No comments about The 12 Days of Christmas.

1 comments about When Santa Turned Green.

1. This was a Christmas present for my daughter.
   
   Basically, Christmas is on it's way and Santa gets hit with a dew drop on the nose. He investigates and finds the North Pole is melting. He checks the ice caps and finds they are melting. Santa then decides to find out why and becomes interested in CO2 emissions. He then goes about visiting the children to get them interested in solving the problem.
   
   The author stated she set out to offer a tool to not scare children. But the story is a little weak and not written well as my daughter seems not to interested in it. Especially when there are things like a lady in pink blow snow and doves and I couldn't explain who she was.
   
   Then there is the blasphemy that Santa would wear a green suit as he works towards educating the world of this problem. My girl says Santa only wears Red!
   
   There are some suggestions for kids can do such as using reusable lunch packing versus the throw away, recycling, planting trees, etc. However, the schools and the girl scouts are giving these out anyway.
   
   One thing to note is the author is donating some of the proceeds to charities that help the environment.
   
   It's an ok book that could have been better.

1 comments about 12 Dogs of Christmas.

1. This is a really cute show and one the whole family can enjoy.
   From first bark to last howl it is a charming show and the villian gets his come uppance.

5 comments about Santa My Life & Times: An Illustrated Autobiography.

1. I read "Santa, My Life and Times" with my two boys, ages 4 and 6, over the week prior to Christmas. We took advantage of its longer format to spread it out over several nights, one or two chapters at a time. While I was at first worried that the youngsters' short attention spans would wane, the story, writing and illustrations are so rich that their interest only grew with each night's installment, dovetailing perfectly with their mounting anticipation of the holiday. I wish there were more longer-form children's books out there that offered such depth of experience for my whole family. We'll be reading it again next year, for sure!



2. I have been following the stunning art of Sienkwiecz since I was a 13 year old, when he was illustrating for Marvel Comics. Imagine my surprise when I saw this, with such detailed artwork. I have a feeling that years for now, this will be considered one of his major pieces of art. Not to mention that it has the origin of Santa Claus as well!



3. I am adult who still longs to believe in the myth of Santa Claus: that a jolly old man is still roaming the earth in his airborne carriage delivering happiness to all of the good Christian boys and girls out there. But as a buddhist, I have always stood outside this tradition and wondered if his life was relevant to my own Chinese background. But with this book the universality of santa's benevolence is brought home to all. May all the faiths buy this book for the Holiday season and the Chinese New Year!



4. The author made it sound so real.It made me beleive again.Its a great book for the whole family(especially those that are young and young at heart!)



5. Oh man, My daddy got me this book two years ago and for the longest time I was like "Yeah, right Santa Claus, pffft . . ." and I threw the book in my closet. Then this christmas I was sick with the flu and I found it again. Having nothing else to do I began to read it and was sucked into the vast imagery and delicate artwork found within it's pages. It's many fanciful scenes involving the growth of Santa and his escapades in the mushroom forest and various other psychotropic locales dovetailed nicely with the effects of my cold medecine. An awesome tale of the jolly fat man if there ever was one . . . .

No comments about Star of Wonder: Matthew 2:1-11, Luke 2:8-18 (Arch Books).

1 comments about Tomie's Little Christmas Pageant.

1. ISBN 0399239596 - On a board book reviewing streak, I was starting to get a little bored (no pun intended) with the story-less books that teach counting, shapes, colors, et al. This book came along at just the right moment AND turns out to be better than I'd expected.
   
   The first page says the class is going to do a play about the first Christmas, the remainder of the book is written from the viewpoint of the narrator of that play. You know the story, Christian or not, so I'll keep it short: Mary and Joseph have a child in a manger, name him Jesus, the angels tell the shepherds and 3 kings follow a star, and for 2 thousand years or so we've been celebrating his birth.
   
   This really is a nicely done book. It retells the story of the first Christmas, neglecting to go into the kinds of details (virgin birth, taxes, etc) that a child won't really understand anyway. It makes the story simple and straightforward and will make a great addition to any kids' library, particularly the library of young Christian readers. Jewish readers will find that the book doesn't conflict with their view of Jesus as a prophet and not the son of god, because that isn't mentioned.
   
   In fact, that is something that you might view as either a negative or a non-factor, but is worth mentioning: the story of the birth of Jesus is nice but nowhere in the book does it say WHY anyone would celebrate his birth. It doesn't say much of anything about who this baby is, just that Christmas is his birthday. This can be used as a chance to explain your own beliefs about why we celebrate it, or it can be viewed as a gaping hole in the story.
   
   Also, a small thing - on the first page, the book is written in the first person and says "I will tell the story". There is only one person in the illustration that appears to be "looking at" the reader. On the next page, it is a different person who is telling the story. On the hilarious side, the angels 2,000+ years ago sing "Joy to World" - written in the early 18th century, at least 1700 years later!

5 comments about An Angel Came to Nazareth (Templar).

1. I was given this book as a gift. Words cannot describe how amazingly beautiful the illustrations are. The pages are high quality and textured so the kids love how it feels. The colors are vibrant and it is a nice and easily understandable version of the story of the first Christmas.



2. In ancient Nazareth an angel had a riddle for the barn animals. Who was the greatest of the four travelers and which would carry him? One by one the creatures answered--the horse first picked the soldier. Two other animals answered before the donkey told the angel, "the lady waiting here who needs bearing most of all." The three other travelers and their beasts of burden followed the donkey to the stall where Jesus was born.
   
   This retelling of the Christmas story flows gently through a simple poem. It is stunningly illustrated for young children. With thick embossed pages, and rich colors, many will buy the book for the illustrations alone. Its simple message will become a classic in many households. - Carol Stratton, Christian Book Previews.com



3. I gave this book to my 3 1/2 year old son for Christmas and was afraid it would be too sophisticated for him. But he loved it as much as I do because of the rhythm of the lovely poem and the absolutely gorgeous artwork with golden accents and embossed pages. A book not only to read and look at but also to "feel". It is different from the many other Christmas books and I highly recommend it.



4. This is one of the most beautiful books one could ever own. It's the story of the first Christmas told in lilting verse through the eyes of the animals. Richly illustrated with special embossed details make this book a treasure for many, many generations. I am proud to own it in my own personal collection, and will purchase many copies as Christmas gifts for my family and friends.



5. I was so happy we ordered this on our child's Scholastic choices for the month! The illustrations are gorgeous as previous reviewers have said. They are almost kind of medieval in appearance.
   
   The book is written in verse and has a beautiful lyrical quality to it.
   
   Of course, the best part is the message. An angel goes to a stable and calls out some animals. Each of the animals has to choose what it will carry. It starts with the horse who chooses the strongest looking person. It then goes to a "lower" animal who chooses the good Samaritan. Although the Samaritan is good, he's not the best. The next animal chooses one of the wise men. The angel acknowledges he is wise and will discover what's at the star. The lowest animal, the donkey chooses Mary because she needs to be carried. The angel says that's the best choice as Mary is carrying the best of all. What a cute way of sharing the story of Jesus! I found myself just as entranced as my children!

1 comments about The Gift of a Traveler.

1. Words cannot describe this enchanting story of a woman who spends the afternoon with her grandaughter recalling a childhood encounter with a mysterious traveler and a very special Christmas ornament. From the beginning you'll want to cuddle up with your child and snuggle deeply into the warmth of the story as the tale of Anica and the traveler unfolds. Detailed descriptions and brilliant illustrations will transport you back and forth through time. This book will easily become a Christmas time reading tradition.

1 comments about The Christmas Drum.

1. As the mother of three beautiful children from Romania, this book has an obvious place in my heart. However, it is so lovely it should have a broad appeal for families of all backgrounds. It is one of the few Christmas books without reference to presents. Instead the emphasis is on family sharing and traditions. With beautiful illustrations and gentle text, the book shares the wonderful caroling tradition in Romania. In addition to its Christmas theme, it also looks at the challenges children face in learning new things and figuring out their place in their community. You will love this book! By the end you may even want to go caroling yourself!

No comments about Emily's Christmas Gifts.