Little Dorrit (Penguin Classics)

Book Description

When Arthur Clennam returns to England after many years abroad, he takes a kindly interest in Amy Dorrit, his motherÂ's seamstress, and in the affairs of AmyÂ's father, William Dorrit, a man of shabby grandeur, long imprisoned for debt in the Marshalsea. As Arthur soon discovers, the dark shadow of the prison stretches far beyond its walls to affect the lives of many, from the kindly Mr. Pancks, the reluctant rent-collector of Bleeding Heart Yard, and the tipsily garrulous Flora Finching, to Merdle, an unscrupulous financier, and the bureaucratic Barnacles in the Circumlocution Office. A masterly evocation of the state and psychology of imprisonment, Little Dorrit is one of the supreme works of DickensÂ's maturity.

Customer Reviews:

a great Dickens novel but ..........2007-08-28

This is one of Dickens best novels in terms of overall continuity but it also is his most static: almost all scenes occur inside prisons - mostly debtors prison - and there's a lot of it - 1000 pages. And there's not a lot happening in those prisons. I think that Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend and Martin Chuzzlewit are also long novels that are more entertaining (and of course there are all of the 'episodic' Dickens novels to read), but Little Dorrit is one of his better crafted works. If you seriously like Dickens, then this is worth the time.

While Hard Times was written at about the same time as Little Dorrit, the two could not be more different. Hard Times features 1-dimensional characters you couldn't care less about; Little Dorrit's father, the Father of the Marshalsea, is one of Dickens' most complex creations, and you sympathize with him at the same time as you dislike him. His mental breakdown at the end is particularly poignant. The Circumlocution Office in Little Dorrit seems to foreshadow Kafka's Castle, whihe factories in Hard Times are cardboard propoganda.

(Aside: the best Dickens film adaptation I have ever seen was of Little Dorrit. For some reason, that is still unavailable on DVD.)

I would give it six stars if I could.......2007-01-02

This is a long book - it feels like a 1000 pages - but it is a masterpiece. Dickens takes us from Marseilles, home to an evil man whose smile makes his moustache disappear under his top lip and draws us into a dark, damp, murky Victorian London where one's whole future existence seems to be mapped out at birth, and where to escape from one's perceived 'destiny' is both sacriligeous and impossible. The Marshalsea Prison is a place all of us can visualise - a debtors prison from which many fail to escape, the dubious honour of the Father of the Marshalsea bestowed on the longest-serving inmate. Little Dorrit - Amy - is the daughter of the Father of the Marshalsea and this is her tale, one which stretches across the grime of smoggy nineteenth century London to the pollution of Continental Europe. The cast of characters is fascinating and Dickens rarely misses a trick - each is easily comparable to people any of us knows today. I studied this book at school and I have read it four or five times since.

My favorite Dickens novel.......2006-08-09

I disagree with those who say this was not one of Dickens's best novels; on the contrary, I feel it is one of his very best. I believe many critics and those who study Dickens would agree. I had a difficult time getting into the book after the initial few chapters but was richly rewarded as I continued on. The length of the book is quite intimidating; however, it is well worth the effort to read it. I could not put the book down as I came to the last 100 or so pages. I absolutely loved it by the time I finished the book. It is one of Dickens's darker novels, which may put some off. Even so, many, if not most, of his novels deal with unpleasant topics, and there is quite a bit of humor in the book to balance the darkness. In fact the book is full of balance, wonderful Dickens prose, masterful characterization, as well as one the best plots. I will read this novel again when I have the time to savor it.

Little Dorrit is a big three decker novel from the pen of the great Dickens.......2006-08-08

Little Dorrit is not the best or best known novel by the inimitable Charles Dickens (1812-1870). Like other major Dickens novels it features a vast cast of characters; a mystery to be solved and a theme to be expored (imprisonment in mind, spirit
and body is dealt with in the lives of fascinating characters))
Little Dorrit is born in the Marshalsea Debtors Prison in
London (where Dickens own impecunious father was incarcerated
for a time) where she is beloved by prisoners and jailors.
Her father and family are all despicable. An older man who has lived abroad named Arthur Clennam falls in love for the angelic
Dorrit.
The novel is divided into two parts: Poverty and Riches and
details the lives of the Dorrit family. The novel also is notable for including Continental episodes featuring English
travellers.
This book also features "Flora Finching" a hilarious woman
reminiscent of Marie Beadnell an early love of Dickens. Among other memorable characters are the Plornish family; the Meagles
family; Tattycoram; the Barnacles of the Circumcultion Office
(Dicken's satire on governmental red tape); Blandois the evil
visitor from abroad; the Flintwiches and the enigmatic and sad
Miss Wade.
This reviewer doesn't want to reveal the interesting plot which keeps you turning pages and wanting more.
I like the new Penguin Revised Edition which is illustrated by
Phiz; contains over 100 pages of notes and commentary and is
an easy book to hold for long hours of reading pleasure.
Dickens is the greatess of English novelists so Little Dorrit is an essential!

little dorrit is charlotte bronte..........2006-07-31

little dorrit is one of my favorite novels, although i love all of dickens' novels as he's my favorite author. on a sort of aside, i found it curious after reading elizabeth gaskell's "life of charlotte bronte" that the descriptions of charlotte bronte and dickens' little dorrit are strikingly similar.

i suspect dickens had charlotte bronte in mind when depicting little dorrit. charlotte bronte died in march 1955, dickens began little dorrit in 1955. both charlotte bronte and little dorrit were extremely tiny in stature, both plain looking and not pretty, both extremely shy and reserved, both lived their lives within stone walls--charlotte within her father's parsonage and little dorrit the marshalsea prison walls--both were devoted to their fathers, both extremely mature due to responsibilities pressed upon them from youth, both shunned materialism and superficiality.

there's no mention that i know of of dickens ever meeting charlotte bronte, but it's inconceivable dickens was not aware of her due to the success of "jane eyre." charlotte bronte knew william m. thackeray personally and thackeray knew dickens so it's plausible that they must've talked about her at least once, especially considering how unusual her life story was. plus, i'm sure there must've been many newspaper stories about charlotte bronte after her death.

oh well, dickens' characters were often inspired by real persons so i just thought it was interesting.

Average customer rating:

Tries to cover too much ground
Timeless, Familiar Tale with some Fact-Learning, too.

The Little Penguin
A. J. Wood
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0525470239

Book Description

A newly hatched Emperor penguin wants more than anything to look like his tall, strong father. But when his own fluffy gray feathers start to fall out, Little Penguin is sure his wish will never come true. It takes a long ocean journey and some gentle words of wisdom from his mother before he realizes that he has become what he most wanted to be after all.

Nature lovers of all ages will delight in the captivating illustrations and the reassuring story about growing up. On every page, lavish embossing illuminates the frosty beauty of the Antarctic setting and adds intriguing texture to the feathers and footprints of the creatures that live there.

Customer Reviews:

Tries to cover too much ground.......2005-02-27

I was hoping for a book that focused on the 'real' experiences of a baby penguin, and the losing of the feathers does this, but the rest of the book is a bit diluted. The author tries to touch upon the baby being like its daddy and its getting lost, all while undergoing a physical transformation, but I would have preferred a more focused story. The encounters with other animals are extraneous, but I was hoping for something more informational than entertaining.

Timeless, Familiar Tale with some Fact-Learning, too........2004-01-04

This durable, thick cross between a board book and a regular paged book for young children follows a familiar tale. Little penguin is born, doesn't follow parent's direction... gets temporarily lost... finds a wise creature of another sort who assists him in finding his way...begins losing feathers and then is refound and found out that losing his feathers is just perfect..

Sounds like the lives of many of US, only in in Animal Sense as well as many other books and legends.

The reason this book works is because it is timeless and you can engage any age child in conversation around the story, the illustrations, the situations the little Penguins is in which may be similar to the child's.

Book Description

This inexpensive and very brief version of the best-selling Penguin Handbook offers the same student-friendly strengths: a highly visual design, cutting edge coverage of research, and the best presentation of documentation available. With more visuals, photos, and sample documents than other essential handbooks, this handy full-color reference gives students just what they need to know about the writing and research processes, while providing extensive coverage of documentation and grammar. Unique âSource Samplesâ in the documentation chapters give students pages from actual sources with notes explaining where to find the information to create a citation and unique âCommon Errorsâ boxes in the grammar chapters provide quick guidance on key errors. The Little Penguin Handbook will be an invaluable resource for students in composition courses and in courses across the curriculum.

Customer Reviews:

Poor Customer Service.......2007-10-15

This book was allegedly sent, but was never received. Either it was lost or misdelivered. I complained to the vendor and the vendor put the burden on me to investigate through the post office. The vendor never bothered to resend the book and take up the case of delivery with the post office. This is an example of poor customer service and business practice.

incomplete order was shipped.......2007-09-04

I purchased this item as NEW. It was supposed to come with a C/D. It is the only item I have purchased that "buyer feedback" was not available, or a "contact seller" was not available on. Had I not wanted the c/d, I would have saved alot of money getting the used copy.I would have liked to contact the seller on this one but could not.

Easy to Understand.......2006-11-05

I didn't have to keep my other writing handbooks when I got this one in the mail. Everything is broken down step by step and written in words so people like me can understand... people like me: Dyslexics of the world UNTIE! Handbook taught me it's u-n-i-t-e, not u-n-t-i-e, and so much more...
Now on a serious note: My English Professor at City College NY NY was impressed with how well I can formulate an MLA paper. I got everything down from title of page to publication information. My Bio Professor gave me extra credit for a CSE style report on enzymes... sweet :) I didn't know that there were so many styles of writing until I opened the handbook and studied all the do's and dont's. It's straight A's for me!

The Little Prince" and "Letter to a Hostage" (Penguin Modern Classics Translated Texts S.)

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The Little Prince" and "Letter to a Hostage" (Penguin Modern Classics Translated Texts S.)

Manufacturer: Penguin Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0141185627

The Land of Little Rain (Classic, Nature, Penguin)

Average customer rating:

Land of Little Rain
Overlooked Masterpiece of Nature Writing
Ho Hum
Makes me want to go to Death Valley
Intimate & Beautiful Appraisal of Life In a Harsh Land

The Land of Little Rain (Classic, Nature, Penguin)
Mary Austin
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140249192

Book Description

Beautiful, poetic study of the Southwestern desert. Fourteen sketches describe plants, animals, mountains, birds, skies, Indians, prospectors, towns, other features in serene, beautifully modulated prose. Desert seen as a place of rare, austere beauty that weaves a lasting spell over its inhabitants. Preface.

Customer Reviews:

Land of Little Rain.......2007-05-10

This book was about the desert and desert people which Austin knows well. Her language is beautiful. I purchased as a gift book for people who love the Southwest and the people.

Overlooked Masterpiece of Nature Writing.......2007-03-23

Mary Austin's work is roughly contemporary with John Muir's, although "The Land of Little Rain" comes after the publication of Muir's best work. It's been said that Mary Austin's work is the finest nature writing between John Muir's and Aldo Leopold's. I dearly love John Muir's writing, but Mary Austin is the better writer. There is a haunting, mystical quality in this book. At times it reads like beautifully stark poetry, like the landscape she describes. For me it reads like music. I read this after visiting Owens Valley, Death Valley and the valleys and mountains between. For me it was an affirmation of what I felt and sensed there. If you let it, the landscape has a way of burning itself into you, and she describes that very well.

Ho Hum.......2006-02-05

Land of Little Interest would be a better title; it looks like even old Cactus Ed didn't read beyond the first chapter. All the references he makes in his introduction are from the beginning of the book, and he seems to ignore the rest of the book, as I wish I had. Boring, unless you want to know about what grows next to irrigating ditches. And I still don't know what the hell a "campoodie" is (a term used over and over), but, who cares?

Makes me want to go to Death Valley.......2005-10-07

It's pretty easy to write a book that makes people want to go somewhere that already looks appealing to them--Manhattan, Yellowstone, other places where tourists flock to--but to write a book that makes one of the most desolate, bleak, inhospitable places on the entire planet seem like somewhere you have to see for yourself as soon as possible...well, that takes some skill.
That's what Mary Austin has done however, in "The Land of Little Rain." This book examines the wildlife, plants, terrain, weather, and people of Death Valley and the surrounding area, and it does so with the eye and the pen of a true poet.
Mary Austin lavishes her words on this area in sparse, measured prose, and distills the essence of this harsh California desert into sentences and paragraphs. She finds a handful of words that perfectly suit this terrain and the life it supports--words like white, slant, tilt, sessile, and winey--and bends and twists these words every way possible to serve her every purpose.
As a result, the land she describes comes across vividly. She writes of how the desert and the wilderness "uncramps our souls," of "the days too hot and white," of slant-winged scavengers," of wandering hopelessly through the desert trodding on vultures' shadows, of "the westering sun," "the late slant light," of "a stream that knows its purpose and reflects the sky," and of the sun dancing up the slope of a mountain.
Her prose is KILLER.
She also tells firsthand accounts of Death Valley's craziest miners, of little towns that could (kind of, sometimes), and of such sad sights as a cougar lamenting the destruction of its lair and family that had been destroyed by a torrential rainstorm, "crying a very human woe." In another such rainstorm she talks of "a bobcat mother mouthing her drowned kittens in the ruined lair built in the wash...."
I highly recommend this book. It's very brief, and is plotless, but the insights and descriptions are invaluable. I've never been to Death Valley, but I'm already planning on going there.
If the book has faults though, it's in some of the generalizations it makes about the area's people (All Spanish people dance and sing every evening? Really?), and in how abruptly it ends. It's a bit like taking a long, beautiful scenic drive and then ending up in a parking lot.
"This is so great, look at that--oh. Oh, we're there."

Intimate & Beautiful Appraisal of Life In a Harsh Land.......2005-04-11

The famous American-West landscape photographer, Ansel Adams and friend of M.H.A., said of The Land of Little Rain: "The sharp beauty of The Land of Little Rain is finely etched in the distinguished prose of Mary Austin. Many books and articles have probed the factual aspects of this amazing land, but no writing to my knowledge conveys so much of the spirit of earth and sky, of plants and people, of storm and the desolation of majestic wastes, of tender, intimate beauty, as does The Land of Little Rain." (Re: "A Note on the Land and on the Photographs", from "The Land of Little Rain"- Houghton-Mifflin Co. 1950).

Indeed, M.H.A. displayed an uncanny sensitivity and understanding of the desert lands in the Owens Valley, California. Death Valley is, indeed, harsh and unforgiving, but to the astute observer who has learned how to live within the limits of sparse resources, it is an unequaled Paradise. She writes so eloquently and poetically of how the desert people and flora/fauna survive. The interaction of desert botany, biology, hydrology, geography, meteorology, and ecology come across vividly and often humorously with such lines as:

"Once at Red Rock, in a year of green pasture (a wet year), which is a bad time for the scavengers, we saw two buzzards, five ravens, and a coyote feeding on the same carrion, and only the coyote seemed ashamed of the company". (chapter 3- "The Scavengers")

M.H.A. studied the land, the flora/fauna, the weather (her "2" basic desert seasons- summer and winter) and she learned from her neighbors the Shoshone and Paiute Indians (she preferred to call the American Indians "Amerinds") , the Mexicans, the white settlers, and many colorful desert loners such as the "Pocket Hunter" (for seeker of pockets of gold)- her name for an old prospector friend. She learned much wisdom and practical knowledge from her Indian friends like "The Basket Maker", Seyavi, whose life story is so eloquently told. The Indians shared with her their survival knowledge of how to find water from signs displayed by plants, how to read the activities of animals for food, how to "know" which plants are medicinal and/or edible and which plants to stay away from:

"Live long enough with an Indian, and he or the wild things will show you a use for everything that grows in these borders". (Chapter- "Shoshone Land")

This beautiful little book finishes with: "Come away, you who are obsessed with your own importance in the scheme of things, and have got nothing you did not sweat for, come away by the brown valleys and full-bosomed hills to the even-breathing days, to the kindliness, earthliness, ease of Pueblo de Las Uvas."

According to Ansel Adam's notes, Las Uvas is Grape Canyon or Creek and is part of the Tejon area south of Bakersfield, Ca.

After reading this fine book, one will come to understand why so many people have referred to M.H.A. as the "Henry David Thoreau
of the American West". Thoreau is the author of the renown classic, "Walden".

There are many different publications of The Land of Little Rain and many have variations from the original format, ie., different introductions, preface, illustrations, etc. The text is all that really matters, of course, but I have checked-out a few of the different copies from regional libraries so I could copy the intros by such notables as "Cactus Ed" (Edward Abbey- "The Monkey Wrench Gang", et al.). Abbey's Forward is in the 1988 Penguin Books edition. My copy is a reproduction of the original 1903 edition complete with line drawings by E. Boyd Smith who knew M.H.A. and the regions she wrote about.

Ansel Adams teamed-up with Houghton-Mifflin Co. in 1950 to give tribute to this outstanding classic by publishing a version her book with 48 of his photos taken in the Owens Valley, California region where the book was written and M.H.A. lived for sometime.

In describing the various areas and geographical locations in her book, M.H.A. cloaked many of the popular modern regional names with original Indian or old nicknames known only to a few to protect the privacy of those she wrote about. Adams and the editors used several resources to decipher the pseudonyms so he could match them to his photographs with the current regional names for accurate descriptions. They published an interesting glossary of all the names that could be deciphered in this 1950 edition.

More information including photographs of M.H.A. and her life can be seen at the Owens Valley Historical Society website:
www.owensvalleyhistory.com/mary_austin/page49.html

A Little Larger Than the Entire Universe: Selected Poems (Penguin Classics)

Average customer rating:

sometimes sad, sometimes scary, but always stunning...

A Little Larger Than the Entire Universe: Selected Poems (Penguin Classics)
Fernando Pessoa
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0143039555

Book Description

The poetry of Â“the greatest twentieth century writer you have never heard of Â” (Los Angeles Times)

Writing obsessively in French, English, and Portuguese, Fernando Pessoa left a prodigious body of work, much of it under Â“heteronymsÂ”Â—fully fleshed alter egos with startlingly different styles and points of view. Offering a unique sampling of all his most famous voices, this collection features poems that have never before been translated alongside many originally composed in English. In addition to such major works as Â“Maritime Ode of CamposÂ” and his Goethe-inspired Faust, written in blank verse, there are several stunning poems that have only come to light in the last five years. Selected and translated by leading Pessoa scholar Richard Zenith, this is the finest introduction available to the breadth of PessoaÂ's genius.

Customer Reviews:

sometimes sad, sometimes scary, but always stunning..........2007-07-15

The verses in this selection are hideously delicious and entertainingly sad. Pessoa is great. As W. S. Merwin put it, there's nobody like him - well, on earth.

Some may complain that Richard Zenith's translation is too colloquial, but who knows, probably this is the way the original is.

Buy this book and read The Book of Disquiet (Penguin Classics). It's a life-changing expereince.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful book about LIFE about relationships, love, war, self-doubt, poverty, and FAITH (i. e. "the Magic")
An enduring classic!
Great Book with Valuable Lessons
One of my favorite stories! (submitted by [EoN] FrenchFryMayo)
the grass is always greener on the other side

A Little Princess (Penguin Classics)
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142437018

Book Description

Sara Crewe, an exceptionally intelligent and imaginative student at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, is devastated when her adored, indulgent father dies. Now penniless and banished to a room in the attic, Sara is demeaned, abused, and forced to work as a servant. How this resourceful girl's fortunes change again is at the center of A Little Princess, one of the best-loved stories in all of children's literature.

This unique and fully annotated edition appends excerpts from Frances Hodgson Burnett's original 1888 novella Sara Crewe and the stage play that preceded the novel, as well as an early story, "Behind the White Brick," allowing readers to see how A Little Princess evolved. In his delightful introduction, U. C.Knoepflmacher considers the fairy-tale allusions and literary touchstones that place the book among the major works of Victorian literature, and shows it to be an exceptionally rich and resonant novel.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful book about LIFE about relationships, love, war, self-doubt, poverty, and FAITH (i. e. "the Magic").......2007-10-09

This book is about a rightly raised little girl and how she turns out - nearly PERFECT. This goes to show parents to BE NICE TO THEIR dependant and helpless little kids - brats are raised by @sshole parents, NOT by kind and loving parents, as Sarah's dad had been. It is about a very serious battle of the Self. Sarah says to every one "me and you are the same. it just so happens that I was born rich and you born poor." It doesn't make us WHO we are." which is true, but then her self-doubt manifests "who knows? maybe I am kind and generous because I have everything I could ever want. I give someone 100 pence and I don't lose anything because I have many many more. maybe if I was poor or had to work I'd be cruel and just a total Miss Michnkin or something." Note: these quotes are not exact from the book.

at this, "the Magic" steps in so that she DOES become poor and wretched, and thus proves to herself that she is who she is BECAUSE SHE IS, NOT because of being rich and doesn't work. Being poor and wretched gives the child the opportunity to manifest her inate kindness in unprecedented ways, like giving other people food when SHE herself had been so cold, wet and very hungry. See, she could not have proven this to herself had she stayed rich, and she apparantly needed to. All in all, a beautiful story of truimph of good over evil, abundance over poverty, exuberance over stale bread, and self security over self doubt (which she didn't have before). A truimph of the SELF shown where it always begins in life - in childhood. We are used to seeing this type of stuff in adults but adults do NOT have the same battles as children do. For one, adults are not helpless, dependant, and our battles are not as serious life-and-death. so, whatever empathy we have for other adults, should be increased a thousand times for children, like this soldier this little girl. yeay!

An enduring classic!.......2007-07-27

Good to see that readers are still enjoying this marvelous 1905 book which makes it a century old. Reminiscent of Dickens, but mercifully shorter, the prose flows in beautiful rhythms keeping young readers and readers like myself who are young at heart poised to keep on reading to find out what becomes of our tough little heroine.

Sara had a charmed life as an only and beloved child which fortified her through later immense difficulties as she fell from riches to rags. Her ability to tell stories and to help others saved her from the appalling treatment she received from the aptly named Miss Minchin. The author's own life (1849-1924) as a child parallels that of her heroine.

Young readers will find Sara a loving spirit to emulate. We are truly THERE with her on every page. When she eats her hot cross buns and tea we long for the same. Although drawn out at the end, the book ends at a surprising and perfect place.

Great Book with Valuable Lessons.......2007-06-14

My son and daughter were both enchanted by this story as I read it to them a few weeks ago. We all fell in love with Sara and her very active imagination. She inspired us to do good, as she did.

I thought it provided an excellent opportunity for us to discuss how important it is to treat others with respect, even when you think you will gain nothing from it. Sara seemed to be nothing more than a lowly pauper, but the man who chose to provide some beautiful things for the pauper next door was so immensely blessed by having done so. Conversely, Miss Minchin thought she could treat Sara in a humiliating demeaning fashion, but it ultimately brought her harm. Thus, there is value in being kind to everyone we meet. This point wasn't made in the story (I know that would turn some people off), I just thought it worth using the story to drive home the point.

Anyway, it is worth reading for more reasons than just that it is a great story, but it definitely is that.

One of my favorite stories! (submitted by [EoN] FrenchFryMayo).......2007-04-29

When I was in third grade, I longed for a story that I could actually enjoy and remember nearly everything that goes on. You see, I couldn't find ANYTHING interesting until I found Secret Garden, Black Beauty, and A Little Princess, all of which I literally COULDN'T PUT DOWN. Now in fifth grade, I continue to read these books again and again and again and again and again and again and again and... you get the picture. $[...] is a great price for a book like this. If you have not yet read this, I strongly reccomend you read it. You will be blown away at this.

Hope you enjoy the story!

-[EoN] FrenchFryMayo

the grass is always greener on the other side.......2007-04-04

The book A Little Princess by Frances Hodgons Burnett has many emotions.In the dark winter of London
a little rich named Sara. Sara was very close to her dad.Sara's dad drops her off at Miss Minchin's Seminary shcool for girls. Her dad's partner Mr. Carrisfield just discovered a diamand mine.
While Sara was being treated like princess her dad was dieing of Jungle Fever. A coulple weeks later her
dad died and Sara was taking it really hard. Now Sara had lost all her many. Instead of living in the nicest room
she has to live in the attic as a slave.
She was running errands alot and hardly ate. A year has past and Mr. Carrisfield found diamonds in the mine!! Also half of them were Sara's!!
Mr.Carrisfield took Sara to live with him. Once again Sara was a princess!

Five Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice

Average customer rating:

Giving it away
My kids love this book!!

Five Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice
Steve Metzger
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 043946577X

Customer Reviews:

Giving it away.......2007-09-14

I bought this without seeing it. I thought 'we love penguins so it can't be bad'. It is. It follows the rhyme pattern of Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed only THIS DOESN'T RHYME. It was painful to read aloud. While the artwork is adorable, the lack of rhyme and flow just grated. The kids (7, 7 and 3) thought it was fun, but haven't asked for it again and haven't missed it since I put it in the 'give away' box.

My kids love this book!!.......2006-03-23

We received this from my kids' pediatrician for my daughter's 18 month checkup. They absolutely love it and you can tell cause it's all beat up already and we've only had it for 2 months. Great story, love it lots.

Little Penguin's Tale (A Voyager/Hbj Book)

Average customer rating:

Never, NEVER, go off by yourself!!
A story with a moral. Kind of.
Look At Me!
Teacher from Texas
My Least Favorite Penguin Book

Little Penguin's Tale (A Voyager/Hbj Book)
Audrey Wood
Manufacturer: Voyager Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0152474765

Book Description

Just as in the story that Grand Nanny Penguin is telling, Little Penguin slides down hills, dances with wild, silly, goony birds, and almost gets eaten by a whale. “The deep greens, bright yellows, and glacial blues depict a northern world of fun and frolic that is warm and appealing.”--Booklist

Customer Reviews:

Never, NEVER, go off by yourself!!.......2005-08-23

Audrey Wood is such a talented writer for young children, that this story seems effortless. Let's face it! In this day and age you simply cannot have too many stories about the dangers of young children wandering off by themselve. I don't mind at all that she borrowed Pinnochio's sea adventure plot a bit. My nerty little six year old grand-daughter had me read it three times and told me (most seriously) that little girls get kidnapped and that terrible (unspecified) things can happen and they never get to see their mommy and daddy and opa (that's me) again. Author Wood never flagged on the interest level and didn't make it too scary. A grownup should be available to make sure the serious lesson is understood. A real fun book, but not empty headed fun!

A story with a moral. Kind of. .......2005-05-04

The penguin Nanny is charged with watching 7 little penguins on an outing, but one of them has better things to do than hang out with her and eat his fruit basket. Instead, he wanders off for various adventures of tummy sledding, goony bird dancing, boating, wild partying and finally, napping on the edge of the ice. As he does each of these, the Nanny warns the six others that little penguins can get hurt doing those things- but he doesn't until the very end when he gets eaten.

End of story.

Oh my. The look on my son's face was even more upsetting than the tears coming out of the six little penguins eyes when they realised the whale had EATEN the adventurous little penguin! The nanny quickly backtracks and tells the six obedient penguins that the little penguin could indeed be eaten, but he didn't- he just came home instead.

My children like the illustrations, which appear to be pastel on rough paper. The colors are intense, the penguins attractive and the goony birds have big beautiful eyes. There's a lot going on at the party and they enjoy talking about the different animals at the party. It's funny to contemplate the fruit baskets the little penguins get for their outing and wonder why they all eat the same fruit at the same time. The children liked the food fight, even if I, the mom who would clean up, don't see the point.

Look At Me!.......2001-12-15

My son (3 years old) received this book as a gift and it is one of our favourites to read together. I think the rhythm of the book makes it easy to read out loud and the pictures are very interesting and fun to look at. I recommend this book and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Teacher from Texas.......2001-12-13

This is a delightful story about a mischievious little penguin and his adventures. My students loved this story and so did I.

My Least Favorite Penguin Book.......2000-12-29

Being an avid penguin collector, I have many, many penguin books, but this is definitely my least favorite. The story is about a grown-up penguin telling a group of little penguins what will happen if they do things they shouldn't. In the meantime, one of the little penguins is doing all these things. Even though the story the Nanny penguin tells is supposed to be exciting, I found it a little on the boring side. I do like the pictures; they are bright and pleasant to look at. However, the rest of the story is, in my opinion, somewhat lacking. True, it does have a well-developed plot line, but it just did not seem very thrilling at all. Younger children might like it, say maybe through kindergarten, but the rest would probably not.

Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories, 1896-1904 (Penguin Classics)

Average customer rating:

A superb translation

Lady with the Little Dog and Other Stories, 1896-1904 (Penguin Classics)
Anton Chekhov
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140447873

Book Description

During the last ten years of his life, Anton Chekhov penned his great plays, spent time treating the sick, and wrote a small number of stories that are considered his masterpieces. The eleven stories collected here-"The Lady with the Little Dog," "The House with the Mezzanine," "My Life," "Peasants," "A Visit to Friends," "Ionych," "About Love," "In the Ravine," "The Bishop," "The Bride," and "Disturbing the Balance"-hail from this fertile period. They reveal a writer who, in response to the techniques of Symbolism and Impressionism, moved beyond nineteenth-century realism to become an innovator of the modern short story, influencing such key twentieth-century literary figures as Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner.

Customer Reviews:

A superb translation.......2005-04-01

These stories translated in this volume by Ronald Wilks are really superb. When one compares the translation of "The Lady with the Dog" with the earlier translation by Constance Garnett, the differences are apparent. Please compare them. The Wilks translation is high quality beautiful English expression, it captures the mood and the ideas of Chekhov perfectly.

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