Sheila Rae's Pepperment Stick became an instant favourite at our house. Our 18 month old son has to take it everywhere with him... in the car, into the grocery store, into bed. I like it, too, because at the very end, I always get a big hug and kiss.

My concern about the book is the portrayal of the classic interaction between an older and a younger sibling: teasing with that edge of clever nastiness. I've now become somewhat immune to it but during the first few readings I cringed, wondering if taunting needs to be modeled even in charming books. My husband and I, however, are careful to leave that tone (how easy it comes to us!) out of our voices as we read Sheila Rae's responses to Louise.

All in all, it is a fun book and wonderfully illustrated. It is great to see Sheila Rae being a good sport when she is foiled by her own game.

Sheila Rae has a peppermint stick. It's long and striped and thin and sweet. But most importantly, it's all hers. When little sister, Louise, asks for just a taste, one little lick, Sheila Rae does her best, big sister style, to torment and tease tiny Louise. "You can have a lick if you can guess how many stripes there are." And of course poor Louise doesn't have a clue. But when Sheila Rae's second challenge backfires, the two sisters work out a winning compromise that leaves Sheila Rae, Louise and the reader, happy..... Nobody captures the ups and downs of sibling relationships quite as well as Kevin Henkes. His easy to read text and dialogue are down to earth and true to life and his characters are so real they could live right next door. Youngsters will easily identify with Sheila Rae and Louise, since they're sure to have played out many similar situations with their own brothers, sisters or friends. Add Mr Henkes charming and expressive artwork and you have the makings of a terrific little book that's perfect for pre-schoolers and emerging readers. This is Kevin Henkes' first board book and it's sure to join his many classics as a new family favorite. Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick is a winner!

Sheila Rae of "Sheila the Brave" is back again. This time, she's received a long peppermint stick that she doesn't want to share with her little sister Louise. Sheila continues to promise Louise the stick, if only she can guess a series of questions Sheila thinks Louise will never be able to answer. Much to Sheila's chagrin, Louise bests her. When Sheila refuses, Louise grabs the stick, and it breaks in half. Peppermint sticks for everyone! "Sharing" is probably the moral of this story, but Kevin Henke's unique story-telling makes it much more fun than a finger wagging Aesop's Fable. This book is available in board form, my favorite for younger kids- they're virtually indestructable. My son threw one into a tub full of water, and apart from a little warping, the book still looks and works fine. Enjoy!

I rated this book with 4 stars because the illustrations are completely engaging, filled with rustic charm, cute little animals, thatched roof cottages, pretty flowers like foxgloves and climbing roses. Maggie Kneen brings the little critters who live along Thimbleberry Lane to life with vivid colors and nostalgic sensitivity. That's certainly worth every point of the four stars! The reason I withheld the fifth star is that Nigel Chipmunk and his friends the owl, the hummingbird, the snake, the butterfly and the mudpuppy while adorable and friendly sorts are way too tame to attract any real interest from children (or adults who love childrens' literature.) They help each other with tasks and have meals together and in general are very neighborly which is certainly a virtue, but unfortunately they are a bit boring. A little mischief would go a long way on Thimbleberry Lane.

I LOVE pretty stories with sweet pictures, and vice versa! This is a sweet little chapter book with adorable little pictures. I can't wait to give this to my Godchildren for Christmas. Makes life look like what we all wish it could be...simple, sweet, precious!

Enjoy this lovely book over leisurely cups of tea and hot cocoa with a youngster. Ms. Rylant paints a vivid picture of a community where the animals are very different from each other, but they accept and appreciate those differences. Although the book is not preachy or pushy, here are some lessons a young reader/listener might pick up: Nigel welcomes a newcomer, though the hummingbird's flashy style makes him dizzy; Nigel patiently helps a worried little perfectionist owl "redecorate" his home -- back to the way it was in the first place; Nigel encourages a garter snake to plant a garden, aware that his lazy friend will not see it through. And finally (this is a lesson most children need to hear) Nigel politely accepts lunch with a salamander, knowing his friend serves only terrible-tasting health food. His graciousness is rewarded in the end. The painted illustrations are as delightful as the stories and characters themselves. This book is remniscent of Jan Karon's good-natured Mitford series for adults.

Having visited the region where this book is set I found it mostly interesting for giving a picture of how things used to be there - they are much changed today!
For those who haven't been to the Asmat region of New Guinea, this will be a fascinating read. Those inspired to go should be prepared to find it a lot more civilized these days.

I read this at the suggestion of a drugged counter culture english teach in 1969 need I say more, the actual acount of Tobia's stay among the headhunters, where all other journalists who were dropped there and eaten, Tobias sheds his clothes and embraces the tribesmen and becomes one

this left such an impression on me that 30 years later i can remember all of it

going on hunts and cutting the enemy tribes limbs and heads and pileing them neatly and eating the hearts first to release thier evil sprit and use thier skulls as pillows

Variant, modifying New Guinea cultures - such is the conclusion that Tobias Schneebaum has accepted after compiling his social science field research at the end of an odyssey in the jungle on the second largest island on earth. Wild spirits, he infers in his book, Where the Spirits Dwell, could be mitigated by an unconventional search in the mysterious wilderness. Schneebaum's field research has taken the social scientist to a group's most sacred customs and practises, giving an intimate bird's-eye view on New Guinea. By participating in the daily spirit of the tribe he was able to collect data and now has shared his insightful findings. Most social scientists aim for the goal of presenting men in society as they naturally act. But to catch human nature surreptitiously requires the type of field research that is found in Where the Spirits Dwell. The secluded denizens were an attraction for the social scientist since he has investigated the hypothesis about the visual and thinking processes of the Asmat tribesmen by using the Lowenfeld Mosaic Test. But he also was drawn to the society by the tantalizing unknown. The author states, "perhaps it was nothing more than the thought that what lay on the other side of the mountain was more exciting than what was immediately around me." Some thoughtlessly have minimized the Asmat's thrill of discovering the first Caucasian. Years ago, social scientist and subject wanted to enjoy the intimacy of their encounter. The reader is attracted to the heart of the secret society which comprises some aspects of religious belief and many views of sexuality. Pursuing his field research the anthropologist's methods are justified by the freedom of inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge but perhaps he also may have achieved greater insight because the people sensed something in him that attracted them instantly. Tobias Schneebaum conveys the condition of a solitary social scientist's world. Besides the freedom of inquiry it is filled with the limitations of dangerou

This is one of these children's books that the adult reading it can enjoy as well. This was the first book about Angelina Ballerina that we read, and it sent us off to find all the other one's as well. Delightful illustrations.

That's exactly what this book is. Cute. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful, and the story is enjoyable. Angelina and Alice are both mice. One day they meet each other and become friends because they both like the same things. When other kids (mice) at school begin making fun of Angelina, Alice joins in. Angelina is left with no friends, and no partner in gym. I won't tell you what happens in the end. You'll have to find out for yourself.

I recommend this book to children and adults alike.

Angelina is given the opportunity to donate things that she has outgrown to a charity box for second hand items. She includes Polka, her rag doll from her early years as a ballerina, as one of the toys she feels that she has outgrown. When Grandpa comes for a visit, he reminds Angelina of the fond memories that she had with Polka, and she desparately wants the doll back. Is it too late to find the doll again? Angelina learns that growing up is not always easy, but charity has grown up feelings to replace the things you give away.

This is another of the wonderful Angelina Ballerina storybook series. In this book, Angelina gets the good news that she has been chosen to help Miss Lilly with the new beginners' class. But, tragedy strikes when Angelina gives some old things to charity, and finds that she has accidentally given away a treasured item. In the end, Angelina learns that giving can have rewards beyond anything she might have expected!

As with all of the Angelina Ballerina books, this book is a wonderful mix of entertaining stories and picture, and an excellent lesson. My eleven-year-old daughter loves this book, and so do I. We both recommend this book to you!

In this next book in the Angelina Ballerina series, Angelina prepares for the New Year's Eve Ice Dance. It's a lovely pageant, but she repeatedly finds her practice interrupted by Spike and Sammy, two boys from the school. When she complains to her mother, Mrs. Mouseling explains that the two boys just want her attention. And so, Angelina forms a plan to include the two boys...

Once again, I must say that Katherine Holabird sure knows how to write a wonderful story. I liked the lesson of the book, and my daughter and I both loved Helen Craig's illustrations. We highly recommend this book to you.

I fell in love with Angelina when I was young and the first book came out. I recently read Angelina Ice Skates and loved it as I did all the others. The Angelina books all teach a lesson, yet put the characters in situations that real children could end up in. In Angelina Ice Skates, Angelina and her friends are having trouble with some of the boys at the rink. Her mother gives her some advice and all works out in the end. The perfect length for a bedtime story, I would recommend this book for all children's libraries, especially little girls who want to be ballerinas.

This is a real classic in the history of anthropology, published in 1922, and unlike another classic from the same decade, Coming of Age in Samoa, it has worn well, too. This is where modern ethnography begins. Malinowski tells us how to do ethnography, in no uncertain terms, as he explains Trobriand kula expeditions. I found it to be a delightful read and I was continually amazed at the intellectual sophistication of his work, given its age. I believe I learned more about ethnography from this book than from any other I have ever read, and I have been a professional anthropologist for 30 years. It is, I must warn you, a long book, and I doubt that many will be willing to read it from stem to stern, but I think every anthropologist should study the introduction at least. It is perhaps the "sacred charter" for the ethnographic project, complete with felicitous phrases such as the "ethnographer's magic," "the imponderabilia of actual life," "the native's point of view," and "the hold life has." In addition, it is certainly essential reading for anyone interested in magic, because it is as much about magic as it is about kula exchange.

I assigned this book to a junior-level college class in ethnography, but they weren't as pleased with it as I was. Many of the students understood the importance of the book, but most also found it tedious, dull, repetitive, hard to follow, and definitely too long.

Don't be misled by the occasional discouraged student, this is an important work that must be read by someone seeking to understand the nature and history of the social sciences.

I thought it was inventive because the mouse lives on books. He eats words out of books and he protects himself from the sleeping but dangerous cat by using sharp words but in the end he can't protect himself because the cat can't read. It's fun because of the adveture the mouse has with the young scribe. The ending was fun too.

When I first picked up The Bookstore Mouse I was thinking "gee, another new library book, maybe this will provide about an hour of reading," but when I opened the book at home I got more than I had bargained for. I became entoiled in the affairs of a mouse and a wanna be knight. The way the book was written was original, the mouse knowing that he was reading and the knight and the way they use this advantage of information to help themselves throughout the adventure he was having. I really enjoyed this book. By A.M2

This is a wonderful book for children ages 2+. A sly mouse hides under the nose of one hotel staff member after another, then bests the "upscale exterminators" Hyde & Snyde.

My 4 year old loves finding the "hidden" mouse again and again, making this a top-ten bedtime story that never seems to get old.

Cute illustrations.

My 3-year-old loves this book. Your child can find the mouse in the lovely drawings of the various areas of the hotel. And the story is wonderful: when a mouse shows up at a snooty hotel, the staff "solves" the problem by hiring a consulting firm that can't find the mouse and gets everyone to chant "there's no mouse here." Even the mouse joins in. (Kind of like real life in the business consulting world, but more fun!) We enjoy reading this book, too, because you can "play" the various characters with dramatic flare.

This Book Gives So much Good information On Guinea Pigs. They Are really fasinating creatures, you not regreat buying this book! I enjoyed reading all the little facts on guinea pigs. This is one of the best books on guinea pigs there is out there!

My niece gave my daughter her guinea pig when she was moving. I have to admit, I was not too happy with the rodent at first. I am more of a dog/cat type of person..but soon this little furry creature stole my heart. I bought this book for her to learn how to take care of the guinea pig. It has EVERYTHING you need to know about them. I have looked at several books like this in book stores, but found this one on-line and took a chance that it had all the info that we needed. It gives a history of the animals, different breeds, and all of the care instructions that you need to have a happy healthy guinea...plus it gives other resources to follow up with, which has been extrememly helpful. If you are a new guinea pig owner, this book is a must have!