I love Edward Lear's story and James Marshall's illustrations are magical. I don't like the version with Jan Brett's illustrations. I've never liked Jan Brett's illustrations. I've spent hundreds of hours looking at children's books and I always pass over Jan Brett's books. Her illustrations just don't appeal to me. Her illustrations are distinctive and I can always recognize her work but I don't like them. There is just something missing--they don't have any life to them or something. I can't explain it. I have always loved James Marshall. His genius transcends understanding. His illustrations complement Ed Lear's beautiful tale perfectly.

A very good illustrated version of the classic poem- the pictures are beautiful with a distinctly exotic flavour, great for all ages!

This book is just so cool. Longing for a trip to the tropics? Read this version of the book to your little one and you can at least feel like you are there. The illustrations are really sweet. They have a lot of details so that kids kind find new things with each reading. My two-year old loves this book. It is a great twist on an old tale

I had all but forgotten about this gem from my childhood when I saw it sitting on the Halloween display at the library where I work.
That night when I read it to my daughter, the clever illustrations and the humor brought back a flood of memories from my own childhood. And when she told me that she wanted "the movie of Space Case" for her birthday, I knew it was one of those timeless treats that would carry on into her memories when she's a mother.
Marshall's subtle brand of humor, paired with the charming illstrations makes this a great non-spooky choice for Halloween reads.

This book is a real treat! The humor can appeal to the older kids, while the cute Halloween story can appeal to a younger age.

'It came from outerspace' begins the story and as this thing tries to make friends with cows and chickens and learns to trick or treat a cute story unfolds. The pictures are funny. I particularly like the father who lets them in the house after they have been out trick or treating (very funny) and the costumes that everyone wears are great!

It's adorable and it came from outerspace and it should be on your bookshelves.

"It came from outer space." Luckily it arrived on Halloween. While most of the natives were unfriendly (a cow and a chicken), the thing manged to find some friendly aliens out trick or treating. Buddy McGee takes the thing home only to discover that it is from outer space. He quickly makes friends with the thing and takes him to school. Will the thing stay with Buddy forever?

Marshall has done it again with a wonderful story accompanied by droll illustrations. The beauty of this Halloween tale is its appeal to adults and children alike. This is a standard in my Halloween read aloud bag. It can be used from K to 5th grade with great results.

Practical Insights into the Mechanics of Conflict January 6, 2003
I read this book nearly 10 years ago and found it very helpful. As a pastor of over 23 years and a survivor of a few humdinger conflicts, it was comforting to know that conflicts have patterns. It also helped me control my own responses.

I wouldn't wish church conflicts on a dog, but they seem to come (to most of us in the ministry, not dogs!) no matter what precautions we take. But they can often be contained early, and this book can help. It will also help you accept that conflict is common and to be expected, therefore leading us to the conclusion that one should be as prepared as possible. The chapters are all pretty good, but those written by Speed Leas excel.

The time to read this book is before (or early on)conflict begins. Every pastor needs to be prepared for what is inevitable. Lay leaders (board members, etc.) can also benefit from this book. Also helpful would be Terry Muck's book, "When to Take A Risk."

The authors approach Church Management from their various perspectives, but all seem to have a grip on managing a church, everywhere from facilities to staff to offering security to planning.

This is a fine book with some great specific suggestions.

I would really like to obtain my own copy of this book. It is an excellent resource for artists and Christians who want to understand the visual signs of their faith. Persons designing banners would also benefit from this book.

This book is a great teaching tool. It clearly illustrates, and defines the meanings of, and the history to the different symbols used in the Christian church. It is one of the best reference books on this subject found. I would love to find my very own copy.

If you have a child between 3 and 8, you should buy this book. The late, great James Marshall (Edward was a pseudonym) had the rare ability to tell a story using easy-to-read words, but still with genuinely surprising and humorous twists. This book's ending is a brilliant twist, which I will not spoil here.

If you don't have a child the right age, you should buy this anyway, but you may have to think of an excuse.

This book ranks with Marshall's best, which also include the sublime "Three By the Sea," as well as the better-known "Miss Nelson" and "George & Martha" books.

A note to the publisher: You really should keep James Marshall's better books available in hardcover library editions. This guy's best works are classics, and they'll continue to sell for at least another century.

Pastor Richards was a person I would have liked to have known on a personal basis. Truly one of Gods blessed workers that let Jesus always be shown in all that he did. Bill

I found the book very informative. Much of it is very common sense. Dr. Marshall is right when he said, "Thin people never has an obsession with food." They know that food is fuel. Thin people are very selective in their food choices. If they are craving an ice cream cone, then a milk shake is not what they are going to order. I would highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to end their weight problem once and for all.

This is the story of Lolly, Spider and Sam, three kids who have just eaten lunch and have to wait a while before they can go swimming. To pass the time, they decide to tell each other stories about rats and cats.

The first story, Lolly's, is a dead-on parody of an old-style phonics reader:

'The cat sat by the rat. "I see him," said the cat. "I see the rat."

The rat saw the cat. "I see him," said the rat. "I see the cat." And that was that.'

Spider and Sam naturally hate this story, and they work to top each other with much more entertaining stories, always about cats and rats. This is one of my favorite kids' books, by one of my favorite kids' author/illustrators, the late, great James Marshall.

I think it's an overlooked classic -- even better than some of Marshall's more popular works (such as the "George and Martha" series), and right up there with his other masterpieces: "Miss Nelson Comes Back" (written with Harry Allard) and "Fox and His Friends". All three feature very funny and surprising twist endings.

If you find you like this book as much as I do, you'll want to check out its two sequels: "Four by the Shore" and "Three Up a Tree". Those are also highly enjoyable, but this one is the creme de la creme.

Parents: This is a book they will love, although you may love it more. School librarians: BUY THIS BOOK! Publisher: Please restore this to print in a library-binding edition!

An excellent book for teaching the importance of reading and gaining an awareness of simlarities in plot. Poor Winnie learns that she may the next 'stuffed chicken for dinner' as a result of not wanting to read a famous tale. The story takes the reader on a rollercoaster of 'what-ifs' and creates wonderful moments for predicting text. I will be using this story for numerous lessons in my classroom, from developing a sense of story to partner predictions. Excellent illustrations, too!

Those who decry the current state of judicial affairs in this country will be interested to learn that our modern court system has changed very little since its inception back in the 18th Century. This, along with many other scholarly insights, is the compelling undercurrent running through Jean Edward Smith's John Marshall: Definer of a Nation.

Smith, no stranger to scholarship himself, guides the reader in painstaking detail through the rise of one of the most renoun jurists of early American history, John Marshall. Marshall, who served his country first as a soldier under General George Washington and later as the first truly influential chief justice of the Supreme Court, is a figure ripe for investigation at this particularly legal-oriented period in our history. For it was Marshall who, in his landmark decision, Marbury v. Madison, first gave rise to the notion of judicial review, the concept that suggests that the Supreme Court indeed has final say over the constitutionality of a given state action.

What is fascinating about Marshall's life is how bitterly he had to fight to establish what we today take for granted, the Court's supreme authority. Marshall's relentless pursuit of a powerful judiciary was often at odds with the vision of his fellow founding father, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson, who pushed for a small, decentralized federal government in a largely agrarian America, was constanly at odds with Marshall, and the tale of their stormy political battles resonates throughout the pages of Smith's biography.

Of course, the philosophical musings and feindishly political battles of our founding fathers may not make for interesting reading for everyone. Smith's book is chock full of obscure anectdotes and oftentimes difficult-to-get-through detail. All the same, the interested reader seeking to understand just how our current court system got to be this way can do worse than pick up Smith's tome for some insight. For, in the end, the battles fought between America's early political titans bear a strong correlation to -- and perhaps even explain -- blips on the judicial radar screen now called things like "O.J."

The author acknowledges up front that the book has little to say that is critical of the great Chief Justice. Nevertheless, the author presents a balanced view of the man and his times. As befits one of the greatest writers in legal history, Smith's prose is clear, precise and entertaining. Given Marshall's long tenure on the Court and his many accomplishments and associations with great historical figures, this book should be of interest to anyone with a serious interest in American History. One is left with the strong impression that Marshall's role in shaping the government has not been fully appreciated.

John Marshall defined American law, politics and power. This book paints a vivid picture of who Marshall was, and why he is still important today. The author does an excellent job stating the facts and letting the reader decide for her/himself whether or not Marshall did the right or wrong in the very important decisions he made. This book is enlightening and well written. Marshall's life is wonderfully told through the authors use of clear and concise writing. This book is excellent. It clarifies many misconceptions of this great man who came out of a generation that claims many great men. Marshall may be the least understood of them all, but he certainly is no less important than any of his contemporaries in forming and defining the United States of America.