This short tale is illustrated by Christopher Denise, who also illustrated The Great Redwall Feast. Denise does a wonderful job of capturing the characters and mood of the Redwall
world. In this tale, traveling players visit the abbey and perform at a feast marking the last day of autumn. The dibbuns hear a bedtime tale of the Snow Badger, the lord of winter. Later the Snow Badger visits the abbey grounds with his army of snow hares to bring the first winter's snow. This is a "winter's tale," the kind of tale that might be told around a fireplace on a cold winter's night, and it includes an example of a winter's tale, the tale of the Snow Badger. A winter's tale typically involves some supernatural elements (See Shakespeare's Winter's Tale for another variation on this genre or Isak Dinesen's 7 Gothic Tales.)

Illustrator Christopher Denise does a superb job of bringing a visual feast of animal characters to life in Brian Jacques' "A Redwall Winter's Tale." Amazingly talented artist.

A traveling group of entertainers arrives at the Redwall Abbey on the last day of Autumn. The travellers put on a big show, and the Redwallers provide a huge feast. When it is time to put the Dibbuns (youngsters) to bed, Mighty Bulbrock Badger tells a bedtime story. Who brings the wintertime snows? Why, the Snow Badger, of course! But is the Snow Badger real, or just a fairy tale told to the Dibbuns? You'll have to read the book to find out. The pictures are wonderful, perfectly complementing the story. Like Brian Jacques' previous picture book The Great Redwall Feast, also illustrated by Christopher Denise, this is a perfect introduction to the Redwall series for younger readers and a great book for all ages.

This remarkable book first caught my attention at the Australian Museum in Sydney one hot summer day. I was preparing my own expedition to Papua New Guinea in order to write a book on the rarely visited island provinces. I would be doing my own photography. As I leafed through these breathtaking portraits I experienced that shiver at the base of the neck that invariably indicates one is in the presence of great art. Only later came the gut-wrenching realisation that I would never be able to achieve such consummate skill myself (even with my old Nikon F2 and all the best old lenses).
Rainier has a passionate eye for composition, atmosphere and the eloquent possibilities of black and white texture. As you read the detailed and often poetic text accompanying the photographs, you will also find that Chris overcame incredible disasters in conquering this inhospitable environment to bring us these images. In the massive heat and humidity of Papua New Guinea, photographic equipment performs all sorts of horrible tricks at vital moments. Everything seems wet and clammy all the time. His canoe overturned and he lost all his valuable equipment and somehow replaced it to continue his expedition. To even get yourself into the remote areas where some were taken is an achievement in itself and then to emerge from the jungle with high art.......what can one say?
These photographs cross that difficult invisible line that separates art and photography.....very few have the genuis.....Brassai, Cartier Bresson, Eugene Atget and Salgado.....yes, these are Chris Rainier's peers. The images have the immortal immobility of an ancient and inaccessible past recaptured. The quality and sheer size of the prints is superb. All this lead me to convince my publishers to put one of his pictures on the jacket of my own Papua New Guinea book and one of my own more decorative photographs on the back.......a suitable place for this photographic Salieri. Sales are better than expected.
Buy his book as a tribute to a great photographic artist and in the process truly enrich your own cultural horizons.

This book surpassed my expectations! It could be seen as a documentary but transcends being pigeonholed in that way. It is, among other things, a breathtaking work of Art. The images have a crisp presence; at the same time there is a dreamlike undercurrent. The reproduction quality of the images is superb; they can hardly be distinguished from original silver prints! I also like the humble attitude of the Artist towards the people he portrays. Indeed, a masterpiece!

This book brought back vivid and fond memories of the time I lived in Papua New Guinea in 1960 -1962. The use of black and white photography was especially effective in capturing the essense of simplicity that represents the people. If you truly wish to see human spirit at it's best, visit New Guinea. If you can't - buy this book!

OK-I haven't read it 500 times but it IS consistently on the list of favorites. It has a bit of a thrill without getting too scary. Lavish illustrations.

In this story, which is told in rhyme, a small mouse insists on teasing a cat, while the cat is lounging on a hammock, drinking ice water, and generally minding his own business. A chase ensues each time the mouse begins the tease and the mouse scampers back to his mother to save him. By books end, the mouse has learned that it is not wise to tease. This book is extraordinary in its illustrations. My 3 year old son never tires of this book. It is a well read bedtime story. Highly, highly recommended!!

I learned of this book when I purchased another book and Amazon recommended it. What a sleeper! I had never heard of it. My 3 year old son laughs everytime we read it. The mouse insists on teasing the sleeping or relaxing cat, who then pursues him. The mouse runs to mommy to protect him. However, during the last chase, mommy cannot help and the mouse has to figure out how to save himself. There are some real slapstick scenes which my son loves. The cat has his nose tweaked, the cat falls off of his hammock, typical three year old humour. Highly, highly recommended!

Since I had already spent countless hours on the Internet searching for information on the care of degus, I thought that this book may be a waste of my time. I ordered it anyway (the price was right & afterall it was the first published English book on degus). I was extremely surprised at the amount of information contained in the book. Those who already own degus will not be disappointed, and will be surprised at some of the information (which may be contrary to what some internet sites claim) in it. For those who are new degus owners, or thinking about becoming an owner, I dare say that you should not consider buying such an exotic pet until you have read this book. The book "Degus" references many scientific studies from which some of the information was gathered. This book will certainly improve your understanding of your pets needs, and the quality of care that you provide them. :)

A Complete Degu Book Degus are among the lesser-known pocket pets, but this little manual will soon change that. One of the marks of a good manual is its comprehensiveness, and this one is concise, easy to use, and packed with information. The complete range of essential knowledge has been brought together by the author, including virtually everything that one needs to know to select, house, feed, breed and identify common problems with this fascinating group of South American rodents. A Health Check Sheet gives Degu lovers an easy table of signs to look for that suggest medical problems, but this manual is really about how to prevent them. The emphasis of this book is on understanding and nurturing your Degu. Since much of caring for unfamiliar pets revolves around knowing what is normal, Dr. Vanderlip has taken particular care to describe, in simple detail, the expected norms, such as how Degus look and act from birth to adulthood, and what they do when they feel good. Veterinarians will find this to be a handy reference for examining and treating Degus, which are growing in popularity as small pets.

This manual is loaded with illustrations on housing, feeding, handling and medical care. A particularly useful section describes all of the typical places in the household that represent hazards to these agile little creatures. The photos and drawings are excellent and show Degus doing what Degus do, which seems to revolve around being cute and fun loving most of the time.

Phillip T. Robinson, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Zoological Medicine

Degus are among the lesser-known pocket pets, but this little manual will soon change that. One of the marks of a good manual is its comprehensiveness, and this one is concise, easy to use, and packed with information. The complete range of essential knowledge has been brought together by the author, including virtually everything that one needs to know to select, house, feed, breed and identify common problems with this fascinating group of South American rodents. A Health Check Sheet gives Degu lovers an easy table of signs to look for that suggest medical problems, but this manual is really about how to prevent them.

The emphasis of this book is on understanding and nurturing your Degu. Since much of caring for unfamiliar pets revolves around knowing what is normal, Dr. Vanderlip has taken particular care to describe, in simple detail, the expected norms, such as how Degus look and act from birth to adulthood, and what do they do when they feel good. Veterinarians will find this to be a handy reference for examining and treating Degus, which are growing in popularity as small pets.

This manual is loaded with illustrations on housing, feeding, handling and medical care. A particularly useful section describes all of the typical places in the household that represent hazards to these agile little creatures. The photos and drawings are excellent and show Degus doing what Degus do, which seems to revolve around being busy, cute and fun loving most of the time.

Phillip T. Robinson, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Zoological Medicine

This is a wonderful book that crosses all boundaries! It is enlightening that the two sisters are of different species, thus clearing the way for discussion in families of any kind. Lucy appears to be, however, a rat (look at the size difference and shape compared to Estelle), which opens the door to political views for all ages.

This is a charming little masterpiece, and the kind of book you don't often see these days. The unspoken, unexplained fact that Estelle and Lucy, a cat and mouse, are sisters gives the story a wonderful sense of mysteriousness, and makes the characters all the more intriguing. I could not disagree more with Publishers Weekly on this one: I find Estelle, Lucy and their mother, with their fabulous little stoic faces, to be full of life and expression. That they are so restrained and subtle is the very thing that makes them so endearing and reminiscent of early 20th century children's illustration. I look forward to seeing future books from Anna Alter, and hopefully more of Estelle and Lucy, with much anticipation.

The illustrations in this book are wonderfully homey and old-fashioned. I love the fact that a mouse and a kitten can be siblings! This book is just adorable. Buy it for everyone you know!

This, the 8th Ed. is the classic by George Templeton, updated by McNitt, Patton, Lukefahr and Cheeke.

Although no serious rabbit raiser can afford to be without this book, it could use an overhaul. A bit too much deals with academic issues and diseases or health issues, and a bit too little on trial experiments and management.

If rabbit farming is ever to become a viable endeavor people (raisers and bankers) need to have an authoritative source to consult. I am not aware of any researchers better able to satisfy such a need than McNitt, Patton, Lukefahr and Cheeke. And, were they to include such information in edition 9 you can bet I'd be buying it immediately.

As I indicated earlier, this is a must buy for any serious rabbit raiser throughout North or South America or Africa or Asia. It is a great reference for producing meat, fur, or for Angora Wool.

If you can only get one book on rabbits, this is the book to get! Considered by many rabbit breeders, exhibitors, owners to be 'THE' book on rabbits. The authors are rabbit owners/breeders themselves and they know whereof they speak. Easy to read and understand, it includes a history of rabbits, genetics, feeding, housing, breeding, medical care, the merits of rabbits as pets, rabbits in therapy, just about anything you would ever need or want to know about rabbits. This book is well worth every penny of the cost. It's a very modest investment when you want to provide the very best for your rabbit, or rabbits, no matter why you have them.

This is the newest edition of a classic in raising rabbits commercially. This edition has color photographs that prove to be very useful. It contains practical useful and up-to-date information that simply cannot be found elsewhere. Not a how-to book for pet rabbit owners, but a serious manual for producing high quality healthy rabbits in an economical manner. I would not attempt to raise rabbits commercially without this "bible" on the bookshelf.

My daughter (toddler) got this book for Christmas, and asks for us to read it again and again. She also enjoys looking at the beautiful illustrations all by herself.

The book explains what every kindergarten student should know about the Presidency by using animals to grab the attention of young readers. It is not over simplified, leaving plenty of room for questions and looking up supplimental information.

There are not a lot of resources for parents who have very young children interested in government. The books in this series are very age-appropriate and informative. Even if your child is not specifically interested in government, it is a good story with some beneficial information.

Woodrow, the White House Mouse and the whole series are fantastic. Illustrator, Cheryl Shaw Barnes does an amazing job of bringing the White House to life with her beautiful watercolor and ink drawings. The rhyming text in each of the books is hilarious and instructive. These books will stay in our family library forever - treasures all!

Peter and Cheryl Barnes have taken the stuffiness out of the office of the presidency and written a picture book full of solid information that's perfect for youngsters 4-8 years old. Told in rhyme, Woodrow G. Washingtail's administration parallels that of his human counterpart. From his inauguration to work in the oval office, from sending bills to congress and meeting with foreign heads of states, to hosting the Easter egg roll and artistic events in the East Room, Woodrow explains how the president does his job. Cheryl Barnes' charming, detailed illustrations show actual White House rooms, furnishings and decor and Woodrow's first lady Bess is even wearing Mamie Eisenhower's gown, at the inauguration ball. At the end of the book, there are historical notes for teachers and parents, about the presidency and White House, to help expand discussions and lessons. Woodrow the White House Mouse is a delightful book, chock full of fun facts, history, and amusing descriptions that kids will find interesting and enjoy again and again.

In this sequel to Angelina Ballerina, Angelina learns that her ballet school is to put on a performance for the Princess of Mouseland. Angelina is crushed, though, when she gets sick in time for the tryouts. Forced to settle for a supporting role, she takes her mother's advice and determines to do her best at the part she is given. This is the story of Angelina's triumph!

Once again the unbeatable duo of Katharine Holabird (author) and Helen Craig (illustrator) combine to create a supremely lovable book. My ten-year-old daughter tore through this book, thoroughly enjoying the story. Yes, it wasn't a challenge to her reading ability, but she loved the story, and I appreciate any book that keeps her reading! Both my daughter and I highly recommend this book.

"Angelina and the Princess" is the first of the Angelina series my daughter and I have, but we plan to get the rest as we love this so much. Angelina is a tiny white mouse who yearns to be feminine and sweet, but is sometimes headstrong and silly--just like most girls I know (including my five-year old daughter!). Angelina has a dance recital coming up and she is pining away for a major role. However, as she's sick on the day of auditions, she doesn't do well and in fact, barely is able to crawl back home and into her worried mother's arms. She knows she did poorly, and her mother admits as much too, which brings me to one of the things I love about this book--there's no sugar-coating the fact that Angelina has gotten herself into a pickle. It's a storybook, and a fantasy at that, but it's realistic enough to keep the edge off the sweetness.

Angelina is counseled by her mother to do her very best. I don't want to give away the ending, but by keeping a cheerful attitude and trying to do her best for the whole dance company, Angelina is amply rewarded. It's a story with a moral, but the moral isn't presented in a sickeningly sweet way.

The illustrations by Helen Craig are truly a treat. Set vaguely in a Victorian England mousedom, they depict tiny cottages with climbing vines, drapey dresses with floral prints, tiaras, bouquets, adorable furniture, and so on. Three cheers to both Helen Craig and author Katharine Holabird for a book which is a joy to read and great fun to peruse just for the illustrations alone!

I bought this book for my nieces (three and four) who started their ballet lessons. I first hesitated because Angelina was a mouse who does not look like Mickey Mouse, instead looks rather like a real mouse, but all the pictures are so wonderfully detailed and cute. Not only my nieces love the story, but they are also interested in other things in the pictures (e.g. posters and toys in Angelina's bedroom etc). They have been reading it over and over, and each time they report me the things they noticed in the pictures. I am not sure if it is recommandable for little boys for the girly storyline, yet I am sure it is a great book for girls, especially who loves ballet.

In this next book in the Angelina Ballerina series, Angelina can hardly await the arrival of her mom's new baby. However, when the baby arrives, she finds that the baby is now the center of everyone's attention. Wracked with jealousy, Angelina has a lesson to learn...

This is a very cute book. I like the lesson that it taught, and my daughter and I both loved the story and the wonderful illustrations. This is a good book, one that we highly recommend to you.

Katharine Holabird's "Angelina's Baby Sister" follows in the tradition of all the other Angelina Mouseling books. Angelina Mouseling is a small white mouse--perhaps somewhere between six and ten years old in people years--who has the complete attention of her parents and grandparents no matter what. Then one day, her mother has a baby! The new baby sister, Polly, is adorable and Angelina tries very, very hard to be interested and attentive and loving. But it's tough. No one is much paying attention to Angelina now that Polly's here, and that's especially upsetting to Angelina because she's recently been given an award at dance class.

Angelina finally gives in to her anger and throws off steam in the privacy of her bedroom. The problem is that in doing so, she accidentally breaks the award statuette she's recently earned. The adults--parents and grandparents alike--are surprised by Angelina's mood and soon figure out the connection to the new baby, Polly.

All ends well, however, and Angelina is able to look at Polly as a possible new audience member for Angelina's impromptu dance recitals at home. This is a dear, sweet book that examines honestly the difficulties involved in dealing with a new sibling. The illustrations by Helen Craig are, as always, just precious--softly colored, beautifully detailed, and always in step with the text.

Someone gave my 3 year old daughter this book when we had a new baby. Angelina has a hard time sharing the spotlight, and her family's time with the new addition. So did my daughter! But, reading this book with her gave us some "cuddle time" and helped us deal with incorporating a new and demanding member of the family! I've given this book as a gift many times since!

This is a beautiful picture book with charming, expressive illustrations filled with details. It tells the tale of a little mouse whose village is at the edge of a great forest. He is very frightened of the forest and imagines that all kinds of dangers are concealed there. One night he gets tired of being afraid and faces his fear and discovers great beauty. This story is told in the first person and uses some words that might be difficult for little ones like looming, devoured, murmuring, headlong, pillars (to describe trees). However, using uncommon words helps to expand a young one's vocabulary so that in itself is not really a problem just an observation. I think what might make this book unappealing to little ones is that it takes place deep within the mouse. He reflects on his fears in a mature way, decides to deal with those fears, goes off to the forest alone still grappling with the fears, the fear reaches a crescendo then in the majesty of the forest he contemplates his place in the Universe and finds tranquility. The text is poetical and I was moved by this peacefully thoughtful book but I think the concepts are too much on the inner plane to interest a child. This would actually make a great gift for a teen going off to college or moving away for the first time, or for a friend embarking on a new career, but it's too deep for little children to enjoy on their own. A parent will really have to explain and dialogue a lot about this book and in that case they might as well dialogue in their own words about facing fears and then choose a fun story for their children.

"I had always been afraid of the forest, that dark and unknown place at the farthest edge of my little world..." So begins Claire Nivola's eloquent little story of a mouse who conquers his fear, leaves the safety of his home and village, and discovers the wonders of the beautiful world around him. Mouse bravely sets out one morning on the adventure of a lifetime, walking down the country road on his long journey to the forest. "I stepped inside the forest, between two pillar trees that stood like a gateway." His heart pounded, and the unfamiliar sounds terrified him. Running for cover, the little mouse tripped and fell. "When I opened my eyes, my nose was deep in moss, a forest of tiny trees, as soft as feathers. The sunlight was raining down through the leaves and warming my back. A sweet breeze stirred my fur." The forest wasn't really frightening, just new and unknown..... Ms Nivola's engaging text is joyous and lyrical, and complemented by her elegant and detailed illustrations. Together word and art paint a captivating portrait that's heartwarming, gentle, and reassuring. Perfect for cuddling up and reading aloud, The Forest makes a soothing and cozy bedtime story that's just right for youngsters 3-7. "I listened. All around me a million leaves whispered and rustled gently. I rolled over and, for the first time, looked up. High above, I saw the sky. The sky was bigger than the forest, bigger even than my fear had been, bigger than everything. I lay there-a speck in this enormous beauty-until the light began to fade..."

There are really very few picture books each year that are truly wonderful, but I think this is one of them. "The Forest" is in many ways a subtle and quiet book, but its simple plot is one that kids can easily relate to. Told in a first-person narrative, the book tells of a mouse living in a little town who is afraid of the forest. One day he decides to face his fear, and so leaving the cosy home and town, he ventures towards the looming woods. When at last he enters them, he is scared stiff but soon realizes that he really had little to fear except fear itself. The message is thus a very positive one about facing our imaginary fears. Adults as well as children will appreciate the beautiful, detailed, moody paintings that illustrate the story; they show just enough menace to make mouse's fears seem real, but not so much that they are actually scary. The pacing of the story is excellent. Simply put, this book does everything it sets out to do very well.