There's a Dolphin in the Grand Canal

Book Description

Nothing ever happens in Venice. At least that's how Luca feels as he spends his summer vacation bored and unhappy in his family's café. Then one day he spies something wonderful in the Grand Canal: a dolphin. Can it be? It is! Luca hops on the dolphin's back and is treated to an unbelievable ride high above the Bridge of Sighs, past a surprised gondolier, and right over the heads of his disbelieving parents.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book for Kids Traveling to Italy.......2007-08-16

I bought this book for my 3 year old daughter before our recent trip to Venice. I read it to her before we went and she enjoyed it. But, I must say it wasn't until after our trip that and she saw the sights in Venice that she was absolutely thrilled with it. This book is great! It gives you visuals of how Venice actually is. I know I will be reading this book to her for years to come. It will be a great way to rememmber our trip.

Wonderful story with lovely pictures of Venice Italy.......2007-06-11

A short story about an Italian boy who befriended a Dolphin who took him for a ride around the Venetian Canals. Lovely drawings of Venice Landmarks. The story is funny for me and preschoolers and pre-k, probably for older kids too. I lent it to a friend who's a pre-k teacher and her class enjoyed it tremendously.

Average customer rating:

The perfect Souvenir of Venice
The Outer and Inner Grandeur of The Grand Canal of Venice
Loved it!

Grand Canal
Umberto Franzoi
Manufacturer: Vendome Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0865651485

Book Description

It is the most dazzling avenue in Europe-and can only be traveled by boat. Here is everything you want to know about the Grand Canal of Venice; the central reference point of a magnificent city. All of Venice's history is here, and no number of trips along the Canal's sinuous course diminishes its fascination.

This beautiful book is the first ever devoted exclusively to the great thoroughfare. Panoramic views record every building on both banks, and a fascinating text describes the architecture and history of each. Readers will see everything from the most famous palaces to the least known and most private houses. And thanks to the author's expert introduction, they will get a fresh interpretation of the Canal's meaning to both Venetians and visitors.

For all those who have visited-or intend to visit-Venice, The Grand Canal will be a cherished possession.

Customer Reviews:

The perfect Souvenir of Venice.......2007-05-25

For anyone who has ever traveled down the Grand Canal on the Vapporetto #1 or #82 this will bring back a world of memories. It is beautifully photographed and is very informative. You can go back throuth your photos of Venice and identify and caption may of them. It even helped in locating non existing places like the Palazzo that collapsed in the film Casino Royal (It was superimposed over a recess in the buildings near the Ca DaMosto)
It is a great reference before and after a trip to Venice, and the photographs of the buildings are better than any you could take on your own. I would have given this book a rating of 5 stars but the text was written by an Italian who could have been a little more fluent in English.

The Outer and Inner Grandeur of The Grand Canal of Venice.......2005-11-16

Venice, the floating or the sinking city depending on perception, more than any other city in the world is a bastion of mystery, intrigue, and incomparable richness in history, architecture, and art. Beloved and written about by some of our greatest minds (Shakespeare, Henry James, Thomas Mann, Harold Brodkey, John Berendt to name but a few) Venice is a city that captures the spirit and heart with the first approach - and that approach includes the vistas from the Grand Canal that serves as the main thoroughfare of the city.

Umberto Franzoi's introductory comments for this journey are warmly informative and seductive, blending history with architecture with the special façades that line the banks and invite the visits to the interiors not open to the public eye. In photographs by Mark Smith of brilliant color each element on both banks of the Canal is addressed, noting the history of the reasons for the special architectural details, the families that either built or now live in each palace and grand home, the gondola dockings, the watermarks that time has etched on the faces.

But then we are graciously taken inside these magnificent buildings with sumptuous photographs of interiors, passageways, court gardens, the art and frescoes - all the details that before this fine book have only been the stuff of dreams (or the occasional movie sets as in 'Wings of the Dove'). These are treasure troves of art and antiques and mystery and beauty.

For everyone who either longs to return or plans for a visit to Serenissima, this book is a must. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

Loved it!.......2000-03-20

This book really shows off the beauty of the Grand Canal with all of it's palaces and other buildings. One really gets the feeling of what life was like back during the height of the Serenissima. The interior shots are stunning. And the information given for each building is fascinating. Even the non-descript houses and buildings get page time... A great book.

Average customer rating:

A Painter With Words!
A MINI TREASURE
Venice, art, and being as only Mark Doty can illuminate

Seeing Venice: Bellotto's Grand Canal
Mark Doty
Manufacturer: Getty Trust Publications: J. Paul Getty Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Criticism | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0892366583

Book Description

Bernardo Bellotto's magnificent View of the Grand Canal provides a rich visual record of life in eighteenth-century Venice. This painting--one of the most popular in the Getty Museum--is so sweeping in its scope and so detailed that it requires repeated viewings to take in its portrait of
daily life in Venice in the 1780s.

This small book presents Bellotto's great painting in a series of beautiful details that allow the reader to examine the painting closely and enjoy the colorful and busy goings-on of Venetian life captured so unforgettably by Bellotto. The book jacket unfolds to become a small poster of the painting
in its entirety. Accompanying these delightful images is a lyrical essay by noted American poet Mark Doty. Together, Bellotto's painting and Doty's prose make for an unforgettable encounter with the art and life of Venice.

Customer Reviews:

A Painter With Words!.......2003-10-21

Everything that Mark Doty touches turns to something beautiful, whether he is writing poetry or writing about art as SEEING VENICE illustrates. This tiny book would make a wonderful gift to lovers of Venice, art, poetry, Mark Doty or all of the above. In a brief essay, Mr. Doty illuminates Bernardo Bellotto's (1722-1780) Venetian painting "Grand Canal" completed when the artist was all of 19.

What I find so wonderful about this little treasure is that Mr. Doty writes straightforward, unpretentious prose about a beautiful painting; and, as always, he convinces me that he is accurate in what he says. He apparently does what a lot of us do not-- he simply looks closely at a work of art and makes sensible observations. For example, in this painting he is not sure whether the season is spring or autumn since the artist doesn't indicate a time. "Spring, fall? No way to distinguish, not in this landscape. Do the clouds promise whether to come, or speak of turbulence passed? These boatmen, of course, would know precisely how to read them."

Not content just to explicate, Mr. Doty compares the isolation of the figures here with the works of Edward Hopper. He also contrasts Venice with modern New York City and quotes both the writers Henry James and John Ruskin. James on Venice: "Of all the cities in the world it is the easiest to visit without going there." Mr. Doty concludes that the painting is about time and makes a good argument for this premise.

The book contains 20 or 30 closeup photographs of various details from the painting as well as a large complete picture that folds out for a better view.

Mr. Doty is one of our treasures.I'd love to see him write an entire book on painting.

A MINI TREASURE.......2002-12-11

"Seeing Venice" - just the title is inviting. Who would not want to see this incomparable city, whether for the first time or again and again?

Mark Doty, poet and National Book Critics Circle Award winner, presents the Getty Museum's "View of the Grand Canal" in a lyrical essay accompanied by intriguing details from the painting. Doty calls our attention to various aspects of this masterpiece - water, sky and shadows.

He also focuses on other artists and writers who have been attracted by this mystical city - Henry James, Tintoretto, and the Brownings.

An especially treasured gift, the jacket of this small (approx. 5" by 5") book unfolds to a miniature poster of the painting, which is an outstanding item in the Getty's collection.

Bellotto, the painter, was a nephew of Canaletto and recognized for his idealized views of Venice. This particular painting measures over 4 feet by 7 feet, and limns a cross-section of Venetian society engaged in daily business.

Whether afficionados of Italy or not "Seeing Venice" is a mini treasure.

- Gail Cooke

Venice, art, and being as only Mark Doty can illuminate.......2002-11-06

SEEING VENICE is a truly appropriate title for this small gem of a book that celebrates the presence of the Bellotto 18th Century painting 'View of the Grand Canal' which graces the collection of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. As in his earlier book STILL LIFE WITH OYSTERS AND LEMON Mark Doty writes succinct conversations with us about just looking at this elegant painting. His intensely poetic vision accompanies us through the various aspects of not only the painting but of the history of Venice. He reminds us that Venice is essentially a relic from the past, loved by writers, painters, composers, and visitors. Why is it so universally loved? 'Part of the world's love for this place must have to do with the fact that it has always seemed ephemeral, doomed. Might the whole city drift away? Certainly it might go under.' Taking us on a visual journey of every aspect of the painting (reflections, the boats, the people, the domes, the endless vista into space, etc.), Doty pauses to remind us how we in this country treat historical buildings and places differently. 'We like our evidence of time at a distance: quaint, pickled in resin or amber. We don't want it near our bodies.' Poignant food for thought.

Book Description

This tour of Venice in CD-ROM format is the most extensive guide ever to the sites covered. A Venice Orientation Tour introduces the viewer/reader to the city at large. There is interesting and complete coverage of the three great basilicas of Venice: St. Mark's, Giovanni e Paolo, and the Frari church. The history of Venice is told through its art and architecture.

Customer Reviews:

Museum Planet Venice, Vol. II.......2003-10-06

Museum Planet's incomparable "talking book" guides to Venice are the next best thing to being there, offering a beautiful visual tour through hundreds of color photos, a knowledgable guide, in depth histories of the monuments. The best possible preparation for a trip to Venice, and a welcome review later, when the magnificent sites of Venice can be brought to life again.

Average customer rating:

Molto Disappointed.
Venice Panorama
Behind the Façades of the Grand Canal in Venice

Venice: The Grand Canal
Daniele Resini
Manufacturer: Grafiche Vianello Srl
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 8872001668

Customer Reviews:

Molto Disappointed........2007-01-17

Before you buy this, note something very important: it is NOT a book, and it is NOT a book of panoramic photos of the Grand Canal! I just opened mine, and sadly, it's a foldout of the entire Grand Canal. You just keep unfolding and unfolding. And while it certainly shows you every location along the canal, you can't flip through it page by page. I think I'm going to return mine. Buyer beware!

Venice Panorama.......2006-03-19

If you have ever been to Venice or contemplate going, this panorama of the Grand Canal is a beautiful reminder or a great advanced organizer.

Behind the Façades of the Grand Canal in Venice.......2005-11-14

If you have ever glided through the Grand Canal of Venice either on vaporetto or gondola and wondered just what each mysterious façade contained, historically and culturally, then this magnificent 'book' is definitely for your attention. The unique format allows viewing the unlimited perusal of the scope of buildings that receive the kiss of the lapping waters created by the water traffic along the romantic Grand Canal.

Unfolding to a very long length the photograph is a scan of the entire canal without the distortion of an awkward normal camera lens. The result is a head-on portrait of each of the palaces/homes/buildings in that glorious array of Venetian colors, and below each building on the slow gaze passing is the name and a bit of information about that building (family/dates/other tidbits.

Not meant to be a definitive discussion of The Grand Canal (that is available in another volume), this foldout book by Daniele Resini is more for the eye than the mind and as such it succeeds to entice, or to simply as memory visions of Venice for the lonely traveler.
Highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 05

Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute - Self Guided Walking Tour - Venice Italy (Great Discoveries "Personal Audio Guides" - Formatted for MP3 Players)

Average customer rating:

Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute - Self Guided Walking Tour - Venice Italy (Great Discoveries "Personal Audio Guides" - Formatted for MP3 Players)
Stephen Soncini
Manufacturer: WhiteHot Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1599711281

Product Description

Great Discoveries Audio Tour of Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute will provide you with the most enjoyable and informative way to visit the most brilliant architectural jewel in the Venetian crown. La Salute is a soaring baroque structure unlike any other. She lifts her gleaming white Istrian stone drum high above the citys tiled rooftops and her silhouette dominates the southern terminus of the Grand Canal. Throughout history, great plagues, wars, and disease have stimulated great art and architecture. La Salute is a case in point, in 1630 a plague had struck Venice taking some 45,000 people, over a quarter of its citizens, to early graves. In the midst of this horror, the Venetian Senate made a pact with God, Stop the plague and we will build a church to honor the Virgin Mary. The pact worked, the plague came to a sudden end, and the Senate set about honoring its promise to God by building the Santa Maria della Salute or the Basilica of St. Mary of Good Health. Our carefully researched tour identifies and locates the churches most relevant art to ensure that you do not miss any important treasures and that you clearly understand each works artistic and historic significance. Professional narrators, accompanied by historically appropriate background music, guide you through the basilica while explaining its history and telling beguiling tales about the lives of the people involved. Tour includes an easy to read building diagram, with clearly numbered locations, which coordinate with the track numbers and descriptions displayed on your player. This 1 hour and 28 minute, 17 track, audio tour is in MP3 format, on 1 CD, ready to load to any MP3 player library, or ready for play on any CD player offering MP3 capability. (Not for use on CD players that only play standard CD formatted discs.)

Ca' Rezzonico Palace - Self Guided Walking Tour - Venice Italy (Great Discoveries "Personal Audio Guides" - Formatted for MP3 Players)

Average customer rating:

Ca' Rezzonico Palace - Self Guided Walking Tour - Venice Italy

Ca' Rezzonico Palace - Self Guided Walking Tour - Venice Italy (Great Discoveries "Personal Audio Guides" - Formatted for MP3 Players)
Stephen Soncini
Manufacturer: WhiteHot Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Europe | History | Books on CD | Formats | Books

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ASIN: 1599711133

Product Description

Great Discoveries Audio Tour of Ca' Rezzonico will provide you with the most enjoyable and informative way to visit this majestic but imposing 17th century marble palace. It is one of the few palaces in Venice, which permits public insight into what lies behind the ornamental but often secretive facades of the many exquisite buildings lining the Grand Canal. Today it is one of the finest museums in Venice, housing a wonderful collection of 18th century Venetian art. Largely because of its unique character, where objects designed for great palazzos are displayed in a palace, the contents and the building harmonize in a way not possible in a purposely-built museum. Our carefully researched tour identifies and locates the most relevant artwork to ensure that you do not miss the important pieces and that you clearly understand each items artistic and historic significance. Professional narrators, accompanied by historically appropriate background music, delight, inform and amuse as they present the Galleries history, its great works of art, and beguiling tales of the lives of the people, making your visit a most memorable experience. Tour includes an easy to read building diagram, with clearly numbered locations, which coordinate with the track numbers and descriptions displayed on your player. This 2 hour and 10 minute, 14 track, audio tour is in MP3 format, on 1 CD, ready to load to any MP3 player library, or ready for play on any CD player offering MP3 capability. (Not for use on CD players that only play standard CD formatted discs.)

Customer Reviews:

Ca' Rezzonico Palace - Self Guided Walking Tour - Venice Italy .......2006-02-03

One can only be astounded by the interior of the Rezzonico. The Whitehot Audio Tour really added a whole new dimension to the experience. By having a narrative of the interior I was able to gain a better appreciation of the magificent of the surroundings. Whitehot got ir right when they developed this product.

Average customer rating:

Canal Grande (I Grandi libri)
Umberto Franzoi
Manufacturer: Arsenale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 8877431318

Average customer rating:

Contains violence with guns, swords, and crime by pirates

Little Toot on the Grand Canal
H. Gramatky
Manufacturer: Putnam Pub Group (L)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Customer Reviews:

Contains violence with guns, swords, and crime by pirates.......2003-06-30

I was excited to find a book of children's fiction that featured Venice, Italy. The story is mediocre and contains violent scenes--I usually don't read stories with violent content to my children. The original Little Toot book contained no violence.

Little Toot the tugboat is driving around Venice while we learn of some unique aspects about life in Venice. The last thing we learn is that there are still special police who are in charge of watching and protecting the city from pirates. It states that there are no more pirates. Suddenly, though, there are pirates who arrive and begin stealing jewels and other treasures in the city. The police pursue the pirates and there are scenes of sword fighting, and gun fighting, with numerous scenes of bullets flying around the air. The police fail and while they are getting ready to sail away, Little Toot comes to the rescue. Oddly, after breathing in air from the glass blowing factory, he is able to puff out beautiful glass balls instead of smoke. The pirates want the glass balls, and in their greed, and as they try run after them, they ran right into the prison and were jailed. The message is that greed led to their undoing. Because Little Toot saved the day and was given a prize for his help, his favorite decoration in Venice, a candystick cane.

Average customer rating:
The Majestic Palaces and Museums of Venice (Great Discoveries Personal Audio Guides: Venice)

Manufacturer: WhiteHot Productions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: MP3 CD

Renaissance | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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Venice | Italy | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1599711397

Book Description

Over the past twenty-five years, Chicano artists have made a unique contribution to public art in California, transforming thousands of walls into colorful artworks that express the dreams, achievements, aspirations, and cultural identity of the Mexican-American community. Signs From the Heart tells the inside story of this new and important American art form in four interpretive essays by noted Chicano scholars about its historical, artistic, and educational significance.

Four essays interpreting the historical, artistic, and educational significance of Chicano murals in California.

Customer Reviews:

The Very Best In VISUAL SOUP FOR THE SOUL!.......2003-03-31

I bought this book for a CHICANO/A studies course that I had and it really sank inside of me. It shows pictures of the beautiful murals that can be found in CALIFORNIA by some well known chicano/a muralists and others by popularly known organizations such as SPARC. Coincidentally SPARC which stands for SOCIAL PUBLIC ART RESOURCE CENTER are also the community artists that pained a 2, 435 foot long "GREAT WALL OF LOS ANGELES" which can be viewed at Coldwater Cyn and Oxnard St near Los Angeles Valley College. Very inspirational as well. These murals are also depicted in the book, but I recommend breathing in the life of the murals on your very own. It creates a sort of "ZEN" between you and history. Very powerful images!

It includes inspirational and pride-filling pictures from "CHICANO PARK" in San Diego, East Los Angeles Ramona Gardens MURALS, murals from BERKELEY, murals from freeway underpasses, and San Francisco. These of course are only a couple of localities, there are more. It is an empowering book that really lets you see what struggles the Latino people have had to overcome. It depicts scenes from earlier pre-colonial struggles to recent political views. It is a book that you will pick up and want to add to your collection. This is a 2nd copy that I own and thought that I would share the knowledge with others. It really makes you want to go out and see for yourself what beautiful pieces of art lay within the urban chaos that we live in.

Average customer rating:
Signs from the Heart: California Chicano Murals
Amalia Mesa-Bains , Tomas Ybarra-Frausto , and Shifra M. Goldman
Manufacturer: Social & Public Art Resource Center (S P A R
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0962641901

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