When I ordered this book, I just wanted a simple storybook to read to my Teletubbie-obsessed 17 month old. I didn't realize there would be cut outs of the Teletubbies which one must insert into slots in each page in order to properly read the story. The worst part about this is that on most of the pages the slots are poorly designed- they are too small to fit the cut outs and one must struggle and force them in (tearing them in the process). Of course, my son is too young to play with the cut outs himself, but I can't imagine even an older child doing it. That said, my son absolutely loves this book- as it is big and bright and colorful and he loves when the Teletubbies go down the slide and get into their beds. I just wish it were better designed and that the cutouts were an added option, because except on one page where there is a picture of Tinky Winky, it is Teletubbieless unless you use the cut outs. **UPDATE**: Well, after only a couple of weeks, the cut outs were completely ruined: dogeared, torn and taped back together. I considered buying another book even though I hate it so much. My husband said we should get the cut outs laminated this time, which was another readers suggestion (the publishers really should do this, not the consumer, but I guess they sell more books this way if you have to buy a new one every two weeks)...

This book is great. You MUST laminate the teletubbies though. To make it more fun, use your own cardboard to make some tubby toast (I made colored toast to match each tubby), and make an extra teletubby cutout and paste a photo of your child on it. Really adds to the fun.

I was skeptical about whether this book would go over well with my kids (18 months and 3) and I surely didn't need to worry! they LOVE it. They play with it many times a day and never seem to tire of it - esp. putting the Teletubbies to bed. I [would suggest] laminating the Teletubbies - that is a must since they are flimsy cardboard and will dissolve if put in the mouth (which of course is the first thing my daughter did). My 3 year old likes to play with them even without the book and puts them in his trucks and walks them around etc. I am amazed how much they enjoy this book and how it never seems to bore them.

This book is fine for the average person who has no experience with dogs. But for the average gun dog owner, the first half of the book is a waste of time. The last half does have some good ideas, but I would rather spend my money on something more informative such as the writings of Bill Tarrant, especially the Delmar Smith method. It's hard to argue with success and Smith's training methods earned him many national champions. As for this book, I found myself in disagreement with a couple of the training methods, especially gun conditioning. Overall, it's a good book with many great ideas for the beginner.

This book is different from the other hunting dog training books I've read. It covers a puppy's early development as a whole dog. Joan Bailey takes you from your puppy's first day in your home, through adolescence, to early adulthood. It will show you how to help your dog become both a member of your family and an excellent hunting companion. This book explains why a particular training method might work and how to develop a cooperative relationship with your dog.

There are (too) many "how-to" sporting dog training books available, but I found this one to be different in how it focuses on first year conditioning of the pup rather than training, per se. I didn't agree with everything - not that you would - but I followed about 90% of the author's thoughts and found my dog's second year training to be MUCH EASIER. I think this is important if you have a sensitive breed that won't tolerate heavy handed training, such as mine. It also explained in considerable detail that way in which the puppy learns and this allowed me to sort of 'get inside' my dog's head to better understand how to do the conditioning and training so that he would be successful and the process would go faster and better.

This happens in the year 1866. In a little alley in New York City, lay a ten-year-old girl named Lucy Amanda Griggs. She had no mom, she died of cholera. She had no dad either, he died in a car accident. One of Lucy's old friends, Joey, told her about the Orphan Train. He said,"The Orphan Train takes orphans to find new parents." Ever since she became an orphan Lucy wanted a little sister, a mom, and a dad. So, Joey tells her where the Orphan Train is and she goes on. On the train she wonders,"Will I be chosen? Will anyone want me?" I would recommend this book if you liked the Orphan Train.

I read this to my 10 y/o daughter last night before bed; we both thought it was really good. My daughter is homeschooled by me and she has special needs and she thought it was apalling how the handicapped children were treated by their own parents. She was upset to see how Lucy was evicted and had no place to go; kids nowdays usually don't have that misfortune. I love Nixon's books and I thought this was a very accurate piece of historical fiction, good for 3-6th grade.

This is a little story that can touch your heart. It is about a little orphan whose mother has died. Lucy learns of the Orphan Train through a friend and wishes for a little sister and a kind mother and father. Lucy meets two friends on the Orphan Train, a Princess and Daisy. All three find families, but will Lucy get her wish? This reader spent most of one night reading the book until she finished and learned the answer to that question.

Arch, witty fable very loosely based on stories about the great Australian bushrangers (outlaws, cattlerustlers) such as Ned Kelly with comical domestic and international incidents and a variety of animals, all with strong personalities, in the gang. Wonderful for children 6-11, both girls and boys. Nicely written.

This book is set in western Australia, The characters cosist of Midnite and his 4 animal friends Khat a very intelligent siamese cat, a very cheaky dog, Major a handsome cockatoo and red Ned Midnites trusty horse. I liked the book because it was not just blood and guts and it got more exiting and funniyer towards the end. I would recomend this book to kids aged betwween 9 to 14. It was definently one of the best books i have read and is a bloody good book.

The story of Captain Midnight and his band of faithful (animal) followers is an absolute delight. It is one of the most wonderful children's books ever written, and all adults should share it with their children. If you don't have any children, and if you don't even like them, treat yourself to the book anyway. It's a hoot!

Our hero is a bush ranger, like a highway man, though this is almost by default, and he is a very reluctant and to a certain extent inept bad guy. The other characters are equally delightful, especially his feline confederate, the siamese cat Khat, and the depictions of the Australian bush and the times in which they live are wonderful.

It is funny, it is enchanting, and I cannot reccommend it highly enough!

... because it's a finely crafted, gracefully written first novel that showed a whole lot of promise for Wickersham back in the mid-90s. Maybe the nicest thing about the book is that, given a subject matter (young love on the rocks) that lends itself to sentimentality, and a location (small town New England) that lends itself to preciousness, Wickersham firmly rejects both tiresome flaws. I agree with the reviewer who said that the story upon which this book was based was strong enough on its own; but the birthing scene that ends the story has got to be the gutsiest, gnarliest, most unflinching portrayal of labor ever put down on paper. I hope we'll see more of Wickersham's work, if only so that this novel gets another chance to see the light of day.

It is such a pleasure to read this book. Well crafted characters that you come to know well. Superb book!

Couldn't think of any better way to begin this review than to borrow from the titles of the three previous reviews: I loved this book, it's a shame it's out of print, and I hope the author writes another. This is a very absorbing, comforting read, and I'd have to say it was one of my favorite books of the 1990s (and I read approximately 500 books a decade), since it was somehow instrumental in soothing me after the death of my beloved cat. Don't miss this one.

I enjoyed the selected poems of Claude Mckay. Although in the beginning the dialouge was hard to follow, it became easier as I imagined myself as the writer...Good poetry

"Selected Poems," by Claude McKay, is a wonderful volume by this noteworthy writer. This Dover edition, which is edited by Joan R. Sherman, includes a bibliography of work by McKay as well as an index of the poems in the book.

Sherman's introduction discusses the life and career of McKay, who was born in Jamaica and came to live in the U.S. A novelist and essayist as well, he died in Chicago in 1948.

Many of the poems are written in Jamaican dialect. These dialect pieces have an energetic color and musicality. Many poems also show McKay's command of standard literary English; he writes some particularly fine sonnets.

Overall, this is a rich, diverse, and technically adept collection. There are many pointedly political poems that condemn racism and economic injustice, as well as sensuous love poems. There are poems that invoke both the rural tropics and the urban north.

These poems show McKay to be a master of meter, rhyme, and other aspects of poetry; he uses considerable variety throughout the collection. His best pieces combine a burning passion with his impressive technical prowess. Consider "A Capitalist at Dinner," a cutting political sonnet with a devastating final couplet; or "Song of the New Soldier and Worker," another political piece that uses stunning imagery and masterful audio effects.

McKay uses words as both lethal weapons against the forces of injustice and as tender instruments of passionate love. He is a poet of tremendous talent, and this collection is a real treasure.

In Claude McKay's Selected Poems, one sees the transformation of this West Indian poet's life manifested in his varied styles. McKay was born in the Jamaican countryside to an elite class, educated and given every opportunity. Then, as a young man, he came to America and felt the sting of pervasive racism and the numbness of being labeled second-class. His work shows that at times he looks down with pity at his people, only to look up with scorn at his oppressors. This duality drives many of his poems, especially those in the book's first section: Songs of Jamaica.
In "Hard Times" McKay exhibits the range of his poetic voice by ventriloquizing a Jamaican peasant. The effective use of this device brings an undeniably intimate feel to the poem and is remarkably capable of relating the sorrow of the poor farmer depicted. The modification of Jamaican vernacular on the English language is also a portrayal of the West Indian's captivity and adaptation to a strange culture.
Not to be overlooked are poems from McKay's Harlem Shadows collection. "If We Must Die" reflect his anger at an oppressive white menace that threatens to devour his culture. Interestingly enough, Winston Churchill read the same poem to British troops during WWII in a defiant call to arms. This cross-cultural application surely reflects the broader themes of McKay's work buried in the bowels of racial conflict.
All together, McKay's nation language echoes through the entire collection and relates a stirring narrative of the struggle of a West Indian exile. Each poem uses language, whether the voice of an island peasant, or an American immigrant, to engage the reader in the poet's struggle; a compelling read.

Wow. I came in on this author backwards by reading her newest, Ghost in the Rainbow, first. I was bowled over. What a writer, what a story. Deals with addictions, internal strife, and external failure as realistically as I've ever seen. Should be a requirement in any substance abuse program. I was compelled to then read Neighbors. Funny, endearing, and I just loved the characters. Finally I read Shiloh Renewal. I almost didn't because I thought it was a young adult book. Believe me, this is a very mature story. If you ever loved someone and lost them, you've got to read this book. This is the most incredible example of timeless compassion and love. I will recommend it to all my students (I'm a teacher) and all my adult friends. I hope there is another novel in this writer's near future. I'm hooked.

Joan Leslie Woodruff deserves to be read. "The Shiloh Renewal" is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Apparently someone decided that because the protagonist is a teenaged girl, the book must mostly appeal to younger readers. However, this 50+ adult man enjoyed it very much. The story looks at the boundaries between life and death, magic and realism, the past and the present. The focus is on healing, but it's not an easy process. A bonus in this particular modern story is that the reader also learns something about the civil war. As the main character recovers from a brain injury, we gain sensitivity about the plight of such people. Give it a try.

The Shiloh Renewal is a powerful and extraordinary story dealing with sorrow and courage and told with wry humor. Ms. Woodruff writes about Sandy's fascinating journey into the past where she searches for acceptance regarding the untimely death of her sister. This author has once again written a story that not only entertains, but moves the reader's spirit.

Intimate glimpses of Gettysburg in history and marking the lives of its residents today, mingled with echoes of the several wars that mark the novel's characters: a fine idea for some other writer, but way beyond the skill of this one. We have too many characters for this short novel and all presented through the single, distinctly feminine, High Romantic voice of the author. Not a novel to persuade one to suspend disbelief. Not sure what the reviewers' stars are all about.

I stumbled across Hearts of Soldiers quite by chance--and I'm glad I did. It's a beautiful book about families in crisis, with the time when a nation was in crisis as an historical backdrop. This is an author whose future work I look forward to reading.

I finished THE HEARTS OF SOLDIERS in two days--once I read that terrific Prologue, I was completely hooked and could not NOT keep on reading. I was compelled to find out what happens to these characters--closely-drawn people we might meet everyday, we might even BE them. Joan Schroeder leads us into their hearts and we learn about their passions, fears, failures, terrible griefs, and their hopes. I especially liked Cal, the almost-retired policeman, his still-passionate love for his wife Ellen (who leaves him early on in the book), and his sense of failure about his absent son. Also I'll never forget Hannah, the shining-star precocious daughter of the main character Allison, and Allison's struggle to recover from Hannah's death (I'm not giving anything away - we learn about this in Chapter One). The writing is wonderful--with beautiful and sometimes mystical images like, "I opened the window and brushed the drift of snow from the sill, and that baby's bright soul flew out of our house into the night, trailing light so intense I had to shield my eyes...," or later in the book, "Beneath our bodies, the quilted stars spread across the darkness like Heaven come to Earth." As an aspiring writer myself (also librarian and constant reader), I know how difficult this is. When I tell friends about the book, I say that reading it was like devouring a "death-by-chocolate" dessert--so rich and intense I had to pause now and then to savor and reflect on what was happening. Compared to some recent novels that I consider overpraised, if not also bloodless and contrived (my opinion about M.Cunningham's The Hours and Schlink's The Reader), HEARTS is the real thing. You'll remember this book. It will change you.

I laughed, I cried, it was better than GIF

This is a very advanced book with many technical details. A must have for everyone working in the field of image compression. For the beginner there is some text in the first part of the book, but I think that this book is primary for people working with actual implementations.

The only way to go! This is a well written book that is structured like a text book, but stays true to the standard. Excellent overview of FDCT theory and Entropy Coding.

I liked the way this story used the alphabet. This is good for little children because they need to learn their alphabet or else they won't be able to do anything later on in life. I love cats so that is why I liked this story. It gave me 26 different ideas for names of my cat when I get one. This is about a very kind lady named Mrs. McTats. Everyday she starts receiving more and more cats. Until, one day she has 25 cats. All the cats' names are in alphabetical order. Then one day a puppy shows up and she names it Zoom. So now you have every letter in the alphabet. Children who like cats will like this story because there are definitely a lot of cats in it. The only bad thing is that some of the pictures are kind of ugly.

First off, my only complaint is that for some reason the illustrations irritate my children and me. My daughter wants to know why the cat is all "cut up" referring to the scratchy and squiggly lines of some of the felines.

The story, however, is well crafted and incorporates the alphabet and counting within a sweet tale.

Especially popular with animal lovers.

I loved the story and how it incorporated the ABC's as well
as couting. I would have like to have seen better illustrations.