Chamberlain Books

No one is ever too old for the gift of Mad Libs! And Keepers and Losers does not disappoint in the funny department!

What more can I say? The man is a gifted, talented, and highly skilled reader, as the 650 audiobooks to his name attest. I have listened to this audiobook several times, and it is a renewed pleasure every time I do so. His intonations are perfect, and have contributed much to my own reading of the book. Highly recommended.

This was a gift for my husband who is part native american. He LOVED IT!

This is a great story. Interplanetary travel is pretty common in science fiction, but Legend of the Fire Eye takes up the idea of how and why a new planet might actually be settled. We so often hear of people who are forced to leave their homes, but we seldom hear what happens to them afterward. Can life ever be anything like it was before? Are they able to set up new lives? Do they have even more challenges? I've read books by Sitchen and others who believe the earth was colonized by people from other planets. This book makes that idea seem like a real possibility. Someone told me that this book is like Star Trek and Clan of the Clave Bear all rolled into one. She was right. If you liked either one, you'll like Legend of the Fire Eye.

I've used this story for years with my kindergarteners and first graders. They love the flaps and chime in "Where?" on each page. It's a great teaching tool for lining up properly ("Whose behind you?"). I recommend it to all pre-school to 1st grade teachers.

I remember checking this book out of the library (by accident) and being absolutely fascinated. It was like an art history lesson in a book. I am going to re-read it before I take my next trip to Europe.

I first encountered this enchanting book while taking a Children's Lit course in Australia. Although that was a year ago, I still remember this book as a favourite of all the books we studied.

The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate by Margaret Mahy is a wonderful story about not getting caught up in the everyday and about taking time out of the regular routine to appreciate life and have fun.

Originally done by a different illustrator, the book has been reillustrated for its more recent publications. The new colourful, comical illustrations compliment the fun storyline in which a young businessman learns to let loose while accompaning his eccentric pirate mother on his first visit to the sea. Initially hesitant, the young man soon finds himself overcome by the beauty and power of the ocean and, as a result, undergoes a major change in perspective.

Readers, too, will find themselves in awe of the ocean thanks to a wonderfully illustrated full page spread that really seems to capture the greatness of the sea. While this book is classified as a "children's book" I think that many adults will be able to enjoy and relate to it also. In addition, I think that the story's message, a reminder to "stop and smell the roses", is one that we can all benefit from. I definitely recommend it!

This publication is like a behind-the-scenes documentary. It explains, in compelling yet understandable terms, the artistic process behind the creation of each sculpture -- in bronze, mahogany, marble and ceramic porcelain.

The three-dimensional artwork is based on musical patterns and relationships (frozen music?) -- an enigmatic yet powerful concept. The intent was to bring this imaginative body of work alive, through a variety of analogies, anecdotes and descriptions.

Nicely written, well-photographed. A labor of love.

This delightful children's book follows the exploits of a young teacher Miss Cushy Butterpat. Everyone likes Miss Butterpat but everyone, from her grandmother to her pupils think she is as ordinary as they come and no one thinks she will do anything exciting during the summer holidays. How wrong they are! Miss Butterpat with her newly knitted blue jumper dresses up as a sailor and sails away to South America, she dances in the local carnival and then goes off to explore the jungle. She's almost squashed by a boa constrictor, has to sleep in a tent, and even ends up using her jumper to help her fly across a river. All in all Miss Butterpat has a wonderful time, spending time with local Indians and becoming an adept drum player, to playing poker where she wins a bag of gold which she uses to pay for a luxury cruise back home. However upon her return to school and her pupils, Miss Butterpat is unable to convince anyone what she has done so she pretends all she did for the holiday was stay with her grandmother, and help look after her garden. This is lovely book with colorful pictures, and just enough text for a new reader who wants something fun and different, which this book certainly is! Miss Butterpat is a wonderful creation, especially at the end of the book when she decides to knit a jumper that she will use when she eventually climbs Mount Everest.

This collection of essays, authored by an impressive group of writers, is a poignant tribute to mothers everywhere. An easy read, the book is not unlike a bag of literary potato chips -- you just can't stop with the first essay. I found myself totally immersed in one story after another, till the whole book was read. I laughed some, cried a little, and marveled at the pleasant memories of mothers and grandmothers these authors were willing to share with their readers. It was awesome!