Any child, and I am now fifty-nine years old, who can recite Andy Spandy's ropeskipping rhyme has me for a friend. This is one of those tales for children that sounds better being told aloud by a good reader. When I was growing up, both my parents loved to read aloud, and my sister and I heard many fine tales before the fireplace, listening to mother or father.
But the lilt of the language as the rope swings round is the unforgettable part:
ANDY SPANDY SUGARDY CANDY
FRENCH ALMOND ROCK!
BREAD AND BUTTER FOR YOUR SUPPER'S
ALL YOUR MOTHER'S GOT!

There may be no better book for reading aloud to pre-teens. Originally one of the stories in Farjeon's "Tales Told Under the Green Umbrella" -- long out of print -- Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep is easily as much fun for the adult reader as for the young listener, and in this case that is saying a great deal. It is actually two consecutive stories (ideal for consecutive nights), one a delightful fantasy of fairies and skipping rope -- just as appealing to boys as to girls, honest -- and the second an adventure, at once enthralling and emotionally satisfying, with an ending that will bring tears of delight to all who hear it.

My whole family loved this very special and heartwarming version of A Fisherman and His Wife. The illustrations are a joy to look at again and again. They are filled with color, humor, spendid detail, and are literally spilling out of the pages. We especially Love the rainbow lobsters and, of course, the cats, as the main characters. A book full of energy, wisedom and integrity-one of my all time favorite picture books!

A well written book. It reminds you what is important in life. The drawings are vivid and full of life. I especially liked the drawings of the brown tiger striped cat, Ragnar. He reminds me of my own cat. Excellent reading for childen of all ages.

This is what an art book should be, page after page of splendid reproductions, including several full page details of Fra Angelico's greatest works. I was able to spend one day in San Marco, 2 years ago, I was alone most of the morning, but by noon had to contend with hoards of tourists pushing their way to get their 3 second glimsp of each fresco. Looking at these wonderful reproductions, I am reminded of the originals, I am able to see details I could not see peering through the entrances to the monks' rooms, and to recall many details had just forgotten. The text, devoted to the illuminating the art, included a wonderful explaination of composition and perspective.

this book is a piece of art itself. the reproductions and the details close-up photographs gives a new demention of fra angelico's frescos of 'san marco' in florence. it is a unic book. tzvia haitin

Professor DeLorme writes like she lectures; with incredible amounts of fascinating information and anecdotes that reveal a wealth of information on pavillions, and how they played a role in the French Court. Her lively tone makes for a very enjoyable read on a fascinating subject, and the book is as visually beautiful as one could expect. If you can't see her lecture in person, this book is the next best thing.

Professer Delorme is a recognized authority in french decorative arts. This sumptuous work truly transposes the reader to another world . The text and illustrations are truly enlightening. I highly recommend this work for all library reference collections as well as art history students and collectors.

This book is an absolute "must have" for obstetrical practitioners and expectant parents who are looking for a way back into normal childbirth. Medicalized obstetrics has taught their students and society that "techno-birth" is not only logical but safe. This book proves that the way we have been delivering babies for the past 40 years is not the safest most competent care we can give. Hopefully, after reading this book, the practitioner will come away with a renewed sense of purpose in providing safe, logical, evidence-based care, and the expectant parent will take a firmer stand against allowing unneccessary and hazardous "routine" birth interventions. We are all the better for this book and the many years of sound, documented research it provides us. The next generation of babies will thank us!

This book is an invaluable reference tool for anyone involved in childbirth, including educators, doulas, midwives, nurses and doctors. It provides reviews of the current literature regarding just about any procedure of standard care that a pregnant woman is likely to encounter in the American medical system. This book provides important information, especially for anyone who is trying to convince an OB that "standard procedures" (like limiting food for a laboring woman) may not be supported by research

The History of Germany by Eleanor Turk is a well-organized, comprehensive, and academic narrative of German history; yet it is highly readable. The book is written in a way that creates academic interest and provides answers to questions that college and high school students, as well as general readers, have had about Germany's past and have wanted clarified.

Beginning with a timeline and chronologically tracing distinct events, the author first focuses on modern Germany in order to establish in the reader's mind a full understanding of Germany's status--its problems and successes--today. Readers are then taken back to antiquity and the middle ages while being given the opportunity to examine each subsequent period of German history with its unique problems and to visualize how various crises within each period impacted Germany's future. Especially helpful is a chapter centering on notable people who have played important roles in the history of Germany.

Dr. Turk has the unique ability of making the pieces of the puzzle fall into place until the present reality of Germany and its future potential come into view. As one college student observed, "This is not a stuffy textbook. It reads like a novel."

Turk's book is an outstanding single volume history of Germany from prehistory to 1998. It covers the Immigration Period, the Middle Ages, Early Modern, the 19th Century, the World Wars, and the Reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. Turk gives an appropriate amount of detail, and provides the novice with an outstanding first look at the history of one of the world's most important countries.

A heartfelt touching memoir of growing up chinese in an all white community during the McCarthy years of the 1950's. Ching , the heroine wants to be one hundred percent all white American girl and go to the senior prom. No invites from white boys; enter
Bingo Tang, son of St. Paul ganglord who fills her imagination with returning to China. She will lose face if she doesn't marry
mother's choice, a rich restaurant owner from Chicago. What she decides may surprise the reader. Good for giving teenagers a look
at being "non" white in a small midwest town.

Good reading for anyone interested in learning about the Chinese American experience growing up in the USA. It gives you insight and a perspective from a minority viewpoint as well as a child living in the society of the majority. It is written from both the heart and the mind with much verisimilitude. I highly recommend it!

This is Arabella's story, and I think I enjoyed it only a little less than that of Bersaba and Angelet. (I like to hear two sides of a story.) I found Arabella a little dull, but I liked Harriet. :) Arabella seemed to lack the fire of her mother, Bersaba. All in all, this was a good book, but I figured out the ending wayy before I was finished.

An exciting look at England during Cromwell's reign and after the triumphant return of Charles II. We are introduced to the adult Arabella, to Carlton, and to the irrepressible Harriet whose lives all continue in "The Love Child," "Song of the Siren," and "Will You Love Me In September." There is a little bit of everything in "Lament for A Lost Lover" - history, romance, and mystery. The reader can connect with the characters, share in the intrigue, feel their pain and rejoice at their happiness. The characters become friends who you will want to visit again and again. It is a book that can be enjoyed by itself or as part of the series that began with "Miracle at St. Bruno's."

Letters from Nin is a juicy exchange between a young woman and her surrogate mother, about love, loss, family secrets, and the gossipy goings-on in a midwestern town. It's a delightful novel, but also a wonderful how-to book: Nin is trying to raise adorable Max, her first baby, and Kathe, the grandmother-substitute (and child therapist) comes up with all sorts of useful advice as Max grows out of infancy into toddlerdom and beyond. There's also another sort of how-to in the book as Nin, an artist, grapples with a central feminist issue, the struggle to combine motherhood and career. Kathe has her own surprising midlife developments to keep up with, trying to find love again after the loss of her beloved husband. This book gets at all sorts of things about a woman's life in an engaging lively manner. It's a great read and a great help, especially to anyone trying to figure out how to be a parent. There's humor and pathos here, and also wisdom. I loved it.

Eleanor Weisberger's book is both a novel and a source of understanding parenthood and children. It is also a great read. Unlike most books about parents and children, this is based on what it feels like to be a parent and what it is like to be a child. I think new parents can become overwhelmed with information on one hand, and a feeling that they don't know what they are doing or should be doing on the other. Weisberger's book supports parents finding their own way at the same time that it offers insight into the processes of parenthood and childhood. That it is a novel makes it fun and accessible. I highly recommend it to new parents and any parents. (I think it is a valuable book for grandparents, as well).

Life Among the Samurai is a captivating account of the life of the warrior class during Japan's medieval period. Fascinating illustrations capture the imagination and combine with descriptive text, which engages the reader, no matter what their age. Stories about some of the most famous Samurai add to the mystique of the Samurai's role in Japanese history. The author, Eleanor J. Hall, has done a fabulous job making the Samurai's life as vibrant today as it was centuries earlier.

Life Among the Samurai is a captivating account of the life of the warrior class during Japan's medieval period. Fascinating illustrations capture the imagination and combine with descriptive text, which engages the reader, no matter what their age. Stories about some of the most famous Samurai add to the mystique of the Samurai's role in Japanese history. The author, Eleanor J. Hall, has done a fabulous job making the Samurai's life as vibrant today as it was centuries earlier.