1 comments about The Mystery Bear: A Purim Story.

1. The little bear in the story has just awokefrom his hibernation. He goes out of the woods in search of some food. He finds himself at a home where there is a Purim celebration going on. The people see the bear and think that he must be just a child dressed up for the parade. They invite him in the house for a feast. After eating so much food the bear is ready for a nap. The family tries to wake him so he can take part in the play. He gives a loud growl and they find out he is a real bear!
   
   
   
   What did you like or not like about the book?
   
   I had never heard of Purim before. The note in the back explained the holiday well.

1 comments about Potlatch: A Tsimshian Celebration.

1. David is a member of one of the surviving tribes all along the Northwest American Pacific coastline. Annette Island in Alaska is where David's great-grandfather lived & died, where David's father spent his childhood & learnt much of his wisdom. Here on this little island is where David's father will hold a potlatch for the people to honor the life & heritage of David's great-grandfather. An evocative coming-of-age photographic record of traditions newly revived & a boy at home in his culture. Deeply satisfying, full of interesting sights & new things to learn. END

No comments about Holiday Tales.

No comments about The Littlest Maccabee (Littlest).

1 comments about The Story of Shabbat.

1. This informative book tells how the Jewish Sabbath, called Shabbat, originated. It also tells how it has been celebrated at different times and how to celebrate it now. The new illustrations by Emily Lisker include even more Jewish traditions. They are bright and clear paintings, acrylics on canvas. At the end there is a recipe for challah and instructions on how to make a challah cover.

   This is a very good book for children who are Jewish or who want to learn more about the Jewish Sabbath.

5 comments about Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent (Jotham's Journey Trilogy).

1. My wife and I started reading the Jotham "trilogy" years ago and we are now on a second reading of "Bartholomew's Passage." I cannot imagine not including these books in our advent schedule. Our four kids (ages 11,9,7,3) all look forward to each nights reading - and so do my wife and I. These stories are just great. The author manages to combine some of the harsh, gritty realities of this time along with some great and noble characters who befriend the titled "Jotham", "Bartholomew" or "Tabitha," each with a struggle to overcome. A great set of stories that honorably intersect with the "greatest story ever told."



2. What a wonderful book. There is something so satisfying about sitting together in our living room, with Advent candles burning and the kids spellbound, listening to every word of this story. We are on our fourth week reading, and the kids still come running when we say it is time to light the Advent candles.
   
   The story follows Jotham's journey to find his family after he gets angry at his father and runs away. He has many exciting cliff-hanger adventures that may seem contrived to adults but believe me, the kids won't care and will beg you to read the next day's section. Jotham ultimately ends up in Bethlehem and his life intersects the lives of Mary, Joseph, and the newborn Christ child in a lovely way that brings home Christ's divinity as well as the humanity of his infancy.
   
   As a homeschooling mother, I really appreciate the way Jotham's Journey makes biblical times come alive. Even though there are very few illustrations in the book, the text provides many details about daily life that raised good questions from the kids, showing their engagement with the story and their desire to understand the setting.
   
   One reviewer said this book is written for "conservative, evangelical Christians". I have to dispute that. Jotham's Journey IS a Christian story that tries to bring to life the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of the Savior. But presumably this is a given to a family that wants to celebrate Advent.
   
   A couple of times the book emphasizes the importance of children being completely obedient to their parents/caretakers (Jotham's disobedience gets him into his mess), and it also refers to corporal punishment a couple of times as a natural consequence of disobedience. And there is some violence, which is used for the purposes of both evil and good. I suppose this could also be inconsistent with the moral beliefs of some families.
   
   Otherwise I am mystified as to what the reviewer found as inconsistent with "liberal Christianity" or "an inclusive view of God's love". I don't know what the reviewer meant by "liberal Christianity", but I will say our family has a very inclusive view of God's love and we love this book.
   
   This is our first year celebrating Advent. Previously, the holidays were pretty much a blur of decorating, wrapping, baking, and shopping, shopping, shopping. Christmas would arrive before I knew it and I would be exhausted, the kids would be hyper and focused on the presents. It occurred to me that from my children's perspective, Christmas was about gifts, decorations, and a frazzled mother.
   
   One of the most effective things we've done to change that has been lighting Advent candles every night and reading this book by candlelight. It has been a simple and completely rewarding way to draw our family together.



3. My family ranges in age from 5 (my youngest son) to 50 (me). Let me just say at the outset that every one of us loved this book. This is a good story, well told. But before I continue with the review, I want to tell you how we stumbled across this book.
   
   Back in July our church called a new pastor. I'm from a denomination that doesn't typically observe the Advent season, but our new pastor, who had never celebrated Advent either, wanted the church to try it. His goal was to help both the church and the families in our church to focus on Christ. It worked!
   
   In conjunction with the special services we had at church, each family was encouraged to find a way to set aside some time every day to put everything else aside for a family devotional. We did some extensive research and made a list of resources (which you can see at 4jesu.homestead.com/files/advent.doc).
   
   My family chose this book. It's sectioned into daily readings, usually just 2 or 3 pages. We made an advent wreath and gathered around it each evening to read. The story is engaging.
   
   The central character, a young boy named Jotham, finds his life unexpectedly intertwined with the birth of the Messiah, and learns some important lessons about obedience and responsibility along the way. The story even attempts to show some of the unpleasant consequences of disobedience, and the sometimes harsh realities of life.
   
   My only caveat is that the short devotional thought at the end of each day's chapter is a little weak, but I was able to improvise easily and give it a little more substance. That doesn't affect my recommendation. This book gets 5 stars. If you're looking for a way to revitalize your family celebration of Christ's birth, this is a great place to start.



4. This was our family's best Advent yet! Occasionally "Jotham's Journey" was a bit too action-packed for our daughter (age 5), but she and our son (age 8) couldn't wait for each day's segment. Arnold Ytreeide is a master storyteller. His intricate blending of facts about biblical times into a fast-paced storyline captured our imaginations. We'll never look at Advent the same again. Our family can't wait to read Ytreeide's other books in 2006 and beyond.



5. accurate description of book, prompt service, and a great book in general- but especially for Advent and preparation for Christmas- I didn't want to stick to the Advent timeline they give because I wanted to keep reading

1 comments about Secret Stars.

1. A Mexican Christmas story, this book is lacking a few things. First, I had to go searching to find out which culture it was representing. Second, there was no background about the Mexican celebration of Christmas. In a way this was a good thing because it did not make the characters any different from anyone else; they were not a "minority", but simply people. However, I feel that American schoolchildren would have a hard time understanding what was happening in the story.

   Familial bonds and magic of Christmas were a focus however. These are things that many people in the world can relate to. Because nothing was explicitly taught, it did not make the culture a novelty. But it did not ignore it either. I wish more "multicultural" books were done this way. The impact is effective, but no hard-hitting.

   Why 4 stars?:
   Secret Stars is a nice story about family and the magic of Christmas that takes place within the Mexican culture. However, the culture is not the dominant aspect of the book, which I really appreciated. However, I didn't find the book to be incredibly interesting or useful in the classroom. It does have a place and could be helpful with Mexican immigrant children.

No comments about Ramadan: A Muslim Time of Fasting, Prayer, and Celebration (Finding Out About Holidays).

2 comments about Premlata and the Festival of Lights.

1. The story is about a young Indian girl who through the boldness of her heart undertakes a brave adventure on behalf of her struggling family. She encounters her own weaknesses and strengths, as well as those of others around her. Her character is delicately developed and you will simply fall in love with Premlata. The customs and cultural environment of her world are beautifully described for child and adult. It is a fanciful small story which appealed greatly to both my 9 year old daughter and me.



2. This is a lovely story of a small girl's strength and weaknesses and her ability to overcome those weaknesses in order to care for those she loves. As always, Ms. Godden's storytelling and descriptive language are magical. Premlata's poverty is difficult and uncomfortable for privileged Western children, but an important part of the book's power. Premlata will be an annual read for my daughter and me during the holidays--it is a great companion to the Christmas story!

No comments about Let's Remember Jesus' Birth on Christmas (Holiday Discovery Coloring Book).