A Hat Full of Sky

Book Description

Something is coming after Tiffany ...

Tiffany Aching is ready to begin her apprenticeship in magic. She expects spells and magic -- not chores and ill-tempered nanny goats! Surely there must be more to witchcraft than this!

What Tiffany doesn't know is that an insidious, disembodied creature is pursuing her. This time, neither Mistress Weatherwax (the greatest witch in the world) nor the fierce, six-inch-high Wee Free Men can protect her. In the end, it will take all of Tiffany's inner strength to save herself ... if it can be done at all.

A Story of Discworld

Customer Reviews:

Love those wee free men!.......2007-09-26

This is a great children's book as well as for adults. I love the wee free men as only Pratchett can describe them. The "sharkies" and "big job" are personal favorites. This book has been read several times in my household and we actually gave a copy to our nephew for his birthday one year. He liked it so much he has asked for more titles by Pratchett.

Pratchett at his worst...........2007-09-23

...would still be better than Rowling at her best. The 'Editorial Reviewer' that created this comparison is just covering him (her) self with ridicule. Pratchett was creating masterpieces when Rowling was still in kindergarten. For that matter, in many ways, she still is.

Is this really for kids?.......2007-07-05

I found this book to be immensely entertaining. Despite relatively clean jokes, this doesn't really seem all that different from the rest of the Discworld series, in terms of reading difficulty. However, I imagine I might say otherwise, were I still in elementary school.

JUST what I wanted!.......2007-05-07

It took me a little to find the right cover, but it was just what I wanted, and came in good time!

Not Pratchett's best story, but full of Pratchett's heart.......2007-03-18

As an avid Terry Pratchett reader, I believe there are two kinds of his book: good and great. A Hat Full of Sky is of the good variety, as it stands on its own. However, I believe it's a great chapter in the larger work of the Discworld series. He has something very important to say here about responsibility, about relationships within the community, and about deep morality . . . I think that Pratchett's sympathies lie deeply with his witches, and watching this witch grow up is his lesson to us . . . I laughed and cried, and went away for the better.

(And ignore the Harry Potter comparisons. While I think Rowling is a fine author, Pratchett is the better storyteller, in the old, old sense of the term. His stories crackle with the energy of seeing all the parts of ourselves leaping back at us.)

Average customer rating:

Great Book!
Earth below us, drifting falling

Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly-Pie
Judy Sierra
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375832181
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Book Description

Thelonius Monster once swallowed a fly, and decided that flies would taste grand in a pie. That silly guy!

Judy Sierra’s funny read-aloud romp presents a monster that children will love as he makes a goo-filled crust, lures hundreds and thousands of succulent flies into it, and invites his “disgusting-ist” friends and relations to a gala fly-pie party. “How it glistens! And listen—it hums!” shout the ravenous monsters. But just as his guests are about to dig in—the pie flies off. “Bye, bye, fly pie.”

Judy Sierra’s story in rhyme begs to be read aloud during Halloween season or any season, and Edward Koren’s signature hairy monsters capture all the humor of this deliciously gross tale.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!.......2006-09-02

I love reading this book to my kids, ages 6 and 8. I enjoy the story as much as they do. It is a simple story, easy and very enjoyable to read. I think the words are clever and have a nice flow to them, and the story is really cute.

Earth below us, drifting falling.......2006-05-18

The cartoonists of the New Yorker have never been able to resist the siren song of the world of children's book illustration. Some of them, particularly Harry Bliss, have made the transition without so much as a hiccup. And of course it goes the other way around too. William Steig for years drew odd and bizarre little pieces for the mag when he wasn't penning children's classics. Edward Koren is another matter altogether. I've always loved his furry, hairy, wide-eyed people/monsters/birds/etc. Till now only book to his name was his own, "Very Hairy Harry". Now he's been paired with Judy Sierra of, "Wild About Books" fame. The result is, "Thelonius Monster's Sky-High Fly Pie" with black and white pen and inks by Koren. It's not the most original of books and the rhymes leave something to be desired, but it remains amusing enough to satisfy those parents who already like the illustrator or the author and want something droll for the nursery.

Written in rhyme the story tells the tale of Thelonius Monster (no relation to Mr. Monk) who realizes one day that flies are delicious. So delicious, in fact, that he decides to bake hundreds and thousands of them into a pie. To do so Thelonius makes a crust with an extra-sticky filling, then lures his flies from every conceivable (slash disgusting) place to stick to his pie. That done, the guest-monsters arrive and look forward to a delicious repast. All seems to be going when until all of a sudden the pie lifts off of the ground thanks to the flapping wings of the flies. It takes off, the crust falls to the ground, and the flies are free. You might think that old Thelonius would be disheartened by this development, but his guests love the taste of the now fallen crust and tell him, "You're a fabulous cook! You're a wonderful guy!". Happy ending for all.

What Sierra has done here is provide us with an alternative to the old I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie story. Sierra's chorus even offers the little after-rhymes that mimic the "perhaps she'll die" portion of the original song. Don't try to sing this book to the "Old Lady" tunes, though. Sierra's lines scan but sometimes shoot off into entirely different directions, making them impossible to sing. I give extra points to Sierra for the use of the word, "galumphing", by the way, since it's such an amusing little word. The story is fine too. It's not extraordinary. It won't grab you by the collar and wake you up. It's just nice. People who like it will like it and people who are bored with it will be bored.

Koren does some lovely things with this story. Eschewing any color except for the green of the flies' wings, the book is primarily drawn in black ink. The flies, for their part, have small human faces, which makes their eventual escape that much more pleasant. There is a rather manure-laden sequence in which Thelonius locates four different animals, each of whom has recently... um... produced some natural fertilizer (if you know what I mean). The flies congregate and the monster is able to capture them. Actually, it took me four or five readings of the book before I realized what this two-page spread was really about. Undoubtedly some parents will have a greater dislike of such a sequence in a picture book than others. Koren has certainly made Sierra's words make sense, but the amount of manure verges on the excessive. I was still fond of the book, though. I liked the signs held up at the end by the other monsters (and some flies) in Thelonius's honor. The sign, "Marry Me, Thelonius" was one of my favorites.

"Sky-High Fly Pie" is by no means meant to be confused with, "The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake", though you could be forgiven for doing so. It is a fine book and will garner some fans. Nice all around.

Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness: Four Short Novels: The Day He Himself Shall Wipe My Tears Away, Prize Stock, Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness, Aghwee the Sky Monster

Average customer rating:

Needed it for a class...
seminal!!
One of the best writers from Japan
not about mental health
madness outgrown?

Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness: Four Short Novels: The Day He Himself Shall Wipe My Tears Away, Prize Stock, Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness, Aghwee the Sky Monster
Kenzaburo Oe
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 080215185X

Book Description

These four novels display Oe’s passionate and original vision. Oe was ten when American jeeps first drove into the mountain village where he lived, and his literary work reveals the tension and ambiguity forged by the collapse of values of his childhood on the one hand and the confrontation with American writers on the other. The earliest of his novels included here, Prize Stock, reveals the strange relationship between a Japanese boy and a captured black American pilot in a Japanese village. Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness tells of the close relationship between an outlandishly fat father and his mentally defective son, Eeyore. Aghwee the Sky Monster is about a young man’s first job — chaperoning a banker’s son who is haunted by the ghost of a baby in a white nightgown. The Day He Himself Shall Wipe My Tears Away is the longest piece in this collection and Oe’s most disturbing work to date. The narrator lies in a hospital bed waiting to die of a liver cancer that he has probably imagined, wearing a pair of underwater goggles covered with dark cellophane.

Customer Reviews:

Needed it for a class..........2007-01-09

The longest stories ever... But they were alright, I found them more interesting to talk about than to actually read...

seminal!!.......2004-08-12

I adore this book... I read it all at once, woke up my parents in the middle of the night talking about its descriptions of the sky, talked about it at my college interviews, which were about three years ago... Loved it. But Discovered that some of Oe's other work isn't as good. But wow! The language, plot, the strangeness, the beauty, inventiveness, and reach of the book is tremendous. :)

One of the best writers from Japan.......2001-09-03

If you haven't bought this book, then you should get it now. Kenzaburo Oe is one of the few left wing writers in Japan who has made a great impact world wide. His style is original, his themes often poignant. His own personal suffering and the suffering of his own brain-damaged child often feature in his novels in subtle and not so subtle forms. You will not find any cliches in this novel and Oe is never nauseatingly sentimental. A true gem.

not about mental health.......2001-06-27

Please do not be misled by the title or Amazon's classification of this work in "Psychology and Counseling." Oe writes about madness not from the perspective of a clinician but from that of an artist. The madness he urges us to leave behind is that of societal expectations.

Although "Prize Catch" might be difficult for those who have experienced racism to read, one has to remember that Oe recaptures (pardon the pun) the atmosphere of rural Shikoku seen through the eyes of a boy in the waning days of World War II. I suspect that the villagers would have had equal difficulty relating to a Caucasian American.

This is an excellent introduction to Oe's public and private lives.

madness outgrown?.......1999-05-05

this book (i must say) is one of the most original and "a-joy-to-read" works of literature i've picked up recently.

i liked the obscure nature of the stories and the eccentricity of oe's characters.

for the most part they all seem to be in some way influenced by his own experiences as a child disillusioned by the war.

the first story is perhaps my favorite.

i liked the way that the narrator insisted that he was a person not to be pitied and that his cancer was justified and perhaps even the result of his insanity he witnessed through his father.

second: 'teach us to outgrow our madness.'

i found this story to contain the most interesting relationship that i've had the pleasure of reading about.

'eeyore! the pork noodles in broth and pepsi cola were good!'

ahh.

i'll be quoting that for years.

it wasn't only an awkward relationship that the father and son shared but rather an affirmation of the amount of absurdity inherent with any interpersonal relationship.

all in all i'd say that this is definitely one of my favorite books.

i'll probably give it another read some day.

Customer Reviews:

fun book.......2007-06-24

I never thought that I would argue with Loren Coleman (whose books are great), but "A Natural History of the Unnatural World" is a fun book. It's not a hoax - in fact, I can't see any adult (or even bright children) taking it seriously. This book belongs squarely in the realm of fantasy. But it's engaging fantasy. As a cryptozoology text, it's useless, and as authentic folklore, it's not much better. But this is a nice book to look through and speculate on how creatures like these could exist - not unlike Peter Dickinson's "Flight of Dragons." I have seen a couple of people giving high marks to Shuker's "The Unexplained," and I'll agree with that; check that one out if you want something serious.

A One of a Kind Masterpiece!.......2005-05-01

This bizarre book is a real page turner. It describes at least one hundred beasts believed by normal zoologists to be fictional. Dive into the abyssal lair of the giant octopus, explore the jungles of Latin America in search of the beautiful coatl, or watch two yale jousting at an African water hole. This unique piece will never cease to thrill and delight the reader. Why did the phoenix (Phoenos immortalis) go extinct? Why are unicorns (Equus monoceros) attracted to maidens? The answers to all of these questions and more are found within this books strange and intriguing pages. This unique work will never bore the reader.

a story book .......2004-12-19

This is a fun book for kids or adults - well illustrated and layed out. this is also pure fantasy in the style of a realistic journal by a faux society. if you are looking for any real cryptozoological information look elsewhere. but for kids it's cool.

Buyer Beware.......2004-07-19

This is a handsomely published book, with thick glossy paper and numerous pictures and illustrations. However, if you get it thinking it is goint to be a serious or archival study of cryptozoology, you will be disappointed. Its greater emphasis is on purely mythological creatures like mermaids, elves, the sphinx, unicorns, gorgons and other creatures of fantasy, only it purports to pass them all off as not only actual living creatures, but as still surviving in remote pockets of the world. The volume does so with a straight face, and purported eyewitness accounts. If you are fascinated by accounts of creatures that "might be", like bigfoot, lake monsters, mothman, or dinosaur survivors, then stay away from this book, which is basically a treatise on fantasy creatures prepared for a junior high audience with liberal dashes of pseudo-science thrown in for good measure. Again, its copious illustrations and colorful format are its best feature. More serious students of mysterious creatures would be better served by The Unexplained, by Dr. Karl P. Shuker, an equally well-illustrated book that is dedicated to more probable instances of cryptozoology.

Irreverent, slightly amusing and marginally educational.......2001-11-27

It's not easy to review a book like this. Anyone with a genuine interest in cryptozoology will certainly be disappointed at the whimsical and irreverent tone, which pokes fun at the visionary pioneers who have conducted scientifically painstaking research into the likes of Nessie, Mokele m'bembe and Bigfoot. A layperson however, will probably find much to amuse them and just possibly enough material to cultivate an interest in this most fascinating of topics. Amongst the silly stuff are some real facts about cryptids. The Chupacabras in particular is fairly well described and depicted. Separating fact from fancy and blatant fabrication however is not always easy and the running gag about some fictional crusty old gentlemens' club (the address given is actually the Royal Academy of Arts) does wear a bit thin after a while. If you are seeking genuine and scientifically researched material about cryptids, you would do far better by starting with Bernard Heuvelmans's seminal work or even dredging the Internet's many cryptozoology sites for references. In that respect, I would only give this book one star. If, however, you are looking for a book to foster an interest in mystery animals in a young relative or friend (my 11 year old son thought it was "cool"), then you could do a lot worse than this. My overall rating reflects the response from both extremes of potential customer.

Beyond the Dinosaurs: Sky Dragons Sea Monsters Mega-mammals And Other Prehistoric Beasts

Average customer rating:

Congratulations - Excellent
beautiful pictures with good infomation
Wow!
Fantastic sequel to the last years hit!
A beautifully illustrated book

Beyond the Dinosaurs: Sky Dragons Sea Monsters Mega-mammals And Other Prehistoric Beasts
Howard Zimmerman
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0689841132
Release Date: 2001-05-01

Amazon.com

Just about everyone is familiar with the awe-inspiring dinosaurs of long ago: Tyrannosaurus rex, brontosaurus, pterodactyl. But they weren't the only tough guys in town. In fact, before, during, and after the Age of Dinosaurs (also called the Mesozoic era), creatures beyond our wildest dreams roamed the earth, paddled the seas, and flew through the sky. Howard Zimmerman, author of Dinosaurs! The Biggest Baddest Strangest Fastest, shares some incredible facts about these bizarre reptiles and mammals. Take, for example (before it takes you!), the Diatryma, a giant flightless bird (up to 9 feet tall) with thickly muscled legs, three large clawed toes on each foot, and a huge, powerful, hooked beak. Or the monstrous, sea-dwelling Kronosaurus, over 45 feet long, its 10-foot-long skull filled with needle-sharp teeth. Then there was the ferocious Hyaenodont, a mammal that, like modern hyenas, fed on the bodies of dead animals, as well as hunting and killing its own prey.

Zimmerman divides this oversize volume, lavishly drawn by the world's top illustrators of prehistoric animals, into three main sections: Pterosaurs: The Sky Dragons; Marine Reptiles; and Mega-Mammals and Other Prehistoric Beasts. Each description is fairly succinct, easy to follow, and packed with facts and details about the animals' size, eating habits, looks, and when and where it lived. Zimmerman also includes a listing of Web sites for additional information. Utterly fascinating, this book will keep kids--and adults--mesmerized for hours. (Ages 7 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Dinosaurs were not the only incredible creatures to live and rule Earth's prehistoric past. Flying reptiles filled the skies for 100 million years. Deadly marine reptiles, some over 50 feet long, swam and hunted in the ancient oceans. And long after the extinction of the dinosaurs, other astonishing reptiles and giant, lethal mammals stalked the earth.

From the saber-toothed tiger, who makes our African lion seem like a kitten, to the woolly mammoth, whose tusks were large enough to swing from, to Diatryma, a massive 12-foot flightless bird who could hunt down small horses, to Quetzlocoatlus, with its wingspan as wide as a small airplane's, this book showcases the remarkable creatures that roamed the world along with -- and after -- the dinosaurs.

Beyond the Dinosaurs! is filled with over fifty full-color paintings of these strange and fabulous beasts by the world's top illustrators of prehistoric animals. It also contains information about each animal, exploring where and when it lived, what it ate, and its particular attributes. Additionally, there is a listing of the best sites to visit on the World Wide Web for more information about these fantastic animals. It's a treasure trove of information about some of the most astonishing creatures that ever roamed our world.

Customer Reviews:

Congratulations - Excellent.......2007-02-08

Thanks for your product - it's too much good!
It's satisfy my better expectatives...

Have a good day...

beautiful pictures with good infomation .......2005-10-17

The book is good for those who are interested in prehistoric creatures in general,especially for children and adults who don't want to go in depth concerning these ancient animals. The book is marvellously done with colored and beautiful pictures. I don't regret buying the book.

Wow!.......2001-10-09

We are all familiar with the fact that dinosaurs roamed the Earth millions of years ago. But, they weren't alone. Other creatures, now extinct, lived and roamed the Earth along with them and Howard Zimmerman has devoted his new and terrific book, Beyond The Dinosaurs, to exploring these fantastic prehistoric beasts. He has divided this book into three categories, Sky Dragons (pterosaurs), Sea Monsters (marine reptiles) and Mega-Mammals, and filled each page with a wealth of fun facts and historical information. His text, written in an easy to read, conversational style details when and where each animal lived, its size, how it looked, what it ate, and much more and includes marvelous, action-packed paintings by some of the world's best illustrators of prehistoric animals. Youngsters will be mesmerized as they pore over all the wonderful detail in each picture. From the Quetzalcoatlus, the largest pterosaur with a wingspan of 40 feet, to the Kronosaurus, a 45 foot sea monster, to the Wooly Rhinoceros and Smilodon (Saber-toothed cat), this is a fascinating book that children 9-12 won't be able to put down. Beyond The Dinosaurs includes an instructive introduction, to set the stage, an index, and a list of special web sites kids can visit for even more information about their favorite creatures. This is definitely a book older dinosaur enthusiasts shouldn't miss.

Fantastic sequel to the last years hit!.......2001-07-19

This art book is almost like a sequel to the last years hit "Dinosaurs!The Biggest,Baddest,Strangest & Fastest!"which I also own. When I saw that one I loved it. Both books are of huge format with excellent art work by some of the world`s top paleoartists. Because the first one was so good,I tried the sequel without doubt of ordering it. And I found it as good as I was hoping for. The first chapter treats pterosaurs,among them the gigantic Quetzalcoatlus,the humorous-looking Batrachognathus and Pteranodon. The second chapter is the funniest and it treats some of my favourite prehistoric animals,like Elasmosaurus with it`s 25-foot neck,the fierce monitor Tylosaurus and the enormous Kronosaurus,the sea king of the mesozoic!The third chapter has beautifull pictures of mammals as the saber-toothed tiger,wooly mammoths,strange-looking rhinoceroses (Brontotherium)and the most frightening bird ever existed,the 10-foot tall Diatryma that looks like a cross between an eagle and a T-rex!

Over all,this one is as good as the first book and a very good complement. I thought there was something missing in the first. And that was the other prehistoric animals. Together,these books are my most famous inspiration source for my story "The Island Forgotten by Time"with all of the famous action motifs of the pictures as well as just beauty. If you own the first,try this. If you don't own them,buy them both!These books are actually children`s books but for a dinosaur fan,it doesn`t matter. For children,buy it for the text. For paleontologists,some of the illustrations are invaluable!So I bought it for the images,not for the text,as I am a seriously interested dinosaur maniac too!

A beautifully illustrated book.......2001-06-05

"Beyond the Dinosaurs!", by Howard Zimmerman, is an excellent book for children who are fascinated by dinosaurs and other long-extinct creatures. As the title indicates, this book focuses on the other animals that inhabited the world of the dinosaurs. The book is divided into three sections. The first is devoted to pterosaurs (flying reptiles), the second to marine reptiles, and the third to a variety of other creatures (mammals, flightless birds, and mammal-like reptiles).

The large, full-color illustrations include contributions by a variety of different artists. Many of the paintings are exciting action shots showing these creatures hunting, flying, and engaging in other activities.

Creatures depicted include the Quetzalcoatlus (a pterosaur whose wingspan could reach 40 feet), the large-eyed opthalmosaurus (an aquatic lizard), the dinornis (an ostrich-like giant bird), the procoptodon (a giant kangaroo), the woolly rhinoceros, and other marvelous creatures. This is a book that is both fun and educational.

When monsters roamed the skies;: The saga of the dirigible airship, (Adventures in flight)
Average customer rating:
When monsters roamed the skies;: The saga of the dirigible airship, (Adventures in flight)
Joseph F Hood
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Transportation | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Engineering | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006BU88C

Aerial Adventure Guide: Monsters, Magic, and Sky Ships
Average customer rating:
Aerial Adventure Guide: Monsters, Magic, and Sky Ships
Michael Mearls
Manufacturer: Goodman Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0971276757

Monsters in the Sky
Average customer rating:
Monsters in the Sky

Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I1AF0Q

Average customer rating:

Excellent Reference Book on Astronomy

Monsters in the Sky
Paolo Maffei
Manufacturer: Avon Books (P)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0380555174

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Reference Book on Astronomy.......2001-09-01

An excellent astronomy reference book for the intelligent layman or advanced amateur by a distinguished Italian astronomer. Most notable: Maffei should be praised for correcting misinformation about the meteorite-like stones called "tektites." The author includes research results from aerodynamic studies made by the late Dean R. Chapman of NASA Ames Research Center. Chapman was a genuine scientific Sherlock Holmes; he showed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the mysterious Australasian-class of tektites originated on the Moon. Few books include this information about tektites. Many scientists still claim tektites were formed by terrestrial impacts. (Aside: research supporting evidence of the lunar-origin of tektites is rarely published--the so-called 'impact mafia' seem to control the peer review of such papers.) This book is out of print but used copies are readily available. The reviewer hopes it is republished.

Average customer rating:

Monsters in the Sky
Paolo / Giacconi, Mirella & Riccardo (transl) Maffei
Manufacturer: MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O5Z0DS

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