One musician after another begin to practice their instrument on the stage of the theater until ten musicians are playing their instruments, creating an orchestra of beautiful music that two cats, one mouse and one dog enjoy along with the audience. Zin! Zin! Zin! a Violin has bright, award-winning illustrations and curved, rhyming text that teaches numbers, musical instruments and musical terms in an exciting way. The background colors of the pages change throughout the book. The vivid colors Moss uses are red, pink, orange, green, and yellow. Since the illustrations do not have any distinction between the floor and wall, when the focus is on one instrument, the other musicians and their instruments seem to float in the background. The appearance of them floating or flying creates excitement and movement in the story. The violinist's movements are described in the text as, "soaring high and moving in." Several of the musicians have curved arms or bodies, which contributes to motion and the playing of music. Also, this book is multicultural in that it includes Caucasians, an African American cellist and an Asian flutist. These all assemble together to form a ten- piece orchestra. Most of the text is printed in a curved or waved pattern and correlates with the curved illustrations and the sense of motion created by the musicians playing the instruments. Words such as "moan," "tone," "oiled," "coiled," "throbbing," "sobbing," and "gliding," "sliding" rhyme, and create a flowing pattern as they are read. These words as well as "sleek," "black," "breezy," "yellow," and "rings" beautifully describe the way musical instruments look and sound. Moss uses alliteration as another stylistic device to generate excitement. He describes the trumpet as, "sings and stings its swinging song." The text that accompanies the flute describes it this way: "sends our soul a-shiver; ...slender, silver sliver." Also the text is a counting sequence which teaches numbers. As each instrument is added to the group, the text counts. For example, "Two, now three-o, what a trio!" Along with the numbers, the musical terms for instruments playing together, such as duo, trio, and quartet, are incorporated as seen in the quote, "what a trio!" The numbers paired with the music terms inform the reader of the number of instruments that compose a quartet, quintet, sextet, and the other groups. Priceman uses beautifully colored illustrations to orchestrate a sense of excitement as the musicians gather together to perform. At the same time, Moss uses stylistic devices of rhyming and alliteration and the use of numbers and musical vocabulary to delight and to teach.

I first came across this book in one of my university classes (Music for the Child)and fell in love with it immediately. It is now is my son's (age 2 1/2) favorite book. Even my husband loves it. We can all recite it by heart. It's a great way to introduce musical instruments to young children. My son recently saw a harp in person for the first time and recognized it right away because of this story. The prose, the illustrations - all are wonderful!!! A must for any child's library!

A marvelous read-aloud! Beautifully unique illustrations and an outrageously well written text make this an irresistible book for the whole family to enjoy. On top of its entertainment value, readers are painlessly introduced to the instruments found in a chamber group, and counting skills are encouraged. Can't say enough about this gem.

If, in addition to the pleasure of sharing good books, you're looking to build on teachable moments, (1) consider playing classical music before, during, or after your read-aloud session; and/or, (2) for older readers, try following up on Zin! Zin! Zin! with A Young Person's Guide to Music, which includes a companion cd.

Lloyd Kauffman Does it again with his brand new filmaking book Make Your Own Damn Movie. Its a very valuable resource to the up and coming independent movie maker as well as a very funny and very entertaining book to those not interested in making a film. This book delivers with step by step instructions from Lloyds own career from a 30 year span of producing incredible films from little to no budget. I feel Lloyd is an inspiration to me personally and people can come away with that feeling from this book. He is a genius with a lot to say about movies as well as his biting social commentary. Any True Troma fan should be embarassed if they have not picked this up yet. So What are you waiting for? Buy The Damn Book and Make Your Own Damn Movie!

I am a film student and I just finished reading this book...and I have to say it is the most entertaining and informative book on film making I have ever read! It is UNBELIEVABLE how it opened my eyes to everything. Lloyd Kaufman is a genius and this book should be read by everyone. Even if you aren't a Troma fan, this book still is great. It showed me what can go wrong while doing a movie and how to make it great!!! Thank you Lloyd for writing such a darn good book! BUY IT NOW!!!

Author of this book is Legendary filmmaker and president of Troma entertainment Inc, Lloyd Kaufman. I must say that this book is absolutely spectacular! Lloyd`s first book (which i also recommend to read) was a wonderful journey into the life and work of Lloyd Kaufman / Troma. This second book continues the journey to help the upcoming / professional filmmakers on their journey to make their own damn movie! This book is the best film school you can get! It is smart, gripping, funny and educational and must buy to those whom are planning on taking the road of becoming part of this weird and amazing industry of filmmaking. And if you are not interested on making a movie, just read it for the terriffic text written by Kaufman, Trent Haaga and Adam Jahnke with foreword by Trey Parker. I highly recommend this book and also "ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FILMMAKING I LEARNED FROM THE TOXIC AVENGER" These book`s are the best of their kind!!!!

I've been playing piano for 13 years. When I was younger I had the easy piano version of these songs. And they are fine when you're just learning. I didn't play any songs from the Phantom until recently when I heard it was coming back to town. I pulled my old book out and played it. It just wasn't full sounding and the keys the songs were in weren't close to the CD. I bought this book and it was a bit difficult to adjust to all the different keys at first, but you definetly get used to it; especially if you practice at them. This book has more acurate presentations of the songs. They sound much fuller and beautiful.

This sheet music is great! My copy does not have pictures, and some of the lyrics are different, but that's because I bought mine at an auction and it is an older version(my copy is an "easy piano" version, yours might be different).
This sheet music is great for beginning pianists. I am an intermediate piano player myself, and I am a huge Phantom Phan, and when I learned almost all the songs in the book, I figured out that most of the Phantom songs on the soundtrack were in an entirely different key. I play by ear more than I read music, so I set up my boom box next to my keyboard and figured most of the songs out in the different keys.
So, in other words, this sheet music is awesome!!!!

This is a great piano book for those who love the music of The Phantom of the Opera. The songs are not terribly difficult, but they sound great. The keys some of the songs are written in could make it hard for less experienced players.

The third book of the Prydain Chronicles is excellent, but somehow a little awkward. It is reminiscent of the teenager that Taran has become by this time, as he learns to help an inept prince to become more of a man. It teaches excellent values that adults as well as children should have. Enjoy this book, but read it as the third, following "The Book of Three" and the "Black Cauldron" or else it may loose some of its majesty.

This book was my favorite of all the Prydain chronicles. Partly because a lot of the focus was on Eilonwy, though she was absent most of the book,(she has always been my favorite character) but also because it had great moral questions, and we finally begin to see Taran turn into an adult as he realizes as much as he cares about Eilonwy, he must let things be. In this book, Dallben decides that Eilonwy must leave Caer Dallben because it is time for her to learn how to be a young lady. He sends her to the Isle of Mona, and allows Taran to go with her, at least for the journey. On the way Taran struggles with his feelings for Eilonwy and his annoyance at Rhun, Prince of Mona, who is a bumbling fool, at least on the outside. Through an interesting chain of events, Eilonwy is kidnapped, and Taran learns that she is betrothed to Rhun without even her knowledge. They all go on yet another epic adventure to save her, as Taran must come to terms with his conflicting emotions. Another amazing thing about this book was that I didn't hate the love story part. Usually I hate mush because it seems as if they put it there just to be mush, and it rarely has any overall effect on the story. This however, was completly different, and I was actually hoping they would end up together. So, this is an excellent book that any fantasy lover would adore, though it would make more sense if you had read the other two books first.

This fantastic book is an amazing sequel to The Book of Three and The black cauldron. Finding these books in my school library, I read the first one over winter break. I couldn't wait for the break to be over so I could get the sequels. This book turned out to be my favortite out of all five, though The High King was a close rival. The enchanting story about how Princess Eilonwy goes to Mona with Taran and Gurgi is facinating. All of the characters are unique in there own way, no matter how odd the character is. I love the character Prince Rhun. He is really funny. The ending of this book surprised me. I thought that Eilonwy would come willingly, happy to be rescued, but the ending is far from that. It is truly a worthy sequel to the first two books.

I was living a charmed life until my husband suddenly walked out. He left me one thing -- thousands of dollars in credit card debt. He filed for bankruptcy (and is living the high life with his new wife) so all of his debts have become my responsibility. Like so many wives, I believed my husband would take care me and our kids so I was emotionally and financially unprepared for living without him. Earlier this year I started reading "Simple Money Solutions" after seeing the author on "Good Morning America." It has really helped me understand money -- how mutual funds, 401(k) plans and IRAs work. It has also shown me how to talk to my kids about money so that they can grow up to be financially independent (especially my daughters). The great chapter on dealing with all the financial aspects of divorce would have helped me a great deal when my husband first left.

I also want to recommend the book, "NECESSARY JOURNEYS," by Dr. Nancy Snyderman of "Good Morning America." It has shown me how to deal with the emotional scars of divorce and to forgive myself and start to move on. Both books are confidence builders and life savers!

This is the only personal finance book that I have read from cover to cover. I continue to turn to it for day-to-day advice. Don't misunderstand, I have bought and tried to read many other books but got so bored or found the writing or advice so muddled that I put those other books in the attic.

Nancy Lloyd's writing style is compelling and entertaining. Each chapter begins with a real-life story that makes points that I had not seen before. Then she follows up with usable and logical advice on doing every kind of personal finance task that I had been putting off because I thought they would be too boring or wouldn't yield much of a return. By following her suggestions I have "found" thousands of wasted dollars and am putting them to great use.

She explains IRA's, Keoghs, and other retirement savings plans with the clarity that no other author has achieved. Her chapters on home buying and mortgage financing (and refinancing) have shown me how to earn thousands of dollars that I would have, as Nancy says, "left on the table." Her sections on trusts and teaching kids and teens about money are also splendidly written.

This book draws you in and makes personal finance so animated and fascinating that you just can't put it down. And, as CBS's Marketwatch says, it can be read cover to cover in three days!

This book is the best investment that I have made all year.

This book deserves all the excellent reviews it got from Money Magazine, USA Today, Morningstar, The Washington Post and elsewhere.

After seeing Nancy on Good Morning America where Diane Sawyer was extolling the virtues of Nancy's book and her insights into the banking system, I too took the book out of the library in order to take a leisurely look without spending money on something that might not work for me. Happily, this book was everything the reviews and Ms. Sawyer said on GMA.

I quickly rushed out and bought my own copy. It's full of useful and unique information about money and I was able to use the information right away to slash credit card costs, mortgage costs and even insurance costs. Her chapters on teaching kids how to be responsible with money are worth the price of the book alone.

Her investment advice for new investors like myself was a blessing. She even was able to explain trusts so that I could understand them and have an intelligent discussion with my husband about them. After meeting with a financial planner we have since followed Nancy's advice and hired an estate lawyer who drew up a trust to help us look out for our kids in case something happened to us. And we will also owe much less in taxes so our kids would have more to live on. I can't say enough favorable things about this book.

Lloyd Kaufman, President of Troma Studios and creator of the Toxic Avenger, has written a book about the history of the world's oldest (and one of the last remaining) independent film studios. All I Really Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger is not just a how-to guide for young filmmakers, it is a humorous, witty, and often touching story about the creation of a B-Movie Empire, and the people Mr. Kaufman took with him on the way up (or down, whichever way you want to interpret it.) Not only does it touch on the history of the studio itself, but it also hits on some of Kaufman's more human sides: His relationship with his three daughters (Who, from my personal experience, he treats like queens) and his relationship with his wife, Patricia, who is the New York State Film Commissioner. Fart Jokes and other forms of crude humor aside, All I Really Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger is the story of one man's dream, an! d the obstacles he had to overcome to fulfill it.

This book is, in a word, Tromatic. All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I learned from The Toxic Avenger is both an indespensible rescource and holy book for the true Troma fan, as well as being a wonderful introduction for non-Tromites into the wonderful, hairy world that is Tromaville. But that's not all. All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I learned from The Toxic Avenger gives both instruction and hope to enterprising independant filmmakers. Instruction in the form of such pearls of wisdom as "Make sure there are enough toilets" and "The MPAA sucks" and hope in that once you realise Troma Studios can make movies and be reasonably successful at it, there's no reason why you or your sock puppet Merv can't be. In truth, All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I learned from The Toxic Avenger, is an extremely funny, well written tome filled with wry humor, studio anecdotes, graphic discriptions of vomiting green toxic ooze (complete with directions to do so yourself) and great photographs. It is also very thick, and perfect for use in fixing uneven chair legs or stacked with phonebooks as a step stool. After reading this book, you too will be shouting "Long Live Troma!"

I'm an avid reader of HOW TO MAKE FILM books as well as BEHIND THE SCENES OF FAMOUS MOVIES books. I wouldn't be exaggerating to say I've read over a hundred in these genres.

Without a doubt, ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FILMMAKING I LEARNED FROM THE TOXIC AVENGER was the funniest, most insightful and informative book in this area I have ever read.

Lloyd Kaufman manages to be the jester and the sage from moment to moment (often at the same time), as he hysterically and with sensitivity, recounts his early filmmaking mistakes, hardships and triumphs on the road to creating the TOXIC AVENGER, TROMEO & JULIET and the TROMA world.

His scathing, sometimes shocking anecdotes of his work on ROCKY and SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER have forever changed how I will view these films and the people connected with them.

From the wild, over the top cover art, I thought the book would be complete fluff, but was surprised to find a depth and honesty most "tell all books" could only dream of achieving. To say it was a page turner would be putting it lightly. One simply cannot stop reading this comic masterpiece until completion.

I was moved at the handling of his personal life and simultaneously found myself laughing out loud. I read a portion of this book on a long plane trip and people kept looking over at me as if I were crazy as I repeatedly burst into laughter.

This is a book I will keep, re-read and wish to share with others.

Victoria Holt was one of my favorite authors when I was younger. A master storyteller, she would consistently weave a story that would have the reader turning the pages. This work of historical fiction is one of her best. Riveting from beginning to end, this fictional autobiographical account of the life of Marie Antoinette is superb. Written in the first person, with little dialogue, it is the rumination of a life that was to end tragically. Pampered, spoiled, and fun loving, the beautiful Maria Antonia of Austria metamorphosed into Marie Antoinette of France upon her marriage to the Dauphin, who would eventually become King of France, the ineffectual, but benign, Louis XVI.

This is her story, grounded in historical fact and set within the framework of history. This work of fiction about the life of Marie Antoinette, as seen through her own eyes, is fascinating, as it captures the flavor of those uncertain times and the events that led to the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy in France. It is a reflection on how Marie Antoinette's own behavior influenced the fate of France. Indulging in the excesses of the day, she initially gave little thought as to how her actions might affect the people of France or the monarchy. By the time she realized that her actions and excesses had wide spread political ramifications, it was too late, and the fate of her and her husband was sealed. No amount of personal regret could change it.

This book will be enjoyed by those who enjoy good, well written historical fiction. It is little wonder that this book spent two months on the New York Times Best Seller List. It is simply historical fiction at its best.

If you are intersted in the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette, or just want a good read, this book is the one to read. If you like this book and become interested in royalty, or you already are, Victoria holt wrote tons of other books on British and some Spanish, French, and Italian royalty under the pseudonym Jean Plaidy, so try those.
This book is a fictional memoir written by Marie Antoinette between 1789 and her death in 1793. It covers her whole life (sympathetically) and dispells the rumor that she said "Let them eat cake". Read this!

I read this book in 1973!? It was so wonderful that I planned my trip to Paris around Marie Antoinette's homes - the Grand and Petit Trianon at Versailles for one stop. The author writes historical fiction so beautifully that you can't help wishing to run to Europe and experience the lives of the queens you've read about!! I'll never orget this book - and others by Victoria Holt!

A friend of my father's brought me a box full of used books when I was 9 or 10. Tucked away in the bottome was this, the last in the Prydain Chronicles....it sat for quite awhile in my bookcase before I picked it up and began reading. What an experience it turned out to be! The adventures of Taran (Assistant Pig- Keeper), Eilonwy, Gurgi, Prince Llyr, and all the other charming charaters in their quest to beat the evil Horned King opened my eyes to the wonderful world of fantasy in children's literature. Indeed, after reading the High King I ran out and spent all my allowance (preciously saved) on the rest of the 5-book series.

Lloyd Alexander writes with a refreshing and unpretentious stye, neither speaking down to kids nor falling into any of the cliched storylines or dialogue of many writers of fantasy literature. Indeed, I believe many authors of modern adult fantasy would greatly benefit from studying Mr. Alexanders writing style.

I credit this series for the beginning of my 25+ years of affection for Celtic, Gaelic, and Welsh mythology and would strongly recommend this series for any lover, young and old, of fantasy and mythology.

_The High King_ brings to a rousing conclusion Lloyd Alexander's magnificent blending of Welsh mythology and Tolkienesque heroic fantasy. This is definitely the most reminiscent of _The Lord of the Rings_ of all the Prydain books, but that isn't a bad thing. Tolkien had the right formula, and there's nothing wrong with using it, as long as you use it well--which Alexander certainly does. In this novel Taran finally becomes a full-fledged hero, following the quests and disappointments of the preceding novel. If _Taran Wanderer_ was the quietest of the series, this more than makes up for it, with treacherous lords, deathless Cauldron-Born, and relentless Huntsmen aplenty. Alexander weaves together all the threads he has spun in the previous novels, but without appearing to force anything. I read this novel first in the series, which definitely wasn't a good idea. But even without the others, it was excellent. As the capstone of an excellent series, it is superb.

The swaord of Dyrnwyn, the most powerful weapon in the kingdom of Prydain, has fallen into the hands of Arawn-Death-Lord. Now Taran, Assistant Pig Keeper, and Prince Gwydion lead an army against the powerful lord. After a winter expedition filled with tons of danger, Taran's forces arrive at Mount Dragon, the Death Lord's Stronghold. There Taran is forced to make the most crucial decision of his life as he confronts the "evil" enchantress Achren and the diabolical Arawn... This book has a lot of action. Parts of the book are sad, and others execiting! If you loved this book you'll love to read the first ones. I loved this book so much that I read THREE TIMES! I recomend this book to anybody that loves action, adventure, and sorrow books! That my friend is YOU!

I thought I knew my American history reasonably well until Henry Mayer taught me how much I had missed. Garrison certainly was far more than the hot-headed crusader on the nut fringe I read about in one text after another. But this book also is more than a correction of an historial footnote; Mayer breathes life into the moral arguments about slavery before the Civil War and weaves America's history from the signing of the Constitution to the passage of the 14th Amendment into a colorful, lively tapestry. This is biography raised to its finest form.

I cannot recommend it highly enough. A rich read about a great American hero for all times. Mayer obviously loves and admires Garrison, but this did not keep him from portraying this hero with his blemishes as well as strengths. The most startling thing about this great read is just how important Garrison was to America's most tumultuous time --- the abolitionist of all abolitionists, a leader who appreciated how deep religious beliefs and moral politics go together, who believed in the power of the written and spoken word, who helped perhaps as much as anyone in our history to move our nation and free it of slavery. Truly a companion biography to go with the best biographies of Lincoln --- no understanding of the Civil War can be complete without knowing about Garrison, and this is definitely the way to know about Garrison. To say it simply: no one can claim to be a Civil War buff without knowing about Garrison, and no one can know about Garrison any better way than by reading this book. Highest kudoes to Mayer!

Henry Mayer has written a definitive account of the life of William Lloyd Garrison, the great abolitionist. While I have a Master's Degree in American History, and have read extensively about 19th century America, I had not until now read anything of this power and scope about this great central figure. In many ways, the Garrison portrayed here is the epitome of an American ideal: fierce and unswerving in the constancy of his views about great and weighty matters, willing to not only stand up for his convictions, but to live them every day of his life. Mayer does a particularly good job in delinieating the early days of Garrision's life and the surprising--at least to me--roots of both his background and his passion. While we can learn a great deal not only about the conduct of an intellectual life from Garrison, we can also learn a great deal about the conduct of family life as well. Gentle, kind, loving and doting, Garrison at home stood in marked contrast to his public personna of "Garrison the Madman," as he sometimes introduced himself. We also find a cast of peripheral characters in this biography (William Herndon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Beecher Stowe, etc.) which enliven it and give it the necessary depth required for a weighty and detailed biography. Taken in all, this is a terrific biography, and one of the best books I have read in some time.

It is a good story. And it has some elements and insight into Christianity that will enrich one's understanding. As a historical novel, it falls short of authenticty, and often the author interjects notions such as nationalism, social responsibility, and the like, which were forrign to the denizens of the first century. This book sometimes reminds me of the renaissance illustrations of the Illiad, where Agamemnon is wearing a garment that was very fashionable--for the renaissance!

I also have to wonder about the author's vast vocabulary. I love reading Charles Lamb, and O'Henry who are well known for being verbose, but they also manage to poke fun at themselves at the same time. In "The Robe," however, I got the feeling that the author likes seeing himself use big words, rather than having an explicit use for them. His prosaic style is simple, easy to read, and contrast sharply with the word choices he makes from time to time.

I found his theology to be dated, and sometimes a bit off the mark (I am an Orthodox Christian). But oftentimes, I gained insight into scriptural passages and settings from the point of view in the story. It is interesting to watch Demetrios and Marcellus learn about Christianity from the Pagan points of view.

This is a good, interesting novel. But it is not a history or a theology lesson, and I do not think it intends to be. The only reason I write this is to pare down some of the reviews I have seen to date, and to give people a more realistic expectation of what they are getting when they buy this book.

I happen to love Jesus and I am enthralled with history and reading classics. All three of these fit "The Robe". This book was a bit long to get through, but the story was beautifully written and adds a dimension to the life of Christ that we do not read about in the Bible. I found it to be a wonderful companion to the Truth and highly recommend it to anyone looking for more depth and rounding out of their understanding of Who Jesus is. I also really liked the fact that what the protagonist goes through in the story, around 2000 years ago, can be applied to how we respond to Christ yet today. Searching? Take a bit more time than you usually spend on a book and find "The Robe".

OK, this is a historical fiction book--I know that:) But the picture it paints of initial reactions to the life of Christ and Christianity are, I believe, valid.

The Robe is the story of the Jesus' death and the beginning of the Early Church as seen through the eyes of the Roman soldier who presided over the Crucifixion. As Marcellus struggles to find Truth and then deal with the Truth he has found, the reader begins to understand just how radical the claims of Christianity are.

Picture yourself the wealthy, educated son of a Roman Senator. Now imagine trying to explain to your Senator father that: 1)the man whose crucifixion you oversaw came back to life, 2)you believe this though you never saw him post-humously for yourself, and 3)you are willing to give up your political ambitions to embrace his teachings and his followers!

I found this book to be touching, inspiring, and something worthy of reflection. If you are skittish about books on religious topics, PLEASE do not let the subject of this work scare you. It is not preachy in the least, and in addition to being inspirational, it is a well-constructed story.