Search results for ""Carnival""
HarperCollins Publishers The Ersatz Elevator (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Ersatz Elevatorthe siblings face a darkened staircase, a red herring, friends in a dire situation, three mysterious initials, a liar with an evil scheme, a secret passageway and parsley soda. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All The Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Wide Window (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Wide Window the siblings encounter a hurricane, a signalling device, hungry leaches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain and a doll named Pretty Penny. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, A Series of Unfortunate Events has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All The Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd Norman the Slug with a Silly Shell: A laugh-out-loud picture book from the creators of Supertato!
Norman the Slug is looking for a perfect shell—but can he find his match? Find out in this “fantastically bold and fun picture book that will teach children the importance of accepting who you are” (Junior News and Mail). Norman is a slug who longs to be a snail—if only he could find the right shell! He tries a tennis ball, an apple, and even an alarm clock but none of them feels quite right. Until one day, Norman stumbles upon a doughnut! What could be better than that? But is that sweet shell really the perfect fit? From Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, the bestselling, award-winning creators of Barry the Fish with Fingers, I Need a Wee and Supertato!Perfect for fans of Oi Frog! Praise for Norman the Slug with the Silly Shell: 'With similarly bold illustration, eye-catching cover and simple text [as Barry the Fish with Fingers] this has the potential to be another hit.' The Bookseller 'Lovely glittery illustrations and simple text make this a must for pre-schoolers.' The Daily Mail 'A fantastically bold and fun picture book that will teach children the importance of accepting who you are.' Junior News and Mail 'Norman's antics are superbly illustrated in a bold, decorative style and the story carefully crafted to build anticipation and humour.' Books for Keeps 'This is a silly, funny story which young readers will love.' CarouselPraise for Supertato: 'Hilarious... One of the funniest picture books this year - read it and laugh out loud!' Creative Steps Magazine 'Hendra introduces another very silly but irresistible creation in the grand tradition of Barry, Norman, Keith et al.' BooksellerPraise for No-Bot the Robot with No Bottom: 'Fabulously funny and wonderfully warm' Liverpool Echo 'Fans of Barry, Norman and Keith will absolutely adore this new wonderfully eccentric new character' MumsnetSelected other titles by Sue Hendra & Paul Linnet:Barry the Fish with Fingers Keith the Cat with the Magic Hat Doug the Bug that went Boing! I Need a Wee! No-Bot the Robot with No Bottom No-Bot the Robot's New BottomSupertato stories:Supertato Supertato: Veggies Assemble Supertato: Run, Veggies, Run! Supertato: Evil Pea Rules Supertato: Veggies in the Valley of Doom Supertato: Carnival Catastro-Pea Supertato: Bubbly Troubly (coming March 2021)Other Supertato books:Supertato Sticker Activity BookSupertato Super Squad Supertato Sticker Skills (coming May 2021)
£6.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd Norman the Slug with a Silly Shell: A laugh-out-loud picture book from the creators of Supertato!
Norman the Slug is looking for a perfect shell—but can he find his match? Find out in the super sparkly anniversary edition of this much-loved Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet classic! Norman is a slug who longs to be a snail—if only he could find the right shell! He tries a tennis ball, an apple, and even an alarm clock but none of them feels quite right. Until one day, Norman stumbles upon a doughnut! What could be better than that? But is that sweet shell really the perfect fit? From Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, the bestselling, award-winning creators of Barry the Fish with Fingers, I Need a Wee and Supertato!Perfect for fans of Oi Frog! Praise for Norman the Slug with the Silly Shell: 'With similarly bold illustration, eye-catching cover and simple text [as Barry the Fish with Fingers] this has the potential to be another hit.' The Bookseller 'Lovely glittery illustrations and simple text make this a must for pre-schoolers.' The Daily Mail 'A fantastically bold and fun picture book that will teach children the importance of accepting who you are.' Junior News and Mail 'Norman's antics are superbly illustrated in a bold, decorative style and the story carefully crafted to build anticipation and humour.' Books for Keeps 'This is a silly, funny story which young readers will love.' CarouselPraise for Supertato: 'Hilarious... One of the funniest picture books this year - read it and laugh out loud!' Creative Steps Magazine 'Hendra introduces another very silly but irresistible creation in the grand tradition of Barry, Norman, Keith et al.' BooksellerPraise for No-Bot the Robot with No Bottom: 'Fabulously funny and wonderfully warm' Liverpool Echo 'Fans of Barry, Norman and Keith will absolutely adore this new wonderfully eccentric new character' MumsnetSelected other titles by Sue Hendra & Paul Linnet:Barry the Fish with Fingers Keith the Cat with the Magic Hat Doug the Bug that went Boing! I Need a Wee! No-Bot the Robot with No Bottom No-Bot the Robot's New BottomSupertato stories:Supertato Supertato: Veggies Assemble Supertato: Run, Veggies, Run! Supertato: Evil Pea Rules Supertato: Veggies in the Valley of Doom Supertato: Carnival Catastro-Pea Supertato: Bubbly Troubly (coming March 2021)Other Supertato books:Supertato Sticker Activity BookSupertato Super Squad Supertato Sticker Skills (coming May 2021)
£6.99
Hachette Australia The Perilous Promotion of Trilby Moffat: Trilby Moffat: Book 2
With the past safely restored to the past, Trilby Moffat is looking forward to sitting down to a big slice of cake and a good crossword puzzle. But she's about to find out that the job of Time Keeper is never done and the future has other plans for her . . . extremely perilous plans.'This looks dangerous,' said Trilby, who was tied to an antique parlour chair teetering on the edge of a rocky cliff. The man in the top hat arched one prickly eyebrow. 'Children can be so ungrateful. This will be the trip of a lifetime!' he said, pointing to the endless dark water below.Trilby Moffat is in grave danger, again. When she arrives on a secret island outside of time, in search of her missing mother, she knows she's in trouble. A strange festival is about to take place and Trilby is the guest of honour.Travellers from all over time are flocking to this mysterious carnival with its treasure markets, floating cupcakes and a terrifying surprise. Now Trilby and her friends must race against time (literally) to reveal the dark truth lurking beneath their beautiful island. Friendship will be tested. Loyalty is stretched to the limits and a skittish prehistoric bird named Anton will destroy Trilby's favourite jumper.Just when she thinks time is on her side, Trilby is about to get a perilous promotion.Praise for Trilby Moffat:'A must-read for lovers of madcap adventures' The Guardian, Best Australian Children's Books of 2023'[A] wonderful tale with humour and the right amount of excitement. This is great fun' Good Reading Magazine'What a delicious book this is! Bursting with rich language, big ideas and sardonic humour . . . A gloriously enjoyable, rollicking reading experience for young and old' Living Arts Canberra'Packed with her trademark clever humour, Temple's fast-paced, time-twisting adventure marks the beginning of an ambitious new series for middle-grade readers' Books+Publishing'Insanely good, beautifully unique, cleverly written, brilliantly funny and wonderfully scary' Karen Foxlee, author of Lenny's Book of Everything'A cheeky tale, with treasures on every page. Utterly delightful' Jeremy Lachlan, author of Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds'Funny and clever and crazy and brilliant . . . This is magical realism at its absolute best for middle grade readers' ReadPlus
£9.37
HarperCollins Publishers The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Slippery Slope the siblings face a secret message, a toboggan, a deceitful trap, a swarm of snow gnats and a scheming villain… In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All the Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Reptile Room (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Reptile Room the siblings endure a car accident, a terrible smell, a deadly serpent, a long knife, a brass reading lamp, and the re-appearance of a person they’d hoped never to see again. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, A Series of Unfortunate Events has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All The Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Austere Academy (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Austere Academy the siblings face snapping crabs, strict punishments, dripping fungus, comprehensive exams, violin recitals, S.O.R.E. and the metric system. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All The Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Miserable Mill (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Miserable Mill the siblings encounter a giant pincher machine, a bad casserole, a man with a cloud of smoke where his head should be, a hypnotist, a terrible accident and coupons. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, A Series of Unfortunate Events has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All The Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Bad Beginning 20th anniversary gift edition (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Lemony Snicket’s The Bad Beginning is the first book in the globally bestselling series A Series of Unfortunate Events. This exclusive gold foiled 20th anniversary hardback gift edition commemorates the miserable fact that every child in the world has wanted this brilliantly funny book for twenty years. Perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and Mr Gum, young readers of 9 to 11 will adore the mischievously dark humour. Lemony Snicket’s 'A Series of Unfortunate Events’ has been made into a blockbuster Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey and is also a hit Netflix TV series. Now with new anniversary blurb by the mysterious author himself. Dear Reader, For the past twenty years, my books have been upsetting the countless readers who have been foolish enough to begin to read them. The three Baudelaire siblings and their lives of misery and woe have now been responsible for more than two decades of weeping. From the very first page of this book, when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, to the last page, when something goes wrong at the worst possible moment, disaster strikes Violet, Klaus and Sunny wherever they go. In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast. I have spent the last twenty years writing down these unpleasant details so that they might be available to the general public, but there is nothing stopping the general public, or you, from putting this book down at once and reading something less upsetting, if you prefer that sort of thing. With all due respect,Lemony Snicket Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad BeginningThe Reptile RoomThe Wide WindowThe Miserable MillThe Austere AcademyThe Ersatz ElevatorThe Vile VillageThe Hostile HospitalThe Carnivorous CarnivalThe Slippery SlopeThe Grim GrottoThe Penultimate PerilThe End And what about All the Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’‘When Did you Last See Her?’‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Vile Village (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Vile Village the siblings face such unpleasant matters as migrating crows, an angry mob, a newspaper headline, the arrest of innocent people, the Deluxe cell, and some very strange hats. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All the Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Grim Grotto (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Grim Grotto, the siblings face mushrooms, a desperate search for something lost, a mechanical monster, a distressing message from a lost friend, and tap dancing… In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All the Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Hostile Hospital (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Hostile Hospital the siblings face a suspicious shopkeeper, unnecessary surgery, heart-shaped balloons, and some very startling news about a fire. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All the Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Dear reader, There is nothing to be found in Lemony Snicket’s ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ but misery and despair. You still have time to choose another international best-selling series to read. But if you insist on discovering the unpleasant adventures of the Baudelaire orphans, then proceed with caution… Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are intelligent children. They are charming, and resourceful, and have pleasant facial features. Unfortunately, they are exceptionally unlucky. In The Bad Beginning, the siblings encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune and cold porridge for breakfast. In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Despite their wretched contents, ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ has sold 60 million copies worldwide and been made into a Hollywood film starring Jim Carrey. And in the future things are poised to get much worse, thanks to the forthcoming Netflix series starring Neil Patrick Harris. You have been warned. Are you unlucky enough to own all 13 adventures? The Bad Beginning The Reptile Room The Wide Window The Miserable Mill The Austere Academy The Ersatz Elevator The Vile Village The Hostile Hospital The Carnivorous Carnival The Slippery Slope The Grim Grotto The Penultimate Peril The End And what about All the Wrong Questions? In this four-book series a 13-year-old Lemony chronicles his dangerous and puzzling apprenticeship in a mysterious organisation that nobody knows anything about: ‘Who Could That Be at This Hour?’ ‘When Did you Last See Her?’ ‘Shouldn’t You Be in School?’ ‘Why is This Night Different from All Other Nights?’ Lemony Snicket was born before you were and is likely to die before you as well. He was born in a small town where the inhabitants were suspicious and prone to riot. He grew up near the sea and currently lives beneath it. Until recently, he was living somewhere else. Brett Helquist was born in Ganado, Arizona, grew up in Orem, Utah, and now lives in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Brigham Young University and has been illustrating ever since. His art has appeared in many publications, including Cricket magazine and The New York Times.
£7.99
Peepal Tree Press Ltd Lara Rains and Colonial Rites
Howard Fergus's poems explore the nature of living on Montserrat, a 'two-be-three island/hard like rock', vulnerable to the forces of nature (Hurricane Hugo and the erupting Soufriere) and still 'this British corridor'. He writes honestly and observantly about these contingencies, finding in them metaphors for experiences which are universal. Nature's force strips life to its bare essentials ('Soufriere opened a new bible/in her pulpit in the hills/ to teach us the arithmetic of days') and reveals creation and destruction as one ('We celebrate Hugo child of God/ he killed and made alive for a season').In a small island society, individual lives take on an enhanced significance: they are its one true resource and the sequence of obituary poems brings home with especial force how irreplaceable they are. Beyond Montserrat, Fergus looks for a wider Caribbean unity, but finds it only in cricket (and crime). Cricket, indeed, provides a major focus for his sense of the ironies of Caribbean history: that through a white-flannelled colonial rite with its roots in an imperial sense of Englishness, the West Indies has found its only true political framework and the means, explored in the sequence of poems celebrating Brian Lara's feats of 1994, to overturn symbolically the centuries of enslavement and colonialism."Fergus is a poet of real stature."Stewart Brown, Longman Caribbean New Voices 1"Fergus reaches his peak with fine poems dedicated to his friends, none among them as penetrating as Timo. A larger-than-life character, Timo is good from the heart and generous to the bone. This archetypal character is fast disappearing, and Fergus reminds us through a last bedside visit. But he does something else that rings true. He captures Timo's essentially nativist language, the lingua franca of the praise-song; this poem is no wooden obituary. Far beyond the mythic spectator fields of Lord's and mythic Elysium, we applaud Fergus on this second stride to the wicket. His first poetic volume, "Allioguana," rightfully alluded to the rich incantatory Amerindian legacy of this island. A mature poet, Howard A. Fergus is caught playing in familiar themes far afield."Edgar Othniel Lake, The Caribbean WriterHoward Fergus was born at Long Ground in Montserrat. His poetry began appearing from 1976, with Cotton Rhymes; Green Innocence (1978), Stop the Carnival (1980), and his poems have been anthologised in the Penguin Book of Caribbean Verse and appeared in Artrage, Writing Ulster, Bim, The New Voices, Caribbean Quarterly, Ambit, Caribanthology and others. His most recent collection is Volcano Verses (Peepal Tree, 2003).
£8.23
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc Black Voices: Inspiring & Empowering Quotes from Global Thought Leaders
Find wisdom, inspiration, and new insight in this definitive volume of empowering quotes from the Pan African world. With over 60 quotations—carefully researched by National Black Cultural Information Trust founder, Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor—Black Voices is your go-to source for powerful words from both famous Black individuals in history and new and lesser-known voices. From this diverse spectrum of perspectives and experiences, gain a deeper understanding of Black culture and history. Some of the inspirational quotes include:“I’m very interested in, ‘What does it mean for us to cultivate together?’ Community that allows for risk, the risk of knowing someone outside your own boundaries, the risk that is love. There is no love that does not involve risk.” —bell hooks, African American feminist scholar“Our youth, our drive, our diversity and openness, our boundless capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future should be ours. But that potential will only be realized if our democracy works. Only if our politics better reflects the decency of our people.” —Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States and the first Black American president Spotlighting Black writers, artists, scholars, politicians, activists, and visionaries from all eras and backgrounds, each quote is accompanied by a short biography of its writer or speaker. This engaging and information-packed book touches on aspects and subjects relevant to Black lives, including and featuring, among many others, the voices of: Culture and History: Werewere Liking, author (Cameroon) Education and Knowledge: Mĩcere Gĩthae Mũgo, author, poet, and playwright (Kenya) Justice, Civil Rights, and Human Rights: Ida B. Wells, journalist and activist (USA) Race and Racism: Paul Stephenson, civil rights activist (UK) Gender, Feminism, and Womanism: Ketanji Brown Jackson, first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court (USA) Peace and Love: Basetsana Kumalo, businesswoman and television personality (South Africa) Inspiration, Hope, and Perseverance: Dudley Laws, activist (Canada) Freedom and Liberation: Claudia Jones, political activist and cofounder of Notting Hill Carnival (UK) Politics: Francia Márquez, 13th vice president of Colombia Blackness: Walter Rodney, scholar and activist (Guyana) Pan Africanism: Amy Jacques Garvey, Pan Africanist, journalist, and civil rights activist (Jamaica) The book also features the lush, vibrant artwork of six Black artists from around the world: Affen Segun, Nigerian painter (Instagram: @affensegun) Erin K. Robinson, American illustrator (Instagram: @brooklyndolly) Gilles Mayk Navangi, Belgian painter, illustrator, and sculptor (Instagram: @ngm_world) Nicole Collie, Bahamian painter (Portfolio: nicolecollie.com) Rendani Nemakhavhani, South African illustrator, visual artist, and art director (Instagram: @prsdnthoney) Uzo Njoku, Nigerian American visual artist (Portfolio: uzonjoku.com) Black Voices is a must-have reference to Pan African culture and history.
£14.99
Random House USA Inc Fodor's Essential Caribbean
Whether you want to stay at an all-inclusive resort, find the best beach, or snorkel around some of the world’s best coral reefs, the local Fodor’s travel experts in the Caribbean are here to help! Fodor’s Essential Caribbean guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your trip-planning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos.Fodor’s Essential Caribbean travel guide includes: AN ILLUSTRATED ULTIMATE EXPERIENCES GUIDE to the top things to see and do MULTIPLE ITINERARIES to effectively organize your days and maximize your time MORE THAN 65 DETAILED MAPS to help you navigate confidently COLOR PHOTOS throughout to spark your wanderlust! HONEST RECOMMENDATIONS on the best sights, restaurants, hotels, nightlife, shopping, activities, and more PHOTO-FILLED “BEST OF” FEATURES on “Best Luxury All-Inclusive Resorts,” “Best Outdoor Activities,” “Best Beaches in the Caribbean,” “Best Places to Experience Carnival” “Best Dive and Snorkel Destinations” and more TRIP-PLANNING TOOLS AND PRACTICAL TIPS including when to go, getting around, beating the crowds, and saving time and money HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL INSIGHTS providing rich context on the local people, cuisine, geography and more SPECIAL FEATURES on “Flavors of the Caribbean” “What to Know Before You Go,” “Caribbean Weddings,” and “Renting a Villa” LOCAL WRITERS to help you find the under-the-radar gems UP-TO-DATE COVERAGE ON: Anguilla, Aruba, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bonaire, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Barth’s, St. Kitts & Nevis, Turks & Caicos, the Virgin Islands, and more. Planning on visiting a specific Caribbean Island or taking a Caribbean cruise? Check out Fodor’s Caribbean Cruise Ports of Call, Fodor’s Puerto Rico, InFocus Aruba, InFocus Barbados & Saint Lucia, InFocus Cayman Islands, InFocus St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Barth & Anguilla, InFocus Turks & Caicos, or U.S. and British Virgin Islands.*Important note for digital editions: The digital edition of this guide does not contain all the images or text included in the physical edition.ABOUT FODOR'S AUTHORS: Each Fodor's Travel Guide is researched and written by local experts. Fodor’s has been offering expert advice for all tastes and budgets for over 80 years. For more travel inspiration, you can sign up for our travel newsletter at fodors.com/newsletter/signup, or follow us @FodorsTravel on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We invite you to join our friendly community of travel experts at fodors.com/community to ask any other questions and share your experience with us!
£18.99
Dorling Kindersley Ltd The Black Curriculum Places: Important Sites in Black British History
Learn all about the important places that define Black British History in this informative, boldly illustrated collection of crucial sites. Learn the incredible untold stories of the people, places and journeys that shaped Britain, and be inspired to continue learning beyond the page. In this brand new series from The Black Curriculum, learn about the important places that define Black British History. Dive into untold stories and learn what happened when and where. Who was John Edmonstone, where did he live in Edinburgh, and how did he influence Charles Darwin? What can street names tell us about Britain's links to the Transatlantic Slave Trade? Who campaigned to Free the Cardiff Three and how did St Pauls Carnival get started?Learn all this and more, with this collection of important stories from Black British history around Britain. This book features a foreword from Darcus Beese, bright, bold illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a timeline and glossary of key terms.Explore key places in Black British History alongside: - Specially commissioned illustrations by Amanda Quartey are warm, fun and colourful.- Empowering tone inspires children to ask questions, and continue their learning beyond the page, thinking about the stories they can discover about their own local history- Part of a bold, eye-catching three-part series.- Written byMelody Triumph - Information is presented clearly in an engaging, accessible format.Founded by Lavinya Stennet, the Black Curriculum is an organisation dedicated to promoting the learning of Black British history within schools, via workshops and free teaching resources. Black British history is currently not taught consistently in British schools, despite being recommended by reports such as the Windrush review and the MacPherson Report as a way of tackling racism. This series provides a resource to fill the gap and aims to support the work that the Black Curriculum is doing. The books will act as a resource in the classroom, as well as promoting independent learning. The bold illustrations from Black British illustrators, and age-appropriate text present the information in a fun and accessible way.At DK, we believe in the power of discovery. So why stop there? The Black Curriculum - Places is a three-part series for children aged 8+ who want to learn more about Black British History, alongside teachers seeking to inspire children to learn more about the subject. Explore Black British Pioneers with The Black Curriculum - Legacies and discover an inspiring collection of migration stories from Black British History with The Black Curriculum - Migrations.
£9.99
Quarto Publishing PLC The Story Orchestra: The Planets: Press the note to hear Holst's music: Volume 8
*GOOD HOUSEKEEPING USA BEST KIDS BOOK AWARD 2023 WINNER* Discover the spellbinding magic of The Planets in this musical reimagining of one of Holst’s most famous suites.Push the button on each beautiful scene to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Holst’s score. This tale is about a brother and sister who adventure deep into our solar system. Our story begins one night as Helen and Tim get ready for bed in their new space rocket bunk beds… but sleep will have to wait as they magically blast up, up, up into the glittering night sky, leaving planet Earth far below them. Helen and Tim journey here, there and everywhere through our majestic solar system. They soar past the cold rocky surface of Mars as it rises into towering peaks and plunges into deep canyons and glide through a bumpy asteroid belt made of icy rocks. They blast deeper into our solar system, exploring the dazzling stars and astounding planets along the way. But now it really is time to head home! As the rocket speeds towards Earth, Tim and Helen watch the sun rise over their planet. As you and your little one journey through the magical scenes, you will press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the score. Readers should press firmly on the pages to activate the sounds, encouraging interactive learning and introducing children to this beautiful piece of music. At the back of the book, find a short biography of the composer, Gustav Holst, with details about his composition of The Planets. Next to this, you can replay the musical excerpts and, for each of them, read a discussion of the instruments, rhythms and musical techniques that make them so powerful. A glossary defines musical terms.The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through gorgeously illustrated retellings of classic ballet, opera and program music stories paired with 10-second sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores.Also available from the Story Orchestra series: Four Seasons in One Day, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Carnival of the Animals, The Magic Flute, In the Hall of the Mountain King and I Can Play (vol 1).Manufacturer’s note: please pull the white tab out of the back of the book before use. Sound buttons require a firm push in exact location to work, which may be hard for young children. All sound clips are 10 seconds long.The perfect primer to introduce children to classical music.
£15.29
Quarto Publishing PLC The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker: Press the note to hear Tchaikovsky's music: Volume 2
Follow Clara on a magical Christmas adventure in this musical retelling of The Nutcracker ballet – push the button on each beautiful scene to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Tchaikovsky’s original score.It is Christmas Eve at Clara’s house. Scents of ginger, chocolate and peppermint waft through the air. Clara’s parents are having a party, and her little brother Fritz is decorating the Christmas tree. Clara’s godfather, a toymaker, arrives with gifts, including a very special one for her – a wooden nutcracker carved in the shape of a little man. After Fritz breaks it, the children are sent to bed.The story follows Clara in her dreams as she battles and defeats a mouse king, then travels with her nutcracker-turned-prince to the Land of Sweets where she watches its enchanting inhabitants perform beautiful dances. As you and your little one journey through the magical scenes, you will press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the ballet’s music, including 'The Waltz of the Flowers', 'The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy', 'The Russian Dance', and the awesome 'Finale'.Readers should press firmly on the pages to activate the sound board at the back of the book, encouraging interactive learning and introducing children to this beautiful piece of music.At the back of the book, find a short biography of the composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, with details about his composition of The Nutcracker ballet. Next to this, you can replay the musical excerpts and, for each of them, read a discussion of the instruments, rhythms and musical techniques that make them so powerful. A glossary defines musical terms.The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through gorgeously illustrated retellings of classic ballet, opera and program music stories paired with 10-second sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores. With The Story Orchestra keyboard sound books, children can play the famous melodies themselves with the sound of a real grand piano. Also available from the Story Orchestra series: The Magic Flute, I Can Play (vol 1), Carnival of the Animals, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Four Seasons in One Day.Manufacturer’s note: please pull the white tab out of the back of the book before use. Sound buttons require a firm push in exact location to work, which may be hard for young children. All sound clips are 10 seconds long.The perfect primer to introduce children to classical music.
£15.29
Lonely Planet Global Limited Lonely Planet The Best Things in Life are Free
The second edition of Lonely Planet’s The Best Things in Life are Free is the ultimate guide for travellers who want to find the best value for their next trip. From parks, museums and exercise classes that are free, to insider ideas on food and drink experiences offered at great value. Continent by continent, our on-the-ground experts provide planning tips plus plenty of recommendations to pinpoint bargains.Presented in a beautiful hardback format that features details such as debossing and foil on the cover, this is the perfect book for any traveller on a budget that’s wanting to get the best bang for their buck.Featuring money-saving tips for 130 cities and regions across 85 countriesEach continent has its own chapter that features a toolkit with an introduction to its top budget destinations as well as transport and accommodation information. Themed experiences include Arts & Culture; Festivals & Events; Food & Drink; Outdoors & Adventure; Wellness; and Wildlife Encounters.Africa Recommendations for 17 countries including: Egypt, Mauritius, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania Special feature: - Africa’s Best Affordable Wildlife Encounters Asia Recommendations for 18 countries including: China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand Special features: - Terrific Temples at Tiny Prices- Asia’s Best Cheap Gourmet Grub- Asia’s Best Discount Wildlife Encounters- Best Wet & Wild Activities- Asia’s Best Low-Cost Treks Europe Recommendations for 22 countries including: France, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain Special features:- Europe’s Best Places to Escape a Crowd- Europe’s Best Free Museums & Galleries- Food-Market Magic- Europe’s Best Wild Swimming- Europe’s Best Tours By Public Transport- Europe’s Best Free Walking Tours North & Central America Recommendations for 10 countries including: USA, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Nicaragua Special features:- Top 10 All-American Adventures- Best Street Food- Best National Park Wonders - Free Sports Experiences South America Recommendations for 10 countries including: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay Special features:- Ruins That Won’t Wreck Your Budget- Wine Tasting on a Budget- How to Party at Carnival in Rio- South America’s Wildest Experiences Oceania Recommendations for 8 countries including: Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Tahiti Special features:- Top Cultural Encounters- Best Free Walks- Best Aquatic Adventures About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and phrasebooks for 120 languages, and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, videos, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more, enabling you to explore every day.
£16.99
David R. Godine Publisher Inc Old Poets: Reminiscences and Opinions
“Old Poets is an indispensable jewel.” —Washington Post“An astonishing array of encounters...Hall’s observations are shrewd and generous.” —Boston Globe Intimate portraits of great poets in old age, giving new insight into their work and their lives, and context to the often flawless art created by flawed human beings. The best of themselves endure, and the old poets’ existence and endurance gives readers courage to pursue their own vision. Donald Hall (Essays After Eighty and A Carnival of Losses: Notes Nearing Ninety) knew a great deal about work, about poetry, and about age. Each of those things come together in this unique collection. We hear about Robert Frost as Hall knew him: vain and cruel, a man possessed by guilt. But, as Hall writes, “The poet who survives is the poet to celebrate; the human being who confronts darkness and defeats it is the one to admire. For all his vanity, Robert Frost is admirable: He looked into his desert places, confronted his desire to enter the oblivion of the snowy woods, and drove on.”Hall’s essays are once both intimate portraits and learned treatises. He takes us on a pub crawl through the Welsh countryside with the word-mad Dylan Thomas; to the Faber & Faber office of T. S. Eliot, who had discovered more happiness in age than in youth; to a reading where Robert Frost’s public persona hid the truth; to Brooklyn for lunch with the enigmatic Marianne Moore; and to Italy and for a visit with the notorious Ezra Pound. By the time Hall met them, each poet was, he observed, “old enough to have detached from ongoing poetry, to feel alien to the ambitions of the grandchildren.”Also included are portraits of the poets who taught Hall as a writer: the unfailingly kind Archibald MacLeish and Yvor Winters, from whom he learned the most about poetry. Along the way are observations about many other poets and the literary cultures that sustained them.Contents include: “Vanity, Fame, Love, and Robert Frost,” “Dylan Thomas and Public Suicide,” “Notes on T. S. Eliot,” “Rocks and Whirlpools: Archibald MacLeish and Yvor Winters,” “Marianne Moore: Valiant and Alien,” and “Fragments of Ezra Pound.”For lovers of literature, this is a gorgeous remembrance and likely to compel an immediate visit to the poetry section of the nearest bookstore—as Hall writes, “Their presences have been emblems in my life, and I remember these poets as if I kept them carved in stone.”
£19.99
Quarto Publishing PLC The Story Orchestra: The Magic Flute: Press the note to hear Mozart's music: Volume 6
Discover the sorcery of The Magic Flute in this musical retelling of the opera – push the button on each beautiful scene to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing, and singers singing, from Mozart’s score. This classic opera, reworked for the benefit of younger readers, tells a tale of a prince, a princess and a magic flute, which begins in a mountain ridge between two magical lands. Prince Tamino enters, chased by a dragon, but three brave mountain rangers gallop past on horseback to rescue him. His cowardly friend Papageno comes out from his hiding place and they revive the prince. The rangers ask for one favour in return. Their boss, the Queen of the Night, asks Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter, Princess Pamina, from the evil Sun King. She gives Tamino a magic flute and Papageno some magic bells to help them. The story follows Prince Tamino as he breaks into the Sun King’s palace, charms the court with his magic flute, and gets caught by the guards. Will the prince escape with the princess? As you and your little one journey through the magical scenes, you will press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the opera’s music. Readers should press firmly on the pages to activate the sounds, encouraging interactive learning and introducing children to this beautiful piece of music. At the back of the book, find a short biography of the composer, Mozart, with details about his composition of The Magic Flute. Next to this, you can replay the musical excerpts and, for each of them, read a discussion of the instruments, rhythms and musical techniques that make them so powerful. A glossary defines musical terms.The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through gorgeously illustrated retellings of classic ballet, opera and program music stories paired with 10-second sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores. With The Story Orchestra keyboard sound books, children can play the famous melodies themselves with the sound of a real grand piano.Also available from the series: I Can Play (vol 1), Carnival of the Animals, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Four Seasons in One Day.Manufacturer’s note: please pull the white tab out of the back of the book before use. Sound buttons require a firm push in exact location to work, which may be hard for young children. All sound clips are 10 seconds long.The perfect primer to introduce children to classical music.
£15.29
Quarto Publishing PLC The Story Orchestra: Swan Lake: Press the note to hear Tchaikovsky's music: Volume 4
Discover the spellbinding magic of Swan Lake in this musical retelling of the ballet – push the button on each beautiful scene to hear the vivid sound of an orchestra playing from Tchaikovsky’s score.This tale of a prince, a beautiful swan princess and an evil sorcerer begins in a woodland clearing far, far away. It is Prince Siegfried’s 21st birthday. He is playing games with his friends when his mother, the Queen, arrives to tell him he needs to stop having fun and start looking after the kingdom. Prince Siegfried dreams of running away.He follows an enchanting flock of swans to a clearing by a lake, where four of the little cygnets begin to dance. The most beautiful swan transforms into the Princess Odette, who tells him that she has been cursed to turn into a swan by day and return to her natural form at night by the evil sorcerer Von Rothbart. As the prince and Odette dance, they begin to fall in love.The story follows Prince Siegfried as he attends his birthday party, is tricked into proposing to Von Rothbart’s daughter Odile and returns to the lake to battle the evil sorcerer. Will the prince be reunited with his swan princess?As you and your little one journey through the magical scenes, you will press the buttons to hear 10 excerpts from the ballet’s music. Readers should press firmly on the pages to activate the sounds, encouraging interactive learning and introducing children to this beautiful piece of music.At the back of the book, find a short biography of the composer, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, with details about his composition of Swan Lake. Next to this, you can replay the musical excerpts and, for each of them, read a discussion of the instruments, rhythms and musical techniques that make them so powerful. A glossary defines musical terms.The Story Orchestra series brings classical music to life for children through gorgeously illustrated retellings of classic ballet, opera and program music stories paired with 10-second sound clips of orchestras playing from their musical scores. With The Story Orchestra keyboard sound books, children can play the famous melodies themselves with the sound of a real grand piano.Also available from the Story Orchestra series: The Magic Flute, I Can Play (vol 1), Carnival of the Animals, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Four Seasons in One Day.Manufacturer’s note: please pull the white tab out of the back of the book before use. Sound buttons require a firm push in exact location to work, which may be hard for young children. All sound clips are 10 seconds long.The perfect primer to introduce children to classical music.
£15.29
Simon & Schuster Ltd Grimwood: Laugh your head off with the funniest new series of the year
‘Funny, anarchic, original and gloriously silly.’ ― Richard Osman‘Ted and Nancy are my favourite funny foxes EVER.’ ― Liz Pichon, author of Tom Gates‘I CACKLED ALOUD on practically every page. Comic gold, tinged with such tenderness.’ ― Kiran Millwood Hargrave ‘Grimwood is like Winnie-the-Pooh written by the Pythons, and so madly inventive and funny I was howling with laughter by the third page. This is about to become a fundamental part of 21st century childhood’ ― Caitlin Moran Laugh your head off with this fully-illustrated new series from award-winning Nadia Shireen. Perfect for readers age 7 to 107, fans of Dog Man, Roald Dahl, Mr Gum and David Walliams, and anyone who loves to laugh. Fox cub siblings Ted and Nancy are on the run from Princess Buttons, the scariest street cat in the Big City. They flee for Grimwood, expecting to find refuge in the peaceful countryside. Instead, they are met with thieving eagles, dramatic ducks, riotous rabbits and a whole host of unusual characters. Grimwood is . . . weird. But when Princess Buttons tracks them down, Nancy and Ted and the animals of Grimwood must unite in a mind-bending race against time . . . This memorable, distinctive and warm-hearted comedy series will have kids begging to read more.Grimwood: Attack of the Stink Monster! the must-read third Grimwood adventure OUT NOW! Nadia Shireen has won awards for her picture books including the UKLA Book Award for Good Little Wolf, and her latest, Barbara Throws a Wobbler, has been described as a ‘little doorway of joy’ by Caitlin Moran. She’s also been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, and has been Writer-Illustrator in Residence for BookTrust. Grimwood is her first series for older readers.PRAISE FOR GRIMWOOD: 'Grimwood is where I want to be. A carnival of crazed confused comical critters that is more real than real life. Lots of things make me laugh but Grimwood makes me laugh out loudest.' ― Frank Cottrell-Boyce 'Gloriously anarchic, properly funny and highly illustrated with dynamic black-and-white art, this is a quirky delight for children – and their parents, too.' ― The Bookseller 'Dark, original and laugh-out-loud funny' ― The Times 'This book made my face hurt! Relentlessly funny.' ― Rob Biddulph 'Like Watership Down, but funny. You’ll laugh hysterically on every page.' ― Caitlin Moran 'Fantastic.' ― Lauren Laverne 'Pure genius!' ― Louie Stowell 'Made us laugh out loud.' ― Jim Smith, author of Barry Loser 'You’re in for a treat!' ― Selom Sunu, illustrator of Look Both Ways 'Utterly HILARIOUS' ― Sophy Henn, author-illustrator of Pizazz ‘Every page of the book zings with invention and joie de vivre’ ― The Financial TimesPRAISE FOR NADIA SHIREEN: 'Shireen’s latest book confirms her as one of the brightest and best picture book creators working in Britain today ... Sensational.' ― Observer
£11.69
Hachette Books Highways and Heartaches: How Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and Children of the New South Saved the Soul of Country Music
In a dim clearing off a county road in Kentucky sits a sagging outdoor stage buried in moss and dead leaves. It used to be the centrepiece of carnival-like Sunday afternoons where local guitarists, fiddlers and mandolin players hammered out old mountain ballads and legends from the dawn of country music performed their classic hits. Most of the musicians who showed up have long since passed, but Nashville stars Ricky Skaggs and Marty Stuart survive. They were barely teenagers in the early 1970s when they visited this stage in the care of legends Ralph Stanley and Lester Flatt, respectively. Skaggs and Stuart followed their bosses to dozens of stages throughout Appalachia and deeper into the American southland. They were the children, absorbing the wondrous music and strange dramas around them as they became innovators and living symbols of country music.Highways and Heartaches takes readers on the rural circuit Skaggs and Stuart travelled, where an acoustic sound first assembled by masters such as Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, and Mother Maybelle Carter ruled the day. The young men were heirs to a bluegrass tradition transmitted to them early in life. One part mountain soul and another African American-influenced rhythm, the music they received was alternately celebrated and neglected in the more than fifty years after the two met in 1971, but since then it has never stopped evolving and influencing the wider American culture thanks to Skaggs and Stuart and other actors in this book, such as Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, Keith Whitley, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt. Riveting portraits of Johnny Cash, Ralph Stanley, Lester Flatt and other heartland-born figures emerge, too.Moulded by forces in post-war southern culture such as racial conflict, fringe politics, evangelicalism, growing federal government influence, and stubborn patterns of Appalachian living and thinking, Skaggs and Stuart injected the spirit of bluegrass into their hard-wrought experiments in mainstream country music later in life, fuelling the profitability and credibility of the fabled genre. Skaggs's new traditionalism of the 1980s, integrating mountain instruments with elements of contemporary country music, created a new sound for the masses and placed him in the vanguard of Nashville's recording artists while Stuart embraced seminal influences and attitudes from the riches of American culture to produce a catalogue of significant recordings.Skaggs and Stuart's friendship took years to jell, but their similar pathways reveal a shared dedication to the soul of country music and highlight the curious day-to-day experiences of two lads growing up on the demanding rural route in bluegrass culture. Their journeys-populated by grizzled mentors, fearsome undertows, and cultural upheaval-influenced their creativity and, ultimately, cut life-giving tributaries in the ungainly, eternal story of country music.
£25.00
Simon & Schuster Ltd Grimwood: Laugh your head off with the funniest new series of the year
‘Funny, anarchic, original and gloriously silly.’ ― Richard Osman‘Ted and Nancy are my favourite funny foxes EVER.’ ― Liz Pichon, author of Tom Gates‘I CACKLED ALOUD on practically every page. Comic gold, tinged with such tenderness.’ ― Kiran Millwood Hargrave ‘Grimwood is like Winnie-the-Pooh written by the Pythons, and so madly inventive and funny I was howling with laughter by the third page. This is about to become a fundamental part of 21st century childhood’ ― Caitlin Moran Laugh your head off with this fully-illustrated new series from award-winning Nadia Shireen. Perfect for readers age 7 to 107, fans of Dog Man, Roald Dahl, Mr Gum and David Walliams, and anyone who loves to laugh. Fox cub siblings Ted and Nancy are on the run from Princess Buttons, the scariest street cat in the Big City. They flee for Grimwood, expecting to find refuge in the peaceful countryside. Instead, they are met with thieving eagles, dramatic ducks, riotous rabbits and a whole host of unusual characters. Grimwood is . . . weird. But when Princess Buttons tracks them down, Nancy and Ted and the animals of Grimwood must unite in a mind-bending race against time . . . This memorable, distinctive and warm-hearted comedy series will have kids begging to read more.Grimwood: Attack of the Stink Monster! the must-read third Grimwood adventure OUT NOW! Nadia Shireen has won awards for her picture books including the UKLA Book Award for Good Little Wolf, and her latest, Barbara Throws a Wobbler, has been described as a ‘little doorway of joy’ by Caitlin Moran. She’s also been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, and has been Writer-Illustrator in Residence for BookTrust. Grimwood is her first series for older readers.PRAISE FOR GRIMWOOD: 'Grimwood is where I want to be. A carnival of crazed confused comical critters that is more real than real life. Lots of things make me laugh but Grimwood makes me laugh out loudest.' ― Frank Cottrell-Boyce 'Gloriously anarchic, properly funny and highly illustrated with dynamic black-and-white art, this is a quirky delight for children – and their parents, too.' ― The Bookseller 'Dark, original and laugh-out-loud funny' ― The Times 'This book made my face hurt! Relentlessly funny.' ― Rob Biddulph 'Like Watership Down, but funny. You’ll laugh hysterically on every page.' ― Caitlin Moran 'Fantastic.' ― Lauren Laverne 'Pure genius!' ― Louie Stowell 'Made us laugh out loud.' ― Jim Smith, author of Barry Loser 'You’re in for a treat!' ― Selom Sunu, illustrator of Look Both Ways 'Utterly HILARIOUS' ― Sophy Henn, author-illustrator of Pizazz ‘Every page of the book zings with invention and joie de vivre’ ― The Financial TimesPRAISE FOR NADIA SHIREEN: 'Shireen’s latest book confirms her as one of the brightest and best picture book creators working in Britain today ... Sensational.' ― Observer
£7.26
Hodder & Stoughton Hollow
___________________________________________________________________________________"Brilliantly wrought... Wonderful... Catling's expertise, imagination and linguistic flair are well matched by his wit and enthusiasm. Hollow is never less than tremendous fun... Catling is a great and wild talent... a raucous novel that thrills and unsettles in equal measure." - TLS"Prose that's sprinkled with neologisms and archaisms, and as crunchy and bitter-cold as snow... it's a nigh unclassifiable work, and all the better for that." - Financial Times"As with all the best fiction, there is a terrifying inevitability about Hollow ... Let it devour you."Iain Sinclair, author of Ghost Milk"Unsettling and delightful... very clever fun...a sheer, shuddering delight... both frightening and hilarious. Catling is a rare kind of writer.'"Scotland on Sunday____________________________________________________________________________From the author of the Vorrh Trilogy comes an epic odyssey following a group of mercenaries hired to deliver a church's ultimate power-a sacred oracle-as the decadence of carnival gives way to the gravity of lent and the mystic landscape grows ravenous - all set within a Bosch painting.The history of art contains no more imaginative or mysterious paintings that the landscapes of Hieronymus Bosch. Art historians ask where the weird creatures depicted there came from, and so too do the central characters of Hollow as they fight their way across these landscapes and encounter these creatures. Author B Catling is the first novelist to engage fully with Bosch's vision and climb imaginatively into it.In this novel it emerges that Bosch gave colour and form to monsters, 'letting them in' to the real world, and that they were still infesting the landscape when it was painted by Bosch's follower Pieter Bruegel. Now a wild bunch of mercenaries with a mission to deliver an oracle made of cloth, bones and a loud voice take a dangerous journey to the monastery at the base of the Tower of Babel, where the most terrifying secret in the world is kept. As they travel through a country painted first by Bosch and then by Bruegel, they are confronted and seduced by monsters and see scenes painted by them. These include the devil playing dice, a lewd mock wedding with a dirty bride, an unholy being living inside a hollow tree and riding a giant rat, and creatures indulging in inter-species sexual play as depicted in The Garden of Earthly Delights. A local marauding woman called Mad Meg with a small army of looting women from Breugel's Dull Gret is one of this novel's stranger characters. Perhaps it is because B. Catling is himself an artist that he has been able to create a modern narrative masterpiece which brings the painterly genius of Bosch and Breugel alive on the page.
£9.99
Chelsea Green Publishing Co Lean Logic: A Dictionary for the Future and How to Survive It
Lean Logic is David Fleming’s masterpiece, the product of more than thirty years’ work and a testament to the creative brilliance of one of Britain’s most important intellectuals. A dictionary unlike any other, it leads readers through Fleming’s stimulating exploration of fields as diverse as culture, history, science, art, logic, ethics, myth, economics, and anthropology, being made up of four hundred and four engaging essay-entries covering topics such as Boredom, Community, Debt, Growth, Harmless Lunatics, Land, Lean Thinking, Nanotechnology, Play, Religion, Spirit, Trust, and Utopia. The threads running through every entry are Fleming’s deft and original analysis of how our present market-based economy is destroying the very foundations—ecological, economic, and cultural— on which it depends, and his core focus: a compelling, grounded vision for a cohesive society that might weather the consequences. A society that provides a satisfying, culturally-rich context for lives well lived, in an economy not reliant on the impossible promise of eternal economic growth. A society worth living in. Worth fighting for. Worth contributing to. The beauty of the dictionary format is that it allows Fleming to draw connections without detracting from his in-depth exploration of each topic. Each entry carries intriguing links to other entries, inviting the enchanted reader to break free of the imposed order of a conventional book, starting where she will and following the links in the order of her choosing. In combination with Fleming’s refreshing writing style and good-natured humor, it also creates a book perfectly suited to dipping in and out. The decades Fleming spent honing his life's work are evident in the lightness and mastery with which Lean Logic draws on an incredible wealth of cultural and historical learning—from Whitman to Whitefield, Dickens to Daly, Kropotkin to Kafka, Keats to Kuhn, Oakeshott to Ostrom, Jung to Jensen, Machiavelli to Mumford, Mauss to Mandelbrot, Leopold to Lakatos, Polanyi to Putnam, Nietzsche to Næss, Keynes to Kumar, Scruton to Shiva, Thoreau to Toynbee, Rabelais to Rogers, Shakespeare to Schumacher, Locke to Lovelock, Homer to Homer-Dixon—in demonstrating that many of the principles it commends have a track-record of success long pre-dating our current society. Fleming acknowledges, with honesty, the challenges ahead, but rather than inducing despair, Lean Logic is rare in its ability to inspire optimism in the creativity and intelligence of humans to nurse our ecology back to health; to rediscover the importance of place and play, of reciprocity and resilience, and of community and culture. ------ Recognizing that Lean Logic’s sheer size and unusual structure could be daunting, Fleming’s long-time collaborator Shaun Chamberlin has also selected and edited one of the potential pathways through the dictionary to create a second, stand-alone volume, Surviving the Future: Culture, Carnival and Capital in the Aftermath of the Market Economy. The content, rare insights, and uniquely enjoyable writing style remain Fleming’s, but presented at a more accessible paperback-length and in conventional read-it-front-to-back format.
£36.00
Little, Brown Book Group Single: A totally gripping psychological thriller full of twists
'I keep feeling like I'm being watched - dropping the boys off at school, choosing wine at the supermarket - but when I turn around there's nobody there...'When single mother Darcy's son falls from a rope bridge at a local playground, life stands still. She clutches his small, limp body, frozen, until a pair of strong hands push her aside, and she watches as George, a local doctor, saves her son's life.George is a single parent too, and with his twinkling hazel eyes, easy charm, and lack of wedding band is almost too good to be true, but coffee becomes lunch, lunch becomes dinner, and soon they can't go an evening without seeing each other. When he invites her to move into his beautiful home with its sprawling garden for her boys, Darcy doesn't hesitate.But as Darcy is settling in, she receives a bunch of flowers with a chilling message. George says they're from an obsessed ex-girlfriend, Opal, and days later Opal turns up at Darcy's son's football match. She claims to have shocking information that could threaten George's custody of his daughter.Darcy doesn't know who to trust, but she's starting to suspect that, whatever the truth, she might have put her beloved boys into terrible danger ...From the million-copy-bestselling author K.L. Slater this utterly gripping psychological thriller will make you gasp out loud as you race towards the unforgettable twist. If you loved The Girl on the Train and The Wife Between Us this book is for you.What everyone is saying about Single:'I would liken reading 'Single' to being strapped into a car with a broken axle on the Tilt-A-Whirl carnival ride. You're gonna get tossed around until you don't know which way is up. Yet, in the end, you can't deny that it was one helluva ride. All superlatives aside, this book stands out in its cleverness and execution. K.L. Slater knocked it out of the park. 5+ stars.' Goodreads Reviewer, *****'Another stunning novel from KL Slater. .Loved every twist and turn. The only negative is what to read next as it won't live up to KL Slater, fingers crossed her next novel won't take long!' Goodreads Reviewer, *****'Wow, I LOVED this book!!! 5 stars easy!! This is my first novel by K.L. Slater and most certainly will not be my last. ...This is the kind of book you cannot put down or stop thinking about. I often had chills and felt like I experiencing this story as the main character. There is no way you will be able to guess the ending.' Goodreads Reviewer, *****'Finishing Single has literally left me lost for words. I mean how am I supposed to review this story? It has blown my mind. Seriously, obliterated it. It is mind numbingly brilliant. Honestly, if you want twisted, they don't come more twisted than this.' Goodreads Reviewer, *****'WOW WOW WOW!!! What a fantastic book!! I couldn't put this one down. Just when i thought i knew what was going on , I changed my mind, and yet again. Twists twists and more twists. i love this author but this book blew me away best yet from her!' Goodreads Reviewer, *****
£8.99
Big Finish Productions Ltd The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 8 Volume 1
This run of stories featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor features four stories, loosely connected as the Doctor finds himself the target of an enemy. This set contains: The Sinestran Kill by Andrew Smith. When the Doctor decides to trace an anomalous energy signature on twentieth century Earth, he stumbles into an assassination attempt. Gangland thugs are trying to murder a seemingly innocent shopkeeper, and it’s only the intervention of the Doctor and Ann Kelso – a WPC who happens to be on the scene – that prevents a tragedy. But why do the gangsters want the shopkeeper dead? And what does this have to do with alien technology? The first stages of a grand conspiracy are about to be revealed. And finding the answers will take Ann Kelso on a journey like no other. Planet of the Drashigs by Phil Mulryne. When the TARDIS lands on an alien planet, the Doctor’s intentions to show Ann Kelso an advanced future society are thrown into disarray. Because they have arrived on DrashigWorld - a park where every known species of the terrifying predators has been gathered together to entertain and thrill the public. The familiar wetland Drashigs, the albino burrowing Drashigs of the desert, and deadliest of all, the tiny Emerald Drashigs of the rain forests. And it’s not the best day to have arrived. The park has been shut down due to a visitor fatality. A Galactic Attractions inspector is on site meaning everyone is extremely tense and under pressure. It’s exactly the right circumstances in which someone might make a mistake. And on Drashigworld, mistakes are deadly. The Enchantress of Numbers by Simon Barnard and Paul Morris. The TARDIS lands in the grounds of Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire, in 1850. Mistaken for a medic and his maid, the Doctor and Ann are brought to meet Ada Lovelace - the mother of computing and daughter of Lord Byron - who has recently fallen ill. But the travellers are not here by chance. Something odd is happening on Earth, and they’ve determined that this place is the centre of it. Strange figures are walking the land. Strange figures wearing bird-like masks. What do they want with Ada? And how will it change the future of humanity? The False Guardian by Guy Adams. Ann Kelso doesn’t like mysteries. Keen to investigate the trail of the Sinestrans, she sets the TARDIS on a new course... but flies into danger. Arriving on a desolate world that the Doctor finds somehow familiar, the TARDIS crew discover that something is wrong with time. The inhabitants of an unusual complex are experimenting at the command of their enigmatic director... somebody who has quite a strong grudge against the Doctor.Facing an old foe who was presumed dead, the travellers are soon trapped in a diabolical scheme. But is it just the tip of the iceberg? Planet of the Drashigs features the eponymous flesh-eating monsters for the first time on audio, after their fan favourite debut in the Jon Pertwee story The Carnival of Monsters! CAST: Tom Baker (The Doctor), Jane Slavin (WPC Ann Kelso), John Leeson (K9), Frank Skinner (DCI Scott Neilson), Glynis Barber (Kathy Blake), Finty Williams (Ada Lovelace), Fenella Woolgar (Vanessa Seaborne), Ewan Bailey (Hugo Blake), Nicholas Khan (Jimmy Lynch), Leon Williams (Tony Reynolds), Jeremy Clyde (Lord Braye), Lizzie Roper (Trencher), Andrew Ryan (Titus Wayland), Andrew Havill (Colonel Wildman), Eve Webster (Hettie / Lady Cleverley), Barnaby Edwards (Mr. Hobhouse), Glen McCready (Edvard Scheutz /Lord Byron / Harry), John Shrapnel (Nigel Colloon), Anna Acton (Brox), Blake Ritson (Elmore), Roger May (Mac Foley), Tracy Wiles (Drones). Other parts played by members of the cast.
£49.10
Columbia University Press Silent Film Sound
Because silent cinema is widely perceived as having been exactly that-silent-no one has fully examined how souns was used to accompany the films of this era. Silent Film Sound reconsiders all aspects of sound practices during the entire silent film period. Based on extensive origianl reserach and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, the book challenges the assumptions of earlier histories of this period in film and reveals the complexity and swiftly changing nature of American silent cinema. Contrary to received opinion, silent films were not always accompanied, nor were accompaniments uniform. Beginning with sound practices before cinema's first decade and continuing through to the more familiar sound practices of the 1920s, Rick Altman discusses the variety of sound strategies and the way early cinema exhibitors used these strategies to differentiate their products. During the nickelodeon period prior to 1910, this variety reached its zenith, with theaters often deploying half a dozen competing sound strategies-from carniva-like music in the street, automatic pianos at the rear of the theater, and small orchestras in the pit to lecturers, synchronized sound systems, and voices behind the screen. During this period, musical accompaniment had not yet begun to support the story and its emotions as it would in later years. But in the 1910s, film sound acquiesced to the demands of the burgeoning cinema industry, who successfully argued that accompaniment should enhance film's narrative and emotional content rather than score points by burluesqiung or "kidding" the film. The large theaters and blockbuster productions of the mid-1910s provided a perfect crucible for new instruments, new music publication projects, and the development of a new style of film msuic. From that moment on, film music would become an integral part of the film rather than its adversary, and a new style of cinema sound would favor accompaniment that worked in concert with cinema story-telling. For the first time, Silent Film Sound details the ways in which these diverse intersts and industires cam together to produce an extraordinarily successful audiovisual art. Because silent cinema is widely perceived as having been exactly that-silent-no one has fully examined how sound was used to accompany the films of this era. Silent Film Sound reconsiders all aspects of sound practices during the entire silent film period. Based on extensive original research and accompanied by gorgeous illustrations, the book challenges the assumptions of earlier histories of this period in film and reveals the complexity and swiftly changing nature of American silent cinema. Contrary to received opinion, silent films were not always accompanied, nor were accompaniments uniform. Beginning with sound practices before cinema's first decade and continuing through to the more familiar sound practices of the 1920s, Rick Altman discusses the variety of sound strategies and the way early cinema exhibitors used these strategies to differentiate their products. During the nickelodeon period prior to 1910, this variety reached its zenith, with theaters often deploying half a dozen competing sound strategies-from carnival-like music in the street, automatic pianos at the rear of the theater, and small orchestras in the pit to lecturers, synchronized sound systems, and voices behind the screen. During this period, musical accompaniment had not yet begun to support the story and its emotions as it would in later years. But in the 1910s, film sound acquiesced to the demands of captains of the burgeoning cinema industry, who successfully argued that accompaniment should enhance the film's narrative and emotional content rather than score points by burlesquing or "kidding" the film. The large theaters and blockbuster productions of the mid-1910s provided a perfect crucible for new instruments, new music-publication projects, and the development of a new style of film music. From that moment on, film music would become an integral part of the film rather than its adversary, and a new style of cinema sound would favor accompaniment that worked in concert with cinema storytelling. For the first time, Silent Film Sound details the ways in which these diverse interests and industries came together to produce an extraordinarily successful audiovisual art.
£31.50