false 58007 0 0 7095050 0641844689 9780641844683 0 <![CDATA[The Partly Cloudy Patriot]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7095050-the-partly-cloudy-patriot 0.0 0 Sarah Vowell travels through the American past and, in doing so, investigates the dusty, bumpy roads of her own life. In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell -- widely hailed for her inimitable stories on public radio's This American Life -- ponders a number of curious questions: Why is she happiest when visiting the sites of bloody struggles like Salem or Gettysburg? Why do people always inappropriately compare themselves to Rosa Parks? Why is a bad life in sunny California so much worse than a bad life anywhere else? What is it about the Zen of foul shots? And, in the title piece, why must doubt and internal arguments haunt the sleepless nights of the true patriot?

Her essays confront a wide range of subjects, themes, icons, and historical moments: Ike, Teddy Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton; Canadian Mounties and German filmmakers; Tom Cruise and Buffy the Vampire Slayer; twins and nerds; the Gettysburg Address, the State of the Union, and George W. Bush's inauguration.

The result is a teeming and engrossing book, capturing Vowell's memorable wit and her keen social commentary.

]]> 2122 3.88 19515 3477 140050 4.32 28 5 6649 3.80 10718 2064 58007 4.24 42 14 2002 100473 0743250249 9780743250245 10 <![CDATA[Bed, Bed, Bed]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171467707m/100473.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171467707s/100473.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/100473.Bed_Bed_Bed 4.32 34 No!, Bed, Bed, Bed features four brief stories written by the Giants and illustrated with surreal panache by Marcel Dzama along with a CD featuring all four stories in song version. "Impossible" explores the possibility of turning into fantastical animals like Octofish and Octofee or growing violet hair that flows down the stairs. Kids will find the silly animals and warped reality delightful and will love singer John Linnell's spacey conspiratorial tone. "Happy Doesn't Have to Have an Ending" tells the story of a hippie kitten "on a secret mission to make a valentine for everyone on earth," who wants everyone to dance and be happy. "Idlewild" slows things down with a softer, sleepier beat and a story about a dreamy trip to the carnival. But the Giants save the best story for last; "Bed Bed Bed Bed Bed" is a well-reasoned and catchy argument for slumber. "I did so many things today, there's nothing left to do", sings guest vocalist Kimya Dawson (in a slower, different version than the one on "No!"). While the story features familiar bedtime milestones, Dzama's illustrations lend the proceedings a compellingly skewed vision in which kids eat three meals in the company of bears and go to bed accompanied by their pet octopus and a tuxedoed rabbit. While the lyrics flow nicely in the songs, they can sometimes be a bit clunky on the page. But even then, the stories and Dzama's illustrations are more imaginative and memorable than most children's books today. --John Moe]]> 58007 4.24 42 14 2003 6897192 0743272757 9780743272759 2 <![CDATA[Kids Go!]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6897192-kids-go 3.50 6 go! go! GO!

This very special book is both a story and a song. So watch the animated DVD, move like a monkey, and sing along!

]]> 58007 4.24 42 14 2009 680744 6309137832 9786309137838 2 <![CDATA[Here Come The ABC's]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/680744.Here_Come_The_ABC_s 5.00 2 58007 4.24 42 14 2005 4989890 0 <![CDATA[No!]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4989890.No_ 0.0 0 58007 4.24 42 14 2002