Behind me on my shelf, I have three copies of this textbook. The first copy is from 1966. It is a look back in time that is enough to make any childbirth professional giggle. The second book I have is from 1978. Again, this outdated book is a serious look at midwifery, with photos that are outlandish. I keep these books because I find the evolution of the books phenomenal... and yet, the content has not changed much over time. Childbirth is still physiologically the same as it was in 1966.

The third book I own is eight years old. While it is not the most recent edition of the book, it was the edition printed before the current edition. This book has been what the previous editions have not been for me: a serious textbook about midwifery. Realistically, there are hundreds of midwifery textbooks out there, all of them good. But the Myle's textbook stands out above the others for a number of reasons. For one reason, it is simply well written. For another reason, it is been kept current with the changing times. And for a third reason, it tends to be the accepted textbook in midwifery study groups everywhere. The information in this book is solid and helpful. As a book to read as an aspiring midwife, this is definitely an intermediate level book, although the first few chapters begin gently. It is a book I would pack with me if I travelled.

I was only just wishing this week that I had my old Maggie Myles textbook with me. I left mine behind when I left Zambia where the book was used as an excellent tool for those of us practicing as midwives and educating young Zambian nurses in the same skill. The book helped me many times in difficult situations to make critical decisions regarding the mothers and babies in our care. I never dreamed I would get a chance to write a review. I doubt it is to the standard you require. No matter. I know the book was up to the standard of any nurse midwife working in challenging circumstances.

We LOVE this book! I've been looking all over for a good book that portrays the growth of a seed and this book achieves that beautifully. My kids (ages 4 and 2) want it read to them over and over again. It is also a great counting backwards (or subtraction) book.

Very cute and sturdy. A youbg boy plants ten seeds, which, one by one, are eaten are destroyed in some manner. All except for one seed that grows into a glorious sunflower, which produces exactly ten seeds. A definite summer hit for the young set.

My son is 21 months and this is his absolute favorite book. He LOVES all of the pictures and the muddy, mucky, sticky, gooey TOAD! This book is so much fun to read, and it really gets my son excited about reading. Best of all are the fabulous illustrations. We have come to love Ruth Brown's books, and we think that she is the best children's illustrator around.

While babysitting, I read this book to two girls: 2 and 5 years old. They LOVED it. You can really have fun with the words - gooey slimy bug crunching - and change your tone while reading. It's a sure fire winner.

It seems that the quality of the pictures is almost secondary to the collection themselves - an arrangement of America's best delegates of expresssion. As the market place of American music seems to fall further and further away from the proliferation of substance and artistic value, Frielander's "American's . . . " serves as a shouting out for the need of education of the youth to the lives of these real American heroes. When asked of his taste or distaste for record sampling as a modern recording technique, Ray Charles expressed his fears that the sources of the sound bytes used may go unexplored thus squandering any hope of education. Prophetic? Perhaps. Frielander has assembled a striking visual dictionary that could be instructive in opening another dimension to musics that have gone undiscovered by the youth of today as well as remindind parents that the fire in music, captured here, transcends generations and may be a point of departure for cross-generational, cross-sexual, cross-racial summits to be convened.

I have used this book for five or six years as a storyreader in schools all over the east coast. It is a story of freedom and justice, love and compassion and has sparked some marvelous discussions in 4th,5th and 6th grades. A warm story of an angry man who befriends a misused bear and sets him free and in that act frees himself of his own anger and mistrust. I love this book!!

The Big Sneeze by Ruth Brown is a wonderful book to illustrate verbs to children. I use it in my second grade classroom. Not only is there a great selection of verbs but the punctuation helps to teach children about inflections.

This is a wonderful book. In James Herriot's usual heart-warming fashion, he tells the tale of a farmer's loyalty and fondness for his oldest cow. I began reading it to my son when he was two. I often cannot make it through the book without crying, and I have to explain that my tears are tears of joy. Very useful in discussing compassion concerning human relationships with non-human animals.

This is a children's book based on the legend surrounding Richard Whittington. Whittington, who died in 1423, was mayor of London 1397-1399, 1406-1407, and 1419-1420. He became very prosperous and generous. The legend says that he was a homeless boy who did odd jobs in a house and kept a cat to keep the rats away. But, he had to send the cat off on a trading ship. The cat was sold to a Moorish ruler whose kingdom had been overrun with rats. The cat becomes a noted ratter and the ruler bestows a great treasure on Whittington. (However, the historical Whittington appears to have been the son of a knight of Gloucester). The earliest known appearance of the legend is in 1605. This book was a 1951 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustration in a book for children. I've always found it of interest to discover how much children enjoy stories that are based on real people.

Ruth Dewson is known nationwide as the purveyor of fine hats to the stars, and to every one else - her small store in San Francisco hosts the mayor, major Hollywood celebrities, and tourists and local denizens alike - her charm, character, style and personality are infused into this work which showcases many popular styles for both men and women as worn by numerous celebrities in vivid large-scale photographs. There are also sections that give advice as to how to choose the perfect hat(s) for yourself. A definite boon to those inclined towards all matters sartorial.

Our 2 year old loves books and we own many but she's gone absolutely nuts over this book. It's beautifully illustrated where each page is a visual perception joke. Right-side up the caterpillar is munching on a fruit basket, turn the book upside-down and he's chewing on a man's hair. On another page he sees a mushroom, turned upside-down the negative space becomes the face of two ogres.

We received the book as a gift and when I flipped through it I thought it might be too advanced for her visually. (The text is simple and unremarkable.) But from the first reading she was completely fascinated. We've read it probably 50 times in the past three days. I don't know if it will have staying power, and I don't know how many more times my husband and I can stand to read it. But if you have a child who is interested in complex visual images, this is a good choice.