Miniature Books

I enjoy making woodworking projects and in particular like the Arts & Crafts style. I own his book and quite a few more on the subject.

I decided to make one of the Morris chairs from the book. The plans are very inadequate. There are many missing measurments. You can calculate almost all of them but you have to take the time to do so and then take even more time to make sure they are right and even more time to make sure that they fit in with other parts of the plan.

For example, the drawings do not give the width of the back but do give you the distance between the back posts. Well that is simple to calculate, just add the width of the posts. But if you add the thickness of the washers to the back, the width of the back plus the washers is greater than the opening and so the back won't fit. In addition, the directions are not clear whether or not the arm overhangs the legs. If the arm overhangs the leg, the width of the back needs to be less and the width of the washers needs to be thicker.

The end result is that it takes a lot longer to make the piece than if the drawings were better because you have to not only figgure how to make the piece you are working on, you have to think through the following steps to make sure everything else will fit. The really sad thing is that the plans would only need to be 10% better to be a huge amount better.

I am currently working on the bookcase that the previous reviewer had so much trouble with. I couldn't agree more--the "top back" piece is missing entirely from the cut list and the description, with no indication on how it was joined. The drawing is inconsistent with the cut list. Nothing wrong with this, so long as you treat the book as a guide and inspiration rather than a detailed step-by-step manual. Problem is, it pretends to be the latter rather than the former. You wind up having to double-check the author's work and thinking out the design before making any cuts.

I've built several other pieces from the book with no trouble--it may be that the defects in this book are limited to the bookcase. It's too bad--the bookcase is the best looking project in the book.

For some inexplicable reason my mind sees a parallel between Japanese furniture craftsmanship of the past 1000 years or so and the work coming out of the Arts & Crafts Movement the flourished between 1870 and 1920 in Europe and the USA. Despite the fact that I know full well that they differ in many core esthetic principles. Perhaps it is the preference for simple, geometric lines and grace, or the emphasis on workmanship rather than decoration, or the desire to create beauty in the simplest of things. But there is a connection, and as someone who has become focused on redesigning a home, that connection is all that is needed.

Paul Kemner and Peggy Zdila have written a book designs to satisfy both those interested in the Movement itself, and those who would just as soon be a-building. The first half of this beautifully made paperback discusses the influences of William Morris and Gustav Stickley, both as philosophers, designers, and craftsmen. Full of photographs of some fine representative pieces and quotes. From that point the discussion shifts to the means - tools, techniques, and materials. Last is some 25 projects, large and small, that are opportunities to discover what it is all about first hand.

The writing style is patient and clear. Unfortunately, neither writer is the sort to spellbind a reader. While I found the discussion useful and worthwhile, Kemner and Zdila never quite breathe life into the more esoteric parts of the discussion. As another review has pointed out, the plans are well done, but one must read them thoroughly in order to avoid discovering too late that something got left out of the bill of materials. For the most part, though, all the information needed is present.

A designer with a sense of humor once remarked that more people are interesting in movement Arts & Crafts since its revival than ever were during its heyday. I like to think that this has as much to do with the values expressed by the movement as much as it does with the satisfactions of its beauty. Whatever the reason, this is a fine volume to start up a lasting interest.

This book was a gift for Christmas...I'd been looking for Morris Chair plans for a while and this one offers four (one base unit and variations on the plans.) The materials list for the Panel Side Morris chair were good, however, on the "leg pieces" I think the dimensions are switched. It states 28" x 1 1/4" x 2 1/4"...I think it should be 28" x 2 1/4" x 1 1/4". Otherwise the directions and dimensions are great.

The photos are are really nice and I can't wait to start on the settle piece.

If you're competent to read and follow instructions, I think you'll enjoy using this book! I don't think anyone should be using sharp tools if they can't follow instructions! I have successfully completed several projects in this book and read through the rest of them.

On the bookcase plan that the previous reviewer was commenting about, it looks to me like the piece called Top Back got left off of the materials list. But it is clearly shown in the photos, and dimensions are given in the drawings. It is also mentioned in the text directions. I regard a materials list as a "shopping list." It is a guide, not a final check before I cut my wood! Also, I have another comment about a previous review. I know someone with an antique Stickley bookcase just like the one in the plan in this book. It's obvious it never had a partition between the 2 halves.

Many woodworking books have errors, even the touted Bavarro and Mossman one has a serious problem with the grandfather clock plan. I like the way this one is written, though, and I'm looking forward to building more projects from Building Arts and Crafts Furniture, including that bookcase.

This book (as do all of hers) captures the imagination of children completely. They LOVE to have this story about a very naughty squirrel and very scary old owl read to them. (who knew impertinent squirrels and creepy owls were so much fun!) Her words are only a well-chosen few, which makes it easy for small children to follow, but not simplistic, so that they learn to understand sophisticated vocabulary. The few words are augmented by exquisite watercolors that tell so much more of the story, and make the children crave to hear them again and again. For instance, I'll never forget the relief and also confusion i used to feel every time he got away -- mainly because of the picture that went with it, which is still in my mind today. Oh, and, one more thing -- the reviewer below who characterized this tale as rude, violent and gory, also said this about The Tale of Jeremy Fisher: "My own favorite thing about Jeremy Fisher is that he is eaten, then spit back out because his rain gear doesn't taste good to the fish who's swallowed him! How many books do you know where the main character is eaten? Good stuff." So, Leggo, it's ok to eat frogs but not squirrels?

This is a story of a naughty little squirrel name Squirrel Nutkin, who loves to tease Mr. Brown, an owl who lives on an island filled with nut trees, which fancy the other squirrels. Daily the squirrels came bringing gifts to Mr. Brown as to gain permission to harvest these nuts in return.

While they are being polite, Squirrel Nutkin is prety much very naughty. He teases him with riddles, mostly ignore by the owl but when too much is too much one day, Mr. Brown punished Nutkins by having his tail torn off!

This is a cute and enjoyable little story. It also teaches kids to not to tease people too much that they are out of line. The illustrations are beautiful. The riddles are cute. The plot and charcaters draws you in. Children would love to read or to be read to with this funny little "tail". Don't miss out inadding this book to your children's reading list.

This is a delightful timeless Tale about an misbehaving squirrel. The riddles are delightful, and the vocabulary exquisite.

Unfortunately, some of the reviewers have looked at this story with the eyes and wisdom of this present age. In time, we will see value in teaching that good can overcome evil, rather than pretending that evil simply doesn't exist. Owls do eat squirrels, impertinance is punished. That is life.

Also, to say that he gnaws his tail off is absolutely untrue and ridiculous. It breaks(gorelessly)in the struggle.

I love it, as does my daughter.

Squirrel Nutkin was one of the finest and most imaginative of Ms Potter's stories and the only one I place above it is the Tale of Peter Rabbit. Nutkin is the name of a cheeky and insolent squirrel who thinks far too much of himself until he is caught by an Owl who has both patience and wisdom as he endures many insults from Nutkin. At last he reacts and it appears that it is the end for the impudent squirrel. At the last moment he escapes from the owl's home when his tail breaks in two and he scurries off to safety. He is left with a partial tail as a reminder to mind his manners in the future. An important correction is necessary regarding this owing to an error in an above review. Nutkin did NOT chew his tail off to escape and I invite the reviewer to actually read the book so she understands this important point. This is a wonderful story for young children with many inportant messages. My own children greatly enjoyed these tales when they were young and still talk about them from time to time. There is a reason why Beatrix Potter's books remain among the best selling childrens books of all time. Her stories and the lessons therein are timeless and the moral absolutes are of critical value at a time when our anything goes culture is in chaos and espouses the worst behavior possible. It is truly refreshing and hopeful that brilliant childrens tales written in 1903 still have much to teach us in 2007.

This cute little book was written and illustrated by the great Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) in 1903, the second of her many wonderful stories. This book tells the tale of Squirrel Nutkin, who refuses to show respect for an important owl, and pays the price.

Overall, I found this to be a cute story, and a lot of fun to read to my little one. The "riddles" are obvious in their answer, but still a lot of fun to read. So, as with all of Ms. Potter's works, I highly recommend this book!

Purchased this book as a wedding gift for someone who has always wanted to go to Ireland, but never quite made it there. Many of the other Ireland-related books at Amazon were more like travel guides, etc... This particular book was the only one suitable as a wedding gift. The recipient was delighted. I recommend this book as a great gift item for all wannabe Irish travelers.

This is a Wonderful book! The pictures are very beautiful, vivid!
And the verses are lovely...I am just thrilled to have bought a copy. Our Public Library even ordered a copy after having looked through mine. Outstanding!! Truly.

This wonderful volume matches a gallery of photographs that truly capture the beauty of Ireland with a collection of blessings attributed to Irish saints, songwriters, poets, and Irish custom. The effect of the collection is both moving and comforting, especially to those who have been fortunate enough to experience Ireland first hand.

The photography heavily favors the wild and undeveloped Western part of Ireland; visitors may recognize scenes from the Dingle Peninsula and the Killarny area, among others. The blessings are a celebration of Irish spirituality; quotes from early Irish Christians mingle with customary blessings and songs and items from popular Irish writers. They together are an invocation to remember the simple and important things in life.

This book is highly recommended to the reader familar with Ireland and with its spirituality.

This book appears to be a normal size book in its add on the web but is infact only 2 1/2 inches wide and 3 inches long.
Nowhere do they tell you that. I was ordering for adults not children.
Thank You for your time.
Sarah Matthews

The dementia of this book are entirely appropriate. One minor criticism: Ms. Shannon neglected to include an excerpt from the works of the often-overlooked Irish pugilist-poet Fighty McDrunkahan. His cycle of travellers' poems -- "Jaysus, What's This in Me Shoe?" -- is a classic of vernacular Irish literature.

This book uses the author's own production metal figures as the basis for the modelling projects. Thus, the models are generally of 80mm scale, not the more common 54mm scale. The techniques used are not universally applicable, being limited to modelling mail armor, basic drapery and general modification of the commercially available figures. There are only simple references to heraldry, with painting techniques being supplemented by the author's own commercial range of waterslide transfers. The diorama techniques are also superficial, again being more suitable as a backdrop to showcase the finished models. The finished models appear static and are not particularly appealing.

I became hooked on miniature figure modelling and painting when I received a 54mm St. Petersberg Roman miniature about six months ago as a gift. Since then, I have discovered a wonderful, relaxing new hobby: figure painting.

As a life-long medieval history enthusiast, I found Armstrong's book to be a great addition to my modest but growing miniature modelling library. While it is true that Armstrong's subject matter is fairly limited to the 13th and 14th centuries in England and Scotland, that is the "sweet spot" of my subject interest. Plus, the principles he relays are transferable - such as a mini-introduction to painting, sculpting and diorama building.

If anything else, you will learn some very cool techniques on creating realistic 13th c. castle walls, textured stones and all!

Well worth the price and the time.

Excellent book. Well documented and well written. A must own for anyone who wants to expand beyond trolls and Nazis.

Armstrong is an accomplished modeler and figure manufacturer. The book has a focus on British Medieval figures with much discussion on heraldry for that area. Other parts of the medieval world are given scant attention.

He demonstrates many techniques for building both metal figures and scenes to place them in. His techniques for building castle sections for figure displays was very interesting. He does not discuss painting techniques much except for burnishing and polishing armor.

All in all a good reference for those wishing to model British medieval subjects.

Armstrong is an accomplished modeler and figure manufacturer. The book has a focus on British Medieval figures with much discussion on heraldry for that area. Other parts of the medieval world are given scant attention.

He demonstrates many techniques for building both metal figures and scenes to place them in. His techniques for building castle sections for figure displays was very interesting. He does not discuss painting techniques much except for burnishing and polishing armor.

All in all a good reference for those wishing to model British medieval subjects.

My 2 year old grandson is a huge Elmo Fan. I gave him this book for Valentines day. He loved it. It comes with a small valentine that can be removed and passed from page to page to Elmos friends. I read it with him...showing him how to give the, take out valentine, to all of Elmos friends. A little hard,at two,to do by himself. Great for a three or four year old. A wonderful lesson in love and giving and having the love you give come full circle back to you.

I bought this book for my neice and she loved it. When I ordered the book I didn't realize that the little heart moves from page to page. My neice thought that was the best part. The only problem is that the heart gets bent over time but worth the money.

My daughter enjoys this book greatly. The only issue is that there is an actual Valentine that can be removed and it fell out prior to an adult poking it out it has stayed put other wise.

I had to peek at this book before I gave it to my grandchildren. I LOVED IT. My grandson carried this book around with him ALL DAY on Valentine's Day. He loves all things Elmo and especially this book because of the moveable heart. Keep them coming. Long live Elmo!

This books is very small, but very cute. My one year old loves Elmo. There is a removable heart Valentine on the first page that you are able to stick in the other pages. It is a very cute idea, but not that practical for us. We lost the heart after a couple of days, but still enjoy the book.

The colors are dull and the book is very flimsy. The cover and pages inside are too thin and bend easily, so it's difficult to hold up and read. We have a lot of children's paperback books and this is the only book I've received of this low quality. It's definitely not worth the purchase.

THe story of glodilocks is more than just story that will put your child to sleep. If one reads deeper into the story they can find morals instilled. These fairytales are a great way to teach young children many lessons. Depending on the version read one may be able to extract many different views. Not only does it depnd on the authors views but also the background of the reader(you)

The only qualities shared by James Marshall's Goldilocks and that other famous eating-stting-and-sleeping girl are their hair color and a very low tolerance for porridges, chairs, and beds that aren't just right. This Goldilocks is...well...a brat, "one of those naughty little girls who do exactly what they please.
Ignoring her mother's directive, as well as several "Roadrunner"-like signs ("Turn Back," "Go The Other Way," "Not a Good Idea), she takes the forbidden shortcut and happens upon the house of Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear.

Marshall's revives this old chestnut with his prank-loving, slightly mean-spirited heroine. Aside from disobeying her mother, she seems gluttonous, spoiled, and not overly bright. ALthough pictures of bears hang all over the walls, and she notices "a lot of coarse brown fur," all she can think is "They must have kitties." She devours baby Bear's porridge, breaks the chair, and has the nerve to crawl into Papa's bed after finding the other two unsuitable. Her rationale is the repeated "I don't mind if I do."

The animals' language accounts for much of the humor. The chair is not just broken--it's broken to "smithereens!" Papa Bear cries "Patooie!" after scalding his tongue, and when Baby Bear gets similarly dramatic, Mama Bear, who represents the happy medium both in size and disposition, admonishes them "Now really, that's quite enough." While the Bears are pleasant and dressed in Easter-best clothes, Papa Bear is clearly "not amused" when he sees his rumpled bed. And what does Papa Bear do when he catches Goldilocks in bed, her teetch clutching a blue blanket? Marshall combines a mild message--like that uttered by some proper English landowner--with an animal delivery: "Now see here!" roared Papa Bear."

The bright ink and watercolor illustrations lend humor and flesh out the story. Emotions are exaggerated as in a silent movie: GOldilocks sticks out her tongue, fkashes us a sneaky look, and, for contrast, pauses thoughtfully with her thin straight mouth as she considers her choices. THe book won a Caldecott honor. Although we can be fairly certain that Goldilocks won't be "visiting" the bears again, you and your young audience will return to Marshall's "Goldilocks" whenever a slightly subversive and slyly humour tale would be just right.

After reading "Goldilocks and The Three Bears" by James Marshall many children may start listening to their mothers about taking shortcuts. Goldilocks is portrayed as a naughty neighbor when she takes a shortcut through the woods and rummages through a house eating porridge, breaking chairs, and falling asleep on a perfectly sized bed. What she did not realize was that three bears lived there. This would prove to be a rude awakening for her to possibly start listening to her mother. The brightly colored watercolor and ink illustrations are complimented by vivid lines, varied textures, and abstract shapes to portray the adventurous movement of the text. The balance of design shows a humorous side to a well known story through the text and variety of full page and bordered illustrations which received a Caldecott Honor in 1989. This book showcases the many emotions a child may have on an unsafe journey through the woods which Marshall paints vividly on both Goldilocks and the three bear's facial expressions. Marshall's modern tone throughout the book makes this version of the classic folktale seem socially relevant and up to date keeping the interest of the reader. This is a must have for every child and their classroom's book collection.

Whoever knew a day would come when Goldilocks', sweet little Goldilocks' squeaky clean image would be finally tarnished. I mean this chick stole and tresspassed and no one ever said a word. But in this James Marshall retelling, Goldilocks is potrayed as, well-a brat. When a new lady moves into town, she comments to a man about how sweet the little girl looks. He replies with, "That's what YOU think."

One morning our antagonist is asked by her mother to go buy some muffins in the next village, making Goldilocks promise not to take a shortcut, due to bears. But since the story is called "and the Three Bears," we know Goldilocks takes the shortcut. Meanwhile, the three bears are sitting down for breakfast-porridge, of course. But the porridge is too hot, so they go off on their three-seat bicycle. Minutes later Goldilocks finds herself at the bear's house, and the famed porridge tasting/bed sampling episode begins. I'm sure you know what happens afterwards(The bears come home, and so on...)

James Marshall(of the George and Martha books) has crafted a fresh new take on a famous fairy tale and succeded, with a Caldecott Honor Medal to boot.

As always, R, your friendly neighborhood reviewer.

Placed the order, received the book two days later. I was a late CHRISTmas shopper! Great experience! A+++!

I really like this book. It is so cute, and has photos
from the episodes on each page and little sayings to go with
them. This little book is great for anyone who loves
"I Love Lucy"

I dont care what others say, this book is great. Although the sayings are not from I Love Lucy, the sayings are put next to pictures from I Love Lucy and the result is something someone could have easily stated in I Love Lucy when one of these moments occured. Another great thing is the books size, it would easily fit into a pocket or purse and can be taken anywhere. Other Lucy books are bulky, and are sometimes hard to travel with(depends where you are). The only downside is that some people may have trouble reading this, but I have never had the problem myself. So overall buy the book if you want some tips along with Lucy and the gang. Dont buy this if you want only stuff from the show. But trust me, you wont be dissapointed if you do buy this.

First of all you need a Magnifieglass just to read the book because its so darn small! The "words of wisdom" are corny.
The only good thing about this book is the pictures.
Spend your money on an other selection.

Please make sure you know what you are buying. I was highly disappointed in this tiny book. All it is is sayings (not from the show) accompanied by pictures from I love Lucy. Not worth it, if you want great pictures from the greatest television show buy: "I Love Lucy : The Complete Picture History of the Most Popular TV Show Ever" In my opinion the most complete book about I Love Lucy, but if pictures are all you want buy a Lucy calendar at your local book store.

To an avid admirer of the art of JW Waterhouse, this little book that could is a grand addition to a collection. The book is small enough to fit in your pocket, purse, or briefcase; perfect to slip out at moments you want to show a friend or coworker an example of that amazing artist.

The most brilliant part of the book is the way that it was made with several close up pictures of small areas of a certain painting, followed by a one or two page reproduction of the painting as a whole. This is a wonderful way for the admirer of Waterhouse's art to notice intricacies of the masterpieces that are not clear to see in Hobson's book. Also, I believe the reproductions in this book are superior to Hobson's. The lines appear crisper and more defined in this version, and the faces seem more expressive because of it.

A definite find, and a grand addition to anyone's collection!! I was not dissapointed in the least by this little book.

If you are truly interested in the work of Waterhouse DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. The images are small and poorly reproduced. Check the size of the pages and you will realize what postage stamps the images are.

If you are truly interested in the work of Waternouse get Hobson's book. There is very little price difference and it has normal pages sizes which beautifully reproduced photographs of the paintings.

The accompanying text is far more illuminating than the drivel printed in this book.

Judy Weller

I thought this book charming. It is a minature size but is ideal for giving as a gift to a fellow Waterhouse lover. There are a couple of paintings reproduced which aren't in the other Hobson books. Each painting is accompanied by a carefully chosen poetry fragment. I'm not sure why the previous reviewer called such text drivel - I would certainly not call the poetry of Alfred Lord Tennyson drivel!

This little book is a pretty and informative presentation of Waterhouse's beautiful, sensual paintings. I especially liked the inclusion of the poems and text related to the painting subjects. The myth and legend summarys in the back are useful too.

A waste of money especially if you are buying from another currency into american dollars. Buy something normal sized and get better quality reproductions. The book is acutally only about 4inches square - I thought previous reviews by other customers meant it was say a half-size A4, not so small I can put it in my top pocket and lose it!

not uninteresting, but so familiar as to add nothing new to my understanding of past leaders.

A breezy, and interesting collection of information about the presidents. The contents match the title exactly, no surprises here. This makes fun light reading as one can stop and start whereever one wants.

Unfortunately the book is disappointing in that these anecdotes, while quite interesting, are rendered useless for citation since the author did not document his sources.

And that's through no fault of Boller's.

First, with Congress, Boller had tens of thousands of MCs and their anecdotes from which to choose.

Second, especially in the early days of the Republic, you had stalwarts such as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster in Congress, which you had such notably dry, unfunny and serious presidents as Madison, Monroe and J.Q. Adams. And, Boller could arrange Congessional Anecdotes around different themes, while, due to the small number of presidents, he feels constrained to do a president-by-president blow.

This book attempts to show the human side of presidents, and includes a short profile of each as well as amusing anecdotes. In reality it is hard to really get a feel for the personalities of some of the presidents profiled because many of the anecdotes are fanciful legends rather an accurate portrayal. For example, the George washington and the cherry tree legend is repeated here. On the other hand, much presidential wit and humor is recounted. Some fairly mediocre presidents ahd a pretty good wry sense of humor, such as Warrren G. harding. This book is entertaining but not a primary source for historical information.

There have been many different personalities serve as the President of the United States, from dynamic types such as Theodore Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter to the extreme reserve of Calvin Coolidge. However, each was capable of humor in their own unique way, and this collection of stories about the presidents from Washington through Clinton shows much of their humanity. The funniest President of all was probably Abraham Lincoln, and his sense of humor helped him get through the greatest crisis this nation has ever faced.
However, I found the funniest one to be when a society woman sat next to Calvin Coolidge and informed him that she had a bet that she could get more than two words out of him. His reply was, "You lose." Any person who could utter such a line without breaking stride would have made a great straight man. While there is no real historical significance to the anecdotes, some of the public performance of these men does come through in the stories. There were many times when it was possible to see some of their effectiveness as leaders reflected in their jokes. Politics will always remain an exercise in personal charm and there is no better way to do that than making jokes.
I enjoyed the book, finding it a light journey through the history of the American presidency, not in deeds, but in funny words.

For many years I have furnished doll houses, early on as a child, then came my daughters, and am now in the grandaughters phase of my life. The project directions were very easy to follow (you could tell the authors are hands-on) and my grandaughters loved working alongside me with the fabrics etc.to furnish the various small rooms of their dollhouses. I found many of the projects they had no problem in completing themselves while others they only needed a little assistance. I feel furnishing dollhouses is a wonderful on-going project for generation after generation, and this book is one to refer to with confidence that the projects will turn out nice and they don't get discouraged by the friendly writing of the directions. I have purchased one for each of my grandaughters for Christmas, as it makes a great birthday or Christmas gift.

I know it's hard to write a book, so I feel badly about dissing this one. However, it is not good. The projects shown are, almost without exception, out of scale and "clunky" looking, rather like a very young Brownie troop's efforts. I was very unhappy when I received it and found nothing in it of value. I suspect I am not alone in my estimation as copies of this book began appearing on Thrift Shop shelves soon after its release. Sorry guys, it's just no good.

The authors have created some delightful furnishings, and I would recommend the book to those who are only just starting out in the World of Dollhouses. If you're putting a play house together for children, this book is a good starting point. However, if you a serious miniaturist, and have a more discerning eye for scale, you should probably look elsewhere. I would more highly recommend Nick and Esther Forder's "Dollhouse Decor: Creating Soft Furnishings in 1/12 Scale".

For many years I have furnished doll houses, early on as a child, then came my daughters, and am now in the grandaughters phase of my life. The project directions were very easy to follow (you could tell the authors are hands-on) and my grandaughters loved working alongside me with the fabrics etc.to furnish the various small rooms of their dollhouses. I found many of the projects they had no problem in completing themselves while others they only needed a little assistance. I feel furnishing dollhouses is a wonderful on-going project for generation after generation, and this book is one to refer to with confidence that the projects will turn out nice and they don't get discouraged by the friendly writing of the directions. It makes a great birthday or Christmas gift.

Fabulous book! The illustrations are great; directions are easy to follow. Very motivating, new and fresh ideas. Authors are interior decorators and it shows. I wish I could make my own home as attractive as the examples in this book. Highly recommended,you'd love it. From Paris!