4 comments about A Blue's Clues Holiday (Blue's Clues (8x8)).

1. My kids love this book. It has activities that are simple and fun for small kids to do. The cookies that the kids made even came out well. Even if you don't do the activities, the book is just sweet and cute and teaches the kids about the different holidays that are celebrated in winter.



2. My son (nearly 3) loves this book, and we have been reading it long past the holiday season. He probably loves it because it has all of his favorite Blues Clues characters. I like it because it equally recognizes all of the winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa)and discusses activities that are appropriate for all three--making cookies, paper snowflakes, etc. This book is sweet, appealing, and sensitive to that fact that there are many holiday traditions, and for that we give it five stars!



3. The book is fine from a fun prospective but as a Christian I was irritated that Christmas was represented as a celebration of birth rather than the celebration of the birth of Jesus. If I had realized this before I bought it, it never would have come home with us. This might not be a great concern to other parents, but I believe this is not reprsenting the true meaning of these holidays. I do understand that the children might be too young for long explaniations but the holidays could have been explained with a little more detail.



4. "A Blue's Clues Holiday" is a classic "Blue's Clues" book (featuring Steve) loaded with fun holiday ideas. Like most earlier "Blue's Clues" books, Steve is inserted into the illustrated story using photography.
   
   The book starts out with everyone in the Blue's Clues house making holiday decorations. There's paper chains, paper snowflakes and even a bubble snowman from Slippery. There's also Mr. Salt and Mrs. Peppers' delicious recipe for snowball cookies.
   
   We also visit each of Blue's to give them a holiday present. We see how they all celebrate the holidays.
   
   This book mentions a number of different holidays and some may consider it to be somewhat "politically correct." But really, it's true to the TV series and fans of the show will likely enjoy this book.

5 comments about Morris' Disappearing Bag (Picture Puffins).

1. As a kid this (along with Noisy Nora) was my favourite book and I still think it's one of my all time greats. It has moved house and country with me innumerable times.
   It's a sweet story about Christmas, feeling left out by older kids, triumphing by winning attention and causing trouble, and learning to love a bear, but it's never saccharine or preachy.
   It's a must have for every house that ever has a small child visit (and also for those who like to see bears triumph over more gimmicky gifts).



2. Ok so i was sitting in my kid's pediatricians office waiting (as usual) and reading one of the books in the room to my child. it was one of the Max books by Rosemary Wells. So, i'm sitting there looking at the book thinking...gosh! this art work looks soooo familiar! what it is about this book...then an old story comes to mind that i can barely recall. but it kept bugging me and in moments I recall this book i had as a kid about a bunny or something (looked a lot like the Max charactor in the authors more recent books) that got a magic bag for xmas. I couldn't rmember the title though. it's been on my mind on and off since then and I just found the authors name a minute ago on amazon while looking for kids books and decided i was going to investigate and surely find out if she is connected to that old favorite of mine. i could have whooped out loud when I finally spotted "morrie's Disappearing bag" on the list! i'd found it! now I HAVE to buy it for my two littlw ones! I love this book! it's so cute! funny thing is...my little boys name is max! not that this book is about max the bunny.....anyway, i highly recommend this cute book!



3. Now a quick note: In the original publication of "Morris's Disappearing Bag", Morris is a little white bunny. He has now been colored brown. Very interesting choice on the part of the publisher.

   I hereby nominate Rosemary Wells the winner of the Cute But Never Saccharine Picture Book Award printed between the years of 1800-2589. You are familiar with her work, even if you have never read it. Best known for her early board books starring the irascible Max and his patient elder sibling, the author also did slightly older fare. In every book, however, Wells takes the side of the underdog. The littlest sibling. The one most prone to feeling left out. In "Morris's Disappearing Bag" this theme has become all encompassing. Here is a story that truly captures what it feels like to be ignored and unwanted by your siblings.
   
   It is Christmas Day and Morris is delighted. As he and his three elder siblings open their presents, each rabbit (for so they are) is enraptured by their gift. Victor gets a hockey outfit, Rose a beauty kit, and Betty (just to smash a couple stereotypes while we're at it) a chemistry set. Morris gets a lovely bear, but it soon occurs to him that his siblings don't appreciate his present. While they switch one another's gifts and experiment with them, Morris is left all alone. No one wants to play with his bear. It isn't until Morris locates an extra unwrapped present containing a bag of invisibility that Morris finally has a gift cool enough to lure his elder sibs with.

   Is there a moral to be learned here? I dunno. If there was it would probably be something along the lines of "Get a better toy and win the love of your fellow man". I don't buy it, personally. I think this is just a fun adorable tale illustrated with Rosemary Wells's fantastic pictures. No one draws adorable bunnies like this woman. Or so perfectly evokes a child feeling sorry for himself. Morris sitting all by himself with his ears at half mast is so simultaneously cute and pitiful, you just want to give his roly-poly little body a big big hug. All in all, this is a fantastic book (the older brother applying make-up to his face is worth the price of admission alone). A great story for Christmas, and a wonderful tale for all the year round. Grab yourself a copy.




4. Another classic from Rosemary Wells! Here, youngest sibling of four, Morris, is not permitted to play with his older siblings' exciting Christmas presents, and no one wants anything to do with Morris's babyish teddy bear until Morris discovers a magic disappearing bag and everyone wants to play with his toy. Any younger sibling -- or even just a young child who feels powerless sometimes -- will relate. I like how Morris gets to live the fantasy of making his siblings "disappear" and getting to play with all their stuff in a gentle, non-violent way. The Christmas aspect of this story makes it extra fun around the holidays, but we read it all year long.



5. What if you were the youngest rabbit in the family and nobody wanted to play with your Christmas bear because it was too babyish? Would you feel left out if your sisters and brother said you were too little to play with THEIR presents? Would you sit in the corner with your ears drooping in sadness?
   
   If that tugs at your heartstrings, meet Morris. He's the dearest little bunny you ever saw, and SO sad on Christmas morning. He loves his new bear but he's too little to play with Rose's beauty kit, Victor's hockey stick, and Betty's chemistry set. While they are having fun, Morris crawls under the tree and finds ONE FORGOTTEN PRESENT, a bag. He pulls himself into the bag and -- DISAPPEARS!
   
   Oho! Now the other bunnies are singing a different song. They all want to share their presents with Morris while they try out his disappearing bag. Who can blame them? Wouldn't we all like a disappearing bag from time to time? Such a fine present. Morris generously gives turns with his bag and has a go with the other presents. He's got the most coveted Christmas gift of all, but all he wants is a little consideration, to be part of the crowd, to be included.
   
   Rosemary Wells writes a terrific story and her illustrations are sheer delight. Little droopy bunny ears, puffy cotton tails sticking out of the bag, hilarious bunny play with the chemicals, the makeup, the hockey kit -- and precious little Morris with all his feelings worn on his sleeve.
   
   I've had this book since my sons were little, and given it to a number of children. I always buy a new copy for myself, just in case I need it. My favorite!
   
   Linda Bulger, 2008

5 comments about Who Is Coming to Our House? (Board Book).

1. I am SO SICK of this book. I have to read it over and over and over again all day long. My daughter (17 months) will pull it from the bottom of a pile of books and bring it to me to read. On the final page she pats the baby's face and says "Baby. Baby." It's a very sweet little book and worth getting; your child will love it.



2. This book is a favorite for my two pre-school-aged children. We read it year-round.
   
   The rhymes of the tale are engaging. (I love the oft repeated line: "Someone, someone," says Mouse.)
   
   My only quibble with the book is the art work. It is not to my taste, though I think that that is more a matter of personal preference than anything else.



3. A wonderful little board book for the little ones. Nice size for them to handle! The Christmas story from the viewpoint of the stable animals is special. The colors are eye catching. Highly recommended!



4. My toddler class loved this book. They loved the repetition and every time I'd read the line "Who is coming to our house?" they'd yell Jesus!! It is a great story told from the animals' perspective and a wonderful addition to any preschooler's library!



5. This gentle story, told in simple rhyme, shows animals in a stable getting ready for a special guest. The block-print art, rich in earth-tones, gives a humble and loving feel to the scene. Each animal does what it can to prepare the stable, and when Mary and Joseph arrive, the animals stand in hushed anticipation. The final page shows all the animals gathered around the new baby Jesus, saying, "Welcome, welcome to our house!" A perfect read-aloud for little ones.

5 comments about Big Susan.

1. A wonderful book written and illustrated a while back by renouned author and illustrator Elizabeth Orton Jones. Mz. Jones recently passed away and will be sorely missed in our community.



2. Big Susan and I became friends 45 years ago, give or take. But with moving etc. I didn't know where she was. Having seen her advertised I thought I would enjoy her again. My only children are cats, so I couldn't really share Susan with them, which may have been why I lost track of her. Having had a learning disability I read slowly when I was young, I'm much faster now, and remembering her so fondly I gave myself a treat.
   
   Big Susan is a reminder of gentler and simpler times, when things ran on imagination and good will, and not on batteries and lasers. While I loved it, I tend to be from a less bombastic generation, but I still think this is a lovely book that should be enjoyed and imagined with.



3. I cannot believe it! I have been looking for this book for 53 years! I had read and loved it to death as a 7 year old - I borrowed it so many times from the school library that I practically wore it out. Once I became an adult I wanted to find this precious book for my own daughter and alas - it was no longer in print. I hunted and hunted!!! NOW - here it is again! I now can share this magical story with my granddaughter! I always thought that MY dollies came to life when I slept each night - that book proved it! A MUST for every little girl and boy to read. Pure magic!!!



4. If you or some little person you know likes dolls and doll houses, read this book to them. Big Susan is the name of the little girl who "owns" the doll house that the Doll family lives in. The story focuses on Christmas Night when the dolls come alive. It is a family story of love, sacrifice and sharing. It is a great book for little people who know their dolls can talk and come alive when they are asleep.
   I checked this book out of the library as much as I could get away when I was a kid. My local library burned when I was in high school, and one of the library staff asked if there was anything I wanted as a souvenir. I asked for one thing, "Big Susan. I still have the book and reread it several times a year.



5. Here's a story that combines imagination with reality in such a whimsical way that children (and grownups) will appreciate Mr. and Mrs. Doll as they face the pickle they are in. Readers will hurry through the book, hoping that Big Susan comes back to the doll house to keep the promises she's made. Afterwards, you and your child may find yourselves doing some spring cleaning in your own dollhouse. A truly good read.

5 comments about The Twelve Days of Christmas.

1. I enjoyed reading this book and Jan Brett's illustrations were beautiful! I liked learning how to say Merry Christmas in many different languages. This is one of Brett's most colorful and actively illustrated works.



2. I bought this book because 'The Twelve Days of Christmas' is one of my son's favorite songs. I love the illustrations, they're beautifully done. However, the order of the lines appears to be an older form (and somewhat less standard now). The way I've always heard it sung was 12 drummers drumming, 11 pipers piping, 10 lords a-leaping, 9 ladies dancing... this book has the lords and ladies first, then the drummers and the pipers. I realize that this sounds like a funny gripe, but little kids can get really focused on something being in the 'right' order and since this version is going to differ from the way kids hear it sung, it has the potential to bug them.



3. This was one of my favorite books growing up. I, like almost all children loved christmas and this book brings back so many memories for me of Christmas' past. I can remember sitting and just marveling at the illustrations of the book. There are so many differnet things going on in each page that I could literally sit for an hour just going through the different scenes. There is of course the famous christmas carol progressing beautifully through the center frame of each page, but along the sides there is the story of a young husband and wife cutting down a christmas tree and having a beautiful 19th century christmas celebration with their two children. And on each page there is also the phrase "Merry Christmas" in (I think) 12 different languages.
   I truly loved this book as a child, and even now as an adult (I'm 20). I'm writing this review from memory, if that shows how much of an impact this book had on me.



4. Some books I appreciate simply for the drawing, this is one of those.
   
   I look forward every year in teaching to taking it out of the book box, looking at the cover and recalling why a good contour line links a composition together. I like looking at the things Jan Brett does artistically, clearly right from the get go as this book has been around in my books since about 91.She's had a long run of great art books.
   
   At the holiday time for reasons rather complex and personal to me, I'm always torn about whether to sing seasonal songs or to divert to songs that are "winter wonderland" or simply teach everything or nothing.. and in a 23 year career I decided I could like myself if I started with with Dicken's Christmas Carol, The Muppet's version and Miss Piggy, John Denver and crew singing this Twelve Days of Christmas tune (on CD).From there I could go and figure out the rest of it... That then turned into an expansive signing version i came up with of this silly song.
   
   That turned into making kid books of the song's numerical items (Twelve Days)to work on number order (1st-first, 2nd-second)and number word something we are doing now anyway... all of which is a part of first grade.I used Jan Bret to assist those images. Then we make giant hats for their heads with a pear tree and partridge on top and use this lovely book for the drawing of the partridge (among other directed drawing lessons on the twelve stated days).
   
   It's an epiphany tale worth using with my largely Hispanic group who generally aren't Santa followers and are bridging to celebration of the holiday in Mexico and becoming aware of something-people do things differently. So often also becoming fascinated by holiday traditions worldwide which i like to talk and teach. Obviously this book contains the Brett standards, amongst those are the detailed borders, which reveal secrets and fantasy elements, the Scandinavian "look" and the compositional effects generated from her truly elaborated and worked stylizations. I definitely watch each year to see the children in my room who seem to develop an affinity for Brett's books. On the surface my particular class isn't going to find in the blond and fair represented their own images,there is cognitive dissonances in this in general around Christmas imaging in the culture, but inevitably I see drawn to the work children I teach that love detail, elaboration, theme and variation.Inner world kids. I'm saying it is a book for a child that likes to escape into images. I really have observed for years children who create inner visual worlds, or who have artistic drives towards fanciful kinds of expression, seen them pulled into her work. I have a student this year who has a great representational drawing talent, but greater interest in being defined by his drawing talent and he is very captivated by the artwork in this book.
   
   As a very strange party game I usually take this book and Twelve Days song to the holiday parties, occasionally in my adult life performing the song. It's just one of those, better with the eggnog . And this my favorite representation of it among the 27 I own. A lovely partridge.



5. I was very happy with the product and the quick shipping that I received. I would order again from this person

5 comments about A Christmas Carol read by Jim Dale.

1. The quintessential Christmas story read by Jim Dale with all the skill (and voices) with which he read the Harry Potter novels. Wonderful to listen to as you do your Christmas decorating or baking. I bought copies to give as gifts for several people this year.



2. This was a great way to share the beauty of Dickens with students that are not quite ready to read it on their own.



3. This is a fabulous, UNabridged version of A Christmas Carol. Jim Dale does fabulous voice characterizations, and really captures the mood of each scene. Just love it.



4. Wonderful! In this busy time of year it's hard to find time to sit down long enough to read through the printed Dickens. Having an unabridged copy of A Christmas Carol in an audio format is a great treat. I managed to listen to it twice, once on my own while wrapping gifts and baking, and once with my kids.
   Jim Dale, as usual reads it beautifully, embuing each character with it's own personality.



5. Fabulous from beginning to end. Jim Dale's performance makes the characters in the book come to life. I highly recommend it.

No comments about Happy's Holiday (Big Apple Barn).

5 comments about A Gift from the Lonely Doll.

1. I loved this book as a child, and was thrilled to see
   it reissued. Little Bear is the perfectly annoying little
   brother nagging Edith about the gift that Mr Bear loved
   even before it was "fixed".



2. Dare Wright, A Gift from the Lonely Doll (Houghton Mifflin, 1963)
   
   Perhaps the best, and according to the jacket copy the best-loved, of the Lonely Doll books is A Gift from the Lonely Doll, originally published in 1963. In this episode, Edith (the titular character) decides to make a Christmas present for Mr. Bear-- a long knitted scarf. Little Bear, always the heckler, tells Edith constantly that the scarf is going to be entirely too long. He's right, but Edith solves the dilemma in a creative way.
   
   This is the only installment of the series I've read where Edith and the bears actually seem to operate as a family unit, with no absentee parenting or weirdly erotic scenes of punishment. A good little book, one I'd actually consider giving to my kid. *** ½



3. I read these as a child but haven't seen them in years as they were out of print. I was so excited to give them to my niece.



4. While many Edith Doll books outdated socially (spankings, poor family relations). This book is a gem. It would be a great Christmas gift or a gift for a knitter. The images are great and the messages are great. Edith is making her gift by hand. Her brother (Little Bear) is trying to help and Edith doesn't want to listen. Little bear teases her stubbornness, just like a friend should. The Bears visit their cousins for Christmas (sleeding, ice skating, tree decorating, presents) and the family picture is nice. Edith comes up with a creative solution to her knitting disaster that pleases everyone and brings the loving family together.
   
   OK, so this paragraph might be pushing it, but it has merit. I like that the family units in this book are not traditional. No kid would question the bear/doll family units. They are toys, but I suppose if you were looking for a book that was inclusive of race, adoption, physical differences, and sexual relations, this book might be one to pick up. You could infer that the two male bear cousins were gay lovers under cover (2 old male bears living to together in the country) The book could also illustrate diversity. Everyone loves Edith. There is no mention that she is different, though she is clearly physically very different from the rest of the family (and adopted!). This world is a happy world full of very real love and devotion.



5. I favorite of mine from when I was young and is now a favorite of my daughter. She treasures these books as I did. There's something magical about them...

5 comments about Disney Princess Holiday: Cinderella So This Is Christmas/Beauty and the Beast One Magical Christmas/Ariel's Christmas Under the Sea (Disney's Read Along Collection).

1. This bargain-priced boxed set of three full color Disney books with one Read-Along CD contain a brand-new Cinderella story called SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS.
   The new story takes place before Cinderella meets the Prince. The stepmother orders her to prepare a grand party for the mysterious Countess LaRue, who turns out to be ... well, I don't want to give it away!
   Two classic Princess stories round out the set, Beauty and the Beast in ONE MAGICAL CHRISTMAS by Karen Krieder and The Little Mermaid in CHRISTMAS UNDER THE SEA by Paula Sigman.
   All the stories are performed by the great Disney voice actors including Jodi Benson, Paige O'Hara, Jennifer Hale, Robbie Benson, Joanne Worley, Russi Taylor, Corey Burton, Rob Paulsen, Sam Wright, Roy Dotrice, Brian Cummings, Linda Gary and many others,
   A great Disney set at a great price!



2. A perfect gift and sound experience for young children with original voices from the movies!
   
   Simple stories told in simple ways to initiate children about sharing and caring, with Christmas as a reference for "holiday season" only.
   
   The voice characterizations are fantastic and very appealing (Russi Taylor is top-notch as the recreation of Cinderella's God-Mother); the music (traditional Xmas music) is really "background", subdued and nice enough to set the mood.
   
   Three colourful books with exquisite Disney illustrations tell the stories with the printed text of the narration!
   
   AND... there's even a NEW character named after ME, François, I must humbly say!
   
   So, who could ask for anything more?



3. My daughter (4) loves these read it yourself books. The box (packaging) it comes with isn't very sturdy though, and we have had to find alternate holders to store the CD in. Would have preferred the cd to come with a case, rather than a clip in to the box cover.



4. It has all my daughters favorite princess songs. She loves it.



5. another 'worth the money' disney product. loved it! bought this as a christmas present for my 3yr old g'dghtr. watching her 'read along' outloud was too funny. i actually got this as a help-mate for bedtime because neither she or her 7yr old sister ever want to go to bed let alone fall asleep w/in minutes. this worked out great..first read the story to them (books are adorable) and then pop in the cd and they can 'listen' to it again. worked like a charm and no more "please..just one more story??!!" i highly reco this product and getting her the little mermaid next for her february bday :)

1 comments about Christmas Moccasins.

1. Quite simply beautiful. A story for all ages that gives hope to human kind.