I'll confess right here ... it's usually tough for me to get into the Christmas spirit. And most Christmas books for kids strike me as either lame attempts to rehash worn-out imagery... or stories which are really written for adults to recapture some "warm fuzzies" from their memory banks (never mind the kids, thank you).

This book must contain some powerful stuff ... if it can get a cynical crumudgeon like me to read it over and over to my son. Breathed begins his story with the moping, skeptical, don't-trust- anyone-too-much attitude which I immediately find familiar. But... then ... he magically weaves an unlikely tale which transforms that feeling into one of genuine hope. The "Santa" character is wonderfully (and appropriately) ambiguous. The reader,as well as the story's narrator, is not quite sure whether this guy is the real thing -- or yet another impostor. He doesn't fit the mold, that's for sure. But he does come through (at least it seems it was him) in the end. Oh sleighbells! Don't just take my word for it, read the gosh-darn thing, marvel at Breathed's quirky illustrations. And then feel the swell of hope, which is more than just wishing for nifty presents. A sure winner for children of all ages!

Every Christmas Eve my father would read "The Night Before Christmas" and bible story of Jesus's birth. I was a lovely family tradition, but it needed breath of fresh air.

I discovered "Red Ranger" in a book store long before I had children and bought it for myself. I read it to anyone who would listen and bought copies for friends and family with children.

It's such a magical story - and SO funny! The illustrations alone are hilarious works of art. The end really blew me away.

Now my four year old daughter can't wait until Christmas Eve to read it. We read it every night in December. And every night she believes a little bit more.

Berkeley Breathed's father told him a story of Christmas 1939, and this book is that (tall) story. In 1939, his young father was a great fan of Buck Tweed, the Red Ranger, protector of the 23rd century, and was known himself as the Red Ranger. For Christmas he wanted an official Buck Tweed Two-Speed Crime-Stopper Star-Hopper bicycle. But, it was the Depression, and such a gift was not likely to come. Hearing that Santa Claus had retired nearby, the Red Ranger set off to confront him, complete with death-ray/dart gun and red-stained pajama top. This is the story of that confrontation.

The story of this book is absolutely hilarious! (My son and I laughed mightily when the Red Ranger panicked and shot Santa in the forehead with his dart gun.) Also, the illustrations are masterfully done, and are at least as funny as the story itself. My seven-year-old son loved reading this book, which was perfectly written for one of his reading ability. As a matter of fact, the last picture has him wondering about the truth of this fantastic yarn!

Though this book might seem to have the lesson that one should believe in Santa Claus, its true lesson is one of caring about others and their feelings. This is a great book, and one that should be given to all families.

I love reading this book to my kids it has fantastic illustrations and is a very clever story. My 6 year old son loves it and I recommend it for children aged 5-8+. It is one of the best childrens books I have had the pleasure of reading.

This was one of my toddler's favorite The rhyming text has a wonderful rhythm and the story encourages thinking "outside the box." Even though I had it memorized by the time my daughter was a year old, I never mind reading it again and again. It also makes a great gift bundled with Margaret Wise Brown's "Goodnight Moon," for a first time parent.

This book is my children's fav. One of my daughter's first words was "Opus" (requesting this book night after night). To be honest it's still amusing to me after reading it 210 times. This book also helps me remember that life does not have to be "by the book".Thank you Berkeley Breathed.

This book is a must for anyone who loves food. Nine comprehensive chapters covering not only fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, but also meat and poultry, fish and shellfish and dairy and eggs.

The chapter on Nutrition Basics is essential for anyone who wants to come to terms with food and how it relates to good health. Appendicies include a Cooking Glossary (which describes in detail baking, boiling, braising, poaching, pressure cooking, roasting, simmering, steeping, stewing, and on and on ...), Fats and Oils, and Herbs and Spices.

Subsections of each item include topics such as availability, shopping tips, storage, preparations and serving suggestions. Nutritional information boxes are included indicating calories, fat content, protein, carbohydrate, fiber, cholesterol and sodium. Also listed are key vitamins and nutrients.

Fascinating information is also included .. for example, the fruit/vegetable argument about tomatoes is not only settled definitively (botanically a fruit, specifically a berry) but we are also informed that as the result of a tariff dispute, it was officially designated a vegetable in 1893 by the Supreme Court of the United States ... Proving that the court's having their collective head up their robes is nothing new.

If you are serious about learning how to improve your relationship with food (and who isn't?) you've simply got to have this book. I've had mine since 1995 (I got it in conjunction with a subscription to the University of California at Berkeley's Wellness Letter), and I still consult it regularly.

I think that this book, along with Julia Child's "The Way To Cook" would be an excellent foundation for anyone who is serious about health and nutrition.

Everything you need to know, and easy to use. A must for every kitchen. Anyone interested in health and fitness will love this book.

Absolutely excellent! Every food I've ever looked up has been in this book. It includes thorough nutrition information on all foods. Every food listing includes the following sections: varieties, availability, shopping tips, storage, preparation, and serving suggestions. Also nicely illustrated, well organized. Fabulous resource. Can't wait for the 99 edition.

I was given this book by my best friend; we both feel a strong attachment to our gandmothers. Even just flipping through it, I knew right away that I'd like it. The quality of the paper, the photographs, layout, binding are all excellent. Once I started reading it, I was glued. It's not a cookbook to use as a resource; it's a book of essays, each accompanied by a recipe. Each essay is a like a snapshot into a family of long ago, and each woman is writing about my favorite topic - the strong "grandmother-pull" she feels. Many of the women write of grandmothers they barely knew but with whom they feel some connection, while others write of grandmothers who raised them or who were active in their families. In all cases, the love, respect, awe, and gratitude the writers feel toward their grandmothers is evident in each piece. The recipes are a fun supplement to each essay. They tell another story of the grandmother in the way they were handed down or written down, and I swore I could smell the smells of each grandmother's cooking as I read. I read this book cover to cover and hated to see it end. It transported me to times long gone, times of grace, times with my grandmother, Grace.

At Grandmother's Table offers a fascinating collection of writings about food, life, and the enduring bond between grandmothers and their granddaughters. Enhanced with the occasional recipes such as Grandma Riello's Spaghetti Sauce, Mildred's Wild Blackberry Tarts, and Grandma Rendler's Apple Strudel, At Grandmother's Table offers the intimate and candid thoughts of eight women, richly illustrated with vintage photographs and original drawings. At Grandmother's Table would grace any home or community library collection and is very highly recommended reading for those who appreciate nostalgia, family traditions, and generational legacies of the kitchen.

This book is more than memories and recipes, it presents a cross section of cultures, personalities, and tastes. Each grandmother's story touches the heart--some are humorous, others poignant, but all reminded me in some way of my grandmothers. As a grandmother, it made me reflect on my role in my grandchildren's lives. The recipes are an added bonus. Delicious! And, most important, doable!

Richard Schwartz paints a picture of Berkeley in words that transports you back in time. Interesting and lively, the stories show life around the turn of the 20th century. Even for people who don't live in the Berkeley area, the characters and pictures are fascinating. A must-read for anyone who wants a sense of how life really was around 1900.

This book really gave me a different perspective on Berkeley, the geography and the people. The way the information was delivered brought the book to life and added depth. It is not in any way a "typical" history book. The vignettes about the people made the time period approachable and real. A must read for anyone who has ever been to or lived in Berkeley.

Just a few words to tell you how much I enjoyed "Berkeley 1900." I saw
pictures about a past I never knew existed. It gave me an appreciation of
Berkeley I never thought I would have. Prior to seeing the book, I thought
Berkeley was just a bunch of pinkos.
jake

My mother, who was from North Carolina with relatives in the Appalachians, read The Jack Tales to my brother and me before we started reading for ourselves. She got really tired of doing so, because we'd ask for them over and over. Fairy tales are the deep learning of childhood, and to hear these stories written the same way our older relatives spoke was wondrous. The stories themselves are a celebration of Jack the hero and Jack the Trickster, told with plenty of humour to keep things interesting and in a voice both authentically American and of universal appeal. I'm delighted to be able to get my hands on a copy - this is a book well worth reading and preserving for the next generation of avid readers.

I found this book in the library of my elementary school around 1965. After I married and had children I had to have a copy of this book for them. They enjoyed Jack's adventures as much as I did. I'm going to purchase several more copies and I plan to keep one for myself and give others away. Read these tales yourself and you will want to do the same.

I first heard the Jack Tales when I was in the fourth grade back in the 1960's. Our teacher would read us a chapter once a week. I had to look good and hard to find a copy for my daughters they have enjoyed hearing about Jack.

I love this book with all my heart. It always makes me smile and laff. It is like magic.

Mrs. Bean's daughter grows to be tall and strong like the vegetables in her garden, and her efforts in her garden produce wonders which become a family affair in this story of gardening delights and a small girl's special talents.

Good folksy fairy tale where the protagonist is a girl not scared to get her magical green fingers dirty. My two year old immediately loved the story of a young baby growing into a little girl and "doing something wonderful." I like that there are lots of opportunities to identify and name vegetables in the exciting if not overly refined illustrations. Also, I really recommend this book for its sense of community -- when the village comes together to harvest and eat Scarlette's giant vegetables, it's great to notice that women drive forklifts, priests sit down to eat with tattooed bikers and neighbors come in all shapes and colors. These details are not at issue in the content of the story, but added for discovery in the ilustrations.

Melody Ermachild Chavis' book has proved to me that one person CAN make a difference. This story stayed with me, and I can't wait to read "Finding Freedom" by Jarvis Masters, the Death Row inmate Melody befrinds in "Altars." Chavis tells the story of a crumbling South Berkeley neighborhood with realistic hard-edged truths, taking the reader along with her as she struggles to fight back against the drug wars and violence taking over her community. You'll find yourself sharing her pain, joy and frustration with every page you turn. I recommend this book to anyone with an inkling for the possibility of social change. To those who are skeptics, I say give "Altars in the Street" a chance to change your mind--and your life--forever. Bravo to Melody. I just hope she continues to publish her work.

Melody Ermachild Chavis writes a thoughtful and compelling account of her commitment to an inner-city neighborhood. Weaving family, community, and personal stories, Melody recounts the joys, triumphs, and struggles she encountered in this Berkely neighborhood. Interspersed are the beginnings of her Buddhist faith which provide the graceful style of her writing. This is one of those books that will remain floating around in my brain for quite some time. It was required reading for a senior Social Work class, but I found that it speaks to all of us who find ourselves in neighborhoods or communities. We all face challenges of living closely together and this is a testament that these difficulties can be overcome in a harmonious fashion.

Alters in the Street slices through the jaded, bunker-mentality of urban life by seeping us in the war zone, giving a poignant face to the brutalized and brutalizing who are our neighbors, and delivering renewed committment and a path to making peace and quality of life right where we are. I experienced the whole range of emotions, cried while reading every chapter but ended up wanting to extend myself further into my community. I almost wanted to become a Buddhist! A moving example of travelling through discord, through the elements that separate us from ourselves and our community to reach a more integrated, whole and hopeful self.

Berkeley Breathed has some of the most richly animated stories I've ever seen. I owned this book for a couple of years before I realized how great the illustrations in this book were. After working in a primary school library and reading various stories to the little kids, I realized that Breathed's books were far superior to most of the others. The detail and color present in this story takes a back seat to only the story itself. This is, perhaps, the best Christmas story I've read, and it's one that children really respond to. Who can't relate to feeling inferior to others and wanting to be different? Opus has this problem. He's a penguin who wants to fly. It's not until his unique talents are needed that his dreams of flying can come true.

The story has a great compliment of characters including: Bill the Cat, some snow ducks, and Ronald Ann. They all (in some way) try to help Opus, but the help comes from the least likely source. This is a great story that children will love to hear every year, and one that the parents will look forward to hearing every year. It's not trite and it's not purile. It's a good story with great pictures that should be in everyone's library.

I take this book out only at Christmas (yes, it's my copy). I've run it thru 9 neices and nephews now. They absolutely love it! They ask for it. My one neice memorized every word of it (before she could read it herself). She would recite it with me as I read.

This is an adorable little Christmas story with an adorable message for young children. The art is wonderful. And the main character is our good friend, Opus the Penguine

i have read this book to my son since he was three years old [ he's now almost 8] and he still loves it. a great and gentle christmas story along with wonderful illustrations. good for adults too, especially those of us who loved opus from the bloom county comic strip.

Like much of life itself the power I felt in this reading was in what was not said, in the spaces in between. Melodic and poetic view of humans as complex beings in relationships. It's crept back into my consciousness often after I finished it a couple of months ago.

This elegant collection of prize-winning short stories makes a nearly seamless novel. The extraordinary main characters are Margy, a violinist with the CSO, and Webster, adult child of psychiatrists who wants to return to his nebulous Native American roots. Nixon is an exquisite writer who writes what she knows and seems to know a lot of things especially music and science. She is equally adept at portraying the sights, smells and sounds of love but always with a delicate touch. This sensuous reading experience should also appeal to those who are not particularly interested in reading relationship type novels because of the fine descriptive, researched and just plain gifted writing.

Angels Go Naked does everything right in showing us how things can go wrong. The price of being human is knowing not only that we will die but that we will visit disaster on ourselves and those we love. The consolation for being human is we apprehend the beauty and glamor of the world, the exquisite little wrinkles of shocking intelligence. Both that price and those consolations are evident in the pages of this wonderful novel.