Collins Books

I usually buy children's book for it's illustrations. This was totally the case with this book. It was, 'must get it for myself' kind of book. But my 3 years old daughter loves it as well. It's one of her favorite book and she just likes to look through it even when I'm not reading it to her. The story is so touching too but I think if the picture doesn't attract a child, no matter how great the story is it wouldn't cut it. This book totally succeeds in that aspect.

This is a bit embarrassing....coz i am definitely way over 10....but i fell in love with this book at first sight....it is one of the warmest and sweetest book i ever read....though there were little words throughout the whole book...i wanted to cry with joy when the boy and the penguin hugged together.... Mr Oliver....pls pls pls draw more books..

My 3 1/2 year old son and I LOVE this book. It is the sweetest story of a boy and his friend. Oliver Jeffers is so creative. I love his illustrations- so funny. This is a bedtime favorite. I'm definitely going to buy more of Jeffers' stories.

This book is near perfect. So close that I can't even think as to how it's not. A smart, sweet story of friendship that is a go-to for me as a read-aloud.

The premise is that a boy opens his door to find a penguin. He works to find out whether the penguin is lost, and to where should he be returned. Ultimately boy and penguin travel to the South pole. Boy leaves penguin on ice floe only to realize that the penguin was not lost, he was just lonely. Boy and penguin are reunited, leaving them and the reader happily ever after.

Much like Mo Willems, Oliver Jeffers invokes great emotion with simple drawings. A clever story paired with these illustrations makes for a must for anyone looking to entertain the 4-8 crowd.

Once again, Oliver Jeffers delivers a beautiful simple story. This one is about friendship. A boy finds a pinguin and tries to take him home, on the way, they become friends, and when he leaves him, he suddenly feels the void the pinguin left, only to find out that the pinguin didnt really want to go home in the first place. He wanted a friend. Also in spanish "Perdido y Encontrado".

Sad to think this book is already out of print. This one is the third installment of the Hap/Leonard series and picks up where Mucho Mojo left off. The pair rush off to the aid of a friend, but pay the price for their outsize egos as they find themselves in a part of the South where the calendars seem to be set 30 years behind schedule. There are no quick, easy resolutions to be found and the Hap and Leonard at the end of the book are markedly different from the two at the beginning. As always, Mr. Lansdale's keen ability to understand and describe human nature is evident. Highly recommended!

Books like these are what everyone should be reading. It's damn near a crime that they aren't, but I guess it makes those of us who ARE fans a special little group.

Lansdale is completely unafraid to do what he has to do to further his stories. That means people you like will die, or turn out to be bad folks. It means you can't get too comfortable and think you know what's going to happen when you settle down with one of Lansdale's masterpieces.

"Two-Bear Mambo" continues the Hap & Leonard friendship: a white heterosexual Democrat and a black homosexual Republican, respectively. The story begins on Christmas Eve, where Leonard is burning down the crackhouse next door for the third time. The two friends are approached by their police buddies and sent on a mission to track down their friend: Florida Grange - Hap's old flame and Leonard's lawyer. Grange was last seen in Grovetown, a real, live throwback to the heavily segregated racist '60's.

Of course, they leave right away, and once again start stirring up trouble and townfolk in the flooded little town. As previously mentioned, no one is ever who you think they are, and things are never what they seem.

Bravo, Lansdale.

Lansdale delivers another fine novel featuring Hap Collins and Leonard Pine, one of the oddest (and toughest) couples in mystery fiction. Hap, straight and white, and Leonard, gay and black, travel to Grovetown, Texas, a city that makes Johannesburg look like a bastion of racial unity. They are searching for Hap's ex-girlfriend Florida Grange, last seen there. Wisecracking all the way (even when they're getting the s**t kicked out of `em), the boys stir up a hornet's nest, and in the process learn some hard lessons about themselves and the nature of their friendship.

Two Bear evoked memories of the best of Robert B. Parker and John D. MacDonald. Parker, because of the dialogue, and MacDonald because of the characterization. Lansdale's characters are real people who can get hurt, even killed-- he really puts them through the wringer. Their adversaries aren't cardboard villains, twirling handlebar mustaches. Menacing and memorable, driven by hate, greed, prejudice, lust and ignorance, these folks are scary because you might meet them in real life.

In short, The Two Bear Mambo is classic Lansdale--a good, tough thoroughly enjoyable book that you will remember long after finishing.

THE TWO-BEAR MAMBO by Joe R. Lansdale continues the saga of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine where MUCHO MOJO left off. It starts out with Hap arriving at Leonard's house on Christmas Eve night. Blasting out of his friend's home is the music to "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" and Leonard is next door, kicking righteous butt and burning down the neighborhood crack house once again. The police pull Hap and Leonard in, but Lieutenant Marvin Hanson gets them off the hook, provided they do him a small favor. It seems that Hap's old girlfriend, Florida Grange (the one who left him for Hanson) took off to Grovetown, Texas to do an article on a black musician who supposedly hung himself while in the custody of the local police. Florida has suddenly vanished, and Hanson wants Hap and Leonard to pay a visit to Grovetown to see if they can find out anything. The only problem is that this particular Texas town is right out of the fifties and sixties. It's a viper's nest filled with Klansmen, led by Jackson Brown, who enjoy murdering the black folks and seem to be getting away with it. Both Hap and Leonard know that they're going to have their hands full just trying to stay alive as they attempt to investigate Florida's disappearance. Even together, as tough as they are, both men are going to find out that they've bitten off more than they can chew when they take on the populace of Grovetown. They'll find themselves in the middle of free-for-all that would put Billy Jack to shame and come very close to getting beaten to death. Both men will discover true fear for the first time in their lives and have to find a way of dealing with it as their injuries heal, if they want to be able to face each other again, as well as solve the mystery of what happened to Florida when they eventually return to Grovetown to face the evil of its people. THE TWO-BEAR MAMBO will give you a slightly different perspective of our two heroes this time around, making them more flawed and human. As tough as Hap and Leonard are, they're not invincible, and both of them come very close to death as they seek to right a wrong. They will find out things about themselves that will at first be difficult to face; yet, in the long run will make them stronger. Though a part of me knows that these two characters are fictional, the writing is so good that another part of me almost believes that they're real. These are guys that I'd simply love to hang out with, and it's a tribute to the talent of Joe R. Lansdale that he's created such believable characters...characters who are funny, skilled martial artists, almost always unemployed, who have the same kinds of problems with relationships that real people do, and who have a strong sense of honor and justice that gets them into trouble more often than not. Mr. Lansdale is able to do this because he has a unique skill in writing that comes off as being natural and down to earth, but is actually a master craftsman at work. He knows how to make each and every character in the novel come alive in ways I wish other authors could emulate. I never know how each book is going to end; and, quite often, I find myself stunned by who gets killed off. As you can probably tell, the "Hap Collins/Leonard Pine" series has swept me off of my feet in a way that few other books have, and it's one I can highly recommend to any reader who loves novels filled with action, humor, self-reflection, and characters that make you truly believe. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do after I read SAVAGE SEASON and then CAPTAINS OUTRAGEOUS. I wish I could sit down with Hap and Leonard, have a beer, and talk about this particular problem. Of course, I wouldn't get any sympathy from them. In fact, I'd probably have to spend an hour or more listening to their problems!!

Hap and Leonard just can't seem to keep themselves out of trouble. At the beginning of The Two-Bear Mambo, Leonard is yet again setting fire to the drug dealers' house next door. Their friend Lt. Hanson has to take them in just because, but when Hap's ex-girlfriend -- and Hanson's current squeeze -- Florida Grange goes missing, Hanson agrees to drop the charges if Hap and Leonard will go look for her in Grovetown, a burg in East Texas known for its violent Klan members, and where Florida was last seen.

The Two-Bear Mambo is so far the most unflinching in its portrayal of Southern racism. Grovetown is even worse than I could have imagined and Lansdale does not look away for a moment. Leonard is the obvious target, but Hap's association with him brings him into the fray of violence as well. And as for Florida: well, no one as yet has admitted to even seeing her...

My white Southern guilt was intensified while reading The Two-Bear Mambo; the characters, their ideas, and their violence are all-too familiar from my upbringing. So much so that I could barely even bring myself to read it in public, afraid of what the people around me -- seeing the N-word on nearly every page -- would think I was reading (as if the barely euphemistic title weren't embarrassing enough).

But the trademark Lansdale humor abounds in sarcastic remarks and in the first-person narration of Hap -- whose difference from the author himself seems to be getting less and less. Lansdale has said that he is very comfortable with the voice of Hap and the easy-going prose makes that obvious. Despite my emotional reaction to the book, I look forward to continuing the adventures of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. I'm glad they can't keep away from trouble; if they did, I'd be reading some other book that isn't nearly as fun.

I bought this book because my parent's were celebrating their 40th anniversary. My brothers and sisters and I wanted some ideas so that they would remember such a wonderful day. There were many ideas for both parties and gatherings and presents.

I bought this book on the title alone. It is filled with hundreds of ideas for parties, gifts, etc. I recommend it for anyone who likes to be a little different and stand out in a crowd.

Fun book filled with lots of inspirational ideas, sources and websites for gift giving, party giving, gift wrapping and more!
It's a great "idea book"!

What an excellent book! Simple things come to life. Ideas you wouldn't think about. It definitely serves as an excellent innerway to creativity, as well as a catalyst for further expansion. This is a great piece of work. I love the pictures, and the entire format of the book. I'm waiting for the second edition. Why Bother Why not II?

We all want to entertain stylishly but don't always have the budget to accomplish this task. Or so I thought. After reading Laurin Syndey's book I realize that resourcefulness and creativity are all you need. She's given us a helpful map to chart out all the things we need to live life more graciously and stylishly. And unlike Martha Stewart, it's not so complicated...Thank you Laurin. What great tips and what a great way to approach life...

My copy of this book was totally worn out from countless rereadings with my children. Catchy and pithy, my favorite toddler's book.

This book must go into reprint. It's the new Mother Goose, with sweet, catchy rhymes and delightful illustrations for the children of today. These apt little poems will stick in your and your children's minds until they are grown up and want a copy of the book for their own children. Please, publisher, get "Catch Me and Kiss Me and Say It Again" back in print!

I was given a copy of this book when my first daughter was born in 1984, and my wife and I read it to her and her little sister so many times that all 4 of us still recall the verses - with enormous fondness! The charming watercolor illustrations are as timeless as the poems - the first time you read it, you'll have a nostalgic feeling that you've seen the pictures and heard the poems when you were a child. Spoken aloud, the sing-song rhythm and alliterations captivate adults and children. Even now, when I have not seen the book in months, I can feel my baby clapping in my lap as I recall "clapcake clapcake, butter and milk, honey and ginger, whipped to silk. cornmeal, oatmeal, a penny pinch of flour, Clap me out a clapcake, and bake it for an hour."

When our youngest daughter moved away from home, this was one of only 3 baby books we kept. I just came to amazon hoping to buy a new copy for a friend and her new baby (I won't give my copy away!), and I'm astounded that it is out of print. This is a timeless gem. It needs to be published again.

My husband and I bought this book over 20 years ago. We have read it hundreds of times to our children and now would like to be able to purchase hardcovers for our grandchildren. We would really like to see this book reprinted!

When I was about two or three, a friend gave us our original copy of "Catch Me and Kiss Me," We read it so many times that it fell apart and it was thrown away. Luckilly I was able to get a used copy not so long ago. This book has so many favorite poems that we still quote such as,

Phoebe in a Rosebush, Phoebe in a Tree.
There's Many a Phoebe in the World,
But You're the one For me.

and

Cockyolly Bumkin Merry Go Bet
Fell in the Duckpond and Got all Wet
A Nickle For a Nappy and a Penny For a Pen
To Dress My Little Cockyolly Bumkin in

and

Do the Baby Cake Walk
A One Step a Two Step
A Wobble and A Bobble in the Knee
With a Toe Heel Toe and A Giddy Go Round You Go
Won't You Do the Baby Cake Walk for Me.

Anyway I could go on and on, but this book is a treasure, and it is a sin that it is out of print. Any Publishers out there. PLEASE REPRINT "CATCH ME AND KISS ME AND SAY IT AGAIN."

A great classic that each child should have in her library.

I've been searching for this book since the birth of my first child. It was my all time favorite book. My mother read it to me night and day. Upon my learning to read, I remember taking this book to bed with me during nap time and reading it over and over again. I never grew tired of seeing how children in other countries lived. This book went every where I went. I'm estatic this book has been reprinted and I can share it with my children.

In typical Dr. Suess fashion (LeSieg is backwards for Geisel...Dr.Suess' real last name) this book carries the poetic rhyme that kids love. It tells the story of how homes are different everywhere, but how "they're all alike when a friend asks you in." The pictures are bright and interesting. Young children will be filled with curiosity with the amusing pictures of homes in far away lands.

I read this book to a group of first graders and they hung on every word. None had ever heard the book before. It truly is delightful! It is a shame that this fabulous book is no longer in print. I got my copy nearly 30 years ago. It is still my favorite!

This book is amazing. I found it at a thrift store for .25 and put it away for the birth of my first child. I am an American living overseas, so for my son to see all the different cultures familiar and unfamiliar, it great. He is 18 months old and just wants to look at the pictures and hear me read it over and over and over again. I never tire of reading it either.

I have been "hunting" for this book for years! I loved it as a child, going all those different places, and now am anxious to share it with my nieces! Thank you for allowing us to do some "traveling" together!! Ronda

This book has many great ideas! It is very simple and to the point. YOu can turn around and use these lessons tomorrow.

I wish every teacher in America could teach reading this way- we would have classrooms full of kids who LOVE to read instead of kids who get DRILLED to death with phonics and word attack skills.... phonics is important but learning to choose appropriate books and LOVING them will create LIFE LONG readers... this author knows that and shares her thoughts in a fabulous way :)

We just finished a Book Study @ school using this book! We all thought her suggestions were great (especially the one about not ONLY using running records & DRA levels to "label" readers) but using individual conferencing also.
Mini Lesson Ideas abound! Specifics are included throughout! A must-have in your personal/professional library for ANY Elementary School Reading Teacher!

Mrs. Collins gives you a classroom teachers perspective on guiding yourself and your students down a path to discovering reading, readers and the step readers undergo to comprehend what they read. This is an easy read because Mrs. Collins narratives transforms you from the pages of the book to front and center in your classroom, working with your students.

This is an excellent source to guide teachers on how to teach Reading Workshop. It gives dialogue on mini lessons and ideas of how to set up your room. It is a must read for Reading Workshop teachers. It is a down to the minutes guide of what to do.

My 8 yr old son checked this out of the library two days ago and has barely let it out of his grasp since! Including when his 6 yr old brother tried to yank it from him because it's "soo cool!" So far, the page he keeps turning to is how to make a marshmallow shooter out of PVC pipe. Guess we're heading to the hardware store this weekend! This is a perfect gift for a boy, any age really. I am going to buy a copy for him.

The content has been reviewed thoroughly (it's great, and well organized and fun to read). The book itself is on high quality, glossy colored thick paperstock. So not only is this a fun book for kids (and grown-up kids) to go back to time and time again, it should last for a long time.

I gave Howtoons to my 11 year old daughter for Christmas. She loves it, and it's a fantastic way to come up with active and interesting activities that don't involve a pile of imagination-crushing store-bought toys.

Her cousins have seen it, and they want their own copy too!

This book was recommended to me by a friend for my 9 year old son as a gift. Since he enjoys comic book, and enjoys making things (especially of it involves shooting objects), this was a real hit (no pun intended?). The stories are fun and the drawings well done. Very engaging and friendly, and has a universal rating. Highly recommended!

A nice guide for children nine years old and above.Adult supervision is recommended and the necessary materials are not supplied.A step in the right direction for all interested in chemistry.

When I gave this as a gift to cat-loving friends I knew I was doing the right thing. It has been received with great appreciation, not only for the subject matter, but for the beautiful way it was written and illustrated. Judy Chicago is a master at what she does.

This book is exquisite: well-researched, superbly-written, and the art is incredible! I love cats and love art - she has done a masterful job capturing the feline essence, and the relationships she and Donald have with their cats.

I've been sharing my life with cats for twenty years, and thought I knew feline behavior and physiology pretty well. She taught me things I never knew before.

I plan to give this as a gift to many of my friends. I am proud to have it as a part of my personal library. It is a true treasure that I will always cherish. Every time I open it, I find something new to marvel at. Her feline companions are very lucky to have found her; her love of, and understanding of, those she has made a part of her family, shine through on every page.

Bravo, Judy!

As an artist and an animal person, I treasure this exquisite book. Not only is it beautifully painted (in the challenging medium of water color no less!) but it has a rich feel of the Medieval with its purples, golds and parchment divider pages. Hence the sub-title, "A Feline Book of Hours." I share my home with several cats as I have my whole life. This book honors cats by not just showing one's daily routine with them, but also shows the dignity, courage and humor cats possess. It also shows, from the artist's perspective, the joys of daily life in the companionship of cats and the tragedy of inevitable loss.
It is a joy to see cats represented as the unique creatures that they are by one of the most gifted and brilliant artists of our time.

Kitty City: A Feline Book of Hours caught my attention because of the author's name, Judy Chicago. I have always admired her work in the world of fine arts. This book is a wonderful surprise. It is beautifully illustrated and truly influenced by the illuminated Book of Hours treasured during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The pleasing illustrations are enhanced by the use of gold and vellum.

To my delight, the reader is allowed a very intimate look at the life of the artist with her husband and their feline family. The day-to-day joys as well as life's harsh reality in the loss of a loved one.

Kitty City makes a great gift for anyone that has ever loved an animal or is interested in feline history and feline facts of life. Little known tidbits about cats and their place in the world add to the uniqueness of this book.

If you are familiar with Judy Chicago's work, you know that endless hours of research precedes each project, and this one continues in that tradition. The text is lively and informative, and the illustrations prove once again what a fine artist Judy Chicago is. Her sense of color is just amazing. Even if you're not a cat lover, this book is a treasure.

The photographs are interesting to look at, but the stories that accompany them are awful! They're poorly written. Also, the intro to the book over-stresses the fact that this is the "instant access generation." That's not really news, and I think it pigeonholes teenagers too much. It's the completely obvious way to look at teenagers right now. And though Franzini stresses in the intro that he identified himself to the teens as a peer, he definitely comes across as someone with an agenda, looking at teenager as specimen. I also don't like the way they used a low-angle shot on the overweight girl, making her look even huger. I bought this at the same time as "It's Complicated," another photo book of teenagers, and "It's Complicated" is MUCH Better, more honest and less other-izing of teenagers.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1CXY6H5MKQ650 I love this book. It documents America's youth today in a stunning and sometimes shocking way bringing back memories of teenage anxiety and joy. I lool forward to other works from this brillant documentarian and photographer, Michael Franzini.

This book is captivating. A very personal glimpse into the life of 100 individual personalities. Independently, each is fascinating. Collectively, it is an even more compelling look at a generation.

Terrific, it's all there, the kids' hopes and dreams, their passions, fears, mistakes.
Michael Francini (and his team) did a terrific job in finding such a diverse group of 100 youths around the country.
The portraits are fabulous. Each one made to fit and doing justice to the person in the picture. All telling different stories. Great light, composure, good ideas and great people, all of them! This is what portrait photography is about.
We all can learn from each and everyone in the book. From who they are, what they want to be and what they have to say. Listen, try to understand and it will make you a better person.

One Hundred Young Americans is an eye-opener for me. I consider myself pretty connected with the youth of today but after reading this beautifully published piece, my perspective has broadened immensely. Franzini's lens captures the emotions, aspirations, and dreams of his subjects with vivid and detailed artfulness. The images are provocative and many times playful. Though I learned and got reaquainted with today's young people through Franzini's eyes, I almost feel like I personally knew many of these kids when I was in high school.

I too love this book, and I apparently am the only one here who has taken good care of her copy, as it's still around and last time I checked not even falling apart. I agree with all the praise and would like to add that the book is also full of wonderfully realized secondary characters, an area in which far too many writers fall short.

Oddly enough, GILDED SPURS, which she wrote as Ingram, is a prequel to POWER OF DARKNESS, which she wrote as Adams; there is at least one character who appears in both. I think POWER OF DARKNESS is very nearly as good as RED ADAM'S LADY, but I didn't care for GILDED SPURS at all. The protagonist was likeable, but nobody else was; and if I remember correctly, there wasn't a romance.

I am thrilled to see others know how good this book is! I read this years ago and kept the copy for a long time. Then because I was crazy I got rid of my copy. I kept thinking about it though and a few years ago paid about 40 dollars for a used copy. Money well spent! I read this book at least once a year and enjoy it every time. I keep hoping it will be reprinted so more people can enjoy reading about Adam and Julitta. There is something romantic about a man literally having some sense knocked into him. Unlike so many romances of the time that had the love interest fight each other to the end then suddenly they are in love, Ms. Ingram gradually brings Julitta from dislike, to grudging respect, friendship and then love. All this while the Scots are over the border, there is disloyalty in the household and treason is afoot. This it a great read!

Mistaken for a peasant girl and kidnapped by the drunken lord of Brentborough while returning home to an abusive uncle, Julitta valiantly defends her virtue. Forced into marriage the next morning to salvage her reputation, she gradually begins to trust the tenderness and respect with which her noble husband eventually wins her.
The period detail and writing literally draw you into the story, weaving a lush tapestry against which the splendid romance between the strong heroine and the persistent hero unfolds beautifully. Red Adam is not only patient and kind as he endeavors to win Julitta's affections, but he is strong and intelligent, recognizing in Julitta an equal, worthy partner and giving her full control of the household whenever he must ride out. Facing impudent serving wenches, a resentful chatelaine, an insolent comrade of Red Adam's, and even a thieving cook, Julitta has her hands full with the running of the estate and all its inherent problems, not to mention the whisper of mystery surrounding the former lord. Throw into that brew political unrest and rebellion, raiding Scotts, betrayal and breathtaking escape, and you have a truly dynamic, potent tale.
There is just so much more to the story than the above. A true bond between the characters, genuine affection, and several subplots, all threads being masterfully combined. Any summary is inadequate. But if you like adventure, a mystery interwoven throughout, compelling history that draws you into its pages, true love in the truest sense, and blazing triumph over adversity, then this is your book! I don't know why no one will republish it!

The best historical romance ever written. This book was the first 'romance' book I read. I bought it in the summer of 1974 as a beach read. Little did I know that it would spark a love of all romance novels that lasts to this day. I read this book once a year, and it never fails to deliver!
This book has everything! Mistaken identity, nasty family members, a rogue hero, a feisty heroine, villainy, intrigue, marauding hordes all set against the backdrop of feudal England. And must not forget a love story for the ages. This is one for every hopeful romantic!
If you ever come across this gem, buy it! You won't be sorry.

Lady Julitta is mistaken for a peasant and is accosted by a drunken "Red" Adam de Lorismond, the new lord of Brentborough. Adam takes Julitta back to his keep bent on rape, but the ever resourceful Julitta knocks him out with a stool and when he's sober Adam marries her to assuage her damaged honor. Julitta is none too thrilled with the match, but sparks soon fly between the two as Julitta's uncle Lord William and his cronies conspire to support young Henry in his plan to oust his father Henry II and rule England instead. Julitta also soon finds her hands full with a castle and mutinous servants allowed to run to ruin by the previous lord of Brentborough (Adam's uncle), a thieving seneschal, invading armies of Scots, a perilous climb down ocean cliffs, a mysterious death or two and more as "Red" Adam and his lady banter their way through it all to find true love in the end.

While I very much enjoyed this book, at times it was a bit too busy and fast paced for my tastes. At times I lost track of who was who when characters from the first part of the book returned back to the story and the author didn't provide enough background to refresh my memory, and I got lost more than once until I fell back into the groove. A cast of characters and their various names and titles would have helped quite a bit and enhanced my appreciation of the story. That said, it was a highly enjoyable romp through the 12th century and a very entertaining read. I see from the current selling price the book is quite rare, but if you are lucky as I was to find it at your library it's worth taking the time to check this one out.