This superb Christmas picture book deserves a rediscovery! In understatedly witty text, it tells the story of Delver mole, a young mole who lives underground and knows nothing of Christmas. One day he hears about it from a mouse, and wonders if this "fat man in a red suit" will bring him his dearest wish - a telescope so that he can see the stars. (Being very nearsighted as most moles are, he has never seen them.) Risking the peril of facing the local owl, Delver and his family build an above-ground chimney and leave a letter for Santa. They then fall asleep waiting on Christmas eve in the open, and are about to be snatched up by the owl when, in a curious and believable way, the owl finds some Christmas spirit and is duly rewarded by Santa, who also brings the telescope for Delever. The illustrations are memorable and the story is a complete charmer. Highly recommened for kids preschool through grade 2.

This picture book is my favorite "animal" Christmas book. The drawings and narrative are both charming and the story is not sacharine, but,in the best sense, heart-warming.

My name is Russell too, but I am a good Russell. The Russell in the story is nice but sometimes he's naughty. After Germy and Russell hit eachother they were friends again. I learned to read with these books, now I can read! That's all I want to say!

P.S. from Russell's mommy: these books are wonderful, perfect for any emergent reader, and just fine for energetic little boys. It was fun to read realistic vignettes set in the city. I liked the chapter where Russell goes out for Chinese food with grandparents, it was familiar! We have read all of them in the series, one is funnier than the next! Johanna Hurwitz has the heart of Beverly Cleary, and the talent, too, but with a style all her own. Don't miss these lovely read-alouds!

Five year old boy experiences some of lifes moments shared by other children. Chapters have stand-alone themes, so it is greaat for a chapter a day before bed or at school. It explores disappointment, fighting at school, a first chinese dinner and wanting attention. Delightful, although I changed use of "stupid" to "dumb" that Russell uses. A great book for students from K through 4th grade, as well as parents. It is a humorous, family oriented book.

I remember reading this book when I was in second and third grade. I checked it out from our school library a million times and would read it over and over again. One thing that I loved about it so much was that I thought that it was a "chapter book" and I felt so grown up for reading it. Great stories are in it; I still remember them 9 years later. The doll, the haircut, the baseball game, and when Elisa was hiding underneath the table during her parent's dinner party. It's a book that is written so that even a second grader can read it on their own, with maybe a little bit of help. Also easy to understand, yet interesting and challenging at the same time. I definitely would recommend this book. (Infact, I now want to buy it because I loved it so much as a child.)

Another in a 'series' of Russell Books. My 5 year old begged me to read more. It is a family story centered around a seven year old boy with a three year old sister. This book brings out interesting subjects such as sleep-overs, cutting hair and attending a first baseball game. A young child will endjoy having it read to them - good discussion for parents. This is a humorous, family book that will be of interest to students from K through the 4th grade, as well as parents.

There is not much to add to Mr. Moon's excellent summary. This is an excellent price for a collection of this variety and many of these works are unavailable at any price unless special ordered from Europe or purchased via Out Of Print book searches. Amazon incorrectly states 752 pages whereas it is actually 822. This is obviously even more value for $ and any further works would have made for a pretty unwieldly volume. We can only hope that a future Omnibus Volume Two will collect the balance.

In the meantime, be sure to seek out the Indiana University 1998 deluxe edition of "Riddley Walker". I would pay to read the phone book as copied out by Mr. Hoban. The writer of "Riddley" deserves more exposure. Do not hesitate, Hoban will astound you with his love and use of language and his sensitivity to life and its nuances and foibles and special moments. You will smile, laugh and cry.

If you are at all in any way a fan of Russell Hoban, there is no question that you need to purchase this volume. Contained are a good helping of his adult novels (one never published in America), as well as several of the short stories that appeared in his book 'The Moment Under the Moment' (also never published domestically), a sampling of his poetry (same fate as the former), and some amazing entries from his children's work, notably The Marzipan Pig (out of print), and the incomplete 'Manny Rat' (formerly unpublished.) All in all, for $30 this is the prize you've been waiting for. With every entry in this volume either out of print or unpublished, the Hoban Omnibus is probably one of the easiest way to beef up your Hoban library while avoiding the cost of importing the books. On the other hand, omissions must be mentioned because they are rather glaring. Although Indiana University has been good enough to include Hoban's first adult novel, the exclusion of 'The Mouse and his Child' (Hoban's first novel of any kind, and no less brilliant than any of his other efforts) is perhaps the greatest fault I can attribute to this volume. Likewise, Medusa Frequency, Kleinzeit and Fremder are all absent and one tends to wonder why they were not included. Fremder most of all could use a US release, while Medusa and Kleinzeit don't seem to have done anything to have deserved the oversight. Medusa in particular is perhaps among Hoban's most brilliant pieces, and at a length of not much more than 100 pages, its inclusion would have been a simple thing. Still, who is to say why certain things made it, and others got the axe? That's Indiana University's business, still, this is one reader who hopes they'll consider a second volume.

Following is a list of contents, since Amazon has not included it: (stolen directly from the unofficial Russell Hoban page)

NOVELS:

The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz, Turtle Diary, Pilgermann, Mr Rinyo-Clacton's Offer (This, of course, marks the first U.S. publication for Mr Rinyo-Clacton!)

SHORT STORIES [these were all originally included in The Moment Under the Moment]: The Man with the Dagger, My Night with Léonie, The Raven, Dream Woman, Dark Oliver, The Ghost Horse of Genghis Khan

ESSAYS [both from The Moment Under the Moment]: 'I, that was a child, my tongue's use sleeping...', With a Choked Cry

POEMS [these were all originally included in The Last of the Wallendas]: 03:00 Abroad,

Crystal Maze, The Owl-Woman, Turtle Prince?, Fred to Samantha, Dragon into Dressing-Gown, The Hippogriff, What the Fairy Said to the Bibliophile, The Dragon underneath the Mat,

LITERATURE FOR CHILDREN (AND DISCERNING ADULTS): The Marzipan Pig, The Adventures of Manny Rat [incomplete, abandoned sequel to The Mouse and His Child]

"A rainbow and a happy tree are not for Alice or for me. I will draw three-legged cats and caterpillars with ugly hats." Frances deals with birthday envy and how to be generous when her little sister's birthday rolls around. Another bright and endearing tale about a lovable little badger. She's a model for all of us who aspire to write children's stories. And kids love her too. This is one of my two-year-old's favorite stories.

This story is incredibly sweet! It's about Emmet Otter and his Ma trying to scrape together enough money for a Christmas present for each other. As each risks everything to surprise the other, a touching adventure unfolds in which they learn the true meaning wealth. Beautiful illustrations and fun animal characters, too.

A really beautiful book! Excellent story with magnificent illustrations. The story has a great and lovely message which can be easily interpreted and enjoyed by children and adults. After hearing the story, my first and second graders were scouring the schoolyard for the perfect stone.

Quite simply the best, most mysterious, other-wordly book I've read. And re-read. Times 4. Kleinzeit, protagonist and smalltime Hero, lives in a numinous universe populated by characters such as Sky, Hospital, Bed, Death, etc. Excellent.

Althought Flat Cat contains no complete sentences, and at times makes no sense, the words it does use, as well as the illustrations, create a wolrd unique to any other in the field of children's books.