Great Book, it helps so much, and the Author happens to be my Professor which is a brilliant man.

This is one of my daughter's (and her preschool's) favorites. The illustrations are rich, seemingly 3-dimensional, and are very amusingly drawn.

"Into the Woods," originally produced on broadway over a decade ago, has recently been revived with the re-printing of the vocal score and instrumental parts. Using sophisticated software (Finale) the publisher has made the score easier to read, has added instrumental cues, and has made the print larger. The wonderful music of Stephen Sondheim from "Into the Woods," is much more accessable. (The purchase of the book does not give the buyer permission to perform the play!)This edition is very good -- hundreds of times better than the old one!

This beautiful picture book is a real treat for any admirer, young or old, of nature and the work of John James Audubon. From first page to last, it is a tribute to an extraordinary man who had a passion for America's wilderness, as well as to the wilderness itself. Robert Burleigh tells the story of the pioneering environmentalist through an imaginary rhyming letter to his father, with accompanying excerpts from Audubon's journals. Wendell Minor, a renowned jacket artist and distinguished picture book illustrator, enlivens the text with some of his finest work, which is complemented by a few of Audubon's original paintings. Mr. Minor portrays the curious woodsman as he rambles through sun-dappled forests, investigates a cormorant's nest on the side of a rocky cliff, and admires the untamed spirit of a temporarily captive hawk. Later on, the story's tone changes from carefree revelry to a heartfelt plea for wilderness preservation, as Audubon mourns the loss of the woodlands and the birds he holds so dear. While holding a dying pigeon in his hands he remarks: "And as I watched it die I knew/The world I love is passing too. And I must paint it all because/We need this memory of what was. . ." These inspiring words are accompanied by some poignant pictures of a flock of now-extinct passenger pigeons--once the most populous bird in the world--streaming across the sky, and a once-mighty forest reduced to stumps. There is a hopeful note in the story, as well: "But listen, now, from every tree/I hear them calling out to me: The crow's ka-kow, the lark's ti-ti/The warbler and the chickadee." In order to preserve nature, we must first appreciate even the smallest aspects of it, from the the mighty bald eagle to the tiny chickadee. The book leaves one with a sense of hope about the conservation movement and a refreshed passion for the outdoors, especially birds, which are so plentiful and so striking in this country. With his paintings Mr. Minor has skillfully captured the personality of the man and the beauty of the birds he loved, and Mr. Burleigh has brought poetic words to help us remember Audubon not just as the vanguard in the American conservation movement, a mere icon of history books, but as a true woodsman who loved this country and its wilderness with his whole heart. INTO THE WOODS makes a lovely gift for any aspiring naturalist of age 8 to a lifelong birder of age 80. Pick up a copy for the child in your life and one for yourself. Also be sure to check out another new picture book, RACHEL: THE STORY OF RACHEL CARSON, which, like INTO THE WOODS, tells the story of a pioneering American environmentalist and is wonderfully illustrated by Wendell Minor.

It's exciting to find so many of Bill Roorbach's essays collected finally into one volume. I have loved reading his work in various journals and magazines; reading them again here, along with essays I'd never read, is such a satisfying experience.

I found myself laughing out loud on the subway reading the first essay, "Honeymoon," as Roorbach described some of the challenges of comunicating in France. "Into Woods," the title essay, is one of my favorites. It was an essay I made my whole family read.

What I admire most about Roorbach's work is how much he can cover in an essay. He will start out in one place and then end up somewhere completely unexpected. His is such an amiable presence... so funny, so smart. Hey, he had me reading about fishing and liking it :)

I look forward to any journey he takes us on.

Irish Dance Tunes for All Harps by Sylvia Woods.

All of Sylvia's harp arrangements have a "high playability" rating with me. Believe me when I say this because I have looked at, and purchased a lot of harp music over the years. No one can arrange for the harp the way Sylvia can! This book is a perfect example of being able to make playable complicated Irish jigs, slip jigs, reels and hornpipes for those of us who are not "professional" harp players. This traditional music gets all of our collective toes tapping. Two introductions are included to help the novice better understand the nature and spirit of Irish dance tunes. I have had a lot of fun, and challenge, from the pieces in this book. It also includes one of my FAVORITE AIRS, Carrickfergus.

I have treasured this book ever since I bought it 10 years ago. As a beginning picture framer this was the pinacle of perfection to me. Gives full blown diagrams on the construction of the frames and altar pieces along with the history of the frames and icons. Simply breathtaking stuff, incredible craftsmanship and artistry.

An anthology of stories in the original Italian, including those by Cialente, Ginzburg, Ortese, Morante, romano, Maraini and Duranti. The thirteen stories offer a range of style and content indicative of the wealth and and diversity by women, and their reading is supported by critical notes (in English) an extensive glossary. An excellent edition for intermediate and advanced students of Italian.

Written by Shirley Woods and enhanced with occasional black-and-white illustrations by Celia Godkin, Jack: The Story Of A Beaver is the story of a young beaver who, along with his three siblings, learns quickly that even their lodge is not always safe because bears, wolves, bobcats, trappers, and even birds of prey are a constant threat to them. Even with Mother, Father, the yearlings, and their old uncle working hard to protect them, only Jack and his sister out of the original litter of four survive to see their first summer of life on the pond. As Jack matures he becomes a working member of the beaver colony felling trees, repairing the lodge, and foiling trappers. Eventually it is Jack's turn to leave the colony, find a mate, and establish a home of his own. Jack, The Story Of A Beaver is an accurate, entertaining, informative, and very highly recommended true-to-life adventure that will thrill and educate young readers about the fascinating and resource beaver.

This book was published in the mid-70's and my daughter and I spent many hours of pleasure reading this together. As recently as last week we mentioned the book because something sparked a memory. This is a combination of many many characters from nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and children's classics. It is delightful to read, especially the first time, because you just do not know who and what you are going to run into next. I am looking for this book now to share with my grandchildren to get their imaginations kick-started too.