Brown Books

After reading this book for the umpteenth time (I've read it more times to myself than to my kids), I had this very strong urge to run to my computer and send off a note of appreciation to Linda Smith, the author, telling her how her book has touched me to the point of tears. When I searched for her on the internet, I realized that she wouldn't be getting my words of praise. I wanted to tell her that I think her book is one of the most beautiful children's books I ever read. She died at the age I will be next year, 41.


So, Linda, if you can hear me...Thank You for sharing the beauty of your soul with us in your book about a divine friendship between a cow and the moon. It will always be on my shelves.


Sandra W.

Have you memorized Goodnight Moon? I have. And I read Owl Moon until I could hoot with the best of them too. But, beautiful as these books are, I was looking for something else to suggest when my two daughters (ages 6 and 2) screamed, "Goodnight Moon!" for the hundredth time. I found it. When Moon Fell Down is the perfect rhyming bedtime story. In lovely prose:

"The rye smelled sweet; the night winds whirled, circling moon in a misty wreath; And he gazed in awe at the wonderous world, the sky above and the earth beneath . . ."

When Moon Fell Down tells what would happen if the moon came down to earth one night. What would he see, and how would he see it? Sometimes soothing, sometimes surprising, this book's melodic text and dreamy artwork brings a smile to my children's faces and a tear to my eye.

When Moon Fell Down is one of the most lyrical books I've read lately. Smith's words have a musical quality about them, and when you read them out loud, they give satisfaction both to the tongue and to the ear. There's also a wonderful playfulness to the story. This one is going to be a classic.

"When moon fell down one night.../Fell upon a farmer's lawn,/Rolled about in sheer delight/On fields he'd only shined upon." So begins Linda Smith's lovely picture book about a night the moon fell to earth. Having seen everything from only above for so long, the moon is eager to see the world from another vantage point. "He'd never seen the trunks of trees/Or blades below the farmer's plow./Moon didn't know a horse had knees,/But things were strangely sideways now." Moon meets up with a friendly cow and travels the night away on a delightful adventure through this small farming town, until at dawn a perturbed farmer sends both back where they belong. "Moon! he cried. This isn't right!/Cow, how dare you roam!/A moon belongs in the sky at night,/And a cow belongs at home."..... Ms Smith's evocative, rhyming text is soft, soothing and full of imagery and magic and beautifully complemented by Kathryn Brown's subdued, detailed and expressive artwork. Together, they've authored a charming bedtime story the entire family will share and enjoy, again and again. Perfect for youngsters 3-7, When Moon Fell Down is a treasure and a book that's sure to become a classic in the years ahead.

When Moon Fell Down, he could have had any kind of adventure on earth. But instead, he chooses to spend this one special night with a friendly cow, in a small town, looking at the world through a whole different perspective. As author Smith notes, "He'd never seen the trunks of trees/Or blades below the farmer's plow/ Moon didn't know a horse had knees/ But things were strangely sideways now." Not since Eugene Fields wrote Wynken, Blinken, and Nod have I read such lyrical text! At the end of Moon and Cows night of adventure, the farmer sets things straight, "Cow ran off to the bran to fret/ Moon rose above the town/ But niether one would ever forget/The night when Moon Fell Down." Brown's soft watercolors compliment Smith's soft text to create a book that feels organic and huggable. Perfect for bedtime!

I love this book. It has been a favorite of mine as a teacher for years. I wanted one to share with my grandchildren. The package that the book arrived in was smaller than the book, and therefore, the book was bent.

My husband read this book to my kids and it was an instant success with all three of my children. They started repeating the rhyme and giggling so loudly. They had a great time with it.

I bought "Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar" for my two-and-a-half-year-old niece. I was visiting during bath time the other day, when my sister said: "Come here little mouse. Let me wipe your face." My nieces response was: "Please don't tease. I eat cheese."

I had no idea what my neice was talking about until my sister explained that that is what the mouse says from the book. Infact, my niece has the entire book memorized. She loves it!

When we read "Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar" later that same night, my niece proudly explained how if you look at the page you can tell who's coming next, how Mommy taught her that. She reads this book over and over. And each time she reads it, it's like discovering this secret of who is coming next for the first time, fresh and exciting.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a todler or young child. It's full of a love for animlals, as well as the sense of wonder and curiosity that makes this book and young children so magical.

This book was an instant hit in our house. My daughter enjoys having it read to her as well as participating in the rhymes herself. We also like going through each page to solve the mystery behind who's on the next page. Beautifully illustrated and lots of fun for both parent and child.

I am a kindergarten teacher and LOVE this book. My students enjoy the repetition of the phrases, "Who me, couldn't be!" and "Mmm... Oh!... Now I know..." as on each page skunk thinks he has solved the mystery of the missing cookies. Clever clues on each page help students predict which friend of skunk will appear on the next page. The happy ending, with all the friends sharing the cookies, brings the story to a warm conclusion. The illustrations are colorful and large, with limited text on each page, perfect for younger children.

I use this book early in the school year to help the students learn each others names. I hide a small baggie of cookies in a child's lap. Students then have to guess who has the cookies by saying, "Mary took the cookies from the cookie jar." Mary responds, "Who me, couldn't be!" and guesses another child. When the cookies are discovered, we rehide them. Finally, we get to enjoy our cookie snack. I also adapt the activity for use throughout the year, with each child being an alphabet letter, an alphabet sound, a number or a site word. For example, "14 took the cookie from the cookie jar." "Who me, couldn't be!" "17 took the cookie from the cookie jar." and so on.

My students truly enjoy experiencing this story all year long. I highly recommend it for your students or your child.

One more of my top books for the value on my list. I am still learning about guns form these books.

This book is an eye opener for sure! Okay it is a coffee table book rather than a serious reference work, but hey, you cannot deny the shear luminous beauty of the photography and the well thought out layout and design. There is good info to be had as well, this book is a 'faster' reference than Madis' work and leaves you hungry for more. Well done Mr Wilson, I will be buying more of your work!

the next best thing to owning a winchester rifle itself.

excellent in every respect and well recommended.

Just the pictures in this huge volume are enough to make it worth thumbing through, but the written information is tremendous and the author manages to cover all connections to Winchesters' Fathers, including John M Browning, my personal hero (other than my Father, Uncle, Grandfather and all other veterans of WWII and Korea). Probably not all the information on Winchester firearms and ammo history but all that I can absorb and still have a social life.

Beautiful to look at. Not heavy in the way of company or technical history, but what a great coffee table book. Costly - if you can find it - but wow!

This is a marvelous book. I highly recommend it for your children and at the same time I found tremendous joy in the reminescent sayings of my early youth. If you're an adult, you'll feel a sense of nostalgia having heard your parents or grandparents sharing their pearls of wisdom. Certainly, it's worth reading and recommending to others. Thus, my recommendation to you...is to get it, and you'll experience this book as you read it.
Jerry Capehart
President...

This book is amazing. The biggest problem parents have is getting children not to repeat the same financial mistakes that they made and this book will guide you along the way.

It's by far one of the top books in my library.

Bob Smith

This book is a wonderful composition for young and old. I encourage you to read the book and encourage your children to read it too. It made me remember the enjoyment I had when I listened to my Grandparents tell me stories and speak to me about encouragement and good character. I wish there were more books and writings of this type available for young people and that books like these were a required reading material in school curriculums. The content is very honest,insightful and useful.

As I read this book I realized that its title is quite appropriate and yet I am concerned that it could deter others from reading it. True, Suzanne Short does share "wisdom" received from her father, Sam Potter, wisdom which is well worth sharing. However, she addresses a number of issues which are relevant to male as well as female parents, especially single-parents. Moreover, in ways and to an extent I did not anticipate, Short shares some solid strategies and tactics by which to achieve and preserve substantial net worth.

What sets her book apart from those written by Suze Orman (The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom) and Thomas Stanley (The Millionaire Next Door) is its intensely personal, indeed autobiographical context. Also, as clearly indicated in her Dedication, her thoughts and feelings are anchored in a strong religious faith. According to Short, "This book is about parenting and conditioning. It illustrates how one parent with very limited time can exert a strong and positive influence on a child....[It] shows how an environment can be created to influence the development of a child....[and meanwhile] allow the reader to view the interplay between heredity and environment on three main topics that were the focal points of my dad's parenting: character, attitude, and money....The principles of honesty, commitment, and respect for others were themes of my dad's instruction.....Financially successful people embrace, understand, and utilize the money concepts Daddy taught me."

Short divides her material into four sections: Who We are: Character, What We Think: Attitude, How We Survive and Thrive: Money, and The Wisdom Ends: A Eulogy & History. These are followed by five appendices ("Interesting Extras") which range from "HINTS for those that would be rich" to "Why the Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Poorer." Pages 333-343 summarize Short's "Lessons" which are listed in alphabetical order. Although no index is provided, the alphabetical order of lessons gives the page numbers of where to find them.

One of the substantial value-added benefits of this book is the abundance of quotations which Short includes. Each is eminently appropriate to the context within which it is placed. Here are five representative examples:

Relative to behavior: "Children have never been good at listening to their elders; but they have never failed to imitate them." (James Baldwin)

Relative to being honest: "I always tell the truth. I cannot be bothered to lie -- You need such a good memory." (Sophia Loren)

Relative to patience: "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them." (Henry David Thoreau)

Relative to negative power: "Life doesn't reward quitting. You are the only one that does that." (Phillip C. McGraw, Ph.D.)

Relative to success: "What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down." (Mary Pickford)

Who will derive the greatest benefit from this book? As suggested earlier, I highly recommend it to male as well as female parents, especially those without a spouse. Moreover, I also recommend it to recent school and college graduates (married or single, with or without children) who lack a solid grasp of basic money management principles. They are especially vulnerable to abuse of credit cards, living from paycheck to paycheck, impulse shopping, etc. Finally, I recommend it to any others (regardless of age, gender, or circumstance) who have never had a Sam Potter in their lives and thus lack the practical wisdom needed to locate and then remain on a "path from poverty to prosperity."

I love this book! It 's full of good sound advice that I seemed to have missed growing up in a single parent home. It's also full of lessons I needed to relearn at this point in my life. This book came along just in time as I am just starting to save for my retirement.
Thank!

I picked this book up for my sons for when they get older (8-12) to read, so they could understand - as close to first hand as possible - what this war is like for military personel's children. I promised to review it, so of course I had to read it. :o) It was very cute.

Alan Madison has a way of writing his books from an uncanny point of view of the subject child. I love how he introduces "bigger words" into his story and defines them in kids terms so that it's easier for them to understand. We have 2 other Alan Madison books in which he does the same and my kids love to run around the house and spurt out the big words.

This story is about a family of four, whose dad is in the military. He is due to leave on a tour of duty which lasts precisely 100 Days and 99 Nights. The mother writes articles for the military paper. The oldest, Esme - a daugher, is left in charge by her father to help her mom with her younger brother, Ike.

Esme has a collection of stuffed animals, each representative of a different letter of the alphabet. Rather than chapter numbers, Mr. Madison uses an alphabetized animal and a little intro to the chapter which tells how Esme got that particular stuffed animal. The intros usually don't have anything to do with the chapter, but I love that they give background info to the other places that family has been stationed, like Kenya and Germany.

As expected, life falls apart somewhat while Dad is gone. Esme does her best to keep it all together, but she has a hard time leading her mom and brother to properly make the weekly Saturday pancake breakfast like Dad used to. She's also very motivated to do what she can on the homefront to help her father and other soldiers come home as soon as they can. Along with a few friends and the help of her teacher, they organize a scrapmetal drive to help build new armor for the troops. It's successful and her father even gets to read about it in the military paper that her mom writes for. Esme learns that you don't have to just be a soldier to be a hero for the war as well.

Eventually 100 days and 99 nights are up and Dad has come home. Rather than rush out to celebrate by having a dinner in some nice restaurant, Dad and family stay home and scrounge up the proper ingredients to make their traditional pancake breakfast...but this time it's for dinner and it's the best ever. Mr. Madison is even kind enough to provide us with the recipe.

I definitely highly recommend the book for any military kids. But it's also great for non-military kids as well. It barely mentions the real war so it's not scary for younsters to read. It's an insight for what life is like for military families and some of the sacrifices that others make to allow us to love life in the good old U.S. of A.

Written by: Alan Madison
Published by: Little, Brown and Company
Reviewed by: Stephanie Rollins and J.T. Rollins (age 10) for ReviewYourBook.com 8/2008
ISBN: 978-0-316-113540
"A Must-Read for All Pre-teen Military Kids" 5 stars
We have a saying around our house--"We are a military family, so we have to be tougher than most." This is a big responsibility for the kids. They have extra chores. They have to conform to a strict daily routine. They have to have fewer sleepovers and etc....
This book touches upon the toughness of military kids. I have not seen a book about this topic written for pre-teens. The characters are well-developed. The situations are real.
J.T. does not like to read, but I made him read this because of his Dad's upcoming deployment. He enjoyed the book (he read it five pages at a time), and he recommends it to other military kids. When I asked him if it demonstrated how family life is when his Dad is gone, he agreed that it did.
Madison is right on target with this book. I am going to recommend this to other military families that I know. Go get a copy for your child or a military child that you know.

Esme's father is a sergeant in the United States Army. Her family has lived in locations like Korea, Kenya, and Germany. Now they are settled in the United States and they enjoy spending time together as a family.

During one of those happy times her father announces that he must leave for duty. 100 days and 99 nights is a long time, but he knows that Esme will do her best to help her mother. Esme sends her treasured baby blanket along with him.

Daddy is never far from Esme's thoughts. He misses things like her class play and soccer games, but Esme has the hardest time when he's not there to tuck her in at night or make breakfast on Saturday mornings. Grandpa tries to fill in but it's not the same.

At school the students discuss what they can do to help the soldiers. They want to plant a victory garden but that will have to wait until spring. They collect scrap metal and Esme is featured in a newspaper article showcasing their efforts. Daddy is so proud!

100 days and 99 nights is a long time, especially when things don't go so well. Esme becomes angry when daddy's not around. She knows he's a strong, brave person who is doing a great job, but she's counting the days until he comes home!

This is a poignant book about the impact of war on those who are left behind that even younger children will be able to relate to.

Reviewed by: hoopsielv

Esmerelda, perceptive beyond her years is the daughter of a third generation career Army Sergeant. After living in three other countries before she's 8, her family returns to live in "The good `ol U.S. of A." Dad McArthur who gently but firmly instills Army conduct, manners and rules is sent overseas on a secret tour of duty in the desert for 100 days and 99 nights. Many of her classmates have family members serving, and her teacher kindly attempts to have them view the time as mathematically shorter. They know when a life is at stake, it's just not possible to see it quite that way.

As Mom, Esme and younger brother Ike experience the feelings associated with military separation, Esme bravely tries to fill her Dad's shoes at home, while struggling with her own war related issues and anxieties. How one copes, as well as clings to their hopes, underscores the relevant themes in this book.

Told through Esme's authentic voice, often with interesting, age-appropriate word plays, she alerts the reader to her concerns and those who inhabit her world. A knee-jerk emotion flashes through anyone who learns that kids in her school are more fearful of the Principal coming to take a child out of class and sending them home, than coming because one has misbehaved. Esme's impressive creativity and perseverance fills the reader with hope when she initiates efforts with friends to actually do something on "the home front," after being told by a school official that there is nothing that can be done.

The light pencil illustrations provide an important element to the text, as does the format of the chapters, which are unique and effectively lead the reader through Esme's inner and outer world. This book packs a powerful punch using clean communication that a 5th-8th grader will clearly understand. It is not an "in your face book," which is refreshing and compelling. Mr. Madison does an excellent job in his debut fiction portrayal of current day military families facing multiple tours of duty.

My husband is overseas in the military and for periods longer than 100 days. I read this as a read aloud for my children. The issues the children deal with in the story and things they are missing about dad and family routines hit home with my boys. This book opened up discussions for us. There is a part in the book where the brother gets in trouble for fighting and his principal seems very understanding and my son wished his had been like her. In the book, the school staff seem very supportive, but there are many classmates that have parents away for the war too.
I think this is a must read for teachers of children that have a parent away in the war- would open eyes up if they aren't.

Legendary money-burning KLF/JAMS/K-Foundation/Bunnymen main man reveals details of art terror tactics, a good old cow-hanging, Tenents Super distribution methods and his insane meanderings around the M25 with the Gimp. Proof that Drummond is a worthy link in the Magickal chain connecting straight back to Crowley...

Further book, film and music reviews, plus general shenanigans can be found at: www.mindcrash.co.uk and http://blog.myspace.com/mindcrash

Bill Drummond is a funny man. He is a gripping and vivid writer. If you have low boredom tolerance you will be satisfied.

Hope Bill Drummond writes more.

Bill Drummond is a funny man. He is a gripping and vivid writer. If you have low boredom tolerance you will be satisfied.

Hope Bill Drummond writes more.

Lovely insight of a real artist in this fake world. Contains sudden loud laughs, honest and cynic. A bit too much of a whining and selfconfession, however they fit the agenda. A must for all serious considerers of pop in its any manifestations and for the admirers of The Manual, and The KLF phenomenon.

As everyone already knows, Bill Drummond was in The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu/The Jams/The KLF/The K Foundation.

What most people probably don't know is that he's one of the most positive people they'd ever know, at least in writing. And with that positive energy comes inspiration.

Personally, it was this autobiographical text that got me back out of corporate america and behind the reigns of my own business once again. And I'm a happier person for it, even on the worst days.

Bill Drummond is an artist, first and foremost. He drips of creativity, and he's a genuinely funny man. Both show in his actions, see for instance "K foundation Burn a Million Quid," and his popularity gave him the resources to do more, but it never seemed to get to his head and in fact he seems to have thrown much of it away.

This book is never boring, and, really, don't be cynical - this text is very inspiring.

This book was used as the underlying basis to understanding the policy process in my graduate level class that I took recently.

Overall I would give this book 5 stars because it is relatively thorough and it encompasses a great deal in a concise model that is easy to understand.

Kingdon discusses that his model is set within three streams, problem, policy and political. Each of these streams have their own unique characteristics that work to help merge with the others. When these streams, ideally all three, a policy window opens where action on policy can occur by a decision-making body such as Congress. With the help of policy entrepreneuers, national mood, policy communities, and much more as agents amongst these streams, each work to produce change on the agenda.

As this class was titled the policy process that I took, it explained how it began but this book does not cover how the process moves once something has been acted upon on the agenda.

If you are looking for understanding more about activity leading up to action, this is a great book. If you are looking to understand the process afterwards, this may not be the right book, but it will help you understand the forces leading up to a process of change.

Definitely, I would recommend this for any political science class at the undergraduate level. I am glad that I was fortunate enough to have it assigned in my grad level policy process class.

Kingdon has produced an innovative and useful theory of the policy process. This book is clearly not intended for the lay reader, but for political scientists and policy specialists interested in theorizing about policy formation.

Kingdon's writing style is somewhat formal, and at times stiff, but the book is easy to get through. Kingdon provides many concrete examples of the ideas he discusses, making the abstract principles easier to understand.

Recommended for classes on the policy process, especially in conjunction with Baumgarter and Jones' Agendas and Instability in American Politics.

I am in the graduate program at American University's School of Public Affairs. This book was required for one of the core classes. The theory--the dynamic, fluid model that Kingdon builds in this book has been practically adopted as THE mantra within policy formation/agenda setting research.
The book is well organized and easy to follow. It is not a challenging read but I found sections of the book to be a bit dry. Also, be ready to contend with literally hundreds of fluid metaphors that Kingdon employs throughout the book.

John Kingdon attempts to answer very difficult questions in his work "Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies." What makes an idea's time come? What makes people in and around government attend to some subjects and not to others? In short, Kingdon explores how ideas become policy in his 1994 award-winning book.

The book makes many interesting conclusions, as Kingdon uses scientific research methods to discuss how ideas become policy. It is amazing that Kingdon is able to quantify how influential certain groups are to policy formulation and implementation. In doing this, he looks at the influence of groups in and outside of government. Kingdon then goes onto his major two concepts of the policy primeval soup and the political stream. Both of these are wonderful illustrations of how policymaking happens.

In the end, this is a great book for public policy students. My only complaint is that Kingdon is oftentimes too wordy. It seems that he could have written a much more effective piece by summing it up in a 40-page journal article. In any event, the book is worth the read, even if some chapters are only skimmed.

Agenda setting, in the world of politics, is when a problem becomes identified as an issue that calls for government attention, discussion, and--possibly--decision making. This book is one of the most important works on agenda-setting.

John Kingdon has stated that:

Political events flow along according to their own dynamics and their own rules. Participants perceive swings in national mood, elections bring new administrations to power and new partisan or ideological distributions to Congress, and interest groups of various descriptions press (or fail to press) their demands on government.

The author sees three streams that must come together for an issue to be placed on the agenda--a political stream (just noted above), a policy stream (in which some policy proposal emerges as "best"), and a problem stream (a problem develops that people label as important). If they come together and if the window of opportunity for success is there, then the issue can become an agenda item. If the streams do not come together, agenda placement is unsuccessful--as with President Clinton's health care plan. That plan had two of three requirements in place. One, the political stream was supportive. A new President had been elected with his party having a majority in both houses of Congress; furthermore, Clinton outlined as a campaign issue support for a more ambitious health care program for Americans. The confluence of these two factors produced something like a "mandate" for change. Two, the problem stream saw health care bubbling up toward the top. That is, increasingly, people seemed to define health care as a serious problem about which something had to be done.

Nonetheless, no major initiative emerged to be fully considered. Clinton's plan was very nearly DOA (dead on arrival) once serious discussion began. Why? No single policy proposal garnered enough support. Democrats supported several different plans--such as a single payer system (in which government becomes the insurer), "pay or play" (in which businesses would largely fund health care insurance), and the Clinton plan itself (which focused on managed care). Thus, the policy stream never did "come together" around any single proposal. As a result, the initiative died and no substantial changes were forthcoming in the health care system.

What emerges in each stream is, to a large extent, "contingent," depending upon many factors--including chance. The result is unpredictability.

It may be that this work overemphasizes chance and contingency and underplays the role of human agency (for instance, the role of policy entrepreneurs who labot to get issues placed on the agenda and acted upon). Nonetheless, this is an exemplary work and well worth attending to if one is interested in setting the political agenda.

This beautifully illustrated book is written by a collection of authors who have a love affair going with the birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Their writing, each on a different subject is filled with amazement, wonder and love for the area and its birdlife.

On the other side is a whole series of comments about protecting this environment and the thrust for development being urged by the oil companies and the Bush administration. Unfortunately, in the long run, I think that the environmentalists will lose. The 'God given rights' of the people to have inexpensive gasoline for their SUV's leads to power by the voting booth.

The book itself is of large format, printed on a very heavy paper with a printing quality that rivals photographs themselves. It is a beautiful book. There is also a CD included with the book that has recordings of 67 bird boices. This can be played as a single 60 minute recording, or you can select individual tracks of bird species.

Absolutely beautifully done with brilliant colors and well-composed pictures this is a great joy to just look through for all bird lovers or fans of the Arctic Refuge area. But it does not stop there. The writers share their experiences in an excellent educational yet highly readable treatise on their particular subject. Together they introduce the fascinating world of Arctic birds to the reader in a way that is both informative and fun. So, how to you finish off such an excellent book? They added a CD in the back with various bird calls, songs, and peeps. Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is highly recommended and a real joy to have around even just for the pleasure of picking it up once in a while and enjoying the pictures.

If you love: a)nature photography, b)the Arctic, and c)birds - this book is for you. It is over-sized and filled with beautiful colored photographs of birds who come to breed in the Arctic. Plus, there are migration maps and essays telling you how the birds got to the Arctic. And there is a CD with sounds of the Arctic and many of the birds pictured in the book. It is a wonderful feast for the senses.

This gorgeous book on the birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge combines writing by a variety of authors, from birding luminary David Sibley to local Native American residents, with many outstanding photographs. Overall, it provides a considerable amount of information on the bird species appearing in the ANWR and the effects that oil drilling might have on them. While some segments are more gracefully written than others, all are interesting.

Along with the book is a CD of birdsongs and ambient sounds of the region.

Pacific, Central, Mississippi and Atlantic North American Flyways converge on the North Slope of Alaska and Yukon Territory. The area encompasses many ecosystems - river deltas and coastal wetlands, tundra, mountains, boreal forest; inshore waters, barrier islands, beaches and spits and coastal lagoons. Diverse and complex spread over 7.89 million square hectometers (19.5 million ac). The North Slope is a soundshed, viewshed, and the temporary annual residence for at least 194 birds - who visit, but not stay. Some fly almost 29,000 kilometers (18,000 mi), each year, for the round trip. The area is also home to moose, caribou, wolverines, arctic fox, bears and wolves.

US automobile companies and related industries have effectively been on welfare for most of the 20th and the 21st centuries - dependent on "cheap" oil. Perverse subsidies that function as disinvestments threaten to leave the arctic environment and US economy worse off. As pointed out by Hawken, Lovins and Lovins (1999) in Natural Capitalism and von Weizsacker, Lovins and Lovins (1997) in Factor Four: Doubling Wealth, Halving Resource Use, if you want to cut your costs by one-half or double your profit, then double your efficiency. The North Slope sustainably functions best as wilderness.

Rather than getting close to the Arctic tundra by "sitting behind an internal combustion engine pick up truck in midtown traffic," this is about minimizing human impact on the North Slope by becoming better informed about some of the wild visitors. A CD provides from a few seconds up to 14 minutes (60 minutes of continual play) of the sounds of 67 different birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The large 28 x 28 cm format helps bring the North Slope alive, everything but cool wind in your face and crisp smells wafting off the tundra.

After the introduction, the book is organized according to Loons and Waterfowl; Hawks, Eagles and Falcons; Shorebirds; Gulls, Terns and Jaegers; Owls; Land Birds and Winter Birds. President Jimmy Carter provides the Foreward. Multiple authors and photographers provide Cultural Reflections, Landscape of the Future, After an Arctic Season and Birders in the Scope.

Recognizing there is a direct connection between local birds throughout North America and the North Slope, this reinforces the need for efficiency and use of renewable energy, and brings you one giant step closer to an "aha" moment.

My daughters have found the software very easy to navigate. Along with being almost endlessly entertaining, it gives them a good understanding of how the mouse and keyboard interact with the computer. This story, with all the interactive pieces on each page, is by far the best computer game we have used, and we have quite a few!It has also held up over time - my almost 6 year old has been playing with it since her third birthday. I am online now looking for the other titles! The designers clearly very carefully considered the attention span and the comprehension of the target age group.

As Arthur and D.W. race around town reading words, your little reader learns too. D.W.'s ten words appear in the pictures, creating an "I Spy" atmosphere where beginning readers can locate and read a few simple words. Lots of fun, great pictures, and a cute story.

In this tale Arthur tells his sister if she can read ten words he will buy her ice cream. Ah! A challenge, what sibling could resist, certainly not D.W. They set off to town and D.W. wins the bet to the surprise of Author; and has a little fun at the end of the story with her brother.
Just a cute little tale about the fun of words and reading, and the joy of sharing with your brother or sister.
Shirley Johnson

This book is awesome!! Funny too. The reason i think it is funny is because the older brother puts his younger sister to the test on reading and he thinks she cant do it because she is younger. But then she proves him wrong and reads 10 words. And the deal was if she read 10 words he would buy her an ice cream cone. And she did so he bought her one. In the end it turns out the younger one can read and seems more smarter than the older one!

In this book Arthur and his sister D.W. have a reading contest to see if she could really read. So D.W. could read after all and Arthur ended up taking back what he said about her. He said she couldn't read but he didn't know she could.

We really need more children's books like this one. A truly inspiring and captivating story with a wonderful message! It nearly made me cry the first time through, it was that beautiful! A treasure!

I purchased Aunt Gussie and Grandfather Tree to share with my grandchildren though it's an excellent story for all ages. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and the message that we CAN make a difference is uplifting and inspiring.
I look forward to more books from this talented author.

I have had this book for over a year. I enjoy reading it to my nieces and nephews and re reading it myself and to my children. this book beautifully illustrates and describes the importance of tradition, environmental preservation and the value of story telling. I highly recommend Aunt Gussie and the Grandfather Tree for all ages!

This is a wonderful book for folks of all ages! It provides a great opportunity to teach children (and perhaps adults) about the importance of community involvment and multiculturalism. Best of all, it is based on a true story of a beautiful woman who has a dream to make a difference. In this day of cynismn, it is important to pass on to our children the message that they can make a difference!
Kudos to the author!

Kay Brown Gustafson's book Aunt Gussie and Grandfather Tree is based on the true story of a 150-year-old tree (named Grandfather) in Eagan, Minnesota that had to be moved in order to save it when the city decided to build the community center where it stood.

Aunt Gussie wasn't so busy anymore and she could do whatever she wanted. One day she bakes, on another she takes care of her niece, Gloria, then she waters her plants, paints her toenails orange or maybe goes to bed early to have time for her dreams.

One night Aunt Gussie had a dream that directed her, along with encouragement from her niece, Gloria, to save Grandfather Tree. With help from the community and the powerful spirit of Chief Wambdi Tanka (who protects the trees), Aunt Gussie and the community saves the old tree from being cut down.

Brown's true story is delightful. It shows the power of cooperation and emphasizes the importance of nature in our lives. The watercolor illustrations greatly contribute to the story.

Armchair Interviews says: Aunt Gussie and Grandfather Tree is an inspiring story for all who are interested in the environment.