In 1847 an impoverished displaced group of Choctaw Indians collected from their meager resources the sum of $170 to send toward food relief for the Irish Potato Famine.

Through the memories of Choona, now known as Tom, who is very, very old, we learn of how he, as a young man, at last learned of that part of his family's history about which no one would speak & yet everyone looked so wounded. The Long March, when his people were forced to walk from Florida to Mississippi all through one fearsome, killing winter.

The Long March is rich in American history & memory. The marvelous drawings create a magically real place. This is a must for anyone who loves looking at other ways to live in community; other ways of teaching the spirit to grow & learning about courage, wisdom & respecting the memories.

An amazing book - to be read & read again & again & the pictures to be studied & dreamed over. Beautifully evocative.

(I got this book in Dublin, Ireland, recently.)

This is a truly delightful book. The drawings are lovingly created and the story is both touching and well written. What makes it even more compelling is that it is based on a wonderful true act of human generosity over 150 years ago, from one impoverished people to another, who, although worlds apart in both distance and cultures, had a common enemy, in hunger and oppression.

The author travelled to Oklahoma to research the book and has gone to great lengths to ensure the drawings are authentic as well as inspiring. I particularly like the drawings of the great-grandmother and indeed,the clever shadow of the American eagle when Choona raises his arms in the final drawing as well as the subtle, celtic symbols to be found in this same drawing. "The Long March" is a must for the millions of us with Irish-American heritage - every Irish American child should read this book!

Collaborative compiled and edited Robert Dunbar Robert Dunbar and Gabriel Fitzmaurice, Rusty Nails & Astronauts is an superbly presented anthology of whimsical and enjoyable poetry for children. Filled with captivatingly colorful as well as simple and entertaining black-and-white illustrations, this anthology lyrical verses recite fairy-tale like short sagas of foxes, cows, icicles, and countless other everyday creatures and things. An engaging introduction to the joy of poetry for young readers -- and with some that stir the older reader to serious thought and reflection. Good Night: Will you leave the light, Tom? Just a while./You've already discovered what night means/Now that the bars have come down from your cot;/Nothing to protect you but the brittle/Cobwebby veil of sleep. Four a.m. scenes/And repeated stories are all we've got/To send you back to the enveloping peace./And where does it come from, this new disease/Of darkness, the fear of the night's unseen?/How many deaths have you witnessed on the small screen/Already, murders while nappy-changing,/Shooting between bottles and Sudocrem?/No Care Bears can protect your naked toes,/No Megan watch the sky while you doze. (Thomas McCarthy).

This is a wonderful children's book that is read every night in my house. After visiting County Kerry in Ireland we fell in love with the island they call the Sleeping Giant. When we found this book we were estatic. Now everynight our trip to Ireland is relived by reading this book. My son was 2 years old when we were in Ireland and now at 4.5 years old he still remembers our entire trip thanks to this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading great stories to children.

My daughter and I love this book! The text is simple, there are not a lot of words - but, the feeling and meaning behind every word is so obvious! We love the simple message of finding courage in yourself. The illustrations are adorable - we fell in love with Lizzy just from the front cover!
I read this book with my 5 year old. As I said, it is a simple read, but as my daughter begins to read herself, this book will stay on the bookshelf for quite awhile! If you aren't overly anxious to introduce the concept of fear (of the dark, of falling down, of spiders, etc.) then this wouldn't be the book for you and your young child. But, if you already deal with these fears in your family - then you will find it a fun and encouraging book!

Lizzy is afraid of all the things kids tend to be afraid of, so my daughter really identifies with her. Skunk is a puppet -- a transitional object -- and my daughter understands that sometimes you feel braver when you have a "stuffy" to hold.

I love this book for what it says about relationships. You may rely on a friend, spouse, etc. for everything. But when the going gets tough, sometimes you have to be the strong one, as Lizzy discovers when skunk gets lost.

The pictures in this book are beautiful, and it's just the right length for a bedtime story.

My son and I love this book! The story has a terriffic message for kids about overcoming your fears and reinforces that although it can be scary , life is wonderful.