Customer Reviews:
Same Old Stuff.......2004-12-03
While I have seen Dr. in person and his presentation is good. This book has the same overtone of the self-help diatribe that permeates our society. Dr. Henry has taken his tales of his life and written them out, and then carbon copying a "verse" to fit the moment. Stories amusing, yes... but how many times can you write the same thing over and over again. After I had seen Dr. Henry in person, I came to expect more than the usual mass produced "stuff and fluff" from the man. Immediate effect - caused me to chuckle occasionally, Long term effect - sell it on amazon and recoup some cost cause one time will do you.
A great read!.......2004-02-07
This was an excellent book! This man is a born storyteller! I literally laughed out loud! I look forward to reading more of his work and to seeing him in person!
outstanding.......2003-09-10
Dale Henry makes learning fun. Truly an original, he brings the wisdom of Proverbs to life through personal experiences, sometimes quite moving and often hilarious. He is the friendly uncle or older brother whose stories you love to hear, and whose advice you respect. Insightful, never preachy, and a whole lot of fun.
Anyone who shies away from this book due to Dale Henry's openly Christian beliefs is doing themselves a huge disservice. These principles are good, right and true whether you are Christian or not, and are well worth the read.
Larry Hehn, Author of Get the Prize: Nine Keys for a Life of Victory
You have to read this............2003-08-24
This is the book to read if you want to laugh till you cry, and learn a little something about yourself along the way. Should you come away with nothing after reading this, then read it again, you missed something!
inspirational.......2003-04-28
This is a wonderful book. I wish I could move it to the top of the best seller list. I could not put it down. Dr. Henry proves that the world can be changed for the better -"one person at a time"
Average customer rating:
- 5th grade Teacher--I loved this book!!
- Best Dog, Period.
- I applaud the spirits of both dogs and the skill with which the authors have depicted them.
- A review from Deanne Apke, Most intriguing storyline
- Great book!
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Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam
Cynthia Kadohata
Manufacturer: Atheneum
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ASIN: 1416906371 |
Book Description
CRACKER IS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY'S MOST VALUABLE WEAPONS:
a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. The fate of entire platoons rests on her keen sense of smell. She's a Big Deal, and she likes it that way. Sometimes Cracker remembers when she was younger, and her previous owner would feed her hot dogs and let her sleep in his bed. That was nice, too.
Rick Hanski is headed to Vietnam. There, he's going to whip the world and prove to his family and his sergeant -- and everyone else who didn't think he was cut out for war -- wrong. But sometimes Rick can't help but wonder that maybe everyone else is right. Maybe he should have just stayed at home and worked in his dad's hardware store.
When Cracker is paired with Rick, she isn't so sure about this new owner. He's going to have to prove himself to her before she's going to prove herself to him. They need to be friends before they can be a team, and they have to be a team if they want to get home alive.
Told in part through the uncanny point of view of a German shepherd, Cracker! is an action-packed glimpse into the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a dog and her handler. It's an utterly unique powerhouse of a book by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Kira-Kira.
Customer Reviews:
5th grade Teacher--I loved this book!!.......2007-07-28
One of the best youth/YA books I have read this summer. Could not put it down even though I was floating down the Trinity river. Told from both the dog perspective and that of his handler/soldier. Kids 5th and up will enjoy it especially if they enjoy war books. This is also a great book on the Vietnam war experience.
Best Dog, Period........2007-06-02
Cracker is an extremely intelligent German Shepherd. Reluctantly given to the army by a boy who could no longer keep her, Cracker ends up at Fort Benning, Georgia awaiting a handler. Feeling betrayed, Cracker is
in no mood to transfer her loyalties, which are mighty, to young Rick Hanski to whom she is assigned.Both are being trained to serve together in Viet Nam where Cracker is supposed to sniff out all the dangerous traps of the enemy. As Rick begins to win Cracker's respect, dog and man become a talented team. Rick, who is eager to serve in Viet Nam, is taken aback to learn that Cracker will never return from Viet Nam, no matter how bravely she serves. "The military considers the dogs equipment, and equipment is expendable."
Told in alternating voices, one of whom is Cracker's and one of whom is Rick's, the author has an uncanny ability to make the reader think and feel like a dog. As both characters struggle with a dangerous, chaotic
environment, this well-researched story , which pulls no punches about the horrors of war, is a smashing page-turner. There can be no happy ending for the valiant Cracker -- according to the rules of the U.S. Army.
I applaud the spirits of both dogs and the skill with which the authors have depicted them........2007-06-01
War dogs used in Vietnam were unsung heroes. Faced with intense training combined with dreadful working conditions and constant danger, they had few rewards and were often left behind to survive on their own. This incredible book, although fictional, is based on real accounts provided through interviews of Vietnam War dog handlers.
Cracker, an amazingly intelligent German Shepherd, knows more than 90 words and lives the life of royalty that she deserves. It is her birthright. She has lived with (and slept with) Willie since she was about six months old, but before she is two, her life changes traumatically. Willie's father has been laid off, and the family needs to move to an apartment --- one that doesn't allow dogs. There are few options, and, according to the shelter, Cracker probably will be put down. Unable to locate a new family or home, they come across an advertisement from the military: Uncle Sam is looking for a few good dogs. Cracker is to enlist and join the army.
Cracker mourns for Willie, certain that his young master will rescue her as she is shipped to unfriendly locations, kenneled with lots of other dogs and then given to some strange man. Cracker is paired up with Rick Hanski --- who volunteered for duty in Vietnam at the young age of 17 --- to train for locating bombs, traps and the enemy. The lives of Cracker and Rick, along with those of thousands of soldiers, will depend on the success of their training and how well they are able to work together.
Author Cynthia Kadohata carefully crafts her narrative with two alternating voices --- Rick's and Cracker's --- as she describes their bond, fears, concerns and conditions. Rick is warned that he is never to take his eyes off his dog in the field, and Cracker must learn to separate a variety of alien smells in order to determine real threats. They do not work in complete isolation; instead, they develop close relationships with several other handlers and their dogs. But it is the unique bond shared between Rick and Cracker that rises above all else. Their attachment forms from complete respect, admiration, love and trust in each other.
Cracker earns the respect of all who meet her, as she truly becomes a hero and "The Best Dog in Vietnam." Due to the subject matter, CRACKER! is an incredibly intense and emotionally challenging book. Those who share a close relationship with a dog or two will struggle at times, but will admire and applaud the spirit and intelligence of this amazing animal. I live with two gifted and affectionate Labradors (also used as war dogs) and found myself snuggling a little more closely with them while reading. My apologies to Kadohata, but shortly after beginning the book, I absolutely had to flip to the last page before resuming the story.
In December 2005 I read John Grogan's MARLEY & ME, never putting it down once started. And in February 2007 the same thing happened with CRACKER! I applaud the spirits of both dogs and the skill with which the authors have depicted them.
--- Reviewed by Patsy Side
A review from Deanne Apke, Most intriguing storyline.......2007-05-25
Magnificent Dawn of Venus, being the daughter of Felix Olympus von Braun, the great show dog, was expected to do great things. A badly broken leg that scars her for life ruins any chance of becoming a great show dog. Venus is then given to Willie. Now named Cracker, Venus's new family has to live in an apartment, but there is a strict "No pet policy". Willie's family then tries to find a new home for Cracker, but the only two places they can find are the army and the kennel. Willie would hate for his best friend to go to the kennel, so Cracker is then given to the army for the Vietnam War. Rick Hanski, 17, is just a normal guy in a normal town in a normal state who has decided to "whip the world" and he is going to do this by volunteering to be a dog handler in the Vietnam War. Rick and Cracker are then paired up for the war. They don't really trust each other and so are off to a bad start in training. After a game and a few wieners they start to trust each other and are soon at the top of the class. But when they get to Vietnam they realize that this is getting all too tough all too fast. This is war and there will be no playing around or misreading your dog's signal, for that could mean your life and thousands of others.
This book is one of my favorite books! I absolutely loved the book! I would put aside my bedtime just to read this book. It helped me understand what people and dogs would go through in the wars.
Great book!.......2007-05-16
I listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed it.
At the very beginning of the book when Cracker was still with Willie I almost stopped listening thinking it was too much of a kids book, but it didn't last long. About the time Cracker begins her military service I was deeply drawn into the book. I listened to the book on my commute to and from work and I found it difficult to leave the car when I arrived.
The book really gives you a feel of what it was like to be a dog handler in Vietnam. It really makes you empathize with the soldiers, the dog handlers and even Cracker.
I highly recommend this book for kids (I'm trying to think about which of my nieces and nephews won't be insulted that it's rated for younger kids) I also think it's a great book for adults who are interested in dogs as well as Vietnam.
Average customer rating:
- Memories and great information for collectors
- A Wonderful Collection of Cracker Jack Prizes!
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Cracker Jack*r Toys
Larry White
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
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The Unauthorized Guide to Cracker Jack Advertising Collectibles (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
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Cracker Jack Collectibles: With Price Guide (A Schiffer Book for Collectors)
ASIN: 0764301896 |
Book Description
Rediscover every toy and prize you ever pulled out of a Cracker Jack box in this wonderful guide! Comprehensive in scope, toys from the late nineteenth century on up to the 1990s are recorded, representing a major contribution to the expanding Cracker Jack collecting field. Over 290 color photographs, depicting both the front and back of many prizes, aid in the identification of both individual toys and sets of prizes. The thorough categorization of prizes assists in easy cataloging. Prices are included for these varied and fascinating toys.
Customer Reviews:
Memories and great information for collectors.......2000-10-30
After my grandmother passed away, we found a shoebox full of cracker jack toys. It was her special treat for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We took them and mounted them for memory reasons, but this book brought our love of the little toys to a reality of why we loved them as children and the precious value that they have for us today. A great part of our childhood in a great book!
A Wonderful Collection of Cracker Jack Prizes!.......1999-03-06
This is an amazingly comprehensive collection of Cracker Jack prizes, with HUNDREDS of detailed photos showing THOUSANDS of prizes. While this book is a must-have for the serious collector of Cracker Jack prizes, it will delight anyone with pleasant memories of those special prizes.
The accompanying prize lists with descriptive and historical information are presented chronologically, with prizes grouped by series where applicable. An elaborate identification system reflecting the prizes' date, composition, marking, type, size, color, and description is utilized, with estimated value for each prize given.
Searching through CRACKER JACK TOYS for that fondly remembered surprise can be almost as much fun as originally digging for it in a box of Cracker Jack!
Amazon.com
The scrubby forests of southern Georgia, dotting a landscape of low hills and swampy bottoms, are not what many people would consider to be exalted country, the sort of place to inspire lyrical considerations of nature and culture. Yet that is just what essayist Janisse Ray delivers in her memorable debut, a memoir of life in a part of America that roads and towns have passed by, a land settled by hardscrabble Scots herders who wanted nothing more than to be left alone, and who bear the derogatory epithet "cracker" with quiet pride.
Ray grew up in a junkyard outside what had been longleaf pine forest, an ecosystem that has nearly disappeared in the American South through excessive logging. Her family had little money, but that was not important; they more than made up for material want through unabashed love and a passion for learning, values that underlie every turn of Ray's narrative. She finds beauty in weeds and puddles, celebrates the ways of tortoises and woodpeckers, and argues powerfully for the virtues of establishing a connection with one's native ground.
"I carry the landscape inside like an ache," Ray writes. Her evocations of fog-enshrouded woods and old ways of living are not without pain for all that has been lost--but full of hope as well for what can be saved. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
Janisse Ray grew up in a junkyard along U.S. Highway 1, hidden from Florida-bound vacationers by the hedge at the edge of the road and by hulks of old cars and stacks of blown-out tires. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood tells how a childhood spent in rural isolation and steeped in religious fundamentalism grew into a passion to save the almost vanished longleaf pine ecosystem that once covered the South. In language at once colloquial, elegiac, and informative, Ray redeems two Souths. "Suffused with the same history-haunted sense of loss that imprints so much of the South and its literature. What sets Ecology of a Cracker Childhood apart is the ambitious and arresting mission implied in its title. . . . Heartfelt and refreshing." - The New York Times Book Review.
Customer Reviews:
Musings on our many environments from a kindred spirit.......2007-04-03
"Ecology of a Cracker Childhood" is probably the most moving autobiography I've ever read. By turns heartbreaking, inspirational, and motivational, Ray's story is one of an outsider in every respect; the daughter of a junkyard owner in rural Georgia, she faces a number of obstacles including her father's precarious mental stability. Looking back with a mix of fondness and acceptance rather than anger, Ray looks at how her environment (built and natural, as well as home) shaped who she became. Ray intersperses the book with chapters on long-leaf pines, gopher tortoises, and other uniquely Southern flora and fauna that is endangered and rapidly disappearing. While it may be jarring to the reader, Ray is making a larger point; we are forcing the environment to adapt or die to suit our needs rather than adapting to the environment. Ray writes lovingly of how nature slowly reclaims the wrecked hulks of cars in her father's junkyard; nature slowly, steadily winning over man and man's folly. Along the way she recounts unusual tales of her difficult path to adulthood that are profoundly moving. In some respects the chapters are by turns explanations and a badge of honor rather than excuses. Her recounting of a rare visit to the North will likely register profoundly with any Southerner who has ventured there. Perhaps it is because Ray and I are the same age or perhaps because our backgrounds are eerily similar, but I feel a connection and a deeper understanding and appreciation for where she's coming from and who she is. Ray is unabashedly unapologetic and "Ecology" will alternately move you to fits of laughter and sometimes nearly to tears, but it will not leave you unmoved.
Nostalgic look at redneck culture (3.25 *s).......2007-02-19
This book combines a nostalgic autobiographical look at the author's childhood in the 1960s and 70s in Baxley, a small town located in the coastal plains of Georgia, with an examination of the deteriorating ecosystem of the region, in particular longleaf pine forests. The flow of the book is decidedly non-chronological as she interleaves various family vignettes with commentary on a range of environmental concerns, often focusing on the huge reduction in various animals of the region such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, the gopher tortoise, or the indigo snake and the relationship to the loss of longleaf pines. Ultimately, it is left to the reader to draw the connection between cracker culture and the ecosystem.
The author traces her roots to Borderlanders, of English-Scottish origin, who settled the region in the early 19th century. They were known as "crackers" which has become synonymous with "redneck." She grew up on the side of US-1, the main North-South highway of the time, in a clapboard house situated in the midst of her father's junkyard. That was the playground and learning environment for the author and her siblings, seldom having much interaction with others.
The author holds her father Franklin, named after Pres Roosevelt, in great esteem. As were many in rural areas, he was a tinkerer and seat-of-the-pants mechanic and a supplier of used parts to similar persons. He was also a religious fundamentalist, driving his family many miles to attend services of a small, predominately black sect. He enforced rigid standards of dress and behavior on the entire family. However, he also was inclined to aid the downtrodden and hurt, either man or animal. Though the family seemed rather poor, a contradiction is that on at least two occasions her father bought tracts of land.
As perceptive as the author undoubtedly is, she turns a mostly accepting eye to a culture that was most assuredly ignorant. Her father and grandfather, Charlie, were men of violence, Charlie having a reputation of having beaten any number of men half to death. Frank was quick with the strap, seeing fit to administer whippings for the mere observance of a boy killing a turtle that had clamped down on his shoe. The author had to hide from her father the reading of books or the watching of television at her grandmother's. Both her father and grandfather were admitted to the hospital in Millegeville, GA for the insane for a relatively short period. One wonders if cracker culture itself contributes to unstable behavior.
In addition, for a book concerning the culture of 1960's rural Georgia, there is a puzzling absence of any commentary on race relations, other than attending church. There is little in the author's recall of her childhood that suggests how she managed to end up at a small college in north Georgia on scholarship - was it because of her childhood environment or despite it?
The environmental destruction of the coastal plains predated the author's birth by several generations. Like many from rural areas, the author was comfortable with plants and animals. But neither she, her father, or their neighbors were in any sense environmentalists. Undoubtedly, her past made her gravitation to the subject in college a not unnatural development. But her growth to environmental activist is absent in this book. It seems to be assumed that the reader will understand such a trajectory.
The book is spotty, vague, and even at times seems like a fairy tale. The author's recall of climbing trees and laying on the ground communing with nature as a child is undoubtedly now viewed through poetic license. In a not untypical approach, she chooses to discuss the ecosystem by having lightning, clouds, and trees hold a discussion about their roles. It's difficult to pinpoint what the author is attempting to convey in her reminisces about her childhood with good-natured, yet violent and ignorant, people and her focus on ecology. Her discussions of clear-cutting old-growth forests and replacing them with tightly packed, quickly growing, and environment-killing tree farms is not well tied to "cracker" culture. Nor is she inclined to search for culprits.
Does cracker culture exist today? Should the reader be alarmed or appreciative? Is cracker culture a hazard to our environment? The author seems to be leaving the answer to questions like these to the reader. Some might well expect more from the author.
Thoughts from a Transplanted Cracker.......2006-11-07
All of Janisse's work, but most especially Cracker Childhood, is so very much a snapshot of South Georgia. She grabs you, her reader, by the hand and transports you to her South -- a South where Gone with the Wind is just another goofy movie starring a British actress, a South where Faulkner defied and defined a culture, a South where loggers are systematically erasing the long-leaf pines that once embraced elemental hard-scrabble lives. If you are game for an adventurous romp through dismal swamps, junk yards, and back woods then this is the read for you. Once you take it up you will be loathe to put it down.
Thank you, Janisse, for a wonderful trip!
LITERATE LOOK AT A TIME-WARP CHILDHOOD.......2006-08-10
We noticed when we moved south to Georgia some twenty-five years ago that in many ways we'd dropped back in time. Janisse Ray was born in 1962; it may as well have been 1932. I thank her for sharing her knowledge of the flora and critters around her - many now gone forever. Whenever I see a long-leaf pine from now on, I will treasure the sight.
A book for all........2006-02-20
Janisse Ray pens a memoir not only of her life, but also of the life of the forests she grew up surrounded by. She writes earnestly and with conviction about growing up on a junkyard in rural Georgia; she is forthright about not only her childhood, but also about how it affected her when she went off to college and was independent of her family. Additionally, she writes with this same passion and candidness of the other rural Georgia and its inhabitants: the forests that are being diminished and with them, their occupants.
The chapters are interwoven together, those of family and those of forest and fauna. She does this beautifully allowing the reader to see the interconnectedness not only of people, but of people and the land as well. She takes the reader on a personal journey in both arenas; frankly discussing both her father's mental illness and what the destruction of the longleaf pine means for the fate of so many of the forest's denizens.
Though she writes particularly of the Southeast and its plight with logging and clear cutting of forests, it's an account of what is going on all around us. The epilogue of the book drives home just how much damage has, and is being done there; she includes lists of those species marked as proposed for endangered, endangered, and saddest of all, extinct.
A great read not just for environmentalists or those with a love for the wilderness as her MFA in creative writing shines throughout; she will keep anyone with a desire to hear what she has to say intrigued for the duration. She has definitely written a "people book."
Average customer rating:
- NEPHEW LOVED THIS ONE TOO
- Adorable and fun!
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Henry And Mudge And The Sneaky Crackers
Cynthia Rylant
Manufacturer: Aladdin
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Henry And Mudge First Book
ASIN: 0689825250 |
Book Description
With his new spy kit and his faithful sidekick Mudge, Henry is ready to look for clues, steal secrets, and flirt with danger. One of the first things Henry and Mudge find is a coded message -- could there be another spy in the neighborhood?
Customer Reviews:
NEPHEW LOVED THIS ONE TOO.......2007-01-16
I bought a bunch of these for my 9 year old nephew who was 7 and he loved them. This one he really liked. He enjoyed reading about the adventures of Henry and Mudge. These books are fun, enjoyable, entertaining, and easy to read. I've read some myself and my son Ramon who is now in second grade loves them too. His cousin loves them as a second grader now he loves them. These are great starter books to help kids on their way to reading. They really motivate kids to read because of the funny, and entertaining stories.
Adorable and fun!.......2000-04-09
Henry buys a spy kit. He and his dog, Mudge, canvas the neighborhood to "flirt with danger" and "steal secrets". One day Henry finds a secret code and is determined to crack it. Funny, adorable, irresistable Mudge is a favorite at house! He can even get my reluctant reader eager to see what happens next. Easy reading level with short chapters gives the hesitant reader a real sense of accomplishment.
Customer Reviews:
Nostalgic look at old Florida and what has been lost........2007-06-27
As a native Floridian, I have bemoaned the loss of the state I remember. Shopping malls and amusement parks have replaced much of what I think of as Florida. This book speaks to these feelings and should be read by anyone concerned about the rampant growth of our society which seems bent on destroying any sense of the past. At least we can glimpse what was once there through this well written and heartfelt book.
Not a blade of grass left........2006-09-21
My grandma says "there won't be a blade of grass left." Belleville explains why. A personal story of man who finds the true Florida, a people who scratched out a living in the early days and survived many hurricanes, only to be swept away today by developers. Highly recommended reading for anyone who is fighting urban sprawl.
Offers Floridians and others hope for appreciating nature.......2006-06-21
Bill Belleville is a documentary filmmaker and author specializing in conservation: how work has appeared extensively in magazines, has been anthologized in collections, and he's written many books, but LOSING IT ALL TO SPRAWL: HOW PROGRESS ATE MY CRACKER LANDSCAPE hits closer to home than many of his other books. Bill Belleville writes of his historic Cracker farmhouse and old neighborhood of central Florida even as it's being wiped out: any who have visited the area in the last few years will readily acknowledge the truths and observations in LOSING IT ALL TO SPRAWL. In addition to documenting the underlying social, political and economic forces at work in promoting sprawl, Belleville offers Floridians and others hope for appreciating nature.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
What price, progress?.......2006-03-31
Fifteen years the author lived in a 'cracker' house at the end of a dirt road and shared the solitude enjoyed by former occupants for more than seventy years. It was a perfect hide-away for a freelance environmental writer and film maker, where privacy was respected, where nature was sufficient unto itself and its creatures, and where the only compromises with modernity were indoor plumbing and electricity. Even the window unit air conditioner was redundant in a house designed in simpler times, well shaded and with natural cross ventilation.
One day the shrill back-up signal of earth-moving equipment shattered the tranquility, a nails-on-blackboard, unsettling sound that forewarned of loss of innocence to come. A new mega-mall is planned nearby, and already the landscape is denuded and sculpted to accommodate the thousands of cars, SUV's and service vehicles that would respond. "If you build it, they will come." (With apologies to W. P. Kinsella.)
Bill Belleville is an award-winning writer, the author of River of Lakes, A Journey on Florida's St. Johns River, Deep Cuba and Sunken Cities, Sacred Cenotes and Golden Sharks. His film making credits include an Emmy award for Wekiva: Legacy or Loss.
It was Belleville's cracker house and his story, and the story of those who lived there before. But in a larger sense it is my story and yours, all of us who have witnessed the sacrifice of the playgrounds of childhood and the sanctuaries of memory at the altar of 'progress.' But we don't have to write it. Bill Belleville has done it for us with the same beauty and poignancy that marked his earlier works, but this time with righteous anger born of loss.
A wonderful, compelling, intensely personal book that reminds the rest of us of what we, too, have lost, and leaves us asking "What price, progress?"
Average customer rating:
- CARL, WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!?!
- A picture of Florida forgotten...a must have!
- Great Review in Dec. 15,'98 BookList
- See The Works in Black and White!
- Wonderful Insight into the Life of the Florida Cowby
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Cracker; Florida's Enduring Cowboys
Manufacturer: Longwind Publishing
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Binding: Hardcover
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Cracker: The Cracker Culture In Florida History
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Cracker Times and Pioneer Lives: The Florida Reminiscences of George Gillett Keen and Sarah Pamela Williams
ASIN: 0965812871 |
Book Description
In 1521, Spainish explorers landed on the Flordia coast, bringing with them cattle as a mobile food supply. The men tht cared for these Andalusain cattle evolved into America's first cowboys, the Florida Cracker Cowman.
Customer Reviews:
CARL, WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!?!.......1999-06-10
I have read every book Carl has written and I keep waiting for the next one, the new novel to come out. Carl, I miss you! Please put a new book out for us. No one does it better. Do you hear me, Carl? HURRY please because I'm going through Hiaasen Withdrawal!
A picture of Florida forgotten...a must have!.......1999-05-03
Having had the forune of being born and raised in Florida's...pre theme park era, I have had the luxury of experiencing an evolving FLORIDA.
Jon Kral's photo journalistic approach to capturing a little known, and almost forgotten quality of Florida is remarkable. Not only for the absolute thought provoking images, but what they represent...where we are from...and where we are going.
From the images of the Kissimmee round up and cattle drive, to those of a lone horseman at the end of the day...one is left with a new sense of what the true Florida was...and remains today.
The images range from brutally honest, to surrealistic, yet each conveys it's message clearly...provoking the human spirit and emotion.
This approach to a "land forgotten" should be high on one's list to view. Jon Kral touches not only the meaning of the past...but how it drives the future.
Great Review in Dec. 15,'98 BookList.......1998-12-20
"Kral captures (the cowboys) laboring and relaxing in rich monochrome photos that, when meticulously focused and organized, sometimes echo the sculptural quality of Ansel Adams' work, and when more softly focused and granier, resemble impressionist paintings in-oddly enough-black and white." Ray Olson, BookList
See The Works in Black and White!.......1998-12-13
I'm a Welshman who has ranched in Florida for nine years, and I can tell you this is indeed a remarkable book of atmospheric photographs concerning the life of the Florida cowboy. It is a creation that colour could not do, building up a fascinating, fantastic reality in an unique way. I salute the author for his originality. I bought four copies, kept one and sent the rest to my kids across the Pond, sayin', "Y'all better come an' see your ol' pop, Florida ain't what ya think it is!"
Wonderful Insight into the Life of the Florida Cowby.......1998-11-20
Jon Kral has created a beautiful picture story of the life of the Florida "Cracker". Words are not necessary when the picures tell the story, Kral has insight into the life of the cowboy, and it is obvious that he loved every minute of photgraphing the men at work and at home. He put the book together with love of each and every picture. Readers will be surprised and amazed at the cattle country in Florida. We forget that there is more to this state than Walt Disney and Interstate Highways. This book will make the reader want to take a car trip to the Cowboy Country and see the country in person.
Product Description
Hurricanes and economic conditions have forced many Florida ranchers to sell out to unscrupulous developers. But not fourth generation Cracker Rancher, Claude Barnhill. With the help of a gorgeous blond, a Wild Turkey poacher, three outlaw Miccosukees and a dead Cuban feral cat hunter. Barnhill fights the good fight....read on. David Clarke, Publisher
Read Gordon's book because it's a delight. Tom Kelly, Author
Customer Reviews:
A whirlwind tour of greed, stubbornness, and defiance.......2006-09-14
Set in sunny Florida, A Cracker Legacy: Subdivide This! by producer, writer, and narrator Gordon A. Stevens is an original novel inspired by the raging battle between unchecked development and private land owners, and the ongoing disappearance of agricultural and beachfront lands. An ordinary rancher, Claude Bamhill, has vowed to preserve his ancestral lands from the bureaucracy encroaching upon it, but he needs help - and hires a rag-tag turkey hunter and local Indians to form a de facto guard. From Tampa to fields and flatwoods, to the Everglades and Miami, A Cracker Legacy is a whirlwind tour of greed, stubbornness, and defiance. A thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover.
Amazon.com
Ages 1 & up. A Mother Goose book for the nineties,
Animal Crackers combines old-fashioned charm with modern sensibilities. Traditional poems and lullabies are seamlessly mixed with contemporary and multicultural works; the delightfully old-style illustrations are equally diverse. It's a lovely introduction to the world of nursery rhymes--and more.
Book Description
Ages 1 up. A Mother Goose book for the nineties, Animal Crackers combines old-fashioned charm with modern sensibilities. Traditional poems and lullabies are seamlessly mixed with contemporary and multicultural works; the delightfully old-style illustrations are equally diverse. It's a lovely introduction to the world of nursery rhymes--and more.
Customer Reviews:
Great toddler choice!.......2006-09-27
We received this book just three days ago and have already read it cover to cover countless times! My nearly 2 year old son loves trying to identify the objects in the wonderful illustrations. Great for little ones with no patience for the longer stories.
Great book that your child can grow with.......2004-10-11
My brother sent me this book after getting it for his own kids many years ago. All 3 of mine have enjoyed it from 1 - 6 years old. As others have indicated, there are some traditional rhymes and some more modern, but the mix is good and the illustrations are charming (to me and my kids). I have watched my oldest grow with the book and her interest in different poems change as she matures. Like all good nursery rhyme collections, it can be enjoyed for many years. Plus a nice change from Mother Goose, which can be challenging for a child in today's modern world to relate to (tired of trying to explain a tinker or the town crier?!).
A Nice Gift.......2002-06-19
I purchsed this as a baby gift. I wanted something the new parents could learn nursery rhymes from. This isn't really the book to do that as it doesn't contain very many "common" nursery rhymes. However it does have beautful pictures and made a nice gift anyway.
A Superb Collection of Nursery Rhymes.......2000-07-01
Intricate details and warm tones fill the illustrations throughout this superb collection of sixty-two nursery rhymes. Dyer has incorporated a wide variety of traditional nursery rhymes such as Little Jack Horner, Humpty Dumpty, and Peter Piper along with some not so traditional, such as Grandpa Bear's Lullaby, Animal Crackers, and All Asleep. She has divided this medley of rhymes into seven unique sections, including "Nursery Rhymes," "Animals, Animals," and "Lullaby and Good Night." These divisions make it easy to find rhymes for specific occasions or themes. Each rhyme is delightfully and intricately illustrated with warm watercolors which encompass the entire page. These illustrations invite the reader to become more involved in the story. This anthology of nursery rhymes is appropriate for the emergent reader because of the familiar text throughout the story. Dyer's intricate watercolors will help young children focus on the pictures to help create meaning. This well-designed collection of rhymes will be a valuable addition to any young child's personal library.
Wonderful Collection.......2000-03-14
I just received my copy of this book and can't wait to share it with my 2 year old daughter. Only problem - I purchased it for a gift and now need to buy one for her! The collection of nursery rhymes and poetry is beautifully illustrated, with oversized pages allowing maximum enjoyment for the non-reader. Definitely a must for every child's library.
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