With everything this book has, it leaves me dying to find the seque!!! If you read this book, be sure to read the other books by Jane Yolen, especially the Dragon's Blood series!!!

this book was wonderful . i really enjoy fantasy and this was one of the best fantasy books ive read . i could not want for the sequal it kept me handing . i love this book and ive read it 8 times !

Jane Yolen ties in an ancient religion with wonderful charecters to construct the best book I for one have ever had the pleasure of placing my hands upon. Three cheers for Jane Yolen and all her talents. And by the way, the sequal is The White Anna. ;)

I'm 30 years old and I still remember reading this book as a child. Not only can I recite parts of it to this day, but so can my mother.
It is a fun way to learn to count. The illustrations are enchanting, as well as the entire story involving all sorts of animals preparing for The Butterfly Ball.

I am a 21 year old college student. My mom read this book to me when I was little. The illustrations were always my favorite part of the book. The mouse finds her way to the ball in a very magical way. I read that book so many times that I can still recite nearly half of it. In my opinion this book was more a visual experience than about counting. Any child should be lucky to own this wonderful piece of work.

I'm 27 and have a very worn copy of the 1976 publication of this book. As a child, I read it so often that I have pieces memorized to this day. It's still my favorite book, and I was afraid I'd never be able to replace it. How wonderful to see such an enchanting and educational book is still in print!

I have read and own all of the Med Center books and all I can say is that they are GREAT!!! I wish there were more... the romance, the suspense, the life!! Their lives are good examples and role models for teens. read these books! trust me, you'll love 'em!!

Any MED CENTER book is great! But this one was terrific. A excellent medical book with some romance and suspense in it too. I would recomend it for anyone!

Med Center Poison is a great book for kids it is fun, exciting and full of suspense.

I didn't encounter this book until I was 20, and I regret all the years this wasn't one of my favorite children books. Written by the ever amazing Jane Yolen (check her out, folks. She ROCKS!), this "fairy tale" is a riot, a romance, and a sweet little read. Whether you use it to entertain children (which it will) or to keep your college roommate entertained at one in the morning as she pulls her hair out, anyone and everyone will enjoy the book.

My mom used to read me this book when I was little. It teaches young girls that beauty is on the inside. I think more girls need to be read this story.

I remember borrowing this book from the library over and over and over as a small child. I was so struck by the idea that the beautiful princess didn't win the prince (never mind that he was the youngest son of a youngest son with no jewels or wealth or property to speak of), but that she lost him to an orphaned "Plain Jane". It was only recently that I read the opinion of some "enlightened" reviewer that labeled this book as "feministic." What is so feministic about the idea that someone would look past the lovely facade of one to see the inner beauty of another? I read this book to my class of five-year-olds, and I had just said, "The end" when they began chanting in unison, "Read it again; read it again!" At the end, continuing in the strain of humor that flows throughout this tale, is the story's moral: "Let sleeping princesses lie, or lying princesses sleep . . . " while in truth, it teaches something far more important.

This book will touch on deep and meaningful experiences that you have had while reading as a child and reading to children. By reading those perspectives organized into a series of short essays, you will better be able to read and enjoy the classic tales and bring the most meaning to them for yourself and others. Although I spend a great deal of time thinking about children's literature, this book greatly extended by ability to conceptualize the context for benefiting from these stories.

Ms. Yolen begins strongly by pointing out many of the most important distinctions between oral and written literature. Most of our classic children's stories began in the former, and have been migrating into the latter. The story teller plays a great role in the oral tradition, by adjusting the way the story is told to fit the audience. As parents, I think we all do this instinctively with young children, but gradually abdicate that role as the children learn to read silently to themselves. As story tellers, we can help point out the interesting and challenging parts of the stories. In so doing, we increase the likelihood that the child will learn more about what it means to be human.

Many people are concerned because classic folk tales, like Little Red Riding Hood, have many layers of meaning and can be interpreted in some pretty fightening ways. Ms. Yolen cites research showing that children actually like the punishments to be extreme in such stories, as a reflection of their sense of justice. But when should we be able to treat the outsider harshly? Stories like Rumplestiltskin nicely raise that issue. Whenever I review children's books, I try to point out these opportunities for exploring moral issues. One of the strengths of the folk tales is that they are full of moral issues, and questions of choice. For example, even when you take on the powers of magic, there is often a price to be paid.

At another level, these stories capture parts of ourselves. By focusing in an imaginary world, they allow us to concentrate on that little sliver of ourselves. For example, anyone reading Peter Pan will remember sometimes feeling like Wendy and wanting to grow up, and sometimes feeling like Peter Pan and never wanting to grow up. By being poised with a choice on that ambivalence, a person can make a more successful determination about growing up and in what ways. No child would sit still for such a discussion without Barrie's powerful story.

I was also impressed by the argument that we have many concepts that adults do not usually discuss in public company, like death, good, evil, God, and love. The folk and fairy tales are full of such subjects, and the "disbelief" that we suspend helps make us comfortable with dealing in these semi-taboo subjects.

One of the best arguments in the essays is that by going through Alice's Looking Glass these stories must be very true about human nature, or we will reject them. They will simply be too remote and disconnected otherwise. So the more absurd the setting, the higher the potential for touching the universal.

Naturally, there are things that are regrettable in these stories . . . but there are things that are regrettable in life. Moral conversation and discussion will always benefit from an early beginning in life. How will your children find out what you believe, if you do not use stories of all sorts as one context for explaining your ideas and experiences?

I also agree with the praise here for the time travel books that allow us to more realistically consider earlier times. Now that people study so much less history, there is an increasing tendency to assume the past was much like the present. That has never been less true than now, as our knowledge and technology advance so rapidly.

Perhaps the most persuasive argument of all is that these stories give us common metaphors for communicating with one another. In the absence of the Cinderella story, how can children deal with their universal secret suspicion that they were really born to royalty . . . not their own parents . . . and are fated for a great destiny? Having read many versions of Cinderella, as well as having seen the Walt Disney movie, I as shocked when I realized how impoverished this story would be if you had only seen the Walt Disney version. Then, having been shocked, I also remembered thinking how weak I thought the Walt Disney version was the first time I saw it as a youngster. That took me back to an age of consciousness where I had not been for many years. I was grateful for the experience.

After you finish reading this book and considering its many important messages, I suggest that you also read The Golden Bough, which looks at legends and folklore around the world over time. From that perspective, you will begin to appreciate how common our yearnings and intrepretations are of common life issues and circumstances. It makes me feel closer to every other person when that thought resonates throughout my body while reading that outstanding book, like the reverbrations from an enhanting chanson performed by a troubador's medieval song and lute.

May you touch others, and yourself, better through the most universal human stories from the oral tradition! Also, read aloud daily to your children and grandchildren. If you cannot be with them, you can still do this by telephone.

Jane Yolen offers strong reasons for the absolute need children have for stories and fairy tales, in their glory as well as their gore. In brilliant, almost poetic prose, she lends perspective and personal insight into the food for our souls these stories provide. She shares a particularly powerful example from her own childhood, a book by E. Nesbit, THE POWER OF THE AMULET. As a Jewish child in New York City, reading this book in about 1946, she was completely drawn into the fantasy world created. Only as a young adult, upon re-reading years later, did she confront the anti-Semitic bias in the story. Her point is well-taken, that those themes that an adult considers "ugly," are not what a child who lives in fantasy will take from a story.

Her other essays face head-on the objections that many have to the old tales, and she champions them in their original form. In the wake of the uproar created by the Harry Potter books, her essays are well worth considering. We are, as she says, in danger of denying our children their own humanity when we brush aside the many gems of folk and fairy lore.

Yolen offers a strong collection of essays on children, stories, fantasy, and folklore in this new edition of Touch Magic. Yolen is one of the greatest forces in children's literature and folklore today. She explores the reasons why fantasy and folklore literature is important for children to read and hear. The power of story in individuals and in our cultures is emphasized in each essay. Yolen explains that stories link us to our past and future, helping all of us understand who we are and improve our interaction with the world. For anyone who wants to understand or explain why fantasy and folklore is important for children and adults, this book is a must read.

Boredom settles over the crew of the space ship STAR WARTS and Commander Toad has to do something quick. Lieutenant Lily, Mr. Hop, Jake Skyjumper and Doc Peepers are all unhappy. They've watched all the ship's movies-SPLASH GORDON, THE TOAD WARRIOR, INDIANA FROG AND THE LILY PAD OF DOOM-and read all the ship's books-ROBIN TOAD, THE LIZARD OF OZ, and SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN WARTS-and played a lot of croak-kay, leapfrog, and hopscotch. There is nothing to do and they're all going a little crazy. That all changes the day Commander Salamander and his pirate crew arrive. Commander Salamander boards STAR WARTS and takes everyone captive except for Doc Peepers. Only a little while after that, Commander Salamander makes Commander Toad Hop the Plank at sword point! Only Doc Peepers can save the day!

Jane Yolen is an award-winning children's book author as well as a writer of adult science fiction and fantasy. She's earned the Caldecott-given for the most distinguished picture book, the Nebula-given to the most distinguished writing in the field of science fiction and fantasy, the Golden Kite-given by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the World Fantasy Award. She's written seven Commander Toad Adventures, including COMMANDER TOAD AND THE LONG VOYAGE HOME, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE PLANET OF THE GRAPES, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES, and COMMANDER TOAD AND THE BIG BLACK HOLE. With dozens of books written in many genres, Jane Yolen is a great author to introduce to young readers.

Fun to read out loud and filled with puns and sight gags really well drawn by Bruce Degen, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES is a blast to share with young or reluctant readers. The sentences are short and choppy, driving the story on and filling the events with laughs. The pirate talk, "Yo-ho-ho, me slithery-slees!" is top-notch and will inspire young readers to quote the lines long after the book is finished-if an adult is willing to read the passages in a properly piratical dramatization. The solution to the pirates, once revealed, is hilarious and makes perfect sense even to pre-readers who understand story and set-up that comes in narrative repetition.

The Commander Toad series, all seven books, is recommended for imaginative young readers who have already been exposed to STAR WARS, STAR TREK, and various other science fiction based television shows and movies. Jane Yolen is one of the most entertaining authors for young minds out there.

Commander Toad and the crew of the good spaceship Star Warts are bored out of their minds. They have played all of their games like leap frog and croak-kay, they have read all of their books like "Robin Toad" and "The Lizard of Oz," and they have watched all of there movies like "Splash Gordon" and "Indiana Frog and the Lilly Pad of Doom" so many times that the crew is desperate for something different. The good news is that the crew of the Star Warts get the diversion they want, but the bad news is that what breaks up the boredom is a gang of space pirates, led by the notorious Commander Salamander, the Scourge of the Skies and Goon of the Galaxie, who has a new game for the hostage crew to play: Hop the Plank.

"Commander Toad and the Space Pirates" is, on a very basic level, quite silly. But young readers are going to be drawn to the relentless puns and Jane Yolen does a good job of setting the reader up for something surprising to happen (probably involving a whole lot of tongue depressers) without really giving away what the big surprise is going to be at the end of the book. The artwork by Bruce Degen is appropriate (you will believe that a frog can fly...a spaceship) and does a nice job of capturing the narrative action. This is one of those books where you trick young kids into learning a life lesson, because while their chances of going off into deep space on a spaceship commanded by a toad are rather remote, kids manage to get bored all the time (or, more to the point, they often complain about being bored, which is not necessarily the same thing). So if any youngster makes the mistake of announcing that they are "bored" within your hearing, then toss this book at them, which should solve both their short-term and long-term problems with regards to the subject of boredom.

Boredom settles over the crew of the space ship STAR WARTS and Commander Toad has to do something quick. Lieutenant Lily, Mr. Hop, Jake Skyjumper and Doc Peepers are all unhappy. They've watched all the ship's movies-SPLASH GORDON, THE TOAD WARRIOR, INDIANA FROG AND THE LILY PAD OF DOOM-and read all the ship's books-ROBIN TOAD, THE LIZARD OF OZ, and SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN WARTS-and played a lot of croak-kay, leapfrog, and hopscotch. There is nothing to do and they're all going a little crazy. That all changes the day Commander Salamander and his pirate crew arrive. Commander Salamander boards STAR WARTS and takes everyone captive except for Doc Peepers. Only a little while after that, Commander Salamander makes Commander Toad Hop the Plank at sword point! Only Doc Peepers can save the day!

Jane Yolen is an award-winning children's book author as well as a writer of adult science fiction and fantasy. She's earned the Caldecott-given for the most distinguished picture book, the Nebula-given to the most distinguished writing in the field of science fiction and fantasy, the Golden Kite-given by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the World Fantasy Award. She's written seven Commander Toad Adventures, including COMMANDER TOAD AND THE LONG VOYAGE HOME, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE PLANET OF THE GRAPES, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES, and COMMANDER TOAD AND THE BIG BLACK HOLE. With dozens of books written in many genres, Jane Yolen is a great author to introduce to young readers.

Fun to read out loud and filled with puns and sight gags really well drawn by Bruce Degen, COMMANDER TOAD AND THE SPACE PIRATES is a blast to share with young or reluctant readers. The sentences are short and choppy, driving the story on and filling the events with laughs. The pirate talk, "Yo-ho-ho, me slithery-slees!" is top-notch and will inspire young readers to quote the lines long after the book is finished-if an adult is willing to read the passages in a properly piratical dramatization. The solution to the pirates, once revealed, is hilarious and makes perfect sense even to pre-readers who understand story and set-up that comes in narrative repetition.

The Commander Toad series, all seven books, is recommended for imaginative young readers who have already been exposed to STAR WARS, STAR TREK, and various other science fiction based television shows and movies. Jane Yolen is one of the most entertaining authors for young minds out there.

This book has come to mean so much to our family...the simple story of the faerie boy and human girl teaches us about strength of character and appreciating differences, true. But as a Wiccan mother, this story has a special meaning for my children about being open to magical adventures and yet staying grounded in their own identity. The illustrations are breathtaking, and the poetry practically sings right off the pages. This book should be on every child's shelf.

This book is absolutely beautiful! The illustrations are gorgeous and the poetical rhythm of the rhymes that accompany the pictures are nothing short of lyrical. My favorite bit though, is the ending, where the author urges her young readers to " Be brave, be bold, be unafraid..." It takes traditional children's rhymes to a new level, reminiscent of old world poetry, and yet it is lively, easy to understand and fun to read out loud. It is simply literature for young children at its best!

I discovered this book in a class about writing children's books. While I have read many books by Jane Yolen, I can honestly say this is one of my favorite Yolen books with a poem as text. The poetry is intricate yet appears simple. This is a story that must be read aloud, simply to delight in the rhythm and the story. The illustrations are stunning, accentuating an already wonderful story. I strongly recommend this book for children, particularly in a read aloud setting. I also recommend this book for adults who love all things faerie or who appreciate a sweet tale that almost sings.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and illustrator John Schoenherr created a wonderful adventure about an experience between a little girl and her father owling in the forest. Owling is the act of looking for an owl at night by calling out: "Who-whoo-who-who-who-whooooooo." To go owling you have to be brave and quiet. You don't need words or warmth. All you need is hope. This book won the Caldecott Award in 1988. It was written for children four to eight years old and is a great bedtime story for children.

The artistic media used is watercolor. The artwork made me feel as if I were walking in the woods quietly with the characters. Each page conveys the feeling of actually being in the woods. I also enjoyed looking at each page for hidden animals within the illustrations. The illustrator spread each drawing across two pages using space to illustrate the openness and size of the woods.
The story is told from the girl's point of view as they walk through the woods in search of owls. The setting of the woods creates a quiet space that shows a bond between a father and his daughter. The special time being spent by the girl and her father is never actually pointed out, but the words along with the illustrations created a feeling of spending quality time with a parent. It paints a picture of a memory that a child will never forget.
The sentences are short and there aren't many words, but the author's style along with the illustrations are enough to tell the story and leave your imagination roaming. The story is organized in a way that one action leads to another smoothly. It is told very simply and without the need of fancy words to get the story, mood, and thoughts across to the reader.
The illustrator used a combination of various lines. There are short, long, heavy, light, straight, and curved lines. Most of the lines are painted at a diagonal angle that creates a feeling of motion. The lines definitely convey emotions of tranquility and quiet.
Most of the colors within the paintings are warm colors like different shades of blue to create the feeling of a chilly night and darkness. They are also mixed with white to create a sense of space. The colors compliment each other wonderfully. The various shades of brown depict the trees and owl. I like the way that the colors are more defined in the front of the picture and blur away in the background to create depth. The illustrations and the way they are positioned and shaped make it clear what the subject of the paintings are.
The texture of the paintings is soft and smooth. They give the illustrations an impression of realness. They also provide contrast within the picture.
The composition of the artwork doesn't take away from the story. I believe that it adds to the book. Each page has a white space for the words and the images of the paintings are created around the words. Everything is blended together in a way that nothing stands out more than anything else, but the author still managed to make the story stand on its own without taking away from the artwork or vice versa.
The book format gives the reader or purchaser of this book a quality appearance. The first impression of this book compliments the story and artwork within it. A paper dust jacket covered with a clear plastic cover wrap around the book. On the cover you see big bold letters that clearly show the title Owl Moon. The title's letters are bold, but colored with a light blue, which blend in perfectly with the artwork on the cover. The author and illustrator are also clearly stated using a smaller font with bold black letters. The font used within the story is black and bold. It is set to a size that makes it easy to see the letters and is spaced perfectly for the young reader.
Each page layout uses what is called a doublespread, which is when the picture extends across the two facing pages. The doublespread adds to the effect of motion by having the reader's eyes move from one page to the other.
The pages within the book are big, smooth, and glossy. The pages used give it another sense of being a quality book,
The size of the book makes it great for read-alouds because everyone will be able to see the pages clearly. It is a great picture book that needs to be shared with children.
I see no reason why anyone would find this book offensive. There are no censorship issues within this book that I can see. The woods aren't destroyed, the animals aren't mistreated, and the language is clean and simple.
Owl Moon is a great adventure that can be shared with any child. It is recommended for children between the ages of four to eight, but I think that even adults would enjoy this story. I have never heard of owling, but found it fun and interesting. I even thought that one day I might take my daughter out into the woods to experience a quiet walk through nature so that we can experience the sounds of the woods. I believe that anyone reading this story doesn't need any background information to relate to what is going on within the story. It is a simple adventure that can be understood by any person, race, or sex.
I found the book to be heart warming and fun to read. It gives the reader a sense of importance in spending time with our family members. It also shows that sometimes words aren't needed to spend time with another person, just being with one another is special and memorable. Finding a book that conveys feelings of love and warmth with something as important, yet sometimes forgotten, like spending time with others is rare these days. I believe that the rewards a child can take away from a story like this are invaluable in today's world.

Owl Moon

Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen, is a wonderfully told story. It is a perfect story to read aloud and share with children at bedtime. John Schoenherr tells the story through pictures beautifully. They could almost exist alone. Children will love this heartwarming story about a very special night.
The story is about a little girl and her fathering going owling one winter night. In search of the magnificent and elusive owl, they have to be silent and brave going deep into the dark and scary woods. The story says that words are not important when you go owling, you only need hope. This story depicts the special relationship of a child with her father.
This story reflects a theme that children will understand. Nearly every child has something that they share with their father. In this story their was no conversation between the father and daughter, but it was still a special moment in time that the two will cherish forever. This story will show to children that it is not the words that make a special memory, but it is being together that makes it so special.
The illustrations are truly exquisite. They are done in watercolor and they capture every detail of their journey. He uses space to convey a silent mood and to show the greatness and bigness of the woods. They add a important element to the story.
Owl Moon is a wonderful story, well deserving of the caldecott award. It will be enjoyed by the young and old alike.

I like this book and so do my children. Although it will have more appeal to fathers and sons, any parent and child can enjoy this story of the magical bond that takes place when a parent introduces their child to one of life's moments of wonder.

Who among us doesn't remember wonderful moments when you and you alone were the focus of your father's (or mother's) attention in a special setting that created a life-long memory pleasently returned to again and again. That's the magic of Owl Moon where a little boy takes a long walk in the woods over new fallen snow with his father. They are journeying to, as his older brothers had done before him, find a great owl, if he can be coaxed from his high above throne where he rules the night.

The story is simply told but carries all of the magic foretold by the setting. The water color illustrations are beautiful in their simplicity and convey the wonder of nature and the togetherness of father and son.

I really hope the author and illustrator read this review so they will know how much their book is loved!

... The rhymes are fun to read and the illustrations are gorgeous. My son is clearly entranced by the pictures and loves to look at them by himself. The book contains a few animals we don't see in other books (moles, spiders) which I like - it is nice to have a break from cows/horses/etc. The pictures are also fairly realistic.

...

The beautiful illustrations of this lyrical story exuberantly fly off the page, mud splattering, water splashing and more. The text - telling how various animals make their way to Grandma's house in all differnt ways - is the type of sing-song sound laden verse that's fun to read and re-read and re-read along with your child ("Tip-toe, tippety toe, Hip-hop, hippity hop, Dig-deep, diggety deep"). But, its the illustrations that make the book sing. Watercolors that are at once delicate and exuberant, Laurel Molk has captured dazzling webs woven by spiders, crumbly earth thrown out by digging moles and mud and pond water following a frog's leap through the air. Great book!

Jane Yolen's Off We Go! tells of baby animals who embark on ajourney to Grandmother's house. Each animal has a very different homedestination in this simple rhyme story.