Festivals Books

This is a great book for ESOL students so they can better understand Halloween and the use of pumpkins as jack o' lanterns. It is easy to read and the students can practice reading it on their own afterwards.

My 3 year old and my 20 month old both love this book! I checked it out from the library last year, and we had to get it again, because my 3 year old loved it so much last year. Now my 20 month old loves it to. They love to hear it again and again, The pictures are wonderful! I recommend this book!

This book has beautiful, amazing pumpkin illustrations. It makes you feel in a halloween mood just looking at them. My 2 year old loves this book. The text for each page isn't too long for his attention span, & he loves looking at the pumpkins. And this is a book I don't mind having to read him over & over.

This book is so simple that I thought it might be boring for my 3 and 5 year olds. But they really enjoyed it. Nothing annoying for the parent, much enjoyment for the kids. Simple pleasure.

Review: Pumpkin Heads is a really good book. It has the best illustrations I have ever seen. The book is all about pumpkins and what people do with pumpkins. I really recommend this book.

This is a simple story about the life cycle of a pumpkin. I read it every October to my kindergarten class. It is very good beginning to sequencing. The illustrations are very well done.

This book is very cute and sweet. When looking for a good Halloween/pumpkin/fall book, I didn't want something too scary for my young toddler. This fits the bill perfectly.

I discovered and checked this book out for the first time a few weeks after I had taken my son to the pumkin farm, and after Thanksgiving had passed. We were delighted with the beautiful artwork (colored pencil drawings). The texture and dimension in the artwork is exquisite. The simple story line is perfect for the young child of 2-5. Jamie is met with a variety of curious animals while he pursues a journey of growing and harvesting his very own pumpkin, carving it, decorating his face for Halloween (you hardly notice this in the soft hues of the artwork, but his pet dog certainly does)and saving the seeds for the next season (six, to be exact). It would make a fine early reader as well for a k-2 reader. Nice book!

I got this book many years ago, when I took care of a class of 4 year olds. They loved this book and read the book with me. Now that I have a child of my own (almost 2 years old) it is his favorite book. I read it sometimes 10 times a day and it has wonderful illustrations. I never tire of it and am looking to buy more of Jeanne Titherington's books.

I teach English to a fifth grade that had very little instruction in the past. I gave this book to three girls and they could understand the meaning of words using the picture clues.One of them had never heard the word pumpkin before, let alone sprout or seed. Now they all have a better vocabulary. Last year I read the same book to a first grade that did not have English classes. I used the story to teach plant growth and sequence concepts.The year before I had also used it to teach subtraction and backward counting - Jamie saved 6 seeds. He plants one. He still has 5, and so on.
I don't teach Italian, but I am sure I would find a way to use this wonderfully illustrated book, if I had to.

I bought the book for my grandchildren, and the 4 and 6 year olds loved it--and I enjoyed it, kept turning the pages along with them. As a librarian and teacher, I also appreciated the quality of this imaginative, colorful book.; it arrived quickly and had secure packaging. It is a well-made, reasonably priced hardcover and am looking forward to seeing more of this author's books.

Subtitled: Or, Nothing Is Better and Worse Than Pumpkins

Pumpkin Town! is a lively tale of brothers who grow pumpkins for a living. They unknowingly scatter seeds on a neighboring town causing an avalanche of pumpkins to grow. Though their actions were unintentional, the brothers take responsibility for the mountain of pumpkins that has overrun the town.

They harvest all the pumpkins and clean up the vines to bring in a tidy profit for the town. The townspeople are so overjoyed that they reward the brothers with large, sweet watermelons. The open ending encourages young readers to speculate on what will happen during the next growing season.

Pumpkin Town! is a delightful story of values that honors the reader's ability to draw conclusions for themselves. While many children's books offer a "knock you over the head" moral, this story subtly guides the reader to discover the values of taking responsibility and having a strong work ethic. The lyrical language and bright pages keep even the most distractible children entertained. The illustrations, a colorful and creative mix of paste paper, photographs, fabrics, and computer imaging provide a rich visual texture to the story.

Pumpkin Town! is recommended for ages 4-8. For the younger set, it is a funny tale to be enjoyed. For slightly older children, it can serve as a springboard to develop the logical skill of cause and effect as well as a fun creative writing "what happens next" project.

Armchair Interviews says: Children can draw their own conclusions.

What a delightful story. The words flow from beginning to end. I was very impressed with the unusual visual ending. When you finish the story, not before, remove the book sleeve and the art on the cover produces a sense of de ja vous. A perfect story for young readers and for even younger listeners.
Sylvia Mirisola

Let me list the things I love about it: the story; the illustrations; the way it reads aloud for pre-readers; its suitability for reading kids; and the rich possibilities for talking with more advanced kids about some Big Ideas sure to come out of this tale of delicious dilemmas.

What a cute story. I loved it. The text was well done, and the illustrations were fitting for the book. When I tried to flip through the pages without reading I could not follow a clear story line; the text definitely is necessary. But the combination of text with pictures works very well. The illustrations reminded me of many graphic files I have created using Adobe Illustrator. There are 16 scenes (mostly 2-pages long) in this book.

The story is about a pumpkin farmer with 5 sons who work the farm. At the end of their pumpkin season they save what they consider to be the best pumpkin seeds so they will have something to plant for the next year. The less-than-best seeds must be discarded. And when you read the book you will see where those discarded seeds went and the problems they created.

I would have liked the book better if the illustrations had been a little more involved. And, of course, I wish I had been able to flip the pages at the outset and understand the story without having to read the text. But the finished product is one that I am sure children will like to have read to them time and time again. 5 stars!

Our 5th grade uses this book to review and demonstrate real uses of economics terms we've learned. Kids have a worksheet with simple definitions of terms and the following columns. Production- Natural Resources,Capital Equipment,Human Capital; Distribution - How?,Where?; and Consumption - Uses. As we read the book together, the kids write examples from the story under the correct heading (we stop often and prompt "Did we hear some Natural Resources?" YES - the field, the seeds, sun, rain. etc.) This book is such an easy-going way to introduce 10-11 year olds(possibly younger) to the terms and understanding of Economics. Illustrations are also very engaging and gentle.

I use this book each year to teach my class about different countries and means of travel. I made up math related questions for small group work that includes estimating how many pumpkins could fit on/in each means of travel, How many for sale signs the man had to make, the children time themselves writing out the for sale sign that was attached to each pumpkin. Each child also uses multiplication, divison, estimating with the use of calculators. In the end the book, Pumpkins is a sotry for the chidren to express fellings and emotions about the mans experience in his field of dreams.

I am lucky enough to be able to see Ms. Ray and thumb through her books at the Concord Farmers Market each weekend. She is a lovely, magical lady and this is a lovely, magical book! I cried when I first read it and it still makes me weepy because it shows such love and hope. (I am a grownup.) It is also very witty and it SOUNDS good out loud, so parents won't get tired of reading it over and over to the children. Everyone should have a chance to read and re-read Pumpkins, any time of year (it's not a Halloween book, really). Several local conservation organizations carry this book because it demonstrates (in a technically unrealistic way, but that really doesn't matter) how one person can make a big difference. I can't imagine anyone not being touched and amused by this book.

This sweet book captivates younger readers with its wonderful painting illustrations, and the simple story of one man's determination. I love the spare, simple text full of evocative details (when he needs to write explanatory tags for every pumpkin he ships to countries that don't have pumpkins, "luckily he knew how to write in many languages"). This is one of those that I get a lump in my throat reading even after who knows how many times through it.

My son's (4 1/2) current enthrallment is pumpkins--he loves the book Pumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night. So when we found this book at the library the other day he was happy to sit and read it. For some reason we didn't check it out and had to go back the next day to get it (and I've since purchased it here). The subtle absurdities and lovely turns of phrase make this a wonderful book--subversive on the order of Good Dog Carl--and the illustrations are lovely. We love reading this together so much that he's memorized the words and loves to talk about walking in the field amoung the young hills that grow up to be mountains. Highly recommended.

Hands-down, this is the absolute best Halloween book for young children. We bought this when it first came out in 1997, and it still has an honored spot on our shelves. Every year, we pull it out and revel in the fanciful pictures, catchy rhymes, and joy of the season.

We started reading this when my son was only a few months old, and now that he's almost 9, it's still a favorite -- and our younger two kids love it just as much. Don't miss this book!

This book is great for Halloween! Our children really enjoy repeating the rocking, rythmic sounds made in this graveyard!

This great book is meant to be read aloud. This is a humorous book, which makes friends of the goblins and ghouls, by making them party through the night with all the local neighbors. The rhythms are great, the words are funny and this is a book designed to make the tongue dance and the teeth tap. The pictures are wonderful and in full color. Read it at bedtime around Halloween and your kids will be filling in the rhythms and rapping along with you in a Halloween treat.

My daughter (age 3) likes this book so much that I have to read it to her at least twice a day. This has been going on for over a month and luckily, I'm not really tired of it yet!

Rattlebone Rock is so fun to read. Children love the rhythmic text and really get into the book by making the spooky sounds the author writes of. Read it through once to a class of K-3 students. Then read it again and again, and have them chime in during the graveyard ghostly parts! This has been a hit with the k-3 students I have read it to. They will love the text and the great illustrations. A Halloween Book I wouldn't be without!

My son had learned his ABCs. He could sound out words. He just couldn't take the plunge.

I bought this book from Amazon and added it to our rotation of bedtime reading. My son connected with Edward, the central character, who helps Santa make his Christmas deliveries by reading from the book of names.

You could argue that I've rated this book a star higher than it deserves but since it was the book that inspired my son to read, I'll stand by my rating.

My frien loved this book great book for people who deal with children and to show children a variety of names.

This book was very interesting. It all started with Edward not being able to read. His father would always read him a story on Christmas Eve. Edward wanted to read really bad. This story tells how Edward goes from being doubted, to actually being able to read. It brings about a conflict with the losing of Santa's glasses. I think that that was the opportunity that Edward needed to learn how to read. His parents woke him up on Christmas morning. They wanted to read the book to him. He ended up reading it to them. I would definitely recommend this to any kid that wants a good story to read.

I cried as I read this book for the first time - it is an endearing story about Edward, who is having difficulty learning to read. His teacher suggests he undergo more "tests", but his parents insist "no...more patience". When Santa delivers gifts to Edward's house on Christmas Eve, it happens that he can't read his book of names of boys and girls. Christmas is at stake and Edward must step up to the plate and read the names for Santa. Edward goes with Santa in his sleigh and saves the day by reading aloud the names in Santa's book. He gains his self-esteem and self-confidence in reading, and saves Christmas too!
This is one of the best Christmas books I have read and I ... hope it becomes a classic. This author has written two other books about Edward, just as charming: "Edward and the Pirates" and "Edward in the Jungle".

Edward cannot read. He almost can...but not quite. His teacher tells his parents that there are many tests he can take that will find what the problems are. However, his mother insists on "No tests...just patience."
It is Christmas Eve and Edward struggles to read his favorite Christmas story when he hears a noise. He runs downstairs to find a large, old book. "It must be Santa's!" he thought.
Santa comes back for the book, which happens to be his "Book of Names," but looses his glasses, and needs Edward to go along with him to help him read the names. Edward struggles at first, but Santa helps him. In the end, Edward does fine reading and Santa returns him home, thanks him, and rewards him with a new book.
On Christmas day, Edward reads his new book to his two happy parents.
I believe that this story is really inspiring. Edward gains self esteem, self confidence, and he saves Christmas! This book seems to be an instant classic. The story is good and the illustrations are beautiful. People of all ages will enjoy reading about Edward's memorable Christmas.

I bought a copy of Santa's Reindeer a few years ago and I've been sharing it with my classes and with other teachers. Everyone loves it but has never heard of it before. I even sent an e-mail to Scholastic suggesting that they consider for their book clubs. I have wanted to get in touch with Judy Schrecker because the bookcover mentions a play script which I would like to obtain. And I want her to know how much I like her book. I enjoy the illustations as well but I think that Santa should be fatter! L. Fletcher

This was a great book!Mrs. Shrecker is my Math and Science teacher. She is awesome! She is very nice..but strict only when she needs to be! Which isn't often! She has a great imagination and is one of the best teachers i've ever had! This book is a great kids book and i think kids would love it! And since i'm in 6th grade and love it all adults should love it too!It's awesome how she combined the Bible Christmas Story and the whole Santa thing. I would have never thought of that! I'm very glad i own that book!

This book is a good book writen by my teacher Judie Shrecker. Mrs. Shrecker is a good teacher as well as a good wrighter.

When I was in kindergarten, Mrs. Schrecker was one of my teachers and I can proudly say that I was one of the first kids that ever heard this wonderful book. I even remember giving up my time outdoors to draw pictures of the story! It is wonderful and very creative. I will always think of it as one of my favorite Christmas stories.

Our daughter checked this book out of her public school's library. We thought it would be another cutsie Christmas book, appropriate for the season. To our complete surprise it turned out to be quite a gem. It is often difficult for parents to connect the celebration Christmas morning (gifts brought by Santa) with the birth of Jesus. We tell our daughter that Santa brings gifts to remind us of the gift that God gave us, his Son. It was wonderful to see a children's book make a similar connection in such a sweet and entertaining way. Our daughter loved the book, and we are ordering one to have for next year.

Santa's Snow Cat is a great Christmas book to share with family and friends. It has become a new family tradition for me to read Santa's Snow Cat to my kids on Christmas Eve. It's a grand mix of fantasy, traditions and truth. The story is set on Christmas Eve and takes place in New York City. Many of the famous places in NY are pictured in the book like The Twin Towers, Empire State Building, St Patrick's Cathedral, and the giant snowflake that hovers above 5th Avenue during Christmas season.
I think everyone will enjoy this book. It's absolutely my favorite book all time.

DON'T NEED TO LOVE CATS TO ENJOY THIS NICE LITTLE STORY! WE JUST R IN LOVE WITH ALL ANIMALS... WE LIKE THE PICTURES as well. IT'S NICELY WRITTEN & I LOVE WHEN U CAN TELL THAT SANTAS SMILING WITHOUT EVEN BEING ABLE TO see his mouth! IT'S A KEEPER! (SON'S AGES 9 TO 4YRS.

Nice Xmas Story for the cat lover, and anyone who love NYC

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

This book is a must for Christmas, and anyone who loves New York. Snow Cat falls out of Santa's sleigh one Christmas and is dropped into New York. Unhurt she visits different landmarks such as the Twin Towers, Rockefeller Center, and more. Snow Cat meets up with many "look-alike" Santa's, but never hers. Eventually Santa finds Snow Cat and brings her back to the North Pole.

This book is beautifully illustrated, and a must for any cat lovers or anyone looking for a new Christmas story.

I purchased this book for my daughter after falling in love with Anne Mortimer's illustrations in Pussycat's Christmas. As expected the illustrations are beautiful and crisp and will be especially appreciated by cat lovers. This is a lovely and quiet holiday bedtime story.

Mary Anne has a skeleton in her closet. It means that she keeps a secret life that nobody wants to know. One day, she worked in a mall. Then, this girl Angela appears. The spiers Are so kind because they let Angela spend Christmas in their house. I am so happy about this book =)

I Loved This Book!. Mary Anne spends so much on her father's credit. Mary Anne takes a job at the mall and meet this girl Angela. Mary Anne's parents invited Angela to stay for Christmas!.

In the secret life of Mary Anne Spier sh spends so much on her father's credit card. Mr.Spier told Mary Anne that she would even have to pay interest just like he does.Mary Anne takes a job at the mall and meets this girl Angela and their family helped Angela by inviting them to stay for Christmas.

I liked it! Mary Anne's kind, tender heart gets her into trouble, but I admire how she takes responsibility for her mistake and willingly takes the elf job to pay for it! Also touching is how Mary Anne feels so sorry for Angela, the homeless girl, that she cries quietly under her elf head. Her tender heart is endearing; and her strong sense of responsibility is to be commended. It's hilarious how she goes to extremes to hide her secret job from her friends and boyfriend because she's so easily embarrassed!

Mary Anne keeps on using his father's credit card. Until Mary anne has to pay all the things she bought.

I gave a copy of Treasures of the Heart to my grandmother and she loved it. She has been a Bible School teacher in Massachusetts for over 60 years, after reading the book, she commented "I wish I had read this book in the beginning, because Diane tells the stories so well and makes them so clear."

I read this review by Ron Kaplan in the New Jersey Jewish News and
wanted to share it:"That these stories are familiar in no way detracts from readers' enjoyment. Using copiously researched sources, Wolkstein makes the tales meaningful and lyrical as she traces Judaism's roots through its biblical generations.
Critical to appreciation of the stories themselves are the citations Wolkstein offers. As when reading the wroks of Shakespeare, one often needs explanations insofar as language, customs, and
context are concerned. Wolkstein's explications enhance the reading enormously. Books like TREASURES OF THE HEART are fodder for discussion, both on literary and religious levels."

I hope this book will be appreciated and enjoyed by many readers.

Pat Thurman

This book is extraordinary. As Peninnah Schram wrote in her
PARABOLA review:"Turning and weaving are the choreographic movements that Diane Wolkstein has used in composing her extraordinary expansive book. She has turned the Torah to
reveal its seventy faces interweaving, in various combinations, oral legends,
Talmudic and midrashic texts, history texts, academic findings,
along with her own interpretations and reflections....This is a
book that will truly give the readers an understanding heart, listening eears and vision through new eyes. Highly original in concept, it opens many pathways to understanding the spiral flow of Jewish time, the binding core of Judaism. Through the
sacred narratives that have been read aloud communally for centuries--and continue in synagogues today--the book highlights
the recurring holiness of sacred time....She infuses her work with the appreciation and learning gained under the mentorship of her acknowledged translators and guides, expecially Reb Sholomo Carlecach."
This is a very insightful piece that captures the essence of TREASURES OF THE HEART. I urge everyone to read it.
Nancy Kahan

I think of Diana Wolkstein as a female Martin Buber. She attempts to articulate a mature I-Thou spirituality just as he was, but without his abstract philosophical abstruseness. Instead, it is as if, in the true spirit of the feminine, she invites you to sit down at her cozy kitchen table and then announces that the constellations (the stars by which you guide your life) have shifted, but not to worry, "Have another cup of tea."

She says truly revolutionary things in such a loving way. Unlike the patriarchal prophets who threaten you with fire and damnation, she invites you to a loving partnership with God and your fellow human beings.

Her reading of the Old Testament is warm and inclusive. The focus is less on judgment, tribalism, smiting and warfare and more on what it means to have a relationship with God.

Like a deep sea diver she plunges into the stories and comes up with the pearl of great price -- a spiritual vision of who we are, why we are and where we are going for a post 9-11 21st century. I cannot say loudly enough how important this is. The Bible is the hidden storyline for all our current global crisis, from terrorism, to Iraq, to environmental destruction.

For westerners, these stories are our cultural DNA.
By changing the order of the holidays and finding the feminine wisdom that has always been present in the stories, Wolkstein invokes this mature relationship with God and moves Judaism from a 4000 year-old cycle of grief, guilt and lamentation to a Judaism of embodied joy.

Wolkstein's lifelong spiritual search for her own good heart give her deep eyes. With them, she sees the Bible stories anew and shows how they can light our way into a joyous and compassionate new century.

The God of the Old Testament performs many functions: he is a severe master, a patient teacher, the leader of his chosen people,the inspiration to all. He is also frequently puzzling. In this wonderful book, Diane Wolkstein has scraped away all the old habits, the many accretions which had taken the life out of these stories.Thanks to her, their protagonists are people we understand, people almost like us.
The soul of Judaism -that base of Western civilization- is indeed one of the gifts the author makes us: but there is also much more. As we come to know one of the world's oldest religions, it is also ourselves we discover.
All that is is a very great deal; but there is more. Diane Wolkstein never lets us forget that she is an inspired story teller. Who would have thought that the Bible could be filled with suspense, or indeed that we would be made to care so much about many of its figures?
This is a book that anyone with interest in the human psyche, in history, in drama, in religion should read.