Henry Books

Empire of Light : A History of Discovery in Science and Art, is very understandable but at the same time deeply informative and interesting. Extremely well researched and packed with loads of info. I learned something new on every page.

Sidney Perkowitz has blended the arts and the sciences in a wonderful little book. His explanations on the current state of knowledge about the nature of light are extremely simple .. for a very difficult and still not understood subject. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the wonderful world of the photon (or is it wave ?) , and how we perceive it

I picked this one up at the science writing seminar a couple of months ago. It is an attempt to cover an elusive but scientific topic, light, in all its concepts and permutations. He goes from classical notions of light (the Greeks thought invisible rays from our eyes made things visible) to the modern, quantum theory of light. He covers the creation of light, from torches and candles to gas lights to electric to lasers. He touches briefly on why things have colors (too brief for my taste, actually - I would have liked to learn more). He shows how light has been depicted in art, with examples from sources as diverse as Edward Hopper, Vincent van Gogh, and M. C. Escher. It makes for an interesting if somewhat lightweight overview - well worth reading and well-written.

Dr. Sidney Perkowitz covers, in a very personal way, his own experiences about light, art and almost every bit of knowledge about the universe, in "The Empire of Light". The art collection samples chosen by Perkowitz, enlighten our lives and give us a more powerful perspective on viewing art henceforth. This physics volume compares favorably with a thrilling science fiction story, except that this is all for real, as far as scientists can tell at this point in time. This reading was a fum romp through today's world of physics.

This was a great book. The rhyme had perfect rhythm, the story was funny and the kids were totally engaged. I'm sure we'll be reading this book a lot in the future.

I purchased this book for my 4 1/2 year old grand daughter who has an entire library of fantastic books. This is by far one of her and my all time favorites. The illustration is adorable and the story is endearing. The book immediately makes you feel cozy and by the end you feel thankful for kind hearts. Every time we come to the last page my little grand daughter says "Let's read it again." And often we do. I highly recommend this book for ages 2 1/2 to 92 1/2!

Estelle takes a bubble bath and is joined by a shivering mouse who is in for a big surprise--a naked Estelle covered in bubbles!

Readers are in for a treat with this rollicking, rhyming book! Amusing physical comedy, perfect rhyme and some bare-bottom humor will leave kids laughing and begging for more.

Mary Newell DePalma's soft, yet detailed, illustrations are the ideal match for this magnificent mouse tale!

Estelle is in her warm cozy house relaxing in the tub. Outside is a cold mouse who just wants to get warm! The mouse slides inside the house and makes his way to the bubble bath. Imagine the surprise in Estelle's eyes when she sees the mouse on the edge of her tub. Follow Estelle as she tries to get away from the mouse!
The story had a neat turn of events. As Estelle is chasing the mouse he falls into the tub. He can't swim and Estelle saves his life. They then become friends!


It would be great for leading discussions on tub safety and friendship.

This is one of my all time favorites. A beautiful, tender book about a small boy going through the five stages of grief. A book that reaches out to you and comforts you.

This is absolutely the best book out there for a young child who has lost a parent. Written by Lucille Cliffton in simple rhyme, it goes through the 5 stages of grief. As the last stage of grief is acceptance, it ends with "and no matter what happens when people die, love doesn't stop and neither will I." The illustrations of this young African American boy and his mother are charcoal line drawings ~~ beautifully illustrating the profound loss this child has suffered, affirming the loss and yet reassuring the reader that acceptance and peace will come.

I read this book the first year I was in the pastorate, some 14 years ago or so. It has been the perfect book to help my younger staff people understand the process of grief. This book has never failed to bring up the emotions of loss which every staff member has suffered. The five stages of grief, is a universal understanding which has helped every adult I have worked with, to understand how they are "normal" in their feelings.

Further, every staff person I have worked with, has bought this book. We use it more for adults, than for children. (Though it is very good for children.) The reason why, is because the verse is very sharp and connects with the soul of people. The adult empathizes with the little boy. This, in turn, connects the adult with the universal nature of grief.

I could spend hours upon hours of counseling grief without this book. With this book, most of my parishoners who have suffered loss, work through the stages with heads up and eyes open... tears and all. All have moved through the stages without fixating very long in any of them.

Lucille Clifton, is simply a genius. Ann Grifalconi (illustrator) brings the genius to Clifton's wise and calming verse with her warm charcoal illustrations. Thank you, ladies.

This is a simply written book about a little boy who goes through the five stages of grief after the death of his father. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and the book still brings tears to my eyes everytime I read it. Lucille Clifton is an excellent author who uses simplicity with great beauty. This book is good for young children 3-5 who are trying to understand and deal with grief. I would definitely recommend this with no hesitation!

I became aware of this book through an article Hemingway wrote about books he would like to read twice. Well I can say that this book is best read in the winter, for it will melt the snow in puddles around your shoe, and warm your heart and soul at the same time. So make haste and buy it now, while the cold winds still blow.

The Argentine pampas was a land of freedom and excitement: one literary figurehead W.H. Hudson describes in his memoir FAR AWAY & LONG AGO: A CHILDHOOD IN ARGENTINA. Descriptions of natural history and wildlife abound - and also of politics and interpersonal relationships of the times. You'd think FAR AWAY & LONG AGO would give insights into Hudson's childhood and life - and it does - but more importantly it recreates the history, culture and geography of Argentina in a way few travel books accomplish.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

As we continue to pave over the beauties of our world and turn them into concrete wastelands, it is good to think back what life was like 150 years ago before we began the process of destruction in earnest.

W. H. Hudson, the naturalist, is revered in Argentina, where they refer to him as Guillermo Enrique Hudson and name streets and towns after him. In simple and stately prose, he writes about his boyhood as one of several sons in an English family that ran an estancia on the Pampas. Despite several failed attempts to school him, he managed to pick up one of the best educations available: by using his eyes and ears to study nature. His skill in language, which is considerable, came from reading his father's books on his own.

Whether writing about ombu trees, plovers, snakes, lightning storms, rheas (Argentinian ostriches), or his neighboring ranchers, Hudson brought a whole world to life with this book.

Hudson published FAR AWAY AND LONG AGO in 1917 while he was living in England -- around the same time that a Frenchman named Marcel Proust was following where that elusive taste of madeleines led him in REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS PAST, and around the same time that World War I was destroying a whole way of life. As he writes in the book:

"It is difficult, impossible I am told, for any one to recall his boyhood exactly as it was. It could not have been what it seems to the adult mind, since we cannot escape from what we are, however great our detachment may be; and in going back we must take our present selves with us: the mind has taken a different colour, and this is thrown back upon our past. The poet has reversed the order of things when he tells us that we come trailing clouds of glory, which melt away and are lost as we proceed on our journey. The truth is that unless we belong to the order of those who crystallize or lose their souls on their passage, the clouds gather about us as we proceed, and as cloud-compellers we travel on to the very end."

FAR AWAY AND LONG AGO is perhaps one of the greatest autobiographies ever written. Although I finished reading it several days ago, I am still feeling its afterglow and get this itch to re-read passages from it. This is, indeed, a book that will withstand several readings.

I could never make it through Hudson's fantasy __Green Mansions__, but __Far Away and Long Ago__ is another book altogether. Written when Hudson was approaching eighty, more than forty years after he had left Argentina for good, it's filled with the kind of longing you might expect. And even though he's a witness to the mid-nineteenth civil wars in Argentina or, more incredibly still, listens to travelers reciting poems by the eighteenth-century Spaniard Menéndez Valdés, Hudson seems modern; he makes other times, other places, far away and long ago, as he calls them, seem incredibly near.

Hudson's excellent short story "El Ombú" is also well worth seeking out. And, finally, while it's true Hudson left Argentina for England, the US also has some claim to him; it was from New England, after all, that, shortly before his birth, his American family left for Argentina. Just thought I'd make that clear, since people are always calling him "Anglo-Argentine".

As an avid reader of picture books, I knew by the title alone I would love this book, and author Marsha Hayles Scheiber doesn't disappoint. The first page makes you want to turn the page: The mother birds/like gentle words/took flight one wintry day... Her words are so soft and soothing and lyrical, this not only makes a great Christmas gift, but also a lullaby of a bedtime story. After a long flight, the birds reach "At last warm land, a sea of sand..." where a baby who will change the world is about to be born, Jesus. The mother birds build the child a soft nest, hence "the feathered crown." I get chills when I read this book. The illustrations by Bernadette Pons are a perfect match for the text: soft, soothing, child-friendly. This is one of my favorite books, a gem of a book.

By giving us a bird's eye-view, THE FEATHERED CROWN takes a unique and touching look at the Nativity story. Hayles gentle, alliterative rhyme soars, as each stanza rises in meter. Pons soft watercolors compliment the text and are restful to the eye. Lines like, "They gathered bits/ of straw and sticks,/ and leaves to cushion best--/To build a home,/a manger throne,/a feather-softened nest." depict how loving mother birds may have helped another mother long ago in Bethleham. A bright addition to every Holiday collection!

This is the most beautiful Christmas picture book that I've seen in a long time. The soft and meaningful words flow across the pages like ribbons of silk - and are delicious to read out loud. It's good to see a Christmas book that touchs on the true meaning of the holyday.

I think Feathered Crown is a wondeful children's book. It is a lovely story, and the words flow so well. "The mother birds, like gentle words, took wing one wintry day." These gentle words are then further complemented by beautiful pictures. Feathered Crown is one of my family's favorite Christmas books.

This book is an excellent resource for any who are studying the American frontier. I am currently using this book as a resource for my Master's thesis.

I found the narrative of this book very enlightening. The mind's eye could
see the descriptions of land and waterway problems of our ancestors. I recommend it for the historical value and the referenced materials. Enjoyed the comments made by the travellers on the roads and the inns in which they stopped.
Sadly, the maps were not of a very good quality. Too small and required a magnifying glass to read the numbers along the trails pictures.
Hopefully the next edition of the book will have enhanced maps of the roads and perhaps also an added overlay map with the counties through which the road ran for a better perspective of the route the roads took.

Enlarged beyond its earlier incarnation as an article in "The Alabama Review", this work has emerged as a highly valuable resource for readers and researchers of early Alabama history. Utilizing maps and exhaustive primary and secondary sources, the authors present evidence of the profound impact of the Federal Road upon the Alabama in its formative years. Here, the reader will learn that antebellum Alabama was far from a unified state, but rather a politically polarized collection of sectional counties, interspersed with tribal lands of the Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw. North Alabama, with a citizenry constituted largely of emigres of Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina, held political power from Alabama's Territorial period (1817-1818) and through early statehood (1819-1840). Entering Alabama at a point roughly near present-day Columbus, Georgia/Phenix City, Alabama, and proceeding southwesterly to New Orleans, the Federal Road accomodated the massive influx of settlers emanating from Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia. This book reveals how the surge in America's westward expansion affected the present-day formation of Alabama. With pent-up demand for land, and a sympathetic Andrew Jackson in the White House, the Federal Road became the venue through which the white combatants prevailed in the Creek War of 1836-37. The resultant final removal of Creek and Cherokee tribes to Oklahoma, caused such a rush of new settlers into South and Central Alabama that Alabama's political structure underwent a drastic and lasting transformation. The shift in legislative power to South Alabama and, particularly, the Black Belt of Central Alabama, resulted in the 1846 removal of the state capitol from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery. The rise of the "Bourbon Democrats" of this region was to shape the landscape of Alabama politics for over 140 years thereafter. The authors, through scholarly, annotated research, offer the reader an opportunity to attain a thorough understanding of the significance of the Federal Road as the single most important element in the formation of Alabama's geography, government, economy and sociology. This reviewer highly recommends this book as not only valuable, but essential for anyone seeking to attain a thorough understanding of Alabama history.

Most enlightening. I was able to track my ancestors as they traveled thru Georgia and Alabama. With the aid of a good map, one can pinpoint their exact route. Highly recommend for anyone doing research on their family that settled in Georgia or Alabama.

I chose this book for my two-year old greatnephew, Ansel, last Christmas - he looked and tossed it aside. But now his mother tells me it is THE bed time pick! I had thought it was a great balance of pictures with just enough text, and a quick moving story, and she agrees. Apparently it is the every night choice! Now my other niece says they have had to buy a copy for the other greatnephew, Paul....in fact, she tells me my younger niece said if the house were on fire, this is the book they'd save. Of course, not to worry, as the Fire Bears would save them all first!

Our four year old grandson loves this book and wants it read to him over and over and over again. A real winner.

Fire Bears is another good book by Greene for children of all ages. The bears are dedicated firemen and they rescue animals and people. The rhythm of the story keeps the little ones interested until the end. Then they want to read it again. The colors and the illustrations are fun.

Firebears are firemen bears that protect and serve in their area. The book shows what life in like at the station when the bears are waiting for a fire call. The first call they go on is to rescue a kitten from a tree. The next time they are called to fire at a business. After that fire is out they are called to another fire. This one is at someone home. The firefighters get the bears out safely and put out the fire. Then it's back to the station to await the next call!



I like that the bear fire fighters in the book were shown doing more than just putting out fires. Lots of kids think that is all they do.

Yes we would. Fire safety is very important. This simple picture book is a gentle way to introduce kids to fire fighters and the jobs that they do.

Kidding Kangaroo loved to play jokes on Clever Camel while she was working. In the end she built a trap for Kangaroo. The DANGER sign sounds like a bare feet sign. I love to read bare feet signs like Kangaroo loved to read the DANGER sign.

I love this book. It helps children see the problems with too many practical jokes. I believe they will draw their own conclusion that helping others is a better way to go. Like all the other Sweet Pickle books, it allows children to feel they are getting to know new characters in Sweet Pickle. It gives them friends they will remember for years.

I love this book. It helps children see the problems with too many practical jokes. I believe they will draw their own conclusion that helping others is a better way to go. Like all the other Sweet Pickle books, it allows children to feel they are getting to know new characters in Sweet Pickle. It gives them friends they will remember for years.

This was the first book of the series that my mother gave me. It is the first book I read all by myself and I am in love with it. I have a son now, and would love to start him off on the same series. They are great!

These authors are among the best at recreating the look of old painted furniture/folk art. Very clear pictures are helpful. Also, they use an easy recipe (basically, vinegar, honey and pigment) which is easy to concoct for new users, unlike mesy oil based potions or those horribly complex formulae or lousy British-based ingredients which noone has ever heard of or found. For as cloise to instant gratification as you can get, this is the book to order for all beginners and intermediate grainers. (Advanced finishers can write heir own book.....) Enjoy!!

An incredible book which quickly became on of my favorite reference materials when studying antique painted furniture and reproducing authentic designs. Contains tips and techniques for your own projects and presents a good array of antique items as well. Very authoritative and offers sound advice on how to pull off complex projects without the complexities involved.

I used to reproduce painted pieces for top name American furniture manufacturers. I worked on projects with the late Dr. Robert Bishop, former curator of the American Museum of Folk Art. We used authentic items in the collection as study guides. He once asked me to come to New York and conduct a workshop. Unfortuately my schedule could not allow it at the time.

This is the workshop book you need. This is outstanding in design and concept. This was not around when I was doing this professionally and had to rely on my own talent, resources, and old texts to be my guide. Now it is all simplified in this one book.

You can buy 100 books on the subject. But this is the only one you will need.

This book does the best job I know of showing wood graining, vinegar paint finishes, and Rufus Porter style landscape painting that I know of, and is also very sound on marbleizing. The illustrations and photo gallery are the best I have seen in any book anywhere. It has a narrow focus on doing Early American style furniture, but if you have any interest in this area you need to have this book. 7 stars!

You've seen those wonderful grained picture frames or pieces offurniture in the shops for thousands, but never went to a classbecause it was too expensive or none was offered in your area. This book is the answer to your prayers! It is filled with loads of photos of antiques and furniture, etc. that have been decorated with vinegar glazes or with handsome primative-style murals. It is also one of the few books that even reveals how to do smoke graining...the whispy finish on many an old rocking horse or on furniture and smalls. Just add this to your shelf which should also include THE ART OF FAUX by Finkelstein, PROFESSIONAL PAINTED FINISHES by Marx, and DECORATIVE FURNITURE FINISHES WITH VINEGAR PAINT by Russell. All are well worth the investment. Happy Painting!

Reviewed by AJ Cooper for Reader Views (7/07)

Henry Fast's memoir depicts the life he led in Poland in the early 1940s and the rush for safety from the war. His father had passed away and had left him and his mother enough for them to have a house and some small luxuries in the home in Poland. Henry loved to read and play with his friends with no worries in the world. Occasionally his mother would take them on trips to visit relatives throughout Poland.

There was word of war and attacks started to occur in Poland. A military officer had stopped by on his travels to other parts of Poland and suggested that Henry and his mother should not remain but go to stay with relatives in other parts of Poland. Rena, Henry's mother decided what do with their valuables they could not carry and decided they would catch the train. On the way to the train station they discovered that it had stopped running and they would have to try to find some other way to leave their tow. With good fortune they were able to ride with a man who was going to the town of Henry's uncle, Roman. Roman and his wife Dora are not happy to see Rena and Henry and try to get them to leave the way that they had arrived. The man and his cart had completely left the area. Roman had to report to military duty but finally agreed that Rena and Henry could walk behind the cart that his family would be traveling on.

Dora and her traveling companions did not treat Rena and Henry very well and eventually abandoned them on a roadside without their possessions. Rena and Henry struggled to travel on to the next large city and encountered many strange and frightening sights. They finally arrive in a large city in Poland, Lwow, at her brother's house. He was not happy to see Rena yet allowed her to stay with Henry until something else could be arranged. Rena and Henry eventually were arrested and shipped of to a camp. The travel to the camp was terrible and was in open weather and little or no facilities for any ones use. They had been shipped to Siberia to be held for an unknown period of time. All that they owned they had to be able to carry themselves. Needless to say they did not have a lot.

Rena tried to provide as best as she could for Henry. Their food rations were never enough and there bathrooms were non-existent. Hundreds of people had been shipped to Siberia from all walks of life. Many did not survive the ordeal while others thrived on the misery.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (2/08)

"Fragments of a Forgotten People" is an incredible memoir written by Henry Fast about his and his mother Rena's experiences during World War II. Henry and Rena Fast lived in an apartment in Bochnia, Poland. After two army officers boarding with them told them that the enemy was nearing and that they should gather their belongings and go, they packed what they could and set out on a journey far longer and more painful than they ever expected. Their original intention was to travel to Rena's brother's house in Brzesko anticipating that he would take them in. Upon arriving in Brzesko they were received rather coldly by his brother's family who was also planning on evacuating. Henry's Uncle Roman was leaving to report for duty and his Aunt Dora and cousin Zenek were going to flee East with family friends. You would think that family would be more than willing to assist each other in times like these but that was not the case. They were incredibly rude to Rena and Henry, took advantage of them, and refused to let them ride in the wagon or share their food. The way that they treated them was terribly cruel and finally they abandoned them altogether. Things did not get much better for Henry and Rena as they moved from place to place, severely lacking nourishment and proper clothing. They tried to stay with another brother of Rena's and received the same unwelcoming reception as they had with Henry's other uncle. It is horrifying the way that these people acted toward one another during these events. Although there were some people that helped each other out, they were few and far between. After all of the running, like the fate of many during this time period, they were arrested and the deportation process began. "Fragments of a Forgotten People" is a very well-written story chronicling a family's hardships during that terrible period of war. Watching Henry and his mother struggle to survive with little assistance from other family members is heartbreaking. I was shocked at the things that were done to them by their own family! The photographs and the maps in the center of the book are very helpful in fully grasping the story that Henry has to tell. I think that anyone with any inkling of interest in memoirs or history will be intrigued by this book. "Fragments of a Forgotten People" is very eye-opening and is a book that you better not start reading unless you have the time to finish it because it is not possible to put it down!

I found that it was hard to put down Henry Fast's account of being in a camp in Siberia during World War II. I've found numerous accounts of being in concentration camps during this period, but this was the first one that I came across with this story. It shows an eye opening account of how low people can be to one another in times when they should support one another, but also shows those few shining stars that were willing to help a young boy and mother to face an uncertain future. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Jewish history during World War II.

The invasion of Poland marked the start of World War II in Europe as Poland's western allies declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939. By October 1, Germany and the Soviet Union had completely overrun Poland. This is the setting for the opening chapters of Henry Fast's "Fragments of a Forgotten People."

In this extraordinary memoir Henry Fast tells the story of his plight as he and his widowed mother are forced to flee from their home in Bochnia, Poland with thousands of other refugees.

They are faced with hardships requiring endurance, physical, mental, and emotional, as they face near starvation, ridicule, and the freezing temperatures of the cold winter in Siberia.

They are arrested and deported on foot, railroad trains, and boats. Deplorable crowding, and unsanitary camps, became the way of life for Henry and his mother. Henry found escape by entering a world of fantasy, reliving books he had read. His mind was active and curious. Among the refugees, Henry found an engineer, a scientist, and a mathematician to mentor him and to work through his quest for knowledge.

Fast is a gifted story teller. His character descriptions are colorful. His narrative is both entertaining and informative. The beauty of Henry's writing comes across in the positive attitude reflected throughout the book.

Released from deportation after finding lodging in a former cow shed, Henry writes: "This was my first evening in what I called my own tiny cubicle at my own table. A real table, not a cot, a real chair, not a stump...Before falling asleep, I lent free rein once more to my fantasy, creating a picture of the future: later, after Hitler's defeat."

"Fragments of a Forgotten People" is destined to become a classic in the historical memoirs of World War II.