Miniature Books

Did you ever wonder how your favorite Christmas hymns and carols came to be written? Where were they first sung and why? Who are the people behind them? What events in their lives, what discoveries of faith, inspired these beloved songs into being? Ace Collins has complied a lovely little book to help you find out.

For instance, here you will find everything from "Angels from the Realms of Glory" to "White Christmas". (Yes, there are some popular songs sprinkled in among the hymns and carols!). Do you know...

...What favorite hymn was written the Christmas that the church organ conked out? (Yes, I know some of you know the tale, but it is here for those who don't).

...Which one was a faithful Christian's response to the carnage of the War Between the States?

...Which hymn was penned with a visit on horseback to the village of Jesus' birthplace fresh in the writer's memory?

Ace Collins relates the stories, both familiar and fresh. He helps the reader not only wonder as they wander through the holidays but also figure out who Good King Wenceslas was and why he is worth singing about after all these years. Collins is the author of over fifty books including "Turn Your Radio On" and "The Cathedrals". All of these stories are accompanied by the words of the carols and hymns, so you can sing or hum along as you read about them.

This book would be a great devotional book or family conversation starter to use throughout the Advent season, with 31 different stories to inspire your heart and mind throughout the wondrous season. It is small enough to serve as a great stocking stuffer and lovely enough to be a stand-alone gift for any number of people on your Christmas list.

I heard Ace Collins on a radio show talking about his book and sharing some of the stories/origins behind many of my favorite Christmas songs, both sacred and secular. Not only did I want the book for myself, but decided it would make a great gift, especially for people in my life who have EVERYTHING--I'm sure you have some of those people too. I bought two copies at a very reasonable price and the recipients loved them. I plan to buy a few more for next Christmas.

The book and information was wonderful. A very nice read. However - stick to the original size. This miniature edition is a little TOO miniature... only about 1 inch square.

For someone with 50 books to his credit--as per the dust jacket--Collins is highly sloppy in the research of this book. As has been previously noted, he just presented a common story about the origins of "Silent Night" without necessarily having done any deep research. And the comments about "The Twelve Days of Christmas" come straight from a silly internet piece, with no basis in fact.

This is common throughout this book. It seems more often than not, Collins has just done some cursory internet research and then slapped it all together and called it good.

Some other screw-ups: Irving Berlin was worried that "White Christmas" wasn't really a good song. Actually Berlin, upon introducing it to his office staff and musical secretary, refered to it as "not only the greatest song I've ever written, but the greatest song ever written." Berlin at one point had plans to make White Christmas the main production number in a major Broadway revue. In performing it for Crosby and studio execs, Berlin got nervous with himself and choked in performing it. You can read about this in Jody Rosen's excellent book on White Christmas, called "White Christmas."

As for his assertions about the meaning and origin of the term Merry in merry Christmas, he gets it wrong again. Ten minutes in the Oxford English Dictionary, available at any decent public library, would have given him the answers.

Better Books on this subject are Rosen's afforementioned book and "The Penguin Book of Christmas Carols" ed. Ian Bradbury.

The author should quote his sources, because others in the future may take his statements for fact, when some of the stories are not backed up by other authors / researchers. I have found conflicting information about some of the music both in print and online. A Google search will lead you to different versions and also different background info on "The Twelve Days of Christmas", for example. Also, though I am no musicologist, I would consider a christmas song as being secular, and a christmas carol as being about sacred topics, i.e. Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. In contrast, The "Reader's Digest Merry Christmas Songbook" is pretty good about (briefly) explaining the backgound / history of the selections (plus it has the music) and almost every one of the popular songs, but it does not always have all of the verses of the songs.

This is a marvelous Christmas story about giving all that you have to the one that you love just as the Magi did so long ago. It is a classic written by O'Henry and the illustrations are magnificent.

When I get married, that's how I hope I will be to my wife! This is a beautiful Christmas story that embodies the spirit of giving.

I remember finding this story once in picture edition and loved the illustrations but can't seem to be able to find it. Either way, this is a wonderful story of serving others and of what is really important.

"Gift of the Magi" is a wonderful story (my favorite by O. Henry), and this little book makes a great stocking stuffer for the little ones. I recommend.

The Gift of the Magi is heavily laced with details, but has a good plot. The plot is easy to follow, and is beautifully detailed in just the right parts. The plot has been adapted in different versions, so it isn't the BEST idea in the world, but it has good morals. I would give this 4 stars out of a possible 5.

The Gift of Magi is an O. Henryfs classic Christmas story that is about a couple, Jim and Della, who loved each other. They were very poor people, but they wanted to buy a Christmas gift for each other. They did not have enough money, so they decided to sell their important things to buy a gift. Della wanted to buy a gold chain for Jimfs gold watch, but she didnft have enough money. Instead, she cut her hair that was her pride, and sold it. And Jim, whose watch was great and really expensive, sold it to buy the combs that Della had wanted for a long time. So as a result, their Christmas day was not happy at all. This storyfs ending is not happy, but I like this storyfs classic theme and plot. I think that this book has good theme and plot though they are simple. This is interesting and a well organized story. We can learn cultures of American from reading O. Henryfs short stories about Americanes.

This is a wonderfully informative book. It is the kind of book that has material both for the person who knows nothing about moss gardening and the person who is a veteran moss enthusiast. If we were more into moss and less into lawns the environment would be more healthy. We wouldn't have to pump polluting weed killers and fertilizers into our precious ground water. There is nothing more beautiful than an area of velvety moss and this book tells you how to achieve it. I'll take moss over a lawn any day. If one is not ambitious to convert and entire lawn to moss, a little shady spot will do!

After all of the hype I read about this book I was very excited when purchasing it, however when it arrived I found the supposed 'beautiful photographs' to look badly out of date and the writers egotistical attitude to be very annoying.

The author is so egotistical he A. Leaves what his publisher told him to write about in his opening, in the books opening. B. Acts like he is a Messiah to moss because he moves from home to home studying and growing it for several years. Because of reasons A & B I have not been able to pickup this book again since dragging myself past 8 pages.

Images in this book take you instantly into an green fairy tale. Carefuly chosen details speek for them self, in addition to it, text was writen with humor, and very professionaly, at the same time.

Another nice book with some good photos but expected a little more terms of variety of mosses reviewed. Certainly could have included more photos....

This is an excellent text for the "beginner to mid" moss apprentice. The photos are brilliantly gorgeous and add much excitement to the text. Schenk is clearly an enormous fan of moss as his pen scrolls simple, yet technical, information about moss throughout the text. The only qualm I have with this book is that Schenk keeps to the 2 major genus of moss. However, the photos, which might give the moss-lover ideas for a moss garden, pull the book into a text that is a must for the moss-"er."

I have a bit of an obsessive-compulsive disorder with moss. I collect it, use it to build moss sculptures, grow many different genus of it. 2 years ago, I fell in love with moss and the obsession hasn't stopped.

The book is an excellent resource for WWII German armour modellers, and also for any armour modeller or scratchbuilder. Some of the information is specific to German WWII armour (markings, camo patterns), but much of the book provides general modeling techniques.
General techniques include discussion of specialized tools (general construction and scratchbuilding), sources of aftermarket parts to improve models, techniques for scratchbuilding and detailing including sheet construction, use of brass, soldering, putty and even vacuum forming.
Much of the book is filled with beautiful pictures of the authors models.
I would recommend the book for any serious armour modeller. There's enough information that almost everyone will find a few tips and tricks to improve their modelling, and you get a very nice book for the money.

I bought this book 5 years ago!and my only notion of this book is too many depiction about author's model experience,less step-by-step photos!and a lot of author's model Collection,The book's title should be change to "Tony greenland 's model gallery" will be much better!

First off - I love this book. I spent countless hours looking at the pictures of author's models. But IMHO that's all this book is: gallery to be used as an inspiration.

First half of the book describes building and painting models. Author's method is described in somewhat generic manner, with very little pictures to illustrate the text. Detailing, converting and scratchbuilding is covered, but most of the time only end result is shown on the photos.

Everything in author's method is 'straightforward': weathering is kept to a minimum, models are shown without any bases (not even very simple ones), there is no battle damage shown.

Overall I don't see this part as helpful - beginner won't find good explanations here, and a lot of this material will be familiar to intermediate modeler.

The second half of the book contains pictures of author's model collection. This is where the book comes into its own - photos are big and clear, taken in a very professional manner.

Overall the book feels dated in 2007. Models are very nice to look at, but with somewhat sterile look to them. They are certainly very nice, just not on the same level as work of top Spanish modelers seen in recent years. If you like looking at such 'oldfashioned' models - this book is definitely for you. Otherwise be aware of its limitations.

In my previous review of this book, I gave it 3 stars. Now that I have had more time to become a better modeller, re-reviewing this book I will give it 4 stars.

I found this book to have a lot of information concerning modelling (in general) in it, but lacking in certain techniques that I wish were discussed a bit better (or in addition to).

For one, most basic techniques, like washes, drybrushing, the neccessity of an Airbrush, etc. are not described in much if any detail at all. With that said, this book is more for the intermediate modeller whos looking for some new ways to be a better modeller. BEGINNERS BEWARE! However, compared to Scutt's books (which are worthless IMHO), this book does stand out somewhat better.

This book does contain a good amount of chit-chat, most of it is (to a degree) interesting, but I really wish he could of wrote more on better one's technique. It seems that most modelling techniques are quite easy to explain, but with all the chit-chat, some of the methods are almost vagely "buried". You will have to keep a sharp eye out while reading it to get the technique information. Its there, trust me.

Tony is a big super-detailer (and there are 3 chapters right in a row dedicated to it) and like I said before, he doesn't take the time to explain the basic techniques, within the first 20 pages he dives into etched brass this and individual track links that, making weld seems with your "power tools" (hehe). Some of his methods are quite good, like sticking black-painted pins into the side of the model to form Vinyl tracking to the shape wanted. Again, BEGINNERS BEWARE! This book is for somebody who has a model or two or three under their belt.

The weathering chapter is a really good grab (even to the beginner!) but I wish Tony would of explained in more detail that true weathering is a form of highlighting and shadowing (an artist's technique). If you look at any of Tony's kits, you will immediately notice that his model's are good because he really highlights raised edges and shadows crevices, and is an expert at blending the two. The end result being a REALLY NICE looking model. (To an extent, I think Tony almost overdoes the highlighting :P, but I guess thats what makes it stand out). Tip from me: don't go overkill on pastel chalks when weathering, just enough is almost too much, let the highlighting/shadowing blend be your real aim.

The chatper on Crew Figures, though, is completely worthless. No technique information at all, just some info on Companys that make the figure kits and some pictures of some of the best painted figures in the world (is that really nescessary, Tony!?!?)

Throughout the whole book there are MANY colored pictures to help you along the way. I wish Tony would of maybe put in a chapter for the beginner before diving into his super-detailing methods; I figure that the last chapter, the Gallery, is almost a bit "ego-tistical" in nature... Sure, the models are BEAUTIFULLY done, but you could of put a lot more technique bettering information in place of it, easily (or better yet, added to).

In conclusion, Tony does have a lot of good ideas and points for the Intermediate modeller. I apologize for making this book out to be "bad", but in the end, for what is in the book, the majority of it is positive, but its more for the Intermediate than Beginner. To better help the goods of the book, here is a chapter layout with what is included in each:

1) Tools (5 pgs) - What the expert, Tony Greenland, owns & uses.
2) Reference Material (4 pgs) - Books, pictures, some good advice.
3) Available Models (3 pgs) - Plastic kits, Resin kits, Manufacturers, Etched sets, Decals...
4) Construction & Super-Detailing (12 pgs) - Differences in materials (resin, plastic, etc.), some chit-chat on parts of kits, making bolts, weld seams, claps & buckles, cables... (good ideas, Tony!)
5) Conversion & Scratch-Building (6 pgs) - Measurements, Materials, Joints, Lamination, Construction principals...
6) Specialist Techniques (10 pgs) - Zimmerit, Soldering, Vacu-Forming...
7) Painting, Weathering, & Finishing (25 pgs) - Camoflauge & paints, Insignia/Markings, Finishing techniques (washes, chalks, etc.), Winter camoflauge, etc.
8) Crew Figures (8 pgs) - 1pg of Figure selections, then 7pgs of pictures (no how-to!!)
9) The Collection (46 pgs) - The best works of Tony Greenland.

Hope that helps.

If I had never read some of Tony Greenland's excellent magazine articles, I would have rated his book five stars. In his magazine articles he uses photos that directly relates to the text or he may include a 1/35 template. However all serious German WWII AFV hobby novice MUST include this book in his/her reference library. Note: his book only covers building German WWII AFV's and figurines in 1/35 scale. For the simple reason that it contains easy-to-follow tips on weathering paint, applying zimmerit, scratch building parts, rating cottage industry/major company products, selecting proper hobby tools, painting camouflage, etc. And he encourages modellers to develop a sound intellectual basis with his keen recommendations on reference materials. However, Mr. Greenland's book has some failings. I wish that he had included his templates for scratch building certain parts. In one of his old articles he had given templates for constructing an accurate Panther Auf A's turret. Another failing is that he should have included a chapter on painting, weathering, scratch building and detailing German military gear. Also, for Chapter Four on construction, he should have used photos of a step-by-step construction of one model instead of photos of different kits. It would have been easier to follow. And finally, on the chapter on figurines, it would have been nice to see more step-by-step examples especially uniforms. However, Mr. Stephan Muller-Herdemertens, an artist and accomplished 1/35 figurine painter, wrote that chapter. And in all fairness it was neither his nor Tony's decision to write such a brief chapter. What this book had lacked in details it had made up for in clarity. Mr. Greenland seems to have written his book with hobby novices in mind. His book makes seemingly difficult tasks look easy. For example; the sections on applying zimmerit, applying dry transfers, painting markings, making bolts and chain links, and his recommendations on using oils, enamels, primers, and pastels on plastics, resins, or metals make the book worth the money. I had given his book such a low rating because he should have packed more information/templates instead of having so many photos of his work. The panzer in the photos are beautiful but this is a textbook rather than being a showcase for his completed works. He should have included only photos of works-in-progress that relate directly to his text. However, by Mr. Greenland's own admission he had never taken many photos of his works-in-progress. Tony deserves five star for the helpful tips, three stars for the overall text because it is well written but too sparse on information at times, and one for the photo selections but that doesn't include chapter six, seven, and eight because those significantly enhanced the text. So, taking all three scores together it averages out to three. But all novice German WWII affectionados should buy it anyway because of Tony's easy-to-follow tips are cheaper in terms of one's money, time, and sanity than making all of the mistakes oneself.

I started using this book 2 years ago to learn the basics of Pilates. I have tried other Pilates books/DVDs since, but I keep going back to this book. The first part of the book explains what Pilates is, such as controlling movement, maintaining stability, and why breathing at particular times in the exercises is important, and it gives examples of these that are easy to understand. Then it goes into what the words neutral spine, abdominal scoop, pilates first position, etc., actually mean, and how to do them.

The mat exercises contain 4 levels: Pre-Pilates, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Not knowing anything about Pilates when I started, I began with the Pre-Pilates workout. Because there are multiple steps to most exercises, it did take some time to remember when to breathe, when to roll up or down, but once I got that down, it made the subsequent levels of exercises easier to learn. Also, a few of the exercises were impossible for me because I didn't have the strength to do them, but I just did what I could, for example the hip-up, I would lie on the mat with my feet in the air and worked those abdominal muscles although my feet were going nowhere, and within 2 weeks I was doing all 9 hip-ups. You just have to do a little more each time. The beginning mat series contains some exercises from Pre-Pilates and it's not very long, so it wasn't too difficult to learn.

The intermediate mat series is where I really felt I was getting a workout, and I still use this one, although I have added some to it since. It really felt as if I was getting an intense abdominal workout and after adding the variations for the side kicks, my legs definitely got stronger. The advanced series I have done a few times, but it is rather long, about an hour compared with 20 minutes of the intermediate, and I have trouble finding time for it.

The next section deals with Pilates accessories such as foam roller, magic circle, and big ball, and give some exercises to do using those. Overview of Pilates equipment just tells what some of the things are you might find in a Pilates studio and shows pictures of people using them, but gives no exercises.

Overall this is a great book that I would recommend to anybody interested in learning Pilates. Thanks to the wonderfully detailed instructions, I believe I am getting a safe, effective Pilates workout.

I couldn't understand the instructions either, for the same
reason: You have to read the book while you're trying to
do the exercise. However, this ended up giving me a great workout: I was lying on my back for many minutes holding a "crunch", since I had to keep my neck raised up trying to read the book while I was supine on the mat. This may be a new Pilates exercise.

-Ilan Vardi

I borrowed a copy of the book from my local library and liked it so much I bought it for myself and for my daughter-in-law.
I attended a Pilates class and told my instructor that I had the book - she remarked that it is one of the best and recommended it to the whole class here at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The book gives excellent explanations. While the class gave me a sense of how a flowing routine will work, I can do it at home with the aid of the book.

I recommend it highly. Thanks, A Pilates Dummy Fan

This is probably the best guide you can buy for Pilates. It is easy to understand and does not try to mystify or complicate the subject. It has good pictures and descriptions of exercises, most of which are good, but more than a few I think are really a strain on the back. I am not really enthusiastic about Pilates. I think basic callestenic exercises are just as effective if done mindfully and correctly. Nevertheless, if you are convinced that Pilates is magic and you want to purchase a guide this would be your best bet.

This book was one of my mom's rejects for the reason that she couldn't make head nor tail of the instructions. I like it quite a bit, but I have a background in modern dance and was already familiar with isolating different muscle groups. I think if you don't have a good sense of your body already, this book might be too confusing to start with.

So far there's a lot of good material for me to work with, although much of the book is dedicated to repetitive touting of the benefits of pilates (yes, we already know it tones) as well as super-advanced exercises using complicated equipment, which aren't really "for dummies." Still, the workouts are fun, challenging, and feel good on my body. I would recommend glancing at the instructions before buying and seeing if they make sense to you. If they do, you'll probably like this book -- otherwise, maybe try a video or simpler book.

This book could be classified as a table-top book besides a how-to-pattern book! Anita Crane's watercolor illustrations add to the beauty of this gem of a book. The photographs are also superb and I simply cannot wait to make the clothes, they are all exquisite! I like the idea that there is a multiple size range for the patterns and the ideas on customizing the doll clothes. This book is nothing short of sensational, superb, sublime and the absolute best I have seen! Thank you Anita Crane for a DREAM of a book!!!! You have inspired me! Dolls and teddies at this home will be quite fashionable soon! Could you do a book on dreamy and vintage type doll clothes for boy dolls/teddies? My children will love to have their toy friends dressed in clothes to match their own!!!

this book is the logical next step to the mary frances sewing book. it's incredible and simple. learn to sew doll clothes and then take on the real stuff. i started with sewing 101 went to mary frances and did my graudation here. now i'm on to the finer points of tailoring. forget home dec, do clothes, it's really fun and incredible and great showing off your creations.

this book gives you the basics and lovely clothes for your dolly to boot.

Book is good for those who really know their way around sewing, but not necessarily for beginners. I am working with a 7 year old on a sewing machine, and can generally follow instructions; but am still new to the sewing thing. Overall pretty good, but needs less jargon.

I've been sewing since i was a little girl, using regular vogue, simplicity, butterick, and mccalls patterns, mostly for doll clothes., this is the first book i've tried. I LOVE the freedom of it, how simplistic the patterns are. I've always been a stickler for authenticity and never really admired whimsy, this book really changed that. This book showed me how using fun whimsical fabrics can really add personality to a doll. Anyway, I found it really easy to use, but i'm a very experianced sewer of doll clothing. The instructions really weren't very clear, I didn't really see how you could make anything of lasting value using the no-sew methods that were also included. But my very favorite part of all was that by combining pattern peices you can make literally THOUSANDS of different designs for almost any size doll, included are patterns sized 12" to 18", I've enlarged them to fit 22" dolls and shrunk to 8" dolls and it worked alright. (with a little fine tuning), I've made some beautiful things using this book, and I also like how the clothes are arranged in seasons.

this book is the logical next step to the mary frances sewing book. it's incredible and simple. learn to sew doll clothes and then take on the real stuff. i started with sewing 101 went to mary frances and did my graudation here. now i'm on to the finer points of tailoring. forget home dec, do clothes, it's really fun and incredible and great showing off your creations.

the multi-sizes in the patterns are no different than those found in the professional sewing patterns fo butterick, vogue and simplicity. everyone does multi-sizes these days. this is a cheap way to learn how to read them.

this book gives you the basics and lovely clothes for your dolly to boot. venus dodge's books are also great for this journey, but you really have to be into dolls.

Mr. Matanle makes his opinions known, and he frequently can put forth a compelling case for a favorite marque. For the novice collector or photographer interested in using classic cameras, he provides an accessible start. Beyond that introduction, less general texts will likely yeild more substantive information.

Both of his books on classic cameras are heavily illustrated with his own photographs, which are, sadly, unrelentingly amateurish, murky, gritty and just plain lacking in any technical proficiency in black and white printmaking. Talk about making sow's ears from silk purses! The classic tools he describes deserve far better representation.

if you are interested in using classic cameras (defined by the author for the purpose of this book as 20's to 60's 35mm and rollfilm cameras), this is as nice a volume as i've come across. there's some truth to the comments about the author's personal photographs being a bit unpolished, but 1) the quality is standard for most camera-oriented books and 2) they do add a personal touch to what is, after all, a personal treatise. i also appreciate the author's contention that using the classic camera is a sort of fetish (NOT his words) that's difficult to articulate or justify on purely technical grounds.

the only other books that i've encountered that may better matanle's book are jason schneider's excellent collection of 80's Modern Photography columns "Camera Collecting" volumes I-III, which unfortunately out of print and cost hundreds of dollars.

If you are interested in collecting 120mm or 35mm classic cameras then you need this book. Mr. Matanle has owned and/or used most of the cameras in this book and the text is loaded with the kind of user information that can't be found anywhere else. I only wish this book were longer. I have read the book several times and I use it often to refresh my memory about a particular camera or manufacturer. It is well written and the black and white photographs of the cameras are excellent. Mr. Matanle even shows actual photos he took using the cameras discussed in the text. My copy is printed on heavy, high quality, clay paper that allows the high contrast, detailed photos to look their best. Highly recommended.

Ivor Matanle may be the first writer on classic cameras to write of them not merely as baubles but working photographic equipment for contemporary use, and for that alone he deserves a certain kudos.

However, I have several problems with this book, especially in this edition. From the other works he has done it's evident he's a good black-and-white photographer, but this printing doesn't reveal this: the quality of photoreproduction is not excellent.

Matanle is British, and the American reader will note that there are differences in nomenclature, in the cameras and lenses that are readily available (many items common in Britain would never be seen here), and in practices and attitudes regarding using cameras and lenses. While it's good to be exposed to foreign viewpoints, we are two nations separated by an almost-common language sometimes.

As a prime example, how could one cover "classic cameras" and not discuss Graflex? Simply put, although technically "large format" (at least in the most common 4x5 size, although there are smaller Graphics),no photographer's experience is complete without having used a Speed or Crown Graphic-handheld, with sheet film or a rollfilm back.

Although most of the cameras available today would seem like alien implements to photographers of fifty years ago, the principles of photography have not changed, and in fact many of the best cameras-M Leica, Hasselblad, Rollei TLR (yes, still in production)-are substantially similar today as when Frank, Dean and Sammy were on the charts, Marilyn was still the hottest movie star, and John Glenn getting ready to orbit the Earth. Others are very different from anything made now, yet sometimes capable of very good work with a little knowledge, and more conducive to doing so than today's popular microprocesssor-controlled polycarbonate affairs which often simply get in the way of, rather than facilitate, good photography. In addition, a camera that's still working-or easily made so-after fifty years stands a good chance of working fifty years from now, which is almost certainly not true of some modern cameras.

Ivor Matanle knows cameras as well as we know our own faces in the mirror, and his love and understanding of their strengths and weaknesses makes for informative and fascinating reading.

This is a wonderful book for browsing and/or serious study. The writing is first rate. The illustrations are fine photos and are inserted close to the accompanying text.

If you are a collector or merely want to learn more about these mechanical and optical marvels, you owe yourself the treat of reading this book.You will be richly rewarded.

His other book, "Classic SLR's" is equally rewarding. I refer to both books regularly. What a writer!

Again the stickers don't seem worth the money and my time turner was broken when I received it. Almost all of the sand had leaked out and it was stiff and didn't operate well. It was made out of what appeared to be pressed cardboard with a heavy cheap chain that I can't even tell you what it's made out of (maybe brass?). These miniatures are not worth what you spend on them.

Although it's not clear from the name of this product, it really is a Harry Potter time turner, with a little sticker book included in it. My daughter was Hermione for Halloween & this little necklace made a cute addition to her costume.

This Time-Turner replica looks a bit cheap, in my opinion, but as the next-cheapest option costs $50, I'd say it's a decent deal. I wish there was a cheap metal version of this, but I guess then nobody would bother buying the $50+ ones from the Noble collection. I also wish that the outer knobs really worked, but if the Noble Time-Turners don't have functioning knobs, I guess that would be asking way too much of this cute little toy.

If you want a good-quality replica, this isn't it. If you just want a Time-Turner because it looks cool, this is a good buy. The inner rings do spin, the hourglass really has sand running through it - for the price, it's okay.

P.S. I dropped mine a few minutes after taking it out of the box. Being plastic, it won't break, but the inner rings did pop out. Don't worry, though; the plastic gives enough so that you can squeeze it back into the outer ring.

As with the Harry Potter Golden Snitch Sticker Kit (Miniature Editions Kit), keep in mind that you are receiving the quality that you are paying for.

The Time-Turner is sure a fun prop, and more adequate for children that the Golden Snitch Kit. The prop is made of plastic with a metallic chain, and painted gold. The two inner circles move, and the hourglass (made of plastic too, not glass) actually works, although the little knobs don't. It even has a small engraving in the two outer rings.
The kit includes too a small pocket book with stickers picturing several moments of the film "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".

If you are a fan and/or a memorabilia collector, you will probably enjoy this for a more reasonable price that the one sold by the Noble Collection Harry Potter Hermione Granger Time Turner.

I bought this along with the Sorting Hat and Golden Snitch sticker kits. The stickers that come with these are very low quality, low-resolution images from the movies and are, to be honest, worthless.

The actual Time Turner that's included with this, however, is surprisingly cool. I saw a few photos of this kit on eBay and wasn't sure how cheap the toy would be in real life, but it's actually fairly good quality. The turner itself is plastic, but the chain is metal, so it would take a lot of effort to break it. This would be excellent for a young Harry Potter fan, since the Noble Collection time turners start at $50 (and, from what I've read, aren't worth the money at all).

Mine sits on a shelf in my office, and everyone who comes in wants to play with it. It was worth the $8, for sure.

My girls are 18 and 20 years old now and this was long a bedtime favorite when they were very small. I ran across it the other day while cleaning and was moved to tears at the page all in pink hearts that says, "quiet is a hug." We always stopped at that page and hugged when reading this book before bedtime. I'm buying a copy now for a friend's granddaughter, my namesake, who is turning a year old in two weeks. It's a classic.

Our very favorite bedtime book for 9 years and 4 children. However when ours finally wouldn't stay taped together any longer it was discarded to order a new one. Only about half the pages are printed in the new one discluding the very best parts, in our opinion. Please, publishers, please re-release the original!

I bought this for a young lady who has a brand-new baby. It's a book that has really thick cardboard pages, and the manufacturing process requires pages in multiples of 8 or something, so THEY LEFT OFF THE LAST FIVE OR SIX PAGES! Yeow! If I was the author, I'd be SO angry about it!

My babies LOVED this book - it used to end with a perfect "time to go to sleep" message. Now it ends abruptly. What moron came up with the idea for this book?

This is one of 3 books (Go To Bed Fred and Goodnight Little Bear) that I saved from when my 11 year old was little. We introduced this and the others to his little sister 2 years ago and she loves them just as much - although she has torn them to shreds!

My son actually learned the concept of being quiet from this book. He would always says, "HUSH"

I am ordering another copy of this and the others!

When my first child was born in 1998 we were given a copy of this book. We loved it and read the book until it fell apart. That edition I would happily give five stars to. I recently purchased a new copy for my youngest children and was disappointed to find several of the lines were removed, including the ending "quiet are you when you close this book, hush" which my daughter loved to whisper along with me. Because of the editing, I have to rate this edition at only 3 stars. Good, but not like the original.

If you are just getting into puppet building or veteran looking for some creative inspiration this book is most definitely worth a look. Everything is clearly explained, including color pictures. Even if you are just looking for crafts to do with the kids this book is worth the money as it will help you with projects that use very basic craft supplies and items around the house.

If you like this book I would suggest checking out another book by author John Kennedy, Puppet Planet.

This book is wonderful to use with the kids, all the puppets and very easy to make and my six year old has made just about every puppet in the book already! The instructions are easy for him to follow and the puppets always come out great!

Well,
It is good for kids, and as a teaching aid, Good photo reference ,pattern samples. An ideal book for beginners and show an array of materials that can be used with construction methods. Even though i would not really use it as a propmaker I would use it to teach or make puppets with my son.
p/s I would buy this before buying the foam book

I am an Elementary Art Teacher and the ideas in this book are perfectly suited for my students and class. I have, also, used the ideas at home with my own children. It's a colorful, well organized, easy to read guide ranging from easy to more challenging puppet making ideas for kids.

The Amazon book description clearly indicates that the book is geared toward children. I don't understand why the other reviewers didn't read what they were buying. If you don't know what you're buying, then there is a great chance that you won't get what you want. It was frustrating reading those reviews and it almost caused me not to purchase the book.

Anyway, my students and I love the book and have enjoyed making the puppets! I'd love to see more books and perhaps some demonstration CDs that my class could watch before beginning a project. Just a idea.

I was alittle disappointed when I receieved this book. God knows the title is a bit of an exageration. If you're buying for a child who needs craft projects for a rainy day then this is the book for you.
As an adult with a career in puppet building I found it a waste of money. Unless you're making a show that revolves around paper plate puppets.