....my parents did! I requested this book every night before I went to bed. I didn't realize at the time that my parents were not actually reading the book, but telling it by memory. Now that I have a child of my own, I remember all of the words too. My son thought he could read at 2 years old because he also had the book memorized from reading it so often. It is really that good...especially when read with feeling as if you really are Grover. Grover hears the name of the book and gets scared because there is a monster at the end of the book. He begs and pleads for you to not turn another page....but of course you have to because your child will tell you to (even if it does make Grover scared). The ending is a bit of a surprise and even young children will understand the twist.

No matter how old (or young) you are you will not be able to stop laughing after you read this book. I'm 23 and I still love it, in fact I love to read it to kids as well. I can't quite do as good a grover as my mom but the kids don't mind. I grew up with this book. I guaruntee you're kinds will love it and you'll love reading it to them. And if you don't well then maybe you should see your doctor becuase you've lost your funny bone!

I teach 3 year olds at a Day Care Center and read this book a few times a week. It is a sure way to get them all to sit still. No matter how many times they hear it and by now know the conclusion they sit enthralled. They even know the words and say them with me. I always ask... "Should I turn the page" and they all yell "YES". They laugh and giggle and act scared... It's pure joy reading it to them and watching them react! They have special books that we read over and over and over and this certainly is one of them. My book is getting rather thread bare and I'm buying a new one.

I've held my childhood memories of the illustrations from this beautiful book for years, and I've periodically searched for another copy. I was thrilled to see it re-issued, and prayed that the illustrations hadn't been "modernized". What a thrill when it arrived! My five year old daughter is as entranced with it as I was at her age, and will ask to replace her night-time tv program with the "magic fairy book". The stories are somewhat long for small children, but they hold the attention of my daughter very well. When we've finished reading, we keep the book open to look at the beautiful illustrations. Every picture in my mind of "Elves or Fairies" is drawn from this book, and there isn't a better place to find them.

I received this wonderful Elf and Fairy book from my parents when I was 5 and visiting relatives in Phadelphia for Christmas. My Dad read me the stories each night and I was enchanted with the illustrations and the sly humor (and messages) of the wee folk. (Jane Werner's selection of stories and poems was perfectly balanced.) My 1951 edition is also well worn and both covers missing but it is still a treasured childhood friend. I was showing it to a coworker (mentioning sadly that it was out of print) and he said - Are you sure? Try Amazon.com. and then came my Magical Moment - the title appeared and I was thrilled beyond words! My advice: Buy 1 to read, several to give to friends, and one to keep under glass (just in case). I only wish Garth Williams was still with us to see his luminous, enchanting artwork alive and dancing in the imaginations of new generations of children, and the young in heart. Thank you so much, Little Golden Book publishers for the reprinting and cudos to Amazon.com for the price discount. Happy Holidays!

An old reviewer, with a sour look

Went out looking for his favorite book.

It was full of fairies, brownies, too.

But it couldn't be found, So what to do?

I spent years looking for the original, which commands $200-300. (It's worth it, too. I just don't have it.)

What do the readers do, when a book is out of print?

As they go through the years, and never see,

The Cannery Bear, or the house tomte,

Or the Littlest Mermaid again. Oh, gee!

I wouldn't be one - would you?

Well, now you don't have to be - it's back. That's all I need to tell the people who read it before, when it was called The Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies.

For the rest of you, please understand that it's hard to describe this book objectively. Seeing it again is an incredibly joyous reunion. Garth Williams paints elves so that the sense of wonder is palpably displayed. The stories and poems are exciting, moving, pensive, and fun. The children in your life will love it. The grown-ups won't mind reading it to them. I do not know anybody who had this book as a child who isn't in love with it.

So the Elves and Fairies now live on my shelf.

And I read it all day, and I like myself.

It's a sweet story of a 'simple' stuffed rabbit amidst the more 'complex' modern toys in a boy's "toy collection". The rabbit starts to believe that in order to get the love of the boy, he needs to appear 'real', or be able to zoom about like the motorized toys...
(And I'm not going to tell you the end hahahahaha!!!)
It was great having that read to me, while I was hugging my stuffed animals in bed.
But -- in a way, at first glance it looks like a simple story, but it is actually a surprisingly complex story. Leave it on your child's bookshelf as he/she grows up and he/she will reread it again and again as he/she questions issues such as "who am I?", "what does it mean to be 'real'"?, "what is my role in this world?", and even "what is death"?

I make sure I use this book with each class I teach--3rd and4th graders. They always get it--that love makes us real, too. Theymake the connection between the Skin Horse becoming shabby and people getting old. I always bring in my stuffed velveteen rabbit I bought years ago and it starts making the rounds and popping up on different children's laps. It is a pleasure to see them become attached to the rabbit instead of "mechanical toys that were very superior, and looked down upon everyone else." They also relate to the lessons the Velveteen Rabbit learns from the Skin Horse about how becoming real is a painful process sometimes and can take a long time.

This book is a simple work of art. Its beauty in itself is virtually indescribable. When I was little, it was my favorite book. In fact, I've had it ever since I was born. It is about a boy who owns a stuffed rabbit, and longs for it to be real. Eventually, because he loved the rabbit so much, his wish was granted. The book is so well written that it brings tears to my eyes almost every time I read it. It is definitely one of my all-time favorites.

In preparing our list of Christmas books to share with others, we had to search far and wide on amazon to find this particular book, a paperback edition of the classic Night Before Christmas.

This is the book I've used for years when reading this story to my own children, passing on Tasha Tudor and other illustrators. Why?

Although we can find the same poem and pay a lot more, with award winning illustrators, the illustrations provided by Douglas Gorsline are surely the best. They are quite colorful, and offer details little children love looking into...cats lie sleepily on the window sill, we see an overview of the town, the presents spilling from the open sack are intriguing and plentiful, and Jolly St. Nick is -- well, quite Jolly (as you can see by looking at the cover!)

The story is an "abridged version" - I'm not sure about other parents, but we read this on Christmas Eve, and we only have so much time and energy. Everything we remember from the classic poem by Clement Clarke Moore is in this version.

(From "'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse" to "He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!" In between we have everything, from the names of the eight tiny reindeer, to a belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly, including dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky".

In other words, don't be scared off by 'abridged'!)

Perhaps a hardcover edition might be more appropriate if you're giving a gift (unless you're giving to more than one child), but this book is one of the best offers we've found!

A classic done simply and inexpensively!

We have an inexpensive paperback version (see our reviews) of this classic poem, and we said that's enough for us. That was before we looked through this beautifully illustrated (by Bruce Whatley) edition of The Night Before Christmas.

The lyrics are the same, from book to book, but the fanciful illustrations in this one are enough to engage adults and children as they read this book together.

The perfect gift for any family whose Christmas tradition includes reading this classic!

This beautiful book was in my family as a hard cover edition for many years and was a Christmas Eve tradition for my four sons when they were growing up. It's poor battered body disappeared some time after the last of my little ones went off into the adult world. I am so delighted to see it back again, though this time as a nicely affordable soft cover. Clement C. Moore's enchanting story poem already provides an atmosphere filled with warmth and joyful expectation and with the addition of Tasha Tudor's quaint, nostalgic water-colors from an antique New England the Christmas magic is complete!
The winter landscapes fill our senses and Tasha's own gray tabby cat and Welsh Corgi welcome us into this charming world.
Tasha's Santa that you will meet in this book has been portrayed as the poem describes him...a right jolly old elf. He's not that much larger than the corgi and his team really consists of eight "tiny" reindeer. His pointy ears and his Eskimo mukluks add to the delightful ambiance of the book. He dances with the toys and with the happy animals and we can truly believe it will be a happy Christmas for all.
I hope this book becomes a Christmas Eve tradition for many, many more families.

You want thorough! 298 pages all of Buffy. Featuring exclusive everything on Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy), Nicholas Brendon (Xander), Alyson Hannigan (Willow), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia), David Boreanaz (Angel), Robia La Morte (Jenny), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce), John Ritter (Ted), James Marsters (Spike), Armin Shimmerman (Principal Snyder), Juliet Landua (Drusilla), Julie Benz (Darla), Elizabeth Anne Allen (Amy), Ara Celi (Ampata), and Bianca Lawson (Kendra). From exclusive pictures, interviews, trivia, episode guides, etc. This book covers the whole two seasons, including a special interview with Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt (along with the producers of Buffy). Also it has cast wardrobe and tons of stuff. You can pick it up and just go on and on. It's full of everything and anything you need to know about the show. Definitely a great buy.

Ok, where do I start?? The Watcher's Guide for BtVS is the most informative book on any show, let alone Buffy. With all the quotes you'll ever need and the little things that you might have missed - though if you're like me, you watch the eps over and over anyway!!

There are the helpful explanations on the quotes that involve movies or TV, and help you to see what everyone was laughing about - especially good for Aussies who sometimes dont have a clue about the American terms and stuff (like me!)

There are full colour pics, as well as black and white pictures. And if you missed a few eps, there is a full episode guide of seasons 1 and 2. From the eps you did miss, you might also have missed some vital info about a character - well, never fear! Detailed character info and backgrounds are also found in this book!!

I know this is an over-used phrase but it is sooo true in this case - If you buy ONE book this year and you're a Buffy fan, this is the book you should buy!! Save up if you have to, but do whatever you can to get a hold of it before The Watcher's Guide pt 2 (for seasons 3 and 4) comes out in November 2000!! Whether you're an Australian, an American, English, from New Zealand, or ZIMBABWE! It doesn't matter! Get your hands on this book!!

In "The Watcher's Guide," authors Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder, along with Keith R. A. DeCandido, have put together an "Official Companion" for the first two seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that is a template of how such books should be done. Golden and Holder have already cut their teeth on the series, writing novelizations of episodes as well as original books individually and together, so they are perfect candidates for the job. This book is not one of those attempts to cash in on the success of the television show, thrown together as quick as possible and slapped with a cute title before appearing in a bookstore near you. This is a thoughtful effort by and for people who celebrate one of the best shows on television, a series that combines exciting action sequences with caustic wit and exquisite teenage pathos.

Buffy episodes are covered in a very comprehensive but quite user friendly format. The plot summaries are fairly brief, serving more as reminders for those who have seen that particular episode rather than a more detailed description of what has happened for those who had the misfortune of missing the program (but if you need more you can certainly find it on-line at several excellent Buffy sites). However, there are several running categories for each episode: Quote of the Week with the episode's most memorable line; Love, Slayer Style which keeps track on the romantic developments in the series; Pop-Culture I.Q. to translate the arcane references; and Continuity to cover references to past episodes or highlight what is down the road. Sometimes we are treated to scenes/dialogue cut from the original teleplay and/or Buffy's Bag of Tricks, which keeps track of her expanding repertoire of weaponry. You will usually find a couple of trivia boxes containing interesting tidbits about a particular episode.

The other significant strength of this collection is the hundred pages of Behind the Scenes material, consisting mostly of in-depth interviews with Joss Whedon along with the entire cast and crew. Other choice items dispersed throughout the pages are the Song Lists for the first two seasons; a list of spells, chants, and incantations not to try at home; and quips and quotations organized on a thematic basis. What impresses me is that every step of the way this book provides something more. There are the expected color photographs of the cast, but there are also color costume drawings. Along with the interview with stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt there are sample story boards for several fight sequences.

"The Watcher's Guide" is obviously the first in a series of must have referenced materials for Buffy devotees. The Monster Guide section has been expanded in the recently released Buffy the Vampire "Monster Book" and this Halloween the second Watcher's Guide, covering the third and fourth seasons of the show, is being released. It should not be surprising that as much care and effort has gone into these volumes as has gone into the production of the show. I am sure that next year we will be treated to the first such book for the Angel series as well.

As a fan of the TV show I was excited when I discovered the books about her but at the same time hesitant, thinking they might ruin things for me. The opposite happened. Now the space between Tuesdays seems to drag on forever, for after reading the book you feel even more a part of Buffy's inner circle. What makes the book even better than the show is you get to read each characters thoughts, hopes, and dreams.

This book isn't simply another Buffy episode either. It would be a major production for any of this book to make it to the small screen. You don't need it to either, the authors' imagery and descriptions allow the imagination to create your own show.

The plot is exciting. I couldn't put the book down, and if I hadn't moved on to another Buffy book by the authors I would be reading it again, and again, and again...

Definitely the best one of the series though not the scariest. The story was very well written and the characters were very well-depicted. Though Angel and Oz seemed a bit off characters, they are not as laconic as in the series, but it was good to have seen different sides of them. I also love the reference to Lucy Hanover, a Slayer in the 17th century or so. The whole deal with Roland really took me by surprise. The only downside is that the book's lacks of humor, and the depressing scenes about the runaways, the hopeless and all. Still, it's an excellent book, definitely worth more than 5 stars and definitely worth your money. Buffy fan or not, you'll love this book.

Well, this isn't going to be a total spoiler. all I am gonna say is that this is a great Buffy book. It takes place after the second season of the show, Buffy is back in Sunnydale. A traveling Rennesaince Faire comes to Sunnydale, but something isn't quite right. This is a great book, a real page turner. It has everything, Buffy and Angel, Cordelia and Xander, Willow and Oz, and Giles, Buffy's mom. It has action, comedy, and it is scary. A great read!

Dreams in the Golden Country is written as a diary of a 12 year old Jewish immigrant girl, Zippy. Zippy, her mother, her sister Miriam, and her sister Tovah have just come to join her father in New York City, where they live in a tenement house.

Throughout the 18 months that this book covers, you see how Zippy's dreams change in this not always golden country. She wants to learn English so she can reach her grade in school, and she wants to be in the Yiddish theater. She also handles her feuding family. But when tragedy strikes, she must overcome her sadness and continue her dreams.

This was a great book, and I'd recommend it for ages 10 - 14. I'd also recommend So Far from Home, and A Coal Miner's Bride, 2 other Dear America books.

Dreams in the Golden Country was another great Dear America book. It is the diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish immigrant girl from Russia, in which she describes her family's first year and a half living on New York City's Lower East Side. Zipporah, or Zippy as she is called, dreams of being an actress in New York's Yiddish theater, and is overjoyed when she is given a job as a prop gir. But her newfound joy is overshadowed by the death of her baby brother when he is just a few days old. To make matters worse for her mother, Zippy's older sister, Miriam, recently ran off to marry a non-Jewish Irish boy, and her sister, Tovah, believes in women's rights and has organized a union, both of which Mrs. Feldman dissaproves of. Plus, one of Zippy's friends dies in a factory fire. Can Zippy really make a new life for herself in this so-called "golden country" that isn't so golden after all?

It's 1903, and Zipporah Feldman, her older sisters Miriam and Tovah, and their mother have come to join Papa in New York City, fleeing the persecution of Jews in their small Russian village. As she struggles to adjust to the American way of life, fit in at her new school, and learn English, Zippy, as she is calld, writes in her diary of how her father is becoming more American every day, Miriam is in love with a Catholic boy, Tovah is obsessed with fighting for better labor condition, and Mama attempts to keep traditional Jewish ways. Over one and a half years, we see how Zippy grows and matures. She experiances tragedies and losses, makes new friends, learns English, adapts many American ways, and persues her dreams of becoming an actress. I highly reccomend this wonderful book.

Corduroy, written in 1968 by Don Freeman, is a great book for children who are just learning to read up to those children in 4th or 5th grade. I myself enjoy this book to this day and I am in 8th grade. How could someone not like this book about a furry and lonely little bear looking for a home. This story is a classic, it has been told to many children and I would strongly recommend it to a parent looking for beginning books for their child.

Corduroy is about a stuffed bear that lives in a warehouse who is missing a button. One night he searches for the button, but he does not find it so he goes to sleep. The next day he wakes to find that a girl has come to get him and he is finally given a home. Throughout the story you get a since of warmth and love and it makes you feel better. This book is also a challenging read for the younger children out there and is a great way to help beginning readers learn how to read quicker. Corduroy is in my opinion the best children's book that I have ever read, if you are a parnet looking for a great book for your child, or if you are a child looking for a great book, Corduroy is definitely one that you won't want to pass up.

Corduroy is the story of a cute brown bear who lived in the toy department of a big store. Each day he would wait for a child to come along and buy him and take him home. Each day the store was filled with people buying all sorts of things, but no one ever seemed to want the small bear in green overalls, because him overalls were missing a button. One morning a little girl came up to Corduroy and told her mom that he was the bear she had always wanted. The mother told the girl not today, and that he doesn't look new because he's missing a button. That night, Corduroy decides to take an adventure and search the store for his missing button. A night guard find's him though, and returns him to the toy department. The next day the little girl returns for Corduroy. She brings all the money from her piggy bank and buys Corduroy. When she return's home, she sews Corduroy on a new button. I recommend reading Corduroy, it is a classic children's story that everyone should hear at least once in their life.

Did the screenwriters of the recently released "Bridget Jones' Diary" lift Colin Firth's line "I like you just the way you are" from this wonderful 1968 kids' book (see the penultimate page's "I like you the way you are")? Well, probably not...but in both instances it's a very effective and heartfelt line, capturing the essence of unconditional, lasting love.

Corduroy is a cute little stuffed bear who nobody wants to buy: There are bigger and newer toys, and besides, the button is missing from one strap of his overalls. Only Lisa shows interest that day, but her mother hesitates and they leave without him. While looking for the button after the store closes, Corduroy experiences the wonders of a big department store: The elevator and the new beds lined in rows: "This must be a palace...I guess I've always wanted to live in a palace."

Lisa returns the next day and buys him with her own money, and the sugarcoated ending strikes up just the right amount of sentiment without becoming overbearing (no pun intended). "This must be home," he [Corduroy] said. "I know I've always wanted a home!" And then: "You must be a friend," said Corduroy. "I've always wanted a friend." "Me too!" said Lisa, and gave him a big hug. Powerful, misty-eye making stuff! Beautiful simple color pictures, and 28 pages of adventure and sweet love. Awwww-inspiring (pun intended). Highly recommended for the toddler set!

Of course we've all grown up with so many fiction characters from DC/Marvel comics, Disney, Archie's`etc., each of them with its own appeal and flavour ...

What sets Tintin apart from all the rest, I feel, the brilliant quality of the artwork. The level of detail, right from the wheels of flight 714 about to land on that tiny island (flight 714), to the shadow effects of walking in a hidden passage to the Inca empire (prisoners of the sun), to the shape of the waves on which Tintin in a coffin is floating (cigars of the pharaoh), or the jaguar in which Tintin chases the gangsters (the calculus affair), the details are just fantastic and the right amount, without creating too much noise and distraction - as is the case with many of the DC comics - iron man, the incredible hulk, etc.

The stories range from contemporary to looking ahead in the future - swing wing planes, rockets to the moon, hidden cameras/espionage. The subject matter is political, and in my opinion slightly controversial at times. Especially the way Herge stereotypes native people in India (Cigars of the Pharaoh, Tintin in Tibet), or in the jungles of Amazon (The Broken Ear). But even here, Herge is way above the shady and simplistic plots of the like of Phantom and Flash Gordon.

The collection is more readable towards the later comics, some of the earlier ones contains situations which are too improbable and rely far too much on luck for Tintin to get himself out of danger.

I loved Tintin books when I was a kid, and I love them now at age 37. I know I'm not alone, because a Tintin store in San Francisco sells Tintin coffee cups and ties and key chains (grown-up's items!) I myself have a Tintin tie and key chain! THE LAND OF BLACK GOLD is my favorite Tintin book. It has all the best characters, humor, and an intriguing plot. (That's why adults can like them, because many of the books have reasonably sophisticated James-Bond type plots.) Tintin forever!

I am only 11, and I have only read some of the Tintin books, and the reason I'm at Amazon.com is to buy all the others. Out of the one's I've read so far, I think "Red Rackham's Treasure" was my favorite. I loved the way Herge made Calculus, and thought he was extremely funny, even when he did get annoying! I love the Tintin books, and look forward to reading every single one again! If I could go over 5 stars, I would, definatly!

As a Bible teacher, missionary and chaplain, Oswald Chambers' love for God is shared in this book in a way that is both inspirational and challenging. Avoiding "formula" Christianity of the "pie-in-the-sky-by-and-by" genre, Chambers calls his readers to a determined and purposeful abandonment of the things of this world, and to a habitual and concentrated identification with the suffering of Christ for the sake of the world, with a view toward the joy that is set before us.

Having been originally written from about 1910 to 1917, the style of these short talks may necessitate more meditation on the part of the reader than more contemporary books would, but the gems of thought contained therein will more than reward those who will make the effort.

If you want to be called to the next level of discipleship and commitment to the cause of Christ, this book of daily devotionals will certainly be a great source of motivation and encouragement.

If it wasn't for Oswald Chamber's wife, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST would never have been published. After Chamber's death, his wife collected some of his writings together into this devotional book. Praise God for such a woman of noble character.MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST is one of the best daily devotions around. Chambers doesn't mess around with wishy-washy, look-at-the-Jesus-in-my-pocket Christianity. Instead, he delves deep into the essence of what it means to be a Christian. Chambers knew the importance of a moment and this book is full of wisdom in living a life pressed out to the best, giving one's utmost for His highest. There isn't another daily devotion to compare.

This little book has impacted my personal Christian walk more than any other book besides the Bible.

Mr Chambers has managed so well to sublimate his life to the control of the Almighty that I continuously sense God's Holy Spirit speaking through the pages Mr Chambers wrote.

It's as if God reaches through the mere two paragraphs per day and grabs me by the lapels saying "I want YOU! I want ALL of you! Just trust ME to take care of your every need..."

I deeply appreciate this call to a whole hearted Christianity in today's pluralistic society. Oswald Chambers is an author whose work I will read and re-read into the foreseable future.