"A grandfather reminisces about playing in his favorite banyan tree one day while picking up his grandson from school. Enamored by his grandfather's stories about the banyan tree, the grandson asks his grandfather to take him to the banyan tree. There they learn that you can never be too old to climb trees, fly to outer space, see pirate ships, search for sea monsters and dragons, and share the joy and magic of imagination."--Page 4 of cover.

The Grandpa B Stories originated around a campfire years ago when Grandpa B told his young children the tale of Jeremiah, a larger than life mountain man who talked to the animals and protected the forest. Over the years, he conjured new stories for each of his grandchildren. All were given special powers and starring roles in their own grand adventures. Throughout The Grandpa B Stories children encounter fun and fanciful characters - flying dogs, surfing chipmunks, bedroom crocodiles, Hookpaw the 3 story tall bear, Therionkin the changeling, fairy princesses and muffin moms and are always able to use their special powers to save the day. The stories take place in several well-known places, giving all who read them a glimpse into the magical world that surrounds them.

Part One of this book is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted by the author during 1970_72 on a local branch of the Muhammadiyah in the town of Kotagede, a suburb of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This work, first published in 1983, observed that the Muhammadiyah social and educational movement had reformed traditional Javanese Islam into a vital living faith and adapted Muslim life to modernity. The author was one of the first scholars who had noted that there was continuing Islamization in Indonesia and predicted its progress in the future. Part Two is based on the author's three decades of follow-up visits to the Kotagede from the 1970s to 2010. During this period, the Muhammadiyah movement made enormous advancements, enough to to make the town known as a "e;Muhammadiyah town"e;. On the national level, the Muhammadiyah has grown to be the second largest Islamic civil society organization (after the traditionalist Nahdlatul Ulama) in Indonesia, with millions of members and supporters. Yet, the wider environment for it has been altered greatly by urbanization, diversification and globalization. It is also facing unprecedented challenges arising from calls for democratization in the post-Soeharto era. The longitudinal study in this volume depicts the most recent dynamics of the Muhammadiyah movement in a local as well as transhitoric context.

In this wondrous book by award-winning fantasy author Jane Yolen and award-winning fantasy illustrator Doug Keith, two children and a dog explore the coves and caves of a tiny island. Under the watchful eye of Grandpa, the kids are thrilled to discover a huge surprise: the craggy rocks, tufted grass, and wind-swept trees on Giant Island are much more than they seem. Stunning watercolor illustrations with a timeless, mythical feel depict the island above and below the water, as it rises and sinks. Perceptive young readers may giggle or gasp when they realize that the entire island is a giant, and then will revel in knowing the giant secret that the main characters have yet to discover. Jane Yolen's text entrances readers with hints of age-old magic, and pays tribute to mystery, curiosity, and friendship. Doug Keith's paintings invite readers to match the shiny rocks to the giant's eyes, the tunnel to his ears, and the trees and dripping water plants to his hair. Are the kids the first to learn the secret of Giant Island, or has Grandpa brought them here to discover for themselves what he discovered many years before? Visit Giant Island, where fantastical adventures await.