A Sentimental Favorite
923991
Many years ago (more than 20 years I think), i read this book cover to cover in one sitting, and I was off and running with Turbo Pascal programming (Turbo Pascal 4.0 had just come out).  Some years later Delphi came out, and the foundation in Pascal gained from this book gave me a leg up with Delphi.  After a long hiatus, I am back programming with Lazarus and Free Pascal...I can honestly say that most of what I know that allows me to write useful programs I learned form this book.
2764748
When my father passed away, and we gathered at his house to sort through his effects, we stumbled across the old radio that used to sit atop the refrigerator.  The radio, always tuned to station WWOR out of New York, once regaled the kitchen with big band tunes and talk shows hosted by John Gambling and William B. Williams.  Never were we so enchanted with the radio as at Christmas time, when the station would resurrect holiday hits.  Even during my teenage years, when I was far too cool to be taken in by such things, I would listen happily to the crooning of such giants as Crosby and Cole.  This collection of Yuletide chestnuts by The Mills Brothers plants me solidly in my parents' living room, enjoying the gentle harmonies of this amiable fraternal quartet.  The Mills Brothers always sounded to me like they thoroughly enjoyed the songs they were singing.  They evoked the sound that my friends and I would strain to replicate when we would try out harmony ourselves.  There is nothing new holiday-wise on this CD, but that's perfectly all right:  there is much joy to be had out of something old, and the memories of the little plastic radio pouring out music from up on the fridge.
3781286
A good looking album that holds lots and lots of memories
4234357
This is one of those vintage treasures that you have to trip over to find it as I am sure that it is no longer easily found or maybe even in print. But once you have come upon such a treasure then it stays a part of your reading soul.

In this particular book there are numerous short stories that revolve around animal characters. And although some stories have people involved the majority of the cast includes such animals as crocodiles, polar bears, bobcats, cats, heroic dogs and so much more. Each animal is given in a straightforward manner with whimsical pictures and simplistic writing.

Some of the stories that are given are just entertainment value and others may have been based on real life. And finally there are some stories that have kernels of actual nonfiction within them so your child may learn something as they interact with these lovable and memorable characters. So come meet the Moose Twins Leggy and Lanky, cute Alice the Crocodile, brave Willy Three-Feet and so much more in their own world.

Just as a heads-up to parents you may want to read some of the stories beforehand such as with Willy Three-Feet where he got in a position where he needed to chew off his own paw (probably the most gruesome in a sense) to escape a trap. There is no blood or gore nor pictures but in this time it is better to make up a decision for your child based on what you feel is right. In other cases where violence may have resulted in death the vanquished was able to escape from life unrealistically but who is going to squabble over such points in a children's book?
4232646
I got this on vinyl quite a few years ago. The record is long gone and I decided to buy the CD. I was so glad that it is still in print. It is a beautiful little gem, full of beautiful, quite surprises. I love the melancholy, the sadness, and at the same time, the joy it can bring to me as I listen. I don't think that David had the best voice in the business but he really shines here. The simplicity of acoustical guitar of Almeida gives this album an intimacy that one rarely finds in recorded music. It's a rare collections of great songs that I highly recommend to those who sometimes like music soothing and warm.
1785583
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sleepy-Cadillac-A-Bedtime-Drive/dp/0060730218/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sleepy Cadillac: A Bedtime Drive</a>&nbsp;is a charming children's bedtime story about a beautiful blue Eldorado with plush white leather interior inviting a little boy for a sleepytime drive. The reader is addressed as "you" and the second-person narrative gives the story a sense of immediacy and the feel of an invitation to join in this dreamy drive.

It's also an ode to a lovely old convertible Cadillac Eldorado (ca. 1959 judging from the tailfins), complete with wide whitewall tires. The illustrations have the feel of a loving tribute -- perhaps the artist has an affection for classic cars... The art is lovely, the colors and landscapes are dreamy and beautifully capture the magic of dusk-to-night lighting. The cars are rendered very realistically down to the interior details and shiny chrome (my reason for thinking that the artist loves them), and the "dreamland dancers" include a 1955 Eldorado among other old favorite antique wheels. The dancing cars in dreamland are cute for little children and heart-warming for adult car junkies.

Even if you don't have children on your gift list, this book is a charming gift for a classic car aficionado.
439908
Phil Coulter has created and performed many wonderful pieces of music.  This is one of my favorite and portrays the feelings for another time when life was better.  It conveys the point that our memories are so important and the good memories will always stand strongest.
86215
One of my fondest memories is of my mother reading this book to us on Christmas eve each year. It was a special event in our celebration. The book was always kept in mom's drawer of special papers in it's original box. We would all get to rub the beautiful gold foil star on the front of the book. But only once! We didn't want to mess it up!
It's a beautiful story to make childhood memories around. Wish I could find the book, but mom has alzheimers and no idea where she has put it. Maybe it will show up one day.
3761634
I received this book in a holiday book swap when I was in the first grade.  It instantly became my favorite picture book!  I was a voracious reader as a child and not prone to having favorites, so that is a pretty high honor.  The illustrations in "Maggie and the Pirate" are beautiful and unusual and immediately caught my attention, as did the interesting setting- Maggie lives in a school bus with her family and they have to get around their town on little boats.  The story itself is sweet and sad.  Kids get the message that it's okay to love things that other people don't love and to be forgiving.  I adored crickets as a child and really, really wanted a pet, which is why I think I identified so much with Maggie.  I hadn't seen the book in about 15 years when I found it on Amazon and was a little afraid I wouldn't like it as much, but I still love it.  I'm surprised this book isn't in print anymore because, my personal feelings of nostalgia aside, I think it's one of Ezra Jack Keats' best books.
249320
Back in the 1960s one day, I'm relaxing in the college library and find this 10-year-old LP in the stacks. Like many of my generation, I loved folk music and thought I'd give it a try.

I didn't speak Spanish (still don't, but intend to learn in my retirement, now that I live in San Antonio). That was no hurdle at all, with the printed lyrics and their translation letting me follow along.

Some songs almost made me weep.

All the songs are by a blind cafe singer, Alfonso Cruz Jiminez, accompanied only by his (excellent) guitar and occasionally his wife.

The memory of that album stayed with me for almost fifty years.

Then one day a few months ago, the album came to mind again. A few minutes online let me find it. (At the Smithsonian website, but buying it here at Amazon should be just as good.)

Playing the CD, I was taken back in time to that 18-year-old kid who could get so excited so easily so often.

But I'm confident saying this album will enchant those of any age who love good music.

I feel honored to be the first (maybe ultimately the only) to review and recommend this album. Who will know to look for it?

But it's my feeble way of returning the love, the thrill I got those many years ago.
1863961
My children loved this poem when they were little.  I was delighted to find it has been reissued and available for another generation of children.  It is adorable.  I've heard that there is a recording of the song, but have not been able to find a copy.
Would love to hear it.
3366413
Talk about a nostalgia trigger. Everything about this book reminded me of why I once loved fantasy. Obb is easily one of the most lovable grumps in fiction, and the assortment of characters that comprise the cast recall a fondness for movies and books I loved growing up, from Labyrinth to Hans Christian Andersen.

Admittedly, I enjoy anything where the protagonist breaks the mold for what they are supposed to be, so this book was an easy sell from the first page. What followed was lovingly written, with a piece of the author left buried in the text, like a flower blossoming amidst wreckage.
4374343
If you're like me and prefer your Christmas music to be the good, old traditional hymns, you're sure to appreciate Tennessee Ernie Fords The Star Carol.  Originally released on October 20, 1958, Fords rich baritone-bass voice, backed by an angelic choral accompaniment, told the story of Jesus birth with uncanny reverence and beauty, making the album a perennial Christmas favorite for many for years to come.  As the years turned into decades, though, the album gradually became a fond memory that many associated with their childhood Christmas memories, as no CD release was forthcoming until, I believe, July 1, 2008.  That, of course, fell out of print rather quickly, but now this wonderful album is available for download by one and all.

Youll no doubt notice that a few of the songs on the album are not well-known or even traditional Christmas songs.  Three of them  O Hearken Ye, Some Children See Him, and the title track The Star Carol  are more contemporary Christmas songs composed by Alfred Burt.  Burt had died of cancer, at the age of thirty-three, four years earlier, before his dream of having an album of his Christmas songs released could come true.  In fact, he spent the last days of his life finishing the songs for that would-be album; The Star Carol was completed just hours before his death.  That album, The Christmas Mood, was released soon thereafter, but it failed to make a splash and was quickly forgotten  but not by all, as producer Buddy Cole brought the song The Star Carol to Ernie Ford in 1958.  The songs melody and message touched Ford deeply, and his recording of it led Capital Records to make it the title track of the album.  Its a beautiful song that more than deserves its spot beside such traditional Christmas favorites such as O Holy Night, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Joy to the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and Silent Night.  Personally, I was most pleased to see We Three Kings included, as well, as that is a favorite of mine that doesnt find its way on many commercially-released Christmas albums.

You would be hard pressed to find a better album celebrating the true meaning of Christmas than this one.  In fact, I think a new generation of listeners will soon be adding Tennessee Ernie Fords The Star Carol to their own list of Christmas favorites.
826646
Who doesn't like the King of Rock n Roll? Every one has a favorite tune that grows on them. Call it being sentimental.  I don't know the word to use when ever you use a favorite song to attach to a current memory to that moment in time.  This one reminds me of a fond time I had years ago growing up on a sweet summer vacation.  The year was 1965.  This song brings back the wonderful memories of back then.
437520
I first received this book back around 1968 or 1969, when a boyfriend gave it to me as a birthday present.  Over the years, I read and re-read it and enjoyed it just as much as always.  And then I lost it about 20 years ago and assumed it was out of print. Now, with sellers online, I found it again and am very happy I did.

My original version of the book was quite large, like a child's picture book.  This one is small, about the size of a Kindle, but it makes no difference.  It has the same wonderful, inspiring, often funny verse that I remembered from my teen years.  Poems by William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, Dorothy Parker (Resume is a favorite), Langston Hughes, John Updike, and many others are still great reading --- and still feel current.

Even if you're not a big poetry fan, you might find this little volume to your liking.  Give it a try.
1237703
This is among my top 10 Christmas albums and contains one of my most favorite songs Every Christmas Eve/Giving Santa's Theme. Very sentimental and emotional because Christmas has lost this.
4558405
I bought this for my sister as a sentimental treasure from our childhood.  She loved it.