Lifestyle Books

Important topic. More offerings like this are needed to dispel the deeply entrenched, negative stereotypes perpetuated daily in the media, music and minds of America. This, to the detriment of African American men and their families. Andre Willis rocks! Looking forward to his next book...

Andre Willis delivers a magnificant compilation of leading intellectuals sharing their advice on parenting. While the essays assembled in this text are reflections on African-American fatherhood the lessons shared are applicable to anyone who has loved a child. The tales told by each writer are touching, humorous and profound, offering a seldom-seen and moving view into the deeply personal interactions between generations of men.

The phrase, "it takes a village" may be trite but the principle of the substantial effect a community has in the upbringing of each child cannot be disputed. For that reason, it doesn't matter if you are male or female, with children or without, african-american or any other race, everyone should read this book.

this is a wonderful text, a tour-de-force about the power and trouble of intimacy, love and vulnerability. these narratives, collected from black men, are poignant and moving - particularly the last essay. i recommend this profound text to those who are in the least interested in good writing and at best in wisdom, faith and an examined life.

I found this book to go with a quilting art project we wanted to carry out at our preschool. The children loved hearing this read aloud. The language is rhythmic with opportunities for different voices. The story has some ambiguous qualities that lead to interesting discussions. And, it conveys perfectly to three and four year olds how quilts come to be and how comforting they are. The book is also visually very interesting. A big hit.

In this book, grandma goes out to her woodpile one fall and decides that she will need some more wood to make it through the winter. She asks her grandson to go into the forest to get some more wood, but he gets distracted along the way, and comes back empty handed with his shirt in tatters. Rather than berate him about not bringing back any wood, grandma simply takes his shirt away and throws it in the woodbox instead. She sends each of the other family members to the forest in turn, with similar results. By the beginning of winter, she gets no additional firewood, and her family are cold, since their clothes are in her woodbox. Then grandma gets the brilliant idea of making a quilt with the tattered clothes, that will keep everyone warm much longer than the wood might have. The story is quite engaging and full of thought, and the pictures tell stories in themselves. All told, the book has about 1000 words.

This is a really good book with great illustrations and a funny storyline that you won't mind having to read over and over again to your kids. It is a story that lends itself to animated storytelling, if you are like me and like to liven up bedtime stories with lots of inflection and a different voice for each character in the book. Your kids will love the funny far-fetched stories and the interesting illustrations that incorporate fabric from articles of clothing in the story into the illustrations. The illustrations will be especially interesting to those moms who enjoy quilting and needlework when they are not running around after kids or reading them 5 or 6 bedtime stories. Highly recommended.

Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and Kathleen Kolb have captured the essence of Will and Ada Urie perfectly. They lived a very simple life, worked hard and enjoyed everything around them. This book tells their story in a poignant way without being too sugary sweet. It will appeal to all children, especially those lucky enough to live in Vermont. I was extremely lucky to have Will and Ada Urie for my grandparents and spent many wonderful days visiting "a farm of their own". I am also very excited that my daughter, Meredith Ada McKelvey, posed for the blonde girl in braids in the book.

I am very pleased to see memories of childhood in print and glorious color. I grew up near Will and Ada Urie, and often visited their farm. Kathleen Kolb did a magnificent job rendering both of them. As I read the pages I could smell the bread baking in the oven. Natalie's words brought me back to my own childhood on my parents farm. Every child can benefit knowing how hard these two people worked for what they believed in. Back when life seemed so simple, yet more rewarding.

My three year old loves this book--and so does my nine year old, who reads it to him. They both relate to the idea of encountering something new and coming to love it so much that, years later, you want to find it again. The beautiful, rich illustrations are a large part of the appeal of the book.

This is a wonderful book for beginning readers to share with another child or a caring adult. It is one of the favorite books of our "Read to the Dog" students.

While this children's book wins its merit on the poetry and illustrations alone, it will also be a delight for admirers of the Bernese Mountain Dog. The author adeptly reflects the gentle, curious and playful aspects of the breed. I own a Bernese Mountain Dog and my preschool daughter enjoys hearing the book over and over!
-K.G., Wauwatosa, WI

From Childrens Literature - Children's Literature Cheery illustrations are the strength of this poem about animal life in a garden. A wide-eyed Bernese Mountain Dog asks questions to a series of characters who inhabit the field. A strawberry, a bunny, a corn stalk, a cow, a chicken, a worm, a carrot, a beetle, a lizard, a radish, a deer, and even the farmer himself sing back their view from among the earthen rows. Along the way, we learn that strawberries dream of being plucked at their peak, that corn has ears, and that lizards delight in beetle dinners. Wanderers from other parts of the farm are warned by the farmer's dog not to trample or scratch the growing seeds. Repetition and wonderful words create interest-sparking alliteration. The series of questions creates the perfect opportunity for a second voice or reader. Onomatopoeia makes the reading come alive. Young readers will enjoy participating in the read-aloud, while very little ones will listen intently. 2000, Wordsong Boyds Mills Press, Ages 3 to 7, $15.95. Reviewer: Leslie Julian-Children's Literature

These stories and illustrations are all darling. Both author and illustrator seem to have captured living charm upon the pages. The binding is nearly perfect, and can hardly be found defective in any way; the pages have stayed flexibly together through many readings.
Lastly, the contents are:
Pig Gets Stuck
Scarecrow's Secret
The Naughty Sheep
The Runaway Tractor
The Snow Storm
The Grumpy Goat
Tractor in Trouble
Camping Out

Highly recommended for family and community library children's books collections, Farmyard Tales Storybook by Heather Amery is a high-spirited children's storybook filled with a wealth of wonderfully entertaining tales for young readers concerning adventures on the farm. Cheery and colorful illustrations by Stephen Cartwright pepper these thoroughly delightful stories of finding lost animals, daily chores, and learning the ins and outs of farm life.

This book is one of my children's favorites. (3 year olds) The stories are long enough to be interesting and involved without being TOO long. The illustrations are LOVELY. Each page has a little yellow duck "hidden" on the page that the kids have fun trying to find. I have 2 of the Farmyard Tales books and will likely buy more.

I totally agree with the reader from San Francisco. This book is GREAT! Delighted that I found it. I am "mid-sixties", feel great, and fighting "aging" every step of the way! This book has sooo many answers-----it covers skin care, make-up suggestions--even goes into skin care products. Then, continues into foods, exercise-- well it covers everything for me. It is so full of good information. It is a big book, and a pretty one. I just love it---can you tell? And highly recommend it! Thank you Josephine Fairley and Sarah Stacey!

No Need to go anywhere else! Comprehensive, magazine-style reading; it is full of critical information and reaches beyond the beauty industry by speaking with health and well being experts from around the globe. I give the set to girlfriends as gifts. Needless to say, they are anticipated presents!

A great book that my wife and I discovered at a Spa. Wonderfully informative and enjoyable to read. Even as a male, I found good-to-know information. We're sending it to my mid-sixties mother who is going to be absorbed with it.

With so many products claiming superiority out there, the book's best feature is the objective evaluation of branded cosmetics.

A great book for anyone interested in not just beauty, but total and optimum health. Have seen nothing like in the States.

Love the book. It now sits next to my keyboard at all times. What a great resource.

This book took me from, "I think I can...", to "Watch this!" in a couple of weeks. A clear and concise illustration of the emense power of FCP.

Final Cut Pro Portable Genius

There couldn't have been better timing! I installed a new Final Cut Pro suite just in time for "Final Cut Pro Portable Genius" to be available. What a life saver this handbook has been, it never leaves my side while I'm editing. I have always considered myself to be more of an artist than an engineer or a computer genius. "Final Cut Pro Portable Genius" takes the guess work out of setting preferences that can critically maximize Final Cut Pro's capability and increase my ability to create an awesome product. The full color diagrams and screen shots throughout the book are easy to follow, and incorporate steps to create any result I can imagine. I am preparing to do my first major project using Final Cut Pro and I am so glad I have "Final Cut Pro Portable Genius"as a reference as I go forward. Help menus are great, but "Final Cut Pro Portable Genius" will be a critical part of my success as a Final Cut Pro editor.

Thank you Genius DV!

Michael Jensen
Michael Jensen Productions
Indianapolis, Indiana

Basic but never condescending, I found this to be the perfect one volume guide to quality baking. I bought it after reading just a few pages of it in the bookstore, and have made many of the recipes. The book has made me look good time and again. I have since given the book as a gift, and people I've given it to have found it invaluable. I highly recommend it.

These recipes have been as much fun to make as to eat! Thanks, Ms. Besser, for pulling together all of our childhood favorites. Even our finicky son loves baking and gobbling these treats. We've been recommending this great collection to all our friends with children. It's nice to find one cookbook that has so many easy-to-follow and delectable recipes.

As a newlywed, I could relate to the simple, delicious recipes contained in this book -- it uses easy-to-acquire, healthy, and appetizing ingredients. I don't have time to create masterpieces; I just need recipes I can depend on time and again. That's why I love The First Book of Baking -- since a friend sent it to me as a gift, I've used it several times, and been delighted by what I can create with a few yummy ingredients and Besser's value-added suggestions

Pacheco's poems are nothing short of amazing. Uniquely rich in their description, his poems range from hysterically funny to utterly touching. Each poem beautifully integrates meaning, depth, and rhythm, allowing any reader the most compelling experience. It's an unpretentious, beautiful work that I would recommend most highly to any lover of poetry or prose.

When I finished this book of poetry, I felt as though I personally knew Mr. Pacheco and his family, especially his abuelita.
It is a funny, sad, poignant, painful and personal account of his life. I am not Latina; yet I could appreciate his feelings of pride and love and enjoyed his sharp sense of humor.
As an educator, I would highly recommend this book for use in high school or college classes.

This is a wonderful book of poetry with very vivid images. Pacheco talks about his early life, in New York City, as a Nuyorican: how he got his name, his first haircut, his grandmother and more. The Sailing to Sanibel section contrasts his life in retirement on Sanibel Island.

I enjoyed this book immensely...more the second time than
the first. I do suggest that Amazon.com categorize this book correctly. It is NO-WAY science fiction or fantasy!

My son and I love all Kim Lewis's books. Her cosy illustrations are so dear. This story is simple and meaningful.

It's true - this is my two year old sons' favorite story out of the 300+ that sit on his bookshelf. The illustrations are glorious, and the story is simply wonderful. I swear we can smell the clean, crisp air that the author depicts on that mountain! I highly recommend this one - in fact, I just ordered five more books by Ms. Lewis!

My little Sara loves books and this is her favorite (and I really like it too - it is a pleasure to read it over and over and over... :). She has never fed sheep, but she helps me feed our dog. She may or may not remember what snow is like. But Kim Lewis makes the entire story real and meaningful for her. Every time we read it and get to a particular page she identifies with Sara and says "she's sad!" We are very happy they have such a good dog that saves the day. This book took her to a beautiful new world and we never tire of returning.

This book has great pictures as described elsewhere on this page. It also has a great plot and appropriate character development for a little listener. I think the text in this book is helping my daughter make the connections between words and stories. She even asks me to read the very last page, which is a short bio of Kim Lewis. She wants me to read every word. Maybe this book will increase her desire to learn to read for herself some day. I want to read more of Lewis' books.