Be aware that the completion in early 2002 of the very extensive restorations of the frescoes makes this book at least partially obsolete. If you want to see what the frecoes look like now, you'll want a book published after April, 2002.

I first stumbled upon this book shortly after having lived in Italy for five years and drinking richly of art, history and culture. I was so pleased to have discovered this rich treasury which beautifully repoduces each and every fresco of the magnificent little Scrovegni chapel in Padua -- a renaissance Italian city near Venice and made famous by Saint Anthony.

This little book of only 118 pages is in fact powerful enough to be a coffeetable treasure due to its stunning and colorful reproductions of the frescos and then coupled with its brilliant and succint text.

In many ways, I found this book more satisfying than the actual visit I made to the chapel a few years earlier. Why? The chapel is small and every wall and ceiling is covered with the work of that paramount, Renaissance master, Giotto. Even still, however, it can be difficult to enjoy the detail and nuisance of many of the frescoes that are located up high or in the shadow of dim lighting. This book removes the obstacles and allows you to enter into the artistic and theological mystery of each and every fresco.

Both novice, art historian and theological guru alike would enjoy adding this little gem to one's own library. The text provides insightful commentary into all perspectives of this chapel -- religious, artistic, and historical. A select bibliography adds even more opportunity to carry on the research.

I was saddened to see that the price had actually gone up from the time I first purchased a copy in 1993, when the book was first published. However, I'm not surprised. Whereas one would expect most books to decrease in value until they become those "bargain books," I believe that this one will be around for a long time -- a real classic for the library.

I highly recommend it for your collection.

I read a good book called The Magic School Bus Gets All Dried Up. The author of the Magic School bus is Joanna Cole. My favorite character is Ms. Frizzle. Ms. Frizzle is the type of teacher I would like to have because she is energetic and fun. I think I would learn alot of stuff if I were in her class because of all those field trips they go on. This is an educational book for children because there is alot of information you can learn. Sometimes they go to the zoo, beach, and other places. My favorite part of the book is when the bus shrinks into a small size so the class can have a closer look at things. These books are also a tv show. This is why I like this book, so go out and read it.

I SAW THIS MAGIC SCHOOL BUS STORY,ALL DRIED UP ON TV . I REALY REALY LOVE THIS BOOK. MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IS ARNOLD. I AM GONNA ASK MY DADDY TO BUY IT FOR ME.////// JAKE A. I AM 5 YEARS OLD

The Magic School Bus is an excellent science-based book collection, in which the indomitable Ms. Frizzle (wonderfully voiced by Lily Tomlin on the animated TV show) takes her grammar school kids on "Fantastic Voyage" like journeys in a shrinking school bus. . The bus takes the kids inside a book about Physics, where they enter a page about a baseball field with no friction. The kids learn about how throwing, running, and catching would work were there no friction.

Generally, the books are funny, have recognizable characters, and teach science principles in a clear, imaginative way. This book, however, was not as good as others I've read in the series: there is minimal use of "miniaturization" that makes the other books so clever and unique, the focus on friction is a bit too narrow, and the usually exciting escape from danger is on the tepid side. Still, its 30 pages contain bad puns, demonstrations of friction, and two friction experiments and the never-frazzled Ms. Frizzle. It's a mildly entertaining and informative book.

I'm 8 years old, and I've read alot of Magic School Busbooks. This book explains all about friction, forces, pushing andpulling.The book takes place in a magic book where the kids play baseball with no friction. I liked this book because I play baseball, and it would be hard to play without friction. I think that this book is better than the one about bats, and I REALLY liked that one. This book was one of the best I've read, so I suggest this book for your children.Kids, ask your parents to buy this book.

First of all I have to say the "Autobus Magico"series are just great for kids. The pictures, the comments, they justfit perfectly for kids of all ages. All the data included, not only in this book, but in all of the series is precise and easily understandable for everybody. I've never read the english versions but the spanish versions are great for teachers and of course students. You can easily hear the ahhhhs! and ohhh's! when you go inside the volcanoes, and learning about lava, magma and melted rocks. My advice to you is: you want to teach kids get this book!

El Autobus Magico was a good book to read. It tells you about a classroom, that got stranded, on the way to the sound museum. The teacher, miss Frizzle and her student have to make a decision. Are we going to stay in this house with strange noises? Found out!

The Magic School Bus "Goes Upstream" is one of the better books in the series, because of the science and the knowledge you receive. I am 9 years old, but I read all the books in the series when I was 7( although I read the new ones as they come out). The facts are easy to remember, for example, thier keen sense of smell allows salmon to "smell out" their food.Salmon have a lot of predators like bears and sharks.This book is better for younger kids then older kids,because they give you only simple, quick facts and nothing more.However, THIS BOOK IS GREAT!

A fun book in the "Magic School Bus" series, this is a fact- and pun-filled account of Ms. Frizzle's students (and parents) going on a field trip to learn more about bats. Some of the kids are a little nervous at first: Ralphie believes that bats are really vampires! The field trip shows otherwise, as bat-facts are presented in a creative and interesting manner.

The famous bus does do some magic here: Turning into a "bat bus" to demonstrate echolocation, and then turning the children into bats (temporarily!) so they can learn about bat food, bat predators, bat flight speed, and general "hanging around (upside down from the branches of a tree)." Facts replace suspicion (Is Ms. Frizzle herself a vampire? Did she turn the parents into vampires?), and the story ends with yet another pun. (Be your own judge about whether this story might be too frightening for the very young). With bright, colorful (but not extraordinary) illustrations on each one of the story's 28 pages, and two pages with letters about bats and bat facts. Probably not as exciting as Batman, but fans of "The Magic School Bus" and nature facts should love it.

I liked reading this book, because it was easy to read and understand. I thought that the book was funny and interesting. The class had show and tell and Arnold brought something in to show that was very interesting. No one knew what it was. They try to find out what it is and where it came from by going on a trip with there teacher. By reading this book, you will find out what exactly happened on their trip and what it is what Arnold brought in for show and tell!
Brandon M.

Since children love 'The Magic School Bus' television show, this book about sinking and floating will be sure to grab the attention of those inquisitive young minds! It serves as a great asset to a science classroom, or your own home library. Although it is kind of lengthy, I highly recommend it for insurance of complete understanding of the sinking and floating process. Happy reading!

Over the last 30 years there seems to be a greater interest on the part of art historians in the nuts and bolts issues of how art is created. The works of E.H. Gombrich come to mind, or "The Academy and French Painting in the Nineteenth Century", by Albert Boime. This rather disconnected set of essays by Cole examines the material issues facing the Renaissance artist.

What did paintings cost? How was the artist valued? What expectations surrounded the conception and construction of the work of art? How did the original setting differ from our encounter with these works today? These are some of the questions addressed here. This is not a coffee table book, and the illustrations are low quality black and white (at least in the paper back edition).

Like the other book by Cole that I have read, "Titian and Venetian Painting, 1450-1590", I wish this book was twice as long. Many of the questions touched on here are only given a brief answer, but the information that is here is fascinating. I am not an Art Historian, so I can only guess at the authors reputation (now head of the NEA). My sense is that he is one of those historians with a breadth of knowledge that is quite rare in these days of specialization, and that his viewpoint shows a high degree of originality. My only complaint (aside from the 100 or so color illustrations that could have provided more details) is that the writing style is not as graceful as some of the masters of this genre.