Luba and the Wren (Picture Puffins)

Book Description

When Luba helps a frightened wren, it promises to grant all of her wishes. "I am content, I have no wish," Luba says-at first. Then Luba's parents convince her to ask for a bigger house. After that, they want an estate, and later, they ask for a palace. With the granting of each wish Luba hopes her parents will be satisfied, but instead they only want more. Where will it end? This Russian version of The Fisherman and His Wife masterfully illustrates the rewards of simplicity and the dangers of greed.

"Polacco's freely brushed watercolors are bright with decorative borders, richly patterned clothing, and exotic onion domes." (Booklist)

Customer Reviews:

why another retelling?.......2005-08-03

Patricia Polacco is an extremely talented author but I don't completely understand where she was coming from with this one. The classic story of the Fisherman and His Wife here receives a new treatment where Luba, previously "full of joy and free from care as all children should be", saves the life of a little enchanted wren and is pressured by her parents to request more and more gifts in return. In the traditional story the fish, tired of granting wishes to the never-satisfied wife, states that the couple will get what they deserve and it turns out to be their original house. This story has a slightly different ending where the parents ask to be "as Gods" and the wren grants their wish saying to Luba, "Go then, my child... it is already done". She returns to find them with their original humble dwelling and station in life returned to them, yet content with their lot, as they embrace their daughter warmly. I'm not sure how the parents being happy at last (although it's a nice touch) constitutes their wish being granted. Overall I'd say to stick with the original when you choose to share this story with your children.

A wonderful version of a classic tale.......2000-06-15

Polacco's book is a time honored theme, this retelling from the Ukraine. When Luba saves the Wren's life her parents insist she return to ask for a favor. The parents never seem to be satisfied and send Luba back time and time again. In the end the parents are returned to the happy couple they were when they started.This book can be successfully compared with any of the many available versions of the Fisherman and His Wife but also contains elements from The Stonecutter -- another tale available in several versions. Sometimes those with seemingly little power/wealth think other situations would make them a different person or happier. And when they do obtain power their humility is lost. Satisfaction seldom comes when one has not earned that power or wealth. Polacco's wonderously beautiful watercolors brings this theme into the full vision of readers. A delightfully new twist on a classic tale.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Primer
Very usable self-study book
Excellent tool for learning Hebrew
Lives up to expectations
Learning Hebrew

Hayesod: Fundamentals of Hebrew
Luba Uveeler
Manufacturer: Feldheim
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0873062140

Product Description

A comprehensive, step-by-step textbook teaching modern Hebrew language and grammar, geared especially to the needs of the English speaking student. For use in the classroom as well as for anyone who wishes to teach himself. Newly revised and expanded.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Primer.......2007-09-05

This was one of my first introductions to Modern Hebrew, and it is a powerful tool to improving communication. I thought the grammar section linked to a story and vocabulary list which was very helpful was a good way of introducing concepts to me. It covers the basic to intermediate level, and does a good job of enabling anyone the chance of being able to speak and understand reasonably well given that you practice with a native Hebrew speaker. I was overall happy with the purchase, it is however a pity that the answers to the exercises and a greater degree of English explanation that I felt was necessary is not present in this work.

Very usable self-study book.......2006-08-23

I compared this to "Hebrew: A Language Course" by Bella Bergman, et al. in 3 volumes, and finally decided to work through both of them concurrently to teach myself modern Hebrew. The approach is different, but the staging and phasing is similar. Ha-Yesod is a more traditional and formal book, perfect for those who have taught themselves other languages and thus find it helpful to learn formal grammar along with vocabulary and idiom. Bergman, et al.'s book is more "fun," reinforcing the information with cartoons, crosswords, and quizzes. Both are full of bidirectional translation exercises. The vocabulary and grammar coverage is surprisingly similar, so by using both books together, I get cross reinforcement and faster results. However, either approach by itself is completely workable.

Excellent tool for learning Hebrew.......2006-02-25

This book starts from the very basics, but it helps you progress quickly with short lessons that teach new grammar concepts and vocab. You definitely need an additional learning tool to help you with speaking and simply producing your own sentences. Hayesod does not have much in the way of challenging you to generate your own responses in Hebrew. But if you are motivated, this is a great tool to help you focus your energy and learn a lot quickly.

Lives up to expectations.......2005-08-07

I bought this book because I grew frustrated with Haiim Rosen's "A Textbook of Israeli Hebrew". This is more like a typical language textbook. This book does use vowels, the lack of which is part of what I didn't like about the Rosen book. It has a good number of translation and reading exercises, which is what I look for because I find that it makes me retain the vocabulary. No complaints so far. The vocabulary, at least at first, does contain a number of words one would only use in school, but that seems to be pretty typical of textbooks. By far, the vocabulary is useful right from the beginning. Unless you are looking for something specialized, you will probably be happy with this book. I am.

Learning Hebrew.......2005-07-19

I have tried many times before to learn Hebrew. It just wouldn't come. With this book, Hayesod:Fundamentals Of Hebrew.New edition,it all comes together. In my case I am lucky enough to have a wonderful teacher. He thinks this book is the best. So when the best teacher teacher, uses the best book, you know all conditions are there for the best results. This text gives the best results.
I feel very lucky to have this tool.
Ilene Paley
Richmond Va.

Luba: The Angel of Bergen-Belsen (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards))

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Luba by Michelle McCann
Beautiful illustrations
Beautifully illustrated
Inspiring, Heroic and Educational

Luba: The Angel of Bergen-Belsen (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards))
Ann Marshall
Manufacturer: Tricycle Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1582460981

Customer Reviews:

Luba by Michelle McCann.......2004-05-18

Truly a rare addition to classic children's literature. McCann's ability to interpret this complex history of human tragedy into a meaningful children's story is unique. Daily the world reminds us of the terrible things that people do to each other. It is more important than ever, that children learn the world needs heroes.

Beautiful illustrations.......2003-10-02

I really enjoyed this beautifully illustrated, touching children's book, a great gift for children and adults. Should be part of a any good book shelf, next to the other intelligent and artful children's books.

Beautifully illustrated.......2003-09-30

I really enjoyed this beautifully illustrated, touching childrenýs book, a great gift for children and adults. Should be part of a any good book shelf, next to the other intelligent and artful childrenýs books.

Inspiring, Heroic and Educational.......2003-08-15

This beautifully illustrated children's book addresses the strength of human character that can emerge during even the worst of times. The presentation of this story engages it's young reader while effectively educating them about a very important time in history. I was impressed with Luba's ability to elicit empathy in the people she dealt with, allowing them to become more decent and humane. The story of Luba's loving and heroic soul belongs every school library.

Average customer rating:

Naked Women Are In This Book
Nice but un-exceptional
Do you like Luba is the question?
Yummy
Great Photography

Luba

Manufacturer: Edition Skylight
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3037664479

Book Description

Photographer Peter Hegre and Luba were married in the Summer of 2003. In 250 color photos exuding sensuality and devoid of taboo, this volume is a declaration of unconditional love. Petter Hegre studied photography at the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara and was an assistant to Richard Avedon. Text in English and German.

Customer Reviews:

Naked Women Are In This Book.......2007-01-22

It doesn't take a genius to know that attractive young people without clothing are good subjects for picture taking. Luba is very good at being naked and Petter Hegre is very good at knowing how to take photos of naked Luba and other women.

If you like photos of naked women, then you'll love this book. If not...then, you're going to be mighty angry when you get past the copyright page.

Nice but un-exceptional.......2006-11-10

These are very nice, straightforward photos, many of them nude. There's not a high development of narrative, nor abstraction, and I guess I am looking for more of one or the other. The eroticism is very warm and friendly, as well. Must be because Luba is the photographer's wife, but for an erotic photograph to succeed, I think it needs a touch of danger, as Newton did so well. So you are left with very cuddly photos of a pretty girl who is married to the photograher, who has worked for Playboy et al. As if you were having coffee with them and they showed you their latest album. Would you buy it? Not necessarily.

Do you like Luba is the question?.......2006-05-31

This book was given to me as a gift. So i was surprised when i opened it to find the entire book is comprised of photographs of Petter Hegre's muse/wife Luba. Fortunately, i found her to be quite attractive, and since the photography itslef was quite good i enjoyed the book. But after showing it to my brother, i recieved a very different point of view. He didn't find Luba to be that attractive (she wasn't his type), and so he was a little bored with the book after 20 pages. While we have different taste in women, i do see his point. If you don't find Luba to be your type, then you might not want to spend the money on this book. If you do like her, then go ahead and buy this; you will see a lot of her.

Yummy.......2006-04-26

No complaints whatsoever. Great packaging, fast shipping and a wonderful book. Our first Hegre book but long time fans of Hegre-Archives.com, both my girlfriend and I love the content and layout of Luba. But where do we keep it, on the coffee table or in the bedroom?

Great Photography.......2005-06-06

Peter Hegre has a great eye for photography. All of his models are wonderful most of all his wife Luba. Not Porn great Photography.

Ukrainian Easter Eggs and How We Make Them

Average customer rating:

Still the best!
This is the book for beginners!
This is the book for beginners

Ukrainian Easter Eggs and How We Make Them
Anne Kmit , Loretta L. Luciow , Johanna Luciow , and Luba Perchyshyn
Manufacturer: Ukrainian Gift Shop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0960250204

Product Description

A colorful book about pysanky showing hundreds of designs never before published. Symbolism, traditions and techniques are discussed in detail. Over 250 eggs are photographed in color. Soft cover-perfect bound.

Customer Reviews:

Still the best!.......2007-06-07

This book has been around a long time (both hardcover and paperback), but is still the best overview of the craft of pysanky. It is balanced, comprehensive, and very well illustrated. And it is *extremely* practical. My only caution: the book is published by a supplier (Ukrainian Gift Shop), and the "dye tricks" in the book only work with *their* dyes! Still, the book is outstanding, and one of the best values for pysanky artists and fans!

This is the book for beginners!.......2000-04-21

If you want to make Ukrainian Easter eggs for all your life, you must have this book. Since 1984, it has been a companion. In a delightfull writing, the authors introduce the reader to the culture, the tradition and the craft of the Ukrainian Easter. The book is full of beautiful pictures which are a source of ideas. There are also many drawings of the symbols depicted in the eggs. From page 55 to 59, there are the essential instructions to begin with this art. There are no secret to be learned: just follow the directions. From that simple egg, you will progress every year. There other examples of eggs to be done. Enjoy this very spiritual and healing craft. Enjoy the opportunity to know this distant culture. (And forgive my "bad" English writing...)

This is the book for beginners.......2000-04-21

If yo want to make ukrainian Easter eggs for all your life, you must have this book. Since 1984, it has been a companion. In a delightfull writing, the authors introduce the reader to the culture, to the tradition and to the craft of Ukrainian Easter.Beautiful pictures illustrate the book, which is also full of the symbols depicted in the eggs.From page 55 to 59, you learn how to make a simple Easter egg. There is no secret: just follow the directions. From this egg, I started and have been progressing every year. There are may others eggs to be done. Enjoy this unique and soul's healing craft. (Reader: be sorry for my "bad" english...)

Average customer rating:

Luba: Visions of Africa
Mary Roberts , and Allen F. Roberts
Manufacturer: 5 Continents Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 8874392974

Book Description

Lavishly illustrated, features outstanding works of art from Luba, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Average customer rating:

Great Book
Great Memoir for Any Westerner Going to Live in Africa!
Surprisingly Good
The truth about Africa
Vital Account of Peace Corps experience

The Ponds of Kalambayi
Mike Tidwell
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Democratic Republic of Congo | Africa | Travel | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 155821447X

Amazon.com

As a Peace Corp volunteer, Mr. Tidwell spent two years in the grasslands of south central Zaire trying to teach the benefits of fish farming in some of the poorest villages on the continent. His task was not easy. One villager was convinced that fish would stock the ponds naturally, since they come to earth in raindrops. Others suspected that the ponds were just another way for whites to exploit black labor. When he finally made headway, the fish farmers gave away nearly half their harvest to relatives, and Tidwell learned one of many powerful lessons: tradition takes precedence over profits. While the tragic poverty and disease faced by the villagers was daunting, Tidwell found that their adherence to heritage and their celebration of tiny triumphs and daily satisfactions revealed a life richer than he had ever known.

Book Description

A hilarious and wrenching memoir from a peace Corps volunteer in Zaire.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2006-03-28

As a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in francophone Africa (Gabon - 89-91), Mike Tidwell captures the experience better than any other Peace Corps writer I've read. Contrast this book with the Village of Waiting (George Packer) and you'll see what I mean. He also is a master story teller and offers a lot for anyone interested in Africa.

Great Memoir for Any Westerner Going to Live in Africa!.......2005-01-23

Mike Tidwell's memoir of his two years of Peace Corp work teaching villagers to build fish ponds is about so much more than that. He writes so honestly about what he learned from working closely with his African neighbors and how he came to understand their generosity from an African perspective as opposed to his American perspective. He has so many adventures with the men the Kalambayi region that each chapter taught me something new. Mike shares his doubts about himself and those he works with. He confesses his errors and shares his times of despondency. But all in all I think he feels the way that I do...living in Africa as an American is the best education because you are forever changed...your world of thought is so much larger. I wanted the story to go on and on because every evening I looked forward to being with Mike's world in Zaire.

Surprisingly Good.......2003-09-23

After deciding that I wanted to apply to the Peace Corps, I began doing online and literary research on the experience as a whole. I bought this book, totally uninterested in how a Caucasion man in Africa would learn to adapt to the local culture and thus be successful at showing the (willing) villagers how to raise "fish farms." Needless to say, this book never has a dull moment, which is a major shock for me. Although he doesn't talk much about the Peace Corps (if at all), he does constantly touch on the topics of attempting to shed his American normalities/viewpoints and just plain adapting to life in his African villages. His cultural adaptation and the frustrations that come along with teaching the locals about fish farming are just two things that make this book a page turner.

The truth about Africa.......2000-12-27

Having lived and worked in Africa, one of the hardest things to convey to people who have not been there, is how despite poverty and other hardships, Africa is not a sad place. This book does a great job of explaining the beauty and strength of Africa and its people. It also shows that people have good sound reasons for doing what to us initially may seem crazy and irrational. Tidwell's book also does a great job of showing the impact that Africa has on the people who go there. His honesty and examination of both himself and the people he lives with make this book a winner.

Vital Account of Peace Corps experience.......2000-09-05

There are not many books about the Peace Corps experience in central Africa, but despite the lack of competition "The Ponds of Kalambayi" by Mike Tidwell is an outstanding book, much deserving more attention. Many Westerners feel the need to write a book after traveling or living in Africa, some actually do, but few write a good book; here is the exception: this is a very good book. In the mid-1980s Tidwell worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in the very center of Africa, rural then-Zaire (later Congo or "Congo-Kinshasa"). This published account of his experience is thoughtful and honest and his prose writing and story-telling skills are excellent. He shares valuable insights into the daily lives, culture, and history of the villagers whom he taught fish farming and lived and worked with for two years. As expected, Tidwell documents the joys, sorrows, and travails of aquaculture, but that is only part of this book. He also writes about his faithful household employee; drinking; sickness and recovery, or death; hunting; poverty; marriage, family life, and children; cotton farming; diamond mining; and a hundred other things. Equally engaging and important is his description of the effects his experience had on him, physically, mentally, and emotionally. This book is an excellent choice for anyone with an interest in the Peace Corps, Africa, or Tilapia.

Average customer rating:

good patterns, but you'll need more than this

Ukrainian Design Book I
Natalie and Luba Perchyshyn; Ann Kmit; Loretta Luciow
Manufacturer: Ukrainian Gift Shop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorating | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0960250220

Product Description

This is the first book of a series of previously unpublished patterns for the reader to recreate and enjoy. By breaking down the design to its simplest form, you will discover that you can create very complicated and magnificent patterns. As we describe each egg from beginning pencil lines to the final dye bath, the symbolism and color meanings will also be explained.

Customer Reviews:

good patterns, but you'll need more than this.......2004-02-22

If you are a beginner to the art of pysanky, as I am, this book will not be enough to get you started. It gives brief directions and gets straight to the patterns, which are after all the point of this book. The cover has color photos of all the egg designs presented in the book, the inside cover has black-and-white pictures of the sides of the eggs; the pages of the book contain only black and white line drawings of the patterns. The patterns are given step-by-step with a line drawing for each step, but as a beginner I still find some of them a bit confusing. However, they are lovely designs and for more experienced decorators (which I hope to be very soon) I'm sure the patterns and instructions are adequate. Throughout the book, where a certain pattern is used, its symbolism is briefly explained. So, if you are a beginner, get a good starter book - I am finding Jane Pollak's Decorating Eggs to be an excellent learning and inspiration resource.

A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army

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A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army
Vasily Grossman
Manufacturer: Vintage Canada
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

20th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

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Thunder in the East: The Nazi-Soviet War, 1941-1945

ASIN: 0676978118
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Book Description

Edited and translated from the Russian by Antony Beevor and Luba Vinogradova Knopf Canada is proud to present a masterpiece of the Second World War, never before published in English, from one of the great Russian writers of the 20th century – a vivid eyewitness account of the Eastern Front and “the ruthless truth of war.”

When the Germans invaded Russia in 1941, Vasily Grossman became a special correspondent for the Red Star, the Red Army’s newspaper. A Writer at War – based on the notebooks in which Grossman gathered raw material for his articles – depicts the crushing conditions on the Eastern Front, and the lives and deaths of soldiers and civilians alike. It also includes some of the earliest reportage on the Holocaust. In the three years he spent on assignment, Grossman witnessed some of the most savage fighting of the war: the appalling defeats of the Red Army, the brutal street fighting in Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk (the largest tank engagement in history), the defense of Moscow, the battles in Ukraine and much more.

Historian Antony Beevor has taken Grossman’s raw notebooks, and fashioned them into a narrative providing one of the most even-handed descriptions – at once unflinching and sensitive – we have ever had of what he called “the ruthless truth of war.”

From the Hardcover edition.

Luba: Three Daughters: A Love & Rockets Book (Complete Love and Rockets, Volume 23)

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Luba: Three Daughters: A Love & Rockets Book (Complete Love and Rockets, Volume 23)
Gilbert Hernandez
Manufacturer: Fantagraphics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560977698

Book Description

A brilliant character-driven graphic novel from the co-creator of Love & Rockets.

Gilbert Hernandez wowed critics in 2003 with his epic life's work, Palomar, collecting more than 20 years of groundbreaking comics that Booklist called "the most substantive single work that the comics medium has yet produced." Luba: Three Daughters is the final book in Hernandez's post-Palomar trilogy (following Luba In America and Luba: The Book of Ofelia), a body of work comparable in comics only to Hernandez's own Palomar in terms of scope and ambition. It continues the story of matriarch Luba and her extended family's travails in the United States after her Central American hometown is destroyed at the end of Palomar.

Luba: Three Daughters focuses on Luba and her two sisters, Fritz and Petra, as Hernandez continues to use his characters to explore the complex relationships that form between family and how the experiences and actions of one generation influence the next. Hernandez is renowned for his female characters. Trina Robbins, author of The Great Women Cartoonists, says "No other man in or out of the comics field understands women the way [Hernandez] does." The book spans the dramatic childhood and adulthoods of the three sisters, a past and present which includes violence and sexual drama, and explores how these events have informed their own makeup as well as their own daughters. The stories depict both the innocence of youth and the subsequent, inevitable loss of the same with equal compassion and insight.

Hernandez intersperses his main narrative with "The Kid Stuff Kids," a series of lighthearted and playful one-pagers starring the young children of the three sisters, richly juxtaposed against the complex family drama at work in Three Daughters. Hernandez's mix of Latino soap opera, magic realist touches and rich naturalism in the service of stories that speak to the changes that come with age and experience are unparalleled in comics, and feature the most vivid, memorable and honestly depicted characters in comics.

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