Festivals Books

With a singular voice to watch, Amy Jo Wood explores her own journey of grief in this deceptive collection of short stories/character sketches/memoirs. Truth literally exudes from each word, and you are transported to a different place and time. The characters explored become real to you, most particularly the author's own voice, which is alternately joyful, passionate, sad, but always insightful and charming. You feel the need to walk these paths yourself to wash in the transcendental footsteps Ms. Wood has luckily left behind.

With a singular voice to watch, Amy Jo Wood explores her own journey of grief in this deceptive collection of short stories/character sketches/memoirs. Truth literally exudes from each word, and you are transported to a different place and time. The characters explored become real to you, most particularly the author's own voice, which is alternately joyful, passionate, sad, but always insightful and charming. You feel the need to walk these paths yourself to wash in the transcendental footsteps Ms. Wood has luckily left behind.

In an age of superlative and sophistication overload, how refreshing to find such a down-to-earth style, one that conveys human nuances without overly distracting. I hope Wood keeps the pen in hand and writes more. Parts of this book moved me, and motivated me to finally visit Wilmington, which was everything Wood's descriptions promised.

Having lived in Wilmington,NC, I recognized all the wacky folks the author talked about. There is something magical about that town and Ms. Wood has captured the mystical flavor. Visit the port town and see for yourself. If you can't do that - read her book."Life Between Azalea Festivals" sort of does for Wilmington what "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil" did for Savannah.

My daughter is newly 3yo and newly involved in ballet. She LOVES these books. Even at age 2 she would happily listen to the story as many times as I would read it to her. My son enjoyed it too as it showed boys dancing as well.
The illustrations are gorgeous. The story gives a very realistic glimpse into the magic of being on stage and the work that goes into performing.
I have and will continue to recommend this book to anyone who has a child, boy or girl, that is interested in dance.

My daughter is entranced with ballerinas, and since her name is Lillian, someone gave her "Lili On Stage" for Christmas one year. It's perfect for any little girl (or boy, as boys are shown herein as well) who dreams of becoming a dancer.

Rachel Isadora, the author and illustrator, is a former ballerina herself and she graciously lets us into this magical world. Lili and her friends are shown getting ready to go onstage to perform in "The Nutcracker"--we see them stretching, getting into costumes and make-up, waiting with baited breath for their cues, and so on. What I like best about the book is that Isadora shows us the pixie dust and the magic along with all the incredible hard work that goes into not only being a ballerina, but putting on a ballet for the public. The teacher, costume mistress, stage manager, and prima ballerina are all shown doing their disparate jobs. We see that creating this dream of a ballet takes the commitment and cooperation of a great many people.

This book is great! I bought it for my younger sister, and when I read it, I just didn't want to give it up. It depicts backstage life beautifully, and I would recommend this for anyone under 11.

In our instant-gratification culture, ballet provides children a wonderful opportunity to learn about focusing on a long-term goal and taking pride in accomplishing each small step along the way. Rachel Isadora's Lili books ring true because Lili is not a child phenomenon, she's a young dancer who understands the slow disciplines of ballet. In Lili on Stage, she's performing in the Nutcracker. But she isn't the star, she's one of a group of children dancing in the party scene. It's obvious she loves her role, and recognizes what an accomplishment it is to dance in a performance. This book combines beautiful illustrations with a real understanding of the world of ballet. I'd recommend this and the other Lili books to any small dancer. (My dancing daughter is 13 and on pointe, and she still keeps Lili on her bookshelf.)

This is a cute little book. I do mean little. It is only 2 or 3 inches wide and 2 or three inches long. It discusses planting, harvesting, and cooking pumpkins. A very easy to read story line that is educational as well.

Charming story, with "hidden" mice, ladybugs, and cats to point out on many pages. Beautiful illustrations. Short & sweet - we read it over & over & over & over again : )

My kids enjoy this book so much. It is especially nice for young children because the author has limited the text on each page and the illustrations are wonderful. It is enjoyable to read with both my oldest and my youngest.

Beautifully illustrated and extra-sturdy, The Little Pumpkin Book is a great choice to introduce little minds to the world of books. It follows two children through the seasons as they work hard to plant and harvest their own pumpkins, and teaches about patience and life cycles. A charming little story!

THIS IS A KEEPER! NOT ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT A SELFISH BRAT BUT A COOL SIMPLY STORY OF A LITTLE ONE WHO GOES OVERBOARD... WE LOVE IT!

I just bought this book for my son, and we both love it. It's very cute, funny and has a good message.

My kids love this book- we've only gotten it a couple weeks ago and so far they've requested it every night for their bedtime story. The illustrations are superior compared to most of the stuff out there these days. And good lesson too, about finding what we truely want in our hearts vs. being greedy and trying to own everything in the world. We're very pleased with the book and highly recommend it.

Because of some 'connections', I got to read an early copy of this book and I can honestly say that I think it's fantastic -- it is a fun approach to an age-old tale about the joy of dreaming about gifts (I still remember pining over the Atari 2600 that actually did materialize!), making long lists for Santa, and waiting for dreams to come true. Your child (or favorite giftee) may grimace at the arrival of a book, but they'll enjoy this one repeatedly -- I think it'll become a holiday tradition!

What an enchanting story, what beautiful illustrations, what a wonderful book! It's a great way to have fun with your children and introduce them to Sapnish at the same time! It delighted me from cover to cover and I look forward to the day when I can read it to my own children, over and over again!!

What an enchanting story, what beautiful illustrations, what a wonderful book! It's a great way to have fun with your children and introduce them to spanish at the same time! I look forward to the day when I can read it to my own children, over and over again!!

This is a great children's book with an introduction to Spanish and the Spanish culture. The illustrations are just delightful and thoughtfully done. The pictures and story will keep little ones entertained. The children and animals are so cute. Your children will just love all the animals and their costumes for the parade and blessing by the padre. This book will make a great gift for your children or grandchildren. A must buy for anyone with children.

As a grandmother now searching for candidate reading material for my three young grandchildren, I was delighted to find "Los Amiguitos' Fiesta. With a very charming story by Jean Cook Thor and unique, sensitive illustrations by Judy Shade, I have added a wonderful educational primer for my six and eight year old grandchildren. I was personally moved by the story and illustrations and have had the pleasure of a first read with my grandchildren who reacted the same. I highly recommend "Los Amiguitos' Fiesta". ...

My two-year-old daughter LOVES this book! She really enjoys joining in for the repetitive lines, "Mother!" and "Spiders spin webs!" The book also does a good job teaching about the preparation for the holiday, e.g., baking hamantaschen, making a costume. The human boy in the story makes a grogger out of a paper plate and buttons and my daughter and I followed the suggestion and made the same ones ourselves and they were a big hit during megillah reading. I've just ordered some of the other Sammy Spider books and I'm hoping they'll be as good as this one. I highly recommend it.

I very much enjoyed reading this story to the kids. Sammy keeps yelling out "MOTHER!" It made the story fun to read. And it builds up excitement for the holiday.

I don't know how the un-Jewish concept of a spider family became the mechanism for a series of books about Jewish holidays but my kids and their friends love them.

In these books Sammy observes the human family and asks his mother what they are doing. The mother always seems to have the answer even if it doesn't concern spiders (they just spin webs). This time Sammy is watching the family getting ready for a Purim celebration. Sammy is full of questions and tends to ask them very loudly. At one point Sammy even needs to be rescued by his mother.

This is a book of noises but they are not your typical children's book noises. There is more about this holiday in the book than in the Tu B'Shevat volume but only the superficial symbols. There is a short version of the story of Purim included at the end of the book but it is very basic and simple. Still, my children (six and under) did find the book entertaining.

This book is very good for children of all ages. It tells the story about Purim in a fun and delightful way.

This book is absolutely beautiful!! The illustrations are just adorable. I love to read this book to my daughter. The illustrations are just captivating, you can stare at them for hours. It truly just takes you to a place of warmth, comfort and joy, and after all isnt that what the holidays are suppose to be about!!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. The Night Before Christmas is absolutely gorgeous as well!!

My children constantly picked up the book to page through it. The illustrations are very sweet and the book was easy for my 4 and 6 year olds to read and enjoy on their own.

Mary Engelbreit's A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS has quickly become my children's favorite holiday book. An A-to-Z story covering everything from angels to letters to Santa to a zillion ways that Christmas brings cheer, this is a wonderful story for either a beginning reader or any child at heart.

With absolutely beautiful illustrations and a rhyming storyline, A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS is a wonderful addition to any home library--or a perfect present for the child on your gift list. It's sure to please and bring a smile to the face of anyone who receives it; the fact that it's so cheerful will only add to your own holiday spirit!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

Mary Engelbreit has won a place in my heart over the years with her colorful illustrations, and lovable, oft-times zany characters. However, with A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS, Engelbreit has managed to combine each and every cheerful thing that accompanies the holidays, and place them all into one very unique, beautifully illustrated rhyming tale, that manages to give a child a lesson in the alphabet due to the fact that it is CELEBRATING FROM A TO Z.

If you are searching for a holiday book that will stay popular throughout the year, you can't go wrong with Mary Engelbreit's latest. The cheerful prose coupled with the breathtaking illustrations of a little mouse family preparing for the coming holiday will make readers young and old smile, while tossing them headfirst into the holiday spirit. An irresistible holiday book that must hold a place in everyone's home library!

Erika Sorocco

Stinky Face is called Stinky because he's a super smelly skunk and everyone calls him Stinky Face. My Mom or Dad have to read these books to my brothers EVERY night. They never get tired of them.

This is a GREAT book. I love all of the Stinky Face books. My favorite is the first one I Love You Stinky Face. I think I've read it at least 5000 times since I was really little. Every kid should have the stinky books.

If you have followed the Stinky face books you will find that the reason for the name stinky face is introduced in "I love you Stinky Face"
I run a home day care and these books are right up the childrens alley. They stay interested and beg me to read them. I would recommend them to EVERYONE!

Title aside, this is actually a rather sweet holiday picture book for young kids. While Mama decorates, a little girl (I think it's a girl) asks questions about the irrational worries she has - what if snow covers the door? What if the reindeer's antler gets stucik in the branches of the tree over my window? Etc. Mama responds with practical solutions to each of these fears, and eases the child's mind. This is an engaging idea for a picture book, as many children are apt to wonder odd things like this, and will appreciate the tone of comfort. Those who know better will find it all funny. The book is marred only by the completely unnecessary ending, where the mother says "Merry Christmas, my stinky face" to the child. Readers are apt to wonder why the mother uses this supposed term of affection, as it has never been introduced before - for some reason it is also used as the title of the book. But with some explanation, most kids will enjoy the rest of the story.

king of the ring 98 is better but what isnt. mick foley is cool.
have a nice daemy.d

i really like this book. it is a very good book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOLEY IS GOOD!

Mick Foley has once again written an instant children's classic. He uses his witty humor and rhymes to produce a wonderfully written halloween book for children of all ages. It is a must read for any fans of his writing and comes highly recommended.

Halloween Hijinx is the second children's book by Pro-Wrestling legend Mick Foley, and it's even better than his first, Christmas Chaos. Hijinx intertwines the stories of three Human children & three Monster children as they prepare to celebrate Halloween. Foley and artist Jill Thompson have produced a fun, great-looking book; Foley's rhymes are often hilarious and his message of tolerance, acceptance, and the true meaning of halloween is great. Thompson, a famous comic-book artist, contributes some of her most appealing art ever; The colors are just gorgeous! Halloween Hijinx is a fun book sure to be enjoyed by all ages, year after year.

Trust me! The pictures don't do this book justice!

Corey does an excellent job of capturing the magic of the holiday through a child's eyes. She also makes an effort to show how even a child can make a big difference in the world around her if she has the courage to act on what she believes.

I fell in love with Helquist's artwork while reading the Series of Unfortunate Events. There's something about the whimsical nature of his drawings....the sharp features, the minute details, the mystical feeling about them. I almost expect Milly to wink at me from the cover!

All in all this is an inspiring book, and a fitting opener to the holiday season. This one's sure to be a family favorite, so don't let it get away!

This book is a fantastic read for any Macy's Day Parade fan. The drawings by Helquist are fantastic and put you right into the moment of the 1924 holiday start. It will definitely put one and all in the family in the mood for Thanksgiving and the season it rings in. Personally, I have purchased a couple for friends and relatives with youngsters who live abroad so they to can view one of our wonderful traditions.

I use historical fiction a lot in my classroom, and was excited to see Milly and the Macys Parade. It's a great story-with lots of alliteration--and also a beautiful illustration of how as a country of immigrants, most of America's culture and traditions (in this case the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade) actually stem from various immigrant cultures and traditions. More important for my third graders though, it's a fun, engaging story (with a very spunky heroine determined to save the holidays) and not at all sappy. It's also a visual treat-the artwork is detailed and rich, but quirky enough so that the boys like it even though the main character is a girl . I've only had it in my classroom for 4 days, but so far students have taken it home every night. I whole-heartedly recommend this picturebook for the holidays or any time of year!

Millie is a little Polish girl and gets the swing of things in New York. It's near Thanksgiving and the Macy's department store is wrapped up like a present. Millie visits the contents of the present everyday after school.
Millie's father works at Macy's and some of his friends from other countries besides Poland. They all miss their customs, holidays, food, and religion. That's when Millie has an idea that will suit everyone...
~Erin
Age 11