No comments about Welcome Back to Brooklyn.

No comments about Touring the Upper East Side: Walks in Five Historic Districs.

4 comments about The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)).

1. The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard is a picturebook that presents its humorous and amazing story entirely in sequential, comic-book style illustrations. A young boy playing by himself in an old theater accidentally discovers a way to travel to the distant past - and the time of Shakespeare! Accidentally inciting the Bard's wrath, he flees, liberates a captive bear, rescues a timid baron from the tower of London, all the while evading William Shakespeare's furious pursuit. The whimsical color pictures perfectly relate this chuckle-inducing story all the way to the wistful end.



2. This book is absolutely brilliant! It is a wordless book that will pick you up and carry you through the story. The boy kicks his soccer ball through the window of a boarded up old theater. After retrieving his ball he discovers a box of costumes which he tries on and tries out on the theater stage. Something happens and suddenly he is on the stage of a theater (the Globe?) and William Shakespeare is tripping on his soccer ball. The chase is on through old London. The boy liberates a bear from a cage, a baron from the Tower of London, and dances with Queen Elizabeth I on a barge on the Thames, all while being pursued by a cranky Shakespeare. The drawings are detailed and change perspective. One moment you are running through the streets of London with the boy and the next you have a view of him and the city from high above. When the story ended, I felt like I too had dropped out of time, quite a feat for a picture book.



3. The wordless picture book is an artform in and of itself. Whether you're reading Emily McCully's charming, "Picnic", Anno's endlessly fascinating, "Anno's Journey", or even Jeannie Baker's knock-your-socks-off, "Home", the world of silent books for children is as variegated as it is fascinating. And now we have the newest addition to the genre. Author/illustrator Gregory Rogers has created a fine frolicksome foray into the world of Shakespearean plays, dancing bears, and the Tower of London itself. "The Boy, the Bear, the Baron, the Bard" may not be ideal storytime fare for large groups of children, but in terms of one-on-one encounters it stands above the rest.
   
   A boy is playing soccer in London when his ball is knocked accidentally into a large abandoned theater. Exploring further, the boy enjoys playing amongst the set pieces, trying on the costumes, and pretending to star in his own show. But when a careless kick to the ball forces the boy to run between the curtains at exactly 4 o' clock (the time that all of Shakespeare's plays were performed) he suddenly finds himself 400 some years in the past with a full house staring back at him. Incensed, a livid bard begins to chase the boy in revenge for destroying his play. The kid escapes, and in his adventures of old Londontown he manages to free a chained bear, rescue a baron who's head is bound for the chopping block, and meet Elizabeth I herself. It makes for a thrilling story of escape, friendship, and jolly good adventuring.
   
   First of all, I just want to say that I love the concept of Shakespeare being a villain of Terminatoresque proportions. About the time the bard, who has presumably swam several miles out to meet Queen Elizabeth's barge, pulls himself out of the water and makes a lunge for the boy, that was the moment I really loved the book. Is there anything more terrifying than an angry Shakespeare? I think not. Kids reading this book will get a great introduction into the world of Elizabethean drama and living. From the Tower of London's ravens to the houses and shops that used to stand along London Bridge, the book is an excellent encapsulation of an earlier time. You grow to love the bear and fear the bard. Of the baron, there isn't much to say.
   
   So for a great wordless picture book that gives a brief history lesson amongst cartoon-like illustrations, this one can't be beat. Consider it a fine addition for your own little budding Shakespeare scholar.



4. I purchased the book from Amazon about a month ago, after reading E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird"'s review on this page. The book arrived today, sooner than expected (i live in Israel). This slim paperback came inside a huge cardboard box. Most of the box's volume was taken up by a snake-shaped air-stuffed nylon bag, which had kept the book from jolting about during the trip. The book was fastened to a firm cardboard rectangle, slightly larger than it, to guard the book against folding and to keep its rims safe from friction against the box's sides. The book arrived in excellent condition. I thank Amazon for this thoughtful packing.
   
   As for the book - it's a delight to read. I've nothing to add to Ramsseelbird's review. I've given it only 4 stars, because it isn't particularly memorable. It doesn't offer any deep insight (as does Banyay's "Zoom", for instance), nor any profound emotional experience, nor does it have an out-of-the-ordinary design.

5 comments about Going, Going, Gone.

1. In 1968 independent researcher Walter Bullit tests new psychotropics mostly experimenting on himself as the guinea pig. At times, Walter accepts a job from the Feds to test one of his products on selected individuals. Perhaps because he is stoned so often, Walter has no remorse about what happens to his subjects.

   His latest assignment is to insure Robert Kennedy does not run for the presidency, currently encumbered by Henry Cabot Lodge. However, this time Walter runs into problems as ghosts suddenly share his apartment and two strange females (Big Girl and Little Mod) literally abduct him from a concert. Eulie and Chlojo need Walter who is the nexus between two dimensions to save New York City that is two cities of New York, one in his world and the other in the home realm of the two weird women.

   This book is not for everyone as the hip language will sound foreign to some readers even as it sets the tone and ambiance of the plot in a clockwork rose colored way. The story line is amusing as Jack Womack slices and dices society. Readers who enjoy offbeat alternate history will want to read this novel and the previous "Ambient" series books as Mr. Womack ends his wild ride with a stickball hit that is GOING GOING GONE over the tenement building roof.

   Harriet Klausner




2. This novel demonstrates again Jack Womack's amazing talents, especially with language. One of the strongest aspects of the novel is the clash of the protagonist's hip talk with the Dryco-speak of his visitors.

   However, I did not quite like this novel as much as the others in the series, and I definitely would ot recommend it as the first Womack novel to read.




3. I never would have thought that I would enjoy a book that contains abundant drug use to the degree that I enjoyed Jack Womack's newest novel. _Going, Going, Gone_ is a witty and psychedelic alternate history/time travel/parallel universe/ghost story all-in-one. The narrative flows easily once the reader becomes accustomed to Womack's out-there jargon.

   The protagonist, Walter, is a counterculture government freelancer who's hired by the Kennedy family (indirectly) to convince Jim Kennedy to assassinate Bobby. Walter is perplexed by the ghosts floating in his living room and moaning his name. And he's not quite sure what to make of the gorgeous woman and her muscular companion that speak in bizarrely mangled English and who appear and disappear with regularity.

   As the story progresses the various threads weave together in a surprisingly coherent (given the disparate threads)narrative. This is Book 5 in Womack's 'Ambient' series. It's not necessary to have read the previous 4 to enjoy this one but you'll soon find yourself searching for the other books in the series. Highly enjoyable throughout. Recommended.




4. Sort of...

   Womack's style is so unique, I might suggest re-reading each book upon completion. His "vernacular" is so compelling, I actually find myself emulating it in e-mails to my friends (and perhaps his prophetic truncated style of speaking is an extrapolation of "e-mail-speak"). This book (or any of the books in the series, for that matter) are not suggested reading for the optimistic sort. He has as bleak an outlook of post-apocolyptic Earth as any author I've read, yet his vision also seems to be the most realistic. His works reap the seeds that our society is presently sowing, and he does it with STYLE.

   While our government was fooling around with MK Ultra, Womack's more perverse parallel universe finds an accelerated plan far more sinister, even if it isn't fully explained. No need! He leaves enough room for you to plug in your own worst fears.

   Sadly, I picked up "Random Acts" for a buck at a book surplus store (It was also, incidentally, an ideal place to start the Ambient series). While it was a great value for me, I find it unfathomable that Womack isn't as widely accepted as Frank Herbert. His vision is just as lucid, and, like Herbert's "Dune" series, I envy anyone who gets to experience it for the first time themselves...




5. My name is Whitney and I have three words to describe the book. Waste of time. This book was by far the worst piece of literature that I have ever read. The dialog was well written but the descriptions went on forever and half the time was using 1960/70s lingo and not being from that era made it rather difficult to decode. I would not recommend this book to anyone and I advise you to pick another.

1 comments about Mobil Travel Guide: New York 2007 (Mobil Travel Guide New York).

1. One can only hope that more attention was paid to this guidebook's editorial veracity than to its terrible editing and (lack of) proofreading. Almost impossible to find a page without one or more typos, grammatical errors, run-together words and/or sentences that abruptly end in, well, mid-sentence. The self-described "Most Trusted Name in Travel" should be ashamed of this sloppy edition.

1 comments about Lake George Reflections: Island History and Lore.

1. For anyone who knows and loves Lake George, particularly those who have camped on the lake or are contemplating a camping trip to the lake this book is must reading. Frank Leonbruno has woven a history of the lake with his extensive personal experiences to create a sensitive and loving account of Lake George. As a result of his 42 years of faithful and caring stewardship as a ranger on Lake George, his proactive response to its environment, and now the recording of his reflections, Mr. Leonbruno has made himself a part of the history of Lake George.

No comments about Arthur Leipzig: Next Stop New York.

5 comments about Where'd You Get Those? New York City's Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987.

1. Bobbito's little tour of the history and evolution of the sneaker culture gives us a personal look into what made the sneaker game what it is today. Although Bobbito should be well respected for his knowledge and contribution to the sneaker culture his elitist attitude towards shoes made post 1980s is somewhat off-putting to the generation that came after his.



2. I got this book as a gift for my son and he loves it! Definitely a must have for any avid sneaker collector!



3. Yes, Yes Y'all,
   
   I'm not a sneaker fiend (not that it is a negative term), but this book is "DOPE"! If you are a sneaker addict, then this book is for you. Buy this joint NOW!
   
   Peeese!
   
   Mr. J.



4. If you are at all into the sneaker culture get this book. It brought back such great memories. I thought that a few of my friends and myself were the only ones who flipped over kicks back in the day. Bobito puts out quality material. I have some of his videos as well.



5. If you love hoops and played any serious ball in the 60's or 70's this is a must read. It has become a coffee table book in our home and I find myself picking it up often to look at the classic pictures of BBall shoes or to get a laugh from the dead on observations and memories. I was in the thick of the changing world from canvas Chuck's to adidas, Puma, Pro Keds... the pre-Nike era.

No comments about Literary Neighborhoods of New York.

No comments about Central Park Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and butterflies in New York City's Central Park (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press).