Festivals Books

The journey you and your child will take in this book is wonderful. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story is delightful. If you are even considering this book, think no more and just buy it!Neither you nor your child will be disappointed.

Could Christmas really be every day? Only in Michael Garland's imaginative holiday treat. With sparkling illustrations as bright as ornaments on a tree and catchy rhyming text youngsters will share an exciting adventure with Tommy.

Tommy is blessed with a unique aunt who sends him a fascinating invitation on Christmas Eve. She invites him to get in the taxi that is waiting in front of his house and come to meet her.

Lo and behold, there is a magic taxi waiting for him and it carries him to an even more magical city where it is Christmas every day. Once there Tommy looks for his aunt but instead finds clues that take him through the wondrous Christmas City in a search of his aunt.

Very much like a treasure hunt over 200 items are hidden throughout the book as well as a holiday message to be decoded.

Youngsters will have as much fun as Tommy does as they turn pages to happily discover the many surprises in store.

- Gail Cooke

This is a wonderful addition to anyone's Christmas book library. The illustrations are stunning, with many, many hidden little things to uncover. It would be a perfect gift for a family with children of different ages- the little ones will love hearing about Tommy's journey, while the older ones will like hunting for the hidden images, going through a tricky maze, and solving the riddles.

My son checked this out of the library and begged me to get it so we could "keep it forever." I will be sending copies of this book to several of our friends this holiday, but I suspect it will be a book kept out and enjoyed all year long.

Michael Garland is back with a holiday sequel to last years innovative, Mystery Mansion. Come join Tommy as his Aunt Jeanne sends him on another creative and inventive treasure hunt. It's Christmas Eve when the invitation arrives telling Tommy to hop into the waiting cab outside his door, and in no time he's soaring through the air on his way to Christmas City. But where is Aunt Jeanne? Follow the cleverly worded, rhyming clues to find her, and along the way solve puzzles and collect the more than two hundred holiday items, some hidden, some in plain sight, including snowmen, angels, reindeer, elves, and candycanes, all the characters from the song, The Twelve Days Of Christmas, Santa's reindeer, holiday greetings in ten different languages, and a series of letters that when arranged, spell out a special message. Mr Garland's bold, bright, and busy computer generated artwork is engaging, and sparkles with energy, dazzling color, intricate, eye-catching detail and playful humor. Imaginations will soar as youngsters 6 and older pore over the pages, and revel in all the fun-filled magic. Christmas City offers hours of interactive entertainment, and sends kids on an imaginative, holiday fantasy adventure of a lifetime.

My teacher read this to our class when I was only 6-years-old, and I had to run out that weekend and purchase it for my very own book collection. Now, 12 years later, I still pull this book out all of the time to look at some of the most gorgeous illustrations to ever be printed in a children's book, and to read the story of the little Christmas Day Kitten. A must-have book for all, as the beauty of it will warm the heart of everyone in your family for years and years to come.

Erika Sorocco

This book is the epitamy of heartwarming. After all the sad, depressing things that happen in today's world, this book (and all of James Herriot's stories) makes you feel a lot better. Perfect for kids, this book will warm the souls of everyone.

Even though I haven't read this book since I was younger, I remember it as having a perfect happy ending. Even if you don't buy it, you should at least go to the library and check it out. You might like it enough to buy it anyways :)

This picture book, although written for children, can be enjoyed by people of all ages, especially cat lovers! James Harriot has a style of story-telling that draws you in and doesn't let you go until you've finished the story. This story is just a small sampling of the many wonderful vet stories that Harriot has to tell.

Not having been familiar with the work of James Herriot before this book, I was happily surprised when I read this to my little cat-loving daughter this christmas season. This is a touching story which brought us both to tears, but gave a joyful smile as we reached the end of the story. Truly a story to be shared with every child at christmas!

My five star rating comes with a single caveat: I don't believe this book, or any discussion of slavery, is appropriate for fourth graders, as has been suggested. This is a really well-done book, but despite the fact that it is a picture book, I feel it is better suited to grades 6-8, perhaps the occasional mature 5th grader. The topic is a painful one, especially if you are talking to large numbers of African-American children whose far-back families may well have lived in the quarters (kids like my history students). The thing I love about this book is that it doesn't try to present the slaves as essentially happy and festive, which is how they were depicted when I was growing up in the '60s. Instead, it is understood that they endure their position only because it is strategically the wrong moment to rise up and resist; you don't get the feeling these folks would really mind seeing the owners drop dead in their Christmas feast, but it isn't possible to make that happen right now, so they make the best of a bad situation, but only for the moment. The cluelessness of the white owners is beautifully rendered. That said, if you are shopping for a Christmas book to read with your young child at Christmas time to get that glowing, good-all-over feeling, this isn't the book you are looking for. Save this one for a serious discussion of slavery and the American Civil War.

This book describes the customs, recipes, poems, and songs used to celebrate Christmas in the big plantation houses and in the slave quarters just before the Civil War. I was filled with great trepidation after seeing the cover of this book. It was a relief to me to find that, fortunately, the text was respectful and historically accurate. But observe, as I did, this cover. We know, after reading the book, that this picture symbolizes the rare moment when the slaves were invited into the "Big House", or home of the white slave owners, to view the Christmas trimming. Yet it cuts too closely to the ancient inaccurate image of plantation owners and their "happy" slaves (ala Gone With the Wind) for the casual person browsing this cover. The back cover does little to alleviate this fear, showing a scene of black children skipping merrily with a white child. Inside, however, the authors deal deftly with the subject. Making it very very clear that certain positive traits exhibited by the slave owners during Christmas towards their slaves were the exception and not the rule, the book gives carefully annotated scenes from the lives of white plantation owners and slaves. The pictures accompanying the text are, most times, beautifully presented. There is a shot of a bonfire that is one of the most impressive drawings I've ever seen of fire. Unfortunately, some of the models for these pictures undoubtedly suffered from hair circa 1994, since it is obviously permed to perfection in a couple scenes. Please note that the authors have a keen sense of irony that plays well. After hearing the slaves sing a song that is code for someone escaping to freedom, the plantation owner's daughter writes in her diary that the day has ended with, "the sweet sound of a happy, contented slave singing a carol". This point is not elaborated on, and is exquisite in its simplicity. The endnotes found in the back of the book, annotated per page, are excellently done. This book is a valuable part of any collection, and would read best to children a little older. Kids who read this book on their own may not catch all the references and points that the book brings up. This would pair well with Mildred Taylor's "The Well", as a before and after to the Civil War.

This beautifully illustrated Christmas story explains the origins of many African-American Christmas traditions.

This is quite a fascinating book. Like another reviewer here, when I received this work I groaned inwardly, particularly when I noted the cover. I should have listened to the old saying "never judge a book by it's cover." This hold very true with this work. The book is the story of and a comparison of Christmas in the old south and how the folks in the "Big House" celebrated in contrast with the folks in the slave quarters. I found this work to bee extremely historically accurate. Social issues are meet head on with little or no surgar coating. The art work in this book is worth many more times the price of the book. It is truely well done. The only critical thing I might have to say here is that everything was depicted as rather clean and neat, a little too perfect. This includes the white owners living quarters and dress along with those of the slave. Things just were not that nice in those days. Other than that, I felt this was a very, very good work. I did enjoy the various recipes, discriptions of customs and songs. All in all, recommend this one highly.

Deep in the heart of most people who celebrate Christmas lurks the archetypal
holiday, the one depicted nostalgically in Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory," and
Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales."
In the archetype, ritual is important, family and friends are important, snow is
good, and a tangerine in a stocking is enough to inspire oohs and ahs of delight.
"Christmas in the Country" is a worthy addition to the genre.
In it, our pony-tailed heroine lives in the country with Grandma and Grandpa in a
house that is "small and white. It had an old coal stove to keep us warm and a tiny little
kitchen for supper and a nice back porch for the dogs."
In the country, spring is for walks, summer for tomatoes, and fall for apples. In
winter, "The snow slows everything down. Birds are silent and serious. Dogs stay in their
warm houses. Children want cocoa and blankets. Everyone is ready for something really
special."
And - hooray - the something special has nothing to do with the mall or even
Wal-mart. Instead Grandpa will cut the tree in the forest, and the narrator and Grandma
will take the precious old ornaments from the closet that "smells like wool and mothballs."
Diane Goode's illustrations are just right - simple and energetic. Everyone's hair is
windblown at all times, as if country folk have better things to do than spray, mousse or
pin.

I just love the Appalachian culture and if you do, too, you will love ALL of Cynthia Rylant's books for children. I believe she grew up in West Virginia and these are stories from her youth....another place and time. All of her stories are filled with love and acceptance and the joy of belonging to a loving family. She has written MANY books and I would suggest you read them all. I have bought about 7 books so far, and they are so sweet, I can sit down and read them all by myself and totally enjoy them.....but my grandkids think they are GREAT!!! The artwork is very enjoyable and it just makes one yearn to go back to "the good ol' days"!!! This book will not disappoint!

Our son is 4, and we gave him this book on the first day of Advent in 2006. We have all loved it so much that we read it daily during December. It is a precious book about the anticipation and joys of Christmas seen through a little girl's eyes during a simpler, quieter time. I love how it talks about the special joys and memories of each season. It helped us all put away the ornaments and take down the tree with less sadness this year, understanding the comings and goings of Christmas and each season. Ms. Rylant's books are wonderful. We also have "The Relatives Came" and "When I Was Young in the Mountains" and they are treasures, too.

The children and I were happy with this wonderful story. It is about a little girl who lives with her grandparents and her memories of happy Christmas days. The illustrations are wonderful and realistic. A must have for your Christmas collection.

My daughter had me read this board book to her every day before christmas. She like the character has lots of stuffed animal "friends" - and the pictures are great

There are several things I love about this book, 1 is that the illustrator is excellent! The book is just beautiful to look at, it's a quick read and I'd love to have a stuffed dragon like hers white bandage and all!

I love the story and the excitement of Christmas day, for us parents it takes me back to my childhood and I'm sure it will do the same for you, I know it will be one of our books to read in December as well as a Christmas Eve reading along with Twas the Night Before Christmas, this book is that cute.

The last thing I love about this book is for me that I see the daughter as being adopted. I guess we all see what we choose to see and with my daughter looks exactly like the character.

My twin girls insist on reading their favorite book, "Goodnight" (by the same author and illustrator) every night, and I was thrilled to find another book with the same little girl, Max, Theo, JoJo, and the rest of the gang. Since the girl didn't have a name in "Goodnight", we named her Debbie, but now we know her name is Juliette! (so we now call her Debbie Juliette...). Anyway, these are MY two favorite books to read to my two favorite 2-year-olds, I can't get enough of the pictures, they are beautiful. I plan to buy this book for Christmas presents! Great simple story and dozens of things to look at on each page, again, the pictures are adorable, water-colorey...

I bought this book as a gift to my daughter and it has the most incredible pictures and cute story. This is the type of book that will be a keepsake and brought out every year as part of tradition!

My daughter received this last year for Christmas. It is a wonderful adaption of the Little House books. The stories are touching and emphasis in my mind how commercial christmas has become.

I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.

This book is a "Chapter Book", and as such, is an adaptation/collection of Christmas scenes from the other books in the "Little House on the Prarie" series. The time of Christmas, especially in the past, was a joyous, at times quiet and spiritual, celebration. Unlike our modern times of going to Disneyland or loud parties, "Christmas Stories" reveals the simple but true pleasures of family gatherings and preparing meals together, or even the excitement of merely "trimming" the Christmas tree. This wondrous time of simple family life is brought out in revealing and heartwarming details from the viewpoint of a little girl progressively getting older as the chapters go by.

Don't get me wrong, not all was fun and celebrations. The book revealed hard times and hardship, but all faced by a family working together and trusting in God.

I especially recommend this book to parents longing to raise their kids with just a bit more traditional flavor than what our modern politically correct public schools would allow. A chapter a day, read to and discussed with your kids (elementary through middle school) a week before Christmas would do an awful lot to instill the heartwarming feeling of a cozy traditional family Christmas.

Blessings... TLam

I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.

This book is a "Chapter Book", and as such, is an adaptation/collection of Christmas scenes from the other books in the "Little House on the Prarie" series. The time of Christmas, especially in the past, was a joyous, at times quiet and spiritual, celebration. Unlike our modern times of going to Disneyland or loud parties, "Christmas Stories" reveals the simple but true pleasures of family gatherings and preparing meals together, or even the excitement of merely "trimming" the Christmas tree. This wondrous time of simple family life is brought out in revealing and heartwarming details from the viewpoint of a little girl progressively getting older as the chapters go by.

Don't get me wrong, not all was fun and celebrations. The book revealed hard times and hardship, but all faced by a family working together and trusting in God.

I especially recommend this book to parents longing to raise their kids with just a bit more traditional flavor than what our modern politically correct public schools would allow. A chapter a day, read to and discussed with your kids (elementary through middle school) a week before Christmas would do an awful lot to instill the heartwarming feeling of a cozy traditional family Christmas.

Blessings... TLam

This is a collection of the chapters about Christmas in Laura Ingalls Wilder's books; Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Prarie, On the Banks of Plum Creek, and By the Shores of Silver Lake. The chronological sequence is easy to follow and whets the appetite for reading the series. Excellent black and white illustrations in this historical family book. Recommended for students from K through the 5th grades

My daughter and I have read tons and tons of books. This one is going on the "great list". BTW, not many go on that list. The story is absolutley perfect for Christmastime or anytime. Written in a diary format starting Dec. 21 through Christmas Day, a young girl, in 1845, tells of her life and wonderful small community and a Christmas miracle. Absolutely wonderful character names include Fliberty Jibbert, Valentine McGinty and Aunt Heddy Peggler. If you are trying to keep plenty of innocent and great literature around for your children to read, this is one to keep around. You CAN judge a children's book by its cover.

I am a 9-year-old boy (mom is typing) and I thought this book was excellent. It's about a little girl who meets a guy named Fritz Klingle, who is looking for his dog named jingle. It's a very good Christmas book.

A great granddaughter discovers a family diary from 1845. The story of a special Christmas in Cobtown unfolds. Art is a cartoon-like character with excellent illustrations in lively colors. A great read - includes receipes for dog soup! I highly recommend this family type, holiday book for students from K through 5 grades.

The Van Nutts bring us instantly back to a lost era full of magic. Somehow they have mastered the art of historical accuracy without boredom or cheesiness- something so few artists can do. The drawings have all the skill of Van Allsburg but more warmth and depth for their genuineness, while the text makes you long to search through your grandmother's closet in search of hidden treasures. It's an instant classic and a must-have for someone who takes kid's books seriously.

I read this book with my children (ages 13, 11, 7). They were more than enthusiastic about the book! They enjoyed the story content and thought that it would make a nice addition to our Church's library.

I felt that the book addresses not only diversity issues, but makes it clear that other people's beliefs are ok, and that we should respect this. It was well written and easy to understand. I give it a 5 star!

This is the most outstanding book that teaches children acceptance of different cultures. It is much more than a Christmas story. My children loved this book!

Ann has taken the American dream of writing a book to the finish line. In accomplishing this she has also addressed a dream for many of us. That is blurring the lines between race and opening the door to acceptance. This book is a must for young and old alike. It took me back to a simpler time...a happier time. Let her touch your heart with this book as she has touched mine both with the book and being a great friend.

I read this story as I was typing it to send to the publisher. I thought it was a wonderful story for parents or older siblings to read to "little ones" at Christmas time. I also found it thought provoking, and a helpful story to help children with issues about diversity.

dora loves going to the beach. and if your child likes going to the beach, then this is a good book. my toddlers love it! they like that they can answer most of the questions that she asks thru out the book.

My 18 month old daughter is in love with Dora! It's on at the babysitters and it has started this whole Dora frenzy in my house with her. Needless to say that my husband and I went out to buy her some books and videos. This book was one of them and she loves it. It's a cute book. It's a change from all of the normal settings you see Dora in.

This book is sturdy and cushy, and it is fun to see Dora in a different setting.. the beach, decked out in a purple swimsuit and all. Many of the pages ask the child to point out objects, and my 16 month old daughter is becoming a pro. This book also incorporates a little bit of spanish. When Dora says "Adios" at the end, my daughter always starts waving. I recommend this book for babies and toddlers.

MY 20 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER LOVES THIS BOOK! SHE DOESN'T SEEM TO LIKE THE DORA CARTOON (EXCEPT THE THEME SONG), BUT I THINK THAT SHE LIKES THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT IS INTERACTIVE. DORA ASKS QUESTIONS OF THE READER SUCH AS "...DO YOU SEE THE BLUE FISH?" AND I HAVE MY DAUGHTER POINT TO IT IN THE PICTURE BEFORE TURNING THE PAGE. AFTER SHE POINTED TO THE CORRECT FISH ONCE AND MOMMY APPLAUDED, SHE WAS HOOKED! THE GREAT THING FOR ME IS THERE ARE DIFFERENT COLORED FISH IN THE PICTURE, SO THE NEXT TIME THRU I CAN HAVE HER FIND THE ORANGE FISH, ETC. ON THE PAGES THAT DORA ISN'T ASKING THE READER A QUESTION, THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER DETAILS TO TALK ABOUT. THIS BOOK HASN'T REALLY GOTTEN "OLD" TO ME AFTER MANY READINGS, LIKE SOME BOOKS DO. WE JUST KEEP FINDING NEW DETAILS TO TALK ABOUT IN IT!

My toddler class loved this book. They would always giggle and make all the animal sounds. I loved that it showed that even if we don't think we are good enough...we are. A sweet story and a great addition to any preschooler's collection!

I liked the idea of the book- the underdog/ shy donkey finding that he too had something to give the baby Jesus .I was hoping for a book that highlighted some aspects of the nativity- something that would reinforce what I am teaching my children about the birth of Christ. I nice book but not an historical teaching tool.

My 1-year-old really enjoys this book. It's the real Christmas story told from the animal's perspective. My son LOVES animals so he enjoys hearing what each animal says to baby Jesus. Almost all the kids I know would love this book!!

No offense to the reviewer disappointed that this is not a "historical teaching tool", but this book is not intended to be that! Nancy Tafuri is one of the most gifted picture book authors for the very young, and she has used her talents here to make the Nativity story accessible to the very youngest readers. The gentle text and expressive pictures draw young children into the stable along with the animals to see the newborn baby, and to greet him.

I read this at storyhours for two and three year olds. The children love joining in on the animals' songs, and when the donkey sings his noisy "hee-haw" song, they laugh along with the baby. No, they don't get the deeper message, but we are talking about very little children and their first introduction to the story--and this works!

There are plenty of good books out there for older children about the Nativity. But if you want something to gently introduce your child to the wonder of Christmas--here it is.