Serious collectors and loving keepers of amiable hugs alike are so fortunate to have this new selection from author Constance Eileen King and the Antique Collectors Club.

Any reader familiar with the Antique collectors Club publications appreciates their outstanding coffee table book quality and comprehensiveness. Their collectors' guides have far reaching appeal in a variety of categories from metalwork to British 19th Century furniture. In publishing The Century of the Teddy Bear, they are acknowledging the Teddy Bear as an appreciating and respected new category in the antique and modern collectible marketplace.

Each page of this chronology is stretched to the margins in full-colored photographs of charming rare teddies and bearaphenalia treasures. Informative captions are placed next to each photo detailing delightful little tidbits of fact and folklore.

The text begins by telling the Teddy Bear's history well before his birth in the early 1900s. It traces the undeniable appeal of the bruin as a character in fable back to the time of King Arthur (whose name is derived from the Latin Arcturus or bear guardian). Continuing on with delightful details of a history full of remarkable twists and turns that have created the teddy we know today which has become a respected part of the collectibles marketplace fetching record hammer prices at illustrious auction houses as Sothebys or Christies.

This book is so valuable in that is has been written from the perspective of a noted authority in the antique doll and toy field. But most importantly, Ms. King is also an author who understands the soulful and endearing qualities of the Teddy that pull at the nostalgic heartstrings of any Teddy Bear lover. After all, the little bear she was given at six months of age is still a "close friend". She understands what makes the value of a Teddy Bear so much more than simply its market collectibility.

I loved the whimsical story and the great artwork, realizing as I read it that there is a very important message behind the simple story. The best testimony, however, is that my 4 year old granddaughter ranks it as one of her top three bedtime books

Jacqueline McQuade did a superb job with this special book for the holidays. The canvas-like pictures of Teddy Bear caught my children's attention instantly. Each page consists of a beautiful illustration. a large-print description of Teddy Bear's holiday activity, and a few short sentences describing in detail what Teddy Bear is doing. I'm going to order the rest of her books right now.This book was a gift given to us for Christmas 1996, and it has been cherished every year.

Churchill was published in 1988. After 10 years, and seven printings, it is still in print through the publisher, Hyperion Press. Hyperion is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba at 204 256 9204. Over 10,000 copies of Churchill have been sold - primarily through outlets in Churchill, Manitoba, Polar Bear Capital of the world. Each year, thousands of tourists flock to Churchill to see the incredible wildlife (polar bears, whales, seals, birds, caribou, more, more, more). This book outlines a year in the life of Churchill.

I was the pharmacist in Churchill from 1981 through to 1988 (best one in town - only one). During that time I decided that what was needed was a book that captures the indomitable spirit of the people of the north - a true diary of the people, the modern industry, the history, the flora and the fauna. In 1997 I focused on the photographs taking almost a roll of film each day. Total frames shot = 7,000. Total pictures in the book = 135. In 1998 I focused on writing the text for the book and finding a publisher to partner with. 20 publishers said - "It won't sell." The 21st - Hyperion said "Let's do it." The rest, as they say, is history.

Enjoy - Churchill was a work of love for me. It's one of the most fascinating places in this incredible country - Canada.

Mark Fleming

This is a really funny book. It's got talking animals and funny illustrations, like a classic children's book, but its also got a space story - a bit like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but with a better story. Also, the main character, the Red Fox is a cook, so there's lots of cooking. I was hungry after I read it. This will probably appeal to anyone who likes the Harry Potter type mixture of adventure with comedy. Very original and worth reading.

This would have to be the best value for money, beginners book on bear making that has been published in the last 10 or more years. The author has written this for the home sewer and doesn't assume that there is a teddy bear supplies shop just up the road where you can buy those expensive specialty items like joint sets, mohair fur, etc. Everything you need can be found at home in the sewing cupboard, at the local sewing shop or general store; eg: like buttons for joints, teddy jumpers/sweaters out of socks.

There are numerous bear patterns of various sizes; eg: dad, mum & baby; both jointed and unjointed, along with clothes patterns for just about all of them! Estelle also explains how to customise the clothes patterns for different bears and garments; eg making a shirt into a coat. I still use this book if I want to dress bears from other patterns. For example I compare the bear that I'm making with Estelles bear pattern pieces; ie leg to leg for trousers, body to body for dresses or jump suits, etc; and when I find one that is similar I use the clothes pattern that fits Estelle's bear as a base clothes pattern for the bear I am making.

The bear patterns themselves are excellent for beginners as all the bears a quite chubby (makes for great cuddling!), so are easier to sew, to turn inside out and to stuff - no narrow nooks and crannies to make for difficult stuffing. Some of the head patterns don't have a full head insert ie down to the nose, again making for easy sewing and more chance of a "nice muzzle/nose" for a beginner.

Virtually all the bears in the book are made from something other than mohair, either synthetic fur, felt, coat fabric, etc, so you get a pretty good idea of what your bear will ACTUALLY look like. Mohair is gorgeous, but is often deceptive as it is usually a woven fabric, which doesn't stretch, so if you use synthetic fur, felt or coat fabric, for example, you end up with a very different bear to the mohair one you are hoping to reproduce.

(I have a 1980ish edition of this book around which this review is written. PLEASE NOTE: there may be changes to the later edition SO the comments in the following paragraph may not be correct for this more recent edition.) Full colour books are the norm these days, so it is disappointing there aren't MORE of the gorgeous colour photos - although there are still plenty of black and white ones. There is quite alot of text, (including the usual "teddy bear" history), which comes under logical headings so it is generally easy to find info on subject. All the patterns are on pages of the book - great - no misplaced pattern inserts.

This is a value for money book - lots of bear patterns with clothes patterns and how to do's. You won't make a Stieff reproduction, but you will get lots of practise with the numerous options this book offers.

As the widely-recognized ambassadors for Coca-Cola, Polar Bears occupy a special spot in my Coca-Cola collection. No doubt about it, these adorable bears and cubs make it all too easy to be smitten with the collector bug. Now I'm delighted to have a handsome hardcover book about these bears to add to my Coca-Cola treasures.

Thanks to this "family scrapbook" with colorful photos and general descriptions, I can now admire and covet the many Coca-Cola Polar Bears in every size, shape and variety. The authors even provided a list of resources that will come in handy. While I would have loved more technical details about how the TV ads were created and animated, overall I'm "beary" happy!

Bozeman's Bridger Bowl and Bear Canyon ski areas have had a rich and tumultuous history. In Cold Smoke that history is recorded in the words of the people who pioneered and developed what has become a world-class skiing destination.
This intriguing success story began with a small group of local skiing enthusiasts and a little ingenuity. With virtually no money, just a lot of hard work, resourcefulness, and tenacity, this dedicated bunch took Bridger Bowl from its first homemade rope tow to its current status as the pride of Bozeman, a skiing haven that has spawned world champion skiers and serves as a major site for snow and avalanche research at Montana State University and around the world.
Enlivened with the anecdotes and family photos of three generations, Cold Smoke is a personal story, told with pride, humor, and an abiding love of place.

Books by John & Mariah Bear have literally changed people's lives. This is no less true for this book. Although not quite the behemoth that the larger "Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning (14th ed.), this book instead provides a tight focus on specific programs for those who either need a little more guidance or for whom smaller/less expensive works better. It still provides the same solid advice that readers have come to trust from the Bears.

College Degrees by Mail and Internet provides all of the information necessary to earn a degree (BA, MA, PhD) through distance learning. Now in its eighth edition, this book has stood the test of time.

If you're looking to change your life (more money, better work, etc), you need to check this book out.

With so much disinformation regarding nontraditional schools offering higher degrees, it's comforting to read a book based in both reality and calmness. No high sales pitch here, just good advice regarding a lot of good, nontraditional schools and programs. Highly recommended.