Sunday, November 9, 2008

The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Potter) (Hardcover)


The quintessential cautionary tale, Peter Rabbit warns naughty children about the grave consequences of misbehaving. When Mrs. Rabbit beseeches her four furry children not to go into Mr. McGregor's garden, the impish Peter naturally takes this as an open invitation to create mischief. He quickly gets in over his head, when he is spotted by farmer McGregor himself. Any child with a spark of sass will find Peter's adventures remarkably familiar. And they'll see in Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail that bane of their existence: the "good" sibling who always does the right thing. One earns bread and milk and blackberries for supper, while the obstinate folly of the other warrants medicine and an early bedtime.

Beatrix Potter's animal stories have been a joy to generations of young readers. Her warm, playful illustrations in soft colors invite children into the world of words and flights of fancy. Once there, she gently and humorously guides readers along the path of righteousness, leaving just enough room for children to wonder if that incorrigible Peter will be back in McGregor's garden tomorrow. (Ages Baby to Preschool) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War (Abarat) [BARGAIN PRICE] (Hardcover)


Picking up right where the first book left off, our heroine Candy continues her journey in Abarat and in her journey of self-discovery. After finding out that she has been to Abarat before in Book One, this volume reveals to the reader (and to Candy) the answer she has been seeking and introduces us to the begining of the war between the forces of Night and Day. Along the way, we are introduced to several new characters, including the famed Dragon slayer Finnigan Hob and Letheo the beast-boy.

Once again, Barker's colorful and lively paintings take center stage. This is no truer than in several chapters that deal with Candy and Malingo as they explore the island of Babilonium (aka The Carnival Island). Taking a cue from such fantasies as Little Nemo in Slumberland and Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials triology, Barker creates paintings that showcase his description about the island, from a gallery of freaks to the crowds of people from just about every corner of the Abarat! This is my favorite part of book; it makes me want to explore the world Barker has created for myself and take in all the sites, sounds, and smells!

Once again, if you have not read the Abarat series, what are you waiting for? If you love fantasy series that are orginal and descriptive like The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, or His Dark Materials, then read this series! Once you've been to Abarat, you'll want to go back for more!

Book of Answers, The (Paperback)


The picture here at Amazon does not do this book justice. It is about
two inches thick, the size of your hand, and is covered in a classic
black cover. This is one stylish little package. The book feels good
in your hands. If you saw it on a coffee table you would reach out for
it instinctively.

"The Book of Answers" is a book of
mystery, you are instantly intrigued when you see its unique size and
the first thing you will think will be: "What is that book
about!" I first saw this book sitting on a shelf. I was one of
the last people to a book signing party. They were just putting the
books away, when I became intrigued. I walked over and found the last
Autographed copy...as if it was waiting for me.

I opened the book
and saw a few words on each page. What I didn't realize was that I had
to ask a question first, and then open the book! Fortunately Carol
Bolt was there to save me and explained how the book worked. Carol
Bolt is one of the nicest authors I have ever met. She is just as fun
to talk to as her book is to read.

As soon as I knew the secret of
how to play with this new toy for my brain, I was laughing out
loud. Carol explained that it has the intrigue of a magic eight ball,
but unlike the magic ball, this book has so many more answers.

This
is the most amusing book I have ever found. It brings out the
mischievous kid or the thoughtful adult. In me, it brought out both
and the "little question box I used to be." Now, if only my
father had owned one of these books when I was a child.

You supply
all the questions, and then you can find one answer printed in capital
letters on each page. There are no page numbers so you can't
cheat. The only way you could try to cheat is to look up the answer
again. You will find that even that will not always work. Now, I will
say, this book told me the best answers anyone could have ever given
me. So much so, that I could feel chills going down my spine. It will
scare you when the answer is so near to the truth.

The instructions
are on the back of the cover on a removable sticker and are also in
the front of the book. You place your hand on the cover, reflect on a
question, and then when it feels right you choose a page and read the
answer.

Now you should be careful what you ask! The answer might
be: "Get it in writing," "You'll have to
compromise," "Keep an open mind," "Watch and see
what happens," "Only do it once," etc.

My husband
asked: "Will I make more money at my new job." The answer:
"In a year from now, it won't matter!" Now that leads to
another question! Why?

The idea for "The Book of Answers"
came from the advice her parents gave to her while she was growing
up. She told me it holds "all the answers to her life." Now,
that convinced me to buy it! You will instantly recognize this as a
book of wisdom. Carol first self-published 130 copies of her book in
February 1998. She then easily found a publisher. This is why I have
the belief that life is a journey. Sometimes you have to follow your
own path to success!

When I asked the book: Will we have a new president soon? The answer was: "It is Certain." I cheated and
asked the same question again...to my astonishment...I found the same
answer! Apparently, that answer is in the front and the back of the
book. Now, what is the chance of that happening? (Back to the book)
"The chance will not come again soon."

I will be
introducing this book to my family this Christmas. Oh what fun we are
all going to have! What a way to top off a year of finding great
books. Now this one is going to the top of my favorites list! You can
also really give this book to anyone!

Carol's second book, "The Literary Book of Answers," contains all the solutions and answers you need from famous works of literature. Why not have William Shakespeare tell you the answer to your pressing question. Carol, who is also an artist, is working on a third book, which I know is going to be excellent.

~The Rebecca Review