Appearance
Texas
This is a typical Michener and outstanding reading. Every person is the southern US should read the two books - Mexico and Texas.
Texas
The Lone Star State has a history as colorful as any state in the Union, and a quarter-century ago author James Michener explored the state's past in the novel "Texas."Michener follows several fictional families across centuries of Texas history, from the first European exploration of Texas in the sixteenth century up through the mid-1980s. The story is engaging, encompassing every major event and several minor events in Texas history, and the characters, mostly fictional but a few real, are vivid.Among the historical fiction, Michener manages to weave in and instruct the reader about many features of Texas life, including water rights, oil, football, the continued Spanish influence, religion, longhorns, pecans, armadillos, spring wildflowers, hurricanes, tornadoes, and blue northers. The author looks at the Texas character with its risk-taking component, and explains why Texans are inclined toward free-market economics.Michener rightly notes that many different settler groups helped make the state what it is today, with characters in the story coming from Mexico, Germany, Scotland, Michigan (I identified, having moved from Michigan to Texas in 1983), and the Deep South."Texas" is a very long novel, and in places it does employ stereotypes that are not completely valid, but anyone who loves the state or wishes to know what makes Texas and Texans so unique would find reading this novel worthwhile.
Mammalabilia (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)
I look forward every year to Douglas Florian's latest poetic subject matter and am never disappointed! Mammalabilia is delightful stuff; brilliant, original, hilarious, and even educational...Keep up the great work!
Mammalabilia (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)
While the poems are fun and engaging, there is far less scientific information given than in some of his other works. "The Beaver" is a brilliant four line (four hyphenated words) poem packed with information, while "The Aardvarks" relays nothing except some clever spellings. If you must pick only one Douglas Florian book, "Beast Feast" or "Insectlopedia" would be much better choices.
Mammalabilia (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)
Mammalabilia is a great dealia. That's how I fealia. It really has zealia
Mammalabilia (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)
This is a rather unique little book. At first glance (without a thoughtful read), the short poems are rather simple in nature and are indeed quite easy to read, which is good for the young ones. On the other hand, the word play the author uses is actually quite complex. He actually has fun with words and I suspects, hopes his adult readers will also. The art at first glance is simple too. To call it "primitive" might work, I suppose, as long as it is not a put down to the artist. The paintings are actually quite well done (I would dearly love to have some of the originals to frame for the house or office), and if you find that hard to believe, try doing one your self. The book covers several different animals, fox, coyote, bever, zebra, lynx and more. The kids seem to like this one and it is a nice book to read to them and then let them have a try. Don't underestimate this one. It is quite good and an excellent additon to any children's library.