Book Description
An affectionate storybook tribute to that truly wonderful place: the library.
Miss Merriweather, the head librarian, is very particular about rules in the library. No running allowed. And you must be quiet. But when a lion comes to the library one day, no one is sure what to do. There aren't any rules about lions in the library. And, as it turns out, this lion seems very well suited to library visiting. His big feet are quiet on the library floor. He makes a comfy backrest for the children at story hour. And he never roars in the library, at least not anymore. But when something terrible happens, the lion quickly comes to the rescue in the only way he knows how. Michelle Knudsen's disarming story, illustrated by the matchless Kevin Hawkes in an expressive timeless style, will win over even the most ardent of rule keepers.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book to Teach Kids About the Different Areas of a Library as Well as Lessons on When it's Okay to Break Rules, Jealousy..........2007-10-05
Library Lion is well written and gives the opportunity for the reader to discuss through the illustrations what various areas of a library are such as stacks, the circulation desk, new book collection, story time area, catalogue (although you'll have to point out that this illustration is of the old card system and not the modern computer catalogue's that children of today will be familiar with but that's a nice light lesson in itself) and so forth. This an excellent book for teachers to read to their class before an excursion to a library or parents who want to teach their kids about library services.
The book also teaches children through the actions of the library assistant Mr McBee, the consequences of jealousy and being rude to those who you don't really like. Also educates kids on the rules of the library like not running and respecting others through being quiet (something a lot of adults could also learn from ie yelling into mobile phones while in the library). It also teaches children that there are times when it is okay to break rules such as when someone is injured.
The basic story is a lion one day walks through the door of an old style library much to the dislike of the circulation library assistant and the shock of a lot of the patrons. The assistant wants the lion gone but the head librarian tells him everyone is welcome in a library as long as they don't break the rules. The lion enjoys story time, and disappointed upon it ending gives a loud roar. This immediately draws the wrath of Miss Merriweather the head librarian and the lion learns if it roars again in the library it will not be welcome and not able to enjoy future story time sessions. Everyone comes to love the now well behaved and helpful lion except the jealous Mr McBee. One day while not following proper workplace health and safety practices (another lesson but likely over the head of younger kids but general safety issues can be introduced for discussion by the reader here) Miss Merriweather has an accident. The lion knows it must get help but also that it is forbidden from roaring. What happens next are important lessons for children and adults alike but rest assured everything turns out all right in the end.
A very good book and importantly enjoyable for the adult reader as well as children.
Library Lion.......2007-08-27
I bought this book for my 3-year-old granddaughter. She really enjoyed it...she was mesmerized while I was reading it to her. We both love big cats of any kind...so, this story was special to us. The illustrations are really enjoyable, as well.
A Wonderful Book!.......2007-07-23
This is a wonderful story...I am a teacher and my class loves this book! They ask me to read it over and over again...that tells me that this story is A+! I have given it to other teachers and adults and they love this story as well. I am so glad I bought this book...a must have for any person that has children or teaches children!
nice book.......2007-05-22
Really enjoy this book. I think I like it more than my son
No Roaring in the Library.......2007-05-14
Library Lion pokes gentle fun at library rules and makes us all wish we had a lion at our library. Libraries need a helpful, polite lion who loves story hour, lets children rest against his soft fur, and never roars... unless the librarian falls off her chair and needs help. After all, lions can't yell or call 911.
Book Description
Wealthy Lady Georgina Maitland doesn't want a husband, though she could use a good steward to run her estates. One look at Harry Pye, and Georgina knows she's not just dealing with a servant, but a man. Harry has known many aristocrats-including one particular nobleman who is his sworn enemy. But Harry has never met a beautiful lady so independent, uninhibited, and eager to be in his arms. Still, it's impossible to conduct a discreet liaison when poisoned sheep, murdered villagers, and an enraged magistrate have the county in an uproar.
Customer Reviews:
The Leopard's Story.......2007-08-28
I read one review of this that said Harry Pye (the hero) was awesome but Lady Georgina (the heroine) was boring. I beg to differ. I mean, truly, it is Harry Pye's story. He's even the subject of the title (debatably-- He is SYMBOLICALLY the leopard prince). Still, I enjoyed reading Lady Georgina just as much as reading Harry Pye. I thought she was a compelling heroine, especially given the difficult situation of being gentry in love with a commoner. Great story, lots of politics and class issues, good villains, and even some really great funny moments. I enjoyed it very much!
Hoyt could become my favorite author.......2007-08-13
This is Hoyt's second book but, aside from fresh story lines, you'd never know it. Her writing has a "maturity" to it that gives that feeling that she's been your favorite author for years. She is definitely becoming a favorite of mine.
In this story, George is a rich aristocratic landowner. As such she has no need to marry. Harry is her land steward. He is serious and business minded. But, as the two work together they start to enjoy being together. An attraction starts and Hoyt does a nice job of building the tension between them. When they come together it seems natural, not unbelievable as one reviewer said.
One surprised, though, was that the character actually talk to each other, even after sleeping together. They get to know one another and it is possible to see that they could actually fall in love. Further, one can see how the relationship could work outside the bedroom. Even with the difference in their social standings.
The love scenes are steamy and erotic. But, I didn't feel that the love story was an excuse for a lot of sex scenes. Rather, it felt more like a love story where the sex furthered the relationship.
I really adored THE LEOPARD PRINCE, as well as Hoyt's first story THE RAVEN PRINCE. Her third book, THE SERPENT PRINCE, is due out in a few weeks and I've already pre-ordered it. Her works are a delight.
BEST COMBINATION-Witty, HOT, and a story you can't put down!.......2007-07-17
I first discovered Elizabeth Hoyt with the Raven Prince, and I have to write that The Leopard Prince didn't disappoint me either. The characters have such depth, the dialogue witty, the passion HOT, and plot twists and a story that I just couldn't put down. My only complaint is that I discovered Hoyt's work early in her career I can't go and buy a bunch of her books and enjoy weeks of reading!
The Leopard Prince.......2007-07-08
I don't consider myself a romance reader and only picked up Hoyt's first book, the Raven Prince, under the misconception that it might be paranormal, and yet I fell in love with the characters and couldn't wait to read the Leopard Prince. Immediately, I set myself up to be disappointed, and yet again I was surprised in just how much I loved this story. I simply could not put it down.
The writing flowed seamlessly. The characters were lovable. George, the main character, was very independent for a woman (thanks to her inheritance from her wealthy aunt) and extremely intelligent and witty. Her brothers were adorable in that younger, yet overbearing way that baby brothers could be. I loved when Tony arrived at the scene ;-) (you'll have to read to find out what I'm talking about). I noticed one review trashed this, but I even loved the fairy tale George told Henry. She so obviously was making it up as she went along. And I loved hearing Henry's thoughts about the inconsistencies of said fairy tale.
I would definitely recommend this book. If you haven't read the first (The Raven Prince) don't worry, it won't effect you the least in reading this one. Henry plays a small part in the first book, and de Raaf plays only a small part in the this one. Although, I do recommend you read the Raven Prince, too, it's quite fabulous.
DELIGHTS LIKE THIS ARE HARD TO FIND!.......2007-07-06
I LOVED this book! I never write reviews on Amazon (at least up 'til now - maybe I'm just getting started?), but I'm delighted to write this one.
IMO, a REALLY GOOD BOOK is - plain and simple - one that holds my interest all the way to the end (and I consider this a gigantic achievement!).
The Leopard Prince held my interest and kept me entertained ALL THE WAY TO THE END! I read it in one day! The writing is excellent, the story is engaging, and the romance is sexy, sexy, sexy. In a romance, what I care about the most is the sexiness, and this one's got it! Sexy and fun! What's a crack-up is that the oh-so-sexy hero is named Harry Pye!
Book Description
In this stunning retelling of a phenomenal classic, honor is tested, battles of good over evil are waged, and the importance of family reigns supreme. True to Rudyard Kipling's original story, tree branches literally draw the reader in to this tale of Mowgli the Man Cub exploring the ruins of the Lost City, riding atop thundering elephants, and facing a fierce tiger attack! A must-have for every family's library, this epic pop-up adventure features paper engineering as intricate and magical as the very laws of the jungle.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best Pop-Ups I've seen.......2007-05-31
Full of imagination and creactivity that book is realy great and full of many impressive pop-ups. As I said one of the best I've seen. Highly recommended
a beautiful gift.......2007-05-13
Incredible pop up art. My 3 yr old son loves it but need supervision to avoid tears. IT is very special - a great unique gift for 3-7 yrs.
pop up art.......2007-03-09
this masterpiece is simply testing the limits of paper engineering. you'll be astonished and surprised every time you open the book. over and over again. even for the 20th time.
Best Pop-Up yet!.......2007-02-07
The intricacy and engineering of this book is amazing. Each page is a masterpiece.
His books are always amazing.......2007-01-19
We have about seven of his pop-up books and they are all great. If you have not bought one of his books, you will be amazed. It is definitely an art form. I have a 5 year old and he loves these books (he just got this one for his birthday). The incredicle pop-ups really make reading fun and add another dimension to these storybooks. I will contine to coolect them as they make new ones. The price is worth it and you should probably buy it here because I saw one of his books in Target for about 10 dollars more than on Amazon.
Average customer rating:
- 4 Short stories
- Ton's of fun!!!
- Good book to travel with..........
- Great Stories!
- A very sexy anthology!
|
Fantasy (The Upyr Series, Novella 1) (The Leopard Series, Novella 1)
Christine Feehan ,
Sabrina Jeffries ,
Emma Holly , and
Elda Minger
Manufacturer: Jove
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Anthologies | Romance | Subjects | Books
Jeffries, Sabrina | ( J ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
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( J ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books | Jackson, Lisa | Johnson, Susan | Johnston, Joan | Joyce, Brenda
Anthologies | Contemporary | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0515132764
Release Date: 2002-03-26 |
Book Description
In these four new novellas by today's hottest romance writers, a Victorian widow auctions off her most prized possession: herself...a beautiful jungle explorer discovers her own wild side...a bloodthirsty beauty gives in to her darkest desires...and a young woman turns an all-male academy into a school for seduction.
Customer Reviews:
4 Short stories.......2007-08-14
I think there should be a different rating system for short stories. LOL
There's just not much to them, yet they can be fun to read at times when you want something quick.
This book contains:
1. The Awakening by Christine Feehan. It's the first in the feline/rainforest series on cat people. To my knowlege, you can only find it here. This was Brandt and Maggie's story and I enjoyed it very much.
2. Widow's Auction by Sabrina Jeffries
Cute. And I found a new author to read from this short story.
3. Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. Cute and another new author for me.
4. Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger Gosh, I have to admit I don't remember anything about this story and I'm too lazy to go to my libary and look it up. Sorry.
Ton's of fun!!!.......2005-12-10
I love the short compilations as it gives a great insight to others authors I might be interested in, I bought this book for the feehan story and have loved the others just as much!!! I love happy endings and all these stories come from different time periods so it is a wonderfully happy jouney thru this book!!!
if you looking for a taste of something this one is a great first step!!!
totally enjoyable!!
Good book to travel with.................2005-08-18
I bought this book because of Christine Feehan and to also add this book to my collection. This book came with me on my trip overseas. I must say that I had enjoyed 3 out of the 4 stories in this book. I read this book in the month of July which took me about a week to finish.
I'm going to start with Christian Feehan. This novel is base in the jungle, in Borneo, and we are dealing with wereanimals. Maggie Odessa inherited properties from her biological parents. While there she learns a little secret that changes her life forever and along the way meets her lover (who by the way is sexy), the attraction with these two is very intense. Ms. Feehan had put alot of sexually tension between these two characters which comes to a point you yourself might feel it. I love the part when both of them were in the kitchen drinking the nectur juice that was hot.
Down the list of favorites would be Elda Minger's. First time reading anything of her. Her story is about a female reporter who goes undercover to get a story about an all male seminar concerning seduction. While doing this, she is introduced to the bachelor of her dreams but is forced to continue her role as a man. The story was cute but I thought the sex was on the dry side.I won't be running to get her books no time soon.
Next would be Sabrina Jeffries'whom is also my first read. This story is about a widow by the name of Isobel who heads a council at an all boys school. Isobel and Lord Justine always sees differintly about what is best for the school. Things finally come to a head and the council has to choose between either her plan or her rivals plan concerning a factory at the school. This throws her into a "mood" and her friend, who is also on the council, attempts to help her experience a little JOY in life. The friend offers to take Isobel to a Widows Auction where women are "sold" to the highest bidder for a night of passion. Her rival, Lord Justin, just happens to be there and wins her for the night. I thought it was really interesting how both of them pretened that they didn't know each other. The chemistery between them was loving.
My least favorite, sorry to say, Emma Hollys, also first read from her. Story is about Luisa who travels to the far off land of Tibet to find out if the monks can cure her of her need for blood. While at the temple, she meets a monk who is about to make his final vows and finds something that she has been without her whole life. To me I thought it was a bit cold.
Don't get me wrong it's a good book which has its weak point and its strong point for each individual reader.But a type of books like this your not garuntee 100% fulfillment from each and every author (unless you know them all).
Great Stories!.......2005-01-17
Fantasy has four short stories in it and I loved every single one!
The Widow's Auction by Sabrina Jeffries is about a lonely widow who on her friend's urging disguises herself and puts herself up for auction! A one-night only bid that for Isobel Lamberton will change how she feels about sex forever. Only things don't work out quite how she plans when the man who bids on her is her rival, a man she goes toe to toe with on decisions concerning her late husband's boys' school. This story was just wonderful.
Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly is about a woman vampire who fears the necessity of drinking blood to stay alive so she travels to Tibet, to a refuge inhabited by monks who can hopefully help her curb her unnatural cravings. There she meets a man who has to choose between her and the emotion she rises within him and his chosen path. Very delightful read.
Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger was probably my favorite in the bunch, its about a woman writer who goes undercover to an all-male seminar called The Swiftest Seduction, a seminar boasting it will teach men how to get in a woman's pants within 24 hours! Miranda cuts her hair and borrows her friend's clothes to slide into this seminar undetected. Her womanly instincts are sorely tried though when she finds herself with a roomate who could knock her socks off! Jake is at this seminar with plans for a story himself, and when he meets "Randy" decides the "Little guy" needs to be taken under his wing. This story is funny and heartwarming. I absolutely loved it!
The Awakening by Christine Feehan is about a vet who goes into the jungle looking for her inheritance. What she didn't expect to find was that her inheritance included a legacy that inabled her to change into a leopard. And that her mate was waiting for her, and was ready to help her make the change. This was also a good story.
Basically, I recommend this book b/c I loved all the stories in it. They all had good endings that left you with a good feeling and cute little plots. If you want to pass the time with pleasure, pick this book up. You can't go wrong!
A very sexy anthology!.......2004-06-28
I bought Fantasy because Emma Holly was featured in the anthology, but I was pleasantly surprised with two other writers in the book. I've never read anything by Sabrina Jeffries and Christine Feehan before, and their erotic stories in this book enthralled me from beginning to end. Jeffries's The Widow's Auction is my favorite story in the book. This Victorian novella centers on a young widow's desire to shatter her boredom by selling herself at a widow's auction. However, she hadn't anticipated that her buyer, the luscious Lord Justin, would give her pleasure so insatiable that one night wouldn't be enough. Christine Feehan's The Awakening is about two passionate were-cats who are in danger of being hunted and losing one another as a result. Emma Holly's Luisa's Desire is a paranormal romantica set in the seventeenth century. Luisa is an "upyr" who wants to end what she considers to be a curse. She no longer wants to crave human blood, so she seeks the help of a Tibetan monk hoping that he will give her spiritual guidance and peace. However, she hadn't anticipated the pleasure the monk supplies. And last but not least, Elda Minger's Mr. Speedy is a fun contemporary romantica about a reporter posing as a man at a how-to sex seminar. She wants to do an expose on the establishment, but gets more than she bargains for...
Sabrina Jeffries and Christine Feehan supply the best novellas here. Emma Holly's novella is quite erotic, but this isn't her best work. Luisa's Desire doesn't have the same cachet as Personal Assets, Beyond Seduction, Hunting Midnight, The Love Slave, and the erotic novels she wrote for Black Lace. She is still among my favorite authors though. I am glad that I picked up this book, for I've discovered two rather talented romantica authors. I will definitely give their novels a whirl. All in all, Fantasy is an erotic, sensual and romantic tour de force that guarantees to burn your sheets. Highly recommended...
Average customer rating:
- Lovely, eloquent classic
- Cat Club Review: www.freewebs.com/hlgstrider
- Another Great DiCamillo Classic
- Short, insightful story...
- the tiger rising
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The Tiger Rising
Kate Dicamillo
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Fiction | Lions, Tigers & Leopards | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0763618985
Release Date: 2002-07-01 |
Amazon.com
Kate DiCamillo's first novel Because of Winn-Dixie won a Newbery Honor in 2000 for the no-nonsense charm and wisdom of its down-home young heroine, Opal. Also set in Florida, The Tiger Rising is more of a short story in scope, the tale of 12-year-old Rob Horton who finds a caged tiger in the woods behind the Kentucky Star Motel where he lives with his dad. The tiger is so incongruous in this setting, Rob views the apparition as some sort of magic trick. Indeed, the tiger triggers all sorts of magic in Rob's life--for one thing, it takes his mind off his recently deceased mother and the itchy red blisters on his legs that the wise motel housekeeper, Willie May, says is a manifestation of the sadness that Rob keeps "down low."
Something else for Rob to think about is Sistine (as in the chapel), a new city girl with fierce black eyes who challenges him to be honest with her and himself. Spurred by the tiger, events collide to break Rob out of his silent introspection, to form a new friendship with Sistine, a new understanding with his father, and most important, to lighten his heart. This novel is about cages--the consequences of escape as well as imprisonment. The story and symbolism are clear as a bell, and the emotions ring true. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson
Book Description
The National Book Award finalist from the best-selling author of BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE - now in paperback
Walking through the misty Florida woods one morning, twelve-year-old Rob Horton is stunned to encounter a tiger - a real-life, very large tiger - pacing back and forth in a cage. What’s more, on the same extraordinary day, he meets Sistine Bailey, a girl who shows her feelings as readily as Rob hides his. As they learn to trust each other, and ultimately, to be friends, Rob and Sistine prove that some things - like memories, and heartaches, and tigers - can’t be locked up forever.
Customer Reviews:
Lovely, eloquent classic.......2007-08-17
This is a beautiful book, both in the style of writing and in the story itself, and is sure to be a classic of children's literature. The characters are so well developed that the reader feels as if they are looking in on a real town and its happenings for a brief while and it is a truly inspiring glimpse. This is not just a book for children but a poetic and touching little tale. I highly recommend it to anyone. This book stands up to multiple readings and join equally recommended classics such as Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson or the works of E. L. Konigsberg.
Cat Club Review: www.freewebs.com/hlgstrider.......2007-07-13
I think I like The Tiger Rising better in retrospect than I did when I read it. It's a lot like looking back on how your parents raised you and realizing that all the go to bed, eat your vegetables, and occasional spankings weren't random acts of cruelty but rather a part of a plan implemented out of love. Likewise it took me awhile to recover from the cold shock of Kate DiCamillo's ending to appreciate all she had done in this book.
The Tiger Rising is the story of two children: shy, sad Rob who has recently lost his mother, and stubborn, sharp Sistine whose father ran off with another woman abandoning her in a small, southern town she hates. Both hate school and long for friendship . . . enter the tiger.
A tiger does not belong in a rusty, iron cage behind a southern hotel, but that is where he is, and the wonder of this creature captures the children. What is there to do but allow the tiger to escape?
The writing is truly amazing. As Rob puts it (about Sistine, but it applies to Ms. DiCamillo):
"Her words sounded the way all those things made him feel, as if the world, the real world, had been punched through, so that he could see something wonderful and dazzling on the other side of it."
Also, I always hesitate before calling someone a Christian author. It's as if I think the moment I do a P.R. Agent will write me and inform me that actually she is a Shiite Muslim, so I won't call Kate DiCamillo a Christian author. I will say, however, that she is an author Christians can rest comfortably in and have no fear.
She is a great writer.
Another Great DiCamillo Classic.......2007-07-07
The Tiger Rising was another great book by Kate DiCamillo. I picked this one up after reading The Tale of Despereaux and falling in love with that one. I've become a huge fan of her after reading these two books and can't wait to get my hands on a copy of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
The Tiger Rising centers around a young boy by the name of Rob who keeps his emotions wrapped up inside. His mother has died recently and he and his father have moved from Kentucky to Florida so that his father could escape the heartbreak of losing her. They now live in the Kentucky Star Motel. His father has instilled in Rob that he should not show tears over his mother's death and that he should be strong, so Rob packs all of his emotions away "into a suitcase." He does this in all aspects of his life. He's picked on at school and instead of getting upset, he ignores it. Instead of voicing his dislike of anything, he pretends to not be bothered by it.
There's a new girl in town by the name of Sistine and she has the opposite problem of Henry. She has too much anger and displays it outwardly to everyone and comes off as quite arrogant. In a twist of events, Rob and Sistine become friends.
Rob has made a discovery that there is a tiger being kept in a cage in the woods behind the motel that he and his father are living in and shares this secret with Sistine. Thoughts and emotions are shared between the friends and a wise maid by the name of Willie May who works for the motel.
The Tiger Rising, like Despereaux, faces issues head on. Kate DiCamillo is not afraid to work with strong emotions and when she does address them, she does so beautifully. This book is written wonderfully and can be enjoyed by anyone. I can see it being especially meaningful to a child who has gone through loss of any kind at a young age.
Short, insightful story..........2007-06-10
Kate DiCamillo is the author of the Newbery-winning The Tale of Despereaux and the recent The Remarkable Journey of Edward Tulane. The Tiger Rising is a young adult novel from 2001 about twelve-year-old Rob Horton, the friend he finds in Sistine and his grief concerning the death of his mother. It's a short, insightful story.
the tiger rising.......2007-06-04
I think they should read The Tiger Rising because it is a good book but at the same time it is sad. And it has alot
of cool stuff to. And i think its mean sometimes to cause animals die. Sothat is why you should read this book.
Amazon.com
A mother tiger wants her baby to go to sleep, but the little tiger resists. "'If I close my eyes,' he said, 'I can't see the sky.'" She assures him that he will not only see the sky when he sleeps, but will float among clouds and be cradled by the moon. Not in the least assured, the little tiger complains that if he closes his eyes, he will miss seeing the tree and the bird with blue feathers. With each concern, his mother consoles him with a comforting thought. If this gentle give-and-take were not calming enough for a bedtime story, Hallensleben's lovely dreamscapes (And If the Moon Could Talk) will surely do the trick. Double-page paintings of cloud animal shapes (with the little tiger cozying up with the moon), the "big mountains where the rain lives," and of mother tiger licking her baby are utterly hypnotic. Young children who are afraid to go to sleep will learn that "Dark is just the other side of light. It's what comes before dreams" and that mom is never very far away. (Ages 3 to 6) --Karin Snelson
Book Description
A little tiger takes an imaginative journey
The little tiger lay on his back in the tall grass.
"Close your eyes, little tiger," said his mother, "and go to sleep."
But the little tiger is worried about what sleep might bring.
His mother reassures him that once he closes his eyes, he will dream of magical places. And when he awakens, she will be right there, waiting for him.
Alternating between real-life scenes with the baby tiger and his mother and enchanted dream scenes of sleep's possibilities, Kate Banks's simple, comforting text and Georg Hallensleben's bright, colorful illustrations make this a charming bedtime story for small children.
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Customer Reviews:
Great Illustration.......2007-08-22
I first discovered this book at the library. I liked it so much that I've checked it out multiple times and have now purchased it.
Kate Banks' writing is a parent telling a story to a child. The words are soothing, but become more poetic with each reading.
Georg Hallenleben's art fills the page and takes you into the imagination of the writer.
I am a new mom and have received lots of books as gifts. I buy books used or on clearance as I see them. This is the first book I have purchased for my son at full price - I love it and would recommend as my top choice to anyone. I like it for naps.
Wonderful bedtime story...........2007-07-04
This book is one of my daughter's favorite bedtimes stories and mine. The little tiger is adorable and I love how all the illustrations complement the storyline. I absolutely LOVE this book and recommend it highly.
Purrfect for putting your little one(s) to sleep!.......2007-03-09
The beautiful illustrations and words of comfort help our two children, ages 2 and 4, at bedtime. The baby tiger expresses his fears of bedtime while mommy tiger provides words to calm and soothe.
Simply Wonderful.......2006-05-31
The writer and illustrator of "The Cat Who Walked Across France" team up again in another simple yet totally winning story. This time, our protagonist is a baby tiger--so innocent looking that he resembles a cuddly soft toy--who just can't go to sleep. With the enormous curiosity of any infant, this little tiger doesn't want to close his eyes and miss the sky, the trees, abright blue bird--all the wonderful, wondrous things around him.
In time-honored style, his wise mother counters all his objections with a parallel in his "mind's eye." In fact, she suggests that closing your eyes can bring you an even more varied and rewarding experience:
"The little tiger rolled onto his belly and listened to the leaves quiver overhead. 'If I close my eyes, I can't see the tree.' he said. 'But you can, said his mother. 'You can see many trees, where you can play hide-and-seek until the night finds you and brings you home."
This book was just made for quietly reading to your child as he or she gets into bed! ALong with the quieting possibilities offered in the book's beginning, Kate Banks also soothes the "what ifs." WHen the tiger imagines he's a bird, he suddenly acquires a fear of falling. The mother, who may have read some kids' books herself, answers "I will be there to catch you." IF he gets lost, "then I will find you." Banks knows no fear herself, she even tackles the dark: "'Don't be scared,' said his mother. 'Dark is just the other side of light. It's what comes before dreams.'" (Awwwww...) The sleepy tigers imagines what he might dream of, and illustrator Hallensleben shows us a panoramic view of snow-capped mountains shaded blue and purple, sand dunes with purple-topped palms, and a giant orange fish jumping out of a deep blue sea, a seagull, an orange-billed penguin-ish bird, and the tiger dancing merrily on its back.
Hallensleben draws his typically rich oil colors here, and brush strokes and saturated, unusual color schemes (there's a bit of the Fauve here) are almost too visually exciting for a bedtime book. Still, a darkened room will dampen the colors, and Banks' ever-present, always reassuring mother tiger will undoubtedly work as well with your young audience as it did with her tiger cub.
A wonderful book!.......2005-07-18
This is a beautiful book about going to bed and having wonderful dreams! The story is simple for toddlers to understand and the illustrations are impressive. It really shows young kids' imaginations and that "mama tiger" is always there for her baby.
Average customer rating:
- Moral of Story: Dad should do nothing but watch the tube...
- Classic Must-have
- This is a horrible book to give a kid
- bad portrayal of dads
- Leo is Lovely
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Leo the Late Bloomer
Robert Kraus
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 006443348X |
Book Description
Leo isn't reading, or writing, or drawing, or even speaking, and his father is concerned. But Leo's mother isn't. She knows her son will do all those things, and more, when he's ready. 'Reassuring for other late bloomers, this book is illustrated with beguiling pictures.' -- Saturday Review.
Customer Reviews:
Moral of Story: Dad should do nothing but watch the tube..........2007-09-04
I can certainly understand how this book would heighten the insecurities of a child already unsure of his/her abilities. And I loathe--loathe!!--a book that suggests that watching television is constructive behavior in any context. Dad should watch TV to help his kid Leo read? Whhhhaaaat???
I'm giving it more than one star because the illustrations are pleasant and I suppose the story might help some kids be more tolerant of "late bloomers." I would never buy this, though. We received the book as a gift, and, like another reviewer, I'm strongly tempted to toss this thing in the trash.
Classic Must-have.......2007-05-07
A wonderful resource to have as part of your professional library when working with children.
This is a horrible book to give a kid.......2007-03-17
My parents gave this book to me when I was a kid because I was a "late bloomer". I really think that was the beginning of my self esteem issues. I was unaware that I was a "late bloomer" until they pointed it out to me by giving me the book. I can remember being so sad reading it and thinking there was something wrong with me. Now that my daughter is a bit of a late bloomer, it's gotten me thinking about this book. Please don't buy it for your kid. If you do, please explain to them why you're giving it to them. Don't leave it to them to draw their own conclusions that they are like Leo they can't do anything right.
bad portrayal of dads.......2007-01-18
I hate how this book protrays the father, as an unattached lion who watches tv rather than helping his son bloom. I bought this book for my autistic son for Christmas, read it and put it in the trash. It makes Dads look uninvolved and is not a good portrayal at all. My husband is an excellent father and certianly would not choose to watch tv over helping my son learn.
Very dissapointed in this book and honestly surprised by all these positive comments.
Leo is Lovely.......2007-01-05
My son's first grade teacher recommended this book. Our son is bright but slow to start reading. This was a nice reminder of that with humorous illustrations and the gentle point that we all develop at our own pace.
Amazon.com
In the autumn of 1973, the writer Peter Matthiessen set out in the company of zoologist George Schaller on a hike that would take them 250 miles into the heart of the Himalayan region of Dolpo, "the last enclave of pure Tibetan culture on earth." Their voyage was in quest of one of the world's most elusive big cats, the snow leopard of high Asia, a creature so rarely spotted as to be nearly mythical; Schaller was one of only two Westerners known to have seen a snow leopard in the wild since 1950.
Published in 1978, The Snow Leopard is rightly regarded as a classic of modern nature writing. Guiding his readers through steep-walled canyons and over tall mountains, Matthiessen offers a narrative that is shot through with metaphor and mysticism, and his arduous search for the snow leopard becomes a vehicle for reflections on all manner of matters of life and death. In the process, The Snow Leopard evolves from an already exquisite book of natural history and travel into a grand, Buddhist-tinged parable of our search for meaning. By the end of their expedition, having seen wolves, foxes, rare mountain sheep, and other denizens of the Himalayas, and having seen many signs of the snow leopard but not the cat itself, Schaller muses, "We've seen so much, maybe it's better if there are some things that we don't see."
That sentiment, as well as the sense of wonder at the world's beauty that pervades Matthiessen's book, ought to inform any journey into the wild. --Gregory McNamee
Customer Reviews:
a great travel log with a little zen.......2007-09-18
Matthiessen is a talented writer who consistently manages to capture the essence of what he sees. He insists that he is a fiction writer, first and foremost, but the honesty and vibrance of his words in nonfiction are phenomenal. As an "travel log"-type book, this is one of the best. His interactions with the sherpas and his colleague, GS, are human and believable. There are extremely personal moments throughout the book, concerning his first wife and kids and missed opportunities with them, since he spent so much time traveling. A section about a bowl makes me sad even now. The discussion of the animals of the region ( not just the leopard) are very detailed and accurate. Particularly, sections that are devoted to Schaller's attempt to distinguish between goats and sheep. While the leopard, itself, adds a magical quality, a more intriguing creature is the yeti. I became a full-time fan when he spoke of it.
Beyond the actual journey is the constant discussion of Zen. The history and facts he gives are deep, at times. There are many footnotes. It is an excellent resource for Zen students and it's interesting to see how it fits into his life. Zazen in his tent, for instance. Zen isn't something to be learned, but this book and Cave of Tigers are two that every aspiring student of zen should read.
He talks about his wilder days and where he finds himself going at the time (metaphysically speaking, of course.) I picked up this book because I had seen the film At Play in the Fields of the Lord. It is like nothing I have ever read. I still randomly reread passages to experience it again. This is a book that changes how people feel.
Reviewed by Shelton1.......2007-09-11
The SNOW LEOPARD - Interesting descriptions of Tibet back country and customs but author constantly contradicts himself, he seems disoriented like he might have done too many drugs in his life, imagine that, he is a self admitted psychedelic user and he writes like it. Matthiessen demeans his Sherpas while intimating some sense of loss at leaving his 8-year-old son at home one year after his wife died while he treks around Tibet for two months, inexcusable!
to the mountaintops and back . . ........2007-08-19
Matthiessen and George Schaller's 3 month trek into the most remote area (Dolpo) between Nepal and Tibet to study the blue sheep and possibly sight the elusive snow leopard. With lucid and fascinating prose, Matthiessen describes the lives of his Sherpa companions; the rough traveling conditions over snow blocked mountain passes by yak; the monks and hermits in remote monasteries; and of course, his own struggle to attain a spiritual peace triggered by the death of his wife.
The writing has its self-indulgent moments; yet, the author is honest about his searching and why that has brought him to the Himalayas. The quest to glimpse a snow leopard turns out to be a mirror image of Matthiessen's own inner quest for enlightenment. Leaving his young son behind in New England with relatives causes much remorse (and self-pity) on his part; however, the need to go deeper into himself is understandable after the loss he has experienced.
Matthiessen's articulate descriptions of his journey seem to offset the regrets he feels. He is honest enough to admit his deficiencies while he works on his awareness of observing himself in these alien surroundings.
The descriptions of this process are articulate and compelling.
Peter Matthiessen is a naturalist; he mixes this experience with his spiritual musings so that the blend is a very interesting read. This is a multi-level book: a zoological exploration coupled with a man's search for spiritual meaning through zen practice.
This writing is graceful yet deep with insight. A high recommendation to those with an interest in finding meaning via a man who has been to the mountaintops and back.
Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
Unenlightening.......2007-07-12
I suppose that the spiritual aspects of this book really moved a lot of people, but not me. I found it to be a poor man's version of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It surprised me that the guides, sherpas, porters, and indigenous people were so often regarded as being lazy and dishonest, with few exceptions. This myopic view of the world detracted from any spiritual impact the book might have had. I'll bet if Peter Matthiesen and GS had paid their workers decently, they would not have been abandoned so many times. I've seen it before: so many Americans expect third world people to be really poor and really happy at the same time. That bothered me, and it diminished the significance of his spiritual quest. I think he should get his act together.
Can a book generate a karma all its own? This one does........2007-02-08
The Snow Leopard is not just a book, rather a marvelous mental holiday one can return to as often as one needs, like a literary hitchhiker, to get away from the modernity and electronic technology that swamps us. Matthiessen illuminates the mystery and silence of the Himalayas, and the human need for nature and it's transformational powers.
I read this book every year, and for two years taught it on a college level to over 500 freshman. Yes, freshmen, at 7:00 a.m., who have never even seen snow.
Being a public college and teaching a book with overtly religious themes, I suggested they skip over the "Buddhist bits" if it did not interest them, and stick to the journey, paying attention to PM, George Schaller and the mixed bag of porters and Sherpas who guided them. Funny thing when you tell students not to read something, they go right for it.
To my amazement, they got it. They understood Matthiessen's flaws: the drug use, failed marriages, parental doubts about leaving family once again to pursue "nothing" in one of the remotest places on earth--the Land of Dolpo, where lamas rule and people obey. Students are intimate with the concept of to work for the sake of work; be it one foot in front of the other on a trail in Nepal, or their own path of study; these young people easily saw how humans transforms themselves through their work and passions. They were also quite politically savy, impressed by the results of this remarkable and timeless journey into the heart of the wilderness where it's okay to get lost, make mistakes and fail.
Readers should not ignore the after affects, literal shock waves, both literary and political which came out of this simple journey between a writer and field biologist, who submitted his report on the wildlife numbers to Kathmandu who ten years later created the Shey-Phoksumdo National Park, the largest preserve in Nepal. The snow leopard still lives and is protected because PM and GS walked that path, and more importantly freely shared their observations, not just writing within their fields, but about themselves as human beings and the role human beings play in protecting or destroying what's left of our environment.
Matthiessen much deserved the National Book Award for Contemporary Thought in 1980, and many people do not know The Snow Leopard was to be the cover story for the New York Times Book Review the Sunday the pressmen went on strike for the first and only time in it's history. The review was never run. It did not become the best seller it seemed destined to be, given the glowing reviews of the time.
It has become a cult classic instead, with a karma all its own. It's okay not to "get it" all the first time you read it. It unfolds, like a lotus blossom.
Book Description
A remarkable celebration from the Caldecott Honor-winning artist!
A clever young boy outwits a band of voracious tigers and returns home in triumph to a splendid feast of a yard-high stack of pancakes. The story, penned by Helen Brodie Bannerman for her two daughters in 1889, has captured the imagination of readers around the world and across many generations. But the pictures which accompanied her text were crudely stereotypical and hurtful to many. Caldecott Honor-winning artist Christopher Bing has spent almost fifteen years rediscovering the joy and energy of the original story. He respects that Bannerman was writing in an Indian setting and with Indian animals-after all, there are no tigers in Africa-and faithfully adheres to the original text. However, recognizing that the image of Sambo has been used as a symbol of repression of Africans and African-Americans, Christopher Bing celebrates Sambo as proudly African, a child of beauty and joy, wit and resourcefulness.
In recreating the illusion of an antique, weathered, tiger-clawed storybook filled with exquisitely detailed paintings that draw upon a lush jungle-inspired palette, Christopher Bing s interpretation of Sambo s world seamlessly melds a grand sense of wonder with the minutiae of nature, and a story with history.
Customer Reviews:
Be ready to wait for this item.......2007-06-07
I ordered this item in December, it is now June ... be advised, you'll have to wait more than 1-3 months for this item.
A Clever boy.......2007-04-17
This book is beautifully made, and features a strong, clever boy of color who gets gifts from his parents, outwits the tigers, and feeds his family by his cleverness. I have liked every book Christopher Bing has worked on, and think this is one of the best. I am certain I do not want to perpetuate a stereotype or raise my children with any racism, but I do no think that this incarnation of the book does that.
great.......2007-01-12
My kids love it just like I did and it arrived quickly and in good condition.
beautiful edition.......2006-03-17
gorgeous illustrations and great font. my grandchild (not yet three) was spellbound.
Little Black Sambo with illustrations by Bing.......2004-12-06
I saw this book in a bookstore this summer. I have been getting other editions from England to give to children as gifts. This is a magnificent book with great illustrations by Bing. I have read the other reviews and trust me that this story stands on its own to delight children. When I taught second grade the class loved to hear it. It is not racist in the least.Sambo worries that he will get into trouble when he loses all his new clothes. And children relate to getting into trouble with their parents. He uses his head to outwit the tigers and children naturally indentify with him; like they do with other hero figures in books and television and movies. He has a loving home with two parents who sit down with him to enjoy a wonderful pancake breakfast at the end of the story. Little Black Sambo is a story of a timeless hero! Stop worrying that the setting is India and the child looks African for Pete`a sake! Its FICTION!! Children don`t care about such picky details! This story has been delighting children for generations. Adults should go find something else to stew about!
Amazon.com
In Sicily in 1860, as Italian unification grows inevitable, the smallest of gestures seems dense with meaning and melancholy, sensual agitation and disquiet: "Some huge irrational disaster is in the making." All around him, the prince, Don Fabrizio, witnesses the ruin of the class and inheritance that already disgust him. His favorite nephew, Tancredi, proffers the paradox, "If we want things to stay as they are, they will have to change," but Don Fabrizio would rather take refuge in skepticism or astronomy, "the sublime routine of the skies."
Giuseppe di Lampedusa, also an astronomer and a Sicilian prince, was 58 when he started to write The Leopard, though he had had it in his mind for 25 years. E. M. Forster called his work "one of the great lonely books." What renders it so beautiful and so discomfiting is its creator's grasp of human frailty and, equally, of Sicily's arid terrain--"comfortless and irrational, with no lines that the mind could grasp, conceived apparently in a delirious moment of creation; a sea suddenly petrified at the instant when a change of wind had flung waves into frenzy." The author died at the age of 60, soon after finishing The Leopard, though he did live long enough to see it rejected as unpublishable.
Book Description
A classic of modern fiction. Set in the 1860s, THE LEOPARD is the spellbinding story of a decadent, dying Sicilian aristocracy threatened by the approaching forces of democracy and revolution.
Customer Reviews:
il Gatto Pardo.......2007-06-12
il Gatto Pardo (The Leopard) by Giuseppe di Lampedusa seems to be listed as a classic piece of Italian literature. Personally, I did not find it to be as "classic" as I thought it might be.
The story line follows the ending days of a Sicilian "Don" and his time period during the onsalught of the "Italian unification" (Risorgimento)which was basically forced upon the Sicilians by Garabaldi in the 1860's.
The authors descriptions of the lifestyles of those, rich and poor was extremely descriptive, and of course interesting. However, somewhere along the line, my interest in the story faded like the world around Don Fabrizio.
The story of Don Vito Corleone in the "Godfather" seems to paralell the same basic familial structure of wife, daughters, and sons (however,not in the Gangster sense).
Don Fabrizio eventually realizes that the times are quickly changing as is his power, and yet...there is nothing to do but accept it.
Perhaps, I am not Sicilian enough to have appreciated the true message and story line quality of this book, but, "The Leopard" just seemed to loose it's spots for me.
A people in turmoil amidst a standstill. A Cultural Limbo.......2007-02-13
The vigour and audacity of this novel is never compromised throughout and moreover it is persistently definied with markings of an apocalyptic doom which postmodern currents cannot comprehend (Hence the last reviewers shrug perhaps). To read this novel is to witness the expression of a community in distress, as it finds itself fidgeting to keep its composure while arrested amidst a quandary and a stalemate that courses without ribaldry or expressing disrespect for a tradition and a cultural milieu that preserves its ambiguity and its distorted propriety. The discomfort of the probing characters is strung and picked so as to strike a melodious ravishment that transgresses all values and disarms the structural apogee of the narrative. In its many particulars, and brusque, yet delicate lyrical tendencies, this novel gives delusional recordings of an island distant and beyond memory. Here we hear the tourbadour's chant nearing with incredulous apathy, both the harmony of a siren song, and the discordant twang of a swan song. Sicilians have a heritage of million of years whcih resonates throughout, and apologizing for my not being a Sicilian, I would suggest a visit to Siracusa, Palermo, Catania, or even off the coast to Taranto (Calabria) to remind us that Odysseus was a Sicilian by all means. Why not?, this may be the embodying of an Odyssey the way it ought to be when transported through time. Di Lampedusa is a classic in disguise. A trickster as well as a true philosopher. I have found such a high quality of "delightful disturbance" only in a handful of artists. Primaraly in De Chirico's paintings, which parallels astoundingly well alongside any reading of "Il Gattopardo," much more incisively than any Surrealist writing ever has. In literature a few examples might be found in Stifter's "Indian Summer" or in contemporary authors Duras (The Lopver, The ravishing of Lol," and "The Malady of Death.")and in W.G. Sebald (especially in his masterwork "The Emigrants.") I ought to add Thomas Mann ("Buddenbrooks," "Doctor Faustus," "The Magic Mountain," and "Death in Venice.") although so much has been said about the last, and Mann is such a virtuoso, that the terror and the sheer lax angst is perhaps dissipated within the operative of the narrative and compelling lyrical brilliance. All are a must read, but it is only in DiLampedusa that a special stunning clarity pervades. It is only in accepting the fading and palliating of life's "truth" that the ensuing beravement of sorrow commences to compose a tale so real it says nothing, if not that, not to be trite, "all is just dust in the wind." However Di Lampedusa conspires - abetted by cultural ebulliance and elegance both - to navigate this voyage as if seized within a standstill. Chimed from afar floats a decadent sweltering heat, while basking underneath is found the novel's storyline. Please plug your ears, or have someone tie you to something or other, else would that you were to identify yourself with one of the novel's lives you'd never leave: In blissfull doom you'd perish along this shoreline! Hereby the island's lure is a perfect lie that speaks fables of yesterday in daring, lingering overtones, consonant with the cunning splendid mirage of sex appeal. A Book for all and none....
Like new.......2007-01-09
The book I purchased used was in very, very good condition. I am pleased to have Amazon as a resource for used books. It was also delivered in a very timely fashion. It came to me in just a fews days.
Immaculately Written and Ceaselessly Amazing.......2006-07-19
Honestly, I don't usually fall for books like "The Leopard"; it's not the most innovative work out there nor does it make attempts towards such a goal; in fact, at first it appears to be crushingly ordinary and even conservative. But, don't let appearances fool you, for "The Leopard" is that special book that is more than it at first appears. Lampedusa is a graceful, exact and imaginative writer who, more than anyone I've read since I first tackled Flaubert himself, almost makes me a believer in "le mot juste." Most impressive is the form of the work, where details are worked to a full, rich detail for a specific time and place, and then, suddenly, with the next chapter, all the action is shifted months, years and miles away from the last. If anyone, Lampedusa's approach to time reminded me of Virginia Woolf's treatment of the same in "To the Lighthouse." Indeed, it seems to me that, with its flash-backs and leaps in time and space, "The Leopard" is a modernist-damaged attempt at writing the prototypical 19th Century novel.
The best success of "The Leopard," however, and what truly sets it apart as a notable novel of the 20th Century, is that it actually succeeds at what all historical fiction attempts (and where most of it falls flat): it almost effortlessly evokes the general sense of a historical era while concentrating on the minutiae. I feel, somehow, that even the most well crafted historical study will never give me as true and complete feeling for the Risorgimento and its impact on the nobility as this tale of Don Fabrizio and his family has. And for that reason alone, "The Leopard" stands a true masterpiece of literature.
The great Sicilian novel.......2006-03-26
Then again, can you name any others?
Seriously, the Leopard is a formidable novel chronicling the demise of a venerable Sicilian family against the background of Italian Unification between 1860-1871 The author, Lampedusa, reminded me almost of a Sicilian Evelyn Waugh. He realises that the forces of democratisation are inevitably going to take hold, but feels thick, rich pangs of nostalgia for the old, hierarchical aristocratic ways.
The Leopard is packed with details of mid 19th Century Sicilian aristocratic life as the benevolent tryant Don Fabrizio, a man of culture and learning observes social changes unfold before him as his nephew Tancredi marries a wealthy shopkeepers daughter - her of the new money rather than the old.
The style of the novel is very much the classical high style, beautifully wrought sentences that precisely depict the Sicilian landscape and customs in all their glory. Tancredi:
Unless we ourselves take a hand now, they'll foist a republic on us. If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.
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