Summary: "Paco and the Witch" is bright and entertaining. The Puerto Rican folktale captures the imagination of children in the same way that "Hansel and Gretel" and "Rumplestiltin" do, but Felix Pitre gives brings out the island's rich personality in the tale along with Christy Hale's bold and energentic pictures. The book is a winner and should be enjoyed by all!

Summary: Hooray! It?s Pura Belpre! Renowned Puerto Rican children?s book author (and, better still, children?s librarian) it is a pleasure to finally read one of her books. As you may or may not know, the American Library Association distributes the distinguished Pura Belpre award to noteworthy South American children?s books. As such, it is an honor to finally read one of the author?s best known stories. The tale of Perez the mouse and Martina the Spanish cockroach.

Martina lives all alone in her very own home. One day she finds a shiny peseta and decides to spend it on a box of powder for her face. After a good powdering she dresses in her best dress, takes her fan, and sits on her porch. As she does so, various male members of the community repeatedly come up and ask Martina for her hand in marriage. This is the part I would have loved as a kid. I adored stories where characters wanted to wed. Martina, however, is able to put off each potential suitor by merely asking how he will speak to her one they are married. Senor Cat would say, ?Miaow, Miaow, Miaow? which would frighten her, Senor Cricket would say, ?Coqui, Coqui, Coqui?, which would make her sad, and so on. It is only when Perez the mouse, a creature adept at the beautiful bow, asks for Martina?s hand that she agrees. They have a lovely wedding and Martina performs a fabulous Spanish dance for her Perez. Then one day while Martina is cooking, Perez falls into the pot and is cooked to death. The end.

Feel the ending is a little abrupt? So did I. I?ve a very distinct feeling (though I?ve no facts to back this theory up with) that many a parent in the past has simply ended the book after Martina does her beautiful dance. I was completely shocked when I reached the picture of Martine staring dumbfounded at her kettle on the fire, Perez?s little well-shod feet sticking straight out of the broth. It?s such a sad and violent moment that I wondered if I?d idylly wandered into a Grimm fairy tale along the course of my travels. Just the same, I don?t think the ending is enough to scare children or anything of that nature. It?ll only depress them. The last line of the book is, after all, ?And to this time, she still sings, she still plays, and she still weeps for her little Perez to come back to her!? Sniffle.

But I really was very fond of this book. Carlos Sanchez?s illustrations are both colorful and sprightly. There?s a beautiful opening shot of Martina sitting on her balcony as Perez croons to her a love ballad beneath a shiny yellow moon. Sanchez has few problems with making his characters look exactly as they would appear in nature. Martina may be pink and have a human-like body, but she definitely has the head of a cockroach. I loved the vibrancy of the pictures as well. The shot of Martina dancing with maracas in her hands is a lively wonderful piece of fairy tale fare.

All in all, if you can get beyond reading a book to your kids about a pair of lovers that ends with one accidentally cooking the other, then I commend you. It really is a well written story with a superb feel to it. Just don?t be surprised when you reach the finale.

Summary: このカセットの中には、両面に女性による朗読と
最後にチャンツが入っています。
過剰な効果音や音楽もなく、テープのかけ流しをしても朗読が心地よく
耳に入ってきます。
絵本は全てカラーで大きさもＡ４サイズほどの大きさのため、
子供には持ちやすく、また破れにくいのでお勧めです。
また出版元のＨＰより保護者向けの解説や子供用の復習テストのようなものが
無料でダウンロードできるので活用の幅も広がってきます。

Summary: 「Ph.D. is not enough」というタイトルのように、博士号を取った後の身の振り方や、その後の研究者としてのサバイバル方法をコンパクトにまとめている。100ページ前後の薄い本ですが、書いてあることは実に現実的で、役に立つアドバイスが満載。主な話題は、教員になるかポスドクになるか産業界の研究所へ行くかの選択肢、大学での就職活動、講演やセミナーのやり方、注意点、論文やグラント・プロポーザルを書きときの心構え、テニュア（終身在職権）へ向けた取り組みなど。とてもフレンドリーな書き方なので、まるで著者が目の前で説明してくれているようような感じがします。

Summary: The Pied Piper helps the people kill the rats. They don't pay him and he is very angry...

Summary: The frog wants to be friends with the princess. She thinks he's horrible.

Summary: 映画で知り、原作は日記形式ときいて興味を持ち、読み始めました。
女子高生の日記という設定の為、ほとんどの単語は簡単ですが、アメリカのティーンカルチャーをよく知らなければ難解かも知れません。
映画のジュリ−・アンドリュ−ス演じるお祖母様のファン（？）はびっくりするかも。かなりキャラが濃いです笑
かなりオススメですが、読むなら英語で読まないとおもしろくないですよ！！ぜひトライしてみて下さいVVV