Big Books

My 14 month old loves these soft books. This one is really very good because he can easily remove the objects because there are holes in them and he can pull them out without struggling. It's great for restaurants because he's still in the throwing stage and these won't harm anything.

Our daughter loves this book. As fast as we can put the shapes in the book, she takes them out. Hopefully, she will soon learn to put the shapes back in the book. She chews them, waves them, and hands them to us. They are also fun in the tub.

My one year old twins got this for their birthday and just love it. They can pop the shapes out and put them in their mouth. The pages are easy to turn for them and they seem to read the book longer than others. This book is my favorite in the series because all of the shapes have holes which make it easier to get the pieces out.

I've never read a bad comic by Charles Burns; The art is incredible and his storytelling is subtle, smart, and engaging. I consider him one of the top five cartoonists working today (Dan Clowes, R. Crumb, Adrienne Tomine, and Chris Ware being the others) and "Big Baby" is another fine example of his talent. As always with contemporary comic books, it's a bit expensive for about a half hour of reading, but it inspires immediate rereading and is just to good to miss. Highly recommended.

I have been a devout reader of Burn's Black Hole comic since I first found it on the shelves a couple of years ago. That he is a mesmerizing artist goes without saying. Black Hole has a very meandering plot at times, and it gets somewhat overshadowed by it's technical virtuosity. Big Baby, while it has less scope, is much more concise and places the reader directly in the path of evil. The final story in this volume "Blood Club" is a really haunting tale that I believe is his best work. One minor note, the image above is from Blood Club but it is not the actual cover on the book...It has Big Baby playing with some toys.

Graphic storyteller Charles Burns hits his artistic and narrative stride in the three immaculately rendered black and white comics stories reprinted in this beautifully bound, library-quality volume from Fantagraphics. Originally serialized in alternative weekly newpapers in the '80s, CURSE OF THE MOLE MEN, TEEN PLAGUE, and BLOOD CLUB portray the suburbs of "Leave It to Beaver", seen through the eyes of child who can't turn away the violence and seething sexuality behind the facade. Burns is possibly the finest draftsman to come out the 80s comics underground, and integrates a Bauhaus design sense with a flair for Fifties EC horror. Highly recommended for fans of EIGHTBALL, Psychotronic films, and anyone who grew up in Fifties or early Sixties suburbia.

Big Bad Wolf has a wonderful cover that compels you to open it, but little do you know what you'll find inside! With the help of charming illustrations and enchanting peep-holes, Claire Masurel's touching story leads you into the very lair of the wolf. Be brave! Children and parents alike will love this little book that has lots to say.

Another sweet natured book by Claire Masurel. It taught my nephew that although the usual "bad press" a wolf receives in children's literature, as in any family, there is caring!

He so enjoyed learning, at the end, that the little wolves are loved and cared for by their families. The fun of the cut out with the eyes appearing from page to page added to the appeal of this book.. I would recommend Big Bad Wolf for any child who loves animals and loves to read!

Big Bad Wolf is a charming book that gently debunks the myth of the Big Bad Wolf. Through the use of cleverly placed see-through cut-outs, all the things we think are true about this scary guy are proved to be false. My 7 year-old son adores this book, and it has become the favorite of his 1st grade class. When the Big Bad Wolf plays Big Bad Wolf for his own children, the gentle irony will not be lost on even the youngest readers. We love this book!

It is always fun to find a book that has global appeal in its humor. This is a book that can be enjoyed by the reader and the small child as well. The humor is clever, silly, and fun. With a few sentences on each page and several simple illustrations on each page this book reads like a cartoon strip. Children like the fact that the boy has control over the Big Bad Wolf. They ask to have this one read over and over again. Early readers can handle this one on their own.

I bought this book at our local bookstore mainly because I was so impressed with it as an adult. My (almost) 7 year old daughter took a few readings with which to get into it but that it what I find so fantastic about the way that it is written and illustrated. Having to read the same books over and over for a small child can become tedious for a parent and this is one of the rare stories which is timeless and yet told from a completely new and unique perspective. (Plus it reminds me quite a bit of my little manipulator and how she would have plied a wolf with the cookies.)

This is a wonderful find for both children and their parents alike.

My son is 8 years old and this book is a real hit. We have read it many times and it's fun every time. The book is in a cartoon format, and the dialog reminds me very much of Calvin and Hobbes. The relationship between the boy and the wolf is entertaining and funny, and a new reader can easily participate in the voices. The humor is simple enough for children to understand, but sophisticated enough to appeal to parents. This one is a winner -- we look forward to more from Delphine Perret.

James Lakes imaginative story telling creates a delightful read with unexpected and enlightening results. You'll learn a bit and enjoy the adventure of watching the 'original' BIG BANG with the studious research astronomers who experience it. How? Read it and see.

Patricia Pfeffer, Author: "Message To Irene"

The Big Bang: A Visionary Novel of Cosmic Proportions by English professor James Lake is the mind-expanding story of a novice cosmologist who searches for the true nature of light, and therefore the source of all life. The discovery he finds is so immense as to transform understanding of existence. The Big Bang is not so much a standard plot-driven story as it is a staggering reflection upon the meaning of modern scientific discovery in dialogue form. Highly recommended as a riveting introduction to cosmological mysteries for lay readers. "So light doesn't physically exist... It's energy without mass. And yet it's not only the source of all life as we know it, but it's somehow able to impart its energy to whatever it interacts with... But isn't that how we might also describe a spiritual force? Isn't that how we might also describe God?"

What a pleasure it was for me to read James Lake's, "The Big Bang" - a unique blend of science and spirituality in the context of a tightly written, engaging story with interesting characters. The premise of the book: What if someone gazed through a telescope and saw (or perhaps thought she saw) the explosiveness of light from billions of years ago - the Big Bang, the beginning of the universe, occurring the moment after there was no space and time? And what if that experience was a miracle because that telescope was incapable of peering back in time to the Big Bang? Perhaps such an experience will be a scientific possibility someday, because as telescopes reach deep into the universe, objects billions of light years away are seen, potentially bringing us closer to witnessing the Big Bang - the longer it takes the light to reach us, the more we are seeing the universe in its infancy. Although it is apparent in the book that Lake is very knowledgeable about physics, the theories and evidence supporting the Big Bang, such as, the appearance of "red shifted" light from far away galaxies that are moving away from us, the focus of his book is more about the spiritual implications of witnessing the Big Bang and the reactions to that experience.
Here is my take on some of the ideas (in summary) Lake explores in his novel, few of which have been examined by other authors in my reading experience, particularly in such a coherent way and within the context of such an interesting story. It is amazing that he was able to pack so many thought provoking ideas into his novel. His book also can be read in a more literal way - it's a page-turner at that level as well.
1) To witness the creative lifeforce is to move closer to our spiritual core. Yet, we will always be limited by our senses in appreciating that creative lifeforce.
2) An experience occurring via the scientific method which is part-spiritual, such as, witnessing the creation of the universe through a telescope, will not be easily accepted by the scientific establishment and "true" religious believers. Their ideas and methodology will be threatened by the spiritual component of the experience and they will try to undermine it.
3) Light is a visible component of creation and the expansion of what is natural (in nature), and should be appreciated in that way. In that regard, the importance of light is a component of some religious stories of creation, such as, "God said, Let there be light," (to replace the void) from the Hebrew Scriptures. Perhaps our appreciation of light and what is visible in the natural will bring us closer to the creative lifeforce, in a spiritual sense. Likewise, if we are ever able to experience the light of creation (perhaps not inconceivable at some point, via science) it might give us a deeper appreciation of nature - as nature's visibility represents the continuous unfolding of that moment of creation and the expanding universe.
4) Lake presents representations of the creative lifeforce via the artistic creations of his Native American characters, and the insights and sensitivities, such as, to light, of some of the other characters. Perhaps some people have unique spiritual insights about and receptivity to the creative lifeforce as revealed in their artistic creations, in which the lifeforce is symbolically represented, and by their personal accountings of it. And, perhaps those people with unique insights about and experiences with the creative lifeforce will consider themselves, and be considered by others, as "crazy," because their views and experiences are outside the mainstream culture, and outside formal scientific thought and religious belief. A direct corollary of these ideas by Lake is that perhaps it is even necessary to be outside of the mainstream to be open to the creative lifeforce, since we are all inundated with and limited by the cultural representations of it - how it should appear and be experienced. A related point: Perhaps some spiritual experiences have not been widely accepted because those experiences do not fit the world-view notions of how those experiences should be expressed during the time in which they occur. The rejection of some non-culture bound, spiritual experiences appear in the accountings of some formal religions, such as, the negative reactions of some people to Jesus' experiences. Similarly, in Stephen King's, "The Green Mile," some of the characters were skeptical about the spiritual healing powers of a large man put on death row for allegedly committing rape and murder.
Science can be viewed as the discovery and predictability of patterns and nothing more. Yet, the more reductionistic the scientific method, such as, studying small particles under an electron microscope, or the more we can look back in time, such as, through a telescope, the greater the tendency is to view the findings of such activities as indicative of the essence (creative lifeforce?) of the object in question. So, does science just reveal patterns disguised as revelations of essence, or is the possibility for the revelation of essence real? The latter is an exciting possibility and it is Lake's choice in his wonderful and unique book. It is a must-read for its story line and/or for the ideas emanating from it. Hopefully, we will see more books from this first rate author.

I read this book when I was maybe 7 and thoguht it was really good...and now that I read it 8 yrs later I still love it! This book plays out so strangely. It's like a dream. You have to read it!

Do you like taking matters into your own hands, well if you do listen to this.
Ok theres a book I've been reading called The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey.Its about a nine year old boy Sam.Sam's mom dad and of course him were down to there last twenty three dollars and fourty cents.So his family all went to a small town to see if they could make some money.Sam's Dad is a big gambler and his mom paints and sells art the size of match boxes but worth big bucks Sam was worried cause his big shot dad took his family to a huge hotel with a casino,buffet, and huge rooms.
The hotel was asking ....a night.Don't foreget they were broke, but sams mom was selling a .... piece of art so they supposed if she sold it theyed be able to pay rent.But it didn't work out how they thought,Sams mom didn't get the money and his dad was afraid to lose any more money by gambling it away.So Sam decided to go on a voyage for the thing his dad called the big Bazoohley.
I liked this story because a little boy thats 9 years old boy is going out to help his family.
I recommend this book to any body because it's usually hard for me to get into a book but I liked this one from the first chapter.

This kid needs more than ordinary luck to get himself and his parents out of a tight spot, but he isn't just going for a fix for the situation; he's shooting for the Big Bazoohley!

A book about guts and glory. A childhood adventure with a touch of magic.

Peter Carey brings his originality and poetic vision to a children's book with all the success he has had in adult prose. I loved it!

James Griffin has launched a new Texas Ranger series (although related to his previous one) featuring Ranger Cody Havlicek, who is called on to investigate a series of murders in the Big Bend country. This is a little closer to whodunnit territory, with Havlicek and the reader both trying to figure out who is behind the killings and why. As with Griffin's previous novels, this one has action a-plenty, with gunfights and at least one literal cliffhanger. It is a western as they used to be done, not an "adult" western with sex scenes added but what was once seen as a traditional western, the kind it's hard to find these days.

Griffin introduces Blawcyzk's successor, Cody Havlicek in a rousing mystery/adventure yarn. That's what Jim writes; Yarns. He's a whale of a storyteller, and they get better in plot and execution with each time out. (Although, I think this one was written before his latest Blawcyzk book) His characterization, plotting, pacing and dialogue improve by leaps and bounds. Confidence in his skills is more apparent with each book and it's a joy to behold from my standpoint as the constant reader. Even if Jim wasn't a member of this group, I would eagerly look for his books. They are that good and that enjoyable.
In Blawcyzk and Havlicek, Griffin has created characters that are more than just plot devices or genre shortcuts. They are living, breathing people that you care about. Little touches like going to church, praying, the constant mints for the horses, and not liking certain parts of the job yet realizing they have to be done, all add up to memorable characters that you look forward to encountering again.

BIG BEND DEATH TRAP Big Bend Death Trap: A Texas Ranger Cody Havlicek Story is a mystery story full of traditional Western action. The hero, Texas Ranger Cody Havlicek, is a God-fearing family man, loyal to his wife and son, but he is not afraid to use his fists and guns to bring justice to the far reaches of the state of Texas.

Tommy Mashburn, a young man Cody rescues on the way to his assignment, makes a wonderful sidekick for the Ranger.

BIG BEND DEATH TRAP will keep you on the edge of your seat as Cody, Tommy, and even Cody's horse Yankee battle against tremendous odds in their efforts to find and bring to justice a gang of diabolical criminals terrorizing the Big Bend Region of Texas.

BIG BEND DEATH TRAP is highly recommended reading for just about anyone.

Finally a book that is an easy read and answers questions about the area of Texas known as the Big Bend. This book takes you several steps beyond the Roadside Geology of Texas book. The book has excellent maps, is well organized, and has many photographs to help you get your orientation. I also recommend a companion book that he has written about the Davis Mountains area.

I love this book! In Chapter I, Setting the Scene, MacLeod provides a concise geologic history, explaining difficult concepts in language easily accessible to the layman. The following chapters interpret the landscapes along various local routes. The maps, photos and sketches nicely complement the text. I like to read the appropriate chapter the night before a road trip and then take the book along in the car. It certainly adds interest to the trip.

Use Big Bend Vistas to get an overview of the region or just to look up that mountain that catches your eye. Easy to read descriptions of the geology with lots of pictures, illustrations and a glossary to help the average person understand and appreciate the landscape yet detailed enough for the more geologically astute. Vistas makes the trip to Big Bend National Park more fun!

This is another great book from Bill Roorbach adding to his SUMMERS WITH JULIET and WRITING LIFE STORIES. Roorbach writes with masculine vigor without being macho. His empathy for the elderly equals his concern for normal people with lonely hearts. He is a romantic through and through. After reading BIG BEND, you want to read everything this brilliant and sympathetic author puts out. Read this and watch for more.

This is another great book from Bill Roorbach adding to his SUMMERS WITH JULIET and WRITING LIFE STORIES. Roorbach writes with masculine vigor without being macho. His empathy for the elderly equals his concern for normal people with lonely hearts. He is a romantic through and through. After reading BIG BEND, you want to read everything this brilliant and sympathetic author puts out. Read this and watch for more.

I read this wonderful collection of stories with a sense of absolute delight. Bill Roorbach knows the secret desires in the hearts of all his befuddled, passionate men. In "Fog," he enters the world of a boy's first romantic love and makes it surprising and new, erotic and terrifying, thrilling and funny: "Then she wanted to know how it felt and I wanted to know how she felt and we said tingling and bursting, the same for both of us, almost hurtful, and she said, 'Love you.' Which I tried to say, too, but it came out just like the vowel sounds in English class." The remarkable "Taughannock Falls" has the sweep and complexity of a full novel, though it fills only thirteen pages. Two middle-aged men, estranged since one married the other's girlfriend twenty years earlier, re-enter each other's lives under extraordinary circumstances: Stephen has fallen into a mysterious catatonic state, and Bob believes he might be the only one with enough knowledge, love, anger, and desire to pull him out again. "Not a movement from my old friend. Not a blink of the eye, not a nod of the head, not a tear on the cheek, not a tap of the foot, not a twitch of the lip. He looks tremendous--healthy and wise, clean and brave, courteous and kind." When Stephen finally snaps open, he is a bursting boy, delivered not into the present, not into his handsome, forty-five-year-old body--but tossed backward into the life he left in his twenties, into a time when no love surpasses the manic joy he feels with his friend "Bobbo." What amazes me about all the stories in this collection is Bill Roorbach's vision of grace. There's a fast heat on the surface of every tale, a love of language that is playful and exact. The levity, the crisp dialogue, the sharp sting of interior revelation, all serve as counterpoints to quiet explorations of mercy and forgiveness, tenderness and compassion. The title piece is a tour de force that pushes Bill Roorbach's enormous talents as a storyteller to their limits. Dennis Hunter--wealthy, widowed, seventy-four years old and still bound by love to his wife Betty--is an unlikely candidate for a job with the United States Forest Service that pays just above minimum wage. And he's an even more unlikely candidate for a troubling, giddy, unavoidable attachment to a married woman in her forties who watches birds and weighs as much as he does. But Mr. Roorbach is a writer who knows and celebrates love at every age, in every marvelous incarnation. These two will swim the River of Ghosts to make love in Mexico where Martha believes she won't be breaking a parting promise to her husband, a vow "not to mess around with any man in Texas." This isn't an easy moment physically or spritually, and Dennis Hunter, besieged by desire, never lets us forget the moral complexities, the fear, or the wonder. "She was forty-seven and married and standing waist deep and naked in the Rio Grande not twenty feet from Mexico. Dennis felt her gaze . . . and followed Martha, climbed in the river after her . . . he was being swept away in the current, pictured himself washed up on a flat rock dead and naked miles downstream. But Martha got hold of his hand laughing and they stood waist deep together in the stream rushing past, silty, sweetly warm water." This collection is pure pleasure for all the senses, a balm for the spirit, an immersion in a world where passion is the greatest risk and love the only certain path to rapture and redemption.

Nice book for a kid to read that likes/loves horse's. Highly recommend for children. BUT anything by Walter Farley is just awesome. This is a child's version for The Black Stallion greatly put together. Thanks again Walter Farley!

This book was a childhood favorite of mine. I was thrilled to find the version I so loved.

Until now horse fans have had to wait to develop good reading skills to enjoy the only in-print version of Walter Farley's 'Black Stallion' series, but his BIG BLACK HORSE: A STORYBOOK VERSION OF THE BLACK STALLION is perfect for picturebook readers with basic reading skills. Black and white and color drawings by James Schucker supplement the story of Alec, who finds himself shipwrecked on a desert island with a dangerous, wild horse for company. THE BLACK STALLION was first published in 1941 and received wide acclaim: its appearance as a picture book will involve a wider audience and includes the original art from Farley's 1953 picturebook adaptation of the tale.