This book is a terrific classic -- a listing of definitions, "laws" if you will, that are really almost self-evident in childhood. Each page contains a collection of drawings that illustrate the definition of something. The illustrations tend to show the early Sendak style, but in this book, there is essentially no overwhelming background -- each boy or girl or dog is illustrated in black and white (or beige). Each picture is self-contained, but there is some flow to the text on certain pages.

It's difficult to describe this book, but there is really a separate level for adults in these definitions that makes this an enjoyable read for parent and child. For the adult, this book evokes the simplest play of childhood and a return to certain basic principles that were probably totally accepted and later forgotten. I don't know why, but this is an overlooked classic. I can't think of another book like this.

Or maybe it's me that picks out the book over and over at bedtime. I was really touched the other day when my 5-year-old son helped my 3-year-old son zip his jacket, looked at me and said "a brother is to help." A great book that everyone should read.

My girlfriend got this book as a Christmas present, and I picked it up and read it. We don't know why it isn't listed with the zen books! Simple, profound truths about the world we live in: dishes are to do.

Roxanne Henkes' books are very good and very hard to put down. She has the gift of telling her story from different view points, and I like this style a lot. Living in a small town in North Dakota made the book Finding Ruth even more of a delight for me to read. Besides being entertained by Roxanne's books, she includes insights that make one think about their own life. Keep the books coming Roxanne! They are definitely winners!

Henke's compelling first book, After Anne, was such a page-turner that I wondered if she could possibly repeat her success. In Finding Ruth, the reader has all the components for a delightful read: fast-paced story, believeable characters, interesting dialogue, heart-wrenching moments, touching romance, and plenty of take-away. I couldn't put it down.

Ruthie struggles with years of unfulfilled dreams that sour her view of small town Brewster. Tough circumstances early in life are part of the problem, years of bad decisions don't help. When Paul, her highschool sweetheart, returns to town, Ruthie's life takes a new twist.

Roxanne Henke has the wonderful ability to engage the reader as if one is sitting across the kitchen table listening to "girl-talk." When I open her books, I feel like she is saying, "Now let me tell you about Ruthie!" And I pull up my chair, pour myself a cup of tea, and listen.

I bought this book for my 3 year old starting preschool. It was really the best book I've found. My son loved reading it over and over, and he really enjoyed the pop-up flaps. It helped my child prepare for his first day of school. I highly recommend this book!

My daughter is 3 years old and getting ready to start preschool in a couple of weeks. We have looked at several books about starting school and this one really grabbed her attention. There are lots of flaps or pop-ups on every page. The text also gives a nice description of the kind of things that happen at preschool...like snack time, circle time, outdoor time on the playground. She gives it 5 stars!

I enjoyed the spiritual reflections of each monthly development as the baby grows. I used this book every month to see what to expect and to find a new way to look at our baby's changes and growth. It reminds us to admire the baby and God's gift. Although, she touches on a couple developments for each month, this is not a technical parenting book. Instead, it is a relaxing, reflection to enjoy what God has brought to your life through a child. Dr. Parish is also our pediatrician and truly respects and cares for children, which is exemplified in her conversations with the child more than the parent!

This book is great. I thought the way it related to my spiritual life was wonderfull.

I bought this book shortly after my wedding. The book is full of good advice about everything from choosing your first home together (house, condo, apartment), how to combine furnishings, storage ideas, decorating, and even how to divvy up the chores. Having a lot of stuff, my husband and I found the chapter about storage the most helpful. We also loved the checklists that helped us prioritize. Overall, this is a handy book for *any* couple moving in together.

I found this book at the Montessori School that I work at and really enjoyed each story and the questions at the end. We are looking to add Christian learning to our school program and have found a great program, but need quality, short Bible stories to read to our very young children and believe this book will be our answer. This would be a wonderful resource for parents looking to read Bible stories to young children even if attention span is very short. There are easily adjustable summary questions at the end of each story to benefit all ages.

Four Corners is a romantic novel written in third person. Judicious uses of slang, informal language, and potent visual imagery help to achieve a consistently romantic tone. Passages such as the one below and others set in Washington, DC and the Southwest illustrate this well. The gray-bearded driver nodded a greeting and opened the back door. "Wheah you goin', lady?" "The Chickawaukie Nursing home." "Youah not from around heah." It was a statement not a question. "I'll give you the scenic touah." As the cab passed the harbor crowded with boats, Anna saw the lobstermen in their yellow slickers sitting on their rope lockers, Winslow Homer foul-weather helmets covering their heads. They were staring out to sea. Their green vinyl-coated-wire lobster traps with their lines attached to their family's distinctively-painted wooden floats, were neatly stacked, waiting, begging to be baited and dropped into the ocean there to lure and capture their soft and hard shell prey. "No fishing today?" "Nope, see over theah? The entrance to the hahbah is blocked by the Coast Guard." Aside from illustrating the effective use of nonstandard language and visual imagery, the last sentence in this passage also introduces a passage that raises questions about issues such as cultural preservation and economic development. There is a continuous undercurrent of philosophical, political, and social issues that ebb and flow throughout the story. This is a distinctive characteristic of the manuscript that truly sets it apart from other works. Not only do the authors smoothly introduce these themes, but they do so in way that is both thought-provoking and inoffensive. Other highlighted subjects in the manuscript are investigative journalism, family values, the mass media, and the search for truth. Plot structure and characterization are skillfully handled. The basic plot is realistic. Events unfold in an orderly fashion that does not confuse the reader. Instead, effective use of subtle innuendoes and ambiguous statements tease the reader and keep him guessing about what turn of events will occur next. The climax is dramatic and in the end differences are reconciled and balance is restored to the world of Four Corners. Each character is precisely developed to carry out his role. There is a well-accented contrast between the main characters. Worthington is a champion of economic development; Anna a champion of cultural preservation. Important moral and psychological differences also exist between the two. Anna is depicted as promiscuous and somewhat unstable; Worthington is a model family man who generally keeps his troubled past in check. Symbolically the two are Yin and Yang. Their eventual union symbolizes the balance of opposing forces. Other characters such as Emily, Popé, and Dusty not only support the main characters, but, also act as symbols. Popé, Anna and Worthington's love child, is a symbol of hope for the future. Though romance readers are the most obvious target for this book, those interested in the behavioral sciences may enjoy this work as a refreshing, light alternative to the relatively dry works available on these subjects.

Our 2 year old loves books and we own many but she's gone absolutely nuts over this book. It's beautifully illustrated where each page is a visual perception joke. Right-side up the caterpillar is munching on a fruit basket, turn the book upside-down and he's chewing on a man's hair. On another page he sees a mushroom, turned upside-down the negative space becomes the face of two ogres.

We received the book as a gift and when I flipped through it I thought it might be too advanced for her visually. (The text is simple and unremarkable.) But from the first reading she was completely fascinated. We've read it probably 50 times in the past three days. I don't know if it will have staying power, and I don't know how many more times my husband and I can stand to read it. But if you have a child who is interested in complex visual images, this is a good choice.

My kids really enjoyed this book. My seven year old read the whole book in three days. He said it had alot of interesting things.

The Shining Light introduces the Canadian bush settlement of Wildrose, where life is hard and often very short. Abbie Rooney learns a hard lesson about survival when her husband succombs to the hardships of the bush but will eventually find love again. The endearing residents of Wildrose and Glover's often glib and humerous descriptions of them will keep you reading throughout the series and you will learn the same lessons that they learn of leaning on the Lord to get them through.