Natural Swimming Pools: Inspiration For Harmony With Nature (Schiffer Design Book)

Book Description

Natural swimming pools rely on the correct balance of plants and microorganisms to clean and purify the water. They are a safe place for children to play and birds to drink, and are a dramatic example of ecological design, combining the natural and man-made worlds while creating beauty. These pools offer enjoyment not only in the warm months, but during winter, too, when they can be used for ice skating and other activities. Often the focal point of a garden, natural swimming pools blend into their environments, flowing into the surroundings with plants and rocks.They reflect the changing seasons and they enhance the environment naturally. They are easy and less costly to maintain than chemical pools, providing significant savings in water. Chlorine and other common pool chemicals are hazardous to human health and are not used. This book is a necessary resource for anyone interested in having a natural swimming pool and shows how a natural swimming pool system works, as well as the environmental, health, and safety benefits it offers. Drawings, diagrams, and charts cover planning, design, biology, materials, construction, planting, and maintenance. Over 300 beautiful color pictures feature projects that will inspire you to have your own natural water garden where you can swim in harmony with nature at any time.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect book.......2007-09-04

Great book for all aspects of creating a variety of green/natural pools. Beautiful pictures and good illustrations and copy to help in decision making.

YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK .......2007-08-22

Simply put this book is a MUST READ for anyone intersted in any aspect of Sustainable and Ecological Design. It should be read right along with Permaculture by Mollison, the Passive Solar Handbook by Mazria, Rainwater Harvesting by Lancaster, and ecocities to Living Machines by Todd. Even if you aren't specifically interested in making a swimming pool (which you will be after reading it) the insights into the workings of hydro-ecologies and how to design natural systems are invaluable!

If you aren't interested in the whole range of sustainability but just this particular topic of pool design then this book is STILL A MUST READ. If you're an ecologist who wants to make a pool, or a pool designer who wants to do something ecological this book provides an excellent layman's understanding of ecological design, with good technical and artistic advice for how to do it, and good technical and artistic advice for swimming pool construction.

I would still advise you to also purchase the book Poolscaping as a companion to this one.

This is an all around excellent book buy it now.

Beautiful photos; strange text.......2007-08-01

Thumbing through the book will make you want to move to Austria or Germany where beautiful "natural" pools are somehat established. Why is the U. S. so environmentally backward? Unfortunately, the text is awkwardly translated at times such that one has to struggle to figure out what is meant with limited success.The assumption is that one is swimming only in the summer, but in California we may want to swim year round. Useful especially since so little information is available. Can't understand why the publisher didn't insist on professional proofreading.Buy it for inspiration, or wait for the next edition, or wait for one more applicable to your area. It does provide info in the back about two U.S resources, one in CA.

Very complete book .......2007-02-24

Is the book i need for learning on natural swimming pool. Now i can make my own pool

Surprisingly COMPREHENSIVE!.......2007-02-09

This large sized book covered the subject exceedingly well in lots of color photos with explanations and, more importantly, in lots of diagrams and nuts and bolts descriptions. I only read sections here and there but what I did read clearly indicated to me that you could actually use this book to build a natural swimming pool. At the least, you could definitely make a solid decision whether or not you could build or would want to build such a pool on your property. These pools are basically like salt water aquariums in that you have to make a biosphere and monitor it. In some ways it's not as easy as it sounds but also not as hard as it sounds. However, start up takes time and it can be tricky to finally reach environmental stabilization. I am not going to build a natural pool but I still found this book very useful. At the end this book are MANY pages of water plants and trees recommended for certain types of water areas. There are zone maps of the US included for reference. So even if you just want to make a little ornamental fountain in a big pot on the patio deck or a pond or a bog out back, this book has a VERY comprehensive set of plant lists you will find exceedingly useful. 18 pages of them. Categories include Submerged Plants, Floating Plants, Floating Leaved Plants, Shallow Marginal Plants, Deep Marginal Plants, Moisture-loving Plants, Bog/Marsh Plants, Waterside Plats-Trees & Shrubs, Ferns, Grasses Sedges Reeds and Rushes. Botanical and Common Names are listed along with height, spread, water depth, flower color, flower period, foliage, position, comments and plant zone. It's the best I've seen in any book so far.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Book
Intriguing and beguiling
Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery
No Words!
Wonderful book, all pictures but beautifully "told" story

Flotsam (Caldecott Medal Book)
David Wiesner
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618194576

Book Description

A bright, science minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam--anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share... and to keep.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Book.......2007-09-27

This book is a wordless story appropriate for children of many ages. The pages are full of beautiful illustrations that actually tell a story without having to use words. It also gives children the opportunity to use their imaginations to some degree because they are not strictly told what happens. In it, a boy finds a camera washed up on shore and develops the film. The pictures reveal underwater fantasies in large, brightly colored images.

Intriguing and beguiling.......2007-09-20

When my wife first saw this in the bookstore, she called out, nearly shouting, "Look at this." One look wouldn't do - couldn't do! The detail and clever storytelling in this book are amazing. This book belongs on the shelf of every illustrated book lover.

Excellent Product & Prompt Delivery.......2007-09-15

This item was exactly as described in the item description. It was in the original packaging and is in excellent condition. I am very satisfied and I highly recommend this seller and product to everyone. This is an excellent book by an excellent author!

No Words!.......2007-08-27

This is a beautiful book. Great pictures. But, no words. My child was very confused when there were no words to read. It does allow you, however, to expand and make up a story. But, I would have liked to know that this book had no words before I bought it!

Wonderful book, all pictures but beautifully "told" story.......2007-08-16

This book generated much discussion among my kids and myself. Because there is no text, but amazingly detailed pictures telling this story, there is much room for theory and imagination oriented discussions.

Average customer rating:

Reading level: Ages 9-12 - I don't think so!?!
Great for beginning birders
Great book
Cool Book!
Very authentic birdsounds!

Bird Songs
Les Beletsky
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1932855416

Book Description

Drawing from the collection of the world-renowned Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Bird Songs presents the most notable North American birds including the rediscovered Ivory-billed Woodpecker in a stunning new format. Renowned bird biologist Les Beletsky provides a succinct description of each of the 250 birds profiled, with an emphasis on their distinctive songs. Lavish full-color illustrations accompany each account, while a sleek, built-in digital audio player holds 250 corresponding songs and calls. In his foreword, North American bird expert and distinguished natural historian Jon L. Dunn shares insights gained from a lifetime of passionate study. Complete with the most up-to-date and scientifically accurate information, Bird Songs is the first book to capture the enchantment of these beautiful birds in words, pictures, and song. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, located in Ithaca, New York, is a nonprofit institution focused on birds and whose mission is to interpret and conserve the earth's biological diversity through research. The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab is the major source of sound recordings of birds for research, education, conservation, the media, and commercial products.

Listen here
Trumpeter Swan
Laughing Gull
Eastern Bluebird

Customer Reviews:

Reading level: Ages 9-12 - I don't think so!?!.......2007-10-01

Great book for my coffee table for people to press the bird numbers. My favorite is the Northern Mockingbird, and my cats never fail to perk up their ears at it.

I've seen birds in my back yard react to different bird songs I played, so I can imagine that a lighter weight book would be great to take on field trips for attracting certain birds.

Some of the owls are eerie sounding, but I love owls (they eat mice, right?), so I play them often. There are others I haven't even heard of, not being a birder. But I'm handling the learning curve, and it's certainly fun!

Great for beginning birders.......2007-09-27

This is now our favorite coffee table book-- although we have to tear it out of the hands of guests in order to have conversation about something else. The sound is excellent. Gave a copy to my sister who also loves it.

Great book.......2007-09-27

Great book. The pictures and writeups for each bird are good and the sound is pretty good. I wish there were even more calls included for each bird. Great gift for any bird lover.

Cool Book!.......2007-09-26

It is true, the birds will respond if you play the songs outdoors-It caught the attention of many of the woodpeckers In my backyard..I know the birds by sight but needed help with the songs and calls and this is perfect! Great Idea for a book and a must for beginning birdwatchers or just birdlovers....

Very authentic birdsounds!.......2007-09-26

Chickadees respond to the bird calls in this book! What fun! It is encouraging my 4-year old grandson's growing interesting in birding. The only flaw is the index. Not only is the font so small it is nearly unreadable, but the birds are not called by their common names. For example, the "Cardinal" is listed under "American Cardinal".

Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up

Average customer rating:

Domosaur PopUp Book
Really cool book
Fantastic Dinosaur Book
Great book !
Great Pop-Up Book!!

Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up

Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0763622281
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Book Description

From renowned pop-up masters Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart comes an awe-inspiring tribute to the world's most beloved extinct animals and their 180-million-year reign on our planet.

Open this book and a massive T. REX springs out, flashing a startling jawful of jagged teeth. Turn the next spread and a ravishing raptor unfurls and appears to fly off the edge of the page. Inside the amazing ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS are "shield bearers" in full-body armor, creatures with frilly headgear, and weighty, long-necked giants. There are even amusing tidbits on the history of paleontology itself — like a pop-up version of a Victorian New Year's dinner in the belly of a dinosaur model, or a pair of scientists locked in a literal tug-of-war over bones.

Full of fascinating facts and lighthearted good humor, this breathtaking book includes fascinating, up-to-the-minute information about popular dinosaurs as well as many lesser-known varieties. With each of six spreads featuring one spectacular, large pop-up as well as booklets of smaller pop-ups and text, ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS is a magnificent display of paper engineering and creativity — an astonishing book that will be read, admired, and treasured forever.

Customer Reviews:

Domosaur PopUp Book.......2007-09-29

This book was absolutely amazing. The detail of each and every dinosaur was just phenomenal. I purchased several for Christmas presents. My 5yo grandson is soo crazy for anything dinosaur. I know it will make a big impression on him if no one else. Recommend child shoukld use this book with some adult supervision due to the intricate popups. The price was good too.

Really cool book.......2007-09-26

My six year old loves this book. She keeps it on a special shelf so it does not get "messed-up". The pop ups are really detailed and this book has alot of information. It is not all about the art work. This is a really cool book for dino lovers.

Fantastic Dinosaur Book.......2007-09-23

This is an incredible book. The pop-ups are beautiful and intricate and the text informative. I can't wait to give it to my son for his 6th birthday. The only draw back I see is if my 1 year old gets his hands on it.

Great book !.......2007-09-23

I ordered this book for my 4 1/2 year old daughter. She loves dinosaurs, and she loves books, so this was a great pick for her.

The pop-ups are breathtaking and the colors are vibrant, but if your child is rough on books this is not a book for them. My daughter knows I have to help her with this book because it seems that you could tear it easily if you didn't use caution. So we look at it together, and don't have any problems. The cover and spine seem well made.I bought it on sale for under 5 bucks so it was well worth the money. I don't know that I would have paid $30 (suggested retail) for it though.

It has some dino facts that are interesting to read but I think the pop- ups are the main attraction.

Our family has really enjoyed this book.

Great Pop-Up Book!!.......2007-09-21

Gosh, fabulous pop-up book! I wish there was a higher rating than 5 as this book certainly deserves more!!

This book has more pop-ups than I have ever see in any book written/illustrated by other authors. The dinosaur pop-ups in this book are very intricate and beautifully done. The text is well done as well giving a information on each dinosaur. Robert Sabuda is definitely a master when it comes to the art of a pop-up book!

I am giving this book to my nephew and I am sure he'll love it. I only wish they had these kinds of pop-up books when I was a kid!

Average customer rating:

great book
Great book
The Lorax
This sad tale is wonderfully creative
Graphic SF Reader

The Lorax (Classic Seuss)
Dr. Seuss , and Theodor Seuss Geisel
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394823370
Release Date: 1971-08-12

Amazon.com

When Dr. Seuss gets serious, you know it must be important. Published in 1971, and perhaps inspired by the "save our planet" mindset of the 1960s, The Lorax is an ecological warning that still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear-cutting, pollution, and disregard for the earth's environment. In The Lorax, we find what we've come to expect from the illustrious doctor: brilliantly whimsical rhymes, delightfully original creatures, and weirdly undulating illustrations. But here there is also something more--a powerful message that Seuss implores both adults and children to heed.

The now remorseful Once-ler--our faceless, bodiless narrator--tells the story himself. Long ago this enterprising villain chances upon a place filled with wondrous Truffula Trees, Swomee-Swans, Brown Bar-ba- loots, and Humming-Fishes. Bewitched by the beauty of the Truffula Tree tufts, he greedily chops them down to produce and mass-market Thneeds. ("It's a shirt. It's a sock. It's a glove. It's a hat.") As the trees swiftly disappear and the denizens leave for greener pastures, the fuzzy yellow Lorax (who speaks for the trees "for the trees have no tongues") repeatedly warns the Once-ler, but his words of wisdom are for naught. Finally the Lorax extricates himself from the scorched earth (by the seat of his own furry pants), leaving only a rock engraved "UNLESS." Thus, with his own colorful version of a compelling morality play, Dr. Seuss teaches readers not to fool with Mother Nature. But as you might expect from Seuss, all hope is not lost--the Once-ler has saved a single Truffula Tree seed! Our fate now rests in the hands of a caring child, who becomes our last chance for a clean, green future. (Ages 4 to 8)

Book Description

"UNLESS someone like you...cares a whole awful lot...nothing is going to get better...It's not."

Long before saving the earth became a global concern, Dr. Seuss, speaking through his character the Lorax, warned against mindless progress and the danger it posed to the earth's natural beauty.

"The big, colorful pictures and the fun images, word plays and rhymes make this an amusing exposition of the ecology crisis."—School Library Journal. Illus. in full color.

Customer Reviews:

great book.......2007-10-07

everyone knows how great a book The Lorax is. We got it for our son's fourth birthday. He loves it.

Great book.......2007-10-07

What a great book for a child. In my picky opinion, the beginning is a bit slow, and the ending is a bit abrupt - but still, this is a classic. My child received this book as a gift - now I give it as a gift to other children.

The Lorax.......2007-10-02

An excellent childrens book! A great read for anyone who wants to promote conservation to childern.

This sad tale is wonderfully creative.......2007-09-20

Last week, in my Environmental Studies class, the teacher brought out this book and we had sotry time. Now, that is not normal in a University setting, but it was perfect. We'd read how Easter Island and other such places died out do to the over forestization of their small island. But nothing really gets the point across as well as Dr. Seuss can. We all giggled at first, but as the prose continued we all just listened. I have never seen a childrens book handle such a serious topic so well before. This is a fantastic book to educate youth on being environmentally concious, and I bet they'll remember the message into their adulthood decisions.

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

In amidst all the funny looking groovy trees and fuzzy creatures there is a message. In this case, it is about ecology, use of resources, and the environment.

Or, listen to what the Lorax says when you are chopping stuff down and damaging things to make a quick buck, for he is wise.

Average customer rating:

The best!
Great first book for baby
Bright and Colorful
Flaps hard to open
Fun Read

Where Is Baby's Belly Button?

Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0689835604

Book Description

Where are Baby's hands?
Under the bubbles!

Where are baby's eyes?
Under her hat!

Karen Katz's adorable babies play peekaboo in this delightful interactive book. The sturdy format and easy-to-lift flaps are perfect for parents and children to share.

Customer Reviews:

The best!.......2007-10-08

This book has been my baby's favorite book from age 3 months to now (11 months)!

Great first book for baby.......2007-09-29

As mentioned by other reviewers, this is a flap book that teaches babies different body parts by playing "peek a boo" and hiding the babies' mouth, feet, belly button etc. This was the first book my baby ever focused on when he was around two months (I think it is due to the movement of the flaps and the bright pictures). At four months he still enjoys this book over most of his other books.

Bright and Colorful.......2007-09-17

I had never heard of Karen Katz until I came across this book last Christmas and decided to buy it as a gift for my then 9-month old son. One of the best decisions I've ever made. He loves it just as much now (almost a year later) as he did when I first got it for him. I have no idea why this book tickles him so much, but anything that keeps him happy an laughing is a permanent hit with me. We've since purchased more books by Karen Katz and he enjoys them all, but "Where Is Baby's Belly Button" is by far his all-time favorite!

Flaps hard to open.......2007-09-16

I bought this book based on rave reviews and recommendation for my daughter. While it's a great concept and the colors are eye catching, the book was a real flop for my daughter and I because the flaps were so hard to open. My daughter would lose interest between "Where is Baby's mouth?" and the time it would take for me to reveal the body part. When she was older, she also had trouble opening them, and we had to bend a few flaps to make it easier. I really try to avoid this book during story time.

Fun Read.......2007-09-13

Our son's only 3 months old and even though he probably didn't get a kick out of it we did....can wait until he can understand it!! HEHE

Average customer rating:

A lovely, adoption-friendly book.
Beautiful Book
Fabulous!
If you could only buy 1 book for your child, this is it!
On the night you were born"

On the Night You Were Born
Nancy Tillman
Manufacturer: Feiwel & Friends
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312346069
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Book Description

On the Night You Were Born is a beautiful and poignant celebration of the birthand worthof every child. Destined to become an enduring classic.

Customer Reviews:

A lovely, adoption-friendly book........2007-09-15

I first heard this book at the Mother's Day Tea at my daughter's preschool. When I heard the title, my stomach clenched. Because my daughter is adopted, her birth is an event I had no part in. I initially thought that the selection was a little thoughtless.

I should have had more faith in my daughter's wonderful teacher. As "Miss Ro" read the book, I realized that the story was about the birth of a child is a gift to the world of nature (not to her parents and family as most books treat it). I have since given this book to other new children in my world, and consider it one of the loveliest, most magical books I have read. Every child should feel as though her/his birth has impacted the whole world, as this book suggests.

This book is an excellent addition to any pro-adoption collection.

Beautiful Book.......2007-09-11

This book is so beautifully written and the illustrations were fabulous. It is just as much for adults as it is children. Would make a great baby gift.

Fabulous!.......2007-08-23

This is a beautifully written story explaining the special significance of each child...I cried just reading the first page! I originally bought this for my newborn nephew on the recommendation of a friend and upon reading it instantly ordered several more to keep on hand for gifts.

If you could only buy 1 book for your child, this is it!.......2007-08-23

The minute I first read this book, I knew I had to get a copy for each of my children. Certainly, I would have liked to get it when they were infants, but it hadn't been written. And the feelings their entrances into my life were no less miraculous now than at their births, so I ordered a copy for each of my children, now ages 38, 39 and 40.

On the night you were born".......2007-08-23

I gave this to a little one on her 4th birthday and her Dad was the first to read it ... I looked over and he was crying so hard ... it's a beautiful book and also great gift for new babies ...

Average customer rating:

Amazing
Can't put it down
Looking at Machines Differently
GREAT BOOK
One of the densest collections of basic knowledge about our mechanistic world

The New Way Things Work
David Macaulay
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0395938473

Amazon.com

"Is it a fact--or have I dreamt it--that, by means of electricity, the world of matter has become a great nerve, vibrating thousands of miles in a breathless point of time?" If you, like Nathaniel Hawthorne, are kept up at night wondering about how things work--from electricity to can openers--then you and your favorite kids shouldn't be a moment longer without David Macaulay's The New Way Things Work. The award-winning author-illustrator--a former architect and junior high school teacher--is perfectly poised to be the Great Explainer of the whirrings and whizzings of the world of machines, a talent that landed the 1988 version of The Way Things Work on the New York Times bestsellers list for 50 weeks. Grouping machines together by the principles that govern their actions rather than by their uses, Macaulay helps us understand in a heavily visual, humorous, unerringly precise way what gadgets such as a toilet, a carburetor, and a fire extinguisher have in common.

The New Way Things Work boasts a richly illustrated 80-page section that wrenches us all (including the curious, bumbling wooly mammoth who ambles along with the reader) into the digital age of modems, digital cameras, compact disks, bits, and bytes. Readers can glory in gears in "The Mechanics of Movement," investigate flying in "Harnessing the Elements," demystify the sound of music in "Working with Waves," marvel at magnetism in "Electricity & Automation," and examine e-mail in "The Digital Domain." An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms, and an index. What possible link could there be between zippers and plows, dentist drills and windmills? Parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay demystifies them all. (Click to see a sample spread of this book, illustrations and text copyright 1998 David Macaulay, Neil Ardley, published by Houghton Mifflin Co.) (All ages) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

The information age is upon us, baffling us with thousands of complicated state-of-the-art technologies. To help make sense of the computer age, David Macaulay brings us The New Way Things Work. This completely updated and expanded edition describes twelve new machines and includes more than seventy new pages detailing the latest innovations. With an entirely new section that guides us through the complicated world of digital machinery, where masses of electronic information can be squeezed onto a single tiny microchip, this revised edition embraces all of the newest developments, from cars to watches. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained--with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing.......2007-05-14

Informative and entertaining. I wonder how many engineers out there first got their interest in the way things work from this book.... In Fall 2008 Macaulay will have a new book out entitled "The Way We Work", which will explain the workings of the human body in similar fashion to this book. Can't wait!

Can't put it down.......2007-05-07

My son (10) had borrowed the older edition from the library several times. So I got him this one for his birthday. He sneaks this book into his bed at night. If that's not an excellent testemony I don't know what is.

Looking at Machines Differently.......2007-02-01

Each page of this book opens up a world of how something works. It could be how to make a hologram (of a wolly mammoth of course) or how the valves in a trumpet change the sound. The subject for a few pages might be electricity or it could be how an automatic transmission works. In any case, the pages are a mixture of drawings (usually with mammoth) showing the nature of the subject, combined with text that further describes what the drawings are showing.

Over a period of many years Mr. Macaulay has developed his drawing style and his understanding of mechanical things which when combined in a book like this offer a painless way for the kid in all of us to learn.

This new edition has been expanded in several areas. This includes coverage on personal computers, space probes and other more recent developments. It's one of those books that's hard to put down once you start reading.

GREAT BOOK.......2007-01-12

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER SEEN. IT IS EXCELLANT FOR ALL AGES.

One of the densest collections of basic knowledge about our mechanistic world.......2006-12-14

Imagine there were a nuclear war and all of society's accomplishments were annihilated and mankind became a savage race again. If you could have just one book saved through the ages to help you reestablish science and technology, pick this one.

Average customer rating:

Good way to introduce the "birds and the bees"
Offers too much detail in my opinion
Covers the embarressing areas
Where Did I Come From?
Just the facts

Where Did I Come From?
Peter Mayle
Manufacturer: Lyle Stuart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0818402539

Customer Reviews:

Good way to introduce the "birds and the bees".......2007-09-01

My son and I had the best laughs reading this book; somewhat embarrasing at time but it was all out there, he was able to ask questions and it was a great way to discuss these things with him as it is with any child. I highly recommend this book for 9 or 10 year olds if your ready to discuss such things with them.

Offers too much detail in my opinion.......2007-08-23

Although I believe this book may be suitable for some kids, I do not believe it is suitable for my son and that is why I did not give it to him. Some pages from the book actually made me turn red! It is my opinion that kids do not need to know all the details provided in this book in order to get the message of where they came from. An edited version would work better for me.

Covers the embarressing areas.......2007-08-23

This book does a great job at explaining why grownups like to have sex. It describes the feelings, without getting lewd.

Where Did I Come From?.......2007-08-09

My son read this in addition to another similar book, and said that this book has less information in it.

Just the facts.......2007-07-13

Great book. I had it when I was a kid and bought it for my niece and nephew. It's just the facts. With all the sex in the media and talk on the playground I think kids deserve to know the truth.

Average customer rating:

Lovely!
Magical!
Wonderful gift for first time parents!
On The Day You Were Born
Book is AMAZING, CD is so-so

On the Day You Were Born
Debra Frasier
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Picture Books | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0152579958

Amazon.com

Inspired by Debra Frasier's enormously popular On the Day You Were Born, this charming photo journal invites families to celebrate the arrival of their loved one into the natural world. A star-spangled blue sky, crossed by a swath of sunshine yellow with gold birds, introduces the reader to "the very first day you arrived." Baby's picture and name go right in the middle of all the cheery yellow. Turn the page: "You were born on the round planet Earth. Was it day, or was it night?" is printed with another space for a picture and a line to write the date and time of birth against the backdrop of more starry sky with that old blue and green globe plopped in the middle and a figure of a child frolicking across the ocean. On another page, the jubilant child dances across a beach: "On the day you were born waves washed the beaches clean for your footprints. How little were your fingers? How tiny were your toes?"

By adding eight photographs and filling in a few details, parents can create a very special journal for their child, rejoicing together in all the natural wonders of the universe. Here is an ideal gift for the new parents with a vibrant connection to nature. --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

In simple words and radiant collages, Debra Frasier celebrates the natural miracles of the earth and extends an exuberant welcome to each member of our human family. Accompanied by a detailed glossary explaining such natural phenomena as gravity, tides, and migration, this is an unforgettable book. “A book filled with reverence for the natural order of the world and the place of the individual in it.”--School Library Journal

Customer Reviews:

Lovely!.......2007-09-05

I got this book because it was on sale and I am so glad that I did. Seeing it now I would definitely pay full price for it.

It is well-made, adorable, and will make a great keepsake to share with our son.

Magical! .......2007-09-03

This is a book I've given as a birthday gift many times - to new arrivals and those celebrating more birthdays as well. The text is simple yet beautiful and the illustrations provide a warm, magical layer of feeling when reading this book. Highly recommended.

Wonderful gift for first time parents!.......2007-08-31

I received this book from a good friend when my baby boy was born (our first). I thought the poetry of birth and the natural world was amazing. And the ending where a circle of loved ones welcomed the new baby whispering "We're so glad you've come," reminded me of all the love our family and friends showed our new baby. I can't read it without tearing up. It's a wonderful reminder that all life is sacred and beautiful.
While the art is tribal, not fluffy, and some of the language is advanced for a developing child, I still love this book. Not every board book should be pastels and one syllable words. But I hope this book will be a keepsake that we can read together and remember what a miracle it was that he was born. I want to foster in him the spirit of this book... that all life is connected and we need to try to live in balance with the environment that sustains our lives.

On The Day You Were Born.......2007-07-27

This is a wonderful book to give to any new child or to the grandparent of a new child. I was given one for our new grandson and immediately bought three to give as gifts. The book is something that can become a family tradition to be read on each child's birthday!

Book is AMAZING, CD is so-so.......2007-05-15

I bought this for my son before he was born, and I read it to him all the time - and never with a dry eye! I always buy it as a baby gift for anyone I know who's having a baby of their own. However, unless you find this set for a good price, I might just get the book. My husband calls the CD "hippie music" and he's right - the music is a little, um, groovy and repetitive. Though if you have a sappy friend, get it - books like this and the Giving Tree always make me cry, and if I can have the CD finish the story for me when I get choked up, so much the better.

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