Son of the Morning Star

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On June 25, 1876, Gen. George Armstrong Custer and some 200 cavalrymen under his command blundered into a coulee along the banks of Montana's Little Bighorn River. They never came out; several thousand Cheyenne, Sioux, and Arapaho warriors saw to that. The name and the event of the Little Bighorn have subsequently entered into American mythology, reverberating throughout the nation's history. Custer's famous demise has yielded thousands of books, and Son of the Morning Star is exceptional among them: part anthropological study of Plains Indian life, part military history, and part character study of the principal actors in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Evan Connell's work presents the first truly balanced account of Custer's career.

Book Description

Custer's Last Stand is among the most enduring events in American history--more than one hundred years after the fact, books continue to be written and people continue to argue about even the most basic details surrounding the Little Bighorn. Evan S. Connell, whom Joyce Carol Oates has described as "one of our most interesting and intelligent American writers," wrote what continues to be the most reliable--and compulsively readable--account of the subject. Connell makes good use of his meticulous research and novelist's eye for the story and detail to re-vreate the heroism, foolishness, and savagery of this crucial chapter in the history of the West.

Customer Reviews:

A Fantastic Read.......2007-06-22

Evan S. Connell doesn't care about preconceptions about what happened at Little Big Horn. Instead he weaves a narrative that explores and explodes every myth and legend surrounding the battle and everything leading up to it. The writing is absorbing and magnificent, and Mr. Connell takes his time to explore the lives of not only the leading participants, Custer and Sitting Bull, Gall and Sherman, but digs down in the dirt of the geography and even the lives of what most would consider secondary characters. He even lays down a fascinating side story about the fate of Custer's horse.

One of the best books I've ever read.......2007-05-22

I didn't find this book hard to follow at all. Even when I was sleepy I knew what I was reading about. It is the characters in this book and the back drop that brings this story alive. Connell does a great job of bringing unknown and well known characters to life and giving them more than just a name and place of death. What a story this is when you add up all the sum parts. And, I was able to get a bigger picture than just the death of Custard from reading this great book.

History with the eye of the fiction author.......2007-05-16

This is not a traditional history book and it seems that those who object seem to do so primarally on those grounds. There is no question that this book does not read or even flow as a typical history which in my view is a tribute to the creative author and a a risk taking publisher both of whom deserve high praise.

It is the reader rather than a historian who benefit from this treatment. The myriad of detail adds color and depth to the men's characters in a way that no regular history book has ever done. Yes the detail slows the narative and yes the author is all over the place, retrospection, current event, future writing all withing a page or two and yet somehow the whole thing holds together and the information is assimilated in a lasting and meaningful way.

The reasonings are so logical and fresh given the years and speculation and outright lies that they shine from the page. One example - why was Custer not scalped. Reasons given over the years run from Indian admiration for his courage to contempt. The author's take, Custer's hair was cut short for the campain, he was also going bald. In short his scalp was so unatractive as a trophy, that no one bothered.

The author engages in speculation and unlike regular historians, he readily admits when he is doing so. For example he openly shared his puzzlement as to why certain versions of Custer's death are rejected by one generation only to be viewed as the most credible by furture generations.

All and all this is a wonderful read and anyone with an interest in this history would benefit even if some of the facts shared conflict with previous ideas.

Custer remains an inegma but this book comes as close as we are ever likely to get to understanding him and the men who served with him.

Politics disguised as history.......2007-01-23

A morose and spiritless rendition of the plains Indian Wars, told from the perspective of a late 20th Century San Francisco mentality that sees nothing good in America, past or present. Contains a total of four or five pages worth of vivid and memorable prose - the "funnel of a tornado" image is unforgettable - nearly half of which is repeated on the jacket blurbs and photo captions. The bulk of the book consists of endless excerpts from hundreds of primary sources, most of which are not cited. (The bibliography is the most rewarding aspect of the book.) Clearly a fan of the Kurosawa-Rashomon school of epistemology, Connell repeatedly wastes the reader's time with hypothetical scenarios concerning facts and events of little importance, only to inform the reader in the end that we can't know for certain, and anyway it doesn't really matter. One assumes that had Connell been born a 19th Century Sioux, he would have spent his time castigating the tribe for having stolen the lands of whatever tribes claimed it before them. The one thing Connell is certain of, it seems, is that anything, even the savage inter-tribal warfare that went on for tens of millennia before the "wasichus" came on the scene, was preferable to the way of life that replaced it. This reviewer guesses that more than a few Native Americans past and present would take issue with such a conclusion, but what do they know.

huge disappointment........2006-10-21

i have had this book in my library for a long time and very much looked forward to reading it. a book that got rave reviews by critics, an outstanding novelist (evan s connell) writing about the legendary downfall of custer at little bighorn, how could i go wrong with this one. well, i guess that there is no such thing as a sure thing, because i found this book way too long & way too tedious. the author digresses all throughout the book, dropping the narrative and taking off on dull useless sidetracks that should never have been included. dozens and dozens of characters are introduced that you will never rememeber (and will never need to remember). strange and poor organization make this book a real dud. too bad.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Board Book)

Average customer rating:

Another great book
My least favorite Trapani book
Send your "special star" off to dreamland with this book!!
Great! Iza Trapani Books are wonderful!
Great book

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Board Book)
Iza Trapani , and Jane Taylor
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 1580890156

Book Description

A board book version of this favorite nursery rhyme with added adventures.

Customer Reviews:

Another great book.......2007-09-06

The author does it again with this production. My children and I love her extended versions of these old children's songs. And, as usual, it includes the music on the last page, which is a nice addition and teaching tool. It is wonderful!

My least favorite Trapani book.......2007-06-08

We have many Iza Trapani books and my daughters and I usually love them. My 3 year old asked me to read this last night and I decided this is my least favorite. Some of the pages are difficult for me to read in a dim bedroom because of the gold text on blue pages. To me, it drags on more than others and the story isn't as fun. My daughter was concerned about a little girl going out without her mother. I think it is an OK book but was surprised at how many reviewers thought it was wonderful. I just don't think it is as good as "How Much is that Doggy in the Window", "I'm a Little Teapot" or some of the others ( I think we own at least 6 of her books).

Send your "special star" off to dreamland with this book!!.......2007-05-27

This is a great everynight bedtime story. This is actually my second copy because reading it everynight to my boys wore it out so I had to get a new copy for my daughter. It is so precious when they say it back to you as you read it and because they hear the song a lot it makes it easy for them to learn. My 2 1/2 yr old says it almost word for word already. My favorite is the last line... "What a special star you are!" It is a great way to send your child off to dream land.

Great! Iza Trapani Books are wonderful!.......2006-08-24

I too HIGHLY recommend Iza Trapani's "I'm a Little Teapot" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider"! This book is so beautifully illustrated, and brings the classic song to life. This was a great bedtime book and now my kids are starting to read it themselves! Timeless!

Great book.......2006-05-30

Great book. Reinforced the song by brining in a new aspect of it to my daughter. She started singing the song before she saw the book so it was nice to share this with her. Now she wants me to read it to her almost every night.

The Little Book of Whittling: Passing Time on the Trail, on the Porch, and Under the Stars

Average customer rating:

Good beginners guide
Good book
The Little Book of Whittling
Didn't blow my mind
great for beginners

The Little Book of Whittling: Passing Time on the Trail, on the Porch, and Under the Stars
Chris Lubkemann
Manufacturer: Fox Chapel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1565232747

Book Description

With a friendly, down-home style, this guide encourages readers to whittle away the hours. Great for beginners looking for an easy way to get started and more advanced carvers looking for a relaxing way to spend their time, this instructional manual provides 20 projects, including knives, forks, birds, animals, trees, and flowers. Chapters detail the proper whittling tools and materials, including what woods are best to carve, and how to start projects by selecting and safely sharpening the best knife for each project.

Customer Reviews:

Good beginners guide.......2007-09-30

I went to a local wood hobby shop and looked at several carving/whittling books. This one looked good so I bought it on ebay and saved some $s.
I'm a total novice, so this book was perfect. Full of photographs that explain every step. No previous experience necessary. Tip: I've managed to cut myself a few times so I'm wearing gloves until my technique improves. A very relaxing pastime. Highly recommended. If you are wondering which beginners book to buy then buy this.

Good book.......2007-05-31

If you are new to whittling (like me) this was a good book to get started on. Lots of things that you can make right away.

The Little Book of Whittling.......2007-01-04

GREAT book for beginning/intermediate whittler! Got this for my 8-year-old grandson for Christmas along with Smoky Mountain Whittler (knife), and he was thrilled! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Thanks!

Didn't blow my mind.......2007-01-03

Although I can't say the book is bad, it was not what I was expecting.
I was expecting a manual that would allow me to pick up my pocket knife and start working on my first piece :-)
Having said that, the book does give a nice general overview of the subject of whittling.

great for beginners.......2006-08-01

This book has very detailed instructions accompanied by step-by-step photographs. It teaches you how to carve several different things (spoons, forks, knives, stick figures, flowers, and walking sticks among them) from twigs.

Sign and Sing Along: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (Sign and Singalong)

Average customer rating:

This book is a definite keeper to be loved and cherished!
Fast becoming one of baby's favourites!

Sign and Sing Along: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (Sign and Singalong)
Annie Kubler
Manufacturer: Child's Play, Int'l.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 1904550428

Product Description

A favorite nursery rhyme and song with simple and clear signing instructions. Even proficient speakers will long enjoy signing a favorite song or rhyme. By Annie Kubler. Ages: 8 - 36 mos Manufacturer: Marlon Creations

Customer Reviews:

This book is a definite keeper to be loved and cherished!.......2006-05-30

My now 14-month-old daughter has loved this book since we first read it to her at 9 months. She absolutely loves the illustrations, as well as the repetitive nature of the song/book. My daughter now signs the entire song, as do I. I love that she finds signing the song a great comfort, and sometimes signs it over and over as she is falling asleep.

This book is a definite keeper to be loved and cherished. I can't wait to buy the rest of the books in this series! I hope they come out with many, many more.

Fast becoming one of baby's favourites!.......2006-04-27

"Get your fingers ready to twinkle..."
That's how storytime begins with this book, which will encourage active participation even in babies who aren't signing.
Very cute pictures of babies and helpful captions for parents on the pictures of signs make this a book you will enjoy together again and again.

The series is slightly inconsistent in that only one book - Itsy Bitsy Spider - features a lovely REVIEW of signs on the back page (maybe they had an extra page because that song is short?). I found the review very helpful, and wished the other books in the series had one, too...it gives the baby yet another signing sing-along opportunity!

Still, I think Twinkle Twinkle is her favourite of all these books, and we have had many MANY requests to read it in just the few weeks it's been here.

Recommended for ages 1-2 only, as it's a very basic song that older toddlers will probably not sit still for for long.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (Sing-a-Song Soundsbooks Series)

Average customer rating:

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (Sing-a-Song Soundsbooks Series)
Jane Taylor
Manufacturer: Modern Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1561443506

Customer Reviews:

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.......2004-07-13

This Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star board book is perfect for toddlers. My little girl just loves to push on the star up high in the sky and hear the song. And the rhyming verse is nice too. Though she doesn't yet know what I'm saying as I read along, she enjoys the verse. I know she does. And to top it off Ms. Vasilak's illustrations are just simply divine.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Illustrations
Perfect for winding down together at bedtime
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star On All the People That I Love

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0811828549

Book Description

Cherished for nearly two centuries, the traditional lullaby "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" continues to send children off to dreamland. In this tenderly illustrated edition of the classic rhyme, award-winning artist Sylvia Long touches the hearts of reader yet again. Her detailed watercolors depict a group of animal friends as they make their way home under the night sky to complete their bedtime rituals with their families. The last verse finds each baby animal nested in bed. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is the perfect bedtime story, sure to lull children to sleep.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Illustrations.......2007-06-01

Sylvia Long seems to find a way to make every drawing on every page have hidden detail. My two and half year old kids love to sing "Twinkle Twinkle" but this little book makes it every more special. They like the sub-story of the fox lighting the lamp posts and the animal-children going home, eating dinner, and getting ready for bed. Most of all, they notice the detail in the animals' PJs or dinner plates and want to talk about that just as much as read the rhyme.

As always, a fabulous book from Ms. Long.

Perfect for winding down together at bedtime.......2005-07-20

As a parent, this is one of the books I find I actually enjoy reading to my kids over and over again. The verse is soothing and a nice way to wind down before bed time. The illustrations are beautiful and interesting. They are full of details and patterns that hold your attention on each page. They tell a story of their own. My two-year-old daughter loves seeing all the bedtime rituals the animals pictured in the book are doing with their families in all their own homes. I think this book made her enjoy singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" a little bit more.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star On All the People That I Love.......2001-12-08

My youngest son has suffered from severe asthma ever since he was an infant and he's almost 20 years old now. Some of my most painful memories are of watching him struggle with the torture of this disease when he was very small, and feeling the awful helplessness a parent feels when they have done all they can and still the suffering continues. When my son was at his sickest we would snuggle close and I would rub his back and quietly sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to him in a slow, soothing voice. Sometimes I would need to sing it for a long while before he could finally relax enough to fall asleep. I had to learn all the verses besides the familiar one and I had to make up several additional ones, too! As he grew older I continued to sing it when things were bad. When he was sad or in pain or facing a tough time, he would cuddle up and ask for a back rub and "Twinkle Twinkle." I think he was 18 the last time I sang it and he was suffering heartbreak rather than asthma. Well, to get to the point, this book does complete justice to the special song that has meant so much in our lives. It has all of the verses and they are very beautiful. Sylvia Long's lovely illustrations show little animal children dressed in cute clothes like sweaters and blue jeans as they sit together on a country hill gazing up at the diamonds in the sky. Then we see each of the children go to their own homes where their loving parents cuddle them off to bed. They have such cute and colorful jammies on. The love between a parent and child shines throughout this little charmer just like a twinkling star. I love it!

Little Gold Star: A Spanish American Cinderella Tale

Average customer rating:

Not Appropriate for the Classroom
Beautiful Book

Little Gold Star: A Spanish American Cinderella Tale
Robert D. San Souci
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0688147801

Book Description

Blessed Mary rewards Teresa's good deeds with a shining gold star. Later she punishes Teresa's unkind stepsisters, Isabel and Inez, with hideous horns and donkey's ears that they try to hide under heavy veils! But will Teresa outshine her stepsisters at the festival? Robert D. San Souci retells this popular folktale in a lilting narrative that includes all the magic of the beloved Cinderella story and traditional elements from Spanish tales. Luminous watercolors by Sergio Martinez accentuate the beauty and goodness that radiate from Little Gold Star.

A Selection of the Junior Library Guild

A Selection of Nest Literary Classics

Customer Reviews:

Not Appropriate for the Classroom.......2007-07-12

ATTENTION TEACHERS: While religious parents may enjoy sharing this book with their children, the religious content of this book makes it inappropriate for public school classrooms. (Little Gold Star is rewarded by the Virgin Mary after she spends an afternoon caring for baby Jesus and Saint Joseph.)

Beautiful Book.......2000-10-12

Little Gold Star offers a wonderful blend of story and illustrations from San Souci and Martinez. Little Gold Star is a Spanish American fairy tale similar to Cinderella. However, the role of fairy godmother is filled by Blessed Mary, showing the traditional Catholic influence in this culture. San Souci is always wonderful with words, but Martinez gives the story a serene beauty with his illustrations. The book has a peaceful feeling with its subdued tones. The reader knows the story will end happily and enjoys the journey to the end all the same. I highly recommend this book.

Let's Start! Classic Songs: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: A Pop-Up, Lift-the-Flap, Noisy, Sing-Along, Musical Book

Average customer rating:

One of the cutest books ever! My baby LOVES it!

Let's Start! Classic Songs: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: A Pop-Up, Lift-the-Flap, Noisy, Sing-Along, Musical Book
Todd South , and Wayne South
Manufacturer: Silver Dolphin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1592233570

Book Description

Kevin the Cat and his gang is back for a camping adventure under the stars where they discover a fantastic, twinkling surprise. Each page is bursting with fun, interactive play—pop-ups, lift-the-flap surprises, wheels, and pull-tabs, along with an electronic symphony playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Encouraging toddlers to sing along, this colorful, interactive book offers so much that kids will want to venture under the starlit skies with Kevin and his friends again and again.

Customer Reviews:

One of the cutest books ever! My baby LOVES it!.......2006-04-21

We bought this book for our baby girl when she was ust 4 months old and she absolutely LOVES it! The characters are adorable, the lyrics clever and the pop ups are so engaging. I read this book even when my baby is not around because I love it so much. We bought the other two books in the series after our experience with this one. Obviously, I highly recommend this book.

Babar's Little Circus Star (Step into Reading Series Step 1: Preschool - Grade 1)

Average customer rating:

Babar's Little Circus Star (Step into Reading Series Step 1: Preschool - Grade 1)
Laurent De Brunhoff
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0394889592
Release Date: 1988-05-12

Book Description

Illus. in full color by the author. "Isabelle is upset because she's the smallest in the family. When the circus comes to town, the clowns observe her tumbling skills and ask her to star in a performance. Isabelle shines but after the performance, she realizes it's nice to be little sometimes too. Written in short sentences featuring simple words, this easy-to-read book should be popular."--Booklist.

My Little Pony Star Catchers (for Story Reader system)

Average customer rating:

Nice Little Storybook, But Need the Storyreader for the Cassette

My Little Pony Star Catchers (for Story Reader system)

Manufacturer: Publications International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

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ASIN: 1412733480

Customer Reviews:

Nice Little Storybook, But Need the Storyreader for the Cassette.......2007-01-24

I wondered why this book was a little more expensive, but got it anyway because I didn't have it for my little one. The story about Star Catcher planning a Starlight Party with her new friends in Ponyville is very cute and engaging. However, this book came with a cassette for a Storyreader, which is like a Leapfrog reading system, but won't play in a Leapfrog reader because the cassette is a different size and shape. Amazon.com should include an option to purchase the Storyreader in the item description for this particular book. Other than not being able to play the cassette, this is a worthy My Little Pony book to add to your collection!

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