It's a great mix between surrealism and lots of romance. Very easy to read, I didn't want to finish it when I knew I was getting to the end. I highly recommend it to people that like theater.

Alejandro Casona is a little know author who writes extraordinary theatre... his plays always have elements of the surreal and surprise... they are also windows into the human soul... and the nature of good and evil in all of us. If you like good theatre don't miss out...

I've had this book for 3 years and both my children (now aged 5 and 11) still love to hear the stories. The pictures are colorful and enjoyable and the bible stories are well placed in the story themes. The story set up begins with a situation the bear family encounters and then a bible story that relates to that situation is recollected by one of the bears. The last story Heaven Can't Wait will have the reader teary eyed, and is told in such a way that although the child will experience the sadness of death, they will see the victory of eternal life with God. I wish there were more books written of Big Ideas In the Bible. This book makes a great family devotional!

We were on vacation at a friend's. They brought out this book to read for her bedtime story. Well, we had to read 2 of the stories that night. The first thing the next morning, she got the book out again and asked me to read more. While the other kids were out swimming in the pool, she insisted I read her 2 more of the stories. When we got home from vacation, she told me she wanted to use her allowance money and buy a copy of the book herself. The tone of the book is warm and encouraging. The spiritual truths are shared in a beautiful and loving way.

I read this book when it first came out some time ago and wrote a very strong recommendation for the book for the publisher to use. It's an excellent book. It's well written, flowing, and well targeted at the issues that affect couples moving into the second half of life together. If you are moving into that time of life or know someone who is, I highly recommend this book.

Scott Stanley University of Denver

The Arps must have been secretly watching our home when they wrote this book. Their comments on the changes in relationships and priorities were right on the mark. My wife and I have applied several of their "challenges" and the positive difference has been very noticeable. I enjoyed the book so much, it's become the background for a popular class I teach to "empty nesters" in our church.

If your "nest" is empty now, or will be in the near future, you owe it to yourself and your marriage to read "The Second Half of Marriage". I doubt there is a better book on the subject available today.

Yvonne Vera is an artist - a painter with words. The images she conjures, her amazing gifts to the reader, that grace the pages of this incredible novel, come straight from her soul - which is obviously filled with a deep love and compassion for her homeland, Zimbabwe, and its people. In these few pages (less than 200), she manages, through the related experiences, thoughts and emotions of her four main characters, to enlighten the world about the joyous/painful rebirth of Rhodesia into Zimbabwe, and to comment with cutting insight on forces as universal to all of humanity as love, hate, peace, war, kindness, unspeakable cruelty, and selfless, unconditional devotion.

She does all of this by utlizing language that is some of the most poetic and beautiful I have ever been blessed to read - her prose is by turns stark and loving, sheltering and illuminating, protective of what is fragile and precious, and unflinchingly revelatory about what is shameful and despicable. Her writing style varies so subtly as the story demands that it sometimes shifts imperceptably between long, graceful, sweeping word-strokes and choppy thought-bursts that could be described as literary pointillism. With some of the incomprehensible violence that occurs in this story, the beauty of Vera's writing is even more of a blessing - without, it would be a great temptation to turn away. That being said, there are also examples within of some of the most wonderful depths of the human spirit.

On the first level a story about the effect of the struggle for (and after) Independence on four people - two women, sisters; and two men, one compassionate and one a killing machine - the novel expands in depth to address multiple layers of human emotion and experience. In just one example, Vera's work here delves deeply and inspiringly into the types and purposes of memory - its coexisiting roles that aid us in understanding, protecting us, connecting us with our past and our environment, and healing us.

A word of warning, to those who might be tempted to mentally shelve this wondrous novel in 'African fiction' - to do so will do a horrible disservice, not only to this author and her work, but to yourself. This is a novel that can - and should - be experienced by sensitive readers regardless of their ethnic or national background. It speaks to the universality of the human soul - I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Yvonne Vera is an extraordinary author. Stone Virgins is beautifully structured and every word is essential as Vera weaves this exquisite Zimbabwean story from every angle. I agree with Ama Ata Aidoo in the editorial reviews: this book deeerves to be recognized as one of the most notable novels of the twenty first century.

Chances are if you have a preschooler, they have a best friend and can spend hours talking about the fun they have together. First friendships for children are delightful, intense experiences and George Ella Lyon has written a charming poem in celebration of these first friendships.

Lyon with the help of illustrator Vera Rosenberry escorts us through some wonderful experiences that two good friends have.

"You salt the ice and I'll crank the cream.
Let's put our hands together and dream the same dream."

We read as the girls crank a huge ice cream maker and share a giant sundae.

Every page provides an imaginative scene between the two young girls, one white and one black, who share fun and friendship together. We see images of them building sand castles on the beach, building a house, fighting a dragon and swimming with the dolphins. Anyone who has watched young children playing knows their imaginations are working overtime and these two girls are perfect examples of this imagination. Children will have fun looking at the illustrations and explaining what the girls are pretending.

With the poetic verse and lovely imaginative illustrations you will love reading this book to your child. It promotes such a positive message about the importance of friendships. It is important that adults provide children with positive ideals and messages to aspire to and this book gives a parent a beautiful way of doing just that.

This book is a beautiful poem with lovely illustrations. The pictures are of two girls, one white and one African American, celebrating their friendship. While the book is clearly designed for little people, 3-grade school, I plan to get several copies as gifts for my adult friends. If you have a special friendship to celebrate, this is the book with which to do it!

What a terrific book about the all-around greatest female dancer ever! Vera-Ellen was so talented that it defied merit. She never really received the fame or recognition that she deserved for her outstanding talent. She could hold her own with Fred and Gene, (and boy, do I lov ethat Gene), plus outdance the other females dancers as well. The other women were down right good too, but each in their own specialty dance field: Vera-Ellen was all of them combined! I enjoyed this book immensly, and was sadened to learn that although she ultimately died from cancer, she destroyed herself with what we now know today as anorexia. Such a shame for such a talent. As long as her old films are still out there, she will always be remembered for the phenomenal dancer and gracious lady she was. (Yes, I have a treasured copy of this book for myself :)

I would highly recommend this book. I have been a big fan of Vera-Ellen for years. David Soren has written a very wonderful
biography on her. It's a loving tribute to a lady who was
a wonderful dancer, and actress as well. She was truly a very kind and giving person in real life. I'd give this book more stars if I could. There are many photos of her in it as well!
In my opinion she is the best female dancer ever.

She is definitly a lovely, shining angel in heaven.

It's pretty funny that commercials trying to be "hip" are using these songs now. Of course this book doesn't pick one song for an absolute answer. Instead (and as it should be)it traces the various influences which evolved to be "Rock and Roll" - I'm sorry to see this is out-of-stock hopefully there'll be a reprint soon.

I'm sick of reading junky rock books where the author thinks it all started with Bill Haley and "Rock Around the Clock." These two guys obviously know their history of R&B and country boogie and pop music from the late '40s and '50s, and they obviously have listened to the records they write about. Maybe it's got too much detail for a casual reader, but if you love old R&B like I do, it's the best.

We first borrowed this book from our local library and my two and a half year old son loved it so much we had to renew it three times! He just loves having it read over and over. He talks about Vera all the time as if she is a part of our family.

Rosenberry has done a marvelous job of depicting a sick child! In fact, the pictures remind me of my nieces when they are sick!

This is a truly beautiful book that celebrates the bond between a cat and the woman who loves him. A scrawny old cat loves a scrawny old woman; but the cat is coming to the end of his eighth life. What will he choose for his ninth life?

I first read this book sitting on the floor of a tower book store because I had heard the store clerks talking about it. Well...I fell in love with this cat and the way he cared so much about the woman he lived with. Needless to say I left the store with a copy of my own and a really warm and fuzzy feeling. Since then I have bought one for every cat lover that I know young and old. The illustrations are beautiful.

This workbook goes far beyond bland exercises to enrich the classroom with exciting and creative lessons and ideas. I recommend it both for teachers and students. It would be wonderful if it were adapted for the online world.

I thought that the book was well thought out and had a lot of activities that help you connect to spanish and speak it well. My father has been a spanish teacher for 25 years and he says it is like a spanish savior compared to the other stuff he has seen (and he has seen a lot).

EXCELLENT BOOK!