Festivals Books

This book was great. Very enjoyable. I have many friends that are leap day babies involved with The Quadrennial Council and they all loved it also. [..]

The book is very cute, but LONG and for kids who already understand the concept of leap year! It's really just a silly, cute story. I have a leap day child from 2000 who just turned "6" (Kindergarten) and this book is way over his head. I'm trying to help him understand why he doesn't have a birthday this year or next year, and have found NOTHING available! So.... I'm writing my own!!

I was born on Leap Day. This is a great book. The author really captures the boys Leapness with accuracy and humor. I enjoyed this book so much. It would have been so cool to have a book like this when I was a kid. And the illustrations are comfortable and delightful.

A book about someone born on Leap Day... FINALLY!
Every library should have one. Home, school and city!

Finally, a children's book about being born on February 29th (Leap Year). I've looked for years to find such a book and here it is. This is a great story about Miles' finally getting to celebrate his birthday on the 29th of February. The author did a wonder job on this book and the illustrations are great. Recommended for parents and teachers alike.

You are rotten, you are crummy
nasty, smelly, and a dummy
you are absolutely awful
and your breath should be unlawful.

You are ugly, you are simple,
and your brain is like a pimple,
you should soak your head in brine....
WON'T YOU BE MY VALENTINE?

The above is titled VALENTINE FOR A FRIEND and it's from this excellent book for early readers. It's true my son is a little too young (almost three) to understand all the words, but he likes the poetic sounds. Maybe he'll grow up into a poet. Of course, most of the poems are not about rotten, crummy dummies, the one above just happens to be my favorite.

Mr. Prelutsky has penned a nice little book that is perfect for reading to a two-year-old child before he or she falls off to sleep. I used to read this one sometimes at naptime. The soothing sounds of the rhymes would put Devon to sleep. Of course now, nothing does. He just plain hates naps. Something about being almost three.

Also the pictures inked by Mr. Yossi have kept my son pointing at the pages and identifying things he knew or has just learned. That's important in a kid's book, illustrations they like. All in all you cannot go wrong with this book, not if you have a child. They'll love it. Devon does.

This is a great children's book. It is filled with Valentine's Day poems for kids of all ages. The poems are simple and easy to read, and theres pictures for each one, too. This book will surely bring happiness to your next Valentines Day.

I love this book. My mom used to read it to me when I was small, and it has always been one of my favorites. I lost my original book many years ago but now that I am an aunt I have searched high and low to relocate it as a gift for my nephew. The short stories in the book are touching as well as humorous and have a way of gripping readers both young and old!!

Jack Prelutsky has a talent for writing silly little poems about everyday things, bringing delight to young and old alike! In this book, he gives poetic justice to Valentine's Day in the most lighthearted way. My sons, now teenagers, were all fortunate enough to be introduced to this book, Jack Prelutsky, and poetry in general, by their first-grade teacher. They spent many happy moments reading these poems depicting a child's view of Valentine's Day...and I enjoyed them as well! Put this one on your list!

Bravo! A winning book by Larry Domnitch. Easy reading that doubles as a fantastic reference.

This book is Amazing. I'm Shayna i'm 11 years old. Larry Domnitch is my Uncle. I have read his book and i think that is demonstrates the meaning of the Jewish Holidays. I think that it is important for Jewish children and their parents to know the meaning of the Jewish holidays. I love you Uncle Larry ~Shayna~

This is truly a piece of work to remember! A journey to reflect upon throughout the year as well as during the holidays. END

Mr. Domnitch has crafted a collection of essays that quite successfully explores and uncovers the heart and soul of certain holidays in the Jewish calendar. It is neither complete nor is it a "how-to" manual of ritual, but the reader will understand and appreciate, both intellectually and emotionally, the essence and meaning of those holidays that it does describe. The book's major strength is that it draws from a variety of sources with which someone steeped in the Western, Classical tradition is likely to be unfamiliar. Mr. Domnitch introduces us to the most ancient authors, medieval rabbis and modern day commentators. Every reader will be enlighted; to the non-religious reader, however, the attribution to god of what appear to be mere coincidences (for example, similar events taking place on the same day of the month though years or centuries apart) may seem like superstition. Nevertheless, after all is said and done, the Jew will be joyfully reminded of why he is a Jew; the non-Jew will gain empathy with his Jewish brethren.

I didn't think my (young) 3-year-old would sit through this book. The text looked long, the art very detailed. But I was WRONG! This has been our nightly story for weeks and I confess: I'm not bored. It's the perfect touch--not very frightening and a reassuring story of self-confidence. Even my 2-year-old pops in for the occasional ghost or pig (no, he's not quite ready for the whole story although Curious George has kept him seated).

Jan Waldron needs to write more! And I'm buying more of David McPhail's books!

This is our family's favorite Halloween book, hands down! The story is great. The rhyme and meter actually work and sound great read aloud, and the pictures are amazing. We got it a few years ago, and my kids, now 6 and 11 BOTH still love it. And for us as parents, this one is one of the rare picture books we never get tired of reading over and over. I'm buying more for friends.

I bought this book for my daughter to celebrate Halloween. It is her favorite holiday so we read this book year round. The story is about a pig named John who is too scared to go trick or treating on Halloween with his friends. John stays back at the house as his friends go on without him. After they leave a real witch comes calling for some treats. When she sees that John only has candy to hand out she decides to teach hime how to make some real Halloween treats. They whip up such heavenly connoctions as pies, tarts, mousse, sundaes, and cookies. All of the witch's monster friends show up for a real Halloween party. Finally the witch tells John that they have to leave while it is still night out. When John's pig friends come back cold and tired they are amazed to find all of the treats that John has prepared. When John goes to bed he realizes he is no longer afraid of Halloween and he dreams of all of the new friends he has made. The illustrations in this book are great and the story is really sweet. My daughter loves this book and I really enjoy reading it to her. This book will really put you into a Halloween mood.

I fell in love with this book from the start. I loved how John Pig portrayed his feelings about Halloween. There was so many adorables pictures that you begin to see new things in the pictures that you didn't see before. The witch is great - My kids loved that idea that she was a fun witch. The food she made sounded heavenly... What a great book for kids.... My children adore this book as do I.

This paperback was interesting and fact-filled, even for someone with previous knowledge of Passover and the Seder. It's approach is traditional, although i am not sure the ultra-Orthododox would regard it as such. My one complaint was the size of the print in the paperback edition--too small.

The purpose of this book is to provide information to empower each of us to create a meaningful Passover, no matter what our level of observance or learning. Provides wonderful insights on the meaning of ritual, text, history and communal experience. Also an exhaustive source of further information. Highly recommend as a basic resource in any home Jewish library.

Steingroot has written a beautiful, thoughtful, and highly erudite book on Passover, one that enables the reader to delve deeply into its mysteries, and to love its idiosyncrasies. I reccomend this book to anyone interested in writing their own Haggadah, or tweaking the one they already use. The section titled "The Mute Book", where Steingroot explores the esoteric symbolism underlying the structure and ritual of the seder, is especially gripping (strange word to use of such a topic, but true).

Steingroot approaches Passover customs with the attitude of "you may" replacing "you must." Further, his research into the history of Passover traditions is extensive, which provided me (one of the Goyim) with the ability to amaze my Jewish friends. Even my partner wasn't sure why his family ate potatoes as a "green vegetable." Steingroot knew why. I adopted Steingroot's attitude of "you may," and as a result, our first seder as hosts was a great success.

I own and use this book. It is very well-written and helpful. I was a complete novice before reading it, but am now working on my fourth Waldorf doll. The author gives very clear, easy to follow instructions. I highly recommend her suggested method of starting with easier dolls first while learning techniques, then working your way up to a large, difficult doll.

Maricristin Sealey has a new book out now, Making Waldorf Dolls, which has much the same content without the markup the used resellers are trying to charge for this version.

This book is a wonderful resource for cloth doll making. As a newbie, I found the book full of complete instructions and options for personalizing. In fact, it was hard to decide where to start!

One thing -- it would be nice if the book used photographs -- I haven't touched a Waldorf doll before and felt like I was working "without a net" sometimes. But, the dolls I've made are beautiful and loved by my children.

Even after having made Waldorf-inspired dolls from kits, I found that the instructions in _Kinder Dolls_ to be clear and direct and quite useful. The books contains instructions for making every sort of soft Waldorf doll imaginable, from the wee dollhouse dolls to a child's first formless knot doll to a cuddly sack doll to the full sized (16 inches or so tall) "Waldorf doll" that many are familiar with. In addition, patterns are included for many sorts of clothes, with lots of ideas for various ethnic multi-cultural permutations. I found that the instructions were easy to follow and easy to adapt. I highly recommend this book for Waldorf parents or anyone wanting to make a beautiful natural-fiber doll for their child.

Although this book has a Waldorf slant to it, it is really for anyone interested in making soft dolls for children. The dolls are not difficult to make and some can be made within a couple hours. Patterns range from a tiny little 2 inch baby to larger, dressable dolls with all sizes in between. There are patterns for dolls suitable for infants, toddlers, and older children. There is even a pattern for dollhouse dolls! There are no photos, but lots of line drawings and full-sized patterns for both dolls and clothing. In addition, from the basic ideas/patterns given by the author I have been able to develop my own dolls and clothes. Every child I've made a doll for has loved it--and none of those children has ever been in a Waldorf school! The dolls are soft and huggable and adorable. Some of the materials used to make the dolls, such as tubular gauze and wool stuffing are difficult to find but the author includes a list of mailorder/internet sources. In the US, one source of these materials is the Magic Cabin Dolls catalog/internet site.

I have tried several of the appetizers and most are excellent. I recently fixed the artichoke squares and the lumpia appetizers for a party and they were a big hit. The easy shrimp newberg is excellent! There are a number of recipes I am anxious to try. I highly recommend this cookbook because the recipes are different. I expect before long, everyone in my family will have this cookbook.

I can say without hesitation that this cookbook will provide you with beaucoup examples of real New Orleans cuisine that you will enjoy to the fullest. This book started out as a labor of love in 1980 and has grown into one of New Orleans' most popular cookbooks. In fact, it was awarded the "Outstanding Community Cookbook Award" from the Tabasco/McIlhenny Company Cookbook Hall of Fame. It has also been mentioned in Town & Country and other magazines.

In addition to the large collection of original recipes, the book also includes 33 pages of recipes from famous New Orleans restaurants.

I use this cookbook on a regular basis. I'm glad to see that some good people from other parts of the country have reviewed it before me. But if you want one local man's opinion who loves to cook, trust me on this one! There are several other great cookbooks which capture the essence of New Orleans cuisine, and this one is a sleeper that ranks right at the top.

Order the book and laissez les bon temps rouler!

I've been using many of the recipes from this book since 1982 when it was given to me as a Chrismas present by a girl friend of mine. I've used close to half of the recipes and been rewarded for it. The only glitch I found was in the stuffed mushroom recipe. It calls for twice as much broth as needed. When the ex and I split, this is the one of the few cook books I insisted on keeping, with good reason.

My family...sisters(2), and mother have used this cookbook and love it. It is easy to use and has some great New Orleans recipes. In fact, my mother bought one and then decided that it was so good we all needed one. If you are interested in La cuisine it has a wide variety of dishes which are really delicious. (I like the appetizers, my sister who has a sweet tooth loves the desserts) Good luck!!!

I loved the supportiveness of the family through the hardships of early winter, poverty, and hunger, as well as the compassion for "all God's creatures": the stray kitten and dog. This is a heartwarming little Hanukkah story that transcends the holiday itself, telling a larger parable about kindness, faith, and optimism. I recommend it for all ages.

Fran Manushkin's `Latkes and Applesauce' is one of my favorite Hanukkah books for children. It features a close-knit and kindhearted Jewish family and teaches important lessons about how we should treat those with whom we share G-d's creation. Plus it's a lot of fun!

The story is about the Menashe family, who lived a long time ago somewhere near Minsk. Papa and Mama are poor tailors, and their daughter Rebecca and their son Ezra are `wonderful children who help their Mama and Papa'. Like most Jewish families, they love eating latkes (potato pancakes) with applesauce during Hanukkah. Unfortunately, a huge blizzard - `as if all of heaven's featherbeds had burst!' - begins on the first night of Hanukkah, completely covering the Menashes' potatoes and making it impossible for them to have latkes. The family is understandably disappointed, but they sip their soup, hope for a miracle and continue to cheerfully celebrate the holiday. Then Rebecca hears crying outside, and brings in a wet, motherless kitten. Despite the fact that they have so little, the Menashes agree to share what they have with the kitten because she is one of G-d's creatures. The next night the blizzard gets even worse, and Ezra brings in a starving dog; the family makes the same decision. Rebecca and Ezra are delighted by their new pets (who play dreidel together!), but Papa and Mama warn them to be careful about naming them because `a name must fit like a glove'. The blizzard continues to rage and their soup and then their bread are eventually gone. However, on the last night of Hanukkah the storm ends, and the Menashes are rewarded for their compassion and generosity with a miracle - and the kitten and the dog get names that fit like a glove.

In telling this tale, Manushkin has a breezy, folksy style and a fine sense of humor. Robin Spowart's misty colored chalk illustrations capture the Menashe family's love and warmth and evoke a beautiful feeling of Old World nostalgia. There is also a brief retelling of the traditional Hanukkah story of the Macabees, a delicious-looking recipe for latkes (of course!), instructions for playing dreidel, and a short bibliography - which just happens to include my favorite Hanukkah children's book `Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins', by Eric Kimmel.

If you're looking for a book that captures the sweetness and coziness of Hanukkah, or a book to introduce children (Jewish or non-Jewish) to the holiday, you can't go wrong with `Latkes and Applesauce'. Personally, though, I prefer latkes with sour cream, but `Sour Cream' is a lousy name for a cat!

A poor family struggles to make ends meet when an enormous snow storm keeps thems from getting supplies. When they realize they will have no potatoes for latkes at Hanukkah, they come across a cat and a dog. Despite the fact that they can't feed themselves, they take the pets in. In this spirit of sharing the pets have a surprise of their own.

Students in our predominantly Gentile elementary school enjoy listening to this heartwarming tale of a poor Eastern European Jewish family near the city of Minsk celebrating Hanukkah during a winter blizzard. Their potatoes and apples are hidden beneath the freezing snow before they have a chance to make latkes and applesauce for their celebration. Despite their hunger, they take in a stray kitten and dog, who are able to locate potatoes and apples on the eighth night of Hanukkah after the skies clear.

Since our students know so little about Jewish family life, this tender story gives them a glimpse into a loving family and the way they celebrate the holidays during this particular harsh winter.

The book concludes with a brief description of Hanukkah and a recipe for making latkes (which is delicious, since I made them the first year we got this book for our school library).

Great book. My almost [...] loves this book along with Peter's Chair. The pictures are beautiful and the story relatable to little ones. We plan on getting more Peter books.

This book in the Ezra Jack Keats series is wonderful. I am relatively new to this author but have fallen for all the books that my 3 year old and I have read so far. It is wonderfully illustrated and the simple text makes it a winner. A great addition to any childs library and a series that merits collecting.

This is a story of Peter who is having a birthday. He writes a special letter to Amy to invite her to the party. The other guests will be boys so he just asked them. As Peter went out to mail his letter Amy almost saw. He was not nice to her and thought see might not come to his party. The day for the party came and finally Amy arrived. The boys didn't like it because a girl was at the party. I thought this book would be a wonderful story to read in my first grade classroom. I could use it for a mini-lesson on how to write invitations and addressing envelopes. Also, it could be used to promote friendships between boys and girls.

My two year old loves Whistle for Willie, and Goggles, both by Ezra Jack Keats. I brought home _A Letter To Amy_ from the library to let him have a look.

_A Letter To Amy_ is the story of Peter, who has an upcoming birthday. He wants to invite Amy with a letter, because she's a special friend. Peter is worried that the boys at his party won't like Amy because she's a girl. He writes a letter to Amy, and tries to mail it.

This book has the same illustration style as Whistle for Willie... very patchy, abstract, and easy to enjoy. The story is great. I know that older kids love Ezra Jack Keats' picture books-- and I'm telling you my 2 year old does, too!

He calls this book AMY BOOK, and we read it over and over again.

ken32

I first watched this Christmas TV special when my children were small and found it interesting and fun. It brings a different view of how Santa Claus came to be with the help of Nature's creatures. It also has a great message for children that my children got the first time. I watch it every Christmas and enjoy it very much.It makes a nice change from the predictable, sugary shows you can get recently.

This book has a rather peculiar history. Originally published in 1902, two years after Baum's success with The Wizard of Oz,the first printing contained 20 color illustrations. In the second printing, eight of the color illustrations were left out, replaced by numerous black and white marginal illustrations. So you can imagine the delight of Oz fans when they discover this lovely edition in full color readily available after so many years of black and white reprints of the original edition.

The book is in three sections: "Youth", "Manhood", and "Old Age". Santa was discovered as an infant abandoned in the Forest of Burzee. The nymphs, fairies and elves adopted him and under the tutelage of Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World, Claus is bought up to appreciate and understand that all living things are sacred and deserve respect. In the "Manhood" section Baum tells the reader how Claus began making toys and delivering them to the world. He had his problems though. The Awgwas, who are evil creatures and can't tolerate happiness, continue to plague Claus first by intercepting his toys during delivery and then kidnapping Claus himself. "Old Age" describes the immortals' decision to take certain actions so that Claus can continue to give to the world.

Numerous questions are answered here:
What is the reason for hanging stockings?
How and why did Santa enlist the help of reindeer?
Why does he slide down the chimney?

As in the Wizard of Oz a good number of the characters here are Baum's own creations. You'll meet the knooks and the ryls, for example. You'll also meet the Gnome King who is rather benign here, but, by the end of Ozma of Oz, becomes the arch enemy of that fairy kingdom.

Michael Hague's illustrations are glorious.In the "Illustrator's Note" he states that the illustrations took three times longer than he expected. Well, it certainly shows. This was a labor of love. The pictures are in two varieties, full color and two color. The endpapers show a snowy day in the woods, a small creature trudging through it with a sack on its back. This is indeed one of Mr. Hague's finest moments. I wish I could give this book a 10, 5 for the story and 5 for the pictures.

In this Book L. Frank Baum seeks to explain the origins of Santa Claus to children and he succeeds wonderfully. I read this book when I was much younger and really treasure the talent Baum has to tell a tale and explain where Santa Claus comes from and why he delivers those toys. Baum plays with traditional Santa myths as with most tellings Santa is an orphan or foundling adopted by others. Here Claus is adopted by the wood nymphs and raised to love the forest and all it's creatures. If there is one thing Baum asserts in this book is a love for nature, love and peace. He is taught to love the human race and another great message in this book is to do good in this world and leave it in better condition than we found it. besides that Baum explains how Claus learns to create toys and uses them to bring happiness to the children around him. Every thing is explained how the sleigh and reindeer were first used, how the first stockings were fillied, how Claus created the first christmas tree, and how he became immortal.
The book is not without a conflict as Baum created the Awgawas, creatures who seek to corrupt children through bad behavior. The creature try to destroy Claus only to earn the wrath of the immortals who befriend him. This battle in the book is noteworthy as supposedly insignificant weapons destroy their attackers.

This particular edition is beautifully painted by Hague. His nymphs are straight out of a style like the elves from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. His Santa is more like a cross between a Father Christmas and Saint Nicholas. He is jolly, and happy. Although I note he also looks a bit like Hague which is fine, why not, Hague sees the Santa in himself. This book is the most beautiful edition of Baum's Christmas classic and worth a read through out December.

I remember reading this book around fifth grade. I kind of liked it then, I think because of the whole fairies thing.

Basically the story follows the life of Claus, a baby adopted by fairies. (The story starts in fairy land and much of it involves the fairies and woodland spirits. If you are expecting traditional Christmas lore you will get that but not quite yet.) The fairies are immortal, but Claus will grow up and age. When he has grown to be a teenager the fairies set him up in a cottage in the woods. Apparently they are bringing him food and necessities, so his only job is to discover his purpose in life. He begins to make toys for children to cheer them up, and the story goes from there.

The entire host of fairies gets involved in toy production. Instead of making toys like the merry elves, they bring colors from flowers and other magical properties that Claus can include in his toys. This reads like a fairy tale and grdually Baum brings in elements from the Santa mythology. The transition from fairies and magic to Santa is what I liked most in the book.

I recently reread this book and liked it except for the whole toys making kids happy thing. Its not that I dislike kids or toys. Here Claus (obviously the future Santa Claus) makes toys for children and the toys are the panacea that makes their world perfect. With a small carved toy dog all of a sudden they are kind to siblings, respect their parents and are bursting with joy. If he passed out lifetime supplies of cocain and valium he couldn't make them happier. If I were to find that Baum had been commissioned by a department store to write this book as a special advertising section for holiday spending then that would explain alot. The huge emphasis on more toys=happy makes the book a little sick.

Overall this is a nifty twist on the Santa Claus myth. It reads well even in the summertime. The only drawback is the huge focus on happiness through toys. The only moral that I could extract from the story is that children NEED toys to be happy and this is soooo important that the entire world of fairy restructures itself around toys. Good story but it sometimes feels like good press for the toy department.