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David McK (3236 KP) rated The Philosophy Book in Books
Jan 30, 2019
With over 2000 years of history, no book could seek to cover each and every aspect of philosophical thought.
What this does, instead, is to give a broad overview of the main works of the main thinkers (SOcrates, Plato, Descartes, Karl Marx, etc) of any particular era, with the book itself split into 6 main sections, as follows:
1) The Ancient World (700 BCE - 250 CE)
2) The Medieval World (250 - 1500)
3) Renaissance and the Age of Reason (1500 - 1750)
4) The Age of Revolution (1750 - 1900)
5) The Modern World (1900 -1950)
6) Contemporary Philosophy (1950 - present)
Nicely illustrated throughout, and with a little bit of history on the thinker themselves, this is a good intro for anybody interested in the subject. (Speaking personally, the closer the philosophy got to contemporary years, the less interesting I found it - I was more interested in the likes of Plato, Socrates and Descartes, for instance, than in Jacques Derrida).
What this does, instead, is to give a broad overview of the main works of the main thinkers (SOcrates, Plato, Descartes, Karl Marx, etc) of any particular era, with the book itself split into 6 main sections, as follows:
1) The Ancient World (700 BCE - 250 CE)
2) The Medieval World (250 - 1500)
3) Renaissance and the Age of Reason (1500 - 1750)
4) The Age of Revolution (1750 - 1900)
5) The Modern World (1900 -1950)
6) Contemporary Philosophy (1950 - present)
Nicely illustrated throughout, and with a little bit of history on the thinker themselves, this is a good intro for anybody interested in the subject. (Speaking personally, the closer the philosophy got to contemporary years, the less interesting I found it - I was more interested in the likes of Plato, Socrates and Descartes, for instance, than in Jacques Derrida).
ClareR (5603 KP) rated In My World in Books
Nov 7, 2017
A beautifully illustrated and worded book
This is a book that looks in to the mind of an autistic child, and their struggle with other people understanding how they think and view the world. The illustrations are beautiful - and I like how the main character is actually a human child which is much more relatable to all children, whether they're autistic or not. The book shows that we might see autism as something negative, but the child has a world of their own imagination in which to live happily - I can see other children realising that they too have this imaginary world and that they're not so different after all. As with many children's books about autism that I've seen lately, it is all about fostering understanding; helping the non-autistic child learn that they are not so different, and that any differences are what actually make us all individuals. A lovely book that I'm sure will be popular.
I received this book free for an unbiased review through NetGalley and publisher.
I received this book free for an unbiased review through NetGalley and publisher.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated The Coral Kingdom in Books
Jun 16, 2018
The Coral Kingdom by Laura Knowles is a beautifully illustrated picture book about coral reefs, as well as a pretty strong call to save them.
The story part of the book is a nice sing song of the animals and colors of the reef. The back matter is all about what is coral, how we can save it, and how we can save our planet. Told in a loose rhyming scheme, the reader is brought into the wonders of this undersea world. The watercolor pictures illustrate with beautiful colors of the reef and the life around it. There are lots of sea creatures to find as well as unusual things like boats that have become part of the reef over time. A call is made to save this beautiful space.
The book ends with some action ideas for sustaining the reef and how it is losing it's color. The message is clear, but I never felt like I was being beat over the head with it. The case is made gently and with beautiful art.
The story part of the book is a nice sing song of the animals and colors of the reef. The back matter is all about what is coral, how we can save it, and how we can save our planet. Told in a loose rhyming scheme, the reader is brought into the wonders of this undersea world. The watercolor pictures illustrate with beautiful colors of the reef and the life around it. There are lots of sea creatures to find as well as unusual things like boats that have become part of the reef over time. A call is made to save this beautiful space.
The book ends with some action ideas for sustaining the reef and how it is losing it's color. The message is clear, but I never felt like I was being beat over the head with it. The case is made gently and with beautiful art.
Contains spoilers, click to show
The Shakespeare Stories: Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet by Andrew Matthews presents four of William Shakespeare’s famous plays in an easy-to-digest format for kids. Accompanied by Tony Ross’ illustrations, Matthews re-imagines these Shakespearean plays as short stories more akin to classic fairy tales.
Matthews manages to take some of the most plot-heavy and confusing Shakespeare plays and break them down to their most basic elements. The language is easy to follow without lacking intellect or wit, and he stays true to Shakespeare’s concepts and characters. Illustrated short stories for kids are a no-brainer for getting children interested in William Shakespeare, and Matthews was smart to dive into the genre. He isn’t reinventing the wheel, but he is making the wheel accessible to a wide range of audiences.
I like how it has pictures, gives the cast and a quote from the original play. Then it tells the story and finishes up with an explanation of what just happened and some history of Shakespeare and the play.
Matthews manages to take some of the most plot-heavy and confusing Shakespeare plays and break them down to their most basic elements. The language is easy to follow without lacking intellect or wit, and he stays true to Shakespeare’s concepts and characters. Illustrated short stories for kids are a no-brainer for getting children interested in William Shakespeare, and Matthews was smart to dive into the genre. He isn’t reinventing the wheel, but he is making the wheel accessible to a wide range of audiences.
I like how it has pictures, gives the cast and a quote from the original play. Then it tells the story and finishes up with an explanation of what just happened and some history of Shakespeare and the play.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Growing in God's Love: A Story Bible in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Growing in God's Love: A Story Bible by Elizabeth F. Caldwell; Carol A. Wehrheim is an illustrated book that pays attention to quality and detail. While it says it is a book that children can read, I believe it should be read to children. I am impressed with this book, the wording, and I like how it is designed to be interactive between adult and child with three simple questions at the end of each story.
Most of the stories are between one and two pages counting the illustrations and three questions and start at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis and through the old testament and then into the new testament. The verse location in the Bible is given under the story title.
The author did a great job of covering Bible topics in a way that children can understand but in a way that adults can gain a blessing as well.
I received an ARC from Westminster John Knox Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Most of the stories are between one and two pages counting the illustrations and three questions and start at the beginning of the Bible in Genesis and through the old testament and then into the new testament. The verse location in the Bible is given under the story title.
The author did a great job of covering Bible topics in a way that children can understand but in a way that adults can gain a blessing as well.
I received an ARC from Westminster John Knox Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Kawaii Doodle Class by Zainab Khan is an illustrated step-by-step resource guide on how to draw smiley lumps that look like food, animals, objects, holiday themes, and monsters. As down-putting as that may sound, it’s really quite useful, dainty, and, yes, cute.
The book starts with a list of tools and essentials what you can use to have a go with but so long as you have at least a pen or pencil with some paper to hand you can try some sketches from the off. The book pages are set with cute borders alike clouds, in pastel and deeper blue against the plain white background on which the drawing tips and demonstration step by step images sit on.
You don’t need to be an amazing artist to be able to use this book as everything is super simple to follow, I personally loved the flower designs best and there’s a handy way to draw a rose I found useful!
I received this Quarto Publishing Group and Race Point Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book starts with a list of tools and essentials what you can use to have a go with but so long as you have at least a pen or pencil with some paper to hand you can try some sketches from the off. The book pages are set with cute borders alike clouds, in pastel and deeper blue against the plain white background on which the drawing tips and demonstration step by step images sit on.
You don’t need to be an amazing artist to be able to use this book as everything is super simple to follow, I personally loved the flower designs best and there’s a handy way to draw a rose I found useful!
I received this Quarto Publishing Group and Race Point Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Faris Badwan recommended Pleasant Dreams by Ramones in Music (curated)
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Gifts of the Heart in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Gifts of the Heart by Karen Boes Oman
Illustrated by Marilyn Brown
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Gifts from the heart tells a very cute story in verse about a Grandma and a Grandpa who go to their Grandchildren’s house for Christmas. But on the way, a huge storm came and swept all their presents away to Little Bow Peep’s house, where everyone was in need of the things that Grandma and Grandpa had. So Grandma and Grandpa gave the gifts to those who needed it most instead of taking them back. Then when Grandma and Grandpa went to the Grandkids house, they explained to the children what happened with their presents. Little Bow Peep shows up with flying sheep in a sleigh and takes all the Grandchildren for a ride to her town, where they receive gifts from the heart made by the people of the town to thank them for giving up their gifts.
This is a wonderful story about giving to people who are in need, and it shows kids that giving is just as much fun as receiving. This is a wonderful story that should be on every shelf!
Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Illustrated by Marilyn Brown
Genre: Children’s Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Gifts from the heart tells a very cute story in verse about a Grandma and a Grandpa who go to their Grandchildren’s house for Christmas. But on the way, a huge storm came and swept all their presents away to Little Bow Peep’s house, where everyone was in need of the things that Grandma and Grandpa had. So Grandma and Grandpa gave the gifts to those who needed it most instead of taking them back. Then when Grandma and Grandpa went to the Grandkids house, they explained to the children what happened with their presents. Little Bow Peep shows up with flying sheep in a sleigh and takes all the Grandchildren for a ride to her town, where they receive gifts from the heart made by the people of the town to thank them for giving up their gifts.
This is a wonderful story about giving to people who are in need, and it shows kids that giving is just as much fun as receiving. This is a wonderful story that should be on every shelf!
Recommendation: Ages 4-8
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Beauty of the Wolf in Books
Feb 21, 2019
A refreshingly different retelling
I rather liked this retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It's set in Elizabethan England, and there are some twists to the original story, which were both surprising and refreshing.
I really liked the language used: it was poetic with a good smattering of the more 'earthy' Elizabethan English (it's what we English are good at I think, isn't it!). I also liked the mix of fairytale, folklore and history. It just felt as though the author had done a bit of historical research with regards to life in London and as part of a theatrical group.
It was a good story that illustrated that what's on the inside is what really counts far more than appearances and that, I suppose, there is someone out there for everyone. Someone who will love you for yourself, regardless of what you look like - in fact, probably precisely because of what you look like.*
*This book actually caused me to check in my cynicism at the first page. And that's no bad thing in literature!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
I really liked the language used: it was poetic with a good smattering of the more 'earthy' Elizabethan English (it's what we English are good at I think, isn't it!). I also liked the mix of fairytale, folklore and history. It just felt as though the author had done a bit of historical research with regards to life in London and as part of a theatrical group.
It was a good story that illustrated that what's on the inside is what really counts far more than appearances and that, I suppose, there is someone out there for everyone. Someone who will love you for yourself, regardless of what you look like - in fact, probably precisely because of what you look like.*
*This book actually caused me to check in my cynicism at the first page. And that's no bad thing in literature!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
Mayhawke (97 KP) rated The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Toomey in Books
Feb 9, 2018
A good Christmas story without the mawkishness
I have nine children. I bought this book for the oldest two - over twenty years ago It is a beautiful book, wonderfully illustrated, with a great Christmas story: Jonathon Toomey - a cold and unfriendly man, since the loss of his wife and child takes in a homeless woman and her son in the middle of winter, with - for grown ups - a predictable outcome.
This story is not especially original, but it is the way in which it is told rather than the story itself that makes it stand out. I dislike sugary sentimentalism and one of the problems I have buying childrens books (particularly Xmas ones) is that the market is so over-loaded with 'sugar' that it's verging on a serious case of diabetes. This book is not sugary, nor even particularly sentimental. It tells a fine story, calmly and with dignity.
It has been a popular story with all the varied personalities in the family, which has to say something about breadth of appeal, and as it was re-issued in 2015 It seems to be weathering social change as well.
This story is not especially original, but it is the way in which it is told rather than the story itself that makes it stand out. I dislike sugary sentimentalism and one of the problems I have buying childrens books (particularly Xmas ones) is that the market is so over-loaded with 'sugar' that it's verging on a serious case of diabetes. This book is not sugary, nor even particularly sentimental. It tells a fine story, calmly and with dignity.
It has been a popular story with all the varied personalities in the family, which has to say something about breadth of appeal, and as it was re-issued in 2015 It seems to be weathering social change as well.