A Charming Collection
922536
This is a charming collection of lullabies, including several lovely French songs.
1974791
A beautiful collection of poems from some awesome poets
3898674
This collection has been sleeping quietly on my shelf for years, inherited from my mother's side of the family.  Somebody bought it shortly after it was published in 1928.  Although my copy is worn, it is still physically impressive.  The leather cover and double-columned layout give it a scripture-like feel.  My respect for these vintage detective tales is enhanced by the publisher's restraint.  There are no dust jacket endorsements, no story "teasers"--no introduction or names of the editors are to be found.  The stories speak for themselves across the decades.

The volume's 101 stories are organized into ten "volumes."  They draw form both American and foreign authors; some are unattributed.  There are well-known authors and some who were perhaps well-known in their day.  The stories are mostly enjoyable, some requiring extra work from the reader to understand an unfamiliar cultural or historical setting.

Five stories that I particularly enjoyed:

Edgar Allan Poe's "The Purloined Letter" is a classic tale in which investigators search for a missing document.  They look everywhere.

In Alexandre Dumas' "D'Artagnan, Detective" the famous musketeer handles a confidential matter for King Louis XIV.  Some deduction is required.

Rudyard Kipling's "Miss Youghal's Sais" is set in India, of course.  It is a romance as well as a detective story and shows the value of learning the local customs when abroad.

Leo Tolstoi's "Too Dear" is set in Monaco where a murder has been committed.  Having caught and convicted the murderer, the officials of this tiny country have some trouble taking the next step.

"Moses and the Divine Messenger" is excerpted from the Koran.  Moses and Joshua travel together and must decide what is just.

The collection is recommended to those who read detective stories and enjoy historical settings.  You might leave this book by your bed or easy chair and sample the stories one or two at a time, every so often.  Such pacing will produce many months of unhurried enjoyment.
4541942
I believe it takes a special talent to be able to produce a good short story, particularly these days when there are not many publishing outlets for them. This collection then, is especially welcome since it brings together short stories from many famous authors. Like any collection, however, it contains stories that are good, and stories that are bad, and some that are a little of both. It's to the credit of the editor that he has produced this work, and I recommend it to those who enjoy reading shorter works from some of their favorite authors. Despite some of the shortcomings of this collection, I am looking forward to the next edition of this work, if only for the continuation of the last story in the collection.
3572565
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Magical-Stories-A-Collection-of-Short-Stories-for-Children-Aged-3-103/dp/B01N962VOB/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Magical Stories: A Collection of Short Stories for Children Aged 3-103</a>
I liked the author's "Magic Poetry" book so I got this book as well. I like the delighful fairy tales in this collection (they're Irish, too), and also the quotes that proceed each new story. For example, here's one of the quotes:

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales."Albert Einstein.

Each story also teaches a lesson. For example, the tale "Tilly the Polka-Dotted Tiger" teaches the lesson that we are all beautiful, even though we may look different from one another. There are 10 stories and 10 lessons in this delightful collection.
3274478
Readers know what to expect with Werner Stejskals Oliver and Jumpy stories, and the author and illustrators don't disappoint. In this latest collection it looks rather like a dish may run away with a spoon as New Years Day brings some interesting surprises in the kitchen. Children will love watching the story unfold, almost like watching a movie, with entertaining features for each piece of crockery, and music, of course.

The next tale has a more whimsical feel, as the friends go sailing, but watch out for sharks. There proves to be quite a fun way to scare those sharks away in the end. And then theres the sweetly informative world of ants and other creatures, escaping from Alices wonderland perhaps.

31-33 offers more light fun tales to share with the kids in your life, filled with familiar friends.

Disclosure: Ive read the others and this one was free so I read it too.
1958303
A wonderful collection that captures such wonderfully small moments of life, that bring a smile of recognition to the reader's face, and inspires the thought "I never thought you could put that feeling into words."
1461171
I'd read many of these stories in literary journals before the collection came out--among my favorites, the powerful title story, "Landfall;" the sad, sometimes funny, slightly scandalous, and somehow charming, "Sugar;" and the quietly boiling, "The Sound of Animals" with an ending so subtle and powerful you wonder how Hensley can evoke such contrasts in one sentence. But she does. In fact, the way these stories surprise and delight in language, structure, and plot is a common theme throughout the collection.

Each of these stories, on its own, is a complete world with complex characters and so much simmering beneath the surface. But, as the subtitle suggests, when put together these stories gather momentum, playing off each other in various ways--character, tone, place, and a host of other common threads from first loves to the sacrifices we make in the name of family.

In the end, this ring of stories I'd known on an individual basis transforms into a novel that is at once new and familiar. A smart and beautiful collection that delights with its turns of plot and humor. It grabs hold of you early on and won't let go, all the way to the climactic final, and I'd argue best, story ("Expecting") in a collection of great stories.
3730801
This collection of poetry about bugs and creepy things by David Harrison is a must-have for any bug lover!

The clever and humorous writing coupled with the comical black-and-white sketches of bugs makes for a nice little collection, which is most definitely in the same vein as Shel Silverstein's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Where-the-Sidewalk-Ends-30th-Anniversary-Edition-Poems-and-Drawings/dp/0060572345/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings</a>. The "Flea" poem particularly makes me think of Silverstein's humor - it is about a flea named Ralph who (somehow) swallowed a cow and a horse, and then tried to swallow a giraffe but got stuck halfway. It is accompanied by a nice little drawing of a flea with half a giraffe sticking out of its mouth.

Other topics include bugs such as fireflies, pill bugs, ladybugs, termites and moths. Enjoy!

(Another similar poem collection that I would recommend is&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Comets-Stars-the-Moon-and-Mars-Space-Poems-and-Paintings/dp/0152053727/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings</a>!)
4752176
Though not a totally stellar collection, there are some stories that I consider real clunkers in this, it is a nice collection by an author not widely known to many people.
  The stories aren't sheer entertainment here, they are entertaining, generally, but of a higher caliber, thought-provoking and displaying a wide-breadth of subject matter and technique. As I mentioned, they can be somewhat cynical, sometimes whimsical,and always satirical.
  Tenn's afterwords to each story provide some interesting insights, and in a couple cases give good reason anyone would display some cynicism
  Overall it was good enough that I shall be trying to get the second volume. The good stories repaid the effort put into reading them and more than made up for the stories I personally did not like.
447543
Ionesco and Beckett, Magritte and Dali come to mind while reading this collection. And while I think of it, Cocteau.
How I would love to see the first story, "A Stage Play - An Ordinary Day," produced on the stage! The perfectly ordinary exchanges between a husband and wife are complicated by a piquant detail revealed on page 2.
The short stories "Pierre Goes to the Big City" and "Pierre's vacation" exude a dreamlike charm. There are song lyrics in English and a poem in French. It's like a box of chocolates with many flavors...So much to savor and enjoy.
90913
This compilation does a very good job of showcasing the early years of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. You get all the obvious "hits" (that is, songs that got a bit of radio airplay, when radio dared play such offbeat treats) plus some charming album tracks and some live material (which, frankly, I think are the weakest tracks on this collection). Jonathan Richman was, and remains, one of music's most charming, affable and endearing figures. These songs abound with his humor, energy, and warmth. Some listeners might find a few of these songs "too silly" for their tastes, but I'll take Jonathan's refreshinging naive style of folk, rock, pop, and country over that of most other artists. This guy is a treasure ... and so are most of these songs.
3963670
This is a really nice collection of all straight stitch quilt patterns. The quilts are featured in a wide variety of color pallets from pastels, bold, single color range, and earthy so whatever your preference you will find inspiration. There is a positively charming house block that I bet would be cute as individual pieces that could be used as placemats. The Scraps of Wisdom pattern offers a great option for fussy cutting and featuring a larger scale print in its center.
2991481
This is a wonderful collection of some of the best loved fairy tales from my youth and those I read my children. I love the comment the author makes at the beginning about the stories: "They are goodhearted; they are reassuring; they are funny; and at the heart of them is some lasting nugget of wisdom."

There is a lot of controversy surrounding many of the old fairy tales about cruelty to animals and scaring children, but they are fiction, and I still enjoy them. This collection has some I had not read before but all were short and sweet and told in child friendly language. The illustrations were wonderful.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lion Hudson Plc for the opportunity to read and review this book.
882911
This is a collection of four unique and wonderful books, each with its own special charm.  Its a series I will read again and again.  Once you start, you won't want to put them down.  I highly recommend this collection -- well worth your time.
66313
I reviewed this book as a paperback, so here's a repeat of what I said:

This collection contains seven short story gems to enjoy in one long sitting before a fire or in delicious nibbles one at a time.  Each is very different from the others in setting and story, but all are about people searching for themselves and finding their way to a new understanding of their place in the world. One of my favorites is "Time to Leave," which has a line that encapsulates the collection: "a thermal beacon in the frigid air pointing the way to warmth and comfort."

I'm sure you'll enjoy this book. I'm looking forward to reading more work from Raima Larter.
4766879
A diverse and interesting collection of short stories.  These fun the gamut from sweet and cute to slightly disturbing.  There is sure to be something in this collection to entertain everyone.