In this next book in the Angelina Ballerina series, Angelina finds herself pursued by her cousin Henry, who wants to dance just like her. She is overjoyed when an adult ballet asks her and Henry to dance in one of their performances. However, her joy turns bitter, when the other dancers become enamored of Henry, and Angelina finds herself in the background. However, when Angelina decides to soldier on, she finds that things can go her way anyway.

As with the other books, my daughter and I loved this story, and Helen Craig's charming illustrations. A quick read, this book also has a wonderful lesson. We both highly recommend this book.

We're slowly working our way through the Angelina Ballerina books, based on the fanatic love of several of my daughter's friends for Angelina. Angelina loves to dance, and gets the opportunity to be in a real ballet as a magic fairy. One slight problem is that Angelina's cousin Harry, who looks very silly dancing, is also in the ballet as an elf. When Harry gets a line, Angelina must deal with her feelings of jealousy.

This is a relatively short book, with some great artwork, that parents won't mind reading multiple times. Like some of the other Angelina books, a part of the story is about Angelina dealing with her feelings, and happily, it all works out in the end.

This was a great book! I especially liked it because I am very much interested in ballet. This book was about a mouse named Angelina and her being invited to perform in a "grown up" ballet. She got a good part just like she wanted, but became upset when her couin Henry got a part and got more attention then her. She felt better though when the star of the ballet gave ger a flower. I think that this book is very good for both children and adults because you can learn a good lesson from it that you can be jelous, but it often doesn't pay to be.

Angelina's Halloween is a nice Halloween book for 3-, 4-, and 5-year olds, with just the right mix of scariness and other Halloween fun.

Angelina is very annoyed that her little sister insists on tagging along beside (or behind) her wherever they go, but she handles her little sister in several different ways, all of them good. The story includes trick-or-treating, a Halloween parade, and other Halloween traditions also.

The illustrations are like those in the other Angelina books: nicely drawn, cutesy, and cluttered with images. There's a lot to see on each page. Often my son just likes to explore the illustrations, naming the items on each page, and asking questions.

Angelina's Halloween is one of many good Halloween storytime (or bedtime) books for preschool aged children. I recommend it.

ken32

In this next book in the Angelina Ballerina series, Angelina and her friend Alice design beautiful Halloween costumes for themselves. However, Angelina begins to find her little sister's tagging along behind her, trying to copy her, quite tiring. But trouble arrives later in the evening, and Angelina learns another lesson.

Once again, this book continues the tradition of excellence set by the other books. Katherine Holabird's writing is interesting and entertaining, while Helen Craig's illustrations just add so much more icing onto the cake. My daughter loves this series, and, frankly, so do I. We both recommend this book to you.

I bought this book for my 2 1/2 year old daughter a week ago. She has requested it at nap time, and bed time, and in between, every day. She can now say most of the words along with me! At first I was worried that she would be scared, but she loves every bit of it. I love how Angelina handles her little sister in all the situations from being angry to being scared. It reminds me of my own older sister. I love the story and the illustrations and would recommend this book to anyone.

This is one of these children's books that the adult reading it can enjoy as well. This was the first book about Angelina Ballerina that we read, and it sent us off to find all the other one's as well. Delightful illustrations.

That's exactly what this book is. Cute. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and the story is enjoyable. Angelina and Alice are both mice. One day they meet each other and become friends because they both like the same things. When other kids (mice) at school begin making fun of Angelina, Alice joins in. Angelina is left with no friends, and no partner in gym. I won't tell you what happens in the end. You'll have to find out for yourself.

I recommend this book to children and adults alike.

Angelina is given the opportunity to donate things that she has outgrown to a charity box for second hand items. She includes Polka, her rag doll from her early years as a ballerina, as one of the toys she feels that she has outgrown. When Grandpa comes for a visit, he reminds Angelina of the fond memories that she had with Polka, and she desparately wants the doll back. Is it too late to find the doll again? Angelina learns that growing up is not always easy, but charity has grown up feelings to replace the things you give away.

This is another of the wonderful Angelina Ballerina storybook series. In this book, Angelina gets the good news that she has been chosen to help Miss Lilly with the new beginners' class. But, tragedy strikes when Angelina gives some old things to charity, and finds that she has accidentally given away a treasured item. In the end, Angelina learns that giving can have rewards beyond anything she might have expected!

As with all of the Angelina Ballerina books, this book is a wonderful mix of entertaining stories and picture, and an excellent lesson. My eleven-year-old daughter loves this book, and so do I. We both recommend this book to you!

In this next book in the Angelina Ballerina series, Angelina prepares for the New Year's Eve Ice Dance. It's a lovely pageant, but she repeatedly finds her practice interrupted by Spike and Sammy, two boys from the school. When she complains to her mother, Mrs. Mouseling explains that the two boys just want her attention. And so, Angelina forms a plan to include the two boys...

Once again, I must say that Katherine Holabird sure knows how to write a wonderful story. I liked the lesson of the book, and my daughter and I both loved Helen Craig's illustrations. We highly recommend this book to you.

I fell in love with Angelina when I was young and the first book came out. I recently read Angelina Ice Skates and loved it as I did all the others. The Angelina books all teach a lesson, yet put the characters in situations that real children could end up in. In Angelina Ice Skates, Angelina and her friends are having trouble with some of the boys at the rink. Her mother gives her some advice and all works out in the end. The perfect length for a bedtime story, I would recommend this book for all children's libraries, especially little girls who want to be ballerinas.

You can purchase this identical book NEW ! It has been retitled "Angelina's Birthday". The two books are identical in every way except the title! Don't purchase both (like I did) thinking you're going to get two different stories!

It is a cute book, with another nice moral: Angelina has a bicycling accident which ruins her old bike, then spends the week working to earn money to purchase a new one. All her friends and family see how hard she has worked and pitch in to buy the bike and give it to her as a birthday surprise.

My 3 year old twins adore anything to do with birthday parties and presents and this charming book supplies that along with the virtues of hard work - a wonderful book for young children.

I was surprised how much fun this book was to read to my daughter. I took an interactive approach, reading the page then asking her, "do ducks moo?" and letting her fill in the blanks when we were to the "correct" page. The illustrations are very cute, and the ending adds an enteratining twist.

I would have preferred the "Bonnie Bumble" character had a different last name.

This is a very cute story. My 2 year old has decided that this is his favorite book. I am looking forward to buying more Giggle Club books.

My three and four year olds love this story about the night time adventure of one forgotten teddy bear. It has just the right amount of tension, (provided in the form of an owl swooping down to take the teddy bear on an unexpected ride), and resolution (the bear is rescued by a stranger, taken home and then brought back to the park). Getting left behind in the park is something these little ones can easily relate to, and I appreciated both the illustrations and the sweet rhymes that move the story along (without nonsense words). One of their favorites.

We first borrowed this book from the library. My son wanted it read again and again and refused to let me return it to the library. Therefore I have had to buy it for him as it really is his favourite book. He really feels for the bear left alone in the park and it is just scary enough both in text and pictures. The bear is worried,hopeful,brave,scared,assertive,patient, sorrowful,happy,tired and loved all in 24 wonderfully illustrated pages. There is an element of adventure that is present in this book and the other two titles - This is the Bear and This is the Bear and the Picnic Lunch. I would thoroughly recommend all three.

In this next book in the Angelina Ballerina series, Angelina has spent the winter saving up her money for when the fair arrives in town. Disaster strikes (in Angelina's eyes) when she is forced to take her little cousin Henry along. She proceeds take her annoying little cousin on all of the rides that she loves, but he finds frightening. However, when Henry disappears, Angelina learns a lesson about others.

My daughter and I do love the Angelina books. Katherine Holabird and Helen Craig make a formidable team! If you have a child (a girl especially), then we do recommend this book to you.

This is the first Angelina book I recieved and I believe that it is the best in the series of Angelina books. It has everything a terrific children's book should have. The characters were obviously created with great attention to details and are utterly charming. The fabulous watercolor illustrations were enriching to me as a child when I read Angelina at the Fair due to the pastel color choices. This book also has a perfect balance of intrigue, suspense, and adventure. Every little girl should have the opportunity to read this book.

This is a wonderful book. I have read it to my 3 year old daughter dozens of times. It has a scary element to the story, which she loves. But, not too scary for a 3 year old. The pictures are interesting as well as the story line. Angelina at the Fair is fun.

i read the book and thought it was very very good sometimes it was hard to follow the plot.translating this book must have been very hard to do for i should now because Helen C. Mccullough was my wonderfull Grandmother.She taped herself and i used to watch her on tape as she translated the book to english. even if she was not my grandmother i still would have thought the book was good it gave me a new love for Japense lituire. did i spell that right? oh while i recommend this book to any one.

Translations of Japanese and Chinese classics are often hampered by the archaic language used in the originals. This was not the case here and the translator has achieved a balanced fusion of great story-telling and accurate presentation of the text. This is no small achievement since the Heike tale is populated by many diverse characters some of whom are only mentioned once whereas others have great influence on the plot despite their brief appearances.

I have found that the best way to read the book is to treat oneself to the episodic nature of the chapters. This reflects the original format of the story; that it was expressed in minstrel style story-telling by the "biwa-hoshi" in nightly recitals. As such each segment of the story can be treated like individual pearls in a string, each complete and entertaining by its own merit but strung together to form the whole epic saga of the Heike. Attempts to read the book in the style of a conventional Western novel with its continuous narrative will result in frustration since the story seem to take many didactic excursions and side plots. This may also have been the rootcause to the earlier frustration of another reviewer who encountered too many characters to comprehend at one single reading. A similar experience can be found if a first time reader tries to read the Bible continuously from Genesis to Revelation.

The other great challenge in this translation is in its reference to the characters of the story. The long titles accorded to each individual felt cumbersome and unnecessary at first but as I continued reading I began to appreciate that the original narrators of the tale were relating to the traditional Japanese audience, not the modern reader. As such the titles and honorifics were not only essential but required for reasons of protocol. Many listeners in feudal Japan were related or held similar positions to those described in the story. This realization helps the reader to savour the vintage of this work.

The book also helps to lift a veil over 12th Century interaction between Japan and China. The narrators often recited characters from ancient China as part of the shared heritage of Japanese perceptions of honor and duty. The exchange of ideas and cultural practices between the two empires comes across as very vital and alive at that period as expressed by the presence of a Chinese physician during Taira no Shigemori's death. My initial fascination about the extermination of the Taira (from reading the story of Earless Hoichi from Kwaidan by L. Hearns) have been greatly enriched by the full account of the Gempei Wars found here in the Tale of the Heike. The sense of karmic justice where the terrible fate that befell the Taira clan was a direct result of the evil deeds of Kiyomori was all but pervasive in this book. Great reading!

Admittedly, the book is a bit rough for the average reader. It is, nonetheless, the root of oh so many modern stereotypes of Japan, and, interestingly enough, Western popular mythologies (Star Wars anyone?). If you read, keep in mind that the book is based on historical facts - facts translated through the mouths of blind traveling bards - performances then immortalized in various text/versions - and then, centuries later, translated into English. Ms. McCullough had a daunting task and has done an amazing job. It takes effort to read this text, but it is well worth your time.