This creation story from the Mien tribe of Laos provides an intriguing tale of a competitive pair who use the Mien people's embroidery as a pattern to create earth and sky. The siblings work in secret only to find their patterns don't fit together. Samples of traditional stitches and Mien embroidery patterned endpapers accompany a fine creation story.

Nancy Raines Day adapts and retells a Laotian creation story in Piecing Earth & Sky Together. Beautifully illustrated throughout with full color artwork by Genna Panzarella, the story told by a Mein Grandmother is of a very competitive pair who use the dinstinctive embroidery of the Mein tribe to creat the arth and the sky. Because both siblings want to make their part of the world the most beautiful, they work in secret until it is finally time to reveal their handiwork -- only to discover that their two pieces don't fit together! Faam Toh solves the problem by stiching the favric into mountains, rivers, gorges, and valleys. Only then do the earth and sky fit perfectly, allowing all the plants and naimals to thrive. Piecing Earth & Sky Together is a magnificently presented story that would grace any school or community folklore collection for young readers.

It is so sad that we have lost Linda Schele. But we can rejoice that we still have her wonderful books. This book is among her best. It is almost magical in the way she and David Freidel create the atmosphere of the Mayan culture. There are wonderful pictures and illustrations. She unfolds the stories of the archaeological discoveries and then helps us understand the real lives revealed in the evidence.

The book also shows how the Mayan glyphs and counting systems work. There are nowadays very good texts only and the language, but this book shows us how the glyphs are woven into the culture and religion of these people. We learn how the lineage worked and how the monuments were used as what we would call propaganda to support one line over other possibilities. We learn about the role of magic and visions and the way the leaders were the empowered by those visions.

There is just so much here that any reader will be richly rewarded. The Mayan civilization is incredibly fascinating because it is so foreign to our own and yet it is a part of the heritage of the American continents.

This book isn't just a text, it is a work of art in itself. You will have a hard time putting it down.

This has to be one of the best books written on the ancient Maya. You can really tell Linda not only has a great understanding of her subject, you can also tell she loves what she's doing.

The art work is great and ties to the text completely. Most books I buy now have Text text text with a few B&Ws in the middle, just so they can say they have pics, not this one. You'll find 100s of pics and believe it or not, their on the same page as the text that tells you about them.

The info contained in this book is up to date and pretty much uncontested. The book hits almost every subject possible with a few exceptions that only the very serious scholars would miss.

I really enjoyed the sections on temple design and how the Maya chose the locations for the temple sites. The section on the Mayan alphabet and it's symbology is very informative. Even though this book is quite long, it will keep you interested threw out.

If your a student in the history of the Americas or if your a casual reader with an interest in the ancient Maya, I think you'll find this book is for you.

Five Stars with two thumbs up!

After reading Stephens books on his explorations of the Yucatan ruins in the 1840s, this was a real revelation.. I have a very hard time putting it down. Linda and David have presented Maya history in an easy to follow text. Forest of Kings is a must read if you have any interest at all in the Maya. Wonderful... Just keep at least two bookmarks handy.

Although the book is beautifully illustrated, I felt it lacked a certain appeal to most readers. This particular book teaches us the months of the year through illustration using a cat as the subject. I found it hard to keep my daughters interest, and mine for that matter. Probably a good book for cat lovers. Lovely colors, but no story line. This is the type of book I would tend to borrow from a library as opposed to purchasing.

One of those books in which its pictures speak a thousand words. Charming & enchanting images of flowers, grinning lanterns, red berries & curious insects.

Have Nancy & Anne made a calendar yet? For every cat lover in your life! Do check out my site for a full review of this & many other children's books.

A kitten grows up over the course of a year in this fantastic book. The kitten himself or herself is fuzzy enough to want to reach out and touch, the flowers seem cool and smooth, and you expect the snail to crawl right off the margin! Best for very young children who want little plot and text and lots of incredible pictures. As a children's librarian, I think this is one of the best picture books I have bought this year.