News and Media Books

This is a great book ... I especially like to read this one to my granddaughter when she visits ... beautiful story and illustrations are excellent. D. McGee

My daughter loves this book. We got it for her a year ago (when she was 3) and she still loves it (she turns 5 in March). The vinyl clings are cool because my daughter can put them wherever she wants. The only problem is that there isn't a place to "store" them, which isn't really the book's fault. I only suggest keeping them somewhere safe as we lost one piece. :( She got creative and used another cling to continue her fun with this book!

If you've read other Dora books, you know that not all actually capture the essence of the show...I know it's not Shakespeare, but come on... at least try & get the basic elements that the kids recognize into the books such as if we need to know where to go, ask the kids who they need to as (Map!) then explain where their going, let the kids yell, "Backpack!" & then pick what item they need to help Dora & her friends, etc. The book includes counting, singing silly songs (a favorite of our daughter's), and an extra bonus if your child loves Diego too, he's along for the ride. We read this book about every night (it's one of our daughter's favorites), and it isn't painful-like some children's books can be. I have fun singing & listening to my daughter participate, sing along (something she started with this book) & laugh, and you probably will too.

I am not a parent, nor am I experienced in reading books for small children, but I had heard of Dora the Explorer and, when I saw this book at the office, where I worked, about to be tossed out, as it was getting pretty beat up, I thought I would give it a try.

This is a glossy, 8" by 8" 24-page paperback, that is very colorful, and it is aimed at ages baby through preschool. It is meant, I believe, as a read-to or read-along book. The text is by Lisa Valdes and the illustrations are by Dave Atkins.

The illustrations are large, plentiful, very colorful, and decidedly upbeat. The text is cheerful and adventurous in tone and suited well for its purposes and target audience. The story involves Dora and her friends wanting to put on a play about pirates, but having their plan waylaid when piggy pirates snatch their chest full of costumes. The piggy pirates mistake the chest for a treasure chest, and whisk it away to an island. Using a very helpful and talkative map, Dora and her friends sail off in pursuit. Along the way, there is a counting task, in Spanish, plus they have to help the singing bridge sing its silly song the right way. The conclusion involves a non-violent confrontation with the piggy pirates, that lends a touch of suspense, without being scary.

The tone of the story is not only fun and adventurous, but also very inviting. It repeatedly, but not annoyingly, invites the reader and those being read to, to join in. The counting and the singing are clearly aimed at this. The story moves quickly and that, combined with the abundant and colorful illustrations, should make it good at engaging and holding the attention of young children. The characters are depicted as cute and friendly, with Dora definitely taking center stage. While Diego is along for the ride, he does not say anything.

The book itself, while the copy I read was pretty beat up, looks very durable. I work in a children's mental health clinic, and the book likely got a lot of use by several children, some of whom might well be quite aggressive and destructive. That this book survived, for months, in our waiting room, is a testament to its heartiness.

All of the Dora books are wonderful for little ones my granddaughter is only 2 and because of the Dora TV shows and books, she can count to ten in spanish and a few words in spanish, her colors, her manners, I love to buy books for my grandkids especially when they show an interest in them, we read everyday at least 4 to 6 books a day and she never gets tired of them.

On a recent trip we purchased quite a few sticker books to keep our toddler occupied, and I thought this was one of the best. In addition to having almost 30 reusable stickers, there was also a Dora story involved, adding some depth to the play. Children plaster stickers to the map, solve minor puzzles, dodge Swiper, and open a treasure chest as Dora and Boots dance with joy. Nicely done.

For the record, I have met and worked with Lois and Frisner for a brief and wonderful period in 2001. I cannot claim to know them as their close friends might, but they are both very dear to my heart and I'll remember my experience with them for the rest of my life. Lois has dedicated much of her professional, creative life to studying Haitian music and Vodou ceremonies that she learned both through Frisner and the time she has spent in Haiti. To my knowledge, there is no other book which documents the role of music in Haiti so consisely or accurately. The book is packed with excellent information, well written musical examples, and valuable insight. This is a must-have book for percussionists, musicologists, and anybody who has an interest in Carribean music and/or history (not excluding those who may be interested in Afro-American, Latin-American, Jazz/Fusion and their respective histories).

Both thumbs are enthusiastically UP!

I highly recommend this book. Wilcken has done us a great service in presenting the subject without prejudice. Her research is unprecedented. I'm recommending that Black bookstores in my area have copies on hand for sale.

A remarkable contribution to the the layperson's understanding of the arcane field of Internet technology by an acknowledged international leader in the field.

Mr. Teare gives a comprehensive presentation of tools to navigate the Internet in a very easy to understand manner. The book gives detailed coverage of the various Internet technology. Highly recommended for novices.

In the mornings I like to complete the Sudoku out of the newspaper and now my 3 year old joins me with her Dora Sudoku Sticker Book. What a great find. Like mother, like daughter.

My 5-year old daughter has Easy Sudoku Puzzles #1 (Dora and Spongebob) as well as #2 (Dora) and loves them! She works hard on them with a lot of success! She loves the bright stickers as well as the patterns. She doesn't know how much she is developing her thinking skills; but she is!
As a teacher; I love that she is honing her logic skills!
Keep making these type of sudoku books; but increase the difficulty so they do not get too easy as children develop their skills. A 2x3 block would be nice to see next.

Mostly a reference guide and textbook for journalists, the Editor's Toolbox has some interest for the General Reader who is curious about how his newspaper is created.
The reporting and editing processes are covered in some detail, with particular attention to language pitfalls and necessary skills. Visual journalism is well illustrated.
This is a lively and obviously highly useful work, which looks to be especially handy for the student. The General Reader might wish for more attention to have been paid to the embarrassingly obvious biases which have crept into mainstream journalism via loaded language and selective attention.
(The "Rating Stars" are a requirement. This reviewer disavows "stars".)

Between AP stylebook, Rooney's "Copy Editing for Professionals" and "The Editor's Toolbox," you, as a journalist, will have just about everything you need.

As a professional communicator who needs to act periodically as an editor, I believe the essentials taught by Ryan should be mandatory in any journalism class.

Ryan explains editors must know the basics of spelling, grammar, etc. But he also discusses firmly the need and process of fact checking, layout issues, map reading and plenty of other oft-ignored matters of good journalism.

Editors, future editors and jouurnalism professors need to add this tool to their collection of resource books.

I fully recommend "The Editor's Toolbox."

Anthony Trendl

The book itself has three sections: Absurd ABC, Crazy Colors (all limericks include a reference to color), and Funny Faces (primarily noses). All vintage Lear.

The advantage of this particular volume is the cd which contains a reading of all the material in the book with a delightful musical accompaniment and a visual extension of drawings for the computer with similar musical accompaniment - it includes whimsical plants, a series of cats etc.

An excellent edition of a small portion of Lear's work.

This is a work of art. The book itself is quite simple, but the CD-ROM is absolutely charming - a combination of simple yet sophisticated animations, incredible music and narration. This isn't just for kids - this is something someone of any age can enjoy. It truly brings out the "story" inherent in Lear's charming drawings.

Not just for Lear Fans!

Exclente libro, apasionado, romántico, cualquier lector al que le guste la novela histótica ficticia, mezclada con romance y suspenso debe leer est libro

fantastica te emosionas como si estuvieras viviendo el personaje lo disfrute tanto que no pude dejar de leer hasta terminar te hace sentir la pasion el amor te estremeses junto con los personajes la verdad es la mejor que he leido

The Emergence of The Relationship Economy was an insightful read making the mesh of online networks understandable. Whether for business or personal objectives, if you hope to "cut to the chase" with your social computing efforts this book is a must read!

Social networking is here to stay. It's not just a fad waiting on "the next big thing." In fact, I think it IS the next big thing and will continue growing and changing into ever-increasing beneficial tools. However, social networks are just that; they are tools -- a hammer waiting upon a carpenter's arrival. We are the carpenters to these tools because we create and essentially become the content. Without the content, social networks are doomed for failure. It's first time in IT history when software has become dependent upon the user, rather than vice versa. This book discusses how relationships form through social networking tools and the economies they create in the process. It's recommended reading for anyone developing social networking tools or just interested in the social networking phenomenon.