I discovered this at the discount table of a bookstore in Lexington, Kentucky. It does not get old or outdated.

How easily this book could have drifted off into self-indulgent Freudian psychobabble, Fundamentalist moralism or New Age narcissism--all of which Alice Miller has warned us against--in the hands of a less gifted writer. The fact that it doesn't at any time in 340-plus pages is nothing short of miraculous. Polly Berends not only challenges one's view of parenting and loving, but also of Christianity and culture and the universe itself, by bringing mysticism back to the modern Christian mind while not alienating those of other (or no particular) faiths. Filled with transcendent prose, quotes of everything from Buddhist sacred text to the New Testament to e.e. cumming poetry, and the writer's own heart (the heart of a proud mother and wife who walks with God), this is a truly beautiful work that made my mind scream what was important about my personal relationship with my son to me, above the distractions of my ego, with virtually every page.

Consider yourself the child, and this book will help you raise yourself. And then imagine what kind of real parent you can be while following its lessons.

This is the ultimate holiday, Mother/Father's Day or birthday gift for anyone with children, bar none.

Beautiful.

I had the fortune to begin to read this book 10 years before our twins were born. Whether you are a parent or not Berend's statement of the perennial spiritual wisdom is to be savored and dipped into over and over again. The book is so rich, so moving, so poetic that frequently you will find that you need to stop and reflect on her words after a page or two.

This book, along with Berend's unfortunately out-of-print "Coming To Life", is a true spiritual classic.

Every now and then a rare book appears which can change your life. This is one.

Polly Berrien Berends is wise and gentle. She brings lofty or deep spiritual insights to the rubber-meets-the-road issues of daily parenting: how is one to approach fears of childbirth? How should one talk to a toddler? How does one decide which toys to buy?

I had the good fortune to read this book just prior to becoming a parent, and if possible, you should too. It is not a quick or easy read, rather a very meaningful one. Sometimes I had to stop and think after only three or four pages. But this was well worth it.

If you are already a parent, or if you may never become a parent, read this book. Although it addresses parenting issues it is really a book about human-being-hood.

I loved it! A wonderful way to teach children about spirituality. I learned a few things myself.

As someone who works in religious education with children and parents (sometimes dealing with people of differing faiths, sometimes people new to our faith), this book has been an invaluable tool. My pages are dog-eared and now full of post-it notes. Gently Lead is a perfect book to help parents and teachers view everyday experiences as faith-filled moments. The entries are short and compelling. My favorite, "Fetching and Chopping" and its sequel "And Raking" has helped many parents and children in my experience to learn to transform ordinary work into Godly tasks. This book is perfect for use in preparing workshops, retreats, enrichment sessions for teachers and experiences for children. It is one of the top five books I use in my work as a religious education director. I have bought several copies to lend to my teachers and parents.

Berends speaks from experience, unlike many authors who just ruminate on the thoughts of others. She speaks of learning to float in Fundamental Mind, as she had learned in a college swimming clas to float in water. Neither was easy for her, and she mastered both. She left this record of the process, and suggestions for those who wish to learn the same discipline. I read this book partway through a comparative religion Ph.D. program. Spending five years digging through the midden of human religion gives one a critical eye. And that eye tells me that Berends' book might endure. - Birrell Walsh

This is a beautiful story of companionship, cooperation and trust for preschoolers. However, as and adult, I fell right in with the magical quality of the story. This is a great quiet summertime night story.

I have been unable to find a copy, and hope, hope, hope that it will be reprinted for my grandchildren to enjoy.

This book is about a boy who wants to be a detective and rides the elavator to find cases. One day a duck is on the elavator and he finds out who the owner is. This book is good but is predictable. I would reccomend this book to people who like to read mysteries and solve them!

When I turned to the very first page of the book,I said to myself,"This book is going to be very interesting".And it turned out to be.When I got to the middle of the book,I was in a rush to find out who was the owner of the duck.At first I thought that it was the sad-eyed boy and turned out to be true.I feel like a detective.I also felt anxious when the Inspector came to the apartment to check if there is anything wrong.Whoever reared a pet in the apartment will be kicked out of it.Luckily the Inspector didn't find out that the duck was living with them.Thanks to their lucky stars,the duck was a quiet one.This book is one of my favourite detective books.

I had this book about 25 years ago. It was one of my favorite stories to read during long drives when my family would go to Canada for vacation. I highly recommend this book! Lots of great memories!

This book has incredible illustrations. They are what make the book worth noting. The animals are drawn from unusual perspectives. The horse looms over you (hard to do in a book, I'll admit!), the sparrow perches rather in your face. Small children--even tiny children--will be able to enjoy this book because of the pictures. The story is about a new baby that has arrived on a farmstead--that is what the bird heard. The rhyming text is sweet but predictable. This would be a great book for a toddler with a sibling on the way. (I know my toddler was hoping for one after we read this.) Note, however, that it is a simple book, probably best enjoyed by the under-four crowd.

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The illustrations in this book are powerful but very beautiful.

All the farmyard creatures are wide - eyed, with warm, welcoming friendly faces.

They all know something is going on. They all have simple questions to ask. There is something mysterious happening.

Their suspense and curiosity grows.

The arrival of a new baby in the farmhouse is a source of wonderment and delight.

My 15-month-old son loves this book's barnyard animals and rhyming text about a mysterious newcomer to the farm. Is the "NEW ONE" a duckling or a piglet? Nope! Take a tour of the farm and find out for yourself with this delightful book.

This has been a great book for introducing my son to the idea that there's a "NEW ONE" coming to our homestead soon. It'll also make a great gift for another little boy I know who's going to be a big brother soon.

In this short story about Oz, Dorothy is again spirited on a wild adventure, this time in the basket of a balloon. However, the balloon is quickly running out of fuel, and Dorothy begins to descend towards the treacherous sands of the Deadly Desert. Meanwhile, Ozma, Scarecrow, Omby Amby, Billina, and the newly reconstructed Gump go to rescue her. As they are gone, a curious boy named Robert starts to create chaos in the Emerald City as he starts to create things he can't control with Ozma's wand. Upon return, Dorothy, Ozma, and the others find the Emerald City under attack by fog, storms, and a gigantic bullfrog. In the end, all is set right once more, and Robert learns why only Ozma can wield magic in the land of Oz. A good book, but not on the lines of the Famous Forty, this book still continues with the zany adventures of our Oz friends.

This series has been too overlooked. I just love these. Dorothy goes to a carnival, meets a strange fortune-teller, Madam Zsza, and gets a free ride in a balloon. But when it goes ary she gets to the Deadly Desert and is rescued by Ozma, Billina, the Scarecrow and Omby Amby. Meanwhile, a wayward magic wand reeks havoc on the Emerald Palace. There's the same thing as in "Return to Oz" (1964 cartoon) Magic is everywhere.This story has everything it needs to be perfect.