It was a rare moment with my daughter, nestled under the covers. "Praire Dog Pioneers" was not a mere story--it was an adventure that soothed us after a full day. It was so relaxing and interesting. My daughter, a five year old, was truly delighted with the characters and tale. We went back through time to join a family relocating. My daughter immediately identified with the youngest character, and was so caught up with her character and feelings, that she rooted for her all along. In quite a natural way, this book emphasizes the importance of integrity, acceptance, love, and family values. It also deals with some realities we all face. It is educational, colorful, historical, and positively inspiring. The text and illustrations are both truly a work of Art. The story encouraged us to sing a folk song together afterwards, which was the perfect bond for parent and child right before bedtime. This is a must for every family!

That one-line summary is what my 7-year-old son said about this book, in addition to "I love Ragtime Tumpie!" I agree with him. This is a beautiful and inspiring book about Josephine Baker, the great jazz entertainer/dancer. The illustrations are radiant and evoke a sense of excitement, heat, and music. The story is emotionally engaging, and like my son says, makes you want to dance and jubilate along with Tumpie! This is a top-notch picture book!

REAL IMAGES is a very interesting look at Soviet Cinema from 1953 to 1967. I can't think of another book that deals with the films of this era so completely. It is the book to turn to when one has finished Peter Kenez's history of Soviet Cinema to 1953.

What makes the book so interesting is that the author has investigated the background to each film, such as the controversy that projects such as "Carnival Night," "Nine Days of One Year" and "Ilich's Gate/I Am Twenty" generated before and during filming. These critical responses are tied to the political shifts of the Khrushchev era.

If there are any drawbacks, it is that the book opens slow, but then the interesting films didn't really start appearing until 1956. Also, the Shakespeare films of Soviet directors aren't really covered, but I can understand why the author made that choice.

Still, the positive features far outweigh any criticism. The book gives new perspective on directors such as Mikhail Romm, and shows the start of the careers of directors such as Eldar Riazonov and Elim Klimov. It adds flesh and spirit to the overviews of "Thaw" era Soviet cinema that appeared in The Most Important Art and other books.

Strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in Soviet cinema in general or European film of the Fifties and Sixties.

areas of intrest are social,economic,government,geographical point,places of interest,languages,clothing and traditions.

I found this book to be an excellent compilation of the acccessable aboriginal historical sites around the Australian countryside. It is layed out in a logical way beginning in the south west of the continent and following (roughly) a clockwise route finishing in Tasmania. The presentation of the information is both informative and easy to follow and there are good instructions on finding the sites. I found that there are three aboriginal sites of significance within 20 Km of my home that I didn't know exist. I was facinated to visit these and am looking forward to completing the set in the coming years.

VOGUE magazine has long had an affair with royalty, and the photographs herein show ample evidence of that. The title really ought to be amended to read "BRITISH Royalty in Vogue," as the English royals take up by far the majority of the pages, but that's a small quibble.

The photographs certainly are superb--and the reason most folks would be interested in seeing this book--but the text is also marvelously immediate and almost breathless in places. There are firsthand accounts of the rehearsal for George's coronation in 1937, and Cecil Beaton's notes from the abbey regarding Elizabeth's coronation in 1953. These have such a "you are there" flavor that one can almost picture the scene without the aid of the photographs which accompany the text. Beaton writes:

"The massed Peeresses, an inconceivably wonderful sight . . . Their foam-white ermine and dark red velvet looking like a parterre of auricula-eyed Sweet William . . . Their decolletage the palest pampered pink . . . Among them, undoubtedly the most beautiful is the young Duchess of Devonshire, wearing the original eighteenth-century coronation robe belonging to Georgiana, Gainsborough's Duchess . . . "

The photographs themselves are beautiful, of course, but let us remember that this is VOGUE and that beauty in the subjects was also of paramount importance. Princess Marina of Greece and Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott appear in several photographs, looking almost as classically beautiful as Roman busts. Of course there are ample photographs of the lovely Diana, Princess of Wales, and her country-girl-pretty counterpart Sarah Ferguson--in their wedding gowns and in other outfits. And lastly, there are many, many photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor--looking, always, a little tired, very brittle, very wary. It's a fascinating glimpse into a world the vast majority of us know absolutely nothing about.

It's a shame that this book has gone out of print again, for I have yet to read another fairy tale that I have enjoyed more. C.S. Lewis thought highly of it, and J.R.R. Tolkien's children were completely taken by it when their father read it to them. The 1989 edition of the book has the wonderful illustrations of Josephine Spence to complement this delightful story.

You want a fascinating adventure? This is it. What makes it even better is that it's a true story. Read the book about ten years back yet lots of books later, it still stands as one of my very favorites.

The book contains the memoirs of Bernice Trimble Steadman. She enjoyed an exciting career beginning with flying lessons in high school, Latter, she became a flight school instructor, ace pilot and then an airplane dealer. Finally, she became one of the original Thirteen women to pass NASA's astronaut physical, and then on to space. The book is an amazing story of bravery and personal courage, mostly told for the first time.

Josephine Sacabo is a New Orleans photographer whose work is absolutely amazing!! This book gathers some of her best photographs together in a dreamy, eerie collection. There is some text included with the photographs, but it is in French. Her photographs are beautifully rendered and hauntingly amazing. I would recommend this book for any serious lover of photography. You will not be disappointed.