3 comments about Animals Christmas Carol.

1. Helen Ward's lavish Christmas title, The Animals' Christmas Carol, is based on the medieval French carol and provides an animals' viewpoint of the birth of Christ in the manger. The animals provide a gentle lullaby and large-size inviting, warm color photos accompany their well wishes.



2. This book is a sweet take off on our family's much favorite Christmas Carol, "The Friendly Beasts". In the well known carol, the gifts to the Christ child, as given by the cow, the donkey, the sheep, and the camel, are described. But in this book, verses are added describing the gifts of many other animals which may have been present at Jesus' birth - even the humble woodworm is included, who contributed by not chewing on the wood of the manger. The story portrays the stillness, described in the Bible, of the night of the birth of our Saviour and how all the animals, under the command of God, heralded the birth through peaceful cooperation. The illustrations are beautiful. It is a story that my children love to read over and over again. And it always helps us to remember that God chose to enter the world not only in a humble stable, but surrounded by animals as the first witnesses. The first earthly gifts to God, as man, were given by animals, not wisemen and kings. This book is a true treasure. And for variety, the words may be sung instead of just read!



3. Based on the French Christmas carol, this book features sumptuous artwork which pays homage to the 12th century origin of the lyrics. Ink and watercolor paintings depict the animals and their gifts to the Christ child with the final spread revealing the radiance of the baby and the animals in adoration. This is a great addition to any Christmas book collection and will be treasured for years to come.

3 comments about Bah! Humbug?.

1. This was a gift and became my first Lorna Ballian book. She is my favorite children's author. I read it to my children many, many times and now have to read it to my second graders. Just like my own children, they say, " Read it again!". Like many of Lorna Ballian's books, another story is going on in the illustrations.Watch that bear! Children love those tricks she plays in the illustrations!



2. I have been searching for this book! My children and I used to check this out of the library every Christmas for over 5 years! My daughter, Nicole, would laugh about the big brother--and her big brother, Rob, would act just like him. Nicole and Rob were excited about me trying to find this book, even though they are going to be 21 and 25 respectively. These books are for everyone, children and adults alike. Buy it for all your favorite people!



3. Lornia has been my children's favorite author forever and I know enjoy reading her stories to my grandson. Lecia's artwork is beautiful! I have an original which was illustrated by Lornia. What a wonderfully artist family!

No comments about Fisher-Price: Baby's First Christmas: Learning About Colors (Fisher-Price).

5 comments about Snow Tree.

1. Caroline Repchuck has written a christmas fable for all religions, races or creeds. It is simple in it's form, but abundant in it's sence of wonder. Our 2 year old daughter insists on constant rereadings of it. It has become a real family favourite, and quickly takes on the characteristics of something much older and wiser than most modern childrens books. Buy it. Yes there is a serious tone, but speaking it aloud makes one feel like a wise old inuit shaman passing pearls of infinate and ancient wizdom down to his loved ones. A classic, and beautifully illustrated too.



2. We received this book as a present and it really creeped me out. The illustrations and relief paper were overwhelmed by the vapid story. The animals attempt to be profound in an atheistic manner. The story achieves nothingness perfectly!



3. I'm 11 years old and will read it to a group of 1st graders at my school. I really liked the book especially all the colors against a white background and bumpy texture of the pages. The pictures are great too. It shows how each of the animals gave gifts to make a Christmas Tree for them to share. I think the 1st graders will really like it, I did!



4. Luckily we ran across this book at a local charity store and I'm so thankful we did. My 4 year old listens intently, touching the pages as this lovely story unfolds. The illustrations are beautiful and lifelike. Simply gorgeous. The embossed pages are a sensory treat to compliment a warm story. This one is a new favorite in our house.



5. So many children's stories have bland, predictable stories, but not this one. The story really holds your attention as it builds to the ending with a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. It's a great introduction to colors as each animal brings an ornament of a different color and describes something that is that color. It's also a good animal book since it shows many forest animals. The pages have are embossed with texture so it really engages the child. The illustrations are very well done and not at all cartoony like some kids books. Overall, this book is definitely worth the money and I think it's a 5 star children's book.

No comments about Merry Christmas from Mandie (Young Mandie Mystery Series: Special Edition).

5 comments about Baby-Sitters' Christmas Chiller (Baby-Sitters Club Super Mystery).

1. If you dislike scary stories or they scare you, then this book is not for you. The chapters about Abby and Kristy scares me everytime I read this. I got so frightened during the night I was scared when my friend called and told me someone had robbed the house next door to her. I never read the book again, or just the two chapters. Other than that, it is a good book.



2. This is the best BSC mystery book i have read so far. it'sinteresting and fun. If you wanna know more about this book.. thenREAD IT! i think you'll have a great time reading this book!



3. I think it is a very good book. It is the best one of the super mysteries so far. It is scary. I like how so much is going on at once. I recommend you to read it if you already have not. I also recommend that you read it at night. It is best that way. Read it and you will see that it is verrry good.



4. I think this book is great!I think you should read this book and find out what happens with Stace and Claud. Even though I am only 10 years I recommend this book so......READ THIS BOOK IT IS FANTASTIC!



5. The last and scariest mystery is awaitingh the bsc. The chapters that scares me and my friends are Kristy and Abby!

3 comments about The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale.

1. I gave this book to a 6 year old daughter of a close friend four years ago, and it became her favorite book for months. It still comes out on Christmas four years later.
   
   I recommend it to any parent - especially if they live in the Albany, NY area.



2. This is a gorgeously illustrated book that teaches a wonderful lesson about the spirit of generosity. Who can condemn the baker who is perfectly fair? St. Nicholas, cloaked as an old woman -- who shows him that by giving more of his own possessions, he will in turn receive greater rewards. This is a great way to teach young children about the the joy of giving, and about the life of St. Nicholas. The "truth" about Santa is that there WAS a saint who gave to the poor, filled stockings and dropped gold coins down chimneys at night -- this book could launch older kids on a study of the real saint's life and how Santa traditions arose. My six year old boys aren't ready for that part yet, but they love the story of the baker, and this year we're going to try to bake gingerbread cookies to resemble the baker's St. Nicholas cookies on St. Nicholas Day. (Some clever marketer ought to package this book with a cookie cutter and recipe, because the cookies are beautiful!)



3. This is a delightful story to read to your children during Advent, particularly around the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6.
   
   
   I think this book is a nice change of pace for children who are already aware of who St. Nicholas is and his history as a bishop. This story is set in Albany, New York, probably in the 18th or 19th century. We just know that it was before modern times and certainly before the days of the super grocery stores!
   
   The story centers on the baker, Van Amsterdam, a good baker and honest businessman who gives his customers exactly what they pay for, "not more and not less." Although that is very legal and very fair, it's not exactly fun is it? In the long run it also proves to be bad for business when a mysterious old woman enters the bakery and asks for 13 St. Nicholas Cookies and insists that 13 makes a dozen. When Van Amsterdam reiterates his motto and only gives her 12 cookies the old lady curses him as she leaves with the words, "Fall again, mount again, learn how to count again!"
   
   After that Van Amsterdam's business falls off and his baking suffers. A dream of the good saint and his genorosity turn Van Amsterdam's heart around and changes his business practices. In the end he learns that a few freebies are actually good for business, and for his own heart!
   
   The illustrations are colorful and interesting. My kids loved to look at the detail in them. This is another nice book to read during the Advent season!

No comments about The Dark Knight Batman (Big Best Book to Color).

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

1 comments about Elsie's Christmas Party.

1. There aren't enough reviews online about Elsie's Christmas Party! I hope this review will be helpful to others.
   
   The appearance alone is something most "A Life of Faith" fans would find exciting, because unlike the series books, it is in beautiful full color.
   
   The book begins by explaining the history of Christmas traditions during the Victorian era, accompanied with Victorian clip-art (15 pages). Some of the information is quite surprising, including that people like Elsie would have had to have made their own decorations! The next section (39 pages) tells how to host a party--how to plan, how to invite guests, what to wear, and homemade decorations. Following that are recipes (24 pages) for a few different meal/party themes, such as a "Sugar Plum Tea Party." Some of the recipes veer off the Victorian path (such as pizza), but they're all fun ideas. The final section (14 pages) explains games and activities for several-guests-sized parties. All the while, the book reiterates the true meaning of Christmas, how to incorporate it into the party, and how to accept the Gift of Christmas.
   
   A way in which this book could be improved would be a more in depth contents page and/or index; as it is, it is somewhat difficult to find recipes, games, and crafts when needed--especially since the pages aren't numbered. The book also states "as fact" a myth about the origin of the song The Twelve Days of Christmas.
   
   Despite these two minor faults, the book is a must for A Life of Faith fans who want to have some good, old-fashioned, Elsie-inspired fun with their friends. Hopefully Mission City Press will make many similar activity books.