T Books

This is a truly excellent reference book for anyone interested in the history of Biblical interpretation. Indeed, the book might more accurately be called "How the Bible has been Read," since for any given section, it gives an overview of traditional readings, both Christian and Jewish, followed by recent scholarship and biblical studies. The latter includes advances in linguistic and archeological scholarship. Kugel writes in a clear conversational style, the product, no doubt of years of university teaching.

Though I have only read about a hundred and fifty pages, I have found Kugel's scholarship outstanding and his writing clear and easy. As a catholic priest it has been a wonderful exposure to good Jewish thought and scholarship. I have found the contrast between the ancient inperpreters and modern scholars extremely helpful. I would be more conversant with modern scholars and not so clear on the more traditional. It is a great help to interpret sections of the Hebrew Bible.

Rev. Joseph Madden

This book attempts to integrate both traditional and modern views of the bible. It does this well. It creates layers of meaning that transcend the theological and is well worth reading for those not immersed in a particular theological approach to the meaning of this complex book

Well researched and written book. Understandable by layman as well as biblical scholar. Most enlightening and informative.

Thank you James L. Kugel. I have longed for guidance in understanding the complexities of the Old Testament. Very informative and readable.
Highly recommended.

Okay, yall, I suck at reviews b/c I cant seem to say what I want without telling all. LOL But I had to try with this book. My Grandmother sent me this book b/c I will read anything. I picked it up 2 days ago and couldnt put it down. I got so wrapped up in the story of Ellie, Blue, and Mabel. The chacters in the book are wonderfully written. Even the supporting characters draw you in. I love Blues and Jazz and this books makes them come alive on paper!!! You can almost hear the music swirling around you as you read!! The story behind the story is just another draw of this book. I have never been SO pleased with a book. Again all I can say is WOW!!! Go Ruth for writing such an AMAZING book. I honestly was upset when it was over....so AWESOME that I wanted more!!!

It was more of a mystery than a romance. I prefer to be more emotionally drawn in than this book provided. However, someone looking for more human relationships fiction and mystery might enjoy this more than I did.

Ellie traveled to Pine Bend, Texas, to do research for a book she was writing about Mabel Beauvais. Mabel was a blues singer who disappeared twenty to thirty years earlier. Ellie was also trying to discover who her father was. She knew he was in Pine Bend when Ellie was conceived. Ellie's mother died when Ellie was six months old. The story was a little frustrating when Ellie talked to people who knew answers to her questions but refused to tell her anything. The ending was satisfying and the answers to the mysteries were good and unexpected. Although there was some underlying sadness in the story due to so many good young men dying in the Vietnam war, leaving their loved ones to live on without them.

Regarding the SPOILERS below,I am not giving away answers to the main mysteries.

CAUTION SPOILERS:
Ellie and Blue fell in love. The problem for them was that everyone Blue had loved had died on him, so he was reluctant to love again. Why he changed his mind at the end of the book and decided to be with her and not fear losing her was not clear enough for me.

I was also confused with a few scenes throughout the book titled "The Lovers." When reading them I wasn't sure if they were a dreams of Ellie or Blue or were flashbacks to events in the lives of Mabel or Ellie's mother. At the end of the book I concluded they were of Ellie's parents, but I would have preferred knowing this earlier when reading them.

Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: five very passionate. Setting: current day Pine Bend, Texas. Copyright: 2000. Genre: romantic mystery.

This is a book that you will continue to experience long after you finish. The book is filled with love and secrets. The secrets which are uncovered lead not to unhappiness but to more fullfillment for the people involved.

Along the way, you experience the beauty and meaning of music, that special kind of music called the Blues. You find yourself wanting to hum an old song or turn on the radio and find a new tune to refuel you with a passion for life.

There just is so much in this one book. It is impossible not to love it and not to remember for always.

I really enjoyed this sensual romance as the hero and hrone fight their demons of the past to trust to love. Both have loved and lost and so are fearful of getting involved with each other, but anyone can see Blue and she are made for each other.

Interesting secondary characters create a very believable world. As always her heroes are divinely sexy, very manly, but perceptive and sensitive. The mystery element as she seeks her identity, which, if not entirely surprising. is handled well. A super read, one any lover of romance and women's fiction will really savour. She has a wonderful way with language and a true ability to capture setting and character with wonderful details.

Hadn't even heard of Ruth Wind before but halfway thru this book I'm looking for other books of hers. All the ones listed seem to be either much lighter in nature or out of print. She's a terrific writer with an ability to draw you into her characters' feelings and to the atmosphere. I hope she writes another "real" book.

This book is a well-written chronological account of Kennedy's presidency. Minimized is the personal gossip and inuendo while highlighted is the decision-making style of JFK and his entourage as events unfold. You get a sense of what it's like being thrust into the vortex of events for which no president is totally prepared. The writer attempts to reveal President Kennedy as both more and less than the Camelot charisma would have you believe. Thoroughly enjoyable and informative must-read addition.

President Kennedy did not have the easiest presidency imaginable: big issues abroad including Cuba, Vietnam, Berlin, the nuclear arms race and test ban treaties with Russia and the highly contradictory issue of integration at home were all begging for his attention and often at the same time. This biography gives a good insight into the way decisions were taken and that there is a lot of on-the-job learning involved. It is in a sense shocking to read that the way a superpower is run is not that much different from the way an average manager runs his group of a few people.

I found it slightly disappointing that this biography deals exclusively with the presidency of Kennedy, not his formative years as a student, a soldier and a senator. But all in all a revealing insight into the presidency of a man who, after his assassination, become a posthumous hero.

Jackie Kennedy is said to have given copies of this book to her children with the advice, "If you want to know your father, he is in this book." Reeves was said to be surprised at her endorsement and commented. "I wasn't terribly flattering to Jackie in the book."
Well worth the read.

As the leading civilian authority on the U.S. Secret Service (and President Kennedy's interaction with the agency), I was much interested in this book by Richard Reeves. I am a big fan of Mr. Reeves---in addition to a great book on Richard Nixon, he is a great writer and speaker. You can't go wrong in purchasing this fine book. vince palamara

After reading this book, I feel that I come out understanding the Kennedy presidency in better terms. While Sorenson and Schlesinger wrote impeccable accounts on the admininstration, they are somewhat distorted, and make Kennedy out to be a hero. This well-written and higly researched account, I feel to be the definintive account of the administration. It shows the flaws of President Kennedy, and the true personality of the man in the White House, his battle with Addison's disease. Kennedy was a very inexperienced leader at the beginning of his presidency, and I don't feel that it really dawned on him until the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

This detailed account covers his meetings with Premier Krushchev, how he dealt with South Vietnam, and the apparent sickness that came upon him after learning of the death of Ngo Din Diem. You also see that Kennedy was very much a womanizer, almost to the point of obsession it seems. This book deserves much attention, and for anybody who has never read about President Kennedy, an excellent start.

This book was given to me by a colleague and has changed the way I think about organiational dynamics. The twin concepts of Jestership and illumination of blind spots are powerful learnings for those who aspire to lead great organizations. Everyone who works to positively contribute to their company should give this a read.

The Secret Life of the Corportate Jester provides specific, practical, and highly relevant insights into how to more effectively lead and manage organizations. The book's approach - on on-going interaction told in story form - engages the reader and keeps interest high to want to know, "What comes next?" Anyone who wants to better understand how to make a difference in organizations will gain value from this book."

Dave Riveness did a great job with 'The Secret Life of the Corporate Jester'. I read it cover-to-cover on a flight and couldn't put it down. The combination of Greek mythology and lessons for organizational change was a very interesting idea, and Dave's writing was crisp, clear and accessible. All in all, this is a great read on how to transform an organizational culture from the inside-out.

I highly recommend The Secret Life of the Corporate Jester - both entertaining and insightful! This book empowers readers to influence positive change in their organization -- regardless of organization or position. Corporate Jester will help you (and your organization) discover blind spots and influence others.

Thank you Mr. Riveness for simplifying what has become an over complicated topic! This entertaining story gets to the heart of True Leadership... that True Leaders are not defined by their positions or titles, but their courage to seek and speak the truth at all times.

The Apprentice Guide stories provide insight and guidance to uncover personal and organizational blind spots. A great read to increase individual and organizational effectiveness.

Seven Sisters is quite an enjoyable read. This book introduces some new characters to the Benni Harper series and makes for an mildly suspenseful read.

"Seven Sisters" is the seventh novel in the Benni Harper series. Benni Harper, a lifelong resident of the mythical Central california Coast town of San Celina, is a former cowgirl, a quilter, and now has a job as the curator of San Celina's folk art museum. Benni, who was widowed when her first husband died in a car accident, has been married to San Celina's cheif of police Gabe Ortiz for several years at the time of this story.

The story starts off with a bang when Gabe's nineteen-year-old son Sam tells Benni and Gabe that his girlfriend is pregnant, and they plan to marry. The story rapidly becomes very complicated when the identity of Sam's girlfriend is revealed. She is Bliss Girard, one of Gabe' rookie policewomen and, more importantly, a grand-daughter of the Brown family, one of the town's oldest and most powerful families. When one of the extended members of the Brown family is murdered at the engagement party for Sam and Bliss, the family struggles with the realization that there is most likely a murderer among them. As the police search for the murderer, the Brown family tries to keep all their secrets hidden. And Benni Harper struggles with trying to maintain a balance between her natural sleuthing capabilities and her role as the police chief's wife and future mother-in-law to one of the Brown family grand-daughters. Benni also experiences more than a touch of jealousy when Gabe's gorgeous ex-wife Lydia comes to San Celina to meet her son's fiancee.

The California setting is richly described with the conflicts between cattle ranching, horse racing, and grape growing.

Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. As I mentioned above, "Seven Sisters" is the seventh book in this series but it was the first one that I've read. What a happy discovery to find a whole new series with a wonderful setting and a richly developed cast of characters. I'm looking forward to reading all the other books in this series!

I started reading the Benni Harper mysteries "in the middle" of the series. I was hooked and immediately bought the whole series so I could follow the storyline thread. Her stories are very different from other mysteries with "predictable" plots but if I were to expand on that, I'd give away the unfolding of the Seven Sisters story. Actually, Earlene Fowler has a marvelous gift for drawing one into the lives of her characters. She makes me laugh, and provokes a "being there" frustration (empathic with Benni's frustration)with the events. Her stories are not all nice and neat - hey, life isn't nice and neat. But they aren't what I would call icky, gruesome and gory either. If she has written a series of "chick-lit" mysteries, it's chick-lit at it most fun. Her subject matter is also fascinating as a learning experience. That's from a fan who is nearly as old as Dove! Don't pull just one book (such as Seven Sisters) from the series - start at the beginning and become part of the community - flawed tho it may be. It's laugh-out-loud funny, snuggle-up-under a quilt comfort, confusing and unnerving chaos - and an absolutely marvelous read (even if, but please don't, read out of the series order). I'm so glad I discovered Benni Harper and her family and friends!

I love this series -- I am an unabashed fan. Even though I figured out the mystery very early on, I still enjoyed it very much.

This book is the rare mystery where the murderer never gets a legal comeuppance.

This is the seventh book in the Benni Harper mystery series and takes place in San Celina, California.

Benni Harper the curator of the local folk art museum and her husband Police Chief Gabe Ortiz seem to have worked out a lot of their earlier marital problems when Sam, Gabe's son tells them that his girlfriend Bliss is pregnant. Bliss, happens to be a member of the very wealthy and influential Brown family.

Both families seem to rally around the young couple and even Gabe's beautiful ex-wife appears for the first time in this series. At a party celebrating Bliss and Sam's engagement, a Brown relative is found murdered. Benni tries not to become involved in the case, but is forced into helping by Ford Hudson the officer in charge of the homicide investigation.

This interesting story is a little darker than the other mysteries that Benni had been involved with and takes us into the tangled web of old family secrets and the truth about the seven sisters.

It has been generally accepted view that Remarque was never a great writer. I largely agree with the verdict. However, he was a very good writer whose expertise was touching the sentiment of general readers , if not those of literary critics. Three comrades is definitely my favorite along with Black Obelisk , not only among Remarque's works ,but also any form of literature I have been consuming. Similar to his early novels , such as All quiet on the western front and the sequel "The Road Back" , Remarque took narrative of a first person (actually himself). Protagonist/ Narrator of the novel (Robert Lohkamp) is in some sense, typical "Lost generation" from the other side of hill. Robert(or Bob or Robby)'s psyche was so pulverized by the experience of the Great war and terrible aftermath that he seems to lose all meaning in his life. His only consolation is strong comradeship , that was in Remarque's previous novel seemed to disintergrated , and drininking in order to escape a deep depression ever frequently visits him in the night.By accident, Lohkamp and his comrades met Pat. Although three of them all fell for her. It was Lohkamp , with his comrades help , falls in love with mysterious and consumptive beauty Pat. Much of the novel is about daily harship , love, through which Robert slowly regain the meaning of life , and friendship.
The book conveys sundry aspects of love through contrasting author's ideal notion of love and life and harsh reality that doesn't seem to allow little preciousness ordinary people long for with much humility.

I particulary enjoy Remarque's humane description of characters in possibly Berlin in the last stage of the tumultous Weimar Republic. Besides his other comrades and lover ,racing driver Koster and self-claimed the Last of Romantics Lenz and Patricia Hollmann there are surprising lively characters as well, such as prostitutes in cafe Internationale, the Mother of sausage Stall, Frau Zelewski, Grau, Alfons,Valentin, Dr Jaffe, Gustav, Fred, and even symphaty provoking Albert and his mother whose taxy Koster bought at auction. Remarque maintains objective but symphathetic observation on these people whose lives are obviously shattered and go down to nadir by uncontrollable economic difficulties and political turmoil.

The other attractive aspect of the book is the authors description of subtle changes Lohkamp goes through. First several chapters , he was one of those hardened veteran who doesn't have any aspiration in his life and so full of weltschmertz. Yet after meeting and falling in love with Pat , Robert slows changes himself and finally last several chapters and its tragic ending . Lohkamp is the man who doggedly resist toward desiny he himself so well aware of.

When Remarque wrote this book, he was under severe pressure from both his own life and publishers who expected another best-seller. There are a bit of cliche and strong resembrance to Mann's "Magic Mountain" in terms of the motif in the later chapters. In spite of these weaknesses, the book will surely touch sentiment and make you want more about Remarque's other works. It's touching love story and at the same time honest representation of ordinary people's every day difficulties in one of the terrible moment in the modern German history. It's deeply pessimistic book ,but beauty of Remarque's pessimism somehow penentrate your soul , even though it was written almost 80 years ago. All in all, very renumerative reading and I am not hesitate to recommend the book to anyone who still value human decency over profit and sentimental romanticism over artistic pretence and intended complex.

I don't think anyone can fully define what a great book the three comrades is. No one can describe the love between Pat and Robert throughoutly. I truly believe this is the most romantic book of all time. We live in a very changed world now, where there is little time and place for emotion but if there are any romantics left, this book should be your best friend. I hope that sometime in the future this book can be taught in school instead of the usuall boring rubbish people have to endure. If anyone is interested in reading a book about friendship, love and most of all hardships of life, then this book is the one for you

My colleagues who have reviewed Remarque favorably on these sites are totally correct: he is a remarkable writer who still resonates with contemporary readers in a manner that more esteemed German writers such as Mann and Goethe fail to. A cross between Hemingway, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald, I have seldom spent more rewarding time reading. The combination of humor, philosophy, brilliant dialogue, unusual and touching romantic experience, war-weary and world weary articulations, social commentary, and perfect word craftsmenship (thanks to excellent translations of course), make him stand out among all European writers in my mind--but then again, I'm a more Modernist enthusiast. So far I love all of the novels I've read, but I tend to lean slightly towards The Black Obelisk with its absolutely profound and heart-rending romantic dilemma. I teach All Quiet at the university level, but I'm working on teaching A Time to LOve..., 3 Comrades, etc. BUT...can anybody tell me how in the freakin' world these books are out of print and how to do something about it?! It's a freakin' sacriledge!

I can't remember the last time I read a book that left me with tears running down my face. This one did. The last sentence echoed in my head for days after I got done reading. Maybe not the best book of all time, but beautifully written and very touching.

Does anyone even remember this brilliant author anymore? What a shame, that the average American is made inescapably and constantly aware of the Paris Hiltons of the world while remaining completely unaware of this man and his literary genius.

This novel will touch you in some way, provided you have even a trace of the Milk of Human Kindness running through your veins. It is a story of the small troubles and small triumphs of insignificant men, at least as the world counts Significance. It is the story of men who no longer understand the world they live in, resorting instead to an unspoken Code of loyalty to one another, as Comrades ought to do. At the very least it will remind you of what integrity and quiet self-sacrifice are really all about. This one is abundantly worth your time.

_The Unforsaken Hiero_ (1983) is the sequel to _Hiero's Journey_ (1973). Early in the novel, Hiero Desteen, now a prince by marriage, is kidnapped from the state of D'Alway and has his telepathic powers destroyed by drugs. He escapes assasination by a fluke of luck and begins another journey westward and then northward, without friends, weapons, or extrasensory powers.

Many of the flaws in the ecological background of _Hiero's Journey_ that I complained about in another essay have been skillfully avoided in _The Unforsaken Hiero_. This is not to say that Lanier has planned a detailed ecology with rigorous care; but he avoids any glaring errors, which is all that is really required for an adventure novel. He does this in several ways. First, he gives attention to herbiverous animals in the story, particularly in an account of Hiero's fight for survival across a desert and a prairie. Second, he gives more attention to fauna of a non-monsterous nature in his setting, which makes the occasional fantastic creature seem more realistic. And third, he gives more attention to details concerning how his creatures survive. For example, _The Unforsaken Hiero_ features another gigantic underwater creature. But this time, Lanier takes care to show how the creature captures its prey and how it has survived for its long lifespan. These improvements in the background of the novel make it superior to _Hiero's Journey_.

Perhaps the weakest aspect of the novel are the characters. They tend to be either bluff, hearty, courageous warriors on the side of good-- or foul, deceptive traitors on the side of evil. You can tell the latter by their eyes: "The face was no longer that of the harassed functionary, but something older and colder, the eyes gleaming with mockery and triumph" (24)... "It was the face of Amiable Aeo, and from the young eyes came the same blaze of pure evil" (ibid)... "At the sight of those faces, a child would have screamed in horror. The eyes were dead, gray pools of nothingness, in which there glowed a baleful fire" (62)... "Behind him, eyes glared in impotent rage from the narrow slit of a window" (166)... "The gelid eyes glowed with a light that came from the Ultimate Pit" (194). Other characteristics of the Unclean are voices that are cold and icy and mental patterns that are foul and filthy. One wonders how the villains could fool anyone enough to betray them or to achieve the power they wield.

I confess to a sneaking fondness for this novel. It's a passable adventure tale competently told, and it is great fun straight through. But there is a simplicity in its theme and characterization that prevents me from rating it as a classic or of classical quality.

I love the Hiero books but alas there will never be a third book

Mr Lanier suffered a stroke before he could write the third book and the story vanished in his mind. Enjoy what we have. There wil not be any more :(

I first read Hiero's Journey, and the sequel, years ago and they remain on my top ten list. Why? A great set of characters - of all species!! The post apocalyptic world is seething with all kinds of new life, some good, some bad, some just plain unknown. The good folks are really good, and the bad are totally evil - how can you beat a story in which the bad guys are "The Unclean"? This story has a similar appeal as Vance's "Exploration Team", in which a man and the animals he mentally communicates with explore new planets. Hiero maneuvers through his world, constantly exploring, and the reader gets to explore with him. As a consequence, adventures are just as much a surprise to the reader as they are to Hiero! Lanier does a matchless job of pacing the story. These two books are on a par with any science fiction written at any time and deserve to be savored again and again.

Like the reviewer "Catfish," I keep coming back to this book and it's predecessor "Hiero's Journey." This work is also on my top ten list of all time bests. I am always a bit surprised that more have not read them. The story line is almost flawless and the character development is acute. Lanier's smooth prose just tops it off. This is one of those works which I reread every year or so. There is something about the story that sort of keep drawing you back. I of course would like to see the series completed but am fearful that another author could not do it justice and would hate to see a wonderful work ruined. Would recommend this book to anyone wanting a page turner with some classic writing thrown in for good measure. If you can find a copy buy it (actually, buy several copies...I keep loaning my copies to others and for some reason they never come back home!)

Why I am new to the world of non-fiction, Sterling Lanier has enraptured me. The book's exquisite description and excellent character developement have made a a fan of his, and Hiero's. I'd also like to say that I recently read Lanier's works on the suggestion of his sister, whom I met on a train ride from Munich, Germany to Vienna, Austria. She did not go without mentioning to me that her brother has passed, that she missed him very much, and that Hiero's adventures could not continue for this reason. For all of the Sterling Lanier fans out there, enjoy what you have, for the saga of Hiero will not continue.

The Dead Don't Dance is simply marvelous. Charles Martin has written a profound novel of life in the South without creating ridiculous characters. The protagonist is a man trying to find meaning in his life after the death of his firstborn and the half-life of his wife after she lapsed into a coma following complications from the birth. A must read for anyone searching for meaning in their lives.

I hesitated reading this book because I was worried it would be too sad for me. But I decided to give it a try because I had read another book by Charles Martin, When Crickets Cry, and loved it. It was a book that stuck with me and I made a mental note to read something else by him. I also loved 'The Dead Don't Dance'. Even though I cried; it did not weigh me down. I grew to love the characters and I am already half way through its sequel 'Maggie'. Charles Martin is an author to follow. I plan to read all his books. If you like Francine Rivers and Lynn Austin you will also like Charles Martin: they all tell a good story. They are different in style; which makes him a good author to throw into the rotation. Thanks CM, keep up the good work!

Love and faith are Dylan's bread and water in this novel. You can feel his pain as he watches his wife fight for her life in a deep coma, not to mention the loss of their first child. The lessons he learns and the people he meets on this journey will bring you to tears and then put a smile on your face. Read with a box of tissues and then buy a copy for everyone you know.

THis was actually the third book I have read by Charles Martin and so far my favorite. Unlike many other Southern Writers, He is not a tourtured soul beyond redemption! The characters are believable and likable and well developed. Thank you for a good Read!

This was such a wonderful book that I couldn't put it down. Because of this book I have now ordered all of Charles Martin's books and everyone of them has been delightful and so well written. My husband who is a retired editor says Mr. Martin is one of the best writers that he has read in a long time. After The Dead don't Dance, I read Maggie. I did not enjoy this book. I think the way the first book ended there didn't need to be a sequel on Maggie and this book was so very depressing but since then I have read When Crickets Cry, Chasing Fireflies and Wrapped in Rain. All of these books were delightful and very moving. I have already pre-ordered his next book coming out in July. I can't imagine anyone reading Charles Martin's books and not enjoying them.

In. My. Purse.

All. The. Time.

Seriously ---- This book is amazing. It has a permanent home in my purse... (it's not too small, not too big - just right) And I use it almost daily....or at least a few times per week. Sometimes I'm in a bad place and need a quick inspirational message, and sometimes I just feel like feeling better about something....Whatever the reason, you will LOVE THIS BOOK. I ordered 5 more after I got it to give to friends and family...that's how much I love it. I know when some open it they will think "ummm....ok..?" at first....but they end up thanking me later.

GET THIS BOOK you wont be sorry!

this book has been so helpful at valuable to me so many tough times like i'm going through now. the messages are short but powerful. this book will certainly help you restore your peace. like another poster said mine is getting worn out.

Each time my spirt is down, or I'm going through a situation, I turn to this book. I hold the book in my right hand by its spine, fan the pages with my left hand to stop at randum. The passages I've read, I have felt its deep spirtual feeling and I understand its meaning. Then I reflect on my situation and the passage fits. It helps me to understanding whats going on. It uplifts my spirit to deal with my situation. It give me insight to view my problem from a different angle. It also assures me that what I am currently going through will end. I will get through it. In my view, its a powerfull book. I have read several other books by Iyanla, even watched her talk show (sorry that went off the air), but like the bible, I keep Faith In The Valley near by.

This is my FAVORITE book by Iyanla Vanzant because of: It's size(small enough for your tiny purse), its lack of preach-i-ness and how the index is organized by subject. I feel its a synopsis of all the subjects covered in her other books. I also feel the book is applicable to women of ALL cultures. You can use it as a daily guide or you can use the index to find a subject for which you could use guidance.

I can not express how insightful and helpful this book is! It really makes you look deep into the reason(s) why you thought you needed a book of affirmations in the first place. This book is perfect for those "why me" and "I really can't take any more" moments when you feel like life, and everything in it, needs to give you a break. If you're a woman experiencing a lot of change in your life and it seems like you just can't handle another crisis (or is it a crisis afterall?), this is the book for you. I carry it in my purse!

This was the first book I ever read all by myself, with the help of the rhymes and picture clues. I read it over and over, and still recite some of the rhymes to my children. I found a copy several years ago through a scholastic book order at school, thank goodness. I've written several lesson plans around this book and read it to my kindergarten class every year. All the children love it! I wish I could find it in hardcover or library binding, I'd buy a copy for myself, and one for every school in the district.

My brother and I, 46 and 42, respectively, were just remembering the book from when we were children. We loved this book and remembered many of the rhymes. We have since read the book to our own children and still have the original copy of this book. I would recommend this book to all people... we still get a kick out of it, it is such creative imaginative fun.

I may as well add in the praise for year 2005! My sister and I LOVED this book as children and I inherited the copy for my now 3 year old. He loves it!!! It is so battered though, I need to (hopefully) find a better one. I have read that rhymes are one of the greatest ways to teach reading and word structure, (etc, etc!) and I think this proves it. I start each phrase and my son will finish it. That's the ticket said the.....cricket!!

Not only is this book super clever, but a great way to teach your kid's about rhyming. It also is a good tool for character study as most of the characters are caring, concerned, and encouraging, and work together to fix their broken teapot friend. We got this book when my daughter was three. She loved it then, and now at 4 1/2 still likes it, and I suspect it will be a favorite for quite awhile.

How can I resist adding my comments, after reading how many others went in search of this book for exactly the same reason I did! I have a old, tattered copy from my childhood that I recently pulled out to read to my 3 1/2 yr. old, thinking he was finally old enough to listen to it. He listened intently, asking all about why the teapot fell and what the spiders were doing... and when we came to the line, "Don't be dumb" said the crumb." - he burst out laughing in a fit of joyful giggles that lasted a full 10 minutes! How could I not go in search of a new copy so my children and I can share the laughter together?
A truly wonderful, joyful book about friends and teamwork.