My parents bought this book for my two year old. Not only is it attention-getting with big bug eyes on every page, but the story is delightfully clever, interesting & educational. The back of the book even has a two page "encyclopedia" with pictures and descriptions of all the sea creatures introduced in the book. This is the first children's book that has kept my attention and interest as long as my son's. I highly recommend this book.

I have four kids ranging in age from 8 1/2 years old to 2 1/2 years old. All of them LOVE this book. The huge eyes are what captivated all of us in the beginning but the story and illustrations were fun with an easy moral included. I can't wait to find more titles in the Boniface series.

I bought this book for my 15 month old granddaughter while we were on vacation in Arizona. She is 20 months old now and can recognize all the characters. The story is adorable and the illustrations are sublime. She loves the colors and the expressions on the creatures faces.....especially Sharky. I have to read it every night to her and she is always as attentive as the first time. The bulging, wiggly eyes make the book a wonderful picture book for a baby and the prose is delightful.

"Mystery in Bugtown" is a story about a murder that happens in Bugtown. Inspector cricket is caught up in the mystery and the only clue is one glove. He goes to many people who he thinks may have done the crime or had something to do with it, but each person doesn't make his job any easier because each one just sends him to the next bug. He goes through many different suspects before he comes to the Big Boss's place where he is finally able to solve the crime. When the culprit is finally revealed, it is a shock to everyone.
I think that this is a very good book because it does a good job at keeping the reader interested throughout the whole book. It is also interesting to see what kinds of creatures the detective comes to see. The book is also somewhat educational, with cool facts about each of the insects in the back of the book.

I have been reading to my 2 1/2-month-old son since he was in the womb, and when I read this book to him, he not only listened but also the participated. The illustrations in this book are fantastic and he carefully watched as each page was turned (I'm sure the bug eyes didn't hurt). This book is wonderfully written and illustrated and to be perfectly honest I'm not sure who enjoyed it more. A truly fun book to read!

This book is a delight from beginning to end that will hold children spellbound. The amuzing "bug eyes" brilliantly colored illustrations and lilting text will enchant both children and adults alike.

This is the complete text of all 24 of John Cassian's Conferences, some of which are translated for the very first time. This text could be, and indeed was, considered the advanced text on living the Christian life. While the stories of the desert fathers may sound daunting, their thoughts, as transmitted (and certainly adapted) by John Cassian are surprisingly honest, refreshing, and inspirational. These were people who truly sought, and knew God. As Cassian writes in the preface, we can criticize them as being too extreme, but the evidence of their lives testifies on their behalf. Virtually every aspect of life is covered here in some way, as Cassian relates his "conferences" with various monks in the deserts of Egypt. This book is so refreshing and stirring, especially given the "junk food" spirituality that most modern Christian publishers pump out. This way is not simple or quick, but it does point to a fuller life. All those who say they follow Christ should give this a read.

(...)

. . .is known for its critical editions of Patristic and Early Medieval writings. Again the series trumps with the addition of this title.

"The Conferences" of John Cassian are perhaps some of the most powerful commentaries on the eremetical, monastic, and spiritual ways of life ever written -- and they are all too often left unappreciated in today's world. This was not always the case. The great saints, monastics and mystics of the medieval period read and respected this work extremely highly.

The "Conferences", set up as though Cassian was in dialogue with the great hermits of his day (and in some cases, perhaps he actually was) deal with the various issues, choices, and crises which beset all Christians -- not merely those to whom the grace of the religious life has been given.

This is a book to be digested slowly, one "conference" at a time and to be meditated upon -- not to be rushed through.

Highly recommended.

A very important book ! If the greatest mind in the history of Western Civilation (i.e. St Thomas Aquinas) read it every day and always had it with him what more needs to be said ?

This extaordinary, well-written biography of Boniface Wimmer, OSB, the Bavarian founder of the American Benedictine Order, is well worth reading not only for its intimate portrait of one of American church history's most fascinating characters, but also for its thorough and insightful scholarship. The author traces the early history (1846-1887) of the Benedictines in the United States, whose work carried them from Pennsylvania to Minnesota, Kansas, New Jersey, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Illinois and other states. The book provides a narrative that will appeal to the general reader as well as the specialist.

This 48 page book lives up to its blurb, which describes it as "A Collection of six campfire tales passed from deep within the heart of rural Africa"The voice of the storyteller is authentic so thatreaders/listeners feel the power of prose.These are contemporary tales so they convey much about rural life in modern Africa,its customs and traditions, its values and rhythms of living on the land.Villagers gain wealth and status through ownership of roosters,pigs, and land, show each other courtesies such as sharing palm wine and kolanuts,and pay attention to the words of shamans.Some events in the stories, such as the title tale remain mysterious; in other stories, an explanation is ultimately provided.Often a moral is appended,such as "Be kind and gentle for you never know".Those treated badly come back as revenging ghosts and cleverness, as in the story of Umfana is rewarded.Those who don't listen to their wives such as the thief Atangana, also get what they deserve.In all, these lively stories bring to readers pictures of a life which, for them, is far away and very intriguing.
I plan to use this book the next time I teach a class in folklore.

...

"Christmastime Is Cookie Time", by William Boniface, Illustrated by Ronnie Rooney.,
Price, Stern, Sloan, 2001.

This is a wonderful little book to keep the attention of the young ones while they are waiting for Santa and you are making Christmas cookies. William Boniface has again written lively verse, describing the annual family holiday task of making batches of sugar cookies to enjoy while celebrating Christmas. Ronnie Rooney has provided beautiful and bright "cookies", which the children can place into the correct slots of the board by each page.

I bought this book for my grandchildren and watched as my daughter, their mother, made the sugar cookies. Some cookies were a little too well done, and they were used for my tea, but the others, when cooled, were frosted by many willing hands. The book's cookies were miniatures of the baked cookies. The book illustrator has based the cardboard cookies on the design of cookie cutters that have been in use for more than 30 years, perhaps 50 years. Therefore, the children use the book's cardboard cookies the same as, or at least very similar, to the cookies being baked in the oven. The Christmas colors used by the illustrator are bright enough to match the verse by William Boniface,

"Since no two snowflakes are the same,
We've made ours all unique,"
"And sprinkled them with powdered sugar.
Come and take a peek".

Take a peek at that page and see the powdered sugar suspended in mid-air by the artist: it is truly being sprinkled on the cookies! From personal experience, this Grandfather would recommend this book with five stars.

it's an excellent book about cultural tourism!

This book is a collection of four homilies that were given by Cardinal Ratzinger on the creation account in Genesis. It gives a Catholic understanding of the theological implications from the teachings of creation found in Genesis. Cardinal Ratzinger starts with the importance about the necessity of properly understanding this, and the problems with ignoring the creation account. He shows how you cannot answer the question of "What we do" without first addressing the question of "What we are".

From this he proceeds to give a brilliant understanding of what it means to be a human being. What kind of creature we are and our place in creation. His first homily is based on "God the Creator" and its relevance to the differences between our view of God creating the world and other religions views. He then goes to his second homily "The Meaning of the Biblical Account", which gives a more balanced understanding of creation, and its cultural significance at the time. His third homily, "The creation of the Human Being" gives an understanding of what it means to be human and our place and reasons for being. His fourth, and final homily, "Sin and Salvation" gives and understanding of our nature, and our responsibility in our decision-making. Also touches upon the resurrection and the way it addresses our innate struggles. The book ends with an appendix that briefly goes into certain other semi related topics.

It should also be mentioned that Cardinal Ratzinger addresses the scientific implications of the creation account very little in this book. He addresses the problem in proving that the creation account was never meant to be a strict fundamentalist scientific view of how the world was created. But an actual unfolding, with different aspects given all throughout the bible, that directly addresses certain misunderstandings in other religions at the time and, at the same time, giving us a deeper understanding of our place in the world. He also shows how each account, cannot be separated from the others. And only in looking at the bible as a whole can you get the real meaning of the creation account. With that said, there are certain scientific dimensions that are involved in the creation accounts that cannot be denied. Cardinal Ratzinger briefly addresses this. But does not get into too much detail.

Overall, this book is a short, easy to read, explanation of the Christian understanding of what it means to be a human being, our nature, and our limitations. It gives an often misunderstood understanding of the creation account. This book is highly recommended for anybody who is trying to understand the Christian view of man, and the biblical basis for that.

This book is a fascinating collection of personal letters to and from an 8th century English missionary turned bishop, working on the edge of pagan Germany, as he sought and received counsel from friends, popes, and bishops. Initially, his letters reflect a man seeking to know what the rule is, and expecting others to live by the rules. On a deeper level, the letters reflect Boniface's deep honesty, frustration, and dedication to his work in churches plagued by pagan and heretical influences. Weeks after I finished this book, individual incidents Boniface confronted came to mind. The letters inform about eighth century culture. They share the thoughts of a dedicated man trying to do the right thing in a difficult era.

Studs is a fantastic book. The plot was wonderful, and I was pulled into it imediately. I love the book, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a good book in their hands.