No comments about Spain (Festivals of the World).

1 comments about A Night Without Darkness.

1. Very good book. I like how it has scriptural references so I can go back and read it in the scriptures as well. The pictures are really cool too. It is sure to be a Christmas favorite in my family!

5 comments about D Is For Dragon Dance.

1. 
   It's a given that we can learn a great deal from other cultures, other customs, and there's not a better time to start than when we're young. "D Is For Dragon Dance" is both entertaining and educational as it tells about the Chinese New Year with all its color and unique traditions (my favorite is how youngsters greet the New Year by honoring their parents!)
   
   An alphabet book, it begins with "A is for Acrobats," takes us through to K and L for Kites and Lanterns, then concludes with "Z is for Zodiac," explaining that the Chinese calendar is a 12 year cycle with each year represented by a different animal.
   
   Yongsheng Xuan has created boldly colored full page illustrations in watercolor, acrylic and latex. They're all eye-poppers.
   
   Also included is an author's note with tips to ensure good fortune in the New Year (clean the house before the New Year starts and light firecrackers to scare off evil spirits, etc.) Plus, there's a recipe for dumplings called "New Year's Dumpling Delight."
   
   "D is for Dragon Dance" is a sure kid pleaser bound to elicit lots of interesting dinner table conversations.
   
   - Gail Cooke



2. D is for Dragon Dance is an absolutley beautiful book that has information on the Chinese New Year done so in an A to Z fashion.
   
   Each page is a work of art because if you look at it you will notice that underneath each drawing is Chinese Characters, some represent a single word and others a saying. The characters where done in 4 different calligraphy styles 3 from the dynasty they where from and 1 in the cursive or grass style. On the last page of the book in the author's note, under the artist note you will see the word Dragon and how it looks in each of the 4 styles. With the characters underneath each painting, it give each page a textured look that makes fools your eyes and makes your hands go to feel each page, only to be disappointed that it feels paper smooth and not textured as you see. I love the way the artist draws, his children are beautiful!
   
   Here is the break down of what each letter stands for.
   A - Acrobats
   B - Balls (shows a acrobat in a 2 person Fu dog / lion dancers balanced on a ball)
   C - Calligraphy
   D - Dragon Dance
   E _ Evil Spirits
   F - Firecrackers
   G - Grandma & Grandpa
   H - Haircut ( the author probablty didn't have the space to mention it, but one should only get their hair cut before the New Year and not during the New Year Celebrations because you'll be cutting off all of your good luck)
   I - Incense
   J - Jade
   K - Kites
   L - Lanterns
   M - Moon
   N - Noodles
   O - Oranges
   P - Peking Duck
   Q - Quiz
   R - Red Envelopes
   S - Steamed Dumplings ( Yum!!)
   T - Tradition
   U - Unity
   V - Veneration
   W - Wish
   X - Xylograph
   Y - Yo - Yos
   Z - Zodiac ( 12 year cycle) This one starts in the year 1981 the year od the rooster and ends in 2016 in the year of the monkey.
   
   On the last page is both the author's and artists notes on the book as well as a receipe for New Year's Dumplings Delight and Soy-Garlic Dipping Sauce, which I can't wait to try.



3. D Is For Dragon Dance is an alphabet picturebook about the theme of Chinese New Year's festivities, from the importance of connecting with family ("G is for Grandma and Grandpa") to New Year's customs ("O is for Oranges" - they are given as a sign of good fortune) to protections against evil spirits ("X is for Xylograph", a wood carving on the door meant to keep evil spirits out). Full-color illustrations by Yongsheng Xuan blend a feel for traditional Chinese art with vibrancy and energy bursting off of the page. A fun way for young readers to learn about Chinese culture and their ABC's at the same time.



4. From Acrobats to Zodiac, this is a book that uses the alphabet to introduce many different aspects of Chinese New Year to preK-K-aged kids (though my 8-year-old liked this one, too). Instructional for adults is the last page which contains notes from the author, such as "tips to ensure good fortune in the New Year," information about the Chinese characters that appear in the book, and a recipe for dumplings. A fun read!



5. My daughter just received this book as a gift for her 3rd birthday. She loves the book. My husband and I also enjoy the book.
   
   A good book to add to your 'international' book collection.

No comments about Felicity Wishes Little Book of Birthdays (Emma Thomsons Felicity Wishes).

No comments about A Bloom of Friendship: The Story of the Canadian Tulip Festival (My Canada).

2 comments about My First Christmas Touch and Feel (My First series).

1. I really like this book. It has so many different textures as well as common secular Christmas things (Santa, reindeer, stockings, angels, ornaments, cookies, presents, candy canes, tree, etc...). The textures are truly unique (sticky, furry, bumpy, rough, velvet, satiny, etc...), plus you have all the different words. There is a new texture on about every page. All of the books in this series are great! I thought the price was a little high for this one, but my girls were 18 months at Christmas and really were into touch and feel books. They still love it, even though it is March!! This is a very secular Christmas book, but it is fun. We have many other books about Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas that can be found in Christian book stores, but this was just a fun touch and feel book for that time of year. I think it was worth the money.



2. My granddaughter is 18 months old and this is her favorite book right now. She loves to sniff the goodies and tried to taste them the other day. My daughter has loved reading it to her over the Christmas season.

3 comments about Little Whistle's Dinner Party (Little Whistle).

1. Rylant and Bowers have found new fans in my daughter and me. This delightful little book captured my 3 1/2 year old's imagination with its story of a guinea pig that lives in a toy store where the toys come alive after the store closes for the night. Little Whistle invites his toy friends to a dinner party. Pushing a little toy shopping cart, he shops for an oven, a tea pot, and china cups and plates. Then he busily prepares for dinner the treats he has been saving in the corner of his cage. He arrives at the party in a helicopter bearing Lion's favorite food - vanilla cookies!

   The pictures are absolutely fantastic. Tim Bowers is one of the best children's books artists I've seen. You can't help but love the main character and want to find more stories about him.

   The book isn't perfect. A few lines in this simple story are redundant with the first book in the series ("Little Whistle"), such as Soldier reading stories to the babies and Lion loving vanilla cookies. These qualities of the characters could have been expressed more vividly. The author relegates them to parentheticals, intimating that they are references to the earlier story. Little Whistle wears a pea coat that was given to him in the first book. Without reading the first book, one would wonder what a guinea pig is doing wearing a pea coat. The end of the story could have had a bit more punch, but my reaction may just be the result of regional differences in the use of a term "grocery" for "grocery store." However, my daughter and I enjoyed this book so much that I am seeking out other books in the series and other books by this author and the illustrator. I certainly hope that Rylant and Bowers bring us many more adventures of Little Whistle.




2. "Little Whistle's Dinner Party" is charmingly told by author Cynthia Rylant and illustrated by Tim Bowers. Rylant relates the tale of Little Whistle--a guinea pig happily ensconced in a toy store--and the dinner party he throws for all his toy friends.

   Rylant takes the secret wish of every child (that toys really do come alive when we're not looking) and turns it into a vivacious party, complete with detailed party preparations. Although the story ends on a rather abrupt note--to the point that I wondered if perhaps the last page had inadvertently been torn out of our copy--the story itself is so dear that children will hardly notice.

   Tim Bowers does a super job of upping the adorability factor in this sweet book. Recommended especially for children who own guinea pigs!




3. Little Whistle, a young store guinea pig, awakes one night feeling famished, so, being the kind young soul that he is, he invites all of his friends (the toys in the toy department who come to life when the store closes every night) to a special dinner party, thrown by Little Whistle himself. There's so much Little Whistle must do now. He has to prepare everyone's marvelous meals, pick out a pretty tea set that will accommodate all of his guests, and find some delicious treats that everyone will enjoy. Finally everything is ready, and all of Little Whistle's many guest appear at his cage. However, Little Whistle is nowhere in sight, and it's pretty hard to throw a good dinner party without the guest of honor himself.
   
   Cynthia Rylant has a true knack for writing children's books, as she always writes them in a way that even the youngest readers will understand. Her words capture a childs imagination instantly, and her decisions in plots are right up a young childs alley, as who doesn't want to believe that their toys come to life whenever they go to bed. Filled with a words that are familiar to young readers, an extremely enjoyable, likable, and adorable young character, and utterly gorgeous illustrations by the talented Tim Bowers, LITTLE WHISTLE'S DINNER PARTY is sure to be a hit with all.
   
   Erika Sorocco
   Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

No comments about Parade Day (Reader's Clubhouse Level 2 Reader).

No comments about Little Angel (Snuggle-Me Stories).

No comments about Going to a Party (Usborne First Experiences).