I picked this up for my son, because the illustrations were so cute and it's such a classic story. But -- watch out -- the copy
we have seems to have skipped over a page or something in the manufacturing. There is a whole section of the story...and my favorite part at that...the "this porridge is too hot, too cold, just right" section...missing! I just have to wing it and fill in that part on my own when I'm reading this to my little one!

So, all in all, very cute, but if you're going to buy it I'd suggest checking over your copy thoroughly to make sure it's complete. Had our copy been complete, I would give 5 stars, as this is a book my son absolutely adores!

We checked this book out of the library when our oldest daughter was 2 (she is now 7). She loved it so much, we bought it. It was the first book that she memorized and we video taped her "reading" it and using different voices for each bear. The same thing happened with our son (now 4) - it was the first book he "read" to himself. And he still enjoys having the story read to him (sometimes by his big sister). Now our third child (2 year old daughter) loves to have the book read to her and "reads" it to whoever will listen.

The colors and illustrations are bold and fun. The story and illustrations are simple yet there are small details - like flowers that Goldilocks drops as she moves along - that spark a child's interest and interaction. We have even done projects using this book. With construction paper, scissors and glue, the children recreate pages from the book.

I can't say enough about this book. We have bought it for all of our little friends and for any new babies that arrive.
We have also enjoyed and purchased Barton's other books - but there is just a special place in our hearts for this one.

I can't give enough rave reviews about this Byron Barton version of the Three Bears. The story is intrigueing enough for our almost 3yr old son, while the bright, simple illustrations hold the interest of our 11-month old daughter. The story is not at all wordy, yet it is definitely the complete Three Bears story. Byron Barton even adds another concept to the story. While the porridge is too hot or cold, and the beds are too hard or soft, the rocking chairs rock too fast or too slow. I love the early concepts the story introduces and the simple, yet well done illustrations and writing.

I've read all three of the series...and while Love Me Not was one of the better romances I've ever read, I felt a little disappointed after first reading Tempt Me Not. The heroine seemed weak despite the author's attempt to convince otherwise. She doesn't seem deserving of Damien and the feeling that he fell in love with her from pity took away some of my enjoyment. But all in all, it was still enjoyable, especially since the characters of Tempt Me Not were revisited.

This is probably my favorite of the three books written in this series. Kathleen and Damien were so beautiful together. The plot was great and the villains were truly dispicable. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and I love how Byron revisits all the characters from her first novel in the series, Tempt Me Not. I love seeing all my favorite characters living happily ever after. A GREAT read!!

Much like Damien, I found this book to be absolutely gorgeous. The characters are rich, and intriguing. Eve Byron has a simply wonderful style, capturing the characters with vividness, humour, sadness and love.

You know the poetry. The kind the older generation uses for birthdays and farewell luncheons ("We hope that God will bless// You with good health and happiness!"). You hate it, the forced rhymes and imperfect metrical structure (indeed, what metrical structure?). My mother-in-law used to write like that - volumes and volumes of such tripe. Sadly, she has departed from us, but not before leaving tons of this stuff all over the house, and a half-finished vanity press run of 100 copies (anybody want one?).

Now I know where she got the impetus for such poetry - Lord Byron! All of that generation's worst excesses of bad poetry come from Byron, I think. Embarrassingly forced rhymes, self-conscious commentary that frustratingly impedes the flow of the narrative, arch cuteness that threatens one's sanity - all there!! And he couldn't even finish it off properly.

Truly, a work only an academic could love - or find any value in. If you are attracted to this book, protect yourself: Try reading it aloud and making a stop at the end of every line (sing-song-like) so you can at least get the sense of the rhymes. I found the Penguin edition serviceable (as Penguins usually are). And don't bother with the footnotes, just let it flow. Now stop being so hard on the older generation.

I'm writing this to specifically respond to the remarks made by another reviewer condemning Byron for forced rhymes, self-conscious commentary, and the lack of a good finish.

WARNING: This poem is intended to be funny! Byron delighted in using the jangly sounds of feminine rhymes in the most outlandish fashion possible, and his digressions are what truly make this poem enjoyable; that voice is the center of the poem, not Don Juan's actions. As for the lack of a finish, I think I'll excuse any poet who dies mid-composition while training troops in the war for Greek independence.

I'm sorry to say it, but if you're looking for this poem to be a serious narrative in the traditional epic manner, you're bound to miss the boat. This poem is *designed* to be hilarious, and as far as that is concerned, it succeeds.

This has to be the longest poem I've ever finished, and yet it still wasn't long enough. It's compulsively entertaining, touching, funny, exciting, and life-affirming. You don't have to be an academic to appreciate it. And even if you don't finish it, you'll appreciate what you do finish for its own sake.

When i was a baby my mom use to read this to me its about a elephant who trys to get rid of his bags and sags

This is a cute and fun story about a little elephant that doesn't quite fit in with his environment and tries to follow the not so sure advice of a parrot. It's fun to read with some good alliteration and rhyme. I have read it many times to my little daughter (currently 6 ½ months) and while it isn't quite as engaging as the Tawny Scrawny Lion, it's still a strong recommendation. Don't even give the age categories a second thought, this book should be read to and in the hands of babies and toddlers too.

When I first met my wife she had this book (Saggy Baggy Elephant) and what made it unusual was the books actual size was about an inch and a half to two inches square. Just as a joke one night I asked her to read me the story of Sookie the Saggy Baggy Elephant in which she did. I fell in love with that book for sentimental reasons but the more it was read to me I realized its message is so good for children. I highly recommend this for anybody with small children. We lost that little book and this was back before computers were so popular that when I went looking to replace it I had a very hard time finding it in print. After a long exhaustive search I found a printing company that had a couple of copies and I think after paying about 40 to 50 bucks to get that book I wrapped it up and gave it to my wife for Christmas. The tears in her eyes when she saw that book again told me that she loved the story of Sookie the Saggy Baggy Elephant as much as I did. A gift I know she will never ever forget getting. A great book.

Farwell did an excellent job in his telling of the Battle of Ball's Bluff, fought in the Fall of 1861 on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, just upstream of Washington.....Having had an interest in this battle (especially its enormous political ramifications) for over 20 years (I lived close by), I found the book a delight to read. While much of Farwell's material about the battle obviously comes from "Battles and Leaders", the Official Records, etc., he added tidbits of information that made the book even more interesting. For example, two of Paul Revere's grandsons fought there, as did Oliver W. Holmes, Jr., a grandson of George Washington, and many others of famous lineage. Also, Ball's Bluff was so named since George Washington Ball - another descendant of our 1st President - lived nearby. In addition, Farwell interjects anecdotes which give insight into the life of the ordinary soldier in the early phases of the war.....Farwell's major contribution, however, is in presenting the enormous political consequences of this small battle, in which the extremely popular Senator, Colonel Edward Baker - Lincoln's closest friend - was killed. Federal General Stone was cast as the scapegoat, jailed, and ruined - though no charges were ever filed; and the infamous "Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War" was formed. The result was "McCarthyism" almost 100 years before the real thing.......I have only two criticisms of Farwell's work: he failed to cite his references; and the sole map provided was most inadequate. I had additional maps and my personal knowledge of the area at my disposal, but for the reader unfamiliar with the battle, the battlefield, and the surrounding area, a series of better maps would prove most useful and make the book much easier to follow......This is a book BOTH for beginners and hard-core Civil War buffs. A long time coming, it was truly a delight! Philip Szlyk, Millbury, Massachusetts

After reading this very well written book about a small battle shortly after the first battle of Bull Run, I had to visit the battle site in Leesburg, VA., which is on the Potomac River just north of Washington D.C. The site is breath taking as it fits Farwell's description of this seemingly lonely site very well. The reconnaissance assignment led by Colonel Baker, a close friend of Lincoln and Senator from Oregon, becomes a total military failure. The military amateur Baker sends virtually his complete force up the high bluffs from the river to a virtual open plain to be picked off by the unseen enemy hidden in the woods, which may have included Evan's Confederate Tramp Brigade. Baker is picked up off early causing a full-scale rout as the Union soldiers panic to the bluffs and the river shot down as they try to escape. Bodies fall into the Potomac and many actual float down river to Washington. This total failure after Bull Run has great political and psychological fall out for Lincoln and the government. The commanding officer that sent Baker across the river is not at fault but he quickly becomes a scapegoat and the Committee for the Conduct of the War is born. The committee ruthlessly imprisons the commander, General Stone, whose failure to recognize the seriousness of his charges and his abandonment by the self serving McClellan (better you than me) contributes to his harsh treatment. The committee lives on to
Court Martial Fitz John Porter at second Bull Run and terrorize numerous Union Officers in the future.

Indepth analysis of a small,little-known,early Civil War engagement whose ramifications had poignant consequences for the Union.Farwell has written a facinating,readable account, incorporating brief character studies of many interesting participants. The only disappointment is the lack of good maps of the battle site and surrounding area. Nevertheless,it will whet your appetite for an exploratory visit to the Leesburg area.

The book gives a very detailed description of the variations in the Nimzo-Larsen attack. This opening allows for a lot of improvitations, and therefore the variations are endless. I (as a beginner) was slightly disapointed in that the book is of an encyclopedic nature rather than a simple introduction to ...-book. This comes naturally from the nature of the opening, so simply consider this as a warning, if you are not looking for an opening encyclopedia on the Nimzo-Larsen attack.

This is an absolutely wonderful opening book. It has the depth of annotation and variation you normally find in advanced manuals; yet it charms by also having complete correspondence or other games in the notes, and these games are often miniatures, that reveal a particular theme or trap. These types of notes are, in my view, too often lacking in opening treatises, and it is refresing to see them here. In another example of the attention to detail, the authors tested one move against fritz, because apparently they could not find an actual game which contained the move. This particular annotation also was very helpful, as I had been wondering about that move myself. Again, the attention to detail, to practical results, traps, etc., places this book a fairly large step ahead of the typical opening work. It is a very in-depth book, with long annotations and side-games given, often in full. The diagrams are wisely placed at points from which there are lengthy departures. On the whole, this book is quite stunning, and is a notch above any other opening work I have seen lately. It makes an excellent companion to the English Defence by King, as both openings contain similar themes. In short, I find this to be a superb book.

Byron Jacobs and Jonathan Tait's Nimzo-Larsen Attack tells how to start an attack sequence from the very first move, defeating common chess defenses even by masters. Basic elements and choices receive in-depth coverage.

I found this book dissappointing. It gives readers misinformation that can make symptoms of NLD worse, not better. For example, the author encourages the readers to allow video/computer play stating it "builds eye-hand coordination". Not only will this NOT develop eye-hand (that comes from anticipating a three dimensional object coming to you in space and manipulating the hands to accurately receive it" but fixation on computers often leads away from motor development and soical interaction. We don't need more misinformatoin about NLD.

First, you don't need your highlighter for this book! At the end of each chapter, the author does it for you. I found this book informative and helpful.
My favorite chapter was Chapter 7: Managing the Environment, it gives an overview of how hard and confusing life can be for a child with NLD. Great to read again & again if you find you are losing patience with your NLD child. I also often copy the first 6 pages of this chapter and give it to those that work with my child; in the hopes they will have the necessary empathy in working with my child.

Pam Tanguay writes from considerable experience: she is one of the founders of NLD on the Web, an award winning website which disseminates information about NLD. For the parent wondering if NLD is a framework that fits her or his child, as well as for the parent who wants concrete suggestions about how to support a child with NLD at home, this book is a wellspring of information. The book is formatted to be a companion of sorts; well designed to make it handy for consultation over the years as various issues and challenges are tackled. As well, there is a comprehensive annotated bibliography and a list of organizations and internet resources. As an educator of children and teachers, as well as a parent of a child with NLD, I recommend this book as a 'must read' for both parents and educators.

I'm far from an expert, but an interested novice in this field... Crane's book is interesting for the unique take it presents on the people and events.

On the other hand, his language is flowery, his opinions unsupported by his own evidence, and his patronizing superiority sometimes beathtaking. Byron is held up as a person of judgement and moral probity -- at least in Greece. The Greeks are dismissed as grasping, brutal and mendacious -- and this is attributed to their national character. The Turks are brutal and cold -- again, a "character" trait.

As far as Trelawney himself, I've never read a biography in which the author had such patent and intense dislike of his subject. Without much to go on, Crane gives us a pathological liar and cold-hearted manipulator of people and events. There are many paragraphs which open with the phrase "it's impossible to know given the scanty evidence... but in this case we can be sure that..." or its variant.

At the same time, I'm compelled to read on, if only to see what verbal atrocity the author will commit next. What a ride!

In his book "Adventures of a Younger Son," Edward Trelawny set down the facts of his youth as he had told them for years: how as a teenage midshipman he began his adventures by breaking the skull of his commanding officer and deserting into the pirates' paradise of the Java Sea; of Zella, his fawn-like, thirteen-year-old bride; fearless, bloody years of piracy and rape; and the stirrings of conscience (if not calmness) which led him back to Europe to seek out the Pisan Circle and its "Dioscuri," Shelley and Byron. Shelley's social conscience and intellectual boldness attracted him; Byron, his former idol, repelled him, because the poet could see through his lies and his posturing. Byron was both a dreamer and a cynic, and the spectacle of a Lara or Childe Harold parading unironically in the real world unleashed all of his contempt. (Try to picture Ian Fleming confronted with a fan who's modeled himself on James Bond).

"Lord Byron's Jackal," the title of David Crane's biography, is from a remark by Keats' friend Joseph Severn, who suggested that Trelawny had glutted himself on Byron and his anti-heroes until nothing of the man remained. (Severn might easily have used a different phrase, had he read a certain novel by Trelawny's friend Mary Shelley). Another view, though, is that Trelawny responded to Byron's work because its bold palette mirrored his own abilities and panache; all that had robbed him of the bloody youth of his dreams was bad luck. Now, with the help of the Pisan Circle (most of whom believed his tales), all that would change. Trelawny is not the first man in history to lie his way to the truth, but as Crane tells it, he may be the most fascinating.

I can't think of another non-fiction book that I've enjoyed as much as this one. This has as much to do with Crane's language as with the vivid times and personalities he brings to volcanic life. (In many ways the 1820's was the last gasp of Romanticism, when great poets and writers trumped their own words on the world stage, staking everything on their ideals). A previous reader described Crane's writing as "flowery." No. Crane's sentences are often dense, but never with ornamentation. There's not a word out of place, and I often found myself rereading certain passages just for their beauty and perfection of language--and being rewarded with new meanings and insights. That this amazing book is the author's first is almost unbelievable: Trelawny lives in Crane's words as vividly as in his own.

Equally moving is Crane's portrait of the "Philhellenes": the idealists/adventurers who poured into Greece from Western Europe and America in the 1820's to fight the Turks. Many were on fire from Byron's verse; some were spoiled, self-dramatizing youths, victims of a 19th-century version of Jerusalem Syndrome; a few were cold pragmatists; none of them had the slightest idea what they were in for. Devoured by the savage infighting and double-crosses that typified the war, many of these naïfs died ingloriously and in great confusion and pain. As Crane puts it: "There were young Byronists absorbed in a designer war of their own invention, charlatans attracted by the hope of profit, classicists infatuated with Greece's past, Bethamite reformers, aging Bonapartists--and then all those there for a dozen different motives, who might just once have known why they came but had long forgotten by the time they died."

Trelawny himself was immune to disillusion, because his one cause was the test of his own courage and strength, and he seems to have known from the start what stuff he was made of. What makes Trelawny unique (at least until George Orwell) is that eventually he cut as great a figure with the sword as with the pen--though he seems sometimes to have confused the two. We (and Trelawny too) are fortunate to have another great storyteller, David Crane, to tell us which was which.

A companion to this book would be Trelawny's own "Recollections of the Last Days of Shelley and Byron," a great work covering some of the same years as Crane's--by turns hilarious, thrilling, moving, and wise--one of the masterpieces of nineteenth-century fiction.

They may now call it the Romantic period, but it was a brutal period, and Crane makes it clear that a scoundrel like Trelawny -- seducer, adventurer, poetaster -- was in his element. The other people in the area at the time, whether Greek, Turk, or Englishman, weren't so admirable either, and if you're looking for straight-arrow heroes this isn't your book. The "heroes" that populate LBJ are of the Heathcliff variety.

This amazing history brings to mind the current conflict in the Balkans, complete with backstabbing, massacres, self-important generalissimos, singleminded nationalists and bandits. An extraordinary trip into a time almost as scary as our own -- with the added benefit of star players like Byron and Shelley. I loved this book and recommend it highly. (And unlike the previous reviewer, I note Crane's clear sympathy for Trelawny -- despite his disapproval of the man's actions: he details Trelawny's brutal upbringing by his father and the torture inflicted upon him by the British Navy.) It seems to me you don't need to admire someone to find him fascinating.

Mystery of Melissa's First Date was very predictible. Although the author did manage to crasp the lingo of the teenagers, the storyline has been told and retold many times in the form of vampires. This foe did not suck the blood from his victims but did take vital parts from "pretty young girls".
I enjoyed the humor and detective skills on the Oriental teenager and can see her being a big part of the next book in the series.

Three of my friends, two are 11, one is 12 and I am 12, play out the characters in this book. We enjoy becoming May or Melissa and pretending to go through the day "in character." It is lots of fun. But we are disappointed that the second installment of this series has not yet been published. The four of us immensely enjoyed this book and think that other girls our ages will also. It is a fun and scary book. I also think it should be in the cinema.

One of the things I liked about The Mystery of Melissa's First Date is that it is realistic as far as the real aspects of the story go. I am a 14 year old girl and I can relate to the things that were spoken in this book. I can see girls saying and doing the things that these characters do. The story keeps you guessing right up to the end about what is going to happen to Melissa. I read a lot and have told several of my friends about it. They are going to order it too. I think this story would make a great movie. I'd love to go see it - maybe on my first date!