No comments about A Present for Santa.

2 comments about The Attic Christmas.

1. The Attic Christmas is a wonderful story to share with the family this Christmas. Told from the perspective of the Christmas ornaments, this story illustrates some the values that surround Christmas and highlights the importance of family and memories even after some family members have moved on. This is a great book to read aloud for those dealing with the loss of a family member.



2. What a wonderful way to remember Grandmom! My daughter checked this book out of the library last winter shortly after my Mom passed away. I did not know what it was about until I started reading it to her. Offcourse I started to cry while reading it. This Christmas I will be purchasing this book to read to my children and I will be giving each of my sisters a copy to read to their children. My Mom loved Christmas and we want to pass her love of Christmas on to our children.

No comments about When Christmas Came.

5 comments about Jacob's Gift.

1. This was a book I read because it was my younger brother's book for his class, so I guess I might be hard on it because I usually don't like school books, but this book wasn't as good as his teacher seemed to think it was. It's also pretty religious, which might not be good if you're not into books like that. I'm not, so I might be too hard on it, though most of his class didn't enjoy it either. Though I agree with the review that said that a person could learn a about Jewish culture from this book. Mostly though, it wasn't that good. There are cooler books if you're looking for something that's supposed to be inspirational, or for elementary school kids, and probably something that's not religious.



2. At first this book seemed like it was going to be soemthing special. It had everything I like people making stuff out of wood, people from strange religions, and a good message about trying hard. But then Jacob had a hallusination and then the book got really preachy and boring. I din't like the end either.



3. I found the relationship between Jacob and Rabbi Simeon very, very touching.



4. I have loved Max Lucado's books. HE writes with such passion and sincerity for children and for adults. I was, however, disappointed with this book. The story was simplistic and terribly predictable. I am usually able to turn to the illustrations to support the story, but this led me to another disappointment. Hunt's drawings simply were very busy. Good illustrations are able to tell the story by themselves, with no text. Even with the text, one would have trouble deciphering exactly what these drawings were depicted. The overall redeeming quality of this book is how it does present a Christian story and reminds all of us of the lowly life our Lord was born into.

   Why 3 stars?:
   While Max Lucado's books for children are normally wonderful, this one falls well short of the bar. The illustrations actually hurt the story, not support it. This is, however, a book about the glory that is Jesus Christ, and does therefore deserve to be read and shared with children.




5. JACOB'S GIFT is another wonderful retelling of the Christmas story by Christian author Max Lucado. Jacob is a young carpenter apprentice who has a creative imagination. He often finds himself ridiculed by the other children who do recognize his talents, but the master carpenter, Rabbi Simoen, recognizes and encourages the talent of Jacob.

   The class gets excited about a carpentry project that will be judged by Simeon's nephew, a carpenter who will be visiting Bethlehem very soon. Jacob decides to build hay troth on wheels. He is busy at work when he hears a cry from a stable. A child has been born, but it has no crib. Jacob wonders if he should ignore the cry, or give the young couple the unfinished hay troth to use as a crib even though it will mean he will not have a project for the contest. Jacob decides to give away the troth. When he begins to tell Rabbi Simeon why he has no project, the nephew arrives. He is none other than Joseph who proudly tells the story of his son as well as the generosity of the Jacob whose gift saved the day.

   Lucado is again able to tell the familiar story of the birth of Christ in an interesting and engaging manner. The artwork by illustrator Robert Hunt will capture the imaginations of younger children. The book is also suited for older children as well since Jacob is probably a preteen and has to make an important moral choice

No comments about Santa Claws: The Christmas Crab.

No comments about Feliz Navidad: A Hand Puppet Board Book.

No comments about Buster: Vietnamese/English.

No comments about Making Christmas Count!: A Kid's Guide to Keeping the Season Sacred (Elf-Help Books for Kids).

1 comments about The Man Who Walked the Earth.

1. Another simply told tale from Ian Wallace. His text is spare, straightforward, and compelling. The illustrations, like so many of his, are evocative of place and time, with enough detail to make us feel the homeliness of the house and its inhabitants. The warmth of lamplight spills into each scene, guarding us and the characters of brother and sister and mother against the harsh cold of the out of doors, really of the world. The arrival of the stranger out of the cold, his magic tricks, his presentation of gifts, and his departure happen so fluidly that we, too, are caught up in the surprise and delight of his visit. The best of his gifts brings this story to its close, and we want to read it again to recapture the magic.

1 comments about Father Christmas Goes on Holiday.

1. This is the most wonderful companion to Father Christmas, a sophisticated art cartoon offering a humanist view of the the rotund red clad benefactor of so many childrens dreams. He spends his summer hols, trotting from place to place doing his best to blend in and not be recognised. The fact that he has to use valet parking in Las Veagas for his sleigh and raindeer not withstanding. With fantstic illustrations which please year of year, it is a Raymond Briggs must have book for every family, preferably as a pair with "Father Christmas" the slightly irreverend look at Christmas deliveries and their logistical problems.