1 comments about The Friendly Beasts: A Christmas Carol.

1. With words from the Christmas carol written by Robert Davis in the 1920s, Sharon McGinley has created a bright and unusually illustrated book. Animals not typically thought of at the birth of Christ are depicted surrounding the newborn King. The traditional French musical arrangement and the seven verses of the song are found at the end of the book. There is also a note about the "identity crisis" surrounding this carol. For the historical information about this song, the book is interesting. However better illustrations are found in volumes with the same title by the following: Sarah Chamberlian, Tomie de Paola, and John J. Blumen.

No comments about Drummer Boy.

5 comments about The Adventures of Nicholas.

1. This is a story that you will read every year at Christmas! If you can you will read it to someone:if not to someone for yourself. It will remind you why "you believe in Santa".
   You will find yourself thinking that it MUST be all true. I have read this every year since the early 70s to a classroom of children. (Usally 6th Graders) They don't believe anymore, until after I read them this story, and once again they do!
   The story tells everything about Nicholas in a VERY believable way.
   If you can find this book I would recommend that you pay whatever it takes to get a copy! You will NOT be sorry!



2. When I was in 6th grade and far past the years of still believing, my teacher read this book to the class during the month of December. It really gives you a whole new belief in Santa adn Christmas. Since this time, my teacher loaned this book to another, and it was never returned. Now that I am a mother, I have been DESPERATELY searching high and low for a copy. (...)



3. I have had this book since I was a child. My husband and I read it aloud each Christmas until we had a child and now it is part of our Christmas tradition with our 10 year old. It provided the perfect transition from the belief in Santa Claus to the true spirit of Christmas. Last year the book disappeared and we were so disappointed. Since I couldn't remember the author or the exact title I couldn't reorder it. I am delighted that it is still available and heartily recommend it to all parents.



4. An excellent explanation of the customs followed surrounding Santa Claus



5. I was read this book in gradeschool by our school principal. It is a story that stuck with me 30 years as a much loved telling of the life of Saint Nicholas. I was so glad to see this gem once again available and have purchased several copies for my nieces and nephews to enjoy.
   
   Make this a holiday tradition for your family!

No comments about Karen's Reindeer (Baby-Sitters Little Sister #116).

3 comments about The Huron Carol.

1. In a world where we must be careful how we approach the holidays in our clasroom, I found the Huron Carol to follow curriculum guidelines and enchant the reader as well. The illustrations are mystical and haunting in the blues of winter. The story is old, but we listen with new ears to the lovely tale of a Christmas in the far north. A welcome addition to any classroom.



2. This is an illustrated version of how the Christian missionaries tried to teach the story of the Nativity to native American Indians (in what is now Eastern Canada, I think). This book is the illustration of a beautiful song, telling of the birth of Jesus, with musical notation in the back so you can also learn and sing the song. The words of the song are given in English, and also an older version of French and of the native Indian language in which the missionaries were working.

   It is a beautiful book and has a wonderful peaceful quality, like snow on a winter's morning. Very nice for the Christmas season.




3. I used this book during Advent with my third grade class in a Christian school in Winnipeg for a decade. We sang the song from the back cover with drumbeats(drumming on thighs and books)in English and Huron while I paged through the pictures as an opener for our Advent worship. They never tired of it. Nor did I. The gentle illustrations that accompany this first Canadian Christmas carol helped build a respect for Huron people, First Nations history, and nurtured a deeper love of Jesus Ahatonia, Jesus our King.
   Elsie Rempel.

5 comments about William and the Christmas Moon: A Shadow Casting Bedtime Story.

1. I bought 2 copies of this book, one for my niece and the other for my nephew. When they arrived, I made sure to put batteries in each of the penlights. (You will need 2 AAA batteries.) Then I turned off all the lights and read the book myself. What a delight! The negative spaces of the cutout become snow covered mountains, filling the wall or ceiling of the room with a completely new world. The story is lovely, but the shadow images are stunning and mesmerizing. These will be hard books to wrap and give away. I will have to buy a copy for myself.



2. This book will be a Christmas tradition in our house for years to come. My two daughters, ages 4 and 5, were amazed and delighted by the story and images projected on the wall. We are having a lot of fun with this book- I projected "Grandpa" right onto their pillows, and pretended that he was going to sleep with them. This book is pricey because of the detailed, high quality laser cut pages. It is well worth the money!



3. The idea behind this book is wonderful. Each verse is accompanied by a detailed cut-out. When you shine the flashlight (included) onto the picture, an even more beautiful scene is rendered on your child's dark bedroom wall. We have read it every night since we bought it.



4. This is a unique and charming book for Christmas. Though the poem is of mediocre quality, it is good enough, and tells the story of William, watching out the window on Christmas Eve. Each page is a cutout, and the little flashlight that accompanies the book (held on with a velcro strip), lets you read the lines in the dark and illuminate the shadows from these 15 lovely stencils.
   
   Young and old alike will delight in this unique holiday offering.



5. The pictures in this shadow book are beautiful on their own, but the story that goes with it is essentially about a boy's relationship with his loving grandfather and is clearly only for lucky children who have that. I'd never confronted this situation before because I always knew what I was getting into with books for my children, but now I believe firmly that when a book for little ones is sold on-line, relationships in the story need to be either in the title or at least in the review. It was a painful disaster at our household, where one grandfather has died and the other has Alzheimers. I also blithely bought the book for a friend's son who is equally grandfather-less and it was painful for them also. This is surely a book that would be treasured by children who have grandfathers closeby who spend qulaity time with them. For those who don't, the enlarged impressions made by the shadows at night only bring sadness.

1 comments about Is That You, Santa? (All Aboard Reading).

1. A cute story, for sure, but the real charm in this book is that it is the first book that my daughter is excited to read out loud to me. She has known how to sound out words/early reading for some time, but this book, with it's fun rhebus format has been the first to really spike her interest in reading out loud. We have had lots of fun with it!

No comments about The Gospel of the Holy Spirit.

4 comments about The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas (Berenstain Bears).

1. This book would be great for any family that is feeling overwhelmed with Christmas! It is a reminder to us all that Christmas has been lost in the decorating, the endless "I want" lists, artificial trees, light shows, etc... Santa Bear sees all of this happening in Bear Country and is very saddened by this and considers cancelling Christmas...One family shows him that their simple family Christmas still exists and Santa Bears faith in the old fashioned Christmas is renewed...The rhyming makes it easy for the kids to follow



2. Interesting how a book that professes to be about the real reason for CHRISTmas never brings Him into this story. I particularly disliked the line in the ending carol that stated how they would "pay homage to the stars above"... on Christmas? To celestian bodies? Interesting.
   Christ is how Chistmas is saved. A mirroring of the gospel message fits nicely here without a stretch... not some panteistic parable about how good finally wins over bad... and then in our "oneness" with this inner good we're compeled to pay homage to stars and such. This book was jettisoned from our collection as have all secular centric Christmas tales.
   It may seem like an over-reaction however our children are assaulted with the secular [read:worldly] things... no... they are pummeled with them. Christmas is about Him. Don't dilute it.
   In His Name...



3. I should have read this book before purchasing it but trusting the Berenstain's series, I went ahead and bought it. Well, to be honest, it's VERY negative! It's written as a poem in the same style as "The Night Before Christmas" and quite frankly, it gets quite tedious reading it for about 20 pages. The message is good - it talks about how everyone in Bear Country gets caught up in all the business and the "outdoing" of each other in Christmas decorations, and Santa is quite upset and even mad over all of it. The illustrations of Santa here are quite vivid - not at all like the nice faces on the regular bears faces. So, as a hint, this book isn't for the younger than 5 set in my opinion.
   
   The bit in the end about worshipping the stars is quite ridiculous. Golly, where on earth did that come from? Sure was weird and as a writer, I just reword things as I go and that definitely was an edit! All in all, I really don't recommend this one - it needs a rewrite and I'm quite suprised it made it through an editor's desk. It is far too negative and something that isn't read too much in this house. What a disappointment! Think our copy may wind up in the Salvation Army donation box!
   
   That said, Santa decides that since he sees ONE family that keeps the true spirit of Christmas, that he will go on and deliver all of his gifts. So, that's how the Berenstain Bears saved Christmas. Gee, better efforts next time guys!



4. This is a wonderful addition to the Berenstain Bear library. It tells a nice story with a helpful anti-materialistic Christmas message. It's a good way to counter the buy, buy, buy message that kids are bombarded with from the media. The illustrations are beautiful, too--there's a lovely scene of the bear family in a sleigh in the snow at the end.

No comments about Santa's Big Problem/Christmas Workshop (Super Coloring Book).