In early spring, little Lucy Owen and her Mama and Papa moved west to a place called Illinois and a farm of their own. Great Aunt Liza stayed behind. "Nothing but hog music out there." In October, Great Aunt Liza shopped in Baltimore and bought a plain brown straw hat. She put it in a wooden box with a latch, wrote a happy birthday note to Lucy and gave it to her friend on the mail coach, heading west. M.C. Helldorfer has written a wonderfully descriptive story of that present's journey, as it's lost and found and continually sent on its way. Her amusing and detailed text is only outdone by S.D. Schindler's colorful, expressive artwork and together they introduce youngsters to a little slice of nineteenth century history on the National Public Road. And, as each kind stranger moves the gift a little closer to its destination, adding something special of their own to the box, a ribbon, a feather, coffee beans...excitement will build as children wait for Lucy to finally receive and open her birthday present. This is a terrific story, complete with happy ending that's perfect for youngsters 4-8 and makes a wonderful addition to home bookshelves.

The author has presented a wonderful visit into the history of travel during the 1800's. This book would be an asset to any child studying that period of time. The author demonstrates a research based account of what could happen to a package being sent across the National Public Road. The humor that is used will help children and adults understand how writing an expository piece can be based on facts and ideas from history and include voice, word choice, and a great deal of creativity and feeling.

This book was wonderful. My boyfriend bought it for me for a gift, and I am not the "go to church everyweek" girl, by far, but it was still a great book. In the future, I plan to buy these type of books as gift. Definitely a great buy!!

An uplifting and positive experience that women will love. This gentle-but-stirring book praises the best qualities of God's women. A great book to give to women friends, wives, mothers, sisters, grandmothers and others. This book will appear on the July 1998 bestseller list in "CBA Marketplace" and "Christian Retailing." And it should!

This is a marvelous collection of short stories. I read the first story and thought, "Well, this is probably going to be my favorite of the lot." Then, I read the third story and thought, "No, this is the one. It's perfect." And so on, and so on.

Mary Ladd Gavell was born in Cuero, Texas and she died at the age of 47 in 1967 - the year I was born. Mrs. Gavell's stories capture the voices of the women I've known so much better than some of the newer "Southern fiction" I've read lately.

I feel sure this will be my next book club selection, and I think I'm going to want to go back and reread some of these stories regularly. Please, buy a copy of your own. I promise you'll enjoy it.

This is a marvelous collection of short stories. I read the first story and thought, "Well, this is probably going to be my favorite of the lot." Then, I read the third story and thought, "No, this is the one. It's perfect." And so on, and so on.

Mary Ladd Gavell was born in Cuero, Texas and she died at the age of 47 in 1967 - the year I was born. Mrs. Gavell's stories capture the voices of the women I've known so much better than some of the newer "Southern fiction" I've read lately.

I feel sure this book is going to be my next book club selection, and I think I'm going to want to go back and reread some of these stories regularly. Please, buy a copy of your own. I promise you'll enjoy it.

My two and four year old both love this book. One of my favorites. They can really relate to the story and imagine the animals we have seen at the zoo coming to OUR house. The pictures are beautiful.

I just loved this book and so did my children. The illustrations are beautiful and colorful, the story is imaginative and fanciful (which is lacking in so many other children's books these days).

This book is a must have for any young child!!!!

This book is a marvelous comparative work of the lives of women in the bible and the lives of today's christian women. Once you realize that God will still make something out of your lives after you have finished making a mess out of it, you realize how much the Father really loves us. And when we know we're loved, we feel secure, and when we feel secure, we live better lives.

I am interested in learning the similarities in the women in the bible and our lives today. I think Mary has done an excellent job of doing this. I only wish there was more. I was at a retreat where I heard Mary speak. She is an elegant, sincere speaker and I can hear her voice in every word I read. Thank You Mary - You have enriched my life tremendously.

I brought a second hand copy of this collection and i regret it. It should have been brand new and in hardback- it's that good. And the money would have gone to the author, for he surely deserves it. I'd never read any of his stuff before, only Bradbury, Dick, Wells Sheckley, Asimov, Bester and Knight. Having finished it, i'd have to place him up their among the legends of sf.
This collection is worth it, if only for one story. But their are many that belong among the all time great masterpieces of the short story; 'The Liberation of Earth'- about an devastating future war in which mankind can be no more than a witness to ir's own extinction, 'Down Among the Dead Men'- zombies reconstituted from the remains of the dead help out the human troops on the front againsts an insect race in a interstellar war, 'The Tenants'- a subtle and fragile fantasy, 'The Sevant Problem'- an astounding and frighteningly funny tale of power manipulation among tha powerful elite of a totalitarin society top strata, 'Time in Advance' has criminals do time for commiting the crime, seven years in this case for murder, who find themselves in demand by people who'd like them to snub out somebody for them and held in fear by those that've wronged them int he past. Other classics include the famous 'Brooklyn Project', the horrorifying 'Wednesday's Child' ( a supperior sequel to the much anthologised 'Child's Play'). Others to note are 'The Generation of Noah''Winthrop was Stubborn' , 'Null-P'and his personal favourite 'The Custodian'. 'Lisborn Cubed' may remind some of the film 'Men in Black' but is vastly more rewarding. A master craftmans, most of his stories seem to have been painstakling put together and the general opinion is of a humanitarian (he almost always sides with the underdog or minorities) taking a aceberic look at the sheer blinding egotistical hyprocrisy of human kind. A blissful way to be entertained. It's companion volume is also a must.

A few years ago I searched the used book stalls and dealer's rooms and slowly assembled the complete sf works (all out of print) of William Tenn, and proceeded to read and review them. You can find these reviews on the Web. The stories were great fun, but what struck me most was that the satires had not lost their edge despite the passage of time. Why? Because Tenn addressed his satire to the underlying conflicts, which are timeless, rather than to the transitory phenomena that tend to be the focus of most humorists, satirists, and social critics. Just as important, Tenn's satirical sword usually has two edges, and will, to mix a metaphor, have gored everybody's ox before he's finished with his tale. First rate stuff. So the question I kept asking myself was: why isn't this guy's stuff in print?? Well now it is, in a handsome volume with an introduction by Connie Willis, and comments on each story by the Author himself. What's not to love?

Little Simon has many talents. When asked, he can growl like a dog, stretch like a cat and jump like a horse, "It's simple," says Simon. But when he meets a wily old tiger who first, hands out the kudos to gain Simon's confidence and then tricks him into climbing onto his back, things start to look grim for our fearless hero. Will Simon be able to outsmart the tiger and save himself.....? Mary Ann Hoberman has written a delightful story that includes all the elements of a good fable, a brave hero, a dangerous animal villain and circumstances that offer a true battle of wits. Her easy to read, amusing and gentle text, with repetitious refrain, will have youngsters involved and "helping" you read in no time. Meilo So's imaginative and expressive watercolor artwork adds just the right touch and together this dynamic team have authored a picture book that's both perfect for beginning readers and a wonderful read-aloud story the whole family will enjoy.

Simon's adventures grow progressively more exciting and dangerous, but he eventually finds simple solutions to every problem. Children will love the refrain, "It's simple." They will also love Simon who shows wit and bravery when life gets a little scary. So's illustrations are magical but simple enough to match the tone of the story. Hoberman's text is fun to read out loud to a group. This would be a great new book for story time.

What a joy of a book. The illustrations are so soft and beautiful and really help to tell the story, as they should. The story is about a town getting ready for a wedding. There's just a line or two on each page, and they rhyme, periodically reverting to, "while Jake baked the cake". Both boys and girls 7 and under should enjoy this. My five year boy included.

"The bride's gown was made in town/the groom's pants arrived from France/the champagne came from Spain/while Jake baked the Cake!" As everyone in town gets ready for a big church wedding, we keep checking in on baker Jake, who isn't quite finished with the fancy wedding cake. Will he finish in time? Toddlers cheer him on by chiming in with the chorus "Jake baked the cake!" A delightful picture book to prepare youngsters for all the preparations that precede a wedding.

This is not only fascinatig book but also one wchich can change your life.Written by author with great love for very profound saint,who expressed by her life truth of catholic faith.This book should be red by enyone - catholics and noncatholics for better understanding theology which is often criticized in very shallow way. The second great saint of our times is Mother Teresa -as one using in practice of daily life the true of christian theology.These 2 great saints should be studied by anyone who wants to find in serious way understanding of Truth of Jesus Christ.

This book is without a doubt the most concise and complete book ever written about the mystic Therese Neumann. The author obviously had access to information that no other writer previously had, and used this information to offer the reader an insightful look into one of the most important mystics of our time. Unlike other books about Therese Neumann which are either politically motivated and thus subjective, or incomplete in their information, this author has succeeded in bringing to life this wonderful woman in a way that makes the reader feel not only inspired by her, but close to this totally human (and humorous) person. The transcript of the Passion vision is awesome and detailed. The reader feels as if they are ACTUALLY there, and very privileged to have been given the opportunity to be a "co-wittness" to this event. If you get a chance, this reader recommends reading this well written book. It will leave you feeling spiritually inspired as well as educating you on this important mystic. It is easy to read because it is so well written. A real page turner! I give it an A+++!!

Laura Forman's illustrations are magical. Forman combines meticulous observation, attitude, characterization, humor and imagination with impeccable drawing, sophisticated perspective, mastery of technique, and originality. The illustrations in this book are nothing short of masterful. This is Caldecott material.
Hooray!

"Now settle down and listen well/To what I am about to tell/About the troubles that befell/A town and set it spinning./As such tales do, it started small,/With one wee mouse, just one, that's all,/Who one spring day came by to call-/And that was the beginning." So begins Mary Ann Hoberman's kinder and gentler adaptation of the Pied Piper. As the town is overrun with mice, the mayor looks far and wide for help, and an appealing red-caped stranger appears with a magic fan to take care of the job. As he waves his fan, an odor wafts through the air. It smells just awful to the villagers, but the mice find it alluring, and they follow the gentleman right out of town. "Some said it smelled of Brie from France,/While others swore 'twas Liederkranz/Or Gorgonzola, ripe, perchance,/Or Stilton, Swiss, or Edam..." With their problem finally solved, and the fee paid, the townspeople celebrate until they realize that their cats have followed the mice, and the dogs have chased after the cats. In no time, the children, missing their pets, also leave town. But never fear, unlike the original, this tale has a happy ending, as a little girl comes up with a creative and inventive solution that sets everything right again, in the end..... Ms Hoberman's lyrical, rhyming text begs to be read aloud, and is only outdone by Laura Forman's delightful, old-fashioned artwork. Intricate illustrations, in subdued and quiet tones are filled with charming detail, and little ones will enjoy lingering over each picture before turning the page. Perfect for youngsters 5-9, The Marvelous Mouse Man tells an old story with a new and refreshing twist and is sure to become a family favorite.