Hiawyn Oram, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Lisa Flather, Illustrator Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2247-3
""Dog was a dog and that's what everyone called him. Dog. Just Dog."" So starts Oram's (Badger's Bad Mood) story of a pooch who longs for a ""proper name."" After all, as he complains to Midnight the cat, ""Dog"" is ""just something that says I'm...
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Lee Server, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.95 (108p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0550-6
Gorgeously illustrated with eye-opening color cover reproductions on almost every page, Server's enthusiastic follow-up to Danger Is My Business is a nostalgic look into the brief but ``rambunctious adolescence'' of the mass market paperback. The...
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Lynne McFall, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $18.95 (215p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0787-6
``It happened in my 40th year that I fell into a depression so deep that even the thought of sex could not raise me from it.'' So begins McFall's seductive novel about a severely dysfunctional family, a group that makes the eccentric clan in Robert...
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Oliver Herford, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator Chronicle Books $12.95 (1p) ISBN 978-0-87701-862-9
The illustrator of Ten Little Rabbits introduces many more of her fetching bunnies in this spirited revival of Herford's turn-of-the-century poem. When a medieval bunny king ``Announced one day he would bestow / Princess Bunita's hand / On the Bunny
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Alistair Graham, Author, A. D. Graham, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $24.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-539-0
Originally published in 1973 and long out of print, this is Graham's account of his expedition to Lake Rudolf in Kenya to study the remaining Nile crocodile population there. The author, a conservation consultant, has a peculiarly ambiguous attitude:
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Daniel J. Cox, Author, VanDiver, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (93p) ISBN 978-0-87701-684-7
Freelance photographer Cox tracks black bears, from meadows to creek beds and tree tops. His book of documentary photographs, which his publishers claim is the first to concentrate on this species in nature, shows us bears and cubs at home in the...
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Kamante, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Peter H. Beard, Editor Chronicle Books $34.75 (1p) ISBN 978-0-87701-680-9
This book tells of the friendship between Isak Dinesen and Kamante, who served as the writer's majordomo during her years in Kenya. Kamante's narratives, translated from Swahili by his sons, are interspersed with photographs by Beard ( Eyelids of...
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Rascal Bogaerts, Author, Rascal, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0314-4
Move aside, Lassie and Rin-Tin-Tin: this unusually refreshing picture book boasts one of the most endearing canines ever seen outside of a dogfood commercial. A text that exudes immediacy and originality is perfectly paired with vigorous artwork...
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Aung Aung Taik, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Clare Kossman, Illustrator Chronicle Books $11.95 (220p) ISBN 978-0-87701-833-9
Taik left Burma in 1972, but luckily has brought a knowledge of its spiced yet subtle cuisine to a new home in America, and now shares it. Like the multiethnic Burmese themselves, Burmese food reflects varied influences, from Indian to Chinese; rice
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Jane Perkins, Author, Raghu Rai, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $39.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-87701-849-0
This collection of large, vibrant photographs of Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala, India, effectively promotes awareness of their plight. In the introduction, the Dalai Lama asserts Tibet's rightful independence, suggesting that the country be...
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Mie Araki, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3564-0
The right tools, a lot of encouragement and a few handily proffered Band-Aids work wonders in this jaunty debut. Lulu the hippo and Fred the rabbit are friends, but it drives Fred crazy that Lulu can build anything out of blocks—including an...
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Dorothy Spencer, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $45 (187p) ISBN 978-0-87701-665-6
A Frank Lloyd Wright dining table, a Michael Graves post-modern tea kettle and an Eero Saarinen organic chair might strike the casual browser as curiosities. Yet these architects, along with many others, immersed themselves in all aspects of design--
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Anne Hardy, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Patricia DeWitt, Illustrator Chronicle Books $7.95 (60p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0051-8
This latest entry in the Little Books cooking series offers 30 recipes meant to showcase the ``bounty of exotic and delectable foods found nowhere else in North America.'' Yet British-born Floridian Hardy's renderings of stereotypical dishes like...
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Bonnie J. Miller, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Robert Lyons, Photographer Chronicle Books $29.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0054-9
Freelance writer Miller introduces 30 contemporary artists in a volume that suggests the versatility of glass and engenders curiosity about glassworkers' techniques. She describes the glass artists' community in the Pacific Northwest and records...
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Linda Bourke, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (64p) ISBN 978-0-87701-805-6
In an inventive variation on the alphabet book, each page offers a puzzle with words that are homophones or homonyms. Once the trick is learned, the rest is easy, though it's fun to go back and discover how Bourke chooses to execute the theme. For...
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Linda Bourke, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0732-6
Linda Bourke puts a decidedly different spin on the counting-book genre with her ingenious Eye Count: A Book of Counting Puzzles. Full-spread illustrations depict objects that are either homophones (tail, tale) or homonyms (a postal scale, a fish...
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Sonia Holleyman, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (1p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1010-4
Jammed with such enticements as ""vampire vision glasses"" (to read hidden messages) a cardboard bat mobile, a pair of ""snake earrings"" and a miniature board game with a spinner as well as pop-ups within pop-ups, this six-by-eight-inch picture...
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Marcus Sedgwick, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Marcus Sedgwick, Retold by , illus. by Alison Jay. Chronicle $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4569-4
Sedgwick's (Floodland
) jaunty rhymed couplets and Jay's (The Race
) signature stylized artwork ably accentuate the wry humor of this Hans Christian Andersen tale. The author emphasizes the breezy cadence of the verse by sprinkling it with...
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Matthew Long, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0809-5
The illustrator of Ten Little Rabbits and Fire Race collaborates with her husband and son for a lively look at 11 endangered or threatened species. Playfully introducing each creature, she presents four illustrations of related animals (wearing...
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Evelyn Gallardo, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (45p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0031-0
As orangutans slip into further endangerment due to poaching (mothers are shot in order that babies may be taken as pets) and destruction of their habitat, books such as this may inspire a backdraft of conservation. Written by a primate photographer
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Living Earth Foundation, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, H R H Charles the Prince of Wales, Foreword by Chronicle Books $22.95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0155-3
Some 225 images shot by international photographers are accompanied by essays from scientists and others in a consciousness-raising book about rain forests worldwide. (May)
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Linda Martin, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $11.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0122-5
Combining the ever-popular dinosaur motif with a lesson on etiquette, debut author Martin imagines several of the prehistoric lizards in a contemporary human setting. Here, a suburban dino family dresses in snappy clothes, hops in the convertible...
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Colette Hellings, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Dominique Maes, Illustrator Chronicle Books $10.95 (1p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0530-8
Brussels natives Hellings and Maes, a married couple making their picture-book debut, stress tolerance in this good-natured story of two oddball mice. Mini-mouse Edith--whose polka-dot skirt indeed suggests Mickey's main squeeze--tries everything to
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Malcolm Bird, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $10.95 (1p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0544-5
This imaginative story of a classroom full of elementary-age monsters contains just the right amount of ghoulish humor--enough to mildly gross out its audience, but not enough to frighten. After human students have gone to bed and nighttime descends
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Marvin Liebman, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0073-0
In this uneven autobiography, leading conservative activist Liebman chronicles the closeted homosexual life that he lived while pursuing his very public career. In 1990, after 40 years at the forefront of anti-communist politics and involvement in...
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Betty Jung, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Nion McEvoy, Editor Chronicle Books $9.95 (119p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0113-3
This small vegetarian gathering was inspired during Jung's two-week course of meditation at the Kopan monastery near Kathmandu, Nepal; a portion of the proceeds from her book will return to its rightful home. Her interesting survey of the monastery's
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Sue Style, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Graham Evernden, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (120p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0286-4
Beekeepers, cooks and honey-lovers will cherish this charming, attractively designed volume. Style ( A Taste of Switzerland ), a cooking teacher and cookbook author, first learned about bees and honey-making from her neighbors in Alsace. Here she...
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Allan Temko, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0296-3
With a colloquial voice and ethical sense, Pulitzer Prize-winning San Francisco Chronicle architecture critic Temko has offered careful, wide-ranging observations of Northern California for the past 30 years. Covering jails and churches, malls and...
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Matthew Kenney, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Paul Franz-Moore, Photographer Chronicle Books $24.95 (168p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1443-0
Chef and restaurateur Kenney covers the entire Mediterranean rim, from Spain to Turkey, and then integrates the region's cooking in recipes that are imaginative and yet focused. He says he makes the food at his restaurants ""very approachable,"" a...
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Gwen Aldridge, Author, Bret Wills, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $18.95 (111p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0290-1
This handsome collection of baseball artifacts from 1880 onward is a treat for the baseball aficionado. A focus on equipment explains, for instance, that early gloves ``were not used for catching, but to stop the ball with the least amount of pain...
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Sigrid Wortmann Weltge, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $40 (208p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0466-0
Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius and other male leaders of the famous interwar German art school steered women applicants into the weaving workshop because they considered textiles to be ``women's work.'' With designs ranging from severely geometrical
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Frida Kahlo, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Martha Zamora, Editor Chronicle Books $19.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1124-8
In her enigmatic self-portraits, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) depicted herself as an enchanting, exotic yet martyred woman, and these candid letters, written between 1924 and 1948, flesh out that image with revealing personal glimpses....
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Michael Bender, Author, Meachum, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (10p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0181-2
The architect Filippo Brunelleschi and his influence on Renaissance Florence are the twin subjects of this highly specialized pop-up book. Bender's informative text elaborates on aspects of design and architecture while placing Brunelleschi in...
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Richard E. Albert, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0436-3
In his first children's book, octogenarian Albert uses the appealing story of a lonely man as the framework for an edifying lesson on desert wildlife. Living in a remote adobe house, with only his burro for a companion, Alejandro is delighted when a
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Lewis Carroll, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Arthur Rackham, Illustrator Chronicle Books $19.95 (208p) ISBN 978-1-58717-152-9
An edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll contains all of Arthur Rackham's original artwork from the 1907 edition (published after Sir John Tenniel's illustrations). Pen-and-inks dot the text; full-page paintings, such as...
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Sallyann J. Murphey, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $24.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2097-4
When Jan Andersen, raised in a lonely, single-parent household, marries into the Metcalfe clan, she is given responsibility, as the ""new mistress,"" for the Metcalfe Family Album, which has documented the clan's life, updated virtually every...
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David Knowles, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $10.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0655-8
The second of this publisher's pair of new novellas (see The Forty Fathom Bank , above), Knowles's disturbing debut explores the strange spell cast by the camera obscura, a room-size camera whose reflections cause dark behavior among those who...
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Les Galloway, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $10.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0034-1
One of the two initial entries in this publisher's series of novellas (see The Secrets of the Camera Obscura , below), this odd yet engaging tale involves a young man afflicted with a ``hopelessness of spirit,'' who passes himself off as a fisherman
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David Barich, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Dennis Bettencourt, Photographer Chronicle Books $12.95 (71p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0674-9
Twelve recipes stock this short but solid cookbook, an appealing digression from standard American grilling, and good company for other specialty grilling guides. The work--which includes an introduction to relevant Asian staples and ways of cooking
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Marie Meijier, Author, Charlotte Ramel, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.95 (33p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0693-0
Budding pastry chefs (and pastry tasters) will easily see their way to a yummy confection by turning the pages of Meijer's clever concoction. Three tiny, toque-wearing cooks serve as guides through this spiral-bound, practically wordless book, in...
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Jim McGugan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Murray Kimber, Illustrator Chronicle Books $11.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0802-6
Josepha, a generous-hearted immigrant boy in the time of Willa Cather's prairie epics, is leaving school to work the harvest. Seeing him off, a younger friend thinks about ``red-faced Josepha. Past 14 and trying to learn in primary row,'' hardly...
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Suzie Gilbert, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0839-2
Diffident and lonely after moving to a new town, Pete finds solace on a hilltop where he can gaze up at hawks reeling in the sky. When he happens upon a nearby farmstead, he is met by a gruff, uncommunicative woman who rescues injured raptors. She...
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Heidi Haughy Cusick, Author, Heidi Haughy Dickerson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0419-6
In the tradition of Jessica Harris's 1989 Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons, Cusick delves into the legacy of African immigrant cooking styles, tracing, for instance, the transformation of fiery rice-based melanges into Creole jambalayas and South...
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David Elcome, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Spike Gerrell, Illustrator Chronicle Books $11.95 (98p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0833-0
No, this is not the name of some strange new series hero, but a bird identification book cleverly formatted in a six-ring looseleaf binder sized like a Filofax. Even the four tabbed dividers ape that wildly popular appointment book; kids will feel...
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Aggie Max, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $18.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1285-6
""There are few people who would want to visit me in my present state,"" writes the pseudonymous narrator Ashby. ""Maybe no one."" Unfortunately, that includes readers who may come expecting to discover something like Lars Eighner's moving Travels...
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Debra Keller, Author, Shannon McNeill, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $6.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2337-1
When Alex's parents refuse to get him a dog, he paints himself a mutt named Mister, never daring to imagine that Mister will come to life and land him in trouble. Ages 3-8. (Mar.)
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Debra Keller, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Shannon McNeill, Illustrator Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0358-8
Hints of the Calvin and Hobbes formula crop up in this story, a debut for both author and illustrator. Alex, the protagonist, has a purple dog named Mister. But Mister is no stuffed animal--he's a painting that Alex makes when his parents won't get...
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Helen Cassidy Page, Author, Helen Cassidy Page, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $29.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1045-6
Targeting a wide audience, this comprehensive guide offers strategies for defense against heart disease, which, the authors say, kills almost 500,000 Americans every year. The volume's four-part approach includes a primer on heart disease, a...
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Julia della Croce, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $27.5 (160p) ISBN 978-0-87701-414-0
Informal history, musings, recipes and gsplendid artwork render this volume entertaining for armchair cooks as well as useful in the kitchen. Readers can browse leisurely through accounts of authentic mozzarella (made from water buffalo milk),...
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Julia della Croce, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Ellen Silverman, Photographer Chronicle Books $14.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0930-6
Whether your tomato sauce of choice is raw, cooked, sweet, racy, buttery, velvety, chunky, fruity, complex or simple, Croce (Pasta Classica) makes it clear that certain principles adhere. An ardent proponent of quickly cooked sauce, she divides her...
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Kathan Brown, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $45 (288p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0469-1
Founded by Brown in 1962, Crown Point Press of San Francisco has served as a printmaking workshop for many well-known contemporary painters and sculptors. This informal scrapbook, splicing interviews and commentaries with 165 color and 50 black-and-w
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Kirsten Hall, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Dana Cooper, Illustrator Chronicle Books $12.95 (64p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1460-7
reading the future Modeled on Russian gypsy fortune-telling cards, Madame Boskey's Fortune Telling Kit: A Book and Card Set by Kirsten Hall and Amy Christensen, illus. by Dana Cooper, contains 48 updated images, among them a friendship bracelet,...
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Roy Parvin, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $11.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1435-5
Life in a small town in the rugged, lush and soaring Trinity Mountains of Northern California is the canvas for these breathtaking short stories. Whether the author is talking about a famous author forced to return from Alaska to speak at his...
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Judith Shaw, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Peter Kwiterovich, Introduction by Chronicle Books $14.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1441-6
Make no mistake about it, Shaw is serious about her subject: this may be the only cookbook that begins with an epigraph by Winston Churchill. Spurred by her family's history of heart disease, Shaw began looking into low-fat cooking more than 20...
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Peter Malone, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0726-5
Earthly animals gaze up at their constellation equivalents, each star bright with silver foil, in this handsomely illustrated paper-over-board book. Malone's (The Forest Child) still, shadowy gouache illustrations evoke the subtle patina of old...
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Jennifer Jordan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Shannon McNeill, Illustrator Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0860-6
Just as miniature train sets and toy race tracks invite daydreaming, a suburban diorama inspires this disappointing story's title character. Albert loves his collection of toy cars, and wishes ""that he could climb inside their tiny doors and drive...
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Susan E. King, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $17.95 (84p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1605-2
Through words and pictures, artist, writer and printer King melds the stories of two journeys--a trip to Europe in 1989 and the experience of breast cancer, which was diagnosed on her return--hoping to transform her illness into art. Her central...
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Kathy Osborn, Author, Jacqueline Carey, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1109-5
A vivid and arresting jacket, numerous full-page, full-color illustrations and a distinctively spaced text delivered entirely in captioned dialogue, like a play, make this charming book an attention-grabber. Part grown-up comic book, part wry...
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Philippe Corentin, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1640-3
French author/illustrator Corentin suggests that the definition of ""monster"" is all relative, and that monsters may be as afraid of us as we are of them. This volume, which is rather bland despite its theme of surprise, finds a human boy dropping...
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Sophie Biriotti, Author, Peter Malone, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $24.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1530-7
""We're just another army. We all look alike,"" confesses the angel in Allan Gurganus's ""It Had Wings."" But they don't--not in the 31 stories and poems of this quirky, very literate anthology (illustrated in glowing colors and in a pleasing...
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Layne Longfellow, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Woodleigh Marx Hubbard, Illustrator Chronicle Books $10.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0797-5
The creators of Visual Feast introduce six animals who peek through die-cut windows and lurk behind gate-fold pages in this inventively designed picture book. The volume opens with a spread of a midnight-blue field decorated with white mice: on the...
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Francesca Romina, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $18.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1533-8
Scented with garlic and oregano, the traditional Sicilian red sauce, a long-cooked tomato-based staple, gives heat and life to many of the recipes recollected here. Romina, a cooking teacher who spent childhood weekends in her grandmother's kitchen...
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Adam McCauley, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $9.95 (28p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2327-2
Fashionably postmodern art teams up, somewhat problematically, with a sweet text in this debut. If thunder rrrumbled and lightning crack-acked/ If the sky rained down pink lemonade.../.../ I wouldnt notice! the narrator announces at the outset. When
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Claire Masurel, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Hanako Wakiyama, Illustrator Chronicle Books $13.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2090-5
Wakiyamas (Humphrey the Lost Whale) fresh, distinctive artwork and Masurels (Christmas Is Coming) understated story infuse this toy tale with quiet originality. Whats too big is a boys blue-and-white striped dinosaur named Tex. While the smaller...
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Claire Masurel, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Marie H. Henry, Illustrator Chronicle Books $6.95 (24p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3322-6
Christmas Is Coming! by Claire Masurel, illus. by Marie H. Henry, also a board book, captures a child's anticipation. Juliette and her stuffed animals trim the tree and hang the stockings, but only the animals get to sneak a peek at Santa. (Dec.)
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Claire Masurel, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, M. Henry, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0644-2
Originally published in France, this slight but agreeable bedtime book features a young girl who, with pajama bottoms slipping down and one shoe off, rounds up her sleeping companions--an assortment of stuffed animals and dolls. Searching her...
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Susan J. Tweit, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, James Noel Smith, Illustrator Chronicle Books $22.95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2080-6
In 40 personal essays, naturalist Tweit (Seasons in the Desert) evokes the beauty of the Pacific Coast by describing some of the region's unusual plant and animal species. Species profiles are grouped by season, and each opens with factual...
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Andre Dehan, Author, Andre Dahan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2664-8
Dahan's deliciously glib text belies antic illustrations as three little pigs break the rules of a public park in Paris. Their improprieties come to light via Squiggle the piglet's enthusiastic letter to his parents back home. At the Luxembourg...
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Paul Cox, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $17.95 (64p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2940-3
Experienced spellers may well rethink reading in this provocative alphabet, originally published in France as Animaux, which substitutes abstract shapes for familiar letters. At first glance, the book induces curiosity (and possible befuddlement)....
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Mary Corpening Barber, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sara Corpening Whiteford, Author , with Rebecca Chastenet de Géry. Chronicle $35 (272p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3493-3
Just in time for the June wedding season, Barber and Whiteford have collected 125 elegant recipes especially for newlyweds. These twin sisters, authors of Cocktail Food
and Wraps, have good ideas for everyday meals and, as former owners of Thymes...
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Culinary Institute of America, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Pavlina Eccless, Photographer Chronicle Books $16.95 (131p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1163-7
No threat to national security, this companion volume to an upcoming PBS series featuring the highly regarded culinary teaching institution is instead quite reassuring. Selected by C.I.A.-trained chefs, its 60-odd, solid recipes highlight inventive,
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John Balaban, Author, Geoffrey Clifford, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $18.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-87701-573-4
Clifford, who served as a combat helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, revisited the country for extended periods after 1985, accompanied by Vietnamese guide/interpreter Nguyen Duc Quang. ``Traveling day after day with Quang, when sometimes cold...
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David Martin, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0777-7
A poignant, funny tale about the love between a young man and a woman twice his age. (Sept.)
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Damon Burnard, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Julie Cairns, Illustrator Chronicle Books $6.99 (24p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2988-5
Damon Burnard invites readers to play the familiar ""I Spy"" game on each page of I Spy in the Ocean and I Spy in the Jungle, both illus. by Julia Cairns. In a spread for Ocean, for example, ""something beginning with the letter A"" highlights ""A
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Sara Deseran, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jonelle Weaver, Photographer Chronicle Books $14.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4299-0
Cheerful and appealingly sized (just small enough that it could actually be taken on a picnic), this book by Deseran (Asian Vegetables) contains more than 45 recipes for picnic fare that go far beyond the standard sandwiches and potato salad. Not...
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Susan Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jeffrey Allen, Photographer Chronicle Books $29.95 (168p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2508-5
What do native Nantucket Islanders do during the winter when the summer visitors aren't looking? It turns out that they're doing quite a lot of sophisticated dining. Simon (The Nantucket Table), a part-time resident of the island, offers up a...
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J. Otto Seibold, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Vivian Walsh, Illustrator Chronicle Books $13.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2558-0
Seibold and Walsh (Olive, the Other Reindeer), specialists in hip digital graphics and comic excess, expose the reveries of a flightless bird. Chongo Chingi the penguin initially appears against a pale green backdrop, fast asleep. In the next spread,
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Pegi Deitz Shea, Author, Cynthia Weill, Author, Chronicle Books, Author , illus. by To Ngoc Trang, embroidery by Phanm Viet Dinh. Chronicle $15.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3496-4
Weill, who worked for an international relief organization in Vietnam, Shea and Trang use a counting-book format to introduce readers to Tet—the Vietnamese new year—"as big a celebration as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas...
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Kristine L. Franklin, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Barbara Lavallee, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0447-9
Right from the cover image, fans of Mama, Do You Love Me? will recognize Lavallee's enchanting watercolors of the frozen North. Franklin's (The Old, Old Man and the Very Little Boy) resonant tale of an unusual fishing expedition opens with a lyrical
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Joan Lowery Nixon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, J. L. Nixon, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-58717-022-5
Spirited alliteration and humorous illustrations propel this fast-paced beginning-reader whodunit. When Gus and Gertie, a pair of traveling penguins, hop off the ferryboat for their island vacation at the elegant Hotel de View, a sudden rain forces...
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Yuyi Morales, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $15.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3758-3
When Señor Calavera, a dapper skeleton in a bowler hat, comes to call on Grandma Beetle, she puts him off with her quick thinking and her charming manner. "I will go with you right away," the pokerfaced, pleasingly plump woman...
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Kathryn Kleinman, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sara Slavin, With Chronicle Books $40 (159p) ISBN 978-0-87701-557-4
A little book in a large format, this collects bits of folklore, information, and inspiration about flowers, as well as many full-color photographs of flower arrangements. It is organized loosely by theme, including general information, literary...
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Molly Bang, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Molly Bang, Illustrator Chronicle Books $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-187-1
A father tells his daughter about her departed mother in Dawn by Molly Bang, an adaptation of the Japanese legend of the Crane Wife set in 19th-century New England. PW s boxed review, when the book was originally published in 1983, described the...
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James Hillman, Author, Margot McLean, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $21.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1327-3
In his bestselling The Soul's Code, Hillman challenged traditional psychology by suggesting that each person has a spiritual path or destiny, distinctly separate from genetics or environment, that is always trying to live itself out. Now he...
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Katherine Lee Bates, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sara Jane Boyers, Editor Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0832-3
Yoked together like a pair of contrary mules, Bates's 19th-century patriotic poem and Thiebaud's 20th-century irony-tinged art tug in opposite directions. At first, Thiebaud's bold, representational paintings complement ``America the Beautiful''...
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Peter Steinhart, Author, Tupper Ansel Blake, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $35 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-351-8
Near Greys Harbor, Wash., 350,000 shorebirds alight and feed on eight acres of mud flats; they are among millions that follow a migration routethe Pacific Flywayfrom the western Arctic to Costa Rica. The birds depend on wetlands near the coast, and...
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Georgeanne Brennan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jeffrey Fisher, Illustrator Chronicle Books $24.95 (336p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1235-1
Just when it seems that Proven al cuisine is almost old-fashioned, Brennan makes it new again. She and her husband bought their home in the fuzzily defined region of Haute Provence in 1970. While their children were small, they lived off their farm,
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Georgeanne Brennan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Leigh Beisch, Photographer . Chronicle $19.95 (132p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2494-1
Winner of the Julia Child Award for Aperitif
and
the James Beard Award for The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence, Brennan focuses her fourth book for Chronicle on "this pungent pantry trio." She explains how the colors of olives vary with...
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Georgeanne Brennan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Faith Echtermeyer, Photographer Chronicle Books $12.95 (108p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0749-4
Part of the publisher's Garden Style series, this book is indeed stylish, but it's also insubstantial. Brennan (Beautiful Bulbs) offers helpful encouragement to neophyte rose growers but oversimplifies when explaining the how-to's of rose culture....
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Georgeanne Brennan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, John Vaughan, Photographer Chronicle Books $22.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0474-5
Although France does not have a vegetarian tradition per se, Brennan (Potager) gathers 75 recipes that reflect the characteristic French insistence on ``ingredients that are fresh, seasonal, and regional.'' The opening section on basics includes...
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Georgeanne Brennan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Grey Crawford, Photographer Chronicle Books $22.95 (156p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1990-9
Moving beyond the French table (Potager: Fresh Garden Cooking in the French Style; The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence), Brennan explores the light and easy side of Mediterranean-herb-inspired fare. This collection of 120 recipes features simple-t
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Lissa Rovetch, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Shannon McNeill, Illustrator , illus. by Shannon McNeill. Chronicle $12.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2660-0
Rovetch (Sweet Dreams Little One) composes repetitive chants around single-syllable words, and the results are as catchy as they are vapid. The author creates names like "Ake the Snake" and "Eep the Sheep" by dropping initial letters.
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Susan Verlander, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $13.95 (28p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4172-6
If Margaret Wise Brown and Leonard Weisgard had illustration software for the Noisy Books, they might have created these two volumes. Verlander's twin debuts include oversize, emotive typography and sleek digital graphics, and they feature one...
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-145-1
With brief, accessible text, engaging topics and a perforated page of collectible cards Seymour Simon's See More Reader series will rope in even the most reluctant readers. According to Danger! Earthquake, ""most of the world's earthquakes happen
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $3.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-171-0
The SeeMore Readers series by Seymour Simon continues with the addition of four new titles. Baby Animals and Fighting Fires are Level 1 readers (preschool to grade three); Level 2 readers (grades 1-3) include Danger! Volcanoes and Amazing...
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Seastar Books $15.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-58717-011-9
Photos of objects beyond the detection of the human eye--either because they are infinitesimal, too large, too far away or hidden inside the human body--are reproduced with remarkable clarity in Simon's (Destination: Jupiter) insightful volume. The...
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-126-0
With brief, accessible text, engaging topics and a perforated page of collectible cards Seymour Simon's See More Reader series will rope in even the most reluctant readers. According to Danger! Earthquake, ""most of the world's earthquakes happen
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-139-0
With brief, accessible text, engaging topics and a perforated page of collectible cards Seymour Simon's See More Reader series will rope in even the most reluctant readers. According to Danger! Earthquake, ""most of the world's earthquakes happen
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-143-7
With brief, accessible text, engaging topics and a perforated page of collectible cards Seymour Simon's See More Reader series will rope in even the most reluctant readers. According to Danger! Earthquake, ""most of the world's earthquakes happen
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-141-3
With brief, accessible text, engaging topics and a perforated page of collectible cards Seymour Simon's See More Reader series will rope in even the most reluctant readers. According to Danger! Earthquake, ""most of the world's earthquakes happen
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-181-9
The SeeMore Readers series by Seymour Simon continues with the addition of four new titles. Baby Animals and Fighting Fires are Level 1 readers (preschool to grade three); Level 2 readers (grades 1-3) include Danger! Volcanoes and Amazing...
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $3.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-180-2
The SeeMore Readers series by Seymour Simon continues with the addition of four new titles. Baby Animals and Fighting Fires are Level 1 readers (preschool to grade three); Level 2 readers (grades 1-3) include Danger! Volcanoes and Amazing...
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.5 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-179-6
The SeeMore Readers series by Seymour Simon continues with the addition of four new titles. Baby Animals and Fighting Fires are Level 1 readers (preschool to grade three); Level 2 readers (grades 1-3) include Danger! Volcanoes and Amazing...
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $3.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-182-6
The SeeMore Readers series by Seymour Simon continues with the addition of four new titles. Baby Animals and Fighting Fires are Level 1 readers (preschool to grade three); Level 2 readers (grades 1-3) include Danger! Volcanoes and Amazing...
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-170-3
The SeeMore Readers series by Seymour Simon continues with the addition of four new titles. Baby Animals and Fighting Fires are Level 1 readers (preschool to grade three); Level 2 readers (grades 1-3) include Danger! Volcanoes and Amazing...
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-168-0
The SeeMore Readers series by Seymour Simon continues with the addition of four new titles. Baby Animals and Fighting Fires are Level 1 readers (preschool to grade three); Level 2 readers (grades 1-3) include Danger! Volcanoes and Amazing...
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Seymour Simon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $3.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-169-7
The SeeMore Readers series by Seymour Simon continues with the addition of four new titles. Baby Animals and Fighting Fires are Level 1 readers (preschool to grade three); Level 2 readers (grades 1-3) include Danger! Volcanoes and Amazing...
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Sid Goldstein, Author, Sidney R. Goldstein, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $24.95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3022-5
According to Goldstein, wine is a "magical ingredient" that "tenderizes and adds moisture to food, as well as imparting a deep, complex flavor." The author of The Wine Lover's Cookbook
now explains how to not just pair wine with
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Norton Juster, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, N. Juster, Author Chronicle Books $9.99 (80p) ISBN 978-1-58717-066-9
Originally published in 1963, and back just in time for Valentine's Day, The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics by Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth) once again bursts on the scene. Using only black and red, Juster tells the...
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Roxie Munro, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Roxie Munro, Illustrator Chronicle Books $16.95 (36p) ISBN 978-1-58717-060-7
Roxie Munro uses eye-popping artwork to lead readers on a drive to the zoo in Mazescapes. Children are invited to navigate through aerial mazes with any of six punch-out cars; each maze connects to the one on the following page. Along the way,...
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Monica Wood, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3461-2
Centering around the Tiananmen Square massacre and its aftermath, this remarkably structured and textured debut epic seeks to attach a face to the mysterious man who, by stepping in front of the rolling army tanks, became the most recognizable ...
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Monica Wood, Author, D.E. Ed. Wood, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $23.93 (384p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4604-2
A near-fatal accident in the dark of night—30-year-old Lizzy is struck in a hit-and-run—sets in motion a complicated, surprising story of love, loss and sacrifice. When Lizzy was two, her parents were killed in a plane crash, and she was
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Taro Gomi, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $4.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1022-7
``A perfect picture book,'' said PW about this seasonal paean graced with a simple text and cheery artwork. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
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Taro Gomi, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $10.95 (31p) ISBN 978-0-87701-551-2
As a bus progresses on its route to the garage, where it will park for the night, various travelersactors, commuters, familieshop off at their stops. When a number of riders is named (for example, 10 baseball players disembark and head for a playing
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Taro Gomi, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $11.95 (33p) ISBN 978-0-87701-626-7
A winsome calf provides the backdrop--literally--for this charming story. With each turn of the page, the young animal is imaginatively transformed to reflect some activity of the four seasons: snow melting, seedlings springing up, harvest, all the...
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Taro Gomi, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $9.95 (33p) ISBN 978-0-87701-688-5
In this ode to everyday activities and things, a free-spirited girl hops, jumps and kicks her way across the countryside, paying homage to her friends along the way. Like a satellite launched into perpetual motion, the constantly moving child...
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Taro Gomi, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (23p) ISBN 978-0-87701-859-9
The round-faced children in this inviting, large-format volume are busy indeed--demonstrating just about every action word known to children. In a style suggestive of Richard Scarry, each word is labeled alongside the figure carrying out the action.
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Taro Gomi, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $4.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0021-1
A bevy of bright faces comprises this small, interactive board book, the first in the Peek-A-Boo series. Sturdy, highly glossed pages showcase the cheerful visages of various animals, humans or toys that have open holes in place of illustrated eyes.
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Linda Carucci, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $29.95 (392p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4243-3
Carucci has no TV program or series of books to her name. She is, foremost, a teacher who has worked her way through the ranks of culinary America for 20 years. Trained at the California Culinary Academy, she went on to become one of the IACP's...
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Chris Van Dusen, Author, Chris Van Dusen, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2499-6
A chrome kitchen table, a buttercream-yellow Studebaker and other campy 1950s accessories distinguish this ebullient picture book. At daybreak, Mr. Magee, sporting a spiffy straw boater, and his black-and-white beagle, Dee, pack a picnic basket and...
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Chris Van Dusen, Author, Chris Van Dusen, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3603-6
Readers who enjoyed their trip Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee will look forward to A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen. Mr. Magee and his dog Dee are in for another unexpectedly wild ride, this time thanks to a hungry old bear, who...
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Star Livingstone, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Molly Bang, Illustrator , illus. by Molly Bang. North-South/Sea-Star $4.95 (64p) ISBN 978-1-58717-150-5
"In the author's debut novel, the eponymous star of this affecting reader is a pack llama-in-training who is destined for a different calling. What follows is a lyrical and wryly observed portrait of an animal hero," wrote PW. Ages 6-9.
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Tony Nourmand, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $29.95 (208p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3625-8
Campy, sexy and legendary in their own right, the James Bond movie posters in this whopper of a compilation feature every movie from 1962's Dr. No to 1999's The World Is Not Enough. All the usual suspects are here: the logo, the girls, the tag lines
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Alberto Rios, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $10.95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0745-6
The treats of the title are the gingerbread delights that Mexican adults imagine are beloved by their children because the kids laugh at the sight of the chubby cookies lined up on a baker's tray. Such misconceptions are at the heart of this second...
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Howard Schatz, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Beverly J. Ornstein, Editor Chronicle Books $24.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0512-4
Printed in rich duotone, Schatz's ( Seeing Red ) new book of photographs of San Francisco's homeless is fairly dripping with nobility. But the mood is brave, heartening, beneficent. Trying to capture the people, not the plight, Schatz photographed...
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Lori Longbotham, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, James Carrier, Photographer , photos by James Carrier. Chronicle $19.95 (168p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4414-7
Former Gourmet
editor Longbotham never met a berry she didn't like. Strawberries are "summer's brightest jewel"; raspberries have "flesh like soft velvet"; blueberries are "a dazzling bright blue." Her introduction,...
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David Standish, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (132p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2805-5
Beginning with the sunflowers on the Netherlands' 50-gulden note (Standish loves them) and ending with the redesigned American fives, tens and twenties (hates them), Standish's handsome, offbeat and color reproduction-stuffed volume displays and...
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Bob Barner, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3159-8
In this poetic ode to the night sky, Barner (Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!) gives a child's awestruck account of the stars and the solar system's nine planets. Collages of cut and torn paper, saturated with deep blues and luminous yellows, suggest early
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Bob Barner, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2238-1
Barner (Dem Bones) creates an enthusiastic book crawling with splashy bugs. From the eager, impatient first line--""Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! I want to see bugs!""--the book's narrative voice grabs attention, but it's the butterfly-bright multimedia artwork
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Bob Barner, Author, Design Inc Higashi/Glaser, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0827-9
Using a classic African American spiritual as a springboard, Barner dives gleefully into this clever anatomy lesson. Enthusiastic members of a skeleton band cavort across the pages, strumming guitars, blowing horns and otherwise helping to establish
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Madhur Jaffrey, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Philip Salaverry, Photographer Chronicle Books $16.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1183-5
A domestic region, defined by time rather than geography, is plumbed in Chronicle's Patio Daddy-o: `50's Recipes with a `90's Twist. Authors Gideon Bosker, Karen Brooks, Leland Payton and Crystal Payton gather representative recipes (Maverick...
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Dashka Slater, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (300p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2606-8
Slater's enchanting debut puts magic-realist devices to good use as it uncovers a complex family history. The interwoven narratives start in 1989, in Oakland, where 29-year-old single mother Julia Harris lives with her two young children; her...
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Carole Bloom, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Dan Hubig, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (120p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0519-3
Sweet treats in simple shapes-nougats and brittles in coins, balls, squares and logs-form the bulk of the 50 recipes featured by Bloom, a well-known teacher of confectionery arts. Bloom encourages readers to make their own fresh and irresistible...
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Margaret Park Bridges, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Margaret Park, Author Chronicle Books $6.95 (24p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4572-4
A smattering of board books introduce concepts and bring storybook favorites to youngest book lovers. In Am I Big or Little? by Margaret Park Bridges, illus. by Tracy Dickray, the title question so intrigues a spunky redheaded girl that she engages...
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Margaret Park Bridges, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Tracy Dockray, Illustrator Seastar Books $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-019-5
The title question so intrigues a spunky redheaded girl that she engages in a daylong dialectic with her bemused mother. ""You're littler than I am,"" explains her mother as she helps the girl get dressed. ""But I'm bigger than Kitty,"" counters the
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Margaret Park Bridges, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, M. Bridges, Author , illus. by Melissa Sweet. North-South/SeaStar $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-046-1
Two gray raccoons make the best of a rainy day in this call-and-response book by Bridges and Sweet (previously paired for Will You Take Care of Me?). When a child raccoon repeats the titular question, wondering how to pass the time, its mother says,
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Roseanne Thong, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Grace Lin, Illustrator Chronicle Books $15.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2676-1
Debut author Thong cleverly uses a concept book to celebrate Chinese culture. ""Round is a mooncake/ Round is the moon/ Round are the lanterns/ outside my room,"" explains the unnamed young heroine as she takes the reader on a tour of her...
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Diane Wolkstein, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Maryjane Begin, Illustrator , illus. by Maryjane Begin. North-South/SeaStar $5.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-125-3
PW
called Begin's color-saturated acrylics, for this simple tale of friendship, "masterfully exacted." Ages 5-8. (Mar.)
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Kevin Yagher, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Kevin Yagher, Illustrator . North-South/SeaStar $15.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-58717-062-1
Creepily realistic, the photographic tableaux that illustrate this otherwise mundane tale are hard to resist. Hollywood special effects whiz Yagher here creates a miniature world peopled by elves, witches and fantastical creatures, and his expertise
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Keith Graves, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2672-3
It takes a trip to outer space and a case of role reversal to give a boy bored with his pets some perspective. One day, while searching for ever-more-novel animals, pet-collector Stanley is petnapped himself by an evil, turquoise-hued trader and...
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Barbara Hodgson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $24.95 (288p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2892-5
Hodgson's cleverly illustrated novel takes the reader on a fabulous journey, not only to the Aurora Islands, a mysterious trio of land formations that obsess the eccentric and delightful Hippolyte Webb, but also on a touching pilgrimage of faith.
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Charise Mericle Harper, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2905-2
The phrase, ""When I grow up, I want to be...,"" typically precedes a career choice, but in this amiable debut volume, Harper fills in the blank with qualities like ""brave"" and ""determined."" Each spread presents a single word, hand-printed in...
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Helen Ward, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Helen Ward, Retold by Chronicle Books $18.95 (64p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4450-5
The Moral of the Story... New compilations feature classic rhymes, fables and folklore retold. Illustrator Helen Ward contributes pithy retellings and breathtakingly detailed watercolor-and-ink illustrations to Unwitting Wisdom: An Anthology of...
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David Wisniewski, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, David Wisniewski, Illustrator . Chronicle $16.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3492-6
This book's endpapers trumpet a corny musical theme, performed by a parade of grinning mice: "If Mount Fuji blows its stack,/ If a monster should attack,/ Don't just hide inside your house!/ Give a call for Sumo Mouse!" The superhero
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Robin Jarvis, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $17.95 (240p) ISBN 978-1-58717-021-8
First published in Britain in 1989 and making its first appearance on American shores, book one of the Deptford Mice Trilogy is a spooky and enthralling animal fantasy just right for Redwall fans. In an abandoned old house known as the Skirtings in...
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Robin Jarvis, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $17.95 (304p) ISBN 978-1-58717-192-5
First came The Dark Portal, then The Crystal Prison. Now, Robin Jarvis winds up the Deptford Mice Trilogy with The Final Reckoning. In this volume, evil sewer cat Jupiter comes back from the dead to wreak havoc on the innocent; the Deptford Mice
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Robert Louis Stevenson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Cooper Edens, Illustrator Chronicle Books $6.99 (20p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4168-9
A plethora of poetry books arrive just in time for National Poetry Month. Now available in a board book edition, A Child's Garden of Verses, compiled by Cooper Edens, pairs eight of Robert Louis Stevenson's poems with turn-of-the-century ...
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James McNair, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Patricia Brabant, Illustrator Chronicle Books $11.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-87701-411-9
McNair (Cold Pasta, etc.) demonstrates that the versatile fowl is an international favorite with Thai spicy chicken coconut soup; Japanese boiled chicken with sesame dipping sauce; Hungarian chicken paprika; Italian chicken breasts stuffed with...
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James McNair, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Patricia Brabant, Illustrator Chronicle Books $11.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-87701-487-4
Those who have mastered the essentials of cooking, welcome challenges and relish so-called ``upscale cuisine'' will revel in this lavishly illustrated volume by the author of Cold Pasta. Every recipe is accompanied by a provocative color photograph,
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James McNair, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Patricia Brabant, Photographer Chronicle Books $19.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-591-8
While some decry the consumption of red meat as a vice practiced by people with no concern for their physical well-being, health-conscious carnivores will appreciate McNair's (Chicken) book, if with certain reservations (devotees of Bearnaise sauce...
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James McNair, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Patricia Brabant, Photographer Chronicle Books $27.75 (96p) ISBN 978-0-87701-586-4
Anyone whose vegetable patch has become overrun by squash must seek new ways to cook and eat the bounty, and McNair provides valuable guidance in selecting, handling and cooking squash's many varieties. The book treats summer and winter squash...
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James McNair, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Patricia Brabant, Photographer Chronicle Books $11.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-87701-618-2
McNair ( Cold Pasta ) and food photographer Brabant here join forces once again to produce a book as seductive in its photographs as in its recipes. They treat pasta with heartening practicality. While explicit directions--with helpful step-by-step...
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Mark Frauenfelder, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (80p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3554-1
Kids looking for something fun to do will find plenty of ideas in an assortment of hands-on volumes. With crisp, retro comic illustrations, Mad Professor: Concoct Extremely Weird Science Projects by Mark Frauenfelder entices youngsters to create
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Joseph Monninger, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $23.95 (288p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2974-8
Gleaming like the sun hitting the 6,000-square-foot barn that gives Monniger's life—and the book—its mooring, this polished memoir follows the seasons, beginning in winter when Manning and his partner, Wendy, first see the New...
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Joseph Monninger, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2284-8
Monninger's touching account of fishing and hiking in the company of his beloved Nellie, an 11-year-old golden retriever whom he suspected of having cancer, is both a fly-fisher's engaging daybook and a wonderfully affecting probe of the human--pet...
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Bo Caldwell, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $23.95 (384p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3240-3
Caldwell's memoirlike first novel begins in 1930s Shanghai, a city where enterprising foreign entrepreneurs can quickly become millionaires—and just as quickly lose everything as victims of the volatile political climate. Six-year-old...
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Lesa Cline-Ransome, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, James Ransome, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (40p) ISBN 978-1-58717-177-2
Children count to 10 and back in Quilt Counting by Lesa Cline-Ransome, illus. by James E. Ransome. This follow-up to Quilt Alphabet celebrates the ways in which a quilt (""a legacy handcrafted"") stitches together the generations of a farm family
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Nick Bantock, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.95 (1p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0700-5
Bantock's (Griffin & Sabine) light verse is enhanced by his color illustrations in this small, fetching book. As an example, look at his painting of a befanged, richly chestnut-colored dog, muzzle soft and thick with wrinkles; the accompanying poem...
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Joshua Piven, Author, David Borgenicht, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3599-2
The unstoppable Piven and Borgenicht are at it again, producing another in the seemingly endless series of ""Worst-Case Scenario"" books. This time, the authors turn their attention to the potentially disastrous holiday season, and the result is...
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Madeleine L'Engle, Author, Roxie Munro, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-58717-040-9
HReaders raised on L'Engle's thoughtful novels (A Wrinkle in Time) will discover a new side of the writer in this impish, tongue-in-cheek memoir. Ostensibly the L'Engle family poodle's account of the arrival of a new baby (whom she thinks an odd...
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John Burningham, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-135-2
""Would you rather... your dad did a dance at school or your mom made a fuss in a caf ?"" John Burningham poses many more questions in Would You Rather... Humorous (and thought-provoking) vignettes accompany each possibility. (Mar.)
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John Burningham, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, John Burningham, Illustrator Chronicle Books $6.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-217-5
""Would you rather... your dad did a dance at school or your mom made a fuss in a cafe?"" Burningham poses this and many more questions for which ""humorous (and thought-provoking) vignettes accompany each possibility,"" wrote PW. Ages 5-8. (Mar.
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Yamuna Devi, Author, Yamuna, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (156p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1144-6
Award-winning Devi (James Beard Best International Cookbook award for Yamuna's Table, 1992; the IACP Cookbook of the Year award for 1988's Lord Krishna's Cuisine) contributes a volume that takes its place among the best in this pleasantly...
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Patricia C. McKissack, Fredrick L. McKissack Jr. and Randy DuBurke. Chronicle, $19.99 (136p) ISBN 978-0-8118-5749-9
Although you wouldn’t know it from typical cowboy stories and movies, about a quarter of actual cowhands were African-American, and this is the story of the most famous of them, the champion horse breaker and rifle shot known as Deadwood Dick. Nat...
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Kenneth Grahame, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Maryjane Begin, Illustrator Chronicle Books $19.95 (208p) ISBN 978-1-58717-204-5
Mary Jane Begin illustrates the classic story of Mole, Badger, Rat and Toad, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Each chapter opens with a vignette and includes a full-page painting of a dramatic moment in the proceedings.
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Diane Morgan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, E. Jane Armstrong, Photographer Chronicle Books $24.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4212-9
A beautiful cookbook with impressive photographs, Morgan's volume contains many tasty recipes, but it's not really a complete introduction to salmon. A number of her dishes are influenced by Mediterranean and Asian cuisine; others, like Pan-Roasted...
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Diane Morgan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sally Morgan, Author Chronicle Books $16.95 (168p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0476-9
Four experienced cooking instructors with an irresistible love of their subject go far toward teaching beginners in the kitchen to learn to cook and to learn to love cooking. Starting off with a brief, lucid run-through of essential equipment,...
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Diane Morgan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, John Rizzo, Photographer . Chronicle $18.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2991-5
This primer on Thanksgiving cooking and traditions brims with fresh ideas for both food preparation and table decoration. Morgan (Cooking for the Week) is the anti–Martha Stewart—none of these recipes is fussy for the sake of fussiness.
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Janet Hazen, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Joyce Oudkerk Pool, Photographer Chronicle Books $14.95 (120p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1052-4
Stoking the fires with ingredients she advanced in Hot, Hotter, Hottest, Hazen again finds inspiration internationally, although this time without meat. Fat, however, is something to watch here. Chinese Vegetable Eggrolls with Mustard Sauce, Triple-M
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Clark Taylor, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jan T. Dicks, Illustrator Chronicle Books $6.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0123-2
A familiar nursery rhyme takes a decidedly dark turn in this sobering picture book. Written in a hip - hop rhythm and based on ``The House That Jack Built,'' the new cumulative rhyme focuses attention on the drug trade and abuse of crack cocaine. No
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Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $1.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-030-2
A daily newspaper column is an ephemeral thing, but in this collection of 100 columns, San Francisco Chronicle columnist Carroll often manages to be observant, amusing and even poignant. These small slices of life, animated by dialogue and one-liners
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Chronicle Books, Author, Pam Sommers, Editor Chronicle Books $9.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0299-4
Sommers, who runs the Illustration Gallery in New York, showing the work of illustrators only, invited more than eighty artists to provide pictorial recipes for this book. Some of the concoctions are intended to be edible, finally--some not. But,...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Nickelodeon, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $24.95 (8p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4422-2
Youngest Nick Jr. fans can learn colors, numbers and shapes with Colors, Counting, Shapes!: 15 Shaped Books in a Sorting Box! From the ""box,"" ""picture frame,"" and ""quilt"" on the spreads of Square Shapes, to the ""1 apple,"" ""2 wheels,"" and ""
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Chronicle Books, Author, Nickelodeon, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $11.95 (10p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4421-5
Nick Jr. characters abound in a trio of titles, along with gizmos and gimmicks that make them more than your average books. My Chalkboard Book: Write and Draw with Chalk includes four pieces of chalk in a box that peeks through a die-cut opening in...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Cooper Edens, Compiled by Chronicle Books $19.99 (136p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4032-3
From folklore to poems and nursery rhymes, these diverse collections offer readers a host of traditional fare. Vintage illustrations add royal magic to Princess Stories: A Classic Illustrated Edition, compiled by Cooper Edens. The eight standards...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Cooper Edens, Compiled by Chronicle Books $19.95 (80p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3768-2
Reproductions of early-20th-century ephemera and children's book art grace 'Tis the Season: A Classic Illustrated Christmas Treasury, compiled by Cooper Edens. Included are lyrics to ""Silent Night"" and ""Winter Wonderland,"" verse by Edgar...
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Chronicle Books, Author, John Miller, Editor, Randall Koral, With Chronicle Books $13.95 (304p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0666-4
Long before the '60s drug revolution introduced psychedelics to the general public, they were indulged in by writers, artists and visionaries looking for entry into mystical worlds these drugs promised. While most of the 38 entries were penned by...
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Chronicle Books, Author, John Miller, Editor, Tim Smith, Editor Chronicle Books $12.95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1080-7
With its images of water, sand, boats, architecture, narrow roads, weather and people, this anthology's selections successfully evoke the physical and cultural reality of Cape Cod. John Updike, Norman Mailer, Edgar Allan Poe and 23 others offer a...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Genevieve Field, Editor Chronicle Books $35 (168p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2957-1
The Web site Nerve.com pitches itself as ""literate smut,"" and this serious-looking book seems to be a logical step in its dot-diversification. In fact, there is nothing new about ""The New Nude,"" a languid flirt with art that has all the impact...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Caterpillar, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $9.95 (30p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3174-1
Aspiring artists can learn how to draw a ""Track-Type Tractor"" and a ""Soil Compactor"" in the spiral-bound volume Drawing Trucks and Diggers, A Book of 10 Stencils. Each die-cut stencil page acts as a frame for a color photograph and a drawn...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Caterpillar, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $12.95 (14p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3173-4
The sights and sounds of a construction site come to life in Big Noisy Trucks and Diggers. Children take the driver's seat as the text, along with road sign cues, tells them what to do while operating the five different machines. The ""excavator,"
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Chronicle Books, Author, Caterpillar, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $19.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3621-0
An inspired addition to the Nesting Blocks line, Big Trucks and Diggers Nesting Blocks by Caterpillar will thrill budding builders. Ten rugged cardboard blocks each feature a numbered black-and-yellow road sign on one side, a photo of a ...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $9.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4015-6
A companion to Homemade Halloween, the stylish, small-format Homemade Christmas: Creative Crafts for Santa's Elves comes with sparkly and decorative paper, stickers and stencils. Instructions are addressed to adults, not to kids directly.
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Chronicle Books, Author, Larry Ulrich, Photographer, Pamela Verduin Cain, Text by (Art/Photo Books) Chronicle Books $29.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4706-3
Combining breathtaking landscape photographs with glowing, tour-guide-like descriptions, this coffee-table book is an excellent peek into one of the most gorgeous locations in the country. Cain takes readers on a leisurely journey through the...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Kay Turner, Editor, Kay Turner, Illustrator Chronicle Books $17.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1442-3
This brief, attractively produced volume is made up of love letters written by women to women over the past 150 years and dozens of collages by Turner and artist Sheri Tornatore. The letters are variously beautiful, banal, funny, angry, illiterate,...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Hayde Ardalan, Editor Chronicle Books $7.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2762-1
Graphic design is key in this petite volume, boldly illustrated in black and white. ""I am an exceptional cat,"" declares Milton, rolling on his back in a horizontal shot. ""I am extremely handsome and I have a curious nose,"" he continues, and his...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Carlton Books, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $8.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3556-5
Juvenile geniuses will enjoy Mensa Mind Mazes for Kids. The resealable card deck contains 75 puzzles printed back to back on colorful laminated cards; in treasure hunt-style, each answer points puzzlers to the next challenge.
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Chronicle Books, Author, Nickelodeon, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $8.95 (30p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4188-7
Just in time for summer family road trips, two sets of cards aim to keep kids occupied in the back seat: Let's Go! A Nick Jr. Travel Deck and Hit the Road! A Nickelodeon Travel Deck. In the first (aimed at ages 2-6), Nick Jr. characters including
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Chronicle Books, Author, Nickelodeon, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $8.95 (30p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4153-5
Just in time for summer family road trips, two sets of cards aim to keep kids occupied in the back seat: Let's Go! A Nick Jr. Travel Deck and Hit the Road! A Nickelodeon Travel Deck. In the first (aimed at ages 2-6), Nick Jr. characters including
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Chronicle Books, Author, Spike &. Jeff, Author, Spike Jeff, Illustrator Chronicle Books $9.95 (24p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3856-6
Kids can harness ""the mysterious power of the wind"" with Spike and Jeff's Sailcar Kit. The smartly written guidebook, Sailcars Ahoy, gives step-by-step instructions for using the enclosed materials (wooden wheels, paper sails, masts and axles)...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Sandow Birk, Illustrator, Sandow Birk, Adapted by Chronicle Books $22.95 (240p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4213-6
With 68 7 1/2"" x 11"" b&w engravings that include helicopters, parking lots, shwarma stands, strip malls, chain-link fences, concrete stairs and skyscrapers, Dante's Inferno is brought into the present by illustrator Sandow Brik, and into...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Julian Rothenstein, Editor, Mel Gooding, Editor Chronicle Books $24.95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3981-5
Typeface demo sheets, eye charts and logos come together to create a lush, idiosyncratic catalogue of visual ephemera as chosen by Rothenstein, a designer, and Gooding, an art critic and curator. They present forgotten modernist lettering, from...
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Chronicle Books, Author, Stephen Vincent, Editor, Kevin Starr, Editor Chronicle Books $39.95 (271p) ISBN 978-0-938491-20-0
Displaying California's ``vast geographic diversity, and the variety of ways in which its writers and artists responded to the challenge of its landscape,'' this anthology--a travel book as much as a history--is organized by region in a text that...
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Gay Matthaei, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Adam Cvijanovic, Illustrator Chronicle Books $16.95 (72p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2908-3
A companion to The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle, The Sketchbook of Thomas Blue Eagle by Gay Matthaei and Jewel Grutman, illus. by Adam Cvijanovic, begins in 1885, when Blue Eagle is ""eighteen winters"" after his graduation from the Carlisle...
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Kathleen Alcala, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (204p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1447-8
In her first novel, Alcala (author of the story collection Mrs. Vargas and the Dead Naturalist) has crafted a fecund fable about the convergence of cultures--Mexican, American and Jewish--along the Mexico/Texas border. The Carabajal family...
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Kathleen Alcala, Author, Charles Simmons, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (220p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1916-9
Starting where her Spirits of the Ordinary ended, near the time of the Mexican Revolution, the disappointing second volume of Alcal 's projected trilogy chronicles three generations of women descended from the Opata, a vanished Indian tribe from the
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Robert D. San Souci, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jan Thompson Dicks, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0412-7
Although well-researched, this version of a popular Hispanic tale is hobbled by inept illustrations and a low-energy text. The plot line is common to many folktales: a magical creature (here, a seven-colored horse) rewards the kindness of a boy (Juan
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Robert D. San Souci, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, N. C. Wyeth, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-87701-806-3
Best known for his illustrations of such classics as Treasure Island and Robin Hood , N. C. Wyeth also had a successful career as a muralist. In the '40s he created a series of murals for New York's Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, presented...
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Robert D. San Souci, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Robet D. San Souci, Author , illus. by Rebecca Walsh. Chronicle $16.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-58717-212-0
With a princess who is not only kind but prefers "good books to good looks," San Souci's (The Talking Eggs
) clever adaptation of the classic British fairy tale brims with wit, quotable dialogue and a modern sensibility. Likewise,...
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Jonathan London, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, James Chaffee, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0260-4
This eminently approachable book gives eloquent testament to the first pair of California condors to return to the wild since 1987, when the threat of extinction prompted conservators to bring the last of these birds into captivity. A spare, tightly
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Jonathan London, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Brooke Scudder, Illustrator Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1112-5
A ""horse of sun"" becomes a horse of smoke and later one of music in this simply worded poem about a girl traveling the earth and sky on a sturdy brown stallion. The setting of the fantasy is south of the border: the heroine rides ""a horse of wind
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Jonathan London, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jonathan London, Retold by Chronicle Books $13.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0241-3
In this gracefully narrated, arrestingly illustrated myth originating from the Karuk people of Northwest California, the animals have no fire to keep them warm. Wise old Coyote devises a plan to steal the fire that the miserly Yellow Jacket sisters...
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Jonathan London, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0505-6
This pair's second collaboration-a quieter tale than their spirited Fire Race-focuses on Liplap, a winsome young rabbit who shapes a ``snowbunny'' after the winter's first snowfall. He wishes that Grandma, who ``hadn't lived to see the snow this...
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Jonathan London, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jon Van Zyle, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0533-9
The author and artist who produced The Eyes of Gray Wolf here poetically and artistically portray a grizzly's birth and coming of age. Borrowing nicknames given to brown bears by native peoples of Eurasia, London's narrative reflects a time-honored...
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Jonathan London, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jon Van Zyle, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0285-7
Gray Wolf, bereft of his mate, hunts alone in the snow-bright night, unknowingly infringing on another pack's territory. ``His eyes burn like steady flames. The leader of the pack stares back. Their eyes lock. The moon burns a hole in the night.''...
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Jonathan London, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Woodleigh Marx Hubbard, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0315-1
Only squares won't dig the beatnik slang and improvisational rhymes of this beboppable, unstoppable tale. Sax-playing cat Oobie-do takes the train to San Francisco, where he tries to ``make jazzzzzy music.'' But being a musician doesn't pay the...
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Jonathan London, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, London And Chaffee, Author Chronicle Books $7.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2312-8
""This eminently approachable book gives eloquent testament to the first pair of California condors to return to the wild since 1987,"" said PW. Ages 3-8. (Mar.)
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Inga Moore, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Linda Moore, Illustrator Chronicle Books $12.95 (28p) ISBN 978-0-87701-520-8
Nico, a boy, sets off to market to sell his Nan's 50 red, handmade nightcaps. Tired, he falls asleep on the forest floor. A band of mischievous and pesky monkeys steals his caps. Nico is at a loss to recover them. He throws fruit at the monkeys,...
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Rick Rodgers, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Arlene Ward, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (168p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2525-2
While pressure cookers have been around for years, the new generation of quieter, safer and more efficient cookers is part of the inspiration for this collaborative cookbook. The book re-introduces this amazing appliance as a means of delivering a...
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Marianna Mayer, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Mercer Mayer, Illustrator Seastar Books $15.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-58717-017-1
Also celebrating an anniversary--its 30th--is Whose Mouse Are You? by Robert Kraus, illus. by Jose Aruego. Minimalist art and memorable text are more than the sum of its parts: ""Whose mouse are you?/ Nobody's mouse./ Where is your mother?/ Inside a
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Marianna Mayer, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, M. Mayer, Author , illus. by K.Y. Craft. North-South/SeaStar $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-064-5
In this collaboration from the creators of Pegasus, Mayer's animated retelling of Tom Thumb's adventures and Craft's affectionate portrayal of the cherubic yet impish hero make for an enjoyable, if disjointed, read. In the time of King...
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Virginia Grossman, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator Chronicle Books $6.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1057-9
``There is a great deal of information and entertainment packed into this unusual counting book,'' said PW about this clever introduction to Native American culture. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
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Virginia Grossman, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator Chronicle Books $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-87701-552-9
There is a great deal of information and entertainment packed into this unusual counting book, which opens with ``One lonely traveler riding on the plain.'' The strikingly detailed accompanying illustration authentically portrays a Native American...
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Herb Caen, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, H. &. Byfield B. N. Caen, Author Chronicle Books $6.99 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1054-8
This intricately illustrated exploration of ``The City by the Bay'' is engagingly told by venerable SF columnist Caen. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)
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David Bouchard, Author, Dave Bouchard, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $17.95 (72p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1462-1
In this grand chorus of one-upmanship, 25 wild animals vaunt their unique senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Addressing an anonymous painter, each beast has one poem in which to persuade the artist to present its case to an...
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Karen Elizabeth Gordon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Karen Elizabeth, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0969-6
The conceit behind this playful, charming spoof of a book is as simple and bizarre as a Magritte painting: it is a guide to an imaginary Paris, complete with fake hotel listings, off-the-wall travel advice and restaurant recommendations that aim...
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Diane de Groat, Author, Robin Jarvis, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Diane de Groat, Illustrator . North-South/SeaStar $3.95 (, $3.95 each ISBN ) ISBN 978-1-58717-045-4
The spunky redheaded third-grader steals the show when she plays an artichoke in her school play, then follows up with a role as a swamp monster in a high school student's low-budget horror video. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)
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John Duggleby, Author, Jacob Lawrence, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.99 (64p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2082-0
Duggleby (Artist in Overalls: The Life of Grant Wood) once again enlarges upon themes in an American artist's life and work to create a gratifying portrait of a particular time and place. Lawrence's expressionistic, stark paintings, in excellent...
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Nicholas Jose, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $24.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2951-9
A mysterious but classic work of Chinese literature exerts an influence on an unusual love triangle in this beguiling new novel by Australian writer Jose (The Rose Crossing). In Jose's stylish romance, modern-day Shanghai is a forward-looking...
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Sylvia Long, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $8.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1643-4
In her reworking of the classic lullaby, Long intentionally de-emphasizes the materialism of the original, making no promises of such grand gifts as a diamond ring or horse and cart. Rather, this Mama character--one of Long's (illustrator of Ten...
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Sylvia Long, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1792-9
In her reworking of the classic lullaby, Long intentionally de-emphasizes the materialism of the original, making no promises of such grand gifts as a diamond ring or horse and cart. Rather, this Mama character-one of Long's (illustrator of Ten...
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Sylvia Long, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sylvia Long, Illustrator Chronicle Books $24.95 (12p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3574-9
Chronicle continues its line of successful Block Books with a set based on Sylvia Long's Mother Goose. Sylvia Long's Mother Goose Block Books contains 16 chunky board books just right for small hands to stack, knock down and read repeatedly, all
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Metropolitan Museum of Art, Author, Judith Cressy, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (64p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3220-5
The humblest of materials transform the pedestrian into the sublime in What Can You Do with a Paper Bag? by Judith Cressy, photos by Maria Quiroga and Christine A. Butler, illus. by Edward Heins. ""Perseus' Winged Helmut,"" ""George Washington's
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Martin Yan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $24.95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4447-5
Yan admits to having "eaten my way across Asia more times than I can count." Luckily, he collected plenty of recipes along the route. These recipes are for simple, traditional dishes, many of which may have been slightly modified to appeal...
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Francesc Bofill, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Arnal Ballester, Author Chronicle Books $6.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1843-8
While these books' juxtaposition of English and Spanish texts may fill a need, the undistinguished retellings of familiar tales may deem the titles more suited to adult admirers of Spanish artist Ballester's sophisticated, minimalist paintings....
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Francesc Bofill, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Arnal Ballester, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2062-2
While these books' juxtaposition of English and Spanish texts may fill a need, the undistinguished retellings of familiar tales may deem the titles more suited to adult admirers of Spanish artist Ballester's sophisticated, minimalist paintings....
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Marta Mata I. Garriga, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Arnal Ballester, Author Chronicle Books $6.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1835-3
While these books' juxtaposition of English and Spanish texts may fill a need, the undistinguished retellings of familiar tales may deem the titles more suited to adult admirers of Spanish artist Ballester's sophisticated, minimalist paintings....
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Joan Sweeney, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Kathleen Fain, Illustrator Chronicle Books $9.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0868-2
Living among the water lilies of Monet's country home, frogs Hector and Henriette and their tadpoles happily ``pose'' for the bearded artist who paints their pond each day. First-time author Sweeny sets up a rivalry between the frogs and a ``Monsieur
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Robin Beeman, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1090-6
Is it an accident or suicide when Sally goes over a cliff north of San Francisco in her sister's borrowed Toyota? It becomes a moot question in Beeman's (A Parallel Life and Other Stories) evocative novella, which is more clearly concerned with the...
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Brothers Grimm, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Brothers Grimm, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (160p) ISBN 978-1-58717-092-8
Old-fashioned, often broken typeface and Arthur Rackham's gloriously reproduced original artwork accompany 22 stories in a new edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales, originally published in 1909. A sepia-toned illustration for ""Red Riding Hood"" shows...
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Michael Hague, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Michael Hague, Retold by Chronicle Books $16.95 (48p) ISBN 978-1-58717-254-0
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without gift books, and a variety of impressive-looking new treatments of family classics aims to fill that niche. Michael Hague's many fans will embrace his copiously illustrated version of The Nutcracker, based...
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Michael Hague, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Michael Hague, Illustrator . North-South/SeaStar $15.95 (40p) ISBN 978-1-58717-058-4
Certain to bring on a shiver or two, this volume presents a tale from Irish folklore, which Hague embellishes with suitably shadowy, eerie watercolors. The opening image effectively conveys the story's chilly—soon-to-be chilling—set
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Victoria Wise, Author, Lou Seibert Pappas, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (156p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0475-2
Mouth-watering color photos enhance the appeal of these 90 recipes, which adapt Mexican cuisine to the vegetarian diet. Wise (American Charcuterie), a former first chef of Chez Panisse, avoids animal ingredients except for eggs and dairy products...
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Beth Hensperger, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Joyce Oudkerk Pool, Photographer Chronicle Books $18.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0353-3
Nothing can quite compare to the pride of knowing that by carefully adhering to simple procedures and useful tips one can create a flavorful bread from bare essentials. Hensperger ( Bread and Baking Bread ) challenges anyone and everyone, from the...
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Tish Boyle, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Clark Irey, Photographer Chronicle Books $18.95 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2449-1
This fun collection celebrates exactly the desserts you'd expect from America's diners: fluffy Chocolate Cream Pie, three-layer High and Mighty White Cake and chewy Old-Time Peanut Butter Cookies. Although Boyle waxes nostalgic about the diners in...
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Kitty Morse, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Alison Miksch, Photographer Chronicle Books $16.95 (120p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2401-9
Author of many books on Moroccan cooking, including The Vegetarian Table, Morse divides the couscous recipes here into two categories: traditional and contemporary. The traditional recipes are all enticing; the contemporary ones, however, vary...
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Kitty Morse, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Deborah Jones, Photographer Chronicle Books $22.95 (168p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0694-7
Morse (Come With Me to the Kasbah) does a standout job with this latest entry in the publisher's geographic/ethnic Vegetarian Table books, not because she follows the series formula but because she transcends it with her personal stories and recipes.
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Babette Cole, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0350-2
Cole ( Supermoo ) unleashes her endearingly loony sense of humor on the subject of the birds and the bees, and the result is, as expected, hilarious. When a thoroughly befuddled set of '90s parents (he wears his gray hair in a ponytail, she wears...
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Maryana Vollstedt, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $19.95 (336p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3056-0
With its bold graphics, attractive cover and clear, concise recipes, Vollstedt's latest has all the signs of an interesting work. Unfortunately, unlike James Peterson's excellent primer Splendid Soups, this book gives only cursory treatment...
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Maryana Vollstedt, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $19.95 (344p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4350-8
Food columnist Vollstedt's latest entry in her Big Book cookbook series (Casseroles, Breakfast, Potluck, Soups & Stews) is invaluable, as it contains an enormous assortment of easy-to-follow recipes that make putting dinner on the table a...
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David Huddle, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1027-2
Timing is everything; bad timing is nothing for jazz legend Edgar DeWeese Carnes and narrator Henry McKernan in Huddle's (Only the Little Bone) disappointingly unjazzy novella, one of the publisher's continuing series of short novels (see A Minus...
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Terryl Whitlatch, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Bob Carrau, Author Chronicle Books $40 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2869-7
In The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide, Terry Whitlatch and Bob Carrau offer a faux naturalist's sketchbook of the fauna born of George Lucas and co.'s considerable imagination: the spot-light sloths of the Dagobah Rain Forest, the Peko...
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Julie Merberg, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Suzanne Bober, Author Chronicle Books $6.99 (22p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3415-5
Two board books by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober introduce the works of world-renowned artists to the youngest audience. In each, lyrical text accompanies 10 masterpieces. A Magical Day with Matisse, for example, features his famous ring of...
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Julie Merberg, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Suzanne Bober, Author Chronicle Books $6.95 (22p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3414-8
Two board books by Julie Merberg and Suzanne Bober introduce the works of world-renowned artists to the youngest audience. In each, lyrical text accompanies 10 masterpieces. A Magical Day with Matisse, for example, features his famous ring of...
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Kathleen Hague, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Michael Ha&gdot Ue, Retold by Chronicle Books $16.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-58717-134-5
Fairy Friends Bedtime turns magical in Good Night, Fairies by Kathleen Hague, illus. by Michael Hague, as a mother answers her child's questions about what fairies do at nighttime. The parent characterizes them as benevolent, magical creatures...
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Lisa Lebowitz Cader, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Lisa Lebowitz, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (24p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3485-8
A trio of interactive offerings encourages youngster's participation. Royal headdress empowers common kids-plus readers-in When I Wear My Tiara and When I Wear My Crown, both by Lisa Lebowitz Cader, illus. by Laura Huliska-Beith. ""When I wear...
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Lisa Lebowitz Cader, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Lisa Lebowitz, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (24p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3484-1
A trio of interactive offerings encourages youngster's participation. Royal headdress empowers common kids-plus readers-in When I Wear My Tiara and When I Wear My Crown, both by Lisa Lebowitz Cader, illus. by Laura Huliska-Beith. ""When I wear...
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Gary Soto, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0758-6
Soto is one of our most accomplished Mexican-American poets under the age of 45. In this collection, poems from six of his previous 13 books (The Tale of Sunlight; Home Course in Religion) and a sampling of new material define a youth of gritty...
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Gary Soto, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $8.95 (77p) ISBN 978-0-87701-857-5
The first half of this wry, meditative collection brings us through Soto's boyhood and teenage years and his tentatively evolving spiritual and sensual awareness. There is the usual kid's stuff here--shoplifting candy bars, quote is correct/pk ``walk
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Margaret Johnson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (304p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1992-3
Food writer and Massachusetts native Johnson delivers a fresh perspective on Irish cookery with an engaging collection of recipes culled from Irish (and Irish-American) chefs, hoteliers and long-time home cooks who have reinterpreted traditional...
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Margaret Johnson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Christopher Hirsheimer, Photographer . Chronicle $24.95 (168p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3387-5
Johnson (The Irish Heritage Cookbook) returns once more to her roots and food heritage, this time presenting a volume that showcases the best of the new Irish cuisine and chefs. Based on many time-honored dishes and ingredients, recipes have been...
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Tina L. Seelig, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Karen Johnson, M.D., Illustrator Chronicle Books $9.95 (61p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3498-8
The Games for Your Brain series adds two titles: Bug Cards by Tina Seelig and Dinosaur Cards by Seelig, illus. by Robert Walters. Combining learning and fun, each box of cards contains information about its subject matter, as well as a variety of
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Tina L. Seelig, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Karen Johnson, M.D., Illustrator Chronicle Books $9.95 (61p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3474-2
The Games for Your Brain series adds two titles: Bug Cards by Tina Seelig and Dinosaur Cards by Seelig, illus. by Robert Walters. Combining learning and fun, each box of cards contains information about its subject matter, as well as a variety of
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Joyce Eserky Goldstein, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Paolo Nobile, Photographer . Chronicle $40 (288p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4238-9
Just when it seems there could be nothing new to say about the cuisine of Italy or the slow food movement that was born there, Goldstein dazzles with this selection of soups, stews, roasts, sauces and casseroles. Her lushly produced and impeccably...
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Joyce Eserky Goldstein, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Angela Wyant, Photographer . Chronicle $24.95 (196p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2825-3
Dating back to ancient Rome, the enoteca, or wine bar—where people gather to relax, chat, taste regional wines and munch on bruschette—is popular again. Goldstein (Sephardic Flavors) captures this slow, sociable way of life with over...
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James R. Petersen, Author, Jim Peterson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author ; text by Jim Peterson. Chronicle $50 (240p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3978-5
You mean people don't read Playboy
for the Nabokov stories and hard-hitting reportage? Sturdily produced, this is a candy-colored, unpretentious gaze over a half-century of nudity, fun, sex and the most absurd fashions this side of Cukor's...
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Francesc Boada, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Monse Fransoy, Illustrator Chronicle Books $12.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3084-3
In another contribution to Chronicle's handsomely illustrated bilingual fairytale series, Cinderella/Cenicienta, adapted by Francesc Boada, Monse Fransoy's witty framed and spot illustrations feature the humble heroine carting off her stepsisters'...
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Barbara M. Joosse, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Barbara Lavallee, Illustrator Chronicle Books $17.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3212-0
A decade ago, PW called Barbara Joosse's Mama, Do You Love Me?, illus. by Barbara Lavallee, ""a striking volume which uses a timeless culture to convey a timeless message."" Chronicle celebrates the book's success with a 10th anniversary ...
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Barbara M. Joosse, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Barbara Lavallee, Illustrator Chronicle Books $19.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3259-5
Joosse's book joins another bestselling title, the text and illustrations of which inspire hours of fun as books-cum-nesting blocks. Mama, Do You Love Me? Nesting Blocks based on the book by Barbara M. Joosse, illus. by Barbara Lavallee, and...
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Barbara M. Joosse, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jon Van Zyle, Illustrator Chronicle Books $16.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1959-6
Joosse (Mama, Do You Love Me?) embarks on a rambling road as she follows a 19th-century father and son traveling from their home by the Wisconsin River to Santa Fe, where they plan to sell their wagonful of goods from the East. Despite the obvious...
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Potter's sublimely quirky illustrations adorn this moving tale of death and remembrance set in Mexico and linked to the rhythms of the monarch butterfly. "Grandmother was my best friend," confides the narrator, who treasures their visits
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Bridgette Levin, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Amanda Shepherd, Illustrator , illus. by Amanda Shepherd. Chronicle $14.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4226-6
Newcomers Levin and Shepherd propose that polite behavior might be different in the animal kingdom. "If your mom had a tail/ or your father a mane,/ the rules of your house/ might not be such a pain," announces the text while Shepherd...
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David Slonim, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, David Slonim, Illustrator . Chronicle $15.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3562-6
Slonim's (illustrator of Moishe's Miracle) first solo book venture is a lighthearted caper with a kid-pleasing setting: a candy factory. The elfin Johnny operates the candy machine with his beloved rubber Ducky by his side while Pauline, who
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Catherine Brighton, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $11.95 (1p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0608-4
A tepid first-person narrative introduces readers to the Bronte family as elder sister Charlotte recounts days spent on wild Yorkshire moors, ``dear Papa's'' sermons, and the children's growing interest, even obsession, in creating imaginary worlds.
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Caroline Repchuk, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Caroline Repchuk, Retold by , illus. by Alison Jay. Chronicle $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3500-8
Finished with crackle-grain varnish, Jay's (Picture This) droll and distinctive paintings add a winning component to this updated rendition of Aesop's fable about the tortoise and the hare. The background patterns of hairline cracks in the...
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Bernard Clavel, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Yan Nascimbene, Illustrator , illus. by Yan Nascimbene. Chronicle $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3501-5
An enterprising boy builds a castle out of books in this fanciful tale, which shouts with potential but never quite finds its voice. As young architect Benjamin works in secret, his bibliophilic father, busy writing a 4,512-verse poem, does not...
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Jerry Roberts, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Willy Bullock, Illustrator Chronicle Books $18.95 (48p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2939-7
Aspiring ship captains can fold 18 boats (all on waterproof paper) and float them with The Amazing Book of Paper Boats by Jerry Roberts, illus. by Willy Bullock. After a brief history of boats and assembly tips and techniques, the work begins. ...
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Lucie Young, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Marisa Bartolucci, Editor Chronicle Books $12.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3433-9
Part of Chronicle's Compact Design Portfolio series, this small-format illustrated volume showcases the graceful, curvy Modernist ceramic pieces of Hungarian-born industrial designer Eva Zeisel (previous books in the series have highlighted the work
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Bob Craddock, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Smithsonian Institution, Author Chronicle Books $24.95 (64p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3734-7
Beautifully designed by Laura Lovett, Chronicle Books's latest clever gift box brings together reproductions of 16 artifacts from man's first trip to the moon. Among the goodies are a copy of the front page of the Washington Post dated Monday, July...
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Ken Hom, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Paul Berg, Photographer Chronicle Books $14.95 (124p) ISBN 978-0-87701-770-7
Purists and food snobs, look elsewhere for instructions on staging a complete Szechuan banquet. Instead, this is a bonanza for American cooks who like Chinese-style dishes and want to learn how to make a few simple ones, but not master an entire...
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Davide Mazzanti, Author, Elissa Stein, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $35 (336p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4248-8
Stylishly designed with eye-catching page layouts and beautiful images, this history of the""the wasp"" will delight any Vespa aficionado. The late Roberto Segoni, professor of industrial design at Florence University, sets the production in line...
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Janet Kessel Fletcher, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Victoria Pearson, Photographer Chronicle Books $19.95 (132p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3908-2
An award-winning food writer for the San Francisco Chronicle pairs pasta with seasonal vegetables in a succinct collection of recipes that should become a family standby. Focusing on fava beans in the spring, eggplant in the summer, mushrooms in the
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Stephen P. Williams, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $9.95 (128p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4316-4
Dubya may already know the ropes, but John Kerry might find this handbook useful should he find himself residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue next year. If the general state of affairs hasn't improved from today, he may want to skip right to chapter...
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George Thomson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Chronicle Books, Manufactured by Chronicle Books $24.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4488-8
In medieval times, monks spent years translating and reproducing texts for church libraries, and they often embellished their script with ""gilded patterns or designs,"" giving birth to the art of illumination. This kit offers a brief history of the
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David Hockney, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $39.8 (240p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0506-3
How the act of visual representation affects what we see--a theme of Hockney's paintings--is a major concern of this lively, unpretentious memoir edited by his friend Stango, who is an editor at the Thames and Hudson publishing house. Picking up...
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Anne Gutman, Author, Georg Hallensleben, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $5.95 (14p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3914-3
New titles arrive in board book editions just right for small hands. Mommy Hugs and Daddy Kisses, by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben (the team behind the Gaspard and Lisa books), demonstrate the affection between parents and their offspring ...
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Anne Gutman, Author, Georg Hallensleben, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $5.95 (14p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3916-7
New titles arrive in board book editions just right for small hands. Mommy Hugs and Daddy Kisses, by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben (the team behind the Gaspard and Lisa books), demonstrate the affection between parents and their offspring ...
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Marvin Heiferman, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Fpg International, Photographer Chronicle Books $6.95 (1p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0270-3
This tiny, quirky volume of original black-and-white photographs illustrating the unpleasant episodes of an average day has its own clever charm, but who would want to relive such irritations as a morning backache or an incessantly ringing telephone?
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Marlena Spieler, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1376-1
Here is inspiration for vegetarians who favor hearty, satisfying food. Bistro merges well with vegetarian, notes Spieler (Naturally Good; The Art of Mediterranean Vegetarian) because of French farming traditions and ""culinary largesse."" In this...
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Judith Ross Enderle, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Brooke Scudder, Illustrator Chronicle Books $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0630-5
Extrapolating from a historical tidbit related to the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, Enderle and Tessler (co-authors of Dear Timothy Tibbitts) produce only a bland tale. Their story begins on the night before the quake, at the St. Francis...
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Judith Ross Enderle, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Judith Ross Enderle, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (44p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2450-7
A cursory look at cultural influence complicates this celebratory look at a street fair, which includes a mouthwatering set of international recipes. While Mischa's grandmother makes golubtsi (stuffed cabbage), other families get ready, too. The...
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Cooper Edens, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Sheryl Abrams, Author Chronicle Books $9.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3312-7
Packaged in a resealable case, Sweet Dreams by Cooper Edens and Sheryl Abrams makes an elegant stocking stuffer. The playing-card-size deck contains 36 ""bedtime wishes,"" just right for tucking under the pillow. Images from 19th-century ...
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Rafael Palomino, Author, Arlen Gargagliano, Author, Chronicle Books, Author , photos by Susie Cushner. Chronicle $24.95 (204p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3184-0
Nuevo Latino cooking is still waiting for its breakthrough cookbook, and while this effort from Palomino (Bistro Latino) and writer Gargagliano lacks the heft needed to serve as a thorough exploration, it does open up new territory with fun,...
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Henry T. Hopkins, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jim McHugh, With Chronicle Books $22.95 (143p) ISBN 978-0-87701-593-2
In his informative but uninspired survey, Hopkins, director of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation in Los Angeles, provides a necessarily schematic overview of those historical developments and aesthetic traditions in Southern California (primari
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Judith Dunham, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, John Clayton, Photographer Chronicle Books $38 (137p) ISBN 978-0-87701-800-1
Dunham's second anthology surpasses her handsome The Art of the Trout Fly in format and text (also price), while falling a little short of the inspired photographic stylings that were the charm of the earlier volume. In fly-tying, recently evolved...
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Martha Zamora, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Marilyn Sode Smith, Translator Chronicle Books $35 (144p) ISBN 978-0-87701-746-2
The work of Kahlo (1907-1954), a Mexican painter of painful, irresistible power, comes to life in the brooding self-portraits, potent parables of nature, and politically charged mythologies reproduced here in the first English-language book to...
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Johanna Hurwitz, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Patience Brewster, Illustrator , illus. by Patience Brewster. North-South/SeaStar $3.95 (112p) ISBN 978-1-58717-160-4
This sequel to PeeWee's Tale
follows Lexi the squirrel and PeeWee the guinea pig as they pair up to help a homeless man in Manhattan's Central Park. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)
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Johanna Hurwitz, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Patience Brewster, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (96p) ISBN 978-1-58717-027-0
A guinea pig narrates Hurwitz's (One Small Dog) endearing story of the furry fellow's adventures in New York's Central Park. Nine-year-old Robbie, though disappointed when his uncle gives him a guinea pig rather than a puppy for his birthday (""I...
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Johanna Hurwitz, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Patience Brewster, Illustrator Chronicle Books $14.95 (112p) ISBN 978-1-58717-191-8
New York City's Central Park guinea pig PeeWee meets his match and his dreams of starting a family come true in PeeWee & Plush, the third installment in the Park Pals Adventure series by Johanna Hurwitz, illus. by Patience Brewster. (Oct.)
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Johanna Hurwitz, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Mike Reed, Illustrator . North-South/SeaStar $14.95 (128p) ISBN 978-1-58717-133-8
To her sizable roster of affable and believable young characters, Hurwitz (Class Clown) adds the endearingly bumbling Noah. Frequently eliciting the lament of the novel's title, this eight-year-old's relatively benign blunders include...
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Deborah Butterfield, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Marcia Tucker, Author Chronicle Books $29.95 (95p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0137-9
More than 60 gorgeous color illustrations of Butterfield's horse sculptures appear in this book, which includes a captivating interview and a thought-provoking critique. The horses here, created between 1973 and 1991, are a ``patchwork of colors68 ''
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John Miller, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, John Miller, Editor Chronicle Books $17.95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0345-8
James Thurber's curmudgeonly satire on the American mania for sending Christmas cards, John Cheever's bittersweet tale of a lonely New York elevator operator, Anne Sexton's deeply ambivalent lyric poem to her mother and Alex Haley's dramatic story...
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Kandy Radzinski, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Kandy Radzinski, Illustrator Chronicle Books $9.95 (26p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0102-7
Although billed as a children's book, this cat-happy twist on the traditional English Christmas song is best targeted to hard-core feline fanciers of any age. These people won't care that the lines don't scan well and display little imagination (``.
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Nina Laden, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $16.95 (44p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3973-0
In this dubious spoof, Laden (When Pigasso Met Mootisse
) gives the Bard's tragedy a happy ending and cats-versus-dogs households. Romeow, a cat belonging to the Felini family, hangs out at the park with his cat buddies. Sometimes they taunt...
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Nina Laden, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $6.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2463-7
This tale of an investigator who tracks down an elusive chameleon, at the request of a lizard in distress, features bold pastel illustrations. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)
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Nina Laden, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $6.99 (26p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3761-3
Nina Laden follows her popular Peek-a-WHO? and Ready, Set, GO! with Grow Up! The text asks readers to guess what a variety of young animals will grow up to be, and die-cut holes hint at the transition from, for example, kitten to cat, or chick to
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Robb Walsh, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $18.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2961-8
Not every cookbook would include a recipe that begins, "Dig a pit 3-feet-deep, 4-feet-wide, and 40-feet-long." But this is Texas and, given 300 pounds of brisket, there is no more invigorating an experience than this kind of open pit...
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Jacki Passmore, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Steven Rothfeld, Photographer Chronicle Books $24.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1214-6
Anyone who cooks for vegetarians and ominovores can sympathize with William Ralph Inge: ""It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favour of vegetarianism, while the wolf remains of a different opinion."" With Thai cuisine, skipping meat...
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Linda West Eckhardt, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Karl Petzke, Photographer Chronicle Books $16.95 (132p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0668-8
In The Long Road Leads to Joy: A Guide to Walking Meditation, Buddhist monk and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh illuminates the spiritual benefits afforded by walking mindfully. Encouraging his readers to walk with their attention on the present and...
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Mimi Luebbermann, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Faith Echtermeyer, Photographer Chronicle Books $12.95 (108p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0723-4
Part of the publisher's Garden Style series, Luebbermann's book explores climbing vines from half a dozen different angles, discussing vines suitable for growing indoors, those that are colorful, fragrant and so on. Solid general information about...
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Edward Valfre, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (48p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1717-2
Photographer Valfre, who chronicled a cross-country drive in Backseat Buckaroo, takes his camera on another family road trip. Humans aren't alone on the highway, however; a ""flying saucer"" sails through a diner, and a plastic ""robot scout""...
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Marc Gellman, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Rabbi Marc Gellman, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (128p) ISBN 978-1-58717-132-1
Rabbi Marc Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman, the team behind How Do You Spell God?, speak directly to tweens and teens in Bad Stuff in the News: A Guide to Handling the Headlines. Beginning with what happened last September 11, the self-titled
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Jeannette Ferrary, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Werner Design Werks Inc, Illustrator Chronicle Books $16.95 (288p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0467-7
The nearly universal appeal of soups, the authors' lively prose style and the use of varied typefaces hold promise for this collection that is on the whole limited by the puzzling design approaches and awkward organization of recipes. Recipes for...
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Helen A. Harrison, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Constance Ayers, Author , foreword by Edward Albee. Chronicle $40 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3376-9
Though the title may provoke a good-natured scoff in people familiar with Long Island's tony, increasingly suburban East End, this lovely coffee-table volume, which charts the area's history of "artistic and literary activity," shows
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Ulrich Luckhardt, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Paul Melia, With Chronicle Books $50 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1314-3
British-born artist David Hockney has lived in L.A. since the 1970s. His luxuriant drawings of California, with their Mediterranean-like idyll of blue skies, palm trees and swimming pools, speak of alienation and spiritual emptiness. In this...
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Mike Lankford, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0683-1
Lankford, who was born in Oklahoma in 1951, isn't famous, nor does he know anyone who is. Like legions of teenagers before him, he fell in love with rock and roll and chose to play the drums. He pestered his mother for a kit, practiced in his garage,
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Steven Kroll, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Christine Davenier, Illustrator , illus. by Christine Davenier. North-South/SeaStar $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-183-3
Nina's ire is stirred by her own limitations, by adults' underestimation, by rules and by toys that insist on getting lost. Kroll (The Biggest Pumpkin Ever), who first published this text in 1976, catalogs these and other peeves with...
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Woodleigh Marx Hubbard, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-87701-895-7
In this follow-up to C Is for Curious: An ABC of Feelings , readers are introduced to numbers and actions. Each spread of this unique concept book features a designated number of creatures performing an activity, accompanied by a descriptive...
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Woodleigh Marx Hubbard, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1264-1
Waggish gouache paintings and a playful, cursive typeface rev up Hubbard's (Hip Cat) rendition of the traditional cumulative carol. Four ""calling"" birds squawking to one another on the telephone and 12 frogs leaping among cups of eggnog are among...
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Susan Jonas, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Marilyn Nissenson, With Chronicle Books $18.95 (192p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0292-5
Jonas and Nissenson ( The Ubiquitous Pig ) slyly present nostalgia with a subtext--many of their examples of phenomena which are disappearing, or already have disappeared, are gender-related. Each entry has a short descriptive essay and black-and-whi
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Fanny Joly, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Remi Saillard, Illustrator Chronicle Books $12.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1842-1
In this lithe tale from a French team, a lonely porcupine gains confidence when he finds love. Like many a misunderstood hero, Mr. Fine has a scary appearance that doesn't match his amiable disposition. As he rides his red motorbike (called a ""ten-s
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Anne Gatti, Author, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1003-6
Mozart's most child-friendly opera receives the royal treatment in this elegant yet highly approachable picture book. Accompanied by the sweet strains of musical highlights (if readers wish, they can play the audio CD that is included with the book),
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Graham Percy, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Graham Percy, Illustrator Chronicle Books $12.95 (38p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0239-0
Personable pachyderms populate this collection of 18 traditional nursery rhymes. Percy puts a mischievous spin on old favorites as he gives Miss Muffet, Little Boy Blue and Jack Sprat trunks, wrinkled gray skin and very large feet. The artist's soft
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Andy Harris, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, William Meppem, Photographer , photos by William Meppem. Chronicle $22.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3480-3
Harris (A Taste of the Aegean) returns to the Greek cuisine he loves in this beautifully designed and photographed book. Using customary Greek ingredients—Feta and Kefalotiri cheeses, zucchini, eggplant, filo pastry—he offers both new...
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Ellen Rose, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jessica Strand, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (132p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1575-8
The first effort by bookseller Rose (founder of Cook's Library in L.A.) and journalist Strand partially succeeds as it offers a dozen menus (three per season, one each for parties of two, four and six people). Although the authors promise that the...
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Jeff Taylor, Author, Rich Taylor, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $25 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1909-1
Taylor's latest collection of hilarious and often poignant essays is as bracing as a cool drink on a hot day. Using the same format he plied in Tools of the Trade (1996), Taylor zeroes in on a couple of dozen specific garden implements--from the...
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This rather bland dialogue between a mother and son begins in a dim living room, where a TV illuminates the remains of dinner. In the doorway to an untidy hall, the ominous words "buzz, buzz, buzz" appear. " 'Ssshhh,' I said. &#
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Marta Mata, Author, Marta Mata I. Garriga, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2075-2
While these books' juxtaposition of English and Spanish texts may fill a need, the undistinguished retellings of familiar tales may deem the titles more suited to adult admirers of Spanish artist Ballester's sophisticated, minimalist paintings....
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Joie Warner, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Drew Warner, Photographer Chronicle Books $17.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1766-0
There is no need to sweat over a hot stove, Warner (All the Best Pasta Sauces; All the Best Pizza) says, when you can prepare simple yet often elegant pasta sauces that don't require cooking. To demonstrate, she presents 75 simple, no-cook sauce...
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Anitra Peebles Sheen, Author, Anita Sheen, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2355-5
Sheen makes a strong debut with this moving, partly autobiographical, bittersweet coming-of-age story set in 50s Los Angeles. When four-year-old Jorie Mackinnons mother dies of polio, she faces an uncertain universe of two older brothers and a...
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Irene Morck, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Georgia Graham, Illustrator Chronicle Books $6.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2143-8
A herd of cattle stampeding across the endpapers hints at the subject of this feisty picture book, in which a boy breaks in a shiny new pair of cowboy boots. Pleased as punch with his footgear, Tyler heads for his uncle's Misty Valley Ranch to help...
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Judy Zeidler, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Eric Donelan, Illustrator Chronicle Books $16.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0297-0
Seeking out deli food from around the world (and from among her family's ``heirloom'' recipes), but specifically inspired by the Broadway Deli of Los Angeles, of which she is a partner, Zeidler (The Gourmet Jewish Cook) here surrenders her favorites,
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James K. McNair, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Joyce Oudkerk Pool, Photographer Chronicle Books $19.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2364-7
With a plethora of pizza cookbooks on the market, any new contender has to survive by promising either trade secrets or the trendiest pie permutations. Despite a brief introduction on pizza history, McNair's glossy, full color book goes for the...
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Joan L. Margalith, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Joan Margolith, Author Chronicle Books $9.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2674-7
Babies don't need the stork to facilitate their arrival--they simply fall gently to earth in baskets, like raindrops--according to this compact gift book (the frontispiece provides a space to write a baby's name and arrival date). ""Every baby lands/
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Alain Crozon, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $7.95 (14p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3321-9
Animal Instincts Alain Crozon hits the jungle for the latest addition to the Who Am I? What Am I? series, Who Am I? Wild Animals!, which features 21 animal riddles. On the left, three riddles fit into colorful squares. ""Fierce while hunting/ I'm
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Lucrecia Guerrero, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2794-2
Guerrero's debut collection creates a fictional Mexican-American border town named Mesquite as the setting for most of its 11 stories. This imagined locale gains authenticity as the hopes, anguish and folly of the villagers are revealed with...
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Celeste Kadatz, Author, Celeste Kndutz, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (112p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2549-8
Aimed at teenage girls, Leave Your Mark Here: A Journal by Celeste Kadatz, illus. by Tracy McGuinness, challenges readers to respond to such questions as ""What really bugs you?"" (""Snarly dogs really bug me,"" confides Kadatz), suggests ways to...
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Uzo Unobagha, Author, Uzoamaka Chinyelu Unobagha, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.95 (56p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2378-4
In the introduction to this collection, inspired by traditional Mother Goose rhymes, Nigerian-born Unobagha says that she hopes these verses about Africa will deliver ""important cultural messages to readers"" about her homeland. Unobagha is at her...
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Alan Hess, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.95 (144p) ISBN 978-0-87701-334-1
The rhythmic and kinetic Googie style, a name prompted by John Lautner's 1949 design for Googie's restaurant in Los Angeles, evolved from the '30s Streamline Moderne. With wit and verve, Hess traces the history of Googie, showing how Lautner, a...
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Yves Got, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $6.95 (18p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3504-6
The titular white bunny is back in two new board books: Sam's Little Sister and Sam Loves Kisses by Yves Got. In the first, Sam lists the things he and his sister, Sophie, do together. In the latter, he chronicles an array of kisses. (Apr.)
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Yves Got, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3088-1
For those heading back to preschool and kindergarten, Sam's Big Book of Words by Yves Got features the busy bunny exploring the world around him. Each spread focuses on a heading (such as ""The Aquarium"" and ""Sam's Family"") and includes...
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Yves Got, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $9.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3559-6
Bunny Sam returns in the padded-cover board book Sam's Christmas Word Book by Yves Got. With their thick black line and toy-bright colors, the cheerily childlike illustrations have something of the appeal of Maisy.
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Yves Got, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $6.95 (18p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3505-3
The titular white bunny is back in two new board books: Sam's Little Sister and Sam Loves Kisses by Yves Got. In the first, Sam lists the things he and his sister, Sophie, do together. In the latter, he chronicles an array of kisses. (Apr.)
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Yves Got, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $10.95 (14p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3764-4
Yves Got's Sam series continues with the oversize paper-overboard lift-the-flap book Where's Sam? Here, Sam plays a dual game of dress-up and hide-and-seek. For ""Who is hiding behind the balloons?"" readers lift a colorful flap to discover ""It'
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Mikyla Bruder, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Frankie Frankeny, Photographer Chronicle Books $17.95 (60p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3491-9
From an Otoh Gunga Cowabunga (featuring ""Bubble City Pops,... floating frozen confections"") to all that's needed to enjoy ""Jabba's Movie Marathon"" (including a recipe for ""Salacious Crumb Couch Potatoes""), The Star Wars Party Book: Recipes...
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Michael Street, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Alan Tiegreen, Illustrator Seastar Books $14.95 (128p) ISBN 978-1-58717-013-3
Readers learn how to play ""Fourteen Out,"" ""Captive Queens"" or ""Klondike"" in Lucky 13: Solitaire Games for Kids by Michael Street, illus. by Alan Tiegreen. Offering over 65 ways to play, the volume provides step-by-step directions,...
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Kristen M. Nobles, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Cader Company, Author Chronicle Books $7.95 (5p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2861-1
Youngest children can have a turn at the wheel in Drive This Book by Wernher Krutein and Bill Goidell. If they press a tire on each of 10 vehicles, they can hear the engines roar, including an ambulance, school bus and fire trucks. ( May)
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Mark Blum, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (56p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3172-7
Big Trucks and Diggers in 3D by Mark Blum allows readers to view a ""TH103 Telescopic Handler"" (named for an extension that stretches out like a telescope) and a ""854G Wheel Dozer"" through a pair of 3D lenses built into the front-cover flap....
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Hayde Ardalan, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Hayde Ardalan, Illustrator Chronicle Books $7.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2843-7
The charming and self-assured feline introduced in Milton is back in Milton Goes to the Vet by Hayd Ardalan. Worn out after his trip to the vet (which wasn't as bad as Milton had expected), the hero eyes a bird and says, ""That bird will keep a
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James Calder, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $11.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3499-5
When Silicon Valley filmmaker Bill Damen learns that a guest at his girlfriend's dinner party has died, allegedly of food poisoning, the natural-born PI goes into investigative ""stealth mode""; a quick visit to the dead woman's biotech company,
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A. J. Wood, Author, Maggie Kneen, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (20p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3210-6
The Pigglytoes family has different ideas about what makes Christmas special, but baby piglet understands that it doesn't come wrapped in a box. A.J. Wood's rhyming text and Maggie Kneen's illustrations, with foldout flaps and sparkling foil, ...
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Jennifer Knapp, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (64p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2498-9
Kids can make ""Hollywood Handbags,"" folksy robots out of tin cans, ""funny putty"" and ""silly slime"" with Cool Crafts for Creative Kids by Jennifer Knapp. Most elements are already in the kitchen cabinet. Bright photographs of finished crafts,
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Jennifer Knapp, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2028-8
Two energetic, shadowy-black canines romp through the pages of this offbeat travelogue from newcomer Knapp. Astro is a pensive pooch who ""ponders blades of grass, half empty food bowls, and astrophysics,"" but isn't above a gambol in the garbage...
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Bernardino De Sahagun, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Barbara Cooney, Illustrator Seastar Books $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-087-4
Spirit Child: A Story of the Nativity, trans. by John Bierhorst, illus. by Barbara Cooney, and originally published in 1984, relates an ancient Aztec tale that dates back to the 16th century. Cooney evokes distinctive, spare desert landscapes, ...
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Jean Baptiste Baronian, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Noris Kern, Illustrator Chronicle Books $15.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3319-6
In Will You Still Love Me? by Jean- Baptiste Baronian, illus. by Noris Kern, a follow-up to I Love You with All My Heart, Polo the polar bear is sad because his mother and father are too busy to play with him. Then Polo notices his mother's tummy
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Lois Anne Rothert, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Don Smith, Photographer . Chronicle $50 (224p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3342-4
Of the 84 soups, potages, marmites and more that Rothert draws from 17 Gallic regions, some are unusual twists on tradition (Cabbage Soup with Walnut Oil) and others have stood for many generations (Potage Crecy or Cream of Carrot Soup), although...
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Mymi Doinet, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Benjamin Chaud, Illustrator Chronicle Books $5.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3279-3
Designed in the rounded shape of a pumpkin, The Halloween Activity Book: Creepy, Crawly, Hairy, Scary Things to Do by Mymi Doinet, illus. by Benjamin Chaud, opens with a brief history of the holiday followed by ideas for the big day.
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Frederic Clement, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.95 (64p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3294-6
Frederic Clement's The Merchant of Marvels and the Peddler of Dreams (1995), trans. by Emma Cole, the tale of Frederick Knick-Knack and his quest for the perfect birthday gift for the friend who has everything, returns. Creamy, heavyweight pages
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Inc Philobolus, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, John Kane, Photographer , photos by John Kane. North-South/SeaStar $9.95 (96p) ISBN 978-1-58717-136-9
This volume does not feature ordinary asanas. In fact, according to the opening note, "It isn't even really yoga." This mind-bending collection of photographs and word play, presented by Pilobolus—the internationally renowned...
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Joyce Raimondo, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (24p) ISBN 978-1-58717-130-7
Matisse also figures prominently in The Museum of Modern Art's Art Safari Collage Activity Kit by Joyce Raimondo, former Family Programs Coordinator at the Museum of Modern Art. Focusing on animal-themed artwork from the museum's expansive...
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Mark Bowden, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Stephen E. Ambrose, Foreword by , intro. by Stephen Ambrose. Chronicle $24.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3050-8
Both Ambrose and Bowden have been in the news lately, Ambrose for allegations of plagiarism and Bowden as the author of the now screen-adapted Black Hawk Down. Ambrose's contribution is minimal, a brief foreword that sets the stage for Operation
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Alastair Fuad-Luke, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $35 (352p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3548-0
From a solar electric bus to fashions made from recycled inner tubes, EcoDesign: The Sourcebook showcases some of the most innovative, environmentally friendly products and prototypes from around the world. The 700-some designs include furniture,
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Andrew Moore, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Andrew Moore, Photographer Chronicle Books $40 (132p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3343-1
Andrew Moore's large-format color photographs offer breathtaking views of the Cuban capital's crumbling baroque splendor in Inside Havana. The photographs, a mix of street scenes and interiors, show color-saturated stucco storefronts and ...
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Michael J. Krieger, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $35 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-343-3
Sensitive reportage and keen photography are effective complements in this charming and informative sea travelogue. Through these pages, readers will visit rustic cargo vessels in remote portsfrom the Peloponnisos, Fjords and Fijis to the banks of...
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Richard Diebenkorn, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Barnaby Conrad III, Author Chronicle Books $60 (116p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4218-1
This chapbook of uncollected figurative images by West Coast artist Richard Diebenkorn, known mostly for his abstractions, brings together a body of work that precedes his most famous Ocean Park paintings, and perhaps sheds some new light on them....
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Richard Diebenkorn, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Barnaby Conrad III, Author Chronicle Books $29.95 (116p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4219-8
This chapbook of uncollected figurative images by West Coast artist Richard Diebenkorn, known mostly for his abstractions, brings together a body of work that precedes his most famous Ocean Park paintings, and perhaps sheds some new light on them....
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Christine Malloy, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Malloy, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (8p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3488-9
Created in association with the American Museum of Natural History, two Flip Out and Learn books by Christine Corning Malloy, illus. by Aaron Leighton, introduce science and nature topics tucked into a sturdy slipcase. The Solar System extends ...
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Christine Malloy, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Christine Corning Malloy, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (8p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3489-6
Created in association with the American Museum of Natural History, two Flip Out and Learn books by Christine Corning Malloy, illus. by Aaron Leighton, introduce science and nature topics tucked into a sturdy slipcase. The Solar System extends ...
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Keith Hamm, Author, Chronicle Books, Author . Chronicle $24.95 (240p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4053-8
Despite the subtitle, this homegrown, lowdown book comprises a full-blown history of skateboarding through paradigmatic case studies. Former Santa Barbara Independent
reporter Hamm, who has been skateboarding since age six and had a concrete "bo
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Karin Goodwin, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (256p) ISBN 978-0-8118-1989-3
At 30, Eleanor May ""Bean"" Shank, the loquaciously cynical narrator of this meandering novel, decides to leave her alcoholic, cheating boyfriend and boring bank job behind. Tucked into her suitcase are a bottle of Scotch and a camera, her...
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Matt Maranian, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Robert Field, Illustrator Chronicle Books $22.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3785-9
Beneath the wacky, kitschy veneer of designer, vintage-clothes hawker and style writer Maranian's latest book (he also authored Pad, a book about funky interior design), lies the heart of a conscientious host and dutiful party planner. Among his...
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Lydia Guibert Ferrara, Author, Lidia Guibert Ferrara, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $25 (128p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3665-4
Imagine 129 full-page color plates of some of the most languid women ever painted in the West, one after another, and you'll have some idea of the cumulative effect of this book. It lacks a subtitle presumably because the title describes the book's...
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Betty Rosbottom, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (352p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3604-3
When the temperature climbs and it's time to fire up the backyard grill again, culinary author Rosbottom's hefty cookbook will give grillers a treasure-trove of recipes, combining old favorites with delectable twists. Not limiting herself to the...
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Richard Marshall, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Robert Mapplethorpe, Illustrator Chronicle Books $18.95 (118p) ISBN 978-0-87701-397-6
Marshall doesn't quite live up to his wish ""to convey a sense of the quality and diversity of contemporary art being done in New York City.'' Most of the 50 artists represented here, including Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist, Andy Warhol, Willem de...
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Mark Johnstone, Author, Leslie Aboud Holzman, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $40 (276p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3541-1
San Francisco might be better known for being part of the alternative-lifestyle vanguard than for being a ""hotbed"" of creative accomplishment, but this well-intentioned volume makes a case for the city's thriving visual art scene. Featuring...
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Tori Ritchie, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Victoria Pearson, Photographer Chronicle Books $14.95 (96p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4292-1
From ""Warm Finger Foods"" to ""Something Sweet,"" Ritchie, the host of Food Network's Ultimate Kitchens, makes harmonizing a diversity of small dishes seem like small potatoes. With sumptuous photos by Chronicle regular Victoria Pearson, Ritchie...
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Diane Dorrans Saeks, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, David Duncan Livingston, Photographer Chronicle Books $40 (204p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4043-9
Architecturally, San Francisco style encompasses elements ranging from Victorian to modernist. Aesthetically, it varies, yet some driving forces persist; namely, ""personal style, individuality and dream-fulfillment."" In this lush volume, Saeks,...
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Nelson K. Cabra, Author, Katherine E. Nelson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $50 (272p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4040-8
Top designers enjoy celebrity status in Scandinavian culture, and no wonder--their creations have invaded almost every living space within reach of an IKEA. But the region's old emphasis on plain colors and molded wood are long gone. As this...
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Christopher Rouser, Author, Victoria Traig, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (108p) ISBN 978-0-8118-4319-5
In a book that could make even the most daring foodies cringe, Rouser and Traig (co-author of Judaikitsch) provide more than 50 recipes for readers who wish to craft a meal out of items from the local mini-mart. Employing everything from Cheez Whiz...
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Sally Miles, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Errol Le Cain, Illustrator Chronicle Books $13.95 (32p) ISBN 978-0-87701-527-7
When Alfi wakes up in the middle of the night, he wonders out loud where the Dark goes when the lights are turned on. The Dark hears Alfi's question and agrees to answer him, but only after the boy offers his own theory. Alfi suggests that the Dark...
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Naomi Kojima, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (31p) ISBN 978-0-87701-604-5
Humble Andre has always aspired to be a great chef, but he is unprepared for what results when the Emperor presents him with the tallest chef's hat imaginable. He impulsively vows that the hat will never leave his head, thus paving the way for...
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Rosemary E. Scott, Author, Percival David Foundation Of Chinese Art, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $22.95 (135p) ISBN 978-0-87701-612-0
Smitten by the riches of the Imperial Collection, connoisseur Sir Percival David (1892-1964) braved the ``insuperable obstacles'' posed by rival Chinese collectors--and the chicaneries of the Chinese bank which then owned the priceless porcelains in
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Mahlon F. Craft, Author, And KY Craft, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-58717-120-8
So perfect are the Pre-Raphaelite details and gestures that it's easy to imagine Kinuko Craft's (Adventures of Tom Thumb) paintings hanging in a gallery. Her husband Mahlon Craft's enhanced version of Sleeping Beauty affords wide scope for the ...
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Carrol J. Lorant, Author, Terry Lorant, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-377-8
This is a lavishly illustrated history and celebration of the Pickle Family Circus, a cooperative circus that has toured on the West Coast since 1976 and was founded by members of the San Francisco Mime Troupe. With detailed quotations from former...
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David Nash, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $24.95 (67p) ISBN 978-0-938491-07-1
This collection of photographs of works by Nash, a wood sculptor who has lived and worked in Wales for the past 20 years, shows the varied ways in which the artist creates forms from wood while remaining true to the nature of the material. In some...
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Thor Heyerdahl, Author, Christopher Ralling, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $35 (335p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0026-6
In late 1936 explorer Heyerdahl set out from Norway for an island in the South Seas called Fatu Hiva. Eschewing the complications and corruptions of the civilized world, Heyerdahl planned to immerse himself in the ``great anthropological mysteries''
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Norah Titley, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Nion McEvoy, Editor Chronicle Books $24.95 (125p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0132-4
This pretty picture book only flirts with garden history. Despite the caveat, it's a pleasant and valuable survey of gardens in Asian art. Titley, former curator of Turkish and Persian manuscripts in the British Library Oriental Collections, and...
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Barnaby Conrad, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-87701-486-7
Few drinks conjure the cultural associations and charged atmospheres that absinthe does, even now, some 70 years after its ban in Europe and the U.S. Freelance writer Conrad sees absinthe ``as a skeleton key to the fin de siecle's secrets.'' An...
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Barnaby Conrad, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Loomis Dean, Photographer Chronicle Books $18.95 (159p) ISBN 978-0-87701-547-5
``With Hemingway, if you didn't like Spain there wasn't much else he wanted to talk to you about,'' writes Conrad ( Matador ), and though it is undoubtedly odd to tell of Hemingway's fascination with things Spanish in a coffee-table ``lifestyle''...
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Annette Carlozzi, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Gay Block, Illustrator Chronicle Books $18.95 (120p) ISBN 978-0-87701-372-3
Using the same format as 50 New York Artists (Paperback Forecasts, Sept. 26), this title suffers in a similar way by according an equal amount of space to photographs of the artists as to their work. Nonetheless this book is perhaps more successful...
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Ron Strickland, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $12.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-394-5
Strickland (Going the Distance: The Pacific Northwest Trail interviewed 39 Vermonters who talk about themselves and the way things used to be (and in some parts of the state still are). Agnes Deering, postmistress and poet of Guildhall, always has...
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Jennie Low, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $9.95 (159p) ISBN 978-0-87701-421-8
Born in Hong Kong, Low now teaches cooking in the United States and offers here a personal, ""homestyle'' approach that nonetheless gives the basics of Chinese techniques. Dumplings and shrimp toast, congee and winter melon soup, and various sweets...
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Lisa Law, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (143p) ISBN 978-0-87701-465-2
In 1965, 22-year-old Law was living in a Los Angeles mansion where Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan and various musicians subletted suites. Joining this casual music scene, she took intimate snapshots of such stars as Lou Reed, John Sebastian and Janis Joplin,
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Lauren Greenfield, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Lauren Greenfield, Photographer . Chronicle $40 (156p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3790-3
Greenfield's stark photographs of girls and young women doing everything from practicing Tae-Bo in Beverly Hills to performing lap dances in Las Vegas aren't for the faint of heart. But the collection is so hard to put down that it's not
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Sally Gardner, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $15.95 (40p) ISBN 978-0-8118-3320-2
Holding true to what the cover promises, The Fairy Tale Catalog: Everything You Need to Make a Fairy Tale by Sally Gardner offers a selection of ""good"" and ""bad fairies,"" ""tooth fairies"" and half price ""clearance fairies."" Also for sale,...
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Leonard Koren, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Tokyo Merry Studio, Illustrator Chronicle Books $9.95 (174p) ISBN 978-0-87701-483-6
Koren, an architect and author of New Fashion Japan, divides his time between San Francisco and Tokyo. The Japanese, he proclaims, are ``the world's retailers par excellence,'' ferociously competitive yet with a high regard for service, quality and...
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Charles Simmons, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (176p) ISBN 978-0-8118-2182-7
Simmons, a former editor at the New York Times Book Review, made his name as a writer with a series of surreal comic novels, including Powdered Eggs and Wrinkles, but the present book, a coming-of-age novella, is a complete change of pace. Written...
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Nancy Boas, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $39.95 (224p) ISBN 978-0-938491-03-3
This oversize, attractive study examines the lives and oeuvres of six plein-air painters who worked in northern California early in this century and who called themselves the Society of Six or the Oakland SixSelden Gile, August Gay, Louis Siegriest,
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Ruthanne Lum McCune, Author, Ruthanne Lum McCunn, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $16.95 (174p) ISBN 978-0-87701-491-1
The experience of the Chinese in America offers compelling analogies for U.S. immigrants of all backgrounds. Born in San Francisco's Chinatown, the author of Thousand Pieces of Gold notes the difference between two Chinese-English phrasebooks...
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Scott Bruce, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (119p) ISBN 978-0-87701-535-2
Baby-boomers with nostalgia for their childhoods and trivia buffs might enjoy this detailed account of kiddie lunch boxes that is thoroughly illustrated with more than 100 color photographs. In his intermittently interesting text, Bruce, who edits...
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Colin West, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $11.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-518-5
``I brought my love a tabby cat, / A tabby cat, a tabby cat, / My love made him a velvet hat / To wear when we were wed.'' Thus begins West's whimsical, enchanting story about a woman who gives her betrothed animals, for which he then tailors...
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Robert Lambert, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $27.5 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-555-0
``My complaint against traditional American desserts is that, while they often look tasty in their kitsch bliss of squiggly icing and mile-high meringue, they rarely deliver,'' proclaims pastry chef Lambert. ``If all you experience is sugar, you...
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Bosker G. Lencek, Author, Lena Lencek, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-398-3
As this extensive pictorial history vividly chronicles, swimsuits have gauged the ``public undressing of America'' for over a century. More than a fashion statement or a seaworthy garment, the bathing suit has been the impetus behind the...
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Mitsuhiro Kurokawa, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $14.95 (54p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0257-4
The American editor of Kurokawa's striking picture book--first published in Japan--says, ``Imagine living, breathing, noisy animals rather than the quiet, dusty skeletons you see in museums.'' Children can do exactly that in this informative,...
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Martha Drexler Lynn, Author, Los Angeles County Museum Of Art, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $24.95 (239p) ISBN 978-0-87701-756-1
Highlighting a portion of the 20th-century ceramics collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, this handsome book showcases both the functional and sculptural aspects of the clay medium, from Laura sps ok throughout/pk Andreson's elegantly...
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Eriksson E. Nilsson, Author, Ulf Nilsson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $6.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-610-6
In the first of these two additions to the Little Bunny series, the title character and Big Brother Rabbit go to the beach. She is blissful in the water--floating, playing and ignoring Big Brother, who has been watching over her. When she is left...
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Rosa Mashiter, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Milanda Lopez, Illustrator Chronicle Books $6.95 (60p) ISBN 978-0-87701-622-9
Crumpets, brown bread ice-cream and Northumberland ``Singin' Hinny'' are among the morsels proposed for an English tea in this decorous midget of a book (4 5). But recipes, charmingly illustrated, are written with the British cook in mind. Before...
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Books Inc Marquand, Author, Harold B. Nelson, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $19.95 (0p) ISBN 978-0-87701-598-7
This appealing but brief illustrated survey of American paintings of the sea by Nelson, director of the Long Beach (Calif.) Museum of Art, opens with work that depicts human mastery of nature, and closes with pictures that seem to question whether...
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Carleton Emmons Watkins, Author, Chronicle Books, Author, Jeffrey Fraenkel, Editor Chronicle Books $75 (219p) ISBN 978-0-938491-27-9
``If this business don't give us a living we will go and squat on some government land and raise spuds.'' This forlorn statement by Watkins (1829-1916), a pioneering photographer who began his career by chance as a commercial portraitist in Golden...
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Rafael Sabatini, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $10.95 (313p) ISBN 978-0-8118-0190-4
Delightfully courtly, flowery but not dated, Sabatini's period romances--Scaramouche unfolds over the years leading up to the French Revolution--were deservedly popular when originally published, during the 20s and 30s. (July)
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Sabine Lohf, Author, Chronicle Books, Author Chronicle Books $6.95 (26p) ISBN 978-0-87701-666-3
With colder weather around the corner, parents will soon be scrambling for constructive projects to occupy house-bound children. This pair of inventive craft books from Germany are a welcome addition to the bookshelf. Full-color photographs and...
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Chronicle. Chronicle, $9.99 (10p) ISBN 978-1-4521-7522-5
In this interactive board book, readers can manipulate the plush arms of a white bunny puppet poking through two die-cut holes. The bunny, who in illustrations has an alert, friendly look, whiskers, and a pink underbelly, communicates with gentle...
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Chronicle, illus. by Wednesday Kirwan. Chronicle, $10.99 (10p) ISBN 978-1-4521-7457-0
In this interactive board book, readers can nudge a side wheel to reveal tiny patterned eggs hidden behind flaps on each page: “Turn the wheel to choose an egg. Then, guess where the egg might be hiding.” As the wheel turns, readers can choose...
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Chronicle Books, illus. by Katie Hickey. Chronicle, $17.99 (72p) ISBN 978-1-4521-7407-5
The cover of this volume features advent windows that correspond with holiday crafts and other activities from the first of December through Christmas Eve. Corresponding spreads within the book reveal related activities for the Advent season. For...
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