Holidays Books

This is a lovely story about a lovely boy. He grows as a person and has his dreams come true. It is also a fantasy story which makes it a bit unrealistic but this book does deal with real issues and it is a beautiful and memorable story.

I tracked this book down on Amazon after remembering it from when I was a kid. It's a great story of the loser kid (which I really related to) transforming his life through the aid of magic and the ability to fly. Highly recommended.

I loved Black and Blue Magic as a child. I have tried to find it several times using search engines but never used the right search terms until recently. I am buying this book for my children because I know they will experience the same "magic" that I felt when I read this book (many years ago). Jason Alter, author of John Fastramp and the Dakota 3000 Challenge.John Fastramp and the Dakota 3000 Challenge

An old book that shows it's age. However, it was one of the first books I read in the fantasy genre. The book is a harmless glimpse of what might be if magic were real and being peddled out of a suitcase. I bought it for my nephew.

I found this book to be kind of dull actually. The characters are broad and somewhat unrealistic, and I don't know that Snyder has found an effective way to combine fantastic elements with a realistic world.

This is a good-hearted book, and might be worth a read as an afternoon's entertainment, but it didn't hold the magic for me that it seemed to hold for other reviewers. It reminds me a little bit of the works of Ruth Chew, which all center around kinds and magical objects.

I would recommend Beatrice Gormley's "Mail Order Wings" above this for a book about an adolecent who takes flight. If you're looking for a good fantasy story involving children and magical adventures, I think "James and the Giant Peach" or "The BFG," both by Roald Dahl, would be more satisfying.

I picked this book up for me because of the beautiful artwork. The detail, color and composition make you wish you could take a seat in the woods and experience the forest first hand. But then, I realized this book also caught the attention of my son. At 12 months old, he began to bring books to my husband and I to read, and this was one of his selections often. To my delight, a few months later, he started imitating the actions of stretching, yawning, sneezing and scratching as I read. At 18-months old, he still gets excited to read this book, and I still love studying the artwork (to find the well-hidden McCue (the artist) signatures)...I've only found a few when there's a bouncing boy on your lap.

I love reading this book to my boys! We love the beautiful illustrations but I have no idea how to find the hidden McCues. At first I thought, is it that mouse? But he only makes a couple of appearances...it can't be the ladybugs and grasshoppers because those are obvious, so I guess they are actual words...but I have yet to find one!

The book and pictures are nice, but it is the puzzle of finding the 13 hidden "McCue" words painted into the pictures that is great. It usually takes me about 30 minutes to read this book to my kid because I spend so long straining my eyes to find the hidden words. Perhaps I need to upgrade from the board book version I have that has such small illustrations!

This is just the most precious book. The illustrations are beautiful and the story invites interaction with the child by having them make the sounds in the story, such as a bee buzzing or a sneeze. I can't imagine anyone not loving this book. But don't get all sentimental about bunnies and run out and get one for your young child- they require a lot of space and adult attention to be happy, so stick to the pictures in the book, unless you do your research on caring for bunnies and have lots of extra time on your hands (and who does, with young children?)

My 23 month old daughter LOVES this book - the first time I read it, she wanted to hear it again. I act out all the noises and actions in the book, and she thinks it's a charm. Highly recommended - I love Lisa McCue's illustrations.

A Christmas Carol

It was my goal this December to read to my children, ages seven, nine and 14, the Christmas Carol story by Dickens so that they would know the original before seeing the movie. I also thought this would be an accessible way for them to get oriented to English literature and prepare them for further reading.

The requirements of the Christmas Carol book to be purchased were that a) it be new as opposed to a ragged used copy, b) it be unabridged, c) it have good drawings; and d) if possible it be inexpensive. I first looked in the library, but their book was checked out, and anyway I was looking to start a family tradition of reading the story every year with our own copy if possible. The Candlewick Press edition with illustrations by P.J. Lynch appeared to fill the bill; I bought it; and it delivered the goods. The book is nice and readable-sized, the illustrations good, the type pleasing. Thirteen bucks. I was immensely satisfied with the purchase.

As to the fate of the reading, we handled one chapter per evening, there being five chapters; each took an hour or so to read. I found Dickens to be sometimes heavy going for the younger TV and video-generation kids to get a sense of what is going on. I did not recollect Dickens to be so when I read some of his works as a younger person, but apparently it's something you have to be exposed to and get to understand. Anyway I was happy to provide my children with the chance to get started. It gave me a measure of the gap between the reading preparation of today's youth versus my pre-Cambrian elementary and middle school days. On Christmas Day I showed them the George C. Scott version of the movie, and they all liked it. But all knew the basics from the book, which was my goal, even if the mid-1800s prose obscured many of the action points to the younger ones in their Sponge Bob and Hannah Montana mindsets.

So the effort was a success, and this edition of the book did what I had hoped by delivering up an excellent presentation at a very low cost.

Dan of Arlington

If you are looking to purchase a copy of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, then I believe that this would be a excellent choice for you. The book is very well bound and of excellent quality. The illustrations are wonderful and very well detailed. The pages are slightly thicker than normal so you are probably less likely to tear them. If you purchase this book, you will not be disappointed.

I purchased this book as a gift for myself so that I could enjoy this timeless Christmas tale over the holidays. This edition of A Christmas Carol was a wonderful purchase. The illustrations added to the enjoyment of the story and allowed me to visit another time and place while relaxing with this holiday classic.

I would highly recommend this book to young and old alike.

I think we have yet to experience the definitive film version of "A Christmas Carol", but we now have the definitive book version! Masterful illustrations complement the unedited text. Oh, and EVERYONE who purchases this book, PLEASE take off the dust cover and let this one age without it! WONDERFUL cover, perfect!

This book is beautiful! The pictures are amazing and held my children (6 and 4) captive while I read to them. I would recommend reading this story every year at Christmastime as a family.

This book has fantastic artwork and a wonderful story. Although written for younger children, it's appeal holds for all generations. The story is simple, but interesting, and teaches children to be honest and respectful. This story will be especially enjoyable for Corgi lovers, as Corgis are the main characters, along with cats, bunnies, and Bogarts.

We own many, many, many children's books and all 7 of our children agree this is the very best one! Everyone should own it, just to see how enchanted Corgies really are and to see the fun at the Corgiville Fair. We also really like the rabbits who are diving into the pond and the use of chickens in the place of horses is to funny!

This fills both interests:
#1. illustrated AND written by my favorite illustrator
#2. it's all about Corgies
Thank you. It is lovery!

I am a big fan of Tasha Tudor. I have read that this is her favorite work so this is the book I always give as a new baby gift. Every child and every adult should own a copy of this book.
The story is clever and fun with lots of animal action for little ones to enjoy. The art is Tasha at her best. Every page has so much to see. Like all of the Tasha Tudor books, this one provides REAL art fo children to enjoy and learn to appreciate.

Nothing pleases me more than to open the pages of "Corgiville Fair" and marvel at Ms Tudor's ability to create a magical, mythical world of corgis, goats, cats, bunnies and boggarts. The story is so dear, the illustrations are truly inspired, and the boggarts are personalities a reader will never forget. This is a treasure for any child's or adult's library; as a child I wanted nothing more than to be able to live 'west of New Hampshire and east of Vermont' in the wonderful, cozy world of Corgiville.

I forgot how long Curious George books are. I remembered them being short when I was a kid. Anyway, my 4 year loves the cartoon and show on PBS so I thought I would give these a try. She really likes these books w/ CD. She can follow along on her own. Audio and Narrators are very good. My 4 year old has a long attention span. Some of these books can be up to 30 minutes. If your child cannot sit still that long, it may not be for you.

I bought this set for my 4 year old boy. Little did I know that this would also be a mommy sanity saver gift as well. I gave this to my little boy with a cd player to enjoy. On the first day he opened it, I had forgotten that he was in the house beacause he was so quiet, for a whole hour. And well my little boy is like Curious George, always into something. So for him to be quiet and out of trouble for an hour was a glorious event in my house. He enjoys the book and cd so much that now it's his own little word of reading and enjoying. He even brings it in the car to take with him to enjoy. What an incredible gift this turned out to be. I highly recommend to anyone. I will definitely keep on my list to buy again as Birthday presents in the future. Trust me all your friends with thank you endlessly.

My Grandson loves Crious George and I am always satisfied with my purchases from Amazon.

Tells when they need to turn the page. My 4 yr old loves it. Him and my 2 yr old love Curious George!

We use books on cd as an alternative to using a dvd player in the car... and these cd's work perfectly for that! The narrator tells you what the picture is on the page where the story starts if you want to follow along with the book (which my kids sometimes do). I like that they have the sound that lets you know when to turn the page (if you choose that track, every other track has the page turn sounds)... some kids' books on cd/tape don't do that and if you have a kid that isn't a reader yet, it makes it harder to follow along without a reader's assistance. These are also great for bedtime... we will read one story, then turn out the lights and the kids can go to sleep to another one (without the page turning sounds).

I wish that all kids collections were available like this one.

I really liked this cookbook because it was easy to follow and full of common sense things to prepare. It focuses on the types of food that normal people will enjoy and does not require you to be an "expert" cook. The directions are clear and logical in the way they are discussed. I also liked the layout and the way the book is bound. You can lay this out on the counter and since its spiral bound it will lay flat on whatever section you're following without you having to put something on top of it like you do with the hardcover cookbooks. Very thoughtful idea.

Janne Taubman's DinnerOnTime offers even the most novice kitchen cook with simple recipes that will make him or her look and feel like a gourmet chef! The day-by-day, up-to-the-final-minute timeline that will enable the cook to get the entire meal of selected dishes on the table -- and on time. Taubman's creative, inexpensive, uncomplicated centerpieces will grace any table. Her detailed shopping lists will prevent any last-minute, time-consuming trips to the market. From a Thanksgiving dinner for sixteen; a buffet dinner for twenty-five; a Christmas and a New Year's Eve dinner for eight; to an intimate Valentine's Day special dinner for two; a Passover dinner for twenty, an Easter dinner for eight, a stylish dinner party for eight, DinnerOnTime has all the information, ideas, and instructions laid out in a true "user friendly" fashion. Of special delight is her Summer Holiday Barbecue dinner for twelve, Summer Dinner Party dinner for six, and a Brunch for sixteen. Highly recommended!

This book is sooooo easy to use and I love the recipes. I've used it more than any other cook book I own. It's imaginative and concise. What more can you ask for - except a personal chef!!! Try it - you'll love it too.

I was panicked at the prospect of my first Thanksgiving dinner. But serving 16 people was downright simple, thanks to DinnerOnTime. This book outlines every detail, from what you should buy to when you should buy it to how and when you should prepare it so everything is on the table at the same time. And the food was delicious! Everyone asked me for recipes...I had to confess that my secret was this easy-to-use book!

When preparing a large meal, there's nothing like extra hands in the kitchen ... but many of us don't have that luxury. DinnerOnTime is like cooking with a friend. Clear, comfortable, organized, spiral bound ... it saves time in so many ways and gives that edge of confidence, all because someone already knew what they were doing and put it down paper for us. Thanks, Janne!

Wonderful is too weak a superlative to describe this book. Written in a factual style and incorporating historical events such as Peary's trek to the North Pole, it is one of the most delightful stories about Christmas ever written. There is also a detailed account of the land expedition by Will Steger, the only man to actually see Santa's village at the North Pole.
The chapters are:

*) The reindeer by the river: It was a wondrous thing. In which the author tells of his search for the true Santa Claus.
*) The echo of hooves: Searching for yesteryear's reindeer. In which Santa's history is detailed, past adventures are recounted.
*) The North Pole today: On the roof of the world. In which the kingdom is visited, the elfin life is described.
*) The miracle of reindeer flight: Mysteries explained, science revealed. In which the way he does things he does is discussed.
*) Eight tiny reindeer (Plus one): Santa's starting team and his helpers. In which a host of heroic animals and people are met.
*) Like down on a thistle, evermore: Work that never ends. In which the future of Santa Claus and his mission is pondered.

The spirit of Santa Claus within the concept of Christmas is a powerful one, in this book you can capture some of that spirit and appreciate the strength of the man and his mission.

I have this book, with some handwritten annotations. The author got a couple facts wrong, but then I used to be in the Air Force, worked in many. many different command posts and operational centers, and well somethings are still classified. Some good guessing and all!

Cute book, I love it, my husband, a "Santa Helper" loves it, our teens liked it (really!) and the few copies I have given as gifts were very well received.

If you have older kids this is a great book.

I have the movie with Bridges and Thomas and I love it. It is called "The Christmas Secret" it is suppose to be taken from part of the book "Flight of the Reindeer" I don't know if that is true or not. Because I did not buy the book yet.

There is a Santa Claus! This is an amazing book, written in documentary style about the existence of Santa and his reindeer. It is a delightful addition to anybody's coffee table at Christmas time or any time. I really love his description of how he found Rudolph, and how he guided the team that one year, a small reindeer with a big heart. The description of the reindeer's year is fascinating!

This book will warm the hearts of Virginias everywhere. Yes, there is a Santa Claus!

I found this a long time ago in a bargain bin for $2. I *love* this book--it's one of my all-time favorite books. Although I haven't put up a tree in years, it's now a tradition to read this book every year. It puts me in the Christmas spirit--and adds realism, proof and perspective to the Christmas mission.

Buy it and make your own family tradition.

Each year I add a Christmas book to each of my grandchildren's collections. This book is right at the top of my list of fine collectible childrens books.
Not only did Grandma enjoy the incredible art work and stories but so did each of our five grandchildren and their parents. The book was read repeatedly throughout the holiday season. I know this book will be treasured and brought out every Christmas for many years in our family.

Alice Topp

Wonderful detailed illustrations that children as well as adults love. We already were familiar with some of the stories by her that appear in the Treasury, are thrilled that she compiled them all into one book!

Every Christmas Eve, I started a tradition of giving my son a new keepsake hard cover picture book that we can share and read together every Christmas thereafter. After searching for this year's special book, I found this treasure..the artwork is beautifully illustrated and the stories are wonderful and make for a good cozy night cuddling up with my son and a hot cup of cocoa and sharing the magic inside the book's cover. Would very highly recommend this book as a keepsake for Christmas' to come.

We Love this book. The stories are lovely. The art work is amazing. My daughter loves how it shows what will happen next in the little circles on the side of the page. This is a large book but I love having the collection in one place. It makes it a special read together book.

great illustrations. But the content has very little with Christmas as christians understand it. It is just a usual secular staff about Santa and joys of winter.

For most of us the best indicator of what tomorrow or next year will be like is to look at yesterday or last year and just project it out. More of mostly the same. We let our responses to the normal events of the day define our experience. Many hopes and wishes just remain hopes and wishes. These two decided very purposefully that they wanted something different. They decided this at the beginning of their eighth decade of life, and produced a written plan of just they wanted from their next five years and how they would do it.

Their goal was to experience the daily life and the culture of several locations in Europe The path to that goal included selling a home, disposing of years of accumulated stuff, renting an apartment, making the travel plans, and dealing with health issues along the way.

It is a story written from each of their perspectives giving some history of their families, what brought them to this decision, the challenges they faced and a description of their stays in European. Their descriptions are personal and delightful. Those who have traveled even briefly in similar style will be reminded of their own frustrating mishaps that then became fond and some of the best recollected memories.

You'll likely end the reading of their story wondering about your own next few years and maybe even getting out a pencil and paper.

Ron Skrabut, Harrisburg, PA

Most people shudder at the thought of relocating anywhere and International moves are known to be fraught with more complications than most. Not considered so by Don & Dana Manges, a couple who, at age 72, spontaneously agreed to eschew the classic retirement life of napping and rocking precious days away but instead to sample living for a time in four major European cities.

Don & Dana record their impressions of the cultural offerings of each sojourn, the places and events savored and the pleasure of forming new friendships. They've described frustrations encountered with language whilst settling into each place but even those hiccups were viewed as amusing episodes .

Leaving Home at 72 details these two years through alternating essays written in Don and Dana's individual, whimsical, thoughtful styles that reveals much about their personalities and enduring interests. It's apparent that both thoroughly enjoyed the going, seeing, doing and laughing at the peculiarities of living abroad. Best of all, they bring to the reader an awareness that life after 70 affords a special opportunity to plunge ahead, to act on a dream and "to boldly go" to parts not yet explored.

What fun to read and reread the story of this wonderful couple's adventures. It should give all of us who are over 65, courage and hope. It fill me with new energy for what lies ahead.

Here exposed are our crushed, red-faced, travel humiliations, misunderstood language blather, and misinformed directions together with quaint chambres, unforgettable meals, and new found friendships. Subtly illustrated and printed in a fun graphic style, the authors' experiences courageously revealed as few of us would ever admit to our mothers.

Leaving Home at 72 is a charming and delightful saga of an imaginative couple's joi de vivre as they explore the beauty of Europe in a fascinating time aboard. A wonderful read for anyone who loves to travel.

Mortimer is a mouse, living in a dark hole under the stairs. In his opinion, his hole is "too cold, too cramped, too creepy." One night, as he's sneaking around the big house looking for crumbs that the human family may have left behind, Mortimer finds what he thinks will be a perfect new home for him -- the stable in a Nativity scene. The excited mouse struggles to drag all the Nativity figures out of this stable, and he nestles himself down in the manger. The next day, as he's out prowling for crumbs, he comes back to find that someone has put the figures back into the stable! Annoyed, he drags them out again, and so it goes for several days, until one evening, Mortimer overhears the human father reading the Christmas story to his children, about how there was no room for them in the inn. The little Mouse realizes that the statue he has been dragging out of the manger each day is a statue of baby Jesus. Touched by the story, Mortimer decides that he wants to make room for the baby Jesus, and carefully puts all the figures back in their places. And in the end, Mortimer own prayer is granted. He finds a home that is just right for him!

So cute!!!! The story is so fun to read and my twin girls age 6 loved to listen to it. We all loved the pictures. This will be a favorite Christmas treasure for years!!

Mortimer's Christmas is a wonderful story about giving unselfishly and the birth of Jesus and it is told in a way even the younger children can enjoy. I read this during a Preschool Story Time at our library and several parents and grandparents asked where they could get copies. The illustations were great and the story moved along quickly. Karma Wilson has found a way to share the true meaning Christmas with the little ones.

My preschoolers sat quietly and eagerly waited to hear the whole story. An awesome story that brings in the real meaning of Christmas.

This is perhaps the most powerful story about the Nativity outside of the New Testament. Kudos to Karma for the way she crafted a simple yet elegant story about one of the most important events in history. And the art? Jane is splendid. This is an all-star team who have created one of the most wonderful children's books I've ever come across. I now have a gift for everyone I know with small children. Keep 'em coming!