Toys and Games Books

The Upside:

You don't have to buy and paint dozens of minitures, which means more time for adventure planning (or, better yet...HALO). These minis are light, pretty resilant, and give you a wide spectrum of monsters/NPCs to challenge your PCs with. Personally, I've always hated painting minis (mostly because I have better things to do) ...so this makes combat tons easier.

The Downside:

You don't get to choose what you get when you buy a box. They come packaged randomly, so what you "don't see" is what you get. Also, some of the minis aren't painted nearly as nicely as seen on the posters or in the mini handbook. But, if you want 'finely painted minis', you wouldn't be buying plastic.

Overall:

For the money, they're an okay deal (hence, the four stars). Were they less expensive (about $5.00 a box), they would have gotten 5 stars.

This release comes only two months after the release of the base D&D Miniature set called Harbinger. The total figure count for Dragoneye is a bit lower at 60 (Harbinger has 80), so it's a bit easier to collect a whole set. Each box typically has 4 commons, 3 uncommons and 1 rare. I think the total numbers are 20 rares, 24 uncommons and 16 commons, but I'm not 100% positive.

This set introduces Dragons to the D&D Miniature line. You have 5 regular dragons (Red, Brass (might be Bronze), Black, White and Blue), several Half-Dragons (Gold Champion and Silver Sorcerer), Dragon Samurai (Samurai that pattern themselves after a Dragon, in this case Red and Copper) and a few Draconian from the Dragonlance series. The larger dragons and half-dragons are rare, the smaller white dragon, blue dragon, samurai and Kapak Draconian are uncommon, and the Baaz draconian is common.

While Harbinger had a lot of Orcs, this set has Goblinoids -- two goblins, a hobgoblin and a bugbear miniature are all common in this set. There are more Drow and Orcs to expand the group you can get in Harbinger. One surprise is that there are no undead figures in this set, which is probably a good thing considering the large number of undead in Harbinger.

The overall figures have improved from Harbinger. The Black Dragon is wonderful, the Red Dragon is very imposing for a Large figure, and many of the uncommons look better than the rares of the prior set. There are still some poor figures; the new kobold isn't nearly as detailed as the Harbinger set, the Goblin Skirmisher looks a bit like a pole-vaulting leprechaun, the white dragon sometimes looks like it was painted with a vial of white-out, and the Abyssal Maw has been described elsewhere as the Absymal Maw.

I still think it's a good buy. The D&D Statistic cards and prepainted nature can really save time for a busy DM. I've only played the Skirmish game a handful of times, but it seems to be a fast version of a D&D combat. The point costs seem mostly balanced, but I really don't have enough experience to fully judge it.

With nearly a full set of both Dragoneye and Harbinger, I've been forced to buy a tacklebox to carry around the figures -- it's a great way to transport them. (You don't have to worry about bending them out of shape like a metal miniature collection -- a nice bonus for the DM on the go! :) ) I don't think these figures replace metal miniatures, but I do think they augment them -- prepainted hordes fight against your well-painted PCs.

I'm already looking forward to the next set.

One thing I've always disliked about miniture games is the building process... fun in small quantities, but when you want to get a large quantity together, built, painted, etc....it becomes discouraging. These figured are not only pre-painted they are also plastic molded (much lighter and easier to store without damaging them) and designed for use in all D20 games. They also include a card with both the "official" mass-combat rules and a complete set of stats for use in Dungeons and Dragons (including spells, equipment, magical items...even a challenge rating).

Downside--$10 for 8 figures that you can't pick out before hand. Still cheaper than most figure sets, but it still works enough for me to buy several boxes (I've got two Red and three Brass dragons already).

I recommend it for D&D gamers. Wargamers only if you don't mind buying a ton of boxes to get what you want.

The Dragoneye Expansion is a great addition to the D&D world.
This set introduces Dragons to the D&D minaitures Game.

I found the sculpts and paint jobs to be superior to those in the earlier Harbinger release and this as sign of good thing to come.

I don't love random packaging, but it dose have it's advantages, and I've learned to live with it.
It allows retailers to carry the product with less fear of less popular models colecting dust and costing them money.
It allows for singluar packaging design, and random allotment on the maufacturing end.
It allows the Customer to get 8 FULLY PAINTED plastic miniatures for the price of 2-3 of their unpainted, unassembled, metal counterparts.
Also since plastic is cheaper than tin/pewter the figures tend to be larger and more robustly sculpted.

Personally the convenience of them being prepainted alone is incentive enough for me.

Painting miniatures is a hobby in itself and not one we all have the time to indulge in. It comes down to getting 7 attractive painted figures or 2-3 I'll never get around to painting myslef.

It's worth noting that the miniatures come with dual stat cards for each figure. D&D Miniatures skirmish rules and D$D 3.5 stats on the other side.

The cards are valuable enough that they could be a product by themselves and their value should not be understated.
(TSR actually sold a simlar product for AD&D 1st Ed)

Blitman's book is drool-worthy. He has photographed Francie in every outfit she ever had, including the hard-to-find early seventies packs, and set the doll in cute scenes full of props and humor. I could pore over this book for hours enjoying the panache and verve Blitman conveys with his clever photos of Francie. But its not just eye candy -- each outfit is carefully modelled, on the doll and off the doll, and prices are listed. Invaluable. Thank you, Joe Blitman, thank you.

Finally, a book with color pics of Francie dolls & fashions! I own Joe's "Vive La Francie" book and was disappointed the pics were not in color. This one is much better! Makes identifying and looking for items simpler. THANK YOU MR. BLITMAN FOR A WONDERFUL AND FUN TO READ GUIDE! :)

The book was great, just think that it would have been better if there had been some of the Prototype out-fits in it. I wanted the book to see the out-fits that Francie had. Now I want to see the prototypes, because some of the clothes where a nice style, but fabric was ugly. Maybe Joe Blitman will do another book with all of Francies things in it.

This book is as close to being perfect as any can get in the Barbie world. Not only is it informative and well-written, it's fun too!

Each outfit is explained in detail, with each part listed, along with what parts may be more difficult to find, any variations in the outfit, etc. All of these items, where possible, are photographed flat and clearly so you can see each item separately and know what each thing is. Then, another photograph is taken on the doll, in a fun setting that usually goes with the name of the outfit somehow, so you can actually see how the outfit looks on a doll, something which I think is really important.

The photographs are great pretty much right across the board. The book is well-written, with a great sense of humour. All in all, you can't go wrong if you're into Francie and buy this book!

The story was mainly told in the forest. The main characters in the story was Franklin. The minor characters were bear, rabbit,fox beaver skunk. The theme was that this book would be that school is alot of fun and don't be afraid to go there. School is a good learning experience. The style would be that the author has a picture on every page and it has friends playing and having fun on every page.

From the first time our daughter had a "Franklin" book read to her, she's loved the series. Beautifully illustrated and written "up" to a child's level. We wish there were more titles available.

All of the Franklin books deal with something a child might face.They are written so it is easy for children to conect with their new found friend, and thats just what Franklin will become. I teach children and Franklin is the most asked for of all the books we have. His stories are great and children learn from his experiences.

FRANKLIN IS A CHARACTER THAT ANYONE REGARDLESS OF AGE CAN LOVE. IN FRANKLIN GOES TO SCHOOL HE HAS GREAT RESERVATIONS ABOUT THIS NEW EXPERIENCE AS DID WE ALL AND OVERCOMES THEM WITH THE HELP OF HIS FRIENDS. I WOULD RECOMEND ANY FRANKLIN BOOK.

" Human slavery is wrong, insecure, and demoralising. On mechanical slavery, on the slavery of the machine, the future of the world depends." That profound quote from Oscar Wilde leading off the robot section tells you that this is not simply another stylish, colour- drenched coffee table collector's book, but one which marries brief text and evocative photos to cast its subject in a new light. "This book celebrates the design, novelty and colour of these highly fascinating toys," the authors write, exactly the same elements that readers and collectors find so fascinating.

In 225 pages, they present hundreds of colour photos of rare and iconic robots and space toys, along with brief informative blurbs. A rare feature is a listing of manufacturers' marks, both fascinating and helpful in identifying toys. Another rarity is the many photos of original boxes, along with numerous colour and style variants. Amazon suggests you buy this book along with Blast Off! I'd make the same suggestion. Blast Off! has lots of reading, unusual in a collector's book, while the stunning photography and layout lift this British book well above the ordinary.

I have to agree with the comments made by the author himself, both " ...informative & visually stimulating ...". If that was what he set out to achieve by writing this excellent book, then he has surpassed it. Superb colour pictures of the type of tin robots & space toys we all played with in our younger days brought the memories flooding back. For collectors of this type of toy, this has to be a classic. Clear photography, excellent description of each toy, rare items and original boxes and a desirability guide. A must for both new & experienced collectors alike !

Altho I'm not a Space Toy collector, this will be on my shelf just for the quality and quantity of the fantastic vintage graphic images of the toys and their boxes.

For the Space Toy afficianado, this has the best, large scale, clearest photos I've seen. Thee is brief, but concise information on each toy that includes the size, maker, year, country, desirability, & description. There are several pages of trademark logos. It's a real trip down memory lane and should serve as one of the top ranked refrence books out there.

The authors have done a superb job in presenting a classic piece of collectible reference. The book is filled to the bubble with all the greats and done with taste and care. One of the nice sections is a complete listing of toy manufacturers trademarks. No effort was made to price the robots and space toys, which I'm gratefully thankful for, since any attempt would certainly have dated the work. As a collector this will be one of my future guides as I pursue what has become a rewarding if albeit expensive pastime! Bravo...and my compliments. To all others the least bit interested...get this book!

The book cites a different time.... a different place... what if you were there?

Before the popular fads we see on the net such as the mullet man time traveler, ytmnd war on ebaum, Riding Spinners, or even before a boxer had his bike stolen, this book tells the tale of the struggling era of America... The underground railroad. Was it really an underground railroad?

The book has nice coloured pictures for kids to easily visualize and the narration is great.

Cuando yo estaba leendo este libro estaba triste porque
tratan muy mal a los esclavos. A mi nunca me gustria ser
un esclavo porque en el libro dice que si tratas de escaparte
te van a cortar tus dos pies.

El mensaje que yo les etoy dando es que yo no quiero ir
donde estan los esclavos porque pueden usarme para un esclavo.
Eso es porque si yo y mis amigos tratamos de escaparnos nos
van a cortar los pies y eso no quiero que me pase.

Las buenas noticias es que el Abraham Lincoln dejo los
esclavos libres porque le daba mucha lastima y el Abraham Lincoln hizo la buena cosa porque si no lo hubiera hecho mis amigos y yo no hubieramos existido. Las malas noticias es que casi todos los esclavos se murieron.

Mi opinion del libro es que yo si recomiendo este libro a jente
porque a lo mejor ellos nunca sabian que les cortan sus pies.

In the book, If You traveled on the Underground Railroad, it tells you how fugitives got the Underground Railroad started and what they did on the way. One question was,"Why did they call it the Underground Railroad?" "A man named Tice Davids was running from his owner that lived in Kentucky. Davids swam across a river to get to a small town in Ohio. The owner was hot on his trail. Davids suddenly disappeared whn he went around a turn. The owner searched everywhere he could have been, but he couldn't find him. He gave up and went home. When he got back, he told his other family members that he "must've went on an Underground Railroad!" The book tells you what happened if the slaves and conductors were caught. To find out more,read this book.

As the director of an Underground Railroad museum, I am always looking for clear, concise materials for the public to use. This book is being added to our new education program, for use in elementary schools in our area. The facts are presented in an easy-to-read fashion, and anyone, adult or child, is able to pick up valuable information without being threatened by the reading level of the book. The text is not condescending in any fashion, yet moves easily enough for a 5-year-old child to sit through a reading of the entire book and ask questions provoked by the material being presented. I would recommend "If You Traveled the Underground Railroad" to anyone interested in giving children something of substance to read. We sell these books in our museum and cannot keep the supply high enough to meet the demand!

From the infamous ant farm to Wooly Willy, this book covers all the hokey and cool toys you probably had if you grew up in the 60s, 70s or even later. The author does a nice job of providing an interesting synopsis of each toy, including its invention, popularity, and success (or lack thereof). There are dozens of obscure facts and stories behind the creation and evolution of these toys, and this book culls them all for us, making it a fun and enjoyable read.

The great thing about this book is that the toys featured include those that most of us had as kids (or at least had a friend who had them): Magic 8 Ball, Slinky (my personal favorite), Mr. Potato Head, Tinkertoys....and the list goes on. This book is great for the kid who never grew up.

This book brings back wonderful memories. As a child it was wonderful playing and experiencing these wonderful toys. As an adult it is wonderful to find out why and how these classic toys came to be. This book is sure to bring a smile to all who read it.

One way in which the thinking processes of successful inventors and entrepreneurs differs from the average person is that they often see a potential masker that others fail to see. Many demonstrations of this ability may be found when reading this delightful little book, Kid Stuff. David Hoffman has assembled the histories of the most familiar toys of our childhood. From the Ant Farm to the Whiffle Ball, he details how they were conceived, perfected, and promoted.

Consider the Slinky. If Richard James, in 1945, had not been intrigued by how a spring he accidentally dropped "walked" across the floor, the story could have ended right there. But be did see a potential. He perfected it, named it, and packaged it. It then died on the vine at the local retail outlet. Again, the story could have ended right there. However, he realized this was a new item and that it had to be demonstrated. When he demonstrated it at Gimbels, he sold 400 in minutes. In the 50 years since, 250 million have been sold!

Three basics in the Slinky story form a common thread that runs through many of these classic toy histories. First, someone sees a potential market; secondly, a dynamite trade name is created; thirdly, clever marketing is utilized.

Often the opportunity is in plain sight and, in fact, may have been for some time. Hoffman points out that it is said that the Yo-Yo is actually the second-oldest known toy (after dolls). Yet it remained for Donald Duncan, in 1927, to see the possibilities. Further confirmation that some people do look at the world differently may be had by noting that Duncan also invented the parking meter and introduced the Good Humor "ice cream on a stick."

An example of a mental process utilizing analogical thinking may be seen in the history of the Erector Set. Back in 1911, A. C. Gilbert observed girders being assembled for an electric system along the railroad line he frequently traveled. Realizing kids love to assemble things (wood blocks, etc.), he put together a toy kit consisting of girders, gears, pulleys, etc.

This power of observing the obvious and seeing the not so obvious is again shown in the history of Mr. Potato Head. George Lerner noticed how children love to play with their food. Who has not? He utilized the observation to create Mr. Potato Head. Incidentally, "Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to ever be advertised on television." The story recites how the toy has been adapted to the times. His pipe was eliminated and the last pipe given to the Surgeon General at the Great American Smokeout. Responding to safety regulation they increased the size of its pasts and made them less sharp. As Hoffman notes, the current Mr. Potato Head may surprise nostalgic parents, but he is still loved by the kids.

Another example of how a toy was adapted to the times is Antonio Pasin's original wagon, "Liberty Coaster," of 1923. It was made of wood and it was followed by the classic little red wagon, "Radio Flyer," made of steel. It was called "Flyer" to emphasize motion and "Radio" to honor the Italian inventor of radio.

If for no other reason, read this book to satisfy your curiosity as to how the classic toys came to be. How Paul Guillow created the balsa wood airplane industry. How a toy store owner and a marketing consultant created Silly Putty---it floundered until a mention in the New Yorker magazine resulted in orders for a quarter-million and it's sales has since reached the 200-million mark!

This book is jammed packed with toy trivia. Largest-selling football in the world? Nerf football. Barbie Doll's last name? Roberts.

Viktor Budnik's photographs for this book are terrific. They make this little book look good enough for your coffee table. But best of all, even your kids will enjoy this book and, perhaps, pick up on the idea that behind each toy there was a real person who took an idea from the dream world and brought it into the real world.

These guys have put together a tremendous walk down memory lane. If you want to know the secrets behind your favorite childhood toys (as well as be reminded about how much fun they were)...buy this book. Set it out on a coffee table at your next party, and you are guaranteed an evening of fun reminiscing.

This book is more than fun reading...it is childhood joy recaptured.

Ideal for third grade. Useful for introducing manipulatives or multiplication.

The King has so many commissioners he sets out to count them. Many distractions cause him to lose his concentration until his young daughter shows him a more effective way to count.

Young listeners may be prompted to count the multiples when tally marks are grouped in twos and fives. Further, the princess-to-be arranges the commissioners in rows to illustrate her point.

A great illustration of mathematical reasoning.

This book is a great book for younger children in first grade. It goes threw the math concept of regrouping. The children love the story line and also the illustrations. It makes a great read aloud in the classroom.

Have you ever had a struggle or mental block that simply never went away; one that made you feel self-conscious, ineffective, and utterly inept? Well, for me, that bugaboo has always been � embarrassingly enough � addition. Yes, simple addition.
I know, I�m a grown woman. I earned a high school diploma, have had some college, am engaged in a career that requires mathematical computation on a daily basis (thank God for calculators and computers), and am a homeschooling mom (thank God again for textbooks with clear directions and for children who know how to read for and can comprehend what they read).
I have never, ever, been able to add two-digit numbers in my head, and have struggled with even the most basic addition of single digit numbers if the sum is higher than 10 (i.e. 8+6=?), without either using my fingers or having a pencil and paper at the ready. My struggles with math are at the most basic level, too! I can multiply and divide, have a basic understanding of algebra, and love geometry. Adding and subtracting make me feel like an imbecile, though. And it�s not for lack of trying, either! I�ve studied textbooks ranging from preschool to college level, hoping to find a way to overcome this challenge, without success. But now I�ve found the key!
This book is so fantastic; I can�t put it into words. But I�ll try: First, the artwork is cute without being too cutesy; perfect for boys or girls. Second, the story is well-written, with engaging dialog (i.e. character voice, mood swings, etc.). The mathematical concepts are subtly interwoven in a �real life� applicable manner, so they make perfect sense and are easily grasped by young (age 6) and old (age 36 and extremely mathematically-challenged) alike. I can�t put it any more plainly than, �I GET IT! After 36 years, I FINALLY GET IT! And now, my children �get it� too!�
My �Math Miracle� Book �. Even my mom thinks it�s a miracle that I finally �get� addition!

The king has struck again. He has created havoc in his kingdom by creating too many commissioners. He has commissioners for foul balls, rainy days,and counting to name a few. The time comes when he must count how many commissioners he has. He calls on his counting commissioners who begin the long task. His daughter the princess helps count as well. Each person counts a different way to please the King but he can only follow the logic of one. That person is....... buy the book! This book is a great read for many ages and can be used in and out of school.

Light Flight is fantastic - I purchased it for my nephew, but loved it so much myself. It is beautifully composed, and the adventures are awesome. The important aspect of this product, is the life skills it teaches children about themselves, the way they think about themselves by teaching them to maintain a positive outlook on life through the creative imagination of the inner eye. This is a fantastic tool and highly recommended - its great for sharing my spirituality with my nephew.

This program with CD's and book is incredible! Both my grandchildren, ages 7 and 9, have listened to all the CD's. If they're tense from too many activities or just over-stimulated by the TV or video games, I hand them the CD player and they listen to one of the stories. It always relaxes them and gets them back to balance. They like to listen to the stories before bed as it relaxes them, and they sleep better. Wonderful for all children but a must for highly sensitive children. I wish I had been given a tool like this as a child. My grandchildren continue to listen to the stories over and over again.

This book is great for teaching children some basics on how to deal with everyday life. The book is adventurous and fun and they really have fun with the activity book.

My 7 year old son, Connor absolutely LOVES Light Flight and actually begs me to go to bed at night so he can listen to it! The activities book is very fun with a variety of things to do in it. Education and fun in one! We need more like this for kids. When is the next one coming out?

This is excellent. Very detailed instructions, and good graphics make it easy for anyone to make a really cute bear:)

Although I'm still in the process of making my bear, I'd like to leave my comments now. So far, this has been a *great* kit and I'm sure it will continue to be fun. It really is quite simple, and it looks like the bear will be quite adorable!! I very much recommend it!!

I had lots of fun with this kit. The instructions in the book are clear and simple (and fast, i finished mine in a day). And most importantly, the finale bear is the cutest; however, i never expected to be that small. This kit teaches one to make a small yellow bear with movable jointed limbs. Overall, this kit and book is very complete and great for rainy days!

This kit comes complete with all the materials necessary to make a very adorable bear. The directions are very detailed and fully illustrated. If you can pick up a needle and thread, you can make this bear.

This style dictionary/thesaurus offers opportunity to learn new words, expand one's vocabulary, and introduces us to new ways of further expressing ideas and thoughts with a greater array of words. It is easy and quick to use and small enough to carry. The type is small but still readable.

I received the dictionary/thesaurus quickly and in excellent condition! What wonderful service! Thank you! I would DEFINITELY order from them again!

This is a great product. The shipment was so quick that I was unable to cancel the order just a couple of hours after being placed.
I had ordered them for a 6th grade graduation class and then found out that the principal wanted the hardback version. So now, I am stuck with 12 brand new paperback dictionaries.

this is definitely going to be kept and well used. thick, which in this case, a good thing. tons of words, good font, definitely useful