5 comments about The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey with CD: Gift Edition (Christmas Miracle of Jon Toome).

1. A friend and I are often comparing notes on wonderful new and old books and stories for children (and adults), especially at Christmastime. When I saw this book, I knew it would fill the bill as a perfect gift to her to add to her wonderful collection of children's books. I was right--she loved it. I'd never heard of this story before, but, in my opinion, it should be much better known and read. It's so sweet. I'm certainly sharing it. It's perfect for reading aloud. Again, a real good experience with you folks.



2. Each year I buy myself a new Christmas book, looking for something unique..Just ran up on this book at a company book sale and stood in awe as I read the story. I knew this was "the one" for this year. Not only is the story heartwarming but the illustrations are perfect. My children are grown as well as my granddaughters and I plan to buy copies for all of them.



3. This book is a GREAT human interest story that uses a man's skill-carving, with a family need for a nativity. In the process of carving the characters and the friendliness of a woman and her son, Jonathan changes from a bitter, lonely man to a believer.



4. This story will rank among my all time favorite Christmas stories! It is heartwarming and humorous, and conveys the true spirit of Christmas!



5. Great book...good quality...arrived in record time. I will highly recommend ordering this book for a Christmas present for any age.

2 comments about A Bit of Applause for Mrs. Claus.

1. I bought this book for my mother and my sister. When we were children, my mother always read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" to us on Christmas Eve. This book mimics the rhyme and theme of the poem, but replaces the text with fun rhymes that acknowledges the hard work that Mrs Claus puts into Christmas (as Moms know, Santa's efforts are nothing without his wife's support!). I loved the illustrations, they are whimsical and colorful. I even purchased a matching ornament for my mother and she is just thrilled with it! I just purchased another copy for a friend of mine for next year!



2. I bought this and A bit of Applause for Santa Claus as a gift exchange with my book club. This really got everyone (all women) laughing...

5 comments about Bear's First Christmas.

1. bought this for a baby 1st christmas present. story is sweet..adventures of a new bear and pictures are beautiful and big.



2. Christmas is about sharing, and that's the lesson this book is trying to teach. A young bear is woken from his hibernation by the sound of Christmas songs, and on his way to find the source of the music, he runs into animals who are in need of help. As he helps them, both he and they learn the real meaning of Christmas: Sharing and giving selflessly is the source of Christmas happiness.
   
   The art is very nice. When the story describes the bear listening for the music, the artist was able to recreate the scene perfectly. The children in the house singing carols are portrayed in rapturous joy and the tenderness of the bear is lovingly painted.
   
   Despite the author's portrayal of bears as playful, happy, and helpful animals, I think this book is very enjoyable and appropriate for kids 2 and up. I don't think it's a good idea to portray bears like that since they are actually strong, wild animals which should not be approached, but so many other kids books portray them as cuddly, so I can't be too hard on Kinerk here.
   
   What I can be hard on is the choice of font. The skinny, broken, scraggly font is hard to read. It is difficult to read ahead while reading aloud since the font needs deciphering. It took a couple readings before I could effectively read this aloud to my son.
   
   One other problem for some parents is the omission of Christ and/or any other religious significance for the holiday. The Christmas tree is given an unnecessary significance, and the book has a heavy dose of naturalism. This may be a turn off for those parents who wish to teach their kids "the reason for the season".
   
   All in all, the book is entertaining, well drawn, and has enough plot to be read over and over again. Naturally, the book only has a shelf-life of a month or two before the Christmas season is over, but the book's physical binding and size make it a keeper. 4 stars for an excellent book, but a point off for the font.



3. I BOUGHT THIS BOOK FOR MY 5-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER. I DID NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THIS WITH HER, BUT I WAS TOLD SHE LIKED IT VERY MUCH. THIS BOOK PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL ANOTHER KIND OF CHRISTMAS STORY.



4. A well written, heart warming story about the importance of friendships as we journey.Beautifully illustrated, I took my chances on this one by the cover and was not disappointed.I purchased 2, one for my 15 mo. old grandson and one for myself to share with my other grandchildren.Simply stated, a must read for the little ones during the holiday season.



5. We bought this book for our 2 year old niece, Zoe. This is a book that both children and adults can love. The pictures are breathtaking. The story is wonderful too ~ about family and friends and a beautiful winter evening.

4 comments about D.W.'s Perfect Present (Arthur).

1. There are only a few more days until Christmas, and D.W. is ecstatic. Unfortunately, she's also extremely nosy, and believes that there are more presents hidden around the house, other than the ones sitting under the Christmas tree. So D.W. sets out searching, looking high and low. However, she soon realizes that due to her selfishness, she never purchased presents for her family, so she begins creating masterpieces for everyone, including Pal, Arthur's puppy.
   
   Fans of the ARTHUR TV show will be enthralled to find a holiday book perfect for young readers and their parents. While it shows how young children truly act when the holidays roll around, it also depicts how great it feels to give presents to the ones you love. This is a wonderful holiday story that will be cherished for years to come, especially by those who love D.W.
   
   Erika Sorocco
   Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper



2. D.W. is excited about Christmas and she begins snooping around the house looking for her gifts. She asks her Dad if a gift he is wrapping is a present for her. But no, it's a fruitcake for Grandma Thora. D.W's Mom is making something in the basement. "Is that for me?" D.W. exclaims. No, it's a ladder for Arthur's tree house.
   
   Featuring Arthur, Mom, Dad, baby Kate, Pal the dog, and Grandma Thora, D.W.'s Perfect Present is a colorful and delightful holiday book that shows the good feelings that come from giving. Not only is this a great story, but it also features gorgeously rich illustrations by author Marc Brown.
   
   On the back of the book is a fun Holiday Hunt where your child can help D.W. find 13 holiday gifts hidden throughout the house



3. "D.W.'s Perfect Present" is a story fit for the holidays. This story is part of a newer set of Arthur / D.W. books aimed at slightly younger readers. It is both fully written and illustrated by Marc Brown.
   
   This book is about D.W., who is searching for Christmas gifts all over and outside the Read household. She looks everywhere, but everyone seems to be making a gift for someone else. As D.W. sees all these gifts, she comes to realization that changes her outlook on the holidays.
   
   D.W. is as cute as ever in this story. The story is fairly simple to follow, but quite enjoyable. Most of the pages are fully illustrated with bright, lush color. This is a wonderful book that will make just about anyone happy for the holidays.



4. Our family is already a big Marc Brown fan, so we thought we probably had a good bet in this new D.W. book. We were right! While most kids spend a lot of time thinking about what they are going to get for Christmas, so does D.W. However, this book gets D.W. (and your child) thinking about what they can get for others! I loved that D.W. took initiative and made the gifts herself, rather than going to the mall!
   
   The illustrations are great and this is another winner from Marc Brown!

2 comments about Corduroy's Christmas Surprise.

1. This is a very sweet book that is definitely worth adding to your Christmas book collection. My 2 1/2 year old loves it. The illustrations are fun and the story has a terrific moral - Corduroy changes his laundry list letter to Santa to focus on the more modest needs of his best friends.



2. This struck me as "Corduroy for the 21st century". I love the original Corduroy books, and this one just has none of the feel of those, either in terms of narrative or in terms of illustration. Corduroy and his 4 silly animal friends do not interract with humans, but exist in some blissful upper middle class suburbia and participate only in gift giving as the meaning of the holiday. True, the bear we love does show his true self in the moment when he changes his Santa letter to ask only for gifts to his friends, but this is the only soft moment in an otherwise overly modern disney-like book. The sewn-on pocket Corduroy is replaced with a shallow pajama wearing pretender. I want my stoic old friend back...

5 comments about A Blue's Clues Holiday (Blue's Clues).

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. This book tries to oversimplify the meaning of holidays in December for children. By doing this, it actually changes the meaning of the holidays, and I think adds more confusion than just explaning the real meanings. Christmas is not the celebration of "birth", it is the celebration of Jesus's birth. I don't know anyone who goes to a hospital to celebrate birth, or hangs diapers and rattles on their house on December 25th. I think kids might confuse babyshowers or birthdays with "Christmas", and eventually parents will have to explain the real meaning anyways. There is nothing politically incorrect about printing the name Jesus in a book, or accurately portraying the real meaning behind Christmas. Because some people don't choose to acknowledge it, doesn't mean the meaning of Christmas changes, or it is offensive say the name Jesus. GOOD GRIEF!

5 comments about Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend.

1. We bought this book when my daughter was 2.5 to help her understand the idea of Santa, and she's been bringing us this book to read over & over for the last year! The book is simple and sweet. It tells one story of St. Nicolas secretly giving money to a family so that the girls in the family could have a dowry & get married. Then it talks about how St. Nicolas continued giving to people. Other people gave to each other. And the stories of St. Nicolas spread all over the world. People called him Father Christmas, which is where Santa comes from. The book also talks about Jesus as the greatest gift that God gives to us and how we remember the gift of Jesus at Christmas.



2. I did like the book but if you like a little more detail this is not for you. It is great if you only have a few moments to read to your little one. It only told of one good deed of the saint. It does tell of his faith in our Lord but still not much detail. I would like more on his childhood and how he grew to be so loving and kind. I would like more detail on his faith. If you know of such a book please let me know. yrosemarie@yahoo.com



3. In our house, we don't stress Santa Claus at Christmas, we try and stress giving to others who need it and that it is Jesus's birthday. But we don't outright say Santa is a myth.
   
   This book does a great job for young kids in describing who Saint Nicholas was, why we might model giving after him (the story describes a single act of his) and how he is referred to in other places (Father Christmas and Santa Claus). It makes it a bit easier to deal with Santa.



4. Just read this book to my dd & she states that she "really loves it". We teach that Santa Claus is based on a real man who died long ago, and that he did very kind things because of obeying Jesus Christ's teachings. We'll enjoy having this book around this Christmas season to remind us of the caring & loving acts of Saint Nicholas. This story covers 1 incident in his life which show his kindness & generousity & gives emphasis as to why he was like that - because that was his way to show Jesus' love to others. The author comments on how he's now known as Father Christmas. There's a note to the "grown-up" that explains a few facts concerning Saint Nicholas and a glossary that explains some words/places. We love the colorful & life-like pictures. Hope this review will help someone! Have fun reading!



5. I liked this book a lot and it accomplished the purpose for which it was purchased...we don't "do" Santa with our kids, but I wanted them to know that there really was a man named St. Nicholas and who he was and what he did. My daughter really loved this book, and I think it will become a Christmas tradition. It's nice that the real St. Nicholas loved the Lord and was a Christian, and that that was his motivation for giving gifts. I want my children to understand why we give gifts and more importantly, to understand the precious gift of Jesus as Savior, and I felt like this book was a nice Christmas complement.

3 comments about Thomas's Christmas Delivery (A Sparkle Storybook).

1. This book has replaced "Thomas and the Shooting Star" (also illustrated by Tommy Stubbs) as the most beautifully illustrated Thomas book. The illustrations are so lifelike and have such depth to them they make "...Shooting Star" look blurry in comparison.
   
   The story is very nice as well. A great, feel-good christmas tale of how Thomas brings deliveries on christmas eve.
   
   I've been reading this one to my 3 year old almost daily since we we got the book, and so far neither of us has grown tired of it.



2. "Puff, puff. Peep, peep. Snowflakes were just starting to fall as Thomas climbed the steep hill. It was Christmas Eve and Thomas wanted to be back in his shed with his friends. The engines' stockings were going to be hung soon and Thomas didn't want to miss that. But Thomas was a Really Useful Engine and he had three very important deliveries to make...and they could not wait." -- From the book
   
   My son is an ardent fan of Thomas the Tank Engine, so we have quite a few of the Thomas books. Most reinforce the same rudeness, pettiness, and competitiveness of the TV series.
   
   However, Thomas' Christmas Delivery offers quite a different tale. One snowy day, the night before Christmas, Thomas must make three important scheduled deliveries--food for the Community Hall for the big celebration, parcels to the school for the children that were unable to go home for the holidays, and presents for the residents of the Children's Hospital in Vicarstown.
   
   It just so happens that Sir Topham Hatt comes out of the hospital, telling Thomas he has a very important job for him: delivering a toy train to a little boy with a broken leg.
   
   Thomas is worried that Father Christmas will forget him, especially since Thomas' stocking wasn't hung before he left.
   
   Thomas perseveres in the dark, snowy night, delivering the toy to the ecstatic--and grateful--injured boy and his Mom. Ever so slowly, Thomas makes his way home--exhausted.
   
   Happily, his stocking is filled the next morning with the very thing he wanted most--coal!
   
   The lavish illustrations by Tommy Stubbs are stunning. The people--carolers, Mrs. Kyndley, the trains--look so life-like. Snow-laden trees, billowing steam, colorful presents, cheery lighted windows--the images are almost photo-realistic at times. I've not seen a finer illustrated Thomas book thus far.
   
   The story is engaging and heartwarming, and it's great to (finally!) see a Thomas story that's not centered around rudeness or harassment. Only one other train makes an appearance in Thomas' Christmas Delivery--Percy--and he peeps "Good morning, Thomas! Merry Christmas!" as the two discover their filled stockings.
   
   This is a lovely Christmas book for fans of Thomas the Tank Engine series. The sparkling holographic silver snowflakes on this hardcover book adds a nice touch, as well.
   
   A joy to read--especially with the gorgeous illustrations--Thomas' Christmas Delivery is a wonderful addition to any child's library.



3. As a mom, I love reading this book to my son(3). It doesn't scare him like some do. Its just a really nice story and the fact that its all about giving during Christmas is an added bonus. Thomas does good deeds in this one to help children and my son loves it. Most of the time he's sleeping before I get to the end of the book lol

5 comments about Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas.

1. I borrowed this book from our library last year when I was searching for ways to supplement Jesse Tree and make it more accessible to my small children, then almost 6 and 2. This book was magical for my kids, they loved and begged for it every night. It had so many wonderful messages within and truly enhanced our Christmas season. I am buying it this year because my daughter has already started to ask if we will read it again. Throughout the bear's journey in the book, he encounters different people, creatures and situations that each send gentle and wonderful lessons that really rang true with my children and made me fall in love with this book. Our family adored it and looks forward to it in many years to come. If you are looking for The Christmas Story, this is not it, but a beautiful parallel, in that the main character is going to visit the Christ child and each day is a part of his journey. There are lessons of love, giving, and even not judging books by their covers.



2. The stories are cute, but very short. As a little bear walks for 25 days to see the newborn Christ Child, he encounters other animals who join his journey. I was disappointed that many of the daily stories miss the chance to reinforce lessons about kindness, sharing, courage, patience, etc.



3. My son and daughter (5 and 6) love this book and can't wait to read it each night of Advent. They love that it has a bookmark and they can keep track of the night. Plus, it is a rare opportunity to help instill a deeper meaning to Christmas.



4. This is a very nice Christmas activity story book, there are 24 stories to read. I read it to my 4 year old son, each story is short enough to keep a young child or readers attention, my son could hardly wait for the next story. It is a great way to count down the days to Christmas.



5. Benjamin bear, like all small children, is anxious for Christmas to come. As Benjamin bear opens the doors on his advent calendar, Mother bear tells him twenty-four little stories about another little bear's journey. The first door on the advent calendar reveals a glittering star that leads Benjamin, little bear and us day by day to the manger. These stories with their short reflections on human kindness and God's love are the perfect way to teach tiny children about the true miracle of Christmas, the birth of the Christchild in Bethlehem.

2 comments about Mr. Christmas (Mr. Men and Little Miss).

1. This book is really good and brings the christmas to our home. It is highly recommended to have.



2. Roger Hargreaves, the original author of the Mr Men books, died in 1988, and now his son continues to write Mr Men books under his father's name. "Mr Christmas" does not live up to the standard set by the "real" Mr Men books originally written by Roger Hargreaves.
   
   In this story, Mr Christmas, Father Christmas's nephew who lives at the South Pole, has to deliver Christmas presents to many of the Mr Men because Father Christmas is too busy. Unfortunately, the story is too complicated, convoluted, and wordy for young kids to follow or enjoy as easily as the earlier Mr Men books.
   
   It's still an enjoyable book for kids who love the other Mr Men books, and it's nice to see some of the other Mr Men in this story, but this book is nothing special.