5 comments about Chanukah Bugs: A Pop-up Celebration (Cover Title).

1. This is not a book for the 3-7 age bracket. Age 3 maybe, but that's it. Rita was right. Wish I had read her review sooner.



2. Absolutely the worst Chanukah book I have ever seen! Mr. Carter knows very little about Chanukah. Not a single one of the seven gifts (why not 8?) is wrapped in Chanukah wrapping paper; in fact, one is wrapped in paper that says "Peace, Joy, Happiness", which sounds like it belongs on a gift for someone else's December holiday. The "menorah" is a 4-branch candelabra, not a Chanukiyah. If you want your child to begin to learn something about Chanukah, choose another book.



3. this is a book that my sons (ages 1 & 3) enjoy year-round. it doesn't have explanations of the chanukah traditions, but it does have amazing things that pop-up when you "open" the present flaps (the dizzy dreidl bug is pretty neat). parents & kids can read the book together and give explanations of their own family traditions at chanukah time. i would say that this is a nice light-hearted presentation of chanukah sights.



4. My two and a half year old doesn't like any book. It is hard to get him interested in a book until we found Carter's books. He loves every bug book he has. He says every night "bug book, bug book" before he goes to bed. I have almost all of them. This one I think is very cute as all the other bug books. It is not really to show too much of the religious aspect, it is more for entertainment for the kid and my kid loves that. He loves the Menorah at the end of the book. A big menorah pops up and he likes the candles. The dreidel is another cute part of the book. If you want to show in deep the Chanukah traditions then I don't think this is the book for you. If you want your kid to have fun like with other Carter's books then you'll like it.



5. It features 8 layouts (16 pages) one for each night with a pop-up bug(s) theme. Each layout has a "gift box" that you open (lift flap) to reveal the pop-up bug (Shammash bug, Golden Gelt bug, Bubbie bug, etc). As much as I want to say nice things, I have reservations about this book. As far a function, my dreidel arrived broken (it is supposed to spin), so yours might not last. As far as theme, the menorah is presented as a 4-armed candelabra. While this makes for a more dramatic pop up, should this kind of change be done in a book for Chanukah?!
   
   I am a fan of pop-up books and did buy this one even after seeing it first. I will end by saying the book is sweet and could be a jumping off point to talk/teach some of the Chanukah traditions.

1 comments about A Troll for Christmas and Other Stories.

1. By TT reviewer Amy L Turpin

   Anna-Lena didn't get what she wanted for her birthday from Santa Claus. In May. To say the least, she's powerfully upset. On a suggestion from her Dad, she writes a letter to Santa again. Only this time, the letter is quite nasty and definitely causes quite a stir.

   Kalle is a troll working for Santa among the elves at toy production. He's not all that good at anything, tends to cause more trouble then anything else and no one likes him very much. After a particularly nasty incident, the elves decide it's time to teach little Anna-Lena a lesson. Since she wasn't happy with what Santa brought her last year (even though it wasn't Christmas) they decide they will ship her Kalle the Troll! What happens next is delightfully funny!

   This was a wonderful, wonderful story! Although I don't have any children myself, I do have several nieces and nephews and they all loved the reading of what they have come to call "Anna and the Troll." I can easily see this story becoming a holiday tradition in my family!

5 comments about My New York: New Anniversary Edition.

1. The pictures are colorful, very detailed, and are a lot of fun to look at. It's narrated by a little girl who's venturing the famous sites of NYC. I had fun reading it and I'm
   sure kids will like it. I got the new anniversary edition. I really recommend it. NYC may change years from now. This book captures and reminisces our exciting city during our time...2002.



2. Bought this for my little cousins overseas to help them understand where we live. Apperently their mother likes it more than them! Now they know where I'm talking about when i say we went to Central park today or the zoo. i'll be buying more for my friends children as gifts. Great book.



3. By PHIL
   
   I'm happy I read this book because there are many cool things in this book. It explains all the cool things that you can do in New York City. It has the whispering room in Grand Central Station. You whisper into one corner and someone whispers at the other and you can hear each other.
   And lots of things like that. It is mostly for kids 7-11 years old but adult tourists will like it to.
   
   ...Story Board...
   
   It's about a girl that made an agreement with her mom to go on trips every weekend. The girl's name is Becky. She and her mom go to places that are fun in New York.
   
   On one trip they go to Radio City Music Hall to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Her friend Martin comes with her. In the book, she describes how the orchestra rises out of the floor in the beginning and then goes back in. I went to this show with my parents and this really does happen!
   
   They also go to the New York Public Library, Central Park Zoo, the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, Times Square and other cool places.
   
   I recommend this book to any tourist trying to find fun stuff to do when visiting New York City.
   
   This Book Is So Darn Cool!!!



4. The idea of the story is very cute. A letter is written to a friend that will be coming to NYC. The pictures, though, are wonderful. The are very colorful and take you all over the city. Love this book!



5. I purchased this book in NYC a week ago and just tossed it in the trash; wish I had viewed more carefully before purchasing. Should have known when I saw "Celebrity Centre" noted on the lovely map on the inside cover. My suspicions were confirmed with the depiction of John Travolta & family on the following page, billboards for "Dianetics" in the New Years' Eve/Times Square scene, etc. No thanks.

1 comments about The Firefighters' Thanksgiving.

1. This is the story of 10 firefighters of Station 1 on Thanksgiving Day. One of the firemen says he can cook dinner and off they go to the store. With a full cart, a call comes in and they must all leave the cart and rush off to the call. Smoky & sooty they return to the store for their cart and even help the people at the market clean their melted ice cream. Back to the station, it's time to start to begin their dinner; there is peeling, cutting, rolling and mixing. Another call comes in. And then another. A fireman is hurt, but they soon find out he'll be OK.
   
   Will the fireman ever get their turkey in the oven and be able to enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner? I'm not going to ruin the story for you, you'll just have to get the book and read!
   I will give you one hint... there is kindness from their local neighborhood and a happy ending as well.
   
   
   The author of this book grew up around a fire station and then married a fireman! I think she knows her way around a fire station. The illustrator also included a woman as one of the 10 firefighter, which I like a lot. The story has 2 pages of words with nice illustrations, then there are 2 pages with no words just the illustrations and then repeats the pattern until the end of the book. This is a terrific book for any child interested in firefighters and the ending shows the true meaning of Thanksgiving!
   
   
   Definitely a wonderful book to read to your child around Thanksgiving!

No comments about Festivals.

No comments about Mexico: The Land (Lands, Peoples, and Cultures).

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

1 comments about Merry Thanksgiving.

1. Joey Melvin is a list lover. Since the day he learned to write, he's been creating lists to help him remember things like where to find his missing socks. So when the holidays roll around, Joey is always the first one to send his Christmas list to Santa. This year, however, he's getting an even earlier start than usual, for he's putting his Christmas list in the mail even before Thanksgiving! However, it won't be the last list he's creating, for Joey's mother soon loses her shopping list, and needs to re-write it before Thanksgiving is ruined. So Joey helps. Unfortunately, once the Melvin's relatives arrive, and the festivities begin, the snow comes down harder than anyone could have imagined, and the family is trapped indoors without any food. That is, until Santa Claus and his crew of reindeer arrive to save the day!
   
   There are rarely cute, fun stories released for Thanksgiving. In fact, it usually seems like bookstores go straight to Christmas after Halloween, and put just a few harvest stories on the shelves - most likely because not many have been written. Which is why Natasha Wing's MERRY THANKSGIVING is a gem for the holiday season. MERRY THANKSGIVING combines two extremely family-oriented holidays - Thanksgiving and Christmas - and creates a splendid story filled with fun, family, snow, turkey...and Santa Claus! The illustrations by Isidre Mones bring the story to life, while the individual personalities of each character will bring a smile to the faces of all young readers. Overall, this is a marvelous story that will make the entire family gather 'round the table for more.
   
   Erika Sorocco
   Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

No comments about ¡Vivan los reyes magos!.

No comments about Chinese New Year: Festival of New Beginnings (First Facts).