Festivals Books

I remember this book from when I was a child. Now that I have children of my own I am THRILLED to find out it is still in print. I have fond memories of reading the stories by myself and can't wait to share them with my children.

The book, that is. The stories and pictures are just unbelievably warm and beautiful. I often read this short book cover to cover during Chanukah--one sparkling little gem a night. Just perfect for adults and, I'm sure, children, too. In fact, I can't imagine anything nicer than to read these to a kid on Chanukah. This book is the perfect gift, to yourself or anyone else. And if you can find yourself a hardcover copy, then you're *really* in luck.

I really enjoyed this book. This book has eight stories, one for each night of Hanukkah. All the stories were interesting and had beautiful illustrations. My favorite story was The Power of Light. Isacc Bashevis Singer is a Nobel Prize Winner. This is a great book.

Isaac Bashevis Singer-one of the greatest story-tellers of all time-opens this sparkling series of eight Chanukah stories with a reminiscence from his own childhood in his parents' house. He recalls once evening, the last night of the festival of lights when his father, a rabbi in Warsaw, allowed his children to play the Chanukah game of dreidel.

On this occasion, it was snowing, and his brother Joshua pointed out that each snowflake was a hexagon-it had six sides "with fancy little designs and decorations." His father added that it was the world of God Almighty. The story then explains how the game of dreidel works, right down to the meaning of the letters on the little top. And it imparts the story of a miracle contemporary to his father's time.

All eight other stories, including the title piece about Chanukah during the Nazi era, are miracles in their own right.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

We think it was a very nice story.It had lot's of feelings.It was a very entertaining story. Hunter and Callie.

Denise Fleming's Pumpkin Eye is a wonderful book for pre-schoolers and early elementary children. Her pulp paintings are very unique. Her work is often compared to that of Eric Carle's. In this book the author uses simple rhymes to describe the various aspects that create Halloween. On each double page spread there is a rhyming couplet. Fleming's writing encourages the reader in indulge in all the excitement and spookiness of this particular night. These include the sights and sounds of the holiday. Fleming sets a mysterious mood in the beginning of the book by describing the rising moon. Next she describes pumpkin eyes, candlesticks, pounding feet, and jack-o-lanterns lining the street. There are also spirits spilling down the hill and dragons and unicorns walking around. Every couple of pages begin with the words "Trick-O-Treat"! Also there are images of eyes throughout the whole story. For example, on some pages there are cat eyes in the illustrations and on others there are pumpkin "eyes", and the startled expressions in children's eyes. In addition, the author creates an eerie mood by describing the dark shadows, swooping bats, hissing cats, tattered rags, toothless hags, pointed tails, and blood-red nails. The suspense builds as the reader reads about witches and skeletons filling the street. Fleming uses onomatopoeia repeatedly. For example, trick-o-treaters hear wolves howling, clacking bones, muffled moans, and hearts thumping. These sounds and feelings make the reader feel like they are in the street trick-o-treating themselves. Pumpkin Eye encourages the imagination to run wild!
This book would be perfect to get young children in the mood to do Halloween art activities. Students could make their own Halloween masks. Paper plates, crayons and markers, scissors, construction paper, and elastic bands are some materials that could be used in the construction of these masks. The children could also make their own trick-or-treat bags to go along with their masks. Grocery or shopping bags could be used. Students could make handles for their bags using ribbons. These activities could give students a chance to express their creativity.
I liked this book a lot. Fleming does a great job creating a festive mood! I could easily imagine walking through the streets on Halloween and seeing all the mysterious sights. The text in the book seems to jump off the page. For example, the pictures are dark and the text is big and white. The vivid descriptions are excellent and the illustrations represent the Halloween theme well. This book would be great for a holiday theme read aloud.

Caldecott Honor artist, Denise Fleming, has truly outdone herself with this spooky and mysterious celebration of Halloween. From eerie shadows, swooping bats and clacking bones, to wretched witches, hissing cats and muffled moans, her evocative, simple, rhyming text, full of imagery and magic, sets the mood and is beautifully complemented by her bold, expressive, larger-than-life artwork. Young imaginations will soar as they read this wonderful picture book and pore over all the special details on each page. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, Pumpkin Eye really captures the very essence of Halloween night and is sure to get all young ghosts and goblins ready for seasonal fun. "Trick or treat/Pounding feet/Halloween has found our street!"

As a children's librarian, I am always on the lookout for those special books to add to my collection of story time treats. "Pumpkin Eye" caught my eye the moment I opened its covers. Short, catchy text, bright, attention getting illustrations and, best of all considering my intended audience is an impressionable eight years and under, just the gentlest touch of spookiness. I can hardly wait to share it with the children.

This book is a great Halloween tale for younger students. The illustrations are wonderful and catch the attention of the reader. The twist at the end is really fun for children. I work in an elementary school and have had a lot of fun watching the students react to the colorful characters and silly storyline.

I think there is still a little kid that lurks deep inside all of us. The cover of this children's book caught my eye as I roamed through my favourite book store. It was just too impossible to resist; a little peek, who will see? I picked up the book and actually did not put it down until the end. From bats and dragons to a harvest moon and orange pumpkins, children will love the colour and verse of this simplistic yet creative book. When you take a look at the enchantment of this delightful book, you will realize the wonders of childhood that we truly miss. Children will love the way the book is illustrated with rich colours and eye-catching orange pumpkins!

What a holiday surprise to be surfing Amazon for gifts and find a beautiful christmas book written by my long lost cousin. I'm purchasing the book for my first grandchild with pride and love. Thank you.

What a fun and clever story about how Santa makes his way into all our homes! Our family loves it!

Best children's Christmas story of 2007. Our grandchildren just loved Ralph.

Ralph & Jeannette

This original and creative Christmas story is perfect for children of all ages and a wonderful addition to your Christmas traditions.

This creative story is entertaining for both children and their parents. It adds a new twist to the legend of Santa and his elves, as well as, provides a much-needed answer to the mystery of how Santa gets his job done.

I wish Reader's Digest would print some more of these books. It is such an excellent composite of popular music and the arrangements are fantastic. If anyone has a copy, I would love to buy it.

From "Somewhere, My Love" to "On Top Of Spaghetti", this book has so many songs that I find myself humming and wishing I could play. Did you like Sesame Street, Dr. Zhivago, The Godfather? Do you like showtunes? There's over a hundred of them here ... the breadth is part of the fun of the book!

Great book for the intermediate pianist. It's one of my favorites. Reader's Digest needs to reprint it. I borrow it at the public library and would buy it if available.

This songbook has many of the great songs of my youth. The chords are easy, there are guitar chords written above the treble staff and the print is large enough for those of us over 50 to see. The arrangements are outstanding. I wish Readers' Digest would reprint this book. I'd buy it in a second. I have to borrow mine from the public library.

Great songs to play for a party or for your own enjoyment: Georgia on My Mind, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, It's Impossible, My Funny Valentine, The Shadow of your Smile, The Way You Look Tonight, On the Street Where You Live, Honky-Tonk Train. ALL of the songs are excellent piano melodies sutable for the intermediate player.

Hear an interview with Rivka's First Thanksgiving illustrator Maryann Kovalski on The Book of Life podcast's Thanksgiving Special episode (November 2007) at www.bookoflifepodcast.com!

Kovalski's heroine touches children on both a personal and national level. Rivka endeavors to become American. Her family's quest for freedom is like the Pilgrim's. She helps her family to recognize and celebrate the true spirit of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Elsa Rael's book fills a truly needed place in American-Jewish children's literature and children's literature on the whole. The story of a clear headed and plunky little girl who mounts up steep wood tenement steps to confront first one austere little rabbi in his book-filled room to a whole roomful of them to explain why Jews should celebrate Christmas is wonderful! The Lower East Side is everyone's heritage, and Ms. Rael and her magical illustrator bring it to life. You see the world of the 1930's through the eyes of a child. Original and heartwarming.

In rich and spirited prose, accompanied by warmly rendered illustrations, Rivka's First Thanksgiving captures the texture and cadence of early 20th century Jewish immigrant life in New York City. The story teaches children the importance of old traditions, as well as the necessity for creating new ones. The reader can almost smell the turkey -- and the challah!

The recent political atmosphere makes this book even more profoundly important. Children see the need and are starving to understand each other's cultures. I read it to my 11-yr and 13-yr. Puerto Rican - American born niece & nephew a couple of days before Thanksgiving, wondering if they'd be too old & too sophisticated to enjoy it, (they are Harry Potter fans.) This book both empowered them and satisfied their need to more fully understand how children from a different culture (Jewish) relate to "Thanksgiving." It 's apparent that we've gotton away from the roots of this American holiday and that "Thanksgiving" had never clicked in their heads. It helped them to understand why people from other countries still come to America today. My "kids" strongly identifed with "Rivka's" courage to stand up for her own point of view . They were thoroughy engaged in the story and loved the illustrations-and so did I. J. Gardner

When Santa needs a vacation, all the other holiday characters pitch in to help with Christmas. Reiss and Catrow make a great pair. A silly story with many tongue-in-cheek jokes makes this funny for both adults and kids. Be sure to look at the illustrations for further humor. Great detail in the artwork.

We bought "Santa Claustrophobia" for our annual Christmas book (year 12). The author has created another fun story with witty writing and wonderful illustrations. Kids and adults will find this book is filled with Christmas fun!
I also recommend Mike Reiss' "How Murray Saved Christmas" ; you will not be disappointed!

What a great writer with an amazingly creative mind! How Murray Saved Christmas & Santa Claustrophobia are my 2 favorite Christmas books to read to our kids. I cannot recommend them enough. I have purchased them for my nieces and nephews too!

My family and I have already enjoyed a couple of other books by Mike Reiss, and this one shares his lively wit and terrific way with language. The illustrations are gorgeous, and almost as funny as the text. If you read to your kids, and you've got "Santa Claustrophobia" on hand, you'll look forward to the story hour as much as they do.

Poor Santa is burned out. He asks for advice from Doc Holiday. Doc suggests a sunny vacation in Aruba. What about Christmas? No problem! The residents of Stinky Cigar agree to fill in for Santa. Stinky Cigar is the town where holiday icons like the Easter Bunny and April Fool rest in between their holiday duties. With good intentions but no organization, chaos insues. The Easter Bunny is painting little fire trucks easter egg pastels. Cupid is making romantic cards for xmas gifts? Of course, Santa comes back just in time to save xmas. He has a lovely tan and is 19 lbs. lighter. All of this is told in rhyme!! I bought 2 copies today. Both the adults and kids will laugh out loud.

This beautifully illustrated and emotionally charged childrens book left me teary eyed and filled with the spirit of Gods love for all creatures. The ever familiar nativity story of the birth of Jesus is refreshingly told through the eyes of a pack rat named Sarah. As a gift to the Crist Child she yields her most treasured possession, a shiny bead tied about the new born king's wrist with a special thread from King Davids robe, a gift from a pack rat travelling with the Three Wise Men. In so doing she experiences Gods love and understands the miracle taking place. The book makes an ideal holiday gift and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. As a childrens book for reading it is ideally suited for ages 5 to 9.

This unusual story for children, which is lyrically and beautifully ilustrated and written by Caroline Garrett combines a wonderful imagination with a spiritual vision and a love for children and animals. The book exudes gentleness and calm as well communicating its profound message in a clear way.

This beautifully illustrated and emotionally charged childrens book left me teary eyed and filled with the spirit of Gods love for all creatures. The ever familiar nativity story of the birth of Jesus is refreshingly told through the eyes of a pack rat named Sarah. As a gift to the Crist Child she yields her most treasured possession, a shiny bead tied about the new born king's wrist with a special thread from King Davids robe, a gift from a pack rat travelling with the Three Wise Men. In so doing she experiences Gods love and understands the miracle taking place. The book makes an ideal holiday gift and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. As a childrens book for reading it is ideally suited for ages 5 to 9.

The nativity story, one that is familiar to many, is retold from the perspective of a pack-rat named Sarah. In this children's book, Sarah learns about hope and love by giving the Baby King her most prized possession--a lovely green bead! The full-page color illustrations bring the story to life as they capture the magic and wonder of the miracle of the birth of Christ. Sarah's Bead is a delightful story that is appropriate for both young and old and would be a wonderful treasure in any family's storybook collection!

Sarah's Bead is a refreshing, warm retelling of an ageless story. I was deeply touched by this book. As a creative writing teacher, I often look for books to share with my students as a read aloud. This books explores with students and adults the joys of sacrifice, of giving, and of love. The book not only touches on a Christian theme, but a universal one that can be shared by all people of different faiths. The words of the story are beautifully enhanced by the illustrations.

During the last few years our family has been grieving a tremendous loss. This year we are determined to get on with life and to make new traditions and memories. In anticipation of the up and coming holiday I pulled this title off my book shelf and reread it.

It is just a wonderful book of short stories sure to inspire love, hope, family, trust and faith. Each story begins with a beautiful color drawing which has a classic charm and feel. Clearly hits a personal note for Catholics and Italians and most stories will ring a personal chord of truth and others may bring a laugh or two.

As a reader it made me feel for the past and wonder about how our society continues to evolve in a cooler less personal social strata. It is hard not to think of simplier times that are grounded in basic life lessons of love and family. This is a book to read at the beginning of the holiday season and probably at intervals throughout.

There is hope, love and warmth in all of the "Seven Stories of Christmas Love."

This tape came to me as a gift. I enjoyed it the first listening several years ago. Each year before Christmas I listen to it again. I nearly know the script by heart, and it means just as much, if not more. Each year of those 10-15 years that the tape has been part of my Christmas, has brought changes in my life. However, the lessons of the seven stories of Christmas love are imprinted on me. I am grateful for the tape, and find the familiarity of the stories an anchor in a sometimes difficult and busy season.

Christmas just isn't Christmas without any Leo. In book form or his excellent video of the same name, Seven Stories of Christmas Love is Leo doing what he did best: sharing stories of holiday's past and using them to illustrate why love and memories matter throughout the year. We watch the video every Christmas and I've yet to escape dry-eyed through the section where he expresses how important it is to remember the wonder and awe of childhood because our memories and the love we give to others are all that make us immortal.

If you need inspiration in an increasingly confusing world, or just want to laugh, hope and consider the true meanings of Christmas, this book (and the great video) are must-haves.

This is such a beautiful little book! The illustrations, by Tom Newsom, have a Norman Rockwell quality, and the borders around the pages match the first page illustration, which is different for each story.

The stories, by Leo Buscaglia, who a lot of people know from PBS in the 80s, take Christmas out of the Norman Rockwell cliche and brings it into the world! One touching story is about the reaction people in Bali had to Mary and Joseph being turned away at the inn. Another, "Two Festivals of Light," blends the Jewish and Christian "festivals of light" through at-first distrusting neighbors.

You should be happy to pull this book out of your Christmas treasure box year after year!

Reading from this book is one of my family's all time favorite Christmas traditions. The stories are short enough that we can read one together as a family each night before bedtime. I have loaned this book to several friends and they have all loved it.

My children all know what it means if we tell them that they are going to get a peach branch in their Christmas stocking.

I love the messages of these stories. They always get me in the Christmas spirit!

We bought this for our 3yo on a whim. I think we read it 2 times a day for the months of December and January. It is now April and we still read it at least once a week. We bought several more copies to pass out as gifts.

LOVE IT!!! I actually had tears in my eyes while reading this! I can't wait until next year when I can start reading it on Christmas Eve to my little Army Brat! Great story, great pictures, very very nice.

AWESOME book. My husband is currently serving in Iraq and it was a very difficult Christmas for all of us. I bought multiple copies of the book. I kept one for myself, each of my children have one and I sent 2 copies to Iraq for my husband to share with his fellow soldiers. We all loved the book. I read it to my 12 and 13 year old children on Cristmas Eve before they went to bed and it helped bring us together. My husband was a little like SGT McClaus for his section. thank you for once again putting out another wonderful book.

One Christmas eve in the desert a group of homesick soldiers are visited by the Santa of Soldiers, and in a fine realistic rhyme inspired by the classic 'Night Before Christmas' comes a soldier's observation of this wonder, which will intrigue and comfort military families separated by war. There's a decidedly different holiday atmosphere here: "When what to my thrill and relief should appear, but one of our Blackhawks to give the all clear: more rattles and rumbles! I heard a deep while, then up drove eight Humvees, a jeep close behind...each vehicle painted a bright Christmas green with more lights and gold tinsel than I'd ever seen."

I was given this book as a gift for my daughter and we just LOVE it!! She calls it her "Papi" book. My husband is currently deployed for the second time to Iraq, and this time our 3 year old realizes he is gone, so with this book it gives her a different insite about what Christmas is for him and that Santa wont forget him while he is there!! I have reccomended this to all of my friends that are in the military with kids and I even have it up on our Family Readiness Group website so everyone can find out about it!!!

This is a great version of the story of The Steadfast Tin Soldier -- always one of my favorite stories as a kid. My son, age 7, loves this book and we read it over and over. The illustrations are excellent and I recommend it. My son found it in his school library but when we went to buy our own copy, it was out of print. So we had to buy it used but it was well worth the effort to have our own copy.

This book tells the classic tale of the one-legged tin soldier who falls in love with a paper ballerina. The soldier suffers a series of misadventures, including being placed at the helm of a doomed paper boat, being chased by a rat, and swallowed by a fish. It's a wonderful tale that will hold older children spellbound. The illustrations are delightful. All told, the book has about 2000 words.

I taught 1st grade for 4 years and all of the teachers in my grade passed this book around at Christmas to read to our class. I cried everytime I read it. It has a wonderful message and my kids in my classroom always loved it! I have now (finally) purchased my own copy of this book to read to my little girl. It is a classic and I know she will love it as much as I do. Every home should have this book to read at Christmastime.

This is a really good book. It has all the characteristic's that made the original a cherished and remembered fairy tale. It is a great gift for any young child, and can be enjoyed by adults too. It maintains the feel of the original tale, but is more like a poem. The art work on each page is beautiful, and the pictures are totally devine. I would recomend buying this for a different and fully enjoyable version of the original.

A little boy had a set of tin soldiers that were made from a melted spoon. One soldier was missing a leg because there was not enough metal left over from the melted spoon.

Tossed aside by the boy, the one-legged soldier sees a paper cut out figure of a ballerina. She is poised on one leg and he feels an instant bond. He has found another one-legged toy and believes this to be love.

The steadfast tin soldier has a series of mishaps. He falls off the window sill into a stream. From there, he is transported to a rat infested sewer. He is swallowed by a fish and through an unlikely stroke of luck, winds up back in the boy's playroom with the other toys and the ballerina.

The ending is what gets to me every single time. A gust of wind lifts the paper ballerina up and she flutters into the fire place, winding up a charred heap of ashes. Devastated, the tin soldier joins her. The remaining metal that was once the tin soldier is a charred piece of heart shaped metal.

I still think this is a very sad story. The photographs really emphasize the feeling this story evokes.