Lifestyle Books

What a sweet book to read aloud to your kids! If you have just read the Lorax, and your kids like to hear longer stories, try this story about a community of insects that has to deal with a major pollution disaster -- a bagful of trash dumped on their village of mushroom-sized homes. I love Blegvad's illustrations, and the story is neither too long nor too short. It's about the same length and of a similar inspirational quality as "Elsie Piddock skips in her sleep". It is an amazing work of craft to convey this anti-pollution message without any didacticism. Good for both insect-lovers and those who are insect-averse.

Written some three decades ago by the Danish poet N.M. Bodecker, and charmingly illustrated in black-and-white ink drawings by his friend Erik Blegvad, this little book is a tiny overlooked jewel.

The story follows a beetle and his new community of ladybugs, crickets, ants, moths, caterpillars, and other insects as they repair the damage done to their cozy community of mushroom houses by litter dumped in their little corner of the woods. It's a hopeful, none-too-serious tale about recycling and making the best of a bad thing.

A great read-aloud for kids aged 4 and up, and a good short read for ages 7 and up. (Estimated reading level, grade 2-3, but it's a rather short story).

This biography of tragedy and triumph never passes blame on America's treatment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, but simply tells the story from the point of view of Alice, who is swept away from (not in the book, but true nonetheless) nursing school to a smelly stall in a stockyard with her husband. She and her devoted husband do take whatever opportunity they are given to get out of the desparate situation and their hard work is rewarded with more hard work. While they end up being the largest gladiolus growers in the country, they have (a modern story of success) no time to enjoy it. Selling the farm, they are never as successful again, and shortly after, Alice is widowed. She finds herself and her hope again, returning to what she loved as a young girl: dancing. Say's artwork is as inspiring as the story he tells of this 80+ year old woman who lives to dance. Get this book for anyone who needs a boost of courage and renewed hope. It would also be suitable for a child, to introduce an American history or tolerance lesson, or simply as a gift from a grandparent...

Lucky is the parent?/grandparent? who chooses this book to share with a child. The reader may be swamped with memories (possibly guilty?) of the 1940's when fear and hatred gripped many Americans. After the Pearl Harbor attack, fellow citizens of Nisei background were herded into camps behind barbed wire.

One couple, Mark & Alice Sumida, became farmers instead, a lucky & rare alternative. Alice kept the music of dance in her soul, even when WORK was her whole existence.

Students in grades 4-7 may not often select "picture books" for their reading, nor books about the serious topics covered here by perceptive Allen Say. His is a morality tale . . . of resilience, and of creative thinking. Through his words and exquisite drawings a salute to courage and fortitude is etched upon one's mind.

How can Alice respond to hardships with humor dancing in her eyes? Yet she does. The evidence is shown in three drawings of the mature woman. REVIEWER mcHAIKU SUGGESTS: "Don't miss any opportunity to talk with youth about how Justice often takes flight in wartime."

With Alice, Say puts a face on the experience of the Japanese American's who were relocated during WWII. Alice and her husband, Mark Sumida's, first "relocation" was to a cow stall at the stockyards. From there they "volunteered" to be farmhands. They were sent to the deserts of eastern Oregon were they were encouraged to grow crops as part of the war effort. Mark studied agronomy and tried to improve the soil by growing alfalfa in the off-season. Through hard work, they became the largest gladiola bulb growers in the US after the war. This is a subtle and delicate family story the reminds all Americans of the injustices that Japanese Americans faced during WWII. Karen Woodworth Roman, East Asian Children's Books.

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What's it like growing up on an Aussie farm? Read Alison Lester's "My Farm" and you will be captivated by her reminiscences.

You will follow young Alison and her two brothers and sister through the highs (many) and lows (a few) of their young rural lives.

There's lots of Aussie bush humour shining through. Painting clay stripes on an old black horse gives you a "Native Australian Zebra" and entering your Kelpie sheep dog in the dog high jump is all part of the fun.

We are not shielded from the harsher realities of life in the bush. We are threatened by bushfires; round-up runaway cows and we even assist mum to deliver a newborn calf.

We enjoy the bounties of nature and go picking wild blackberries and field mushrooms.

There are some esoteric references to which only Aussies might relate, such as children swinging on the rotary clothesline, best known as the iconic Hills Hoist.

Alison's illustrations have a quirky charm. Faces are simply drawn, but the atmospherics of the landscapes and farm scenes are exquisite.

"My Farm" is the most sophisticated of Alison's works and neatly supplements her other works such as "Bouncing and Bumping" for the younger reader and "Imagine" her most successful book.

Some readers may want a glossary of Aussie terms eg chooks = hens, drover = cowboy, mobs = herd, but these all give a delightful flavour to a book which will have great appeal to all young children.

This book attracted me with its beautiful cover, and I expected a well-illustrated, serene pastoral. I was right about the pictures, they're uniformly superb but "My Farm" has a greater narrative and emotional range than its simple title suggests. Between the covers, Lester shows us the fun and the hard work of living on an Australian sheep and cattle farm.

"My Farm" skirts the boundaries between the picture book and the chapter book by using three pictures per page, acoompanied by Lester's tightly constructed, informative narrative. Lester is also capable of poetic images that match the soft visuals. This autobiographical book follows the seasonal chores and mischief on a mid-20th centure seaside Australian farm. Lester invokes another time and place through Australian terms (explained at the back of the book), and her pictures of the farm and its surroundings. While farm life (big family gatherings, humorous encounters with siblings, home grown games, horseback riding, community faires) are pleasingly light, Lester doesn't settle into an easy sentimentality. Baby and older animals don;t always make it, and sheep may be slaughtered for food. The latter is depicted by a soft version of something you might see in a butcher shop, nothing gory, but you know what you're seeing.)

A recurring subplot involves Lester's desire for a bigger, faster pony. It's no surprise when she finally gets on, but young kids not used to this formula may enjoy the suspense. Disappointed one summer Christmas (Lester reminds us later that the seasons are "reversed" in Australia), young Alison gets her dream horse one Christmas later, waiting for her under an apple tree just ready for plucking. With gorgeous pictures and funny, informative, and sometimes touching vignettes, this is a heart-warming piece of Australiana.

A perfect way to bring Laura's memories in the big woods to life. From churning butter, romping outside or playing paper dolls by the fire, your child can recreate a typical day at the Ingalls' cabin. This beautifully illustrated book helps your child visualize what pioneer life was like and the variety of the stickers holds their interest for hours. A must have for any Little House fan who loves stickers.

A perfect way to bring Laura's memories in the big woods to life. From churning butter, romping outside or playing paper dolls by the fire, your child can recreate a typical day at the Ingalls' cabin. This beautifully illustrated book helps your child visualize what pioneer life was like and the variety of the stickers holds their interest for hours. A must have for any Little House fan who loves stickers.

I love this book. My four year old and two year old love this book. The cadence in it is so catchy that we find ourselves singing it all day long. And the woodcut illustrations are a unique little treasure all in themselves. I'll be checking out more of Jim Aylesworth's books from our library!!!

This book is good from Ed to John.The John part is familiar from somewhere,except I don't really know where.For some reason my sister (who also read it) finds it boring,she only likes 2 of the girls.My 3 year old brother LOVED it as much as I did!My mom says he likes the rythem she read it in.Well I mostly liked the children from Ed to John.(In case you haven't noticed,Ed is 1st and John is the last.

This was a very good book and would be wonderful for a class or a child that will be sewing a quilt for the first time

An excellent read-aloud story for children. The text tells how quilts told stories and how the first quilts were made from materials at hand. This is an excellent book to read if you were planning on designing a quilt, real with cloth or with paper blocks, with younger children. The pictures are very well done with great colors.

A Distinguished Physician...... tells you what to do to live the healthy, energetic, joyful life he has helped thousands to achieve. Now with the NEWSTART Lifestyle Program at the renowned Weimar Institute in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, Dr. Foster has a distinguished record of medical practice and public health service in many countries.

You can begin to enjoy renewed vitality and freedom from illness with this valuable guide:

Eight Essentials for Health
Nutritional Integrity
How to Select Foods for Health
Ways to Better Sleep
Coping with Stress
Exercises for Strength, Relaxation, and Energy
Natural Relief for Headaches
Sunshine for a Healthier Skin
Your Body's "Second Heart"
Ways to Improve Digestion
Strengthen Your Immune System
Vitamins and Minerals
Fats and Fibers
What Supplements Are Needed?
Reduce Health Care Costs
Weight Control with Water!
Quit Smoking in Five Days
Good News About Cancer
Building Cancer Immunity
Achieving Self Control
The Healing Value of Trust
... And Much More!
--- from book's back cover

A distinguished physician tells you what to do to live the healthy, energetic, joyful life he has helped thousands to achieve. Now with the NEWSTART Lifestyle Program at the renowned Weimar Institute in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, Dr. Foster has a distinguished record of medical practice and public health service in many countries.
--- from book's back cover

We bought this book after our trip in New York.
Our sons love it. They remenbered all they did there.
To buy or to offer.

I bought this book for a six year old visitor who has the reading skills of an 8 year old. She was visiting Manhattan and used this book as a guide for herself as we took in the sites. The illustrations are charming and she was able to read the text by herself. Nice guide for the child to read while here in NYC!

[...] Although the text may not be appropriate for a 1 or even 2 year old, as a Kindergarten teacher, I find this book very useful to help the children imagine the breeze blowing against their cheek and to imagine hearing the sounds of the story. They like it! The pictures are so beautiful, but I have read this book just as a listening exercize, pausing after each page to see if they "felt" what was described in beautiful imagery. It's a great book to bolster the imagination and vocabulary of a child.

This book is a great before bed book. The art is beautiful, and the words are full of imagery. Excellent for any child.

My 3 year old son loves this book. I learned of this author / illustrator team reading "Close your eyes," another good bedtime book. I came across this one on Amazon and noted that it is one of relatively few books that focus on children and their fathers. Mom's feature prominently in most childrens' books. As a divorced fatherwho doesn't get to spend nearly enough time with his little boy, I wanted to find some that focus on kids spending time with Dad. The illustrations are simple but evocative, and the words seem to transport a child into the world of a busy city at night.

I highly recommend this, especially for fathers and sons.

Every night, Papa kisses Alex good night, puts him to bed and then goes off to work. He's an engineer at a construction site and a night worker. While everyone else is home and in bed, sleeping, Papa is at work, doing his job. One special night, Papa gives Alex his own hard hat and together they go out into the night to Papa's job..... Kate Banks has written a gentle, endearing story full of imagery and magic that turns the quiet night into an unimagined busy place...full of street sweepers, delivery men, heavy machinery and cranes that dig holes, move earth, pour concrete and lift steel. Her simple easy to read text is complimented by Georg Hallensleben's wonderful, subdued artwork that will transport youngsters right to the job site, surrounding them with the sights, sounds and construction activity as the night workers go about their work. And as day begins to break, all is quiet and little Alex has gone to sleep, dreaming of becoming a night worker, too, when he grows up.