Miniature Books

This is great for little hands and short attention spans. I drop this book in the diaper bag and take it to restaurants for a quick distraction.

My daughter also loves to "read" it to her little brother. It's also a great little book of simple opposites.

I have a one year old and this is one of the cutest books for that age. It is very durable and small. She gets excited because she has learned the words when you say up next you say down, when you say in next you say out. She gets very excited and takes it and runs off.

Note to parents - the physical size of this book is actually quite small, smaller than the routine "Spot" board books for example. It's fine for small hands, but in it's "new" condition, the pages need to be "broken in" to make reading easier. BUT don't let the small size of the book scare you off - small does not mean short. It's a good length with excellent pictures.

Aside from it's size, this book is a sure fire hit!! It features everyday situations on each page, with one picture being the opposite of the other e.g. Ernie is at the front of the line, Bert is at the back of the line.

If your toddler loves Sesame Street, they will love this little book. It is perfectly sized to slip into the Diaper bag. It features everyday situations in the bath, at the playground, or at home, so my 16 mo old son could follow along from the first read. Be aware there is not a single picture of Elmo. Its fine by us since my son is indifferent to Elmo but is a huge fan of Ernie who is featured on many pages with Bert, and Cookie shows up on several pages too.

This is another great book for toddlers by Lionni. It encourages children to imagine and demonstrates different methods to express ideas on paper. My daughter, who is very verbal for a 26-month-old, made a strong connection with "shadows" after reading this book and began pointing them out everywhere.

This book really captured the imagination of our playgroup.
The idea that rabbits could be made from paper and a pencil
really got the children going. After reading the book we
used colored paper and made our own rabbits. This is one of
our favorite books by Leo Lionni and we are happy to see it
back in print.

Let's Make Rabbits is a clever boardbook by Caldecott-honored artist Leo Lionni. It begins with a pair of scissors and a pencil that decide to make rabbits. The story then follows the activities and discoveries of these two rabbits. Appropriate for infants and toddlers, the book offers illustrations with clean lines, color, and warm, likeable character drawings that enhance the story. The book is durable enough for library circulation, but the illustrations may be too small for story time listeners to see from a distance. It is best suited for small group reading.
This book is a good tool for building observation skills. The juxtaposition of monochromatic and multi-colored and one-dimensional versus multi-dimensional objects allows the child to observe differences and similarities. This would also be an excellent platform to begin simple discussions about animals, their body parts, colors, and the food they eat. The book could also inspire simple craft projects about animals.

"Let's Make Rabbits" is a book I've been reading off-and-on to my children since my eldest was two. And what amazes me is that every so often, even after five years of reading it, I can still have an 'Oh-Wow' moment in which I discover some new aspect of the book that that hadn't occurred to me before.

At first, of course, I just read the story. We pointed out the names of objects and colors. Then when my children were a little older we talked about how the two bunnies were friends even though they were different. Then even later we digressed and discussed how the pen and the scissors both wanted to make bunnies and carrots and how they both succeeded even though they took different paths to do so.

Then, just yesterday, it dawned on me that part of what Lionni was demonstrating was 'space relations'. That line drawings didn't have shadows, whereas the 'real' objects did. It was rather effortless to explain this to my five and seven year olds, and to tie this particular lesson into my second grader's geometry.

I bring this all up because I want you to know that if you buy this book you aren't just buying it for the baby and toddler years. And that there is a depth of purpose here that you just don't get in most other books. Highly recommend this one. There is just a lot to spark a child's -- and a mom's-- imagination.

Five Stars ::: "Lets Make Rabbits" is one of those books that unfolds with each reading. Even my own 'take' on it has changed over the years. Good Read-aloud. Just-right artwork. No wonder Lionni has won so many awards.

Pam T~

Very cute little book. I'm sure my little brother will love it. Great little extra gift.

this book gives you some easy tricks to do

I got mine in my Christmas stocking. What a neat stocking stuffer for the yo-yo enthusiast. Stuart Crump has a better basic trick book out now but this is still a cool little book destined to become a collectible. Five stars as a stocking stuffer. Lucky Meisenheimer M.D. author of "Lucky's Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos...History and Values"

This was an informative book, with many pictures to go along with how to do many tricks. It even told about the history of Yo-yos!

I liked this book. Nice photos, good value. I can't say that I will go back and read it again, but it had decent information on the first read and great art.

Informative and well written with beautiful color photos of the miniatures. A book we'll treasure.

I began my interest in miniature paintings several years ago, but found that long searches on the internet rarely produced any new information on this topic. Owning about 4 "worthwhile" books in my collection on the subject, I anxiously awaited Robin Jaffee Frank's book (which I became aware was "in the works" about 6 months before publication). I hoped that this book would be the frosting on the cake of knowledge I possessed on miniatures. I was delighted to find it is the cake itself. Miniature itself in size, it contains a whopping 358 pages packed with information and insights, along with plenty of full-size illustrations. It's presented in a format that can be easily followed, with many paintings also shown magnfied to enhance the concept being presented. You will want to take your time in reading and relishing this book, there's alot of information here. Well worth the wait.

This is a wonderful book on American miniatures and mourning portraits. Ostensibly a catalogue of the Yale collection, it also gives a great history of miniatures in their cultural context, a discussion of miniature painters and processes, and a synopsis of the tradition of mourning items. Very well researched and well written. Beautiful pictures of miniatures, most at actual size, and many enlarged to reveal tiny details. This book is accessible to both scholars and the interested public.

This is excellent. Very detailed instructions, and good graphics make it easy for anyone to make a really cute bear:)

Although I'm still in the process of making my bear, I'd like to leave my comments now. So far, this has been a *great* kit and I'm sure it will continue to be fun. It really is quite simple, and it looks like the bear will be quite adorable!! I very much recommend it!!

I had lots of fun with this kit. The instructions in the book are clear and simple (and fast, i finished mine in a day). And most importantly, the finale bear is the cutest; however, i never expected to be that small. This kit teaches one to make a small yellow bear with movable jointed limbs. Overall, this kit and book is very complete and great for rainy days!

This kit comes complete with all the materials necessary to make a very adorable bear. The directions are very detailed and fully illustrated. If you can pick up a needle and thread, you can make this bear.

This is a great book to have. Wonderful pictures. Great detail. A must have for anyone interested in miniatures.

If you've ever visited the Art Institute and wished that you could spend more time enjoying the Thorne Rooms, this book is a way for you to visit them as often as you would like.

"Miniature Rooms" begins with a brief history of Mrs. Thorne and how the rooms came to be. The rest of the book is a complete catalog of the Rooms, divided into two sections - the European rooms and the American rooms. Every room is beautifully photographed from at least two angles, using the existing lighting in the rooms so that each has the same realistic quality enjoyed in the Institute. Along with each photograph is a description of the room and its furnishings. I would recommend "Miniature Rooms" to anyone who enjoys the Art of Miniatures.

I had not heard anything about the Thorne rooms before, so when I received this book as a gift, I became completely enthralled with the images that were captured. As an avid lover of historic preservation and the decorative arts, I really appreciate how Mrs. Thorne captured the different historical eras in the fashion and furnishings of each room. It is truly amazing how detailed each room is. If you love historic preservation and/or miniatures, then this book is a must see and read!

This is certainly the definitive book on the sixty-eight miniature rooms in the Chicago Art Institute. Each room is given two photographs along with a description of the room pictured. The book also contains information on Mrs. Thorne and how the rooms came into being. Her artistry in creating miniature rooms which seem more like full sized interiors was amazing and her sense of taste and style impeccable.
I have visited The Thorne Rooms many times over the years and they never fail to enchant me. This book allows me to call them to mind easily and aids me in my own building of miniature rooms. The one thing that the book cannot show is the great attention to detail Mrs. Thorne gave to the rooms off the main rooms and the outside scenery created for each room. However, the book does give an excellent idea of the nature of the rooms and the reason why they are so famous and loved.

This book is great if you want to learn more about the movies that the creature workshop did instead of Jim Henson. Although it does talk alot about him it's more about the workshop he created and left behind. It's a grest book if you love Jim Henson's work and I do !Get it it's great!

If you're a fan of Henson's work you'll absolutely die for this book! It's got great coverage over his past movies to 91. Some include The Dark Crystal, The great muppet Caper, and my personal favorite: THe Labyrinth!

Since skipping school to go and watch 'Labyrinth'. I've been fascinated with animatronics. The creatures produced both during and after Jim Henson have been both imaginative and captivating. 'No Strings Attached' is a wonderful book of mechanical invention, artistry and imagination. Being someone who loves to watch 'The making of..' specials on TV whenever a new special-effects blockbuster comes out, I found this book catered to my 'Wow! How did they do that?' curiosity. I am a great fan of puppetry but I am a biased fan of Jim Henson...if you buy this book, turn to page 112, the girl kneeling on one knee on the bottom right corner is yours truly!

An outstanding piece of work, beyond overdue, but worth the wait. This beautifully presented, comprehensive book covers "Jim Henson's Creature Shop's" work from its very inception, including such Fantasy films as `The Dark Crystal' and `Labyrinth,' right up to their most recent stunningly realistic contributions in `Babe,' `101 Dalmatians,' and `Buddy.' Includes glorious full colour photographs of what happened behind-the-scenes, and plenty of anecdotes from the people who were there explaining the evolution of ideas into finished product.

Any fan of the legendary Jim Henson, of puppeteering, animatronics, or any kind of Special Effects would love - and be enthralled by - the hundreds of never-before-seen photographs of the masters of their craft creating their wonderful characters, and at how the late Jim Henson's influence even now instills the performers and craftspeople with the drive to be nothing less than the best at what they do.
I so dearly wanted to meet Jim one day; this book may be the closest I'll get. Still, I may be fortunate enough to instead meet his son Brian, who has taken over from his father admirably.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It will be an inspiration to all who read it.

The work shows important illustrations for the Saturday Evening
Post, his wedding and the Art Director's Club. Famous illustrations; such as, the New Tavern Sign are depicted.An
illustration of "A Family Tree" is presented in full color
together with other famous renditions of the artist. The Spirit
of Education and the Airplane Trip are presented in full color.
These were famous presentations in the Saturday Evening Post of
the 1930s. There is a famous Christmas illustration from 1929
and the "Dreams of Chivalry". The famous "Golden Rule" is
presented together with "The Prom Dress" and "The Outing".
This is an important work for ownership by anyone interested
in the modern artwork of the previous century.

Perhaps more than any other contemporary artist Norman Rockwell enjoys popular mass appeal with his warm scenes of Americana. His Saturday Evening Post covers, which he created for more than four decades, enchanted a generation, as he painted his particular visions of daily life.

His work bespeaks timeless values and tolerance, so much so that one of his ads was borrowed by an AIDS activist group to promote safe-sex awareness. What would Rockwell himself have thought of this? His son, Tom, said, "One of the things my father was associated with was tolerance. So I think it's fairly easy to know what he would have said."

I thought this book of Norman Rockwell's work was a fascinatining look into the typical/almost idealistic life of everyday embarrassing/comical/poignant situations which do commonly occur. The picture I enjoyed the most was "The Gossips" where upon I could imagine the tale behind the laughter and enjoy looking at the different facial expressions and that there was such a great twist to the tale. Thank you for such a great book!.

The book is small, but the illustrations still are reproduced extremely well. The essay alone is worth every penny. If you feel uneasy about your love for the work of Norman Rockwell, this book will give you the courage to like what you really like, without any more appologies. Buy it, read it, enjoy. You will, I guarantee.

This seems to have some interesting ideas and patterns for small quilts. I am eager to try some.

Just got the new book from Wendy and it's just as nice as her first book. Actually you can hardly compare them, because of the so different contents, which the cover shows too. In this book are all kinds of mini-quilts. Even one from christmas! This is my favourite! Can't wait to get started with these projects.

Paper piecing ---the minute I hear that, I quake in fear. BUT Ms. Vosters has written a book that just might change all that. Instead of trying to learn this technique on full sized quilts, why not start small? I mean that's how we learned to walk --- taking baby steps!

This book provides 17 small projects all done by paper piecing. There is even a "picture-scape"! And the templates are full sized in the book so all you need to do is copy them and you have your templates ready to go.

Six pages of basic instructions tell you about the fabric, batting, how to paper piece and finishing techniques. Interspersed in this section are lots of tips so make sure to take the time to read this section before starting. Then pick out your projects and start sewing. Each project has a skill level at the very start giving you an idea of just how involved the project will be. There is a material and cutting list, along with assembling and finishing instructions. There is a color photo and a paragraph about the particular project.

If paper piecing is something you have always wanted to learn or, as in my case, have been afraid to try, this is a book to guild you step-by-step to achieving the skills to do it. Remember, we all started out walking by baby steps and making mini quilts will be the baby steps you need to learn paper piecing.

Wendy has done it again with a great book! The construction approach to the mini quilts has been greatly simplified. I just got my book and ran to copy all the patterns. I cannot wait to get started on the wonderful projects this book has! The book is loaded with hints and colored pictures. If you ever wanted to try to make a mini quilt but were afraid of all the little pieces, get this book because it take mini quilts to a great new level. Keep up the good work Wendy, I love your books!!

If you enjoy the intrigue of Sherlock Holmes, you are in for a real treat listening to David Davies vibrant and incredible rendition. Looking forward to future "readings" by D. Davies. You will too, once you've experience this exciting reading.

Dave Davies dramatic rendition of this Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes classic tale is well worth a listen. Dave's obvious talent for dramatic reading comes through beautifully and the production quality is excellent. Hopefully David will not stop with just this one but will continue right through the entire cannon. If you like listening to "a good read" Silver Blaze is highly recommended.

SILVER BLAZE is a great story by Arthur Conan Doyle and may have been considered one of his favorites. A brilliant horse which was a favorite with the racing public goes missing and the worse is feared. Where was the first favorite for the Wessex cup? Coupled with the beloved horse's unknown whereabouts was evidence of a drugged stable boy and a murdered trainer. What happened to the horse, how did the stable boy get drugged and who killed the trainer?

This is a great story and is delivered admirably. Holmes even shows humility in this story which is certainly not a quality that he was well known for. He says to Watson: "Because I made a blunder, my dear Watson - which is, I am afraid, a more common occurrence than anyone would think who only knew me through your memoirs."

This story also shows Holmes to have his own moral compass and has him playing a "Robin Hood" of sorts in determining who should be exonerated and given amnesty. We see Holmes has his own unique sense of right from wrong!

As Kyle Freeman wrote in his Introduction to Volume I of the Sherlock Holmes anthology, " The first in the series, "Silver Blaze," pleased Conan Doyle so much that he bet his wife a shilling she couldn't solve the mystery. The story has some of the most brilliant writing in the Holmes Canon, particularly what is probably
the most famous of all Holmes's deductions: "the curious incident of the dog in the night-time", which has come to be known by the prosaic phrase "the dog that didn't bark." In polls of various Holmes Societies around the world, it regularly rates as one of the top ten stories."

I recommend this story highly.

Rating: B+

Bentley/2008
Silver Blaze and Other Stories (Macmillan Reader)Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Large Print Edition): includes Silver Blaze The yellow face The stock-broker's clerk The "Gloria Scott" The Musgrave ritual ... The naval treaty The final problemCases Of Sherlock Holmes No. 12 Mar "The Adventure of Silver Blaze"Stories of Sherlock Holmes Silver Blaze (Swc 1240)Silver Blazes and Other Stories: Elementary Level (Heinemann Guided Readers)Sherlock Holmes : The Norwood Builder / Disappearance of Silver BlazeSherlock Holmes: Silver BlazeThe Return of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 4 - The Devil's Foot / Silver Blaze / The Bruce Partington PlansSign of the Four & Silver Blaze; Sherlock Holmes Double FeatureThe Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

"To call this CD only a 'reading' of the classic Sherlock Holmes story of 'Silver Blaze' would be to devalue the beauty of this performance. Although you may have heard recordings of the Sherlock Holmes work read before with distance and haughty affectation, none of that is present in Mr. Davies storytelling performance. This CD features one man, many voices and a hefty portion of talent. This performance is fresh, approachable and inviting." -Storyteller.net Reviews