Friends Afloat,written by Eliza Rosenbaum, helps young children grasp the concept of teamwork and friendship. The illustrations, composed by Jean Pidgeon, help the parents and children enjoy the book even more.

This book is a must have for the beginner, and a good reference for the more experienced plastic jewelry collector. Full of color plates only, the variety of collectible pieces begins to be appreciated. There are also prices attached to the pictures without having to find this information elsewhere in the book.

That, of course, is the one big flaw with the book. The prices were applicable in 1996. They are not necessarily what you can expect to pay in this exploding collectible field in 2000, but it will give you some idea of what to expect.

The book is not the be all-end all of plastic collectibles. As the title of the book states, it does not devote itself to Bakelite or Celluloid or any other one type of plastic. You will need other references to find out more specifics like what type of plastic you are looking at, how to test for the material, how to spot different designers etc.

What it does have are pictures of a wide range of objects including bangles and earings typical in most books, to purses, eyeglasses and even collectible childrens pieces.

Order this book and enjoy the fun of collecting!