Product Description
A brilliant, unique, and completely realized work of fiction, "Riddley Walker"--first published in 1980--is set in a remote future in a post-nuclear holocaust England (Inland), where humanity has regressed to an iron-age, semi-literate state, represented by a language created especially by Hoban for the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (84)

Overuse of symbolism turns literature into gibberish.
I wanted to like this book I really did. I can read the language fine, that was in no way the problem. I even found the dialect amusing.

The problem is the story itself. If you loved "Donnie Darko" you will probably love this book. There are some folks who will find great personal meaning in purposely vague ambiguous ramblings, and unarticulated disjointed thoughts that are supposed to be symbolic.

"Humanity is the lone tree which shades the barren earth beneath from the scorching rays of endless power."

The above passage is not in the book, its nonsense I just made up. My point is if you get high enough, and read that passage over enough times. It's liable to mean something profound to you. Yet it doesn't. It's nonsensical gibberish I just typed up. Riddley Walker is full of such nonsense, and dare I say the entire story is such nonsense.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, then slowly but surely the story became endless and pointless symbolism, with no real foundation to ground the story into something that is actually meaningful. After 200+ pages of incoherent gibberish the point of the book states little more than the obvious. Much would be lost if there was an apocalypse. Well... duh. Thats hardly profound. It's also worth mentioning the majority of the plot is based on telepathy and predestination.

I doubt anyone can give a concise, articulate synopsis of what the author wanted to express, and I include the author in that statement. As Hoban himself stresses he wanted to have words, stories, and phrases that have multiple meanings. In other words much of it doesn't mean anything outside of what the reader chooses to see in it. All I saw in it was a pretty pathetic attempt at writing an allegorical story. Don't let the diminutive size of the book fool you, this is one of the longest reads I ever had.

If you consider yourself a "down to Earth" person, then don't waste your time on this fantastical nonsense.

excellent book, butr requires dedication
Riddley Walker is a difficult book to read, not merely because the language is a futurespeak English that has been eroded by time and distance from civilization, but also because mankind has been brought low by nuclear war and is only just emerging into agriculture after some thousands of years of hunter-gatherer culture. As Riddley says after seeing some well-preserved machines in a quarry, 'O what be ben! And what we come to!' There is a good website that details some of the more difficult phrases and language ([...]) to help interpret this story. If you enjoyed the futurespeak language in Anthony Burgess's, A Clockwork Orange, you will find Riddley Walker's language equally engaging.
Riddley Walker is a 12-year-old who faces the loss of his father and a series of mounting troubles by going on the road in search of meaning. He meets other outcasts and tries to understand what it was that made the former culture (our current culture) so powerful, and how it is that so much knowledge was lost. What passes for political leadership is a puppet show in the tradition of Punch and Judy, whose leading player is based on the character of the former scientist who led the world into nuclear war (or so the story goes). The leaders of the current ministry travel around the countryside putting on puppet shows that express the politics of the time. At the time of the story, the leaders long to bring back the power of the '1 Littl 1' and the '1 Big 1,' which are gunpowder and nuclear fission, respectively. They are looking for the missing ingredient to make gunpowder, which is sulfer (which they call 'Salt 4' or 'yellerboy stoan'). When yellerboy stoan is discovered, danger is unleashed for at least the second time in human history. Riddley has to come to terms with what it all means. His fresh voice, the voice of anyone newly at the age of reason, with far more questions than answers serves us well as we quest with him for meaning and values.

Listening helps
It helps if you can get your head around English dialects and cadences. If your auditory understanding of English gets frustrated by watching BBC America, then this book is not for you. I worked with Brits for years so the the dialectical differences in rhythm and slang between American and British English don't bother me. In reading Riddley Walker this helps. It probably made the book more enjoyable for me from the start. Otherwise, like Middle English and Old English (which many find completely unintelligible) native speakers can settle in over time as long as you are sufficiently literate.

If you are expecting an elegantly plotted and easy to read Atwood, forget it, this book is not for you. The book is only meant for those capable of digesting English language literature at a very high level of abstraction which is why the academics love it. It is an exceptional linguistic exercise in experimental anglophone literature.

As for plot and story, the book is a filtered exploration of the viewpoint and observations of a maturing twelve-year old within an environment of desperation and banality. That is the plot. Like Pilgrim's Progress and Don Quixote, the journey is the motivation and the language is the action. Many have compared the book to Clockwork Orange the relevance of which is only valid in consideration of the highly abstruse English dialect in which it is written, otherwise, the comparison is specious.

I first read this book years ago and have read hundreds, if not thousands since. I still remember this book. Like LOTR, it is an English language masterpiece.

Remarkable and subversive
I read the first chapter in an early Granta years ago (New English Writing, I think) and grabbed a copy from the library immediately.The writing does some kind of scrambling operation in your brain's meaning processor and it stays there, waiting to be reawakened like some kind of benign acid flashback.
I come back to Riddley Walker every few years to recapture that original sensation and it's never disappointed.
On a hunch I lent my copy to a Russian friend whose experience pretty closely mirrored my own.
I love this book.

Riddley walker; far from gibberish
A few selected thoughts generated by the words in Riddley Walker that some have called gibberish.

The Ram denotes the seat of governmental authority, just like we say 'Washington,' or the Russians say 'The Kremlin.'
Eusa connotes USA, the country that made the A-bomb and used it. It also connotes Yeshua, which is Jesus's Hebrew name; (in English it would be Joshua). If Eusa = Yeshua, then the Eusa folk would be an equivalent of the Jews,ie. Yeshua's (ie. Jesus's) people. An anagram of Jesus sounds like the word, `Jews.' (In other words, if you scramble the letters of Jesus you get Jeuss which pronounces like Jews.) Well, if that's true, then on the other side, the Ram would connote Rome (Ram = Rome).Seem farfetched? Not really. Lissener, (the Ardship of Cambry,) head of the Eusa folk, recounts the tale of what happened to Eusa after the liturgical version breaks off (pg. 81) So does Goodparley, the Pry Mincer on pg. 121.They both use absolutely identical language, word for word, until they come to the issue of who is to blame for Eusa's death. That's when they go their separate ways. Lissener blames the Ram for Eusa's execution, (pg. 81/last line.)Goodparley, blames the Eusa folk, themselves, for Eusa's death, (pg. 121/line 30.)So there we have it; the Romans and their misbegotten Holy Roman Empire blamed the Jews for Jesus's death, and the Jews, in self defense, blame the Romans for the same.

Riddley Walker's characters are dreaming us the same as we (through reading this book) are dreaming them. They imagine us through the myths and fables they recount to eachother. Somehow they're always missing some essential bit of information about us, and we're always missing essential information about them. They have bits and pieces of our stories but the meanings are all twisted, and they often don't understand our words, as in Goodparley's absurd dissection of the Legend of St Eustache, where he says `hamlets' mean little pigs 126/31-32, or `quarry' means a digging, when the writer of the legend clearly meant the hunted stag 127/16-18. Obviously we, readers all, are having difficulty with their language in much the same manner. We connect with them through a verbal window that is the creation of the author, a man who touched genius with this book, and created a work of art.

Yes, Riddley Walker moves on a plane far above word-play. Although, as we've noted,Eusa's name sounds like Jesus's Hebrew name, Yeshua (Joshua), and Eusa does suffer like Christ, the former nearly destroys mankind while the latter redeems mankind, (redressing the original sins of Adam.) There is no possibility of redemption in Riddley Walker. The concept of Jesus (or any Messiah) occurs to nobody in Riddley Walker, even though several characters unwittingly re-enact elements of the Christ story.Riddley Walker is the inversion of the Gospels, its dark underbelly. We are given a vision of a form of eternal recurrence, a very nasty inversion of the original Garden. For those readers looking for genre literature, please stay away. This is a very different kettle of fish; and, incidentally one of the very few literary masterworks of the 2nd half of the last century. -- Geoffrey Dorfman ... Read more

Product Description
Author of the immensely popular children's books featuring Frances the Badger, Russell Hoban is also a master of contemporary imaginative literary forms, including the cult classic Riddley Walker.

Gathered here are four of Mr. Hoban's novels: the haunting Lion of Boaz-Jachin, the popular Turtle Diary (made into a movie starring Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley), Pilgermann, and his newest work, the sharp and witty Mr. Rinyo-Clacton's Offer, published here for the first time in North America. In addition, the collection includes samples from Mr. Hoban's short stories, essays, and poetry. Finally, for true Hoban aficionados, there is part of an unfinished sequel to the adult children's classic The Mouse and His Child, featuring the further adventures of Manny Rat. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A great collection; kind of a funky size, though
It's short and thick, would have preferred a larger binding.But, the content is great.I'm almost done with the first novel (also Hoban's first).If you are already a Hoban fan, you can't go wrong with this, as it collects several of his novels into one package.If you're looking to get introduced to him, you also can't go wrong with this, although I would add that I think Mouse and His Child, Riddley Walker, and Kleinzeit are must-haves.For my money, there's very few writers who capture these themes as well as Hoban does.He is a master who deserves a lot more credit/publicity.

Do not hesitate
There is not much to add to Mr. Moon's excellent summary. This is an excellent price for a collection of this variety and many of these works are unavailable at any price unless special ordered from Europe or purchased via Out Of Print book searches. Amazon incorrectly states 752 pages whereas it is actually 822. This is obviously even more value for $ and any further works would have made for a pretty unwieldly volume. We can only hope that a future Omnibus Volume Two will collect the balance.

In the meantime, be sure to seek out the Indiana University 1998 deluxe edition of "Riddley Walker". I would pay to read the phone book as copied out by Mr. Hoban. The writer of "Riddley" deserves more exposure. Do not hesitate, Hoban will astound you with his love and use of language and his sensitivity to life and its nuances and foibles and special moments. You will smile, laugh and cry.

Omnibus begs second volume
If you are at all in any way a fan of Russell Hoban, there is no question that you need to purchase this volume.Contained are a good helping of his adult novels (one never published in America), as well as several of theshort stories that appeared in his book 'The Moment Under the Moment' (alsonever published domestically), a sampling of his poetry (same fate as theformer), and some amazing entries from his children's work, notably TheMarzipan Pig (out of print), and the incomplete 'Manny Rat' (formerlyunpublished.)All in all, for $30 this is the prize you've been waitingfor.With every entry in this volume either out of print or unpublished,the Hoban Omnibus is probably one of the easiest way to beef up your Hobanlibrary while avoiding the cost of importing the books. On the other hand,omissions must be mentioned because they are rather glaring.AlthoughIndiana University has been good enough to include Hoban's first adultnovel, the exclusion of 'The Mouse and his Child' (Hoban's first novel ofany kind, and no less brilliant than any of his other efforts) is perhapsthe greatest fault I can attribute to this volume.Likewise, MedusaFrequency, Kleinzeit and Fremder are all absent and one tends to wonder whythey were not included.Fremder most of all could use a US release, whileMedusa and Kleinzeit don't seem to have done anything to have deserved theoversight.Medusa in particular is perhaps among Hoban's most brilliantpieces, and at a length of not much more than 100 pages, its inclusionwould have been a simple thing.Still, who is to say why certain thingsmade it, and others got the axe?That's Indiana University's business,still, this is one reader who hopes they'll consider a secondvolume.

Following is a list of contents, since Amazon has not includedit: (stolen directly from the unofficial Russell Hobanpage)

NOVELS:

The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz, Turtle Diary,Pilgermann, Mr Rinyo-Clacton's Offer (This, of course, marks the first U.S.publication for Mr Rinyo-Clacton!)

SHORT STORIES [these were alloriginally included in The Moment Under the Moment]: The Man with theDagger, My Night with Léonie, The Raven, Dream Woman, Dark Oliver, TheGhost Horse of Genghis Khan

ESSAYS [both from The Moment Under theMoment]: 'I, that was a child, my tongue's use sleeping...', With a ChokedCry

POEMS [these were all originally included in The Last of theWallendas]: 03:00 Abroad,

Crystal Maze, The Owl-Woman, Turtle Prince?,Fred to Samantha, Dragon into Dressing-Gown, The Hippogriff, What the FairySaid to the Bibliophile, The Dragon underneath the Mat,

LITERATURE FORCHILDREN (AND DISCERNING ADULTS): The Marzipan Pig, The Adventures of MannyRat [incomplete, abandoned sequel to The Mouse and His Child] ... Read more

Product Description
Russell Hoban is probably best known and loved for his charming series of books about Frances the Badger. However, in 1967 he wrote a novel that many consider to be one of the great works of children¹s literature of the twentieth century, THE MOUSE AND HIS CHILD. Available again in an updated format with stunning new illustrations by David Small, this masterpiece will thrill and entertain the next generation of readers. Amazon.com Review
Like so many exceptional children's books, Russell Hoban's The Mouse and His Child clearly wasn't intended only for kid consumption. It certainly qualifies as a fantastic story for children: the characters are entertaining and memorable, the images powerful, the pacing tight, and the message unique and lasting. But this sweet, melancholy fable about a wind-up pair of tin mice--a dancing father and son joined at the hands--explores so many different themes of hope, perseverance, transformation, and the nature of existence (while still managing to be quite funny at times) that it's the sort of book that demands to be kept around for a lifetime of rereading.

The father and son's redemptive quest to become "self-winding" takes them through all sorts of trials, from the toy store to the dump to the swamp and back again, and all along the way the pair runs afoul of Hoban's well-realized and often menacing menagerie of characters, including the slave-driver Manny Rat, the distracted thinker Muskrat, and Crow and Mrs. Crow and their Caws of Art Experimental Theatre Group. (These last provide some of the best scenes in the book, getting a surprising amount of philosophical meat out of a play called The Last Visible Dog: "What doesn't it mean! There's no end to it--it just goes on and on until it means anything and everything, depending on who you are and what your last visible dog is.")

If you're only familiar with Russell Hoban from his Frances books (Bread and Jam for Frances), this gripping, sometimes disturbing, occasionally even violent novel might come as something of a surprise. But if you've read any of Hoban's later work, like Pilgermann or The Moment Under the Moment, then you know what this sophisticated and extraordinarily graceful writer is capable of, and why The Mouse and His Child deserves praise as one of the more profound children's works ever written. (Ages 9 to adult) --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

"Be Happy"
This is the very best children's book ever written; it's only challenger is "Charlotte's Web". Like life it is scary, funny, adventurous, confusing and wonderful. Just buy the book and read it with or to your child (I would say about 8 years old or so) and share the travels of Mouse and his child. When my youngest daughter and I finished the last chapter and we were both in tears, she said can we reread the last chapter mom? And we did. May you be happy.

My favorite book as a child, and today.
This book is obviously for older children.As a "mature child" as one other reviewer alluded to, I was completely absorbed by this book from beginning to end.It shows the hard, funny, rewarding life of two tin mice.I wish I would have paid more attention to hard their life was as I grew up!I re-read this book every year, own several copies of different years of printings, and just found out Russell Hoban is alive and has written umpteen books, not just this perfect one!I am like a kid at Christmas!Thanks, Russell Hoban, for writing this book.Mazel Tov!

Amazing story!
I just read this story as an adult and it is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. Incredibly creative and heartwarming, this book is definitely not just for kids (in fact, I wouldn't have appreciated it nearly as much as a child). I also HIGHLY recommend the audio book version, with narrator William Dufris - he is phenomenal.

You have to read this
When i was a child i watched the HBO production of the movie. I finally read the book since the movie is so hard to find. I was blown away. This by far is better to read as an adult then what i remember as a child. I had a hard time putting it down. Every chapter begins and ends with so much adventure that you can't stop! I love the winds up, and the uncle frog! To me this is pure imagination at it's finest!

book review
Every year for the past six years, I have taught a novel unit in the public school system using The Mouse and His Child, and every year, it is my favorite part of the school year. This is the perfect book for every age group from elementary to high school. I seriously recommend it for home schools. The topics range from the meaning of freedom to an understanding of eternity. There is God and Science, and a battle between good and evil where good really wins and even the evil is converted rather than destroyed. Every year I continue teaching because of this book, and every year, I learn something new from it! ... Read more

Product Description

s her little sister Gloria's birthday approaches, Frances wavers between being generous'and being jealous.‘[Frances] is every youngster who chafes at being the un-birthday child.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Funny
Birthdays can be HARD when you're not the birthday child. Frances realistically is upset that her baby sister gets cake and presents and SHE DOES NOT. So she eats her sister's present. Whoops.

There's a moral in here, though a bit of an inexpressible one, and there's a lot of realism. What more can you ask for?

Frances is at it again!
I fell in love with Frances when I was in college (!) taking a class for my teaching degree.The professor would read us a children's book every day to help us pick books to build our classroom libraries.Frances instantly became one of my favorites.

Now I am not only a kindergarten teacher but the mom of three young girls, who love Frances as I do.

A Birthday for Frances is a wonderful tale about Frances' little sister Gloria's impending birthday.Frances is torn between jealousy and generosity, and keeps young readers guessing which direction she will choose right up to the last page.Of course, it is filled with laugh-out-loud moments along the way!

My girls love to read and be read to and this book has been a favorite in our house since we first got it.

A sweet, innocent and funny story guaranteed to please!

A Delightful Experience of Envy and Love
Frances' sister Gloria is having a birthday party, and as the preparations commence Frances begins to deal with feelings of jealousy over the attention Gloria is receiving.When she realizes everyone is giving Gloria a present but her, she begins to cry, then lights upon the idea of buying Gloria a Chompo bar and some gumballs with an advance on her allowance.But on the way home she "accidentally" eats the gumballs, and Father takes the Chompo bar for safekeeping.As the time for the party grows nearer, Frances dithers about whether or not to give up the gift, until Gloria announces that her birthday wish is to be on good terms with Frances.Affection wins out, and Frances joyfully presents her gift to Gloria.

Hoban writes this story with incisive characterization of how young children think, with several delightful moments in which children (and their parents) may recognize themselves.Especially charming is Frances' practice of "spelling" words in the manner of grownups(q-p-m for "ice cream") , which will appeal to early readers who know that words are actually spelled systematicallly.Frances' struggle with selfishness is genuine enough to avoid a preachy, moralistic message, and the entire story takes place in the context of a secure family environment, with wise and loving parents.An outstanding story.

Another stellar Frances book
I would like to meet Russell Hoban's kids, because these books are completely charming, and they absolutely must come from real life.Frances has such honest and imaginative interactions with her parents, her friends, and now especially with her little sister that you cannot help but hope that your own children will come up with the same kinds of charm.She is naughty, but in such an utterly good way.And the pictures!I'm so glad my husband got me into these books.
The birthday book is a story about sibling jealousy and learning to be generous.

Favorite Frances book
Honestly it's hard to choose a favorite Frances book-- with the exception of the first and most dated one ("Bedtime for Frances"), they are all pretty fabulous. But if you twisted my arm, I'd have to vote for this one. Like others ("A Baby Sister for Frances," "Best Friends for Frances"), this one deals with Frances's complicated feelings towards her younger sister Gloria, but while that relationship is important background in other Frances books, it is the main subject of this one.

It's Gloria's birthday; Frances is envious of the attention Gloria is getting. Frances gets an advance on her allowance to buy Gloria a birthday present (4 balls of bubblegum and a chompo chocolate bar), but "by mistake" eats the bubblegum, and is decidedly mixed on whether Gloria deserves the chompo bar. As she confides in her best friend Albert, baby sisters are not much good; one of my favorite lines, in Frances's litany of complaints about the shortcomings of baby sisters, is that when you play hide and seek with them, they always hide where parts of them are sticking out. In the end, of course, Frances turns over the chompo bar, touched that Gloria's birthday wish (articulated over everyone's protests) puts Gloria's love for Frances and desire for Frances's approval center stage.

Our three year old daughter, who has her own occasionally irksome baby sister, is very fond of this book. It has the winsome elements of all the Frances books-- the great songs ("Happy chompo to me/ Is how it ought to be" Frances sings under her breath, in protest). the patient and considerate parents, the ambivalent but ultimately good-natured Frances. I've loved these books since I was a kid, and they still feel relevant and contemporary. ... Read more

Product Description
Thelma usually outsmarts Frances until Frances decides to teach her a lesson about friendship. Spanish language edition. ... Read more

Product Description
Famed for her many adventures, Frances made her debut with this title over thirty years ago.In this first Frances book, the little badger adroitly delays her bedtime with requests for kisses and milk, and concerns over tigers and giants and things going bump in the night.Long a favorite for the gentle humor of its familiar going to bed ritual, Bedtime for Frances is at last available with the warmth of full color enriching Garth Williams’s original nuanced and touching art.‘Here is the coziest, most beguiling bedtime story in many a day.’—Kirkus Reviews (pointer).

Amazon.com Review
It's bedtime for young Frances--an adorable and irrepressiblelittle badger--and everyone is ready but her. At 7:00 p.m. Frances iswide awake and bursting with youthful excitement. She tries everydelay tactic she can muster--from demanding extra hugs and kisses tovolleying a series of urgent last-minute questions ("May I sleepwith my teddy bear?" "May I have my door open?"). She'salmost positive there are spiders, giants, and tigers in her room.

Any parent will quickly identify with this phenomenon--how the lastminutes of the day suddenly become the most action-packed. GarthWilliams's illustrations complement Russell Hoban's sweet storyperfectly, capturing the endless energy and overactive imagination ofFrances, and the waning patience of her exhausted parents. Bedtimefor Frances is the perfect goodnight story to tell your wide-eyedchildren. And never fear, like Frances, they too will eventually,contentedly, drift off to sleep. (Ages 4 to 8) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (60)

Fabulous & true-to-life
My kids & I love this book! It's just like the rest of the Frances books...even precocious & cute badgers want to put off bedtime. The spanking threat made my kids giggle because it was dealt with in a kind of humorous tone from Frances's father. I noticed that when I read the reviews by the folks who were outraged over the spanking comment that most of them had read the book as children and didn't even remember that it was included in the story. I can't imagine that the spanking comment will stick in any child's mind enough to hinder the enjoyment of the story. My kids certainly enjoy reading it.

Adorable
I had this book as a child in the late 70s and now read the same copy to my own youngster. It was one of my own favourites and now it was one of hers. I looked on Amazon out of curiosity to see if it was still in print (no longer in Britain, sadly).

This book is utterly charming and the black and white illustrations of my edition are wonderful. When I first re-read it, I was a bit surprised at the mild spanking reference, but recognise that the book is nearly 50 years old. Many of the 1-star awarding reviewers seem to have worked themselves into a panic. Do you really think that your precious kid is going to be traumatised? Get over yourselves.

My own kid said "Daddy, what's 'spanking'?"; I replied, "He says he is going to hit her on the bottom if she doesn't go to sleep." She burst into laughter, thinking this was so funny - not surprisingly - it's meant to be! Mild corporal punishment was often part of child humour - the character Dennis the Menace (the British one) in the comic 'The Beano' was regularly thwacked by his long-suffering father's slipper up until the late-80s.

Enjoy the book as a charming bedtime narrative and do not be put-off by the spanking or, gasp, horror, a pipe. Your children will not let it spoil their fun.

Loved it as a kid, can still recite lines from it, and still give it as a gift
As a child I really liked a couple of books, Bedtime for Frances, Tiger in a teapot, and curious George (plus every Snoopy book).Bedtime for Frances is a cute story, the pictures are nice, and I have never thought twice about the reference to a spanking - which is NOT corporal punishment (please, let's not dilute the seriousness of real abuse with what is in this book).And, as a kid reading the original version, I was threatened with a spanking and received a couple and turned out just fine. This is a good book to read to your kids before they are old enough to read and to talk about with your kids.I always have fond memories thinking of this book, which is why I give it as a baby gift/Christening gift.

funny!
We borrowed this book from the library and it has become such a favorite that it is on our wish list.Frances is the portrait of the young child trying to avoid going to sleep.Garth Williams' illustrations are as ever charming and sweet.

After reading the negative reviews I feel compelled to share that we are an ap (attachment parenting) family and though we bedshare and use gentle discipline, we still love this book.My son and I laugh out loud when Father says Frances will get a spanking if she does not go back to bed.I'm not sure how my son even knows about spanking but he does and found the notion funny rather than scary.It also does not bother him at all that Frances was put to bed on her own.

I myself love Mother and Father's responses to Frances' attempts to avoid sleep.The dialog between them is just great, and Father especially is so patient.How many people can wake up in the middle of the night to find their child next to the bed staring at them and say only "umph"?They don't tell her to stop being silly or naughty - they validate her feelings by encouraging her to take a second look, or by explaining how things really are. Frances realizes her fears are unfounded without having her imagination squashed.I think that is brilliant parenting. It works too.Since reading this book my son is no longer afraid of dark shadows and strange noises at night.

Book Review
Very cute book for small children, has always been a favorite in my household!This book was bought for a friend who's daughter was coming up with excuses why she couldn't fall asleep at night.Perfect gift for parents with childen who have a million excuses why they won't go to sleep!Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description

Frances, one of children's best-loved characters for over 30 years, now springs to life even more in Bread and Jam for Frances,beautifully reillustrated in sparkling full color by Lillian Hoban. In this memorable story, Frances decides that bread and jam are all she wants to eat, and her understanding parents grant her wish'at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacktime.Can there ever be too much bread and jam?

Customer Reviews (1)

Me encanta Francisca!
I love this book in English AND in Spanish. They did a great job with the sing-song rhyming in the translation. It makes for a fun read with a nice lesson. ... Read more

Product Description
When a baby sister arrives, Frances the badger finds a charming way to prove her own importance.‘A familiar family situation, treated with understanding and humor.’ —E.

Amazon.com Review
One quiet evening, Frances the badger is sitting under thekitchen sink, singing a little song, "Here are the buckets andbrushes and me, / Plinketty, plinketty, plinketty, plee." Whenshe stops singing to listen for parental coos of approval, she hearsnothing. Frances is sure it's all her new baby sister's fault. It'swhy she has no raisins for her cereal, and it's why her new dressisn't ready for her to wear to school. She thinks she may run awayafter dinner. And she does! She takes her carefully packed knapsackand settles in under the dining-room table.

As she sits sulking and eating cookies, her mother and father, fullyaware of her presence, begin talking about how much they miss her, andhow much they love her little songs, and how a family is everybodyall together, not just a baby. Frances can't stand it anymore. Shecalls them from her imaginary telephone and tells them she'll be homesoon. Russell Hoban and illustrator Lillian Hoban succeed again with atender, comical, heartwarming story that will make any big brother orsister feel better about a new sibling in the house. For moreadventures of this endearing, enduring badger family, don't miss Bedtime forFrances (with illustrations by Garth Williams); Bread and Jam forFrances; BestFriends for Frances; A Birthday forFrances; and ABargain for Frances. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Russell Hoban rocks
The Hobans tell charming stories that are as entertaining (or more so)for parents as they are for children.Wholesome and classic, Baby Sister is one of many great Frances books.

A life saver!
My granddaughter was having a very strong reaction to her new baby brother so I gave this book to her.We all about died laughing the day she announced she was moving to Florida, behind the rocking chair, with her 3 bags of toys.Not the dining room table that Frances moves to, but it seemed to do the trick and granddaughter is adjusting well.Seriously, this book really helped her with her feelings about another child coming in to the family.Thank you to the Hobans!

Great children's story
I remember my mother reading Frances books to me when I was little, and I couldn't wait to read them to my daughter. The Frances books are wonderful children's stories.

Here we go marching rattley bang!
When I was little, I used to love the Frances books.This is easily one of the best ones.In it, Frances has to deal with the fact that her mother and father are often too busy with Gloria the new baby, to speak to her at the moment.Frances just can't stand being ignored, so she tries all kinds of things.Finally, after there are no raisins for her oatmeal, and her mother didn't havea chance to iron her favorite dress, Frances decides to run away to the dining room.So she packs up her knapsack, and runs away to the dining room table with a box of prunes and five chocolate sandwich cookies.But after her food supply is exhausted, Frances realizes that you can't run away from your troubles!And so she runs back to her mother and father.But I really loved her marching song, which I used to annoy my parents with.

My daughter just got a new sister and likes this story
Frances was a favorite of mine as a child, so I bought the books for my daughter who is 2yrs old. She doesn't quite get it yet, but likes listening to it nonetheless, and I've discovered that these stories are fun for the grown-up reading them too.
... Read more

Product Description

Frances is a fussy eater. In fact, the only thing she likes is bread and jam. She won't touch her squishy soft-boiled egg. She trades away her chicken-salad sandwich at lunch. She turns up her nose at boring veal cutlets. Unless Mother can come up with a plan, Frances just might go on eating bread and jam forever!

Customer Reviews (38)

great
Frances books are some of my favorites!If you don't know these books, I highly recommend them! The book arrived safely and in great condition!Thanks!

Bread and Jam for Frances
The Frances series of books is wonderful for children.I read these for my own children and am now getting them for my grandchildren.The books are wonderful for helping children explore their feelings and interaction with others.The stories are cute and are written as if they were written by a child going through a life experience.The series of Frances books are a not to be missed part of growing up. I like introducing these to children between the ages of 5-10 years of age.

Classic Children's Book!
This book is great for all kids - especially picky eaters!You see Francis make up rhymes about the food her mom puts in front of her to eat, which is really cute.Then something interesting happens.Francis is only given bread and jam to eat, her absolute favorite.She soon realizes how boring that can be.I would recommend this book to anyone.It is a classic!

Top 5 Books of my Childhood
I looooove this book. My aunt gave it to me right around the time I started kindergarten. I loved the feisty heroine and her stubbornness, aswell as all the detailed descriptions of food. I think that this book contributed to my love of food in general. As a child, I had so much fun making lunches like Frances had at the end, with all different types of food. I even used to write my own food descriptions to be like Frances. To this day, I still remember most of the text. It's a great gift for any little girl or boy, especially for those who are interested in talking about food.

A Well-Written Easy Reader Book that Children will Identify With
Frances, a young badger girl, wishes to eat nothing but bread and jam, although the rest of her family enjoys many kinds of food.Her mother gently and lovingly teaches her the value of eating a diversity of foods by plying her with nothing but bread and jam until she is very tired of it, and by the end of the story she has learned to enjoy other foods.Young children, who often gravitate toward the same comfort foods for long periods of time, will identify with Frances' preference for bread and jam, with which she knows she is "always pleased."After she tires of bread and jam, her willingness to try other foods (and to savor them with the niceties of doily, flower and vase, even at her school desk) sets a good example without being at all preachy.

It is difficult to write well with the simple sentences and limited vocabulary of early-reader books, but Hoban does a wonderful job with this carefully-paced, pleasingly illustrated story.The aesthetics and rhythmic repetitions in this story make it pleasing at several levels.The best part of this story is that Frances' parents are loving, patient, and kind, and express genuine respect and affection for one another. A very nice read. ... Read more

Product Description
Fourth Galaxy, 4 November 2052: in the black sparkle of deep space a figure in a blue overall tumbles over and over as it drifts towards the planet Badr-al-Budur. No space suit, no helmet, no oxygen. He can't be alive, can he? But he is. First Navigator Fremder Gorn is the only survivor when the Corporation tanker Clever Daughter disappears. Nobady knows how he did it, and everybody, including Fremder himself, wants to know. Caroline Lovecraft, Head of the Physio/Psycho unit at Newton Centre, Hubble Straits finds that intimacy doesn't lead to answers and Fremder's own memories are resolutely obscure. Fremder's name means stranger, and his story, as one would expect from Russell Hoban, is full of strangeness and brilliant imagery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

excellent
i was so happy to find this book in print! absolutely a worthwhile addition to anyone's collection of both literature and sci fi. short enough and dense enough to reread over and over again.

English Language Edition
This is an English language edition. This "original novelist" is imaginative with striking honesty and contemplative prose. A must for all of the bibliophiles of the world.

excellent Hoban
Besides Riddley Walker, I think Fremder stands easily toe-to-toe with the best that Hoban has ever written. Great, thought-provoking sci-fi that follows the truest tenants of the genre, while simultaniously pushing them.

The reviewer before me made a comment about this edition being only in Spanish, which is incorrect. The edition pictured is indeed in English, though it does seem to be unavalible in the US as indicated by the last reviewer. I myself aquired my copy from Amazon.co.uk

At anyrate, a absolute find and very essential work that easily deserves ones attention if you follow Hoban or just love intelligent sci-fi in general. ... Read more

Product Description
Frances and Thelma are friends -- most of the time

Thelma always seems to get Frances into trouble. When she tricks Frances into buying her tea set, it's the last straw. Can Frances show her that it's better to lose a bargain than lose a friend?

Customer Reviews (24)

Timeless
Bedtime For Frances was my son's favorite book for ages, mine was Bargain For Frances when I was a little girl. As an adult, I went out and purchased my own blue willow tea set, partly inspired by the book, even though I couldn't remember the name of it. Finally one day I found my copy from childhood in my parents' house, and read it to my son who was fascinated, I'm sure, by the appearance of a new Frances book. I was thrilled he recognized the blue willow as being the tea cups we drank out of when we have tea together at night! So again, as some other people have already said, not just for girls, though Frances is a girl- Bedtime For Frances remains one of my son's favorite bedtime books, for sure, and he likes Bargain For Frances as well. I think it does a good job illustrating how friends can often be tricky.

We love Frances!!
I loved this book has a child and am enjoying it all over again with my children.My husband had not read it before and loves reading it to our kids, too.Frances is such a wonderful character.All of the Frances books are clever and witty; not something traditionally found in children's books."A Birthday for Frances" is just as wonderful, as is "Bread and Jam for Frances."These books are truly a delight.

from generation to generation
I read this book to my daughter when she was a little girl but we have not had our copy in many years.As a 26 year old mom, she reminded me of the story recently. She remembered every detail and was looking for a copy to share with her 5 year old daughter. WE think the story has a good life lesson and a creative solution.My daughter told her daughter, "This is the best book ever!"

With a friend like that....
Frances is visiting her friend Thelma. Now, Thelma is one of those kids... her mom WARNS her and WARNS her that every time she plays with Thelma, things end up badly for her. SHE is the one who falls in the lake skating (because Thelma wants her to go first). SHE is the one who gets bumps in her head from playing with a boomerang (because Thelma likes to throw it).

And this time, SHE is the one who gets cheated out of her saved-up money to get a CHINA tea set, and ends up with Thelma's old junky plastic one instead.

Frances finally turns the tables on Thelma, with a bit of a mean trick, I must say. Still and all, it works very well, and if Thelma hasn't learned her lesson we can only hope Frances has.

A classic!


I'm lucky enough to still have the hardback copy of "Frances" I owned as a kid, complete with make-shift library card my sister made and glued to the inside cover. And the simple drawings and wry dialogue endear me just as much today as they did when I was five.Frances, a little badger, is tricked by her good friend, Thelma, into buying a crappy plastic tea set so Thelma can purchase the beautiful china set Frances truly wants. Frances, after much careful thought and trademark singing, puts things right. Think of it as "Mean Girls" badger-style. ... Read more

Product Description

Frances doesn't think her little sister, Gloria, can be her friend. But when Frances's friend Albert has a no-girls baseball game, Frances shows him a thing or two about friendship—and a thing or two about what girls can do. Along the way, Frances discovers that sisters can indeed be friends . . . maybe even best friends.

Customer Reviews (13)

Best Friends for Frances
The Frances series of books is wonderful for children.I read these for my own children and am now getting them for my grandchildren.The books are wonderful for helping children explore their feelings and interaction with others.The stories are cute and are written as if they were written by a child going through a life experience.The series of Frances books are a not to be missed part of growing up. I like introducing these to children between the ages of 5-10 years of age.

.
This is not the most sympathetic story, with people excluding other people and only including them to get back at their OTHER friends, but it is pretty realistic to little-kid politics. Well, if you ignore the badgers, anyway.

First Frances won't play with her "baby" sister, then Albert won't play with girls, then Frances and her sister won't play with boys... oy! Luckily, everybody ends up realistically happy at the end.

Best children's books, EVER!!
I used to read and listen to this when I was younger. I've been on the hunt for the audio stories for years, and finally found then here, at Amazon. Frances ROCKS!!

Gender Wars/Prejudice is Not Appropriate for Little Readers
We got this book to read with our 3.5-year-old son.I am very disappointed.Based on the good reviews, I assumed it would be a wholesome story.Instead, I learn that Frances sings terrible, mean songs about her little sister and her friend "Fat" Albert.I skip the words to those songs, as I don't even want to plant the seed of such unkindness in my son's mind.Additionally, some of the boys in the books exclude the girls from a game of baseball, saying that it's not a game for "girls."Maybe I'm just overly sensitive, but such thinking is so antiquated that even to have it mentioned is offensive to me, and it's an idea that I don't want my son to have.I realize that maybe eventually I'll have to deal with such gender wars and ideas of prejudice (gender, weight, age, etc.), but I don't think it's appropriate for a three-year-old.He doesn't have any idea yet not to like people for such petty reasons; why would I want him to get the idea that it's okay to feel that way??Even if the characters in the Frances books ultimately redeem themselves, the seed of hateful thought will have already been planted in my loving little man. No thanks, Frances.

Great children's book
My daughter likes this book too, but not as well as the others in the series ... Read more

Product Description
In honor of Frances’s 50th anniversary, this box includes three of the most beloved Frances titles—Bread and Jam for Frances, Best Friends for Frances, and A Bargain for Frances—now in I Can Read editions! ... Read more

Product Description
In the aquarium at the London Zoo, three sea turtles swim endlessly in 'their little bedsitter of ocean'. Two lonely people, William G and Neaera H, become obsessed with the turtles' captivity, and resolve to rescue them and release them in to the sea. William's and Neaera's diaries tell the story of how they achieve the turtles' freedom, and in the process re-define their own lives. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Turtle Diaries
Not the most interesting translation of lonely people in this British book.It's a quiet melodrama that remains true to the blandness of the characters created in forming an alliance to perform and idealistic and noble rescue of our animal kingdom captive in zoo.

Buy This Book!!
I love to read for the purpose of being transported to another place, time, or reality.
This book did just that and even though it is not always a happy place, or reality, it is always compelling.
I was very sorry for it to end. I wanted and still want to know more of William and Neaera!!!
You can pick this title up, in hardcover form, for just a penny!
It is worth infinitely more!!

Wonderful little book
I picked this book up on a whim. It was published in 1975 and is structured simply, with alternating diary entries from the whimsical souls of William G and Neara H, bookseller and children's author respectively. These are two people trapped within themselves, depressed and isolated, and so inured to their own routines that they are slowly being choked alive.

Until they go to the London aquarium and, separately, become aware of the turtles there, the magnificent turtles that must eventually be set free. Their chance encounter...and growing awareness of one another's intentions...set the stage for a revolutionary act.

This is a quiet, often very funny, slow-paced, but very rewarding book that I enjoyed greatly. It's about two peoples' interior world, and how an exterior action frees them from their own inertia. I absolutely loved it. In a world of hysterically touted, often badly written books, this little gem is an absolute keeper.

Set in London in a different decade (the 70's), I enjoyed reading about the city and the times as well (particularly hysterical is an evening William G. spends at a party held by a "rebirther").

I was sad to turn the last page. No higher praise can you give a good read. ... Read more

Product Description
Twenty-two poems reflect Frances' observations on the events in her life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

nostalgia
I gave my husband this book for his 60+ birthday recently, and he wept as he read it.This was a library book our children clamored for, back when we couldn't afford to buy many.Every poem recalls a hilarious child moment, or comment.Utterly charming book and, for us, memory laden.If your children are little, buy a copy and build your own memories!

Great children's book
My wife and I enjoyed this one more than Logan, but she likes to "read" it quite a bit.

eggs are yucky
Frances, who is obviously a four year-old badger with definite opinions about the way the world should work, sings her odes and laments in this delightful book. Our favorite is Egg Thoughts, none of them good, becauseFrances HATES eggs. Superceded only by The Goops. ... Read more