Beautiful and Engaging
356011
Biographies are not typically my first pick for reading material, but, as a result, I all too often neglect the lessons I could be learning from women of the past. In Fierce Convictions, Karen Swallow Prior illuminates one such historical woman, Hannah More, and, through her, sheds light on very contemporary issues.  More was a champion of human dignity and unapologetic about the centrality of her faith to every aspect of her life.  In a time when Christianity (and particularly evangelicalism) is often viewed with suspicion, Prior's engaging biography of More encourages readers to act and think with conviction.
514444
I absolutely loved this beautiful book. It is filled with gorgeous prose, fascinating, complex characters, and a wonderful ray of hope through some terrible hardship. It is woven through with folk tales that will be fresh to most readers, and really examines the most difficult kinds of choices. This is firmly middle grade, though there is definite violence and an attempted rape early on.
3200432
I rarely write a review for a book before reading it in its entirety, but for this book I shall make an exception. The artwork is beautiful, yes. But the book's contents are even more lovely. The introduction is revealing, and the prose is well-formulated, insightful, and inspiring. I intend to gift this to someone very special.
3070673
Wow. The book is beautiful for its words and also its artwork. Every poem is so unique to the story it tells. And, as you delve further into this eloquent weaving of poems inspired by the seasons, you are drawn into the beautiful world that the author creates through her words. A safe place where she describes all of the things we've always struggled to put into words with poems that leave you thinking things like, "Yes, that's exactly how I feel" or "that is the love I'm looking for". Brilliant work from start to finish, with poems you'll enjoy time and time again. Bravo.
629846
A sweet  and engaging story. Beautifully written.
1128724
Engaging story and beautiful illustrations!  My third graders loved seeing photos of Monet and learning about his later years.
3363825
Turnstiles is a very intricate and a very enjoyable book. It follows the lives of three people who are trying to find their place in the world. You see their struggles, and the language and flow of the book is beautifully engaging and very well-written. It is absolutely lyrical. Highly recommended read.
416696
I was delightfully surprised by the beauty of the prose and the complexity of the characters in this fairy tale. With hints of Homer's Odyssey, the story's hero must face challenges to rescue not one maiden, but two, and despite his helpful forest creatures, his burden is a solitary one. Roth doesn't shy away from the darker, lustful elements of human nature, but she presents them tactfully, adding depth and credibility to the plight of her heroine. The relationship surprises are wonderful, and Blumen's illustrations are sumptuous. I really, really enjoyed everything about this gorgeous book.
4509722
I bought two copies of this book at a recent exhibition of the authors' puzzle collection. The photographs of the puzzles are beautiful, giving a nearly tactile sense of what it would be like to hold the puzzles. I love the descriptions, one of which motivated me to work long enough on the 9-rings puzzle to solve it: "once you learn it, you'll never forget it." The book's design is simple and elegant, making it a pleasure to page through either haphazardly or from cover to cover. I gave one copy to a friend who loves it very much; the other I'll keep forever.
3489378
I recently visited New Orleans and loved it so this book held a lot of anticipation for me, I looked forward to getting to know the world the character's of this book lived and thrived in.  And boy was I in for a treat. I absolutely loved this book. The fun adventures of Henry Murphy's characters are elegantly balanced against a backdrop of thoughtful and inspiring prose and outlook on life. The reader easily identifies and trusts the characters, empathizing with their struggles and tribulations. The depth and introspection Murphy achieves within all the characters the reader encounters is far beyond impressive.  The beautiful recollections of the French district in New Orleans also offers a new found charm in the somewhat undiscovered at least to me part of the city. I felt completely immersed in his world.
It's not an easily predictable plot even though I think I'm usually good at making such guesses. Definitely a worthwhile read!
1687417
This beautiful book begins with a sweeping landscape in blues, and the art stays lovely throughout. All the pages are sturdy, matte finished lovely full color artwork that kept all four of my elder children (the littlest is only 10 weeks old, eldest is 6 years) captivated.

The story is similar to&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Are-You-My-Mother/dp/1579822258/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Are You My Mother?</a>&nbsp;- a classic my children enjoy frequently. Pip learns about a blue whale, sled dogs, and sea gulls as they describe their own homes through poetry. It has a gentle flow about it, and I will expect to read it several times a week for a while!

The moral of the story is that home is wherever your family is, which made even my three year old say, "Aw[...] Pip is with her mama!"

Sra .Gose
Creator of Flip Flop Spanish Series:
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Flip-Flop-Spanish-Ages-3-5-Level-1-Book-CD/dp/0980177219/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 1 (Book + CD)</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Flip-Flop-Spanish-Ages-6-9-Level-1-Book-Audio-CD/dp/0980177243/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 6-9: Level 1 (Book + Audio CD)</a>
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Spanish-Fun-Activity-Calendar/dp/0980177235/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Spanish Fun Activity Calendar</a>
4243381
Love this book! The illustrations are beautiful and fun, they feel like a walk in the woods. The cute dog, only a presence in the illustrations (not the text) brings a real personality to the pictures and can be fun to find in some of them. The thing I love the most about this book is that it's set in and explores wilderness and the cycle of seasons. Lyon's words, as ever, delight the heart and mind.
4732270
The detailed drawing and gorgeous color are impressive.  The story is engaging and funny, and I like the characters.  This is one I keep rereading, to look at details in the background for one thing.
4733987
I had one of the most engaging experiences when I opened this book and started the tale of Mattie the automaton; I don't remember when I last felt immediately drawn into a world so seamlessly. Sedia's writing is beautiful and it made me feel very nostalgic (whether that's on purpose, I don't know).

Sedia creates a steampunk city and populates it with Mechanics who engineer automatons and other contraptions, the Alchemists who deal with those of flesh and bone (a fine line), and the Gargoyles. I really loved, in particular, the use of alchemy as a major subject because it really sets the darker tone of the book for me (such as the homunculus). Mattie herself was my favorite part of the book. She's an automaton but she is so real and so endearing that I really attached myself to her. I wanted her to succeed, to be happy, even though she's a machine. I wish more of her past and creation were revealed.

I felt that near the end of the book that the charm of the book slowly dissipated perhaps because of the fact that the political plot catches up with Mattie and everything is thrown into chaos in her world. Mattie herself wants the world to go back to how it was, to the simpler time before the interference of the Mechanics and Alchemists. I almost think this was done this way for us to feel the same as Mattie, that things aren't quite right and we wish we could go back to the beginning.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and think anyone interested in steampunk should give it a try.
4968756
This is a beautiful book! The lovely, full page illustrations show hedgerows through their history and the text gives a good feel for their design and role in the lives of people and nature.  The book is interesting and informative enough for adults, yet also appealing and engaging for children.  All who love nature and hedgerows in particular will enjoy this book.  It might even inspire you to create your own hedgerow along the border of your yard as a haven for insects, birds, frogs, and small animals.
2333460
This is a beautiful book, much better that I was expecting. The represented installations cover the genre, with a nice mix of recent and older installations, and US and Europe. There isn't a lot of wordy detail (you can track down that info yourself) but the photography is gorgeous. Highly recommended and a pleasure to thumb through.
2006500
This is such a beautiful book. The poems are fun to read and fun for the kids to listen to as well - they learn a lot of big words in the process! The illustrations are truly magnificent. So beautiful, so captivating.  They inspire the imagination! This book holds a prominent place on our coffee table for guests to peruse and enjoy.