Chester Racoon and his mother prepare for Chester's first "night" at school. He is a little apprehensive, and, of course, he wants to stay home with his mom. Mrs. Racoon shares a secret with Chester called the Kissing Hand. She kisses Chester's palm and tells him to put it to his cheek when he begins to feel lonely at school. This book makes a great gift for a child entering school or going to camp for the first time, or for any occasion where a child will be temporarily separated from home and loved ones. It can also be used to help a child through the death of a parent or special loved one, and for children placed in foster families and residential facilities. For teachers, this book would be super to read the first day of school. It could also lead up to wonderful science, social studies, and reading/writing activities.

Poor little Chester, the racoon, it's time for him to go off to school and he doesn't want to leave his mother. Mother knows that Chester will love school once he gets there. There'll be new friends to meet, new toys to play with, new books to read and even a new swing to swing on. So she tells him a special secret about the "kissing hand". She takes his little hand, spreads the fingers and places a kiss right in the middle of his palm. Now when he feels lonely and needs a little love from home, he can press his hand against his cheek and know his mother's love will be with him. And, before he scampers off to school, he gives his mother the kissing hand too, so that she won't miss him too much, while he's away..... Audrey Penn has written a sweet, endearing story to help little ones face those scary feelings on their first days of separation. Her gentle text is complimented by expressive, detailed illustrations and together will let youngsters know that they're not alone out there in the world. The Kissing Hand is the perfect bedtime story, pre-schoolers will want to read again and again and makes a wonderful addition to all home libraries.

Chester is about to start school and he's terribly nervous. In a single, calming gesture, his Mom helps him feel loved and secure by kissing the center of his hand. She reminds Chester that her love is always right there and if he should feel frightened or scared or lonely he should simply hold the hand to his cheek and he will feel her love.
We read it just before our son began kindergarten on September 5, 2001 for several days in a row. Although he had been attending Day Care since birth, this was still a new experience for him and he was naturally nervous. So now, each morning we kiss his palm and send him off on the bus. It's a wonderful new ritual.
September 11, 2001 began a tremendously difficult time in our country. Our children are 4 and 5, and we have been reading this nearly every night since then. A friend's daughter was having terrible nightmares and great fears about not seeing her Daddy (he's a Police Officer currently assigned to Ground Zero). We lent them the book to read to her. Her Mom now tells me she is sleeping soundly as long as she has been kissed in the palm of her hand.
Sweet Dreams, America and the world.

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.

My husband received the first installment of the Green Mile as a gift. We drive alot of miles back and forth to work every day and listen to tapes to make the time pass more quickly. We were not familiar with Stephen Kings work, because we don't like "Horror." We were totally suprised and pleased that this was not what we thought of as horror. We were totally hooked by the first 15 minutes of the tape. Paul Edgecomb, John Coffee and the other characters on the mile are brought to life by King and the terrific reading of Frank Muller. If you want a tape that will make you want to sit in your car and listen even after you get home, this series is a must. I have not found another author and reader that keep you wanting MORE! MORE! MORE! like King and Muller. You will laugh, cry, and curse and be totally absorbed from from beginning to end.

I wonder if there are more books like the Green Mile by Stephen King. First book I have ever listened to that was written by him. I thought he wrote about strange events. I was spellbound. I was transported into the story and couldn't wait until the next tape. What a great writer. Any suggestions on which one I should read next?

In the Green Mile Serial Thriller I love how Stephen King takes so many little stories about love and friendships and adds a twist of evilness and darkness with in each of the characters. From how he builds up the plot not just for the main characters but for everyone of the characters in the novel from the talented Mr. Jingles to the most focused character John Coffey. King kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time while he was building up to the final part, is Coffey gonna live or die and I really loved that but didn't like the outcome. But because of the time period it was set in I can understand reasons for the ending King gave The Green Mile. The book was really great and to any Stephen King fan if I were you I would read it.

Joe Jenkins is a great guy with a great message to spread. He wakes up his readers to the possibilities of a greatly overlooked resource. Many people, like myself, probably have thought about the use of humane manure for garden fertilizer, but it seemed too crazy. Jenkins EMPOWERS us to take advantage of our byproducts, and shows us that there's nothing to fear! Humanmanure composting makes SO much sense. It provides needed fertilizer, reduces pollution, and reduces the need for huge, dirty sewage infrastructure. It's a shame that so many toilets continue to flush every day.

I am currently doing grass-roots development work in rural Bolivia, and am hoping to implement humanure composting in the way Jenkins teaches it. This low-tech technology has SUCH tremendous potential in the developing world, where farmers ALWAYS need more fertilizer, and where there are often not even latrines, let alone sewage systems. Excrement usually just lies about, eaten by pigs and dogs, or leaking into water sources, thus continuing the viscous cycle of parasite diseases.

Joe Jenkins has empowered me to do what makes sense by nature and recycle precious organic nutrients. Everyone should read this book and wake up to these fecal realities. I read his book over a year ago, and am still so excited that I'm considering doing humanure research for my PhD! Read away...

I think the information contained in this book should be common knowledge and these methods used throughout the world. This would be one of the answers to help save our earth's precious drinking water, which we as a race so shamefully waste. The reading is light, informative, "can't put the book down" sort of book, plus hilarious too. If you are into self-sufficiency, back to basics, simplicity, homesteading the environment, and want to do something about water pollution, this has to be on your shelf, it will save you money and pay for it's self over and over.

What a fun and informative book. Joe's ability to include much needed scientific information in a light hearted and comic way makes the reading truely enjoyable. Composting toilets are catching on for many reasons throughout the world and I see why this book has become a primary source of facts about the whole process of using human manure through a low cost composting method. I have actually used a toilet built to his specs--with the 5 gallon plastic bucket and saw dust--and must say it works. My wife and I are planning to add one of our own to a little cabin on our 80 acre tree farm. Have a laugh and learn how to reduce your impact on the Earth. Read the Humanure Handbook!

In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene Gut Opdyke is a remarkable autobiography about the life of a Polish woman who risked her life in order to save her Jewish friends. When World War II began, Irene was only seventeen years old; she was a devoted nursing student and an innocent Catholic girl. As Germany took over her country Poland, Irene volunteered to accompany the Polish army as part of the Red Cross. Separated from her family, she was forced to endure harsh living conditions while aiding hundreds of wounded soldiers. A few weeks later, she was seized and raped by Russian soldiers who then left her for dead in the snow. Irene would have frozen to death if a kind woman named Dr. Miriam had not found her and nursed her back to health. When Irene had finally regained her strength, she was allowed to return to Poland, now a part of Germany, to be reunited with her family. It was a joyful reunion, but Irene was stunned by the changes in her hometown, Radom. The Jews had been forced to move into ghettos while the Poles had to live by strict rules. Only one week had passed since Irene had come to Poland when she and her sister were captured and transported to Germany to work for the Reich. She became a domestic worker in a Nazi hotel; there, she witnessed the cruel, monstrous acts that were being committed against the Jews in the nearby ghetto. Overwhelmed with horror, Irene began sneaking food and blankets to the ghetto, as well as transporting runaway Jews in a wagon to a nearby forest. She had also befriended the ten Jewish workers she supervised at the hotel. When she was released from her hotel duties to work in a German major's villa as a live-in housekeeper, she found a way to smuggle and hide her Jewish friends in the basement of the villa. When he discovered them, Irene became his mistress in cooperation for his silence; later, she and her friends managed to escape from him during the Germans' retreat. In 1949, through the acquaintance of an old rabbi, Irene was interviewed by a delegate from the United Nations, and she was accepted to be a citizen of the United States, which is where she lives to this day. Irene Gut Opdyke is the courageous hero of this amazing autobiography. She had started out as a seemingly ordinary nursing student, but she had been separated from her family at 17 and forced to work for her enemies. She was determined to do all that she could to help the Jews after she had witnessed the abominable suffering inflicted on the local Jews. Being sensitive to her Jewish friends' needs, she always put their safety ahead of her well being. She demonstrated extraordinary bravery and heroism throughout her life.

In reading class, we were required to read a book about the Holocaust. I had read a few before, but I thought that they were boring and uninteresting. I thought that I would have to read another boring, uninteresting book.
This book totally surprised me. It was the first Holocaust book I had read that actually had me feeling the emotions of the main character. This book kept me turning pages until the very last word. This person's true emotions were brought to life throughout this book by colorful language and interesting similes and metaphors.
In My Hands is the story of Irene Gutowna, a Polish, Gentile girl, 17 years of age, who starts to work for a restaurant, which is run by Nazis. She never thought of becoming a resistance fighter. But she started small. The restaurant was located right next to the ghetto. Irene began to hide food under a hole in the fence.
Then she eventually did bigger things, leading up to hiding 10 Jews in the basement of a German sergeant's house. He finds out, but keeps quiet. In return, Irene must be his mistress.
This book was very good, and even made me cry. I think that everyone should read it.

This is probably one of the most remarkable stories that I've ever encountered and I don't understand why it hasn't received more attention. My husband and I listened to the audio tape which was beautifully read by Hope David.

IN MY HANDS is the autobiography of Irene Gut, a 17 year old Polish Catholic girl. The book begins with lovely recollections that Irene had of her early life in Czestochowa, Poland, where she was surrounded by her four sisters and loving parents. When the Nazi's invaded Poland in 1939, Irene was living away from her family in Radom where she was studying to become a nurse. When Radom was bombed, the Polish Army had to retreat and asked that some of the medical staff come with them to help take care of the wounded. Irene volunteered to go, and eventually ended up on the other side of Poland which was under Russian rule. Many miles away from her family, and eventually separated from the other hospital staff, Irene faced life alone, and saw the country that she loved controlled by brutes and killers.

At first this young woman saw the worst in the Russian soldiers and later she also met the German invaders who showed her another side of brutality. Despite the threat to her own life, Irene risked everything so that many others had the chance to live. This very inspiring memoir compares to HIDING PLACE the story of Corrie Ten Boom and her family.

I have had the book "Hand Hand Fingers Thumb" since I was about two. I must have read it 500 times. It was a regular bedtime story for me. It is a very easy book to read. The words aren't very big and they are repeated so that the young kids can learn the words easier. The book has very good flow and great pictures. All of the pictures have monkeys in them and you know every kid loves monkeys. The rhymes are very good such as; "Hello Jack. Hello Jake. Shake Hands Shake Hands Shake! Shake! Shake!" There isn't much of a plot to this story but I think it is a very good story anyways.

My 14 month old son loves this book. We can tell him "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" and he runs to his room, climbs on his chair and finds it on his dresser with all his other books. It is definitely his favorite. He loves the "dum ditty dum ditty dum dum dum" part. We like that it is short and fun to read. Would definitely recommend it!

One of the first books our daughter would sit through from the time she was four or five months old was another Al Perkins classic, "The Nose Book". She's also loved "The Ear Book" since right around the same time. I'd never heard of "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" until we saw it in the waiting room where my car was being serviced. Sierra LOVED it! We must have read it twenty times, and it really helped to pass the time. When we got to the page that read "dum ditty, dum ditty, whack whack whack!" she giggled out loud and brought smiles to every face in the place. Santa will definitely be bringing this one along in his sack!

If you suffer, like me, from a RSI, namely from PC overuse (although there's a lot of ways of acquiring this illnes, like knitting, playing golf, tennis or other repetitive motion) this is the book for you.
There are many books out there, and although I have not read them all, I have researched a lot about this illness and this is one of the best books to get. Filled with information about Computer acquired RSI, the authors go through every major detail about the illness: Posture, genetics, diet, work habits, ergonomic workstations, you name it, they have researched a lot.
Then book features a direct and easy language, nice B/W illustrations, and many sites for research all over the Web, which you can use to further your knowledge about RSI.
This book doesn't feature too many excersices, it is mainly informative, and the authors just give a few pointers and encourage the reader to find professional help.
Now the negative: There are a couple of things I did find somwhat odd in this book. After describing and defining RSI, and documenting how missunderstood this illness is by the medical community, they jump into their major recommendation: Go to a doctor and get a proffessional opinion. Well then you have to find a doctor versed in RSI, and not one that only want to operate, like they did on the many cases described in the book.
Second, I actually found a little offensive. They are quick to dissmiss any form of alternative therapy such as herbs, taking vitamn B6, homeophaty or even acupuncture regarding them as 'new agey' and not worth trying. To the mainstream or regular medical community, massages and physcal therapy like the authors suggest are also alternative. I have personally combined exercises with acupuncture and healthy eating habits plus suplemments, with good results.
In all, a great resource book, not many excersices but a lot of info, and we all know the best tool against any illness is information.
Buy it along with Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome : And Other Repetitive Strain Injuries by Sharon J. Butler and begin your journey towards recovery.
Peace and Health to you.

I read "It's Not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!" and all I can say is it's a great book. I've determined that my particular problem is that the ulnar nerve in my elbow is being pressed on because I'm constantly supporting my entire upper body by putting my elbows on the arm rests of my chair. This has caused serious irritation to the nerve and recently I've been waking up in the middle of the night because my pinky and part of my ring finger is numb. To anyone with RSI, I can't recommend the book strongly enough. It is by far the best book on the subject. I even gave my Doctor a copy of it because he, like most, is totally clueless about RSI. Even I knew I didn't have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after doing 5 minutes of research, yet that's all he kept talking about was Carpal Tunnel. Not once did he even attempt to address the root cause(s) of my problems ... he just wanted to give me anti-inflammatory drugs and told me to wear a brace. No thanks. This book really opened my eyes ... it should be mandatory reading for all Doctors.

I have had RSI since early 1993 and have read many books and articles on the subject. In addition, I have had physical therapy at several different locations over the course of several years. This book is excellent. It explains how RSI is caused and it has an excellent treatment program. It also has a detailed prevention program, as well as a treasure trove of additional resources. This book should be read by anyone who has RSI, treats RSI patients, or uses a computer.

One of the best novels I've read in a long time. It takes you into the life of Pug, an ordinary orphan from Crydee, and shows how he will make a difference in the fate of two worlds. I almost always read Sci-Fi, being engulfed in the multiple plot lines an so on, and ignoring all fantasy thinking it to be too dull for me. This book changes everything. And I would recommend it to anyone.

I must say that this book is the first fantasy genre novel I have ever read.Its language structures and words are simple to understand.The story is awesome and I totally hooked to it for weeks as the story of the characters were so lively and real....Pug ,Tomas and Carline many more.I salute Raymond E. feist for his creativity and I am going to be his fan for a long time and going to collect all the Ritfwar novels. Is there any big difference between the two part series of Magician and the single one? The one I just finished reading was the reviewed edition published in 1997 and some 16000 words were ommited. :)

Magician (Especially Feist's preferred addition) is a masterpiece of fantasy. The characters, plots and rich descriptions of Midkemia draw the reader in from page one, and never lets you go until the end, no matter how many times you read it. With this book and with the ones that followed, Feist places himself in the elite group of fantasy/sci-fi writer's whose works are nothing short of masterpieces. Buy it and read it, you won't be disappointed.

This book tells how to massage every part of the body. Scalp to toe. It's divided up by body section, so if you just want to do a back massage or a hand and foot massage, you can flip to that section and learn in a few minutes. There are beautiful pencil drawings of the inner workings of various parts of the body, where the most nerve endings are in the foot, which muscle is responsible for neck pain and some headaches (it's not in your neck), etc. He also talks about atmosphere and mood, which type of stroke is best used where, and what not to do during a massage (always important).

I work with my hands all day and my husband sits in an office chair. I find my hands feel LESS tired and stiff after I give him a back massage, and I usually lose track of time. What starts out as a quick 5 minutes lasts at least 20.

I became an expert at back massage after one reading. After my first try, my husband was so relaxed he was fast asleep before I got back from washing the oil off my hands. And he usually tosses and turns for at least an hour!

In short a wonderful book for those who wish to raise ones skill of touch to another level. Both for sexual pleasure as well as physical therapy. I suggest that anyone who will take the time to learn sensual massage, read and adopt this writting. Clear, consise and creative.

To read, understand, and use the things you learn in this book is definately one of the nicest things you could possibly do for a lover. I bought the video (it helps teach you the basic techniques), and together, I learned enough to make my girlfriend feel wonderful.

If you want a very well-writen, well-depicted, complete book to teach you how to "give pleasure with your hands", this is definately a book to buy. It describes numerous strokes for each section of the body, and concatenates them into a one-hour-plus, full-body massage.

In the next few weeks (as pay checks roll in), I'll buy Gordon's other books. This one teaches enough strokes for an hour-long full-body massage, and I'm hoping that the other ones teach all different strokes.

I've been disappointed by a lot of the books I've gotten on this type of subject, but this one does not disappoint in any way.

I bought this book because I was making the switch from Adobe GoLive to Dreamweaver. As an intermedediate level web developer I found this book to be just about perfect. I took it home and skimmed the material; then I did excercises only in the areas that I didn't understand--fast and efficient.

For someone with less experience than me, following the exercises in the order they are presented would give them a good grasp of both Dreamweaver and the principles of setting up a web page.

While I love the teaching technique that Lynda Weinman uses for technical matters, I am not crazy about her design examples from an artistic or communications point of view. There must be a good book out there on design; but I haven't found it.

While recently searching for a good textbook to use in the practicum class I'm teaching this Spring at American University, I looked through almost all of current offerings on the market and finally decided on using Dreamweaver 3 Hands-on-Training.

The book offers a logical trek through the essentials of using Dreamweaver for web design. I particularly enjoyed its lengthy discussion of the site manager and how it is central to using Dreamweaver effectively (something I found lacking in most other books.) The structure of the book happened to coincide with what I believe is the best route to take when learning Dreamweaver and web design issues and fit in perfectly with the way I had planned my course. I've actually gone through the book, chapter-by-chapter and worked out all the examples and exercises and everything works as it should. Perhaps at times the instructions are overly repetitive but this is something that the more advanced students can skip over while those struggling with the material will no doubt appreciate.

I have read in other reviews that the book has at times been deemed "for beginners". I would have to disagree and say rather that designers of all levels have something to gain from this book. I'm sure that web designers working with version 2.0 of Dreamweaver will love it for the version 3.0 tips alone. I, for one, found out that I wasn't making use of the History function as well as the custom commands -- two things that have helped to speed up my development time enormously.

Highly recommended!

This is one of the best hands-on-training book that I have ever come across. It is easy to understand and the author has focused attention on the student (who DO NOT KNOW Dreamweaver). One of the things I liked best is the way the author repeatedly reminds you of how to use a particular task or function. Lot of times the author just assumes that the student should know that by now and continues the chapter as if we are experts already. The author has made it simple, interesting and exciting. I finished the book in 8 days. Many times these kind of books which are supposed to be hands-on-training, ends up not so hands-on-training; where we get lost or the author assumes most of the time that we know it all. But here is a book where the author really takes your hand and walks you thru it step by step, reminding you every now and then what you have learned in the previous steps...just in case you forgot. Very well done! If you are like me (very new to web design), this is the book for you. My son gave it to me as a gift. It helped me to kick start my venture in the web design world. Thanks to him.