No comments about Just William at Christmas.

No comments about Christmas Is Love.

5 comments about Merry Christmas Maisy: Mini Edition (Maisy).

1. This is a good Christmas book for a younger toddler or child. Although it is not a board book, the pages are made of a heavier paper stock and will withstand some abuse. Maisy's Christmas story is consistent with the style of her other books: lots of bold primary colors and simple illustrations that younger children seem to prefer. Throughout the book, there are also flaps to lift and shiny objects. Overall, if you like the Maisy books, I'm sure that you will find this one a good addition to your Christmas collection.

   My only mild complaint is that the focus of the book seems to be entirely on the material side of Christmas with presents taking center stage. I know that this book is for very young children, and I'm not suggesting that every book have a heavy handed message, but it would be nice for more books to touch on the larger spirit and message of Christmas.




2. If your child loves Maisy or just Christmas - this is the book for them. Cute lift-flaps and story keep them entertained. My daughter loves to read this one over and over!



3. My 2.5 yr old loves this book....It does focus mostly on the material side of the Holiday (much ado is made about getting the presents, wrapping them, making the dinner, the tree etc)....but honestly at this YOUNG age THAT is exactly what makes her so excited about Christmas!!!....You don't need every Xmas book to teach about religion...I think that fact that it DOES center on the stuff that for kids make this time of year so exciting is exactly WHy she loves it so much....

   I think it is a very well made book...great colors, flaps and pull tabs.....As an adult , I enjoy reading it to her....




4. I was skeptical that a full sized Maisy flap book could be reproduced as a miniature, but they actually pull it off. Every time you turn the page, there are 2 - 4 flaps to open, as well as the occasional pull tab. Open the oven to check the cookies, open Maisy's Christmas cards to see who they're from, or peek under the bed covers to find Panda -- they're very creative and not always conspicuous.
   
   As other reviewers have noted, the focus is largely on Maisy buying, wrapping, baking and decorating for when her friends come to visit Christmas morning. Tallulah comes complete with a sparkly silver dress and panties that say "jingle bells" -- one of the more interesting flaps I've seen!
   
   The paper is sturdy, but imho, the flaps tend towards the petite and are a bit on the fragile side -- I'm amazed my rough 2 yr old hasn't ripped any off yet. All in all, though, a thoroughly charming book conveniently sized for a stocking. My daughter *loves* it.



5. I don't think there a Maisy book that I would give less than 5 stars to! My 2 year old has loved Lucy Cousins books since she was 6 months old. Maisy is simple, sweet and to the point. The fun little mini edition is easy for little hands.

No comments about Noel.

No comments about Toca y Apprende Navidad/Touch and Feel Christmas (Touch & Feel).

5 comments about A Christmas Guest (First Ave Edns).

1. This beautifully written Christmas story captivates young and old readers alike. It has become a tradition for our family to read it every Christmas Eve (and throughout the year!). After only one reading of the book, it becomes a treasure. Thank you, Mr. LaRochelle, for this marvelous book.



2. A Christmas Guest is my families' favorite Christmas story. It captures the spirit of Christmas in a beautifully illistrated fashion. It is a wonderful book to read alone or to a group. My wife shares it with the kids' classes at school every year. It is truly a Christmas Classic!!



3. A story you won't soon forget. Had the pleasure of hearing it several years back at womens fellowship meeting. I can't get the story off my mind. I'm one who believes angels are a big part of our lives. It captured my heart and I'm thankfull for Amazon because the book is no longer in print.It will be a part of our Christmas tradition for the rest of my life. Thanks Amazon!



4. A story you won't soon forget. Had the pleasure of hearing it several years back at womens fellowship meeting. I can't get the story off my mind. I'm one who believes angels are a big part of our lives. It captured my heart and I'm thankfull for Amazon because the book is no longer in print.It will be a part of our Christmas tradition for the rest of my life. Thanks Amazon!



5. A Christmas Guest by David LaRochelle has been our family's alltime favorite Christmas story. The story about a small boy and his mother entertaining an angel unaware is timelessly beautiful and in keeping with the true Christmas spirit. This treasure of a book is now out of print and I would love it if everybody would write to the publishers, Lerner Books Publishing, Carolrhoda books...and ask them to reprint it so that everyone can have a copy of this fine book. The pictures are poignantly lovely and the book is in rhyme. It is a great book to read to small children right before bed as it is easily read in ten minutes. It is also a great book to read to adults!

5 comments about Father Christmas Letters Mini-Book.

1. I was looking forward to getting this book, and reading it to my children for Christmas. However, the actual edition was quite disappointing. For one thing, it is so small (3" x 3") that it is very hard to read, the pictures are hard to see. The reviews on the website implied that it was the full set of stories, with adventures about goblins. Indeed, the back of the book has an excerpt talking about goblins. However, the subset of letters in the actual book has none of the stories dealing with goblins! The stories that are there are nice, but often disjointed because they refer to previous years' events that are past, and there are too few stories, and the pictures are too small. If I had seen this book in a bookstore, I would not have bought it, but it was difficult to judge over the internet. I cannot recommend this book.



2. One can imagine Tolkien and his children by the fire. Father Christmas lives in this book and the reader rediscovers his/her childhood again.



3. . . .which will be a joy to hobbit-lads and lasses for many years to come. (Most "Big People" don't know that Father Christmas visits the Shire each Yule -- but he does!)

   In this delightful book, the Master presents a series of illustrated letters sent from the North Pole each year to his children -- just in time for the holidays. In these letters, Father Christmas explains his difficulty in finding good help (thanks to the antics of the North Polar Bear); relates the true facts behind the great Northern Lights; and details frightening battles with the goblins who reside in caves under the Pole.

   An excellent collection suitable for all ages (and guaranteed to instill in the youngest of hobbits a heathly desire to avoid goblins of all sorts!)




4. Each year without fail, from 1920 to 1939, the children at the Tolkien household received a letter from Father Christmas, telling them of the ludicrous, hilarious events, mishaps and accidents that occurred in the North Pole previous to his yearly visits.
   Through his emotive letters and amusing drawings, Father Christmas often explained how most of his misfortunes were directly linked to the curiosity of the well-meaning but rather clumsy Polar Bear (who constantly complained of looking very silly in the drawings). He also shared some little-known facts about life in the North Pole like the "mystery" of the Northern Lights, how he manages to visit all the children in the world in a single night, and who are the real Snowmen.
   This pint-sized, delightful book, colorfully illustrated with the author's own drawings, contains a chronologically arranged selection of these letters that is sure to be enjoyable to readers of all ages. This is definitely another Tolkien volume that you can't afford to miss.
   --Reviewed by Maritza Volmar



5. J.R.R. Tolkien was best known for his epic fantasy "Lord of the Rings" and his studies in myth and language. But Tolkien was also the proud dad of four kids -- and he didn't just read "Hobbit" to them at bedtime. Over the course of many years, he wrote and illustrated detailed, whimsical letters from Father Christmas, populated with a clumsy polar bear, elves and goblins.
   
   In these letters, Father Christmas kept the Tolkien children updated with stories about the hijinks at the North Pole -- the slapsticky North Polar Bear and all the things he broke, firework explosions, the discovery of ancient caves full of old cave drawings, and battles with the goblins. (When Father Christmas couldn't write, his Elvish secretary filled in)
   
   When reading these letters, it's hard to imagine any luckier kids in the Christmases of the '20s and '30s. After all, how many children gets detailed letters and pictures from Father Christmas -- complete with special stamps? Tolkien's love for his kids is evident in the care he took to create these letters, and the affection that comes from "Father Christmas" that is written in.
   
   Tolkien's old-school style of writing is a bit formal and very correct, but he tosses in comments of exasperation, amusement, and in the last letter, a sort of sad resignation that children will grow up. Maybe it is because they were given to real children, not intended for publication, that the letters are only a little cutesy, and never cloying.
   
   And of course, Tolkien's detailed, colorful, fantastical, intricate pictures are what make the letters come alive; you can imagine the Tolkien kids eagerly examining the pictures as well as the written words. They aren't terribly realistic -- Father Christmas never looks quite real -- but their detailed fantastical charm makes up for it, such as the murals on Father Christmas's walls, with suns, moons, stars and trees.
   
   Tolkien also sprinkles the stories with things that his kids were probably intrigued by, like prehistoric cave paintings, fireworks, and a comic bear who causes all kinds of mayhem. And fans of Tolkien's fantasy works will probably enjoy checking out things like the invented Elf language (as written by the secretary Ilbereth) and goblin language. Tolkien includes a letter from the North Polar Bear in the latter language.
   
   "Letters From Father Christmas" won't exactly make you believe in Santa Claus again, but it is one of the prettiest and most charming Christmas picture books out there. Definitely recommended -- and not just for Tolkien fans too.

No comments about The Unicorn at the Manger: Yearlong Stories of the Holy Night.

No comments about Christmas Care Bears (Care Bears).

2 comments about First Christmas, The.

1. The First Christmas: A Puzzle Book is a fun and heavy duty board book containing six sturdy, child safe cardboard puzzle pieces with a built in holder to contain the pieces. Little hands should be able to learn the Bible story of Jesus' birth by placing the missing piece on each page. The book is best suited to readers between ages 2 and 4, though younger children will enjoy the book's bright illustrations and rhyming rhythms.



2. The First Christmas by Allia Zobel Nolan is the retelling of Jesus' birth from the New Testament books of Luke and Matthew.
   
   In easy-to-read text, The First Christmas is a child's version of God's gift of the Christ Child to all mankind. The story follows Mary as the angel tells her she is to give birth to God's son, who will be called Jesus, through to Jesus' birth.
   
   The illustrations are bold, colorful and inviting and contribute to the child's understanding of the Christmas story.
   
   The First Christmas is a wonderful early reader that will help children learn the story of Jesus' birth in a way that will warm their hearts and contribute to their relationship with God.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: A perfect gift for that special child in your life.