never do. Along with the secret baby, this is an over-used and unnecessary plot device. It creaks.

Another MacKenzie that I fell in love with! I read the story in one sitting. I just could not put the book down. Zane is so intense and sweet and sexy! Wow! The anecdotes about Nick are so wonderful. Makes me want to have a Nick of my own. I'd love to read her story when she's all grown up.

Having read SARAH'S CHILD, I was not too impressed. Having read DUNCAN'S BRIDE worked much better, but while it was a good read, it was not an outstanding read. Several review sites recommended MACKENZIE'S MOUNTAIN, but I never bothered to find a copy. In December 2005, I stumbled across this book (MACKENZIE'S PLEASURE), which is the story of Zane Mackenzie, the youngest son of Wolf Mackenzie and his wife Mary Elizabeth (hero and heroine of Mackenzie's Mountain). I have mixed feelings about SEAL-themed books - while I have loved Brockmann's series, I somehow prefer reading about firemen to reading about SEALS. Give this book a chance, if you share my hesitations.

Zane Mackenzie is called upon to execute a mission to rescue an ambassador's kidnapped daughter Barrie Lovejoy out of Libya. The first third of the book is about how the rescue takes place and with what consequences. In the second third, Zane and Barrie are separated by circumstances until they manage to find each other. Since there is a mystery and a bit of romantic suspense to the plot, I will not go further with the plot summary. It is probably sufficient to say that Barrie's kidnapping and rescue is somewhat more complicated than either Zane or Barrie realized.

The book begins with Wolf Mackenzie worrying about his children, from Joe down to his adopted son Chance and his youngest son Zane. Thus, Linda Howard provides the new reader with sufficient background to Zane, to understand what kind of family he comes from and what kind of person he is likely to be. The book then moves to a botched Naval exercise which leaves Zane short of two men. It is at this point that he is asked to rescue the Ambassador's daughter. Barrie Lovejoy is no spoiled socialite, although she has been protected by her father all her life (for understandable reasons). Her courage and endurance, as well as her unusual (but understandable) decisions, appeal to Zane. Barrie is poised, emotionally mature, and able to make decisions quickly. Zane has been dedicated to his job, but frustrated by the promotions that take him away from active duty. When Zane and Barrie end up spending an intense night and day together while hiding out, they form a bond even though they know virtually nothing about each other.

The book moves from the US to the Mediterranean back to the US. Despite these changes of locale (sketched in deftly for the most part), we remain focused tightly on the hero and heroine. MACKENZIE'S PLEASURE is one of the few stories where I genuinely liked the hero and heroine from the outset, and where I also felt that they were right for each other. That this contributed to my liking the book is not in question. Linda Howard's writing style also helped, as did her characterizations. Zane is an alpha male but not an overbearing alpha, but a protector and leader. The other SEALS came alive as did the heroine and her Ambassador father. What didn't work so well for me was the villain and his motivation (especially as explained to Barrie at the end).

Written by bookjunkiereviews 22 January 2006

Airport was a fantastic pictoral that realistically prepares any child for a trip to the airport, for their first experience on an airplane. My
grandchild is Autistic, and the pictures were very detailed... From arriving at airport, to waiting in line to check luggage, to boarding the airplane, flight preparation...... An awesome book for visual learners, with simple language, so they can process ahead of time what to expect.

I read this book to my 2 1/2 yr old son over and over again in preperation for his first airplane trip. He loved all of the sounds that the airplane made on our trip and wasn't scared or startled at all by the loud engines etc. I highly recommend this book for little first time flyers.

Our son is 27 months old, and loves this book. As soon as I finish reading it, he wants to read it again. I think it would be great preparation for a toddler's first airplane flight.

This book is great to prepare for a trip on an airplane. We were getting ready to move to Australia and this book along with the "Shae by Air" DVD made a huge difference for us with our 2 & 3 year old boys.
Now that we are settled abroad, we just went on a short flight and brought the book with us to the airport-- they could not believe they were actually in the airport while looking at the pictures in the book of the check in counter, security line, and waiting area-- it was great!

I loved this book for my grandsons. Excellent way to talk about traveling on planes. I highly recommend it as an introductory book of planes.

Byron Barton's Trains has become an unlikely favorite for our 2-year old. I say unlikely because it's so different from what most of his favorites (which are heavy on Sandra Boynton, Jez Alborogh, and the Spot series) are like. The art is extremely simple, using lots of bold colors, and the story doesn't rhyme or feature any noticeable repetition. It's not really even a story at all, but rather a descriptive sentence on each page highlighting the kind of train or activity shown.

I don't know whether it's the bold colors or just the subject matter (my son is absolutely fascinated by all kinds of vehicles), but this little board book went straight into his bedtime "top 5" and shows no sign of leaving! I may not get it, but I'm confident enough after seeing my son's reaction to this book to recommend Trains to the parents of any toddler interested in trains.

My son loved this book from the time he was about 15 months old. The words and the illustrations are simple and catchy. I'm not sure if this one comes in paperback but I highly suggest getting all of the Barton books in the board book style. They are sure to be read over and over!!

This story was kind of boring, not as melodic as some of the other books (Cars is our favorite) but kind of cute. Graphics are somewhat boring too (compared to the others)

My kids love this very cute little book.. They want me to read it to them over and over again. A great book for your little one. Must have!!

I was a teacher in early childhood and I love to find new books for my grandson, who is almost 3. At the early level they need simple books both in text and pictures. The Barton books have a very simple text and great pictures and my grandson loves all of them. I always let him choose what books to read and Barton is his favorite since he was 1 1/2. I would recommend all of his books for young children ages 1 to 4. We have read Trucks, Trains, Men at Work, Planes, Airport & Dinosaurs.

I enjoyed this book, although to be honest I felt as if Louisa and Clara were going to be teaming up as nurses, which was not the case. So I felt as if this book deceived me in a way. But I can overlook that.

I am a huge Alcott fan and have been since I read Little Women. So I was very eager to find this book. It was very interesting to see how the author used Alcott and the made up cousin Susan. Hardcore Alcott fans may not be amused with some parts in the story because of some of the things Alcott says. But overall it made me think about Alcott more and why she was so driven.

I also don't understand why everyone in the book loves John so much. He was an OK character but to get so much love??? It's was very strange for me to understand. In addition, Susan acts more like a modern woman than a Victorian. But I tried not to dwell on these aspects and I enjoyed the overall book.

This book although fiction talks lot about Alcott and Barton's life during the civil war. I am a huge Clara Barton fan and a nurse so I was drawn to this book (it was given to me as an early christmas gift). It only took me 5 days to read (in between the rest of my busy life). I found myself think about the charcters all the time. I definetly recommend this book.

This was an interesting novel and kept me entertained throughout. I have to admit not being a fan of Alcott, I may have read Little Women when I was younger, but I don't recall it. That will be to be on my TBR list for the future.

The story is told in the first person by Alcott's fictional cousin, Susan Gray. She recounts their childhood, family and famous residents of Concord. As adults, the Civil War begins and Mary and Louisa volunteer as nurses in a Washington DC hospital, where they meet the famous nurse and activist Clara Barton, and the mysterious patient John Sulie, who Louisa is strongly attracted to. Do be warned, this was not a pretty war, nor was the aftermath on the wounded soldiers. The author doesn't pull any punches here. The story then shifts to the aftermath of the Civil War, and Clara Barton's mission to account for all the missing and dead soldiers, which the government would prefer to remain unaccounted for. The book finishes with the remainder of Louisa's life in Condord until her death.

While Susan is a fictional cousin, it was a good way to bring the reader closer to Alcott's inner circle and know her better. Some parts of the story play a little loose with known history, which are acknowledged in the author's notes at the end of the book. All in all an entertaining read, but as I previously noted, I'm not a huge fan of Alcott. Good read, but not one I'm likely to take off the shelf and read again every few years.

Patricia O'Brien caught my attention as I began to read her book and my mind heard echoes of Little Women in its prose. Her voice is her own, but often approximates Alcott's tone and approach, probably intentionally. It was easy to recall scenes from a book that ranks in my top five all time favorites as I read Glory Cloak. O'Brien neatly slips allusions to Alcott's most well-known work into her own story - and does it in a way that isn't intrusive and doesn't smack you over the head with reminders. She just let's you be gently aware that you and she share a love.
The history is good, slightly fictionalized, but that's ok - we all go into the story aware that it is NOT a text book. The characters are truly engaging and quite three dimentional. I felt as though I got to know the person inside Alcott and I liked doing it through Cousin Susan as a vehicle, even while I got to know Susan in her own right. The story flows smoothly, enriched by detail that gives a nice sense of place without becoming cloyng about transendentalists (the sense of seeing intimate glimpses of famous writers like Hawthorne, Thoreau and Emerson was fun. Like being a bit of a voyeaur).

Let me say this - I'm a voracious reader, but often guilty of skimming through slow parts or speed reading to get flavor and not waste my time with the drudge of some books. This one - well, I began it one afternoon, read for about an hour - reading each word, sometimes rereading passages I enjoyed - then got called away. Next day, I locked myself up and read until the very last page. Then I wished I could stay a while longer.[...]

This is a book about Louisa May Alcott and her fictional cousin Susan, both of whom happen to interact with Clara Barton. It is not a story of the friendship between Alcott and Barton; indeed, Susan is closer to each of them than they are to each other. Still, it is a good story, well told, about friendship among women; it could stand on that truthful blurb alone, IMO. The book also gives good insight into the lives of women in the mid-19th century and provides never-to-be-forgotten glimpses into Civil War medical care.

It may be my own pet peeve (I once had a fight with a poet who wrote about cows being made into bacon) but historical accuracy is a little loose. I don't mind the imagined cousin to move the plot along but, IIRC, Lincoln did not die the night he was assassinated; he died several days later at a residence across the street from Ford's theater. This jars the storytelling at a crucial point in the background narrative.

The Bookschlepper

Fantastic. A though history of the art as well as detailed photos and explanations of techniques making it easy for you to review a technique and apply it to fabric.

Excellent book!! If you study textile arts or just like tie-dyeing--I strongly recommend getting this book!

I knew this was "THE" book to have for shibori technique instructions. However, the very pleasant surprise was all the history of shibori! It would be fascinating even if I wasn't intending to learn the technique. The instructions are very clearly presented. I have already tried a couple of the techniques with very good results and I'm only a beginner!

This is an essential tool and starting point for any shibori artist. Exhaustive history and diagrams and examples. I used this book in my fiberarts classes and recently purchased it for home studio use.

Many detailed instructions on methods, very nice photos of works by some very talented artists both past and present. If you want to do shibori I would say this is a must have. If you are interested in the history of dyeing techniques this is a great text. I love it.