Inside a Barn in the Country is my kids' favorite read-a-long and my favorite to read to them. Had I had this book when I was a kid, it would have been my favorite too.

I used to work at a preschool that had this book in its library. The children could not get enough of this book! It's simply charming! Very rhythmic verse and the pictures are adorable. The children loved the book so much in that class that the school's art teacher reproduced large 3D pictures of the animals in the book. They were then hung around the room in the order of the story. The children loved it! So much in fact that I purchased the book through the school's book club even though I had no children at the time, nor any intentions of starting soon.

Now, my 2 yr old adores this book! She thinks it is absolutely wonderful and while she's far from reading it yet, she can almost recite it from memory. The verse is that easy. Great book for new readers and future ones!

I have used The Napping House by Audrey Wood for years in my classroom. Inside a Barn in the Country has the same type of appeal to primary and pre-primary aged children. The pictures are fabulous and the children love to read along making all of the animal sounds. The book lends itself to sequence activities and encourages memory of sequenced events. This is sure to be a class favorite! I highly recommend it.

This is the kind of book I dream about. When I look for my next read, I look for a book that is 1) passionate 2) not pretentious and not totally mainstream, and 3) about quirky (in a trashy and at least slightly out of control way) people and things. Sounds simple enough, but lord knows it ain't as easy to find a book with those characteristics as you might think. But Robert Gordon has torn it up and come through for us. Really, it's amazing that this book is still in print because it's "target audience" must consist of about thirty people. And therein lies its beauty. Imagine something as idiosyncratic as a zine, but, unlike a zine, not poorly written! Also, it doesn't hurt that a nice sized portion of the book is devoted to the godhead, Alex Chilton, which means a lot to us Chilton-ites since no real definitive bio exists. Of course, there's tons else besides Alex--take for example pro wrestlers, hippie bluesmen, and a cool-as-hell photographer--but if you don't dig Alex, maybe you should pass on this anyway and go and see if Will and Grace is available on DVD yet. Your type sickens me.

Gordon's It Came from Memphis helps to unravel the rich heritage of a city whose musical heritage is largely overlooked save for BB King and Elvis Presley. He succesfullly attempts to expose the politics, racism, and situations of circumstance that fueled Memphis to become what it is today both musically and socially. A young gifted author whose style is both easily readable and profound, Gordon offers a book that is a must read for any fan of modern music. I recommend this one highly.

If you've never been to Memphis, this book will either make you drive straight to the airport or convince you to stay far, far away. Gordon's round-up of Memphis eccentrics, flops, and genuises is short on Elvis and B.B. King, and long on Alex Chilton, Dewey Phillips, Jim Dickinson, and Furry Lewis. An indispensible and hilarious guide to America's deep-fried music capital.

As Eric Kimmel explains in the afterword of another book, he hails from a long line of storytellers. That may be why he is particularly adept at telling these eight delights from Chelm, one for each night of the Festival of Lights.

Now Chelm, as you may know, is the mythical town of fools somewhere in Eastern Europe. And every book of Chelm stories offers a different explanation of how they got there, usually involving God, angels--and a giant slip-up. Kimmel's variation ascends to the level of Isaac Bashevis Singer (who also wrote magnificent tales for children), maybe because he retells a Yiddish version of the story.

Kimmel has a neat way of taking stories from one tradition and mixing them with others, a feat he pulls off with aplomb in three of these tales. I especially like Berel Dunce and Motke Fool in The Magic Spoon, a Chelm rendition of Stone Soup.

He can also magically pull original stories out of thin air, as he does here with three Chelmnick firsts. One, The Soul of the Menorah, introduces us to the menorah at the Grand Synogogue of Chelm, with a blessing from the Seer of Lublin himself.

It came to Chelm, many years ago, on the back of a hay wagon, in the shape of a hay fork. Anyone who dared to question that God threw it down from heaven was greeted with the rejoinder, "Dolt! Mooncalf! Since when does a hay fork shine like silver?"

Sparks of holiness can be found in the most common, ordinary things, the Rabbi of Lublin told the people of Chelm. "A blind beggar singing in the marketplace might be an angel. An old boot may hold the key to a cosmic riddle. We must constantly search for the hidden sparks so that we can uncover their true holiness."

Maybe these Chelmnicks are no fools. After all, they were smart enough to let Kimmel bind their wisdom between the covers of this book, and offer it for sale. Trust me, this book is rich. (But then, I never met a Chelmnick I didn't like.) Alyssa A. Lappen

This is one of those books that is really fun to read to your kids. The stories, one for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, are cleverly told. Although the fine people of Chelm are often foolish, the lessons learned are always relayed in a wry, humorous way.

Kimmel has a way with words and the collection of wisdom represented within this book brings a new meaning to the holiday spirit. Our kids love these stories. Like Kimmel's book Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins and others, they like to hear these stories year-round.

While the real city of Chelm is in Poland, the Chelm of Jewish legend could be almost anywhere - it is the traditional town of fools. But, as is the case with many fools, they're often wiser than we realize. After all, when dreidel is played in Chelm everyone wins!

Caldecott Honoree Kimmel has created eight hilarious Hanukkah stories filled with memorable characters such as Monke Fool, and Feivel Bonehead. Add the smile-provoking, colorful illustrations of Mordicai Gerstein and you have a book that is both spirited and poignant - very much like Hanukkah itself.

This has quickly become the cookbook I turn to most often (and I have hundreds of them). Everything I've tried has been so flavorful and so easy to pull off. The roasted figs and Indian cashews are now a cocktail party staple (and I keep getting calls for the recipe). Same goes for the cheese and pecan crackers. The bourbon-marinaded steak has made me a much more frequent meat-eater. And just this past weekend I made the incredibly easy buttermilk pie, to much fanfare. Do yourself a favor and buy this book. It's OUTSTANDING.

From a small-town country store in the Northern California wine region, comes a great collection of recipes and entertaining ideas using a variety of seasonal products. Authors Carrie Brown and John Werner (with a wonderful assist from cookbook pro Michael McLaughlin) have compiled the very best of seasonal recipes and menu ideas used in the Jimtown Store and its catering business. The recipes are clear and easy to follow (though I wish that the publisher had worked harder to print the COMPLETE recipe on 1 or 2 facing pages--flipping the page in the middle of food prep is a real hassle!). Overall, though, it is a nicely written volume, which provides ideas for springtime suppers, autumn tailgate parties, Fourth of July barbecues, as well as holiday meals. There is an extensive chapter on salads of all sorts, plus another on sauces, condiments, and relishes, just to give us a few new twists on some old stand-by themes. There are some great weekend ideas in the chapter entitled Breakfast Baking. I've already made the maple-glazed meatloaf for dinner (leftovers make terrific sandwiches), and am now planning Grilled Steak with Backyard Bourbon Marinade as well as Apple-Buttermilk Slaw for some weekend lunch guests. Just in time for summer entertaining, this book is destined to become a year-round classic in my kitchen!

One of those unique cookbooks where you'll want to make every recipe, and where you'll actually be able to. Jimtown's style is unfussy, focused on flavor and experience. These recipes mix old and new, national and international cuisine with witty and informative writing. I'm busy working my way through making the recipes and haven't had a dud yet!

John Gregory, the Georgia gold miner who saved the Pike's Peak gold rush and gave his name to the Gregory Toll Road, would have loved this book! It's all here, that terrible first road into the North Fork of Clear Creek in the Colorado mountains, the toll road tht followed, and the people who followed the roads. Full of original quotes and pictures. I was amazed to learn that the miners set the mountains on fire in order to find their way around. The fires, which were visible far out on the prairie, were called the miners' fires.

This is the only book written about the toll road named for John Hamilton Gregory. The road traveled from the prairies north of Clear Creek through the mountains to the gold mining camps in the Little Kingdom of Gilpin, in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. It was followed by thousands of goldseekers jubliant with hope. Many returned, chased away by winter and poor prospects. Theirs was a chorus of hope mingled with despair, a chorus which this book captures. I enjoyed it very much. Today's road through Golden Gate Canyon follows that old toll road.

This is a fun trip through the early days in Colorado's History. The pictures are well chosen. Anyone who has ever spent time in Colorado should pick this up! I got my copy and could not put it down.

I love this autobiography of George Strait. It is the first book I have read about him. It gave great detail to his life and his music. I am waiting for another book about him to come out. he is so interesting and a true country singer.

George Strait, the original country "hat act" is the subject of this new biography by Jo Sgammato. The story begins in his early days from his hit album, Strait Country, to the present. Strait has been at the top of the charts for sixteen years, a rarity for most country stars. I have been a fan of his for many years and was very excited when the book "Keepin' It Country," was announced. This book is must reading for all of his fans. As Barbara Mandrell sings, "I was county when country wasn't cool." This is also true of Strait the country sensation who never performs without his hat.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave good back-ground information on the singer and the person.

Gentry Steele conveys the essence of the remarkable northern extension of the Great Chihuahuan Desert in his well-written text and supliments it admirably with supurb large format photographs. An excellent introduction to one of America's least explored regions.

The Big Bend is a rugged, powerful, unforgiving, and beautiful country,that exists on a scale that most of civilized man never experiences. Most casual tourists who visit Big Bend are disappointed, as I was, in their pitiful efforts at capturing the essence of the experience both in words and 35mm photographs. This is a land that does not exist in standard format; it is truly a large-format landscape that requires exceptional verbal ability and skillful large-format photography to do it justice. Gentry Steele has done just that. His love and knowledge of the Big Bend country are clearly evident in his text and, especially in his striking black and white photographs. A hearty thumbs up for this spectacular book!

This is the kind of book you return to again and again. Steele has both consumate technical skill and the eye (and heart) of an artist. The composition of each photograph is striking, but it is the play of light and shadow -- across canyon walls, over abandoned adobe buildings, and the occasional plant -- that will delight and amaze the viewer. Steele used the intense desert light as his accomplice, creating art out of light, shade, rocks, and space. Each photograph is accompanied by a brief description of what you are seeing and where the photograph was taken. Steele's love and respect for the Big Bend region is evident on every page. This isn't the kind of book to be flipped through casually. I find myself lingering over each page, savoring the image, returning over and over to particular images, seeing some new each time. I plan to give this book to friends and relatives for Christmas this year. I confess to owning two D. Gentry Steele photographic prints, including the one chosen for the cover of this book. Highly recommended!!

Once you pick this book up you can't put it down! Lone Stars and Legends: The History of Texas Music takes you on a fantastic journey through the history of Texas music. The author, Paula Felps is a creative and witty writer who makes the words come alive, and has her facts straight. If you consider yourself a music buff, you've got to read this book. In short, if you like music and want an interesting read, you need this book. It makes a great gift, too!

Texas is a mighty big place. Big enough, it seems, to produce a wealth of influential musicians - players who not only helped shaped the sound of Texas music, but of American music in general.
"Lone Stars and Legends," Paula Felps' excellent chronicle of the first 100 years of Texas music and musicians, sheds light on a host of these musical mavericks and their various innovations. Along the way, we hear about the birth of such styles such as Tejano and Western Swing, while also gaining new insight into specifically how Texas legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Ernest Tubb and Buddy Holly contributed to the advancement of more widespread artforms like blues, country and rock'n'roll.
Unlike many other historical tomes, Lone Stars and Legends is written in such a way that it actually holds your interest, making it as hard to put down as it is easy to soak up the information. In addition to providing a truckload of facts, Felps interjects these history lessons with humorous asides and investigations into not just the output but also the people behind the guitars, accordions, fiddles, pianos and trumpets - the people whose contributions provided the framework for Texas and American music as we know it today.

Texas is home to a legion of musical trailblazers ranging from Scott Joplin, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and T-Bone Walker, to Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Willie Nelson. In Lone Stars And Legends: The Story Of Texas Music, music journalist Paula Felps traces the diverse paths of the men and women who laid the foundation for what has come to be described as "Texas Music" and a musical legacy that reaches deep into Texas history and culture. All forms of the Texas musical tapestry are surveyed including ragtime, Blues, Boogie Woogie, Jazz, Cowboy ballads, Country, Western Swing, Honky-Tonk; Rockabilly, and Rock 'n Roll. Lone Stars And Legends is a unique and welcome contribution to the study of Texas cultural history in general, and the history of American music in particular.

Last summer I went to Switzerland with my girlfriend. She had this book with her. It was great! It helped us to see interesting places, find affordable hotels, good restaurant. I recommend this book to anyone who is planning on going to Switzerland.

This was by far the most helpful resource that I took to Switzerland--extremely detailed, logically organized, and quite accurate. Walking in Switzerland was extremely helpful in its well-written trail and regional descriptions as well as precise information on surrounding logistics. A must for anybody who intends to hike (seriously or casually) in the region. At the risk of gushing overmuch, this is quite possibly the most useful travel guide I've ever bought.

It took us to places that the locals thought were not available without local knowledge. I highly recommend this book. Please e-mail me with your comments

Rick Koster's Louisiana Music is the first and only guide to the variety of musicians in this southern American state: others have focused on specific styles (Creole, Cajun, Zydeco) but Louisiana Music considers the past and present of jazz, rock, gospel and other styles of both urban and lesser-known areas, including the Mardi Gras Indian tribes. Louisiana Music is a 'must' for avid fans of Louisiana music.

Just finished this book. It is another great effort on the part of this very talented writer. This will make for a wonderful addition to my music collection as a fantastic reference book. This work is HIGHLY recommended! Rick Koster -- keep writing!

This book contains a plethora of very valuable histories
of many well known and (more importantly) lesser known Louisiana bands and artists. Mr. Koster, although from neighboring Texas, has really done his homework on this project. You can also find Mr. Koster's dry humor come into play throughout.

If you like this book, you will also enjoy Mr. Koster's book on the history of Texas music called, you guessed it, "Texas Music".