1 comments about Christmas Moccasins.

1. Quite simply beautiful. A story for all ages that gives hope to human kind.

No comments about The Twelve Days of Christmas in New Jersey (Twelve Days of Christmas, State By State).

No comments about Christmas Tree Memories.

1 comments about Eloise's Christmas Trinkles (Eloise Books).

1. Eloise, the erstwhile six-year-old with a mind for poetry and mischief, is at it again in ELOISE'S CHRISTMAS TRINKLES, in which she takes the reader for a tour-de-force trip throughout the Christmas season at the Plaza.
   
   Racing from floor to floor and room to room, Eloise brings her loud and brassy childish cheer to its many inhabitants --- the caterers, the maids, the administrative staff and, of course, her beloved Nanny and her traveling-the-world mother, as well as Skipperdee the turtle and Weenie the dog. In the spirit of her hilarious outbursts, it can be said that Christmas truly is a magical time if you make it that way.
   
   More than the peppy poetry of Eloise's literary rambles, the charm of the nutty little girl in the black skirt and kneesocks comes from the marvelous pictures by the still-prolific Hilary Knight. The details that give it a "zippity jingle and dash away ping" are perfection: in pink, black, white and red, she is able to elicit all sorts of emotional responses to the pictures. And for those who had the pleasure in real life of seeing the Plaza in all its MGM-musical, old Manhattan decor, each line of every drawing is like a wonderful photograph that you find in a long-forgotten book that brings back a flood of wistful memories. ELOISE'S CHRISTMAS TRINKLES is a cute and darling little volume that elicits your most delicious childhood memories of so many such seasons that have come before.
   
   And, of course, the verbiage is colorful and melodic, rendering the late Kay Thompson's voice in the guise of the unforgettable Eloise. These days, when life seems particularly hard for everyone, it is a relief to know that some artists are able to bound us past the pain and into the most traditional and emotional parts of the Christmas holiday. This is a perfect stocking stuffer of a book for new and old Eloise fans alike. Have a jingle holiday with Eloise!
   
   --- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano

1 comments about The Christmas Story: From the Gospel According to St. Luke from the King James Bible.

1. This book is a wonderful addition to a Christmas (or anytime) book collection. The text is the familiar story from the Bible, accompanied with beautiful illustrations; my small children are captivated by the images, facial expressions, animals, and settings.
   For parents who want to read the biblical text of the Christmas story to their children but want an illustrated form to read with their family -- or for anyone who appreciates gorgeous artwork accompanying the story -- this is a cherished book to have.

2 comments about Papa Panov's Special Day.

1. Great story about an old shoemaker. He was very lonely one Christmas Eve. He read a story about Jesus that day. Wondering what he could do for Jesus, a voice speaks to him, telling the old shoemaker to watch out his window the next day and he will speak to him. But Jesus assured him that he will not be in a form the old shoemaker will readily recognize. He did show up the next day but in many different forms, i.e. a poor woman w/child, a hungry street cleaner, etc.



2. In this lovely picture book for older children, Papa Panov is an elderly shoemaker, feeling lonely on Christmas Eve. He reads about the birth of Jesus, long ago, and how Mary and Joseph had been turned away at the inn. If they had come here, he thinks to himself, I would have taken them in and cared for them. After drifting off to sleep, Papa Panov has a dream in which Jesus says he will come and visit the old shoemaker the next day. Eagerly, Papa Panov watches the streets on Christmas day, looking for Jesus. Along comes the humble street sweeper, and then a homeless woman and her child, and others who are down on their luck and in need. Papa Panov, though he wants to be watching for Jesus, kindly reaches out to each one who comes his way, offering a bit of food and comfort. When the day ends and Jesus apparently has not come, Papa Panov is disappointed -- until in another dream Jesus says that he had come after all! "I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me water, I was cold and you took me in. All the time you were helping them, you were helping me!"

No comments about Intricate Ornaments: 45 Christmas Designs to Color.

No comments about Merry Christmas, Eloise!: A Lift-the-Flap Book (Kay Thompson's Eloise).

No comments about Christmas in England (Christmas Around the World).

1 comments about Merry Christmas to You, Blue Kangaroo!.

1. Blue Kangaroo has never had Christmas before, so everything is new--the tree, the garlands, the gifts, the stockings. As people's comments accumulate ("This will be Blue Kangaroo's first Christmas tree/stocking/gift/etc") little Blue Kangaroo feels unable to match the largesse. When Father Christmas comes to visit, the reciprocity problem is solved very neatly with a stocking, a blue heart on the tree and a plate of cookies shared. All children who have been whipped to a buying frenzy by relentless television commercials would be nicely enriched by this sweetly restrained story. Don't forget to share a plate of cookies and a glass of milk with your young reader at the end.