There are three non-religious books I read and re-read constantly. "In the Shadow of a Rainbow" is one of them. Man and wolf become alive before our eyes, with unexpected depth and dimension, as does the land of BC itself - and my life has become the richer.

I despair of ever seeing this story done properly on film, but there is one person who could do it justice - Hayao Miyazaki, master storyteller from Japan, known the US for "Totoro," "Kiki's Delivery Service," and "Princess Mononoke." (He could also do a worthy animated "Diary of Anne Frank." With the eye and heart of a spiritual magician, and artist's touch to match, I wait for him to bring Nahani alive on the screen. In the meantime, I'll just have to keep reading the book itself...

What a lovely book. Leslie has captured the remarkable story of a young Indian man, who is befriended by a wolf, in living color. Greg (the Indian) and Nahani (the white wolf) meet when Nahani brings her pack into the area where Greg is prospecting for gold . Thanks to Greg's willingness to watch and learn from the wolves, along with his inherent respect for their boundaries and ways of doing things, the leader of the pack (Nahani)gradually comes to trust him. Eventually she sits by his fire, allows him to scratch her back, and pull ticks from her skin. This mutually satisfying relationship ends when the first snows of winter arrive and Greg must return to town.

Back in civilization, Greg discovers that Nahani has earned a reputation as a killer. There is a large reward being offered to anyone who can kill her and bring in the skin. Greg is naturally upset by this, and tries to convince people that the wolf is not a threat. He is opposed by a trapper named Dan who does all he can to stop Greg from helping the wolf. Concerned for Nahani's safety, Greg embarks on a 3-year quest to locate the wolf and save her if he can.

The story of how Greg manages to locate and track Nahani through one of the remotest and most inaccessible regions of the country is as inspiring as it is fascinating. Better still is the story of what happens when Greg eventually locates the wolves.

This story, which ends on a very positive note, is said to be true. It was told to the author (Robert Franklin Leslie) by Greg himself. Aside from the few places where human motivations and emotions are attributed to the wolf, the story rings true. It is a real treat for anyone who believes in the interconnectedness of all living things.

I have read many books, both fictional and non-fictional, about wolves. This book was truly one of the best. It was refreshing to read a story about a wolf where it did not end up dead by the end of the story yet, the story is realistic. If you love wolves, you will be amazed at the friendship that is possible between a human and a pack of wolves. I will re-read this one!

This book inspired me to start my own nature journal and gave me the confidence to draw in it! Wonderful, encouraging and instructional. If I can draw nature, then anyone can!

Okay, this is a winner! If you do NOT have it on your bookshelf then get it! This has become one of the required textbooks for many of my courses. (Visit my Amazon page for more information.)

It is flat out beautiful -- the beauty is that it is filled with the illustrations and notes by the authors. The book delves into the questions you might have, doubts that might arise -- and those get answered but the book allows and encourages creativity and growth through the nature journal process.

You'll find hints for what tools to pick for your illustrations and notes, tips for observing, what information you might want to include, how to overcome your critical mind, beginning drawing exercises and tips on how to enchance your creativity. You'll find a seasonal section that gives some good suggestions for documenting natural changes and events. Later there are more drawing exercises on shading, drawing flowers, anatomy, landscapes, etc. There are also samples of different journal techniques, tips on how to set up a nature study, how to keep records, how to journal for a scientific study or biological research project and still more!

Toward the end of the book group journaling and exploring is discussed. What you will also find are valuable tips for quizzes, writing, science, art, history, music and math projects. The suggested reading list and assessment scale for the journal or porfolio are also vital resources within this book.

If you are not convince now you never will be! One of the best personal journaling _and_ teaching books I've encountered this last year.

What makes this book so great? It is partially a nature journal itself, yet it is full of *real* ideas for your notebooks. I love the authors' drawings and comments, and how they help you draw well with small exercises. I was amazed at how well I could draw a bird after doing the bird sketches they recommend. They include sidebars with annectdotes of teaching approaches. They suggest ways to make a note book your own, to make it more interesting, and to make it more scientific, too!

Some of my favorite pages in the book are city or country landscapes, including houses and buildings. The authors remind us that humans are part of nature, and what they build is too, just as a wasps' nest is. A drawing of a street in Cambridge MA made me a bit homesick...but it also reminded me that this would be our last year with a cabana at the beach. I started documenting our days there, and rather than take photos, I tried to record our days in pictures I drew. These are not amazingly Rembrant-esque, but they accurately reflect the days we spent. With a bit of help from this book, I was able to capture perspective and shadowing as I drew my children and the local flora and fauna, and add comments as I draw--the time and temperature, what the animals are doing, when the last rain fall was, or how I felt. The entries in this notebook include the buildings and benches, the fences and the kites--everything it take s to capture a scene.

Leslie and Roth talk about different types of notebooks, with examples. Seasonal notebooks capture the changing wilderness; scientific notebooks record observations with commentary. A notebook may include only flora or fauna. It may record a journey or special occasion.

A nifty section includes a discussion of materials and tools for drawing. Leslie demonstrates pens vs. pencils and markers, drawing the same leaf with several different tools. She tells us her preferences, but leaves us to choose for ourselves.

One side-bar includes the author's reflexion on teaching nature journaling: When asked about drawing in an nature notebook, one second grader said, "Well, I can draw the sky." That's how I felt about drawing...and yet that phrase says so much about nature notebooks. The sky is so big, yet so simple. I think this sums up the whole book. Keeping a nature notebook is so simple, yet such a big part of our education.

An excellent book to get you started with capturing little pieces of nature to bring indoors with you. Truly helps diminish the "Oh, I can't do that" syndrome. Take the kids with you and make a project of it. You'll find it's easy and fun too.

This book was recommended in our homeschool loop. I bought the book hoping for some ideas to get me started, always wanted to start but felt uncomfortable about just doing it. The book will end all your worries! I was very impressed by the books contents and how easy it was to get started. My 5 1/2 year old daughter and I have started with the very basics as part of our daily school lessons and I plan to add more as we progress. You do not have to be an artist to do this! This is your journal and you do what you want in it, nobody needs to see it unless you want to share it. It will make you become more observant to your surroundings and the way things are constantly changing. A great base for any homeschool program.

If you're into nature and you haven't lost touch with a child's wonder, you will enjoy Nature Journaling. A great book for families who like to wander together or for adults who want to reconnect with their natural surroundings.

This book contains a tremendous amount of information. Most of this book comprises detailed descriptions of each tree and shrub that grows in Alaska. Each write-up includes a physical description of the plant (including description of various seasonal forms), description of uses of the plant by humans and wild animals, description of the plant's range (which is illustrated on a range map for each taxon); and the names of closely-related plants. And every write-up is accompanied by an excellent, detailed black-and-white illustration of parts of the plant (most are drawn actual size). Given all of this information, I had no trouble identifying most of the trees and shrubs that I have encountered in Alaska. And I am no botanist.

Includes an introduction generally describing the vegetation zones of Alaska, and a key to identifying trees based mainly upon characteristics of their leaves. This reference is still cited in the academic literature today; and although it lacks color photographs (and plants are organized taxonomically rather than by color or other feature) I believe it would be an excellent reference for the non-expert who is interested in learning about the trees and shrubs of the arctic and sub-arctic Alaskan environments. Highly recommended!

Your price on this book ~ The Birds of Africa (Vol 5) ~ is no better than buying it anyplace else including from the publisher.

Regards, Wayne

Month by month the Northeast US outdoor scene brings changes in the plants, animals, and climate. Opportunities for children to become involved in observation and simple projects are related to several attractively illustrated pages for each month. I've bought several copies of this book over the years, and am delighted it's back in print. Preschool and primary classrooms will find much to enjoy; youngsters refer over and over to favorite pages. It would make a nice present to a child's classroom; if there's already one there, so much the better!

Reading this book, I felt right on the water--pitching and rolling with the waves. The first essay by Marie Beaver brings the reader directly into the essence of what it means to work in a natural environment and to make choices about one's life. Thank you to Fields for collecting a reminder of a natural world and an occupation now in decline.

Field has produced an excellent balance of text and pictures and has done an exceptionally thorough job of documentation. I was fascinated by his descriptions of how the jewelry was modified over the years to accommodate the fashions of the day and the taste of the current owner. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars was due to the pictures. Most are black and white (for obvious reasons), however some were of very poor quality, and very few taken with the intention of displaying jewelry. There was one delightful story of a gift to the young Princess Elizabeth, a necklace and bracelet, which the Queen now refers to as "my best diamonds". But do we get to see the diamonds? No, the only available picture was a distant news photo of the young Princess sitting at an angle and the jewels nearly impossible to see. For Princess Diana fans, don't bother buying this book. There are less than a half dozen images of Diana, and nothing you haven't seen before. And just a reminder, this is her personal collection. You won't see any of the crown regalia.

Leslie Field's "The Queen's Jewels: The Personal Collection of Elizabeth II" is a splendid, splendid book in every way. Field has gathered together hundreds of important photographs (of the nearly half million she saw altogether) of Queen Elizabeth's jewels. These are shown both in their cases and being worn by various monarchs, and we see how different royal family members have altered the look or the purpose of pieces as fashions and times changed over the years. Field has complemented these photographs with her outstanding, meticulously researched text. Even if you purchase the book mostly to drool over the photographs, you will end up being both captivated and educated by the accompanying text.

Field begins the book with the ascension of Queen Victoria to the throne. Because of the Salic laws passed by the House of Hanover in 1833, Victoria was prevented from becoming ruler of both the United Kingdom and Hanover. The kingdoms were split for the first time in well over a century. Immediately, King Ernest of Hanover--an uncle of Queen Victoria--demanded his share of the royal jewels, arguing that since the kingdom had been split, so must be the gems. Victoria disagreed, and the argument went on for two decades before finally being settled in favor of Hanover. Subsequently, Victoria gave up several important pieces of jewelry to her uncle's descendants--but was already well on her way to amassing an important collection.

Victoria was the first British monarch to make clear that some pieces belonged to the Crown and were for use by any Queen to follow her--and that some pieces were her personal property, and hers to dispose of as she saw fit. British monarchs have followed in her footsteps ever since and although Field showcases many sumptuous Crown pieces in the book, the bulk of what we see are the Queen's personal pieces. And what a collection it is!

The collection is vast and jaw-droppingly beautiful. Field wisely divides the book into types of stones, from diamonds and pearls to emeralds, sapphires, amethysts, turquoise, and more. We see everything from parures
(i. e., complete matching sets of everything from necklaces to brooches to rings to earrings and more) to necklaces and tiaras which were gifts from other governments or from such quaintly named organizations as "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" to pieces designed by Prince Philip expressly for his wife.

Among the many stand-outs in the book are:

- Queen Elizabeth's three-carat diamond solitaire engagement ring, designed by Prince Philip for his wife and set with a handsome diamond taken from a tiara belonging to Philip's mother (p. 85);

- The Godman Necklace, which had been bought by an English naturalist in the 1890s while on holiday in Bavaria. His daughters, many years after his death, wrote to the Lord Chamberlain saying that they felt they owned jewelry once owned by Empress Josephine of France and that the Queen might be interested in it. Although it turned out not to have been of this provenance, it was undoubtedly a stunning and valuable piece, showcasing seven large emeralds and three smaller ones, and surrounded throughout with an encrustation of diamonds and platinum filigree (p. 95);

- The Cambridge's Lover's Knot Tiara, shown being worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in 1818, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in the 1890s, Queen Mary in 1926, Queen Mary again in 1935 (this time without the upright pearls which originally adorned it), Queen Elizabeth in 1955, and Diana, Princess of Wales in 1985. This is powerful testimony that good design and fine jewelry are both timeless (pp. 113 - 115);

- Queen Mary's "Rose of York" bracelet, which is a breathtaking ruby and diamond pendant which was eventually turned into a bracelet (p. 143).

Of course these are but a few of the many treasures in the book. It is a fascinating read, and a wonderfully complete and detailed account of what is probably the finest jewelry collection in the world today.

I was so impressed with and have gotten so much Joy from this book, it has inspired me enough to go ahead and try my first on-line review. When I noticed this was out of print I was very surprised. Even more so when I realized there was also a 1997-revised edition. I am hopeful its simply because the newly expanded volume is getting its finishing touches. With digital imaging technology having come so far since the publishing of the first two editions (87/97), the detail that is now available will hopefully be prominently featured in the next. A unique aspect of this book is the thoroughness of information presented on several different topics.
The title subject is definitely covered in meticulous detail. Aside from the jewels it really is almost a complete mini-biography of most of the British Royal Family. After all the Men bought jewels too! It is amazing to see an 18th century piece on Queen Elizabeth and be able to trace it exactly from it origin through the centuries.
The information in text and pictures give a much better understanding of the whole concept of continuity, with many surprises along the way. Tidbits like how Queen Victoria stubbornly refused to return gems that another Royal House insisted it owned. How important Jewels were to Queen Mary, not for their monetary value but because of their family historical importance. Its the little details like this that give you a much more personal understanding of monarchs, without being dishy or gossipy.

Both the front and back inside covers gives a complete family tree dating back to Henry VII. Inside, thirteen categories/chapters cover everything from Diamonds and Emeralds to Sapphires and Amethysts, explaining who favored a particular kind of gem or style over another. Do not expect a very in-depth education on gems, however you get a great understanding of the history and importance of gems through the centuries as a symbol of power and status. There is a generous amount of color and B&W photos perfectly balanced with the text. Generations of Royals Portraits set-up three or four to a page wearing the same Jewels over scores of decades are some of the picture highlights. I really don?t think you need to be a Royal Watcher to appreciate the images. From all the individuals listed in the Acknowledgments many of them with titles you understand this book was published with the complete cooperation and help of the entire Royal Family. Its the photography that makes you appreciate this. A perfect example of this is the cover subject. A magnificent necklace part of a set named: The Cambridge and Delhi Durbar Parure. Inside there is another full color page showing the complete set, however throughout the book you can see no less than ten or twelve different royals wearing some kind of configuration of it. Including the World Famous snapshot of the late Princess Diana wearing the necklace as a headband.
You cannot help but feeling like you know the members of the various royal houses a little better after reading a few excerpts. The entire volume gives you an impression that the author truly respects, enjoys and is highly educated on her subject. This is one of the few books that I own, that I know I will never post for sale used. I hope you enjoy!

My son is 2 years old and has been looking through this book for months. He likes to see all the animals. The "Turtee" (Turtle) section is his favortie. I can see he is truly going to enjoy this when he is older. It is very informative and fun.

I love this book. I found it when I was at the nature art museum in Jackson Hole. I cannot wait to use this when I become a teacher. I am already using it in my classes for lesson plans. I will definitely use this when I have my own children too.

I cant recommend this book enough, the layout and subject matter covered is great. I recommend this to parents and teachers alike.
Simply wonderful.