Showing posts with label christmas books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas books. Show all posts

Monday, December 25, 2006

xmas book 25|More Precious Than Gold

More Precious Than Gold (Paperback) by Gillian Lobel, Julie Monks (Illustrator)
Book Description

Overhead the night sky blazed with a million stars. But Caspar's star was different... Old Melchior the wise, Balthazar the good and Caspar the youngest, kind and gentle, journey to Bethlehem to discover the promise of this exciting star - the child born to be King of Kings. A touching and poetic story which captures the true meaning of Christmas.


Reason why I recommend this book...
This has got to be one of the best stories of Christmas. A tale of the journey of the three wise men who saw a star and followed it to see the King.



Sunday, December 24, 2006

xmas book 24|I See A Star

I See A Star (Hardcover)
by Jean Marzollo, Suse Macdonald (Illustrator)
Book Description
This simple story about a group of children getting ready for a Christmas pageant is told entirely in rebus form. Bold, colorful graphics represent a question and a reply on left-side pages; a picture on the facing page clearly illustrates the action. For example, the translated icons on one page "read": "Can you see three kings? I see three kings." The accompanying picture shows three children donning their robes and crowns. An easy-to-follow key and recognizable artwork work well in tandem to present a clear, repetitive tale for emerging readers.

Reason why I recommend this book...
This book is written in such a way as that even non-readers can "read" the Christmas story.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

xmas book 23|The Manger Where Jesus Lay

The Manger Where Jesus Lay (Paperback)
by Martha Larchar, Karen Clark (illustrator)

Reason why I recommend this book...

This is a wonderful little book for reading to your children. It has a simple premise of building the story. Each page adds a new line, with a key word represented by a picture. Once they learn what each picture stands for, you will find that your kids will be able to recite the entire sentence. The topic of the book is the Christmas story, but we read it all year round.

Friday, December 22, 2006

xmas book 22|Mary's Baby

Mary's Baby (Hardcover)
by Jane Chapman (Author)

Book Description
A simply told version of the story of Jesus, written and illustrated by Jane Chapman.

Reason why I recommend this book...
Written in a simple to understand way, this Christmas story is fun for preschoolers to hear and understand. The illustrations are beautiful.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

xmas book 21|Pavlova & Presents

Pavlova & Presents
by John Parker, Linda McClelland (illustrator)

Reason why I recommend this book...
This book is about your typical Kiwi Christmas. Family, food, beach, sun... It's one of my girls favourites and we read it last night during our advent activity of "reading Christmas stories!" The kid's just LOVE the fact that it is like their own Christmas experience. And I love Pavlova, you can get a great recipe for it over on my food blog.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

xmas book 20|The Noisy Stable

Noisy Stable (Storyteller Tales) [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)
by Hartman

Book Description
A new range of thematically arranged collections of some of master storyteller Bob Hartman's best-loved folk and traditional tales. The contents are derived from the best-selling The Lion Storyteller Christmas Book. This volume contains six Bible stories about the first Christmas retold with freshness, verve and humour. It has a cover in series style - including the cute Storyteller Tales logo - and line illustrations accompany the text throughout.

Reason why I recommend this book...
This book is full of fun re-tellings of traditional Christmas stories. My children enjoyed listening and reading it for themselves.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

xmas book 19|A Silent Night

A Silent Night Luke 2: 8-20 (Christmas) (Paperback)
by Mary Manz Simon, Dennis Jones (Illustrator)

Book Description
Retells for beginning readers the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ.

Reason why I recommend this book...
A simple book that beginning readers can read for themselves.

Monday, December 18, 2006

xmas book 18|No Tree for Christmas

No Tree for Christmas (Me Too!) (Hardcover)
by Marilyn Lashbrook

Book Description
An illustrated retelling of the nativity of Christ. Includes questions for the reader to answer throughout the text.

Reason why I recommend this book...
A great book to bring children back to the real story of Christmas.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

xmas book 17|Hettie's Christmas Gift

Hettie's Christmas Gift
by Bernice Screech, Rita Parkinson (illustrator)

Book Description
It's summertime in Dolphin Bay, and Hettie has just received some exciting news from the other side of the world. She has a new grandson! Hettie decides to paint him a very special Christmas picture... but what to paint?

Reason why I recommend this book...
This is a great down-under Christmas story. Here in the Southern Hemisphere we have Christmas in Summer, no snow just beaches and bbq's.

Saturday, December 16, 2006

xmas book 16|Crispin: The Pig Who Had It All

Crispin: The Pig Who Had It All (Paperback)
by Ted Dewan (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Ages 4-7. Crispin Tamworth is a rich little pig who has so many toys and gadgets that he breaks them almost as fast as they arrive. But one Christmas he gets only an empty box from Santa. He's furious at the slight, but even angrier when he sees two children playing with the thrown-away box. When the kids explain they are playing Space Base, Crispin is first puzzled, then a happy participant. When rain reduces the box to a soggy mess, he thinks his friends won't come over anymore. But they do, and they make magic with all the broken junk in Crispin's room. When the housekeeper clears out his room, Crispin again thinks he'll be left alone, but a cardboard box in the garden makes new fun. Here's a familiar theme, made fresh and funny thanks to a witty yet heartfelt text and eye-popping art. The bright, shiny pictures and an imaginative design show off the big-eared Crispin and his exuberant animal friends to their best advantage. The art is stuffed with enticing detail, especially bits of the broken toys that litter almost every page. A wonderful book to start some discussion at story hour--or just for fun.

Reason why I recommend this book...
This book is just so much fun to read. A tale of what is important in life (not things, but friends). :D

Friday, December 15, 2006

xmas book 15|The New Zealand Twelve Days of Christmas

The New Zealand Twelve Days of Christmas
by Michael Salmon

Book Description
A different (Kiwi) take on the twelve days of Christmas.

Reason why I recommend this book...
I recommend this book because it is just SO fun and SO kiwi. :)

Thursday, December 14, 2006

xmas book 14|Born in a Stable

Born in a Stable (Hardcover)
by Jane Price, Charlotte Stowell (Illustrator)

Book Description
This retelling of the Christmas story is illustrated with photographs of modeled clay figures placed in life-like scenes, complete with realistic buildings and interiors. Includes lift-the-flap panels!

Reason why I recommend this book...
Lift the flap books are a fun way to tell a story, and make sure children are engaging in the re-telling. This book also has neat photographs of fimo (sculpy) models made by Charlotte Stowell.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

xmas book 13|The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker (Scholastic Junior Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)
by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Jane B. Mason (Adapter)

Book Description
It's Christmas Eve and Marie has found a funny-looking nutcracker under the tree. Marie's godfather says this nutcracker once saved a beautiful princess from a horrible spell cast by the wicked Mouse Queen. But Nutcracker is in danger-the Mouse King seeks revenge! Now Nutcracker must face off against the seven-headed King of Mice-and he needs Marie's help to win the battle!

Reason why I recommend this book...
It's neat to get your kid's reading the classics, and a great way to introduce them to them is to buy adaptations. My 10 year old LOVED reading this book last year.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

xmas book 12|Fear Not - Story of Hope: A Touched By An Angel Classic

Fear Not - Story of Hope: A (Touched By An Angel Classic) (Hardcover)
Book Description
Based on the hit television program on CBS, this picture book is a must for the family. It tells the touching story of a small boy who loses his best friend but comes to a better understanding of friendship through the interaction of angels. At Christmastime, visiting angels bring hope and strength to Joey, a boy who is terribly afraid of the dark, and Serena, an African-American girl whose critical heart condition does not give her long to live.

Reason why I recommend this book...
I used to love watching the television series this book is based on, and this book is a reminder that God is still active in the world today. You never know when an angel might be helping guide you on your way.

Monday, December 11, 2006

xmas book 11|Madeline's Christmas

Madeline's Christmas (Hardcover)
by Ludwig Bemelmans

Book review (from amazon.com)
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring because of a nasty, contagious illness--even the mouse is in bed with a miserable cold. Only brave Madeline is up and about ... competently running the household until she hears a knock at the door--a visitor whom she suspects might be Santa Claus. Instead it is a magical-rug merchant, with 12 red carpets that Madeline thinks would be perfect for the 12 girls and "For our ice-cold in the morning feet." She procures a few francs from Miss Clavel and pays the merchant. Without his rugs, however, he is very chilly, and he feels quite silly for having sold them. He returns to the old house (still covered in vines), where Madeline helps him thaw out, and he works a little Christmas magic--sending the girls on cross-country carpet rides to surprise their parents. Of course, Miss Clavel's bell breaks the spell and they're all back in time to celebrate the New Year. (Ages 4 to 8)

Reason why I recommend this book...
Madeline is an old favourite of mine and now of my children. :) A fun magical tale.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

xmas book 10|Born on Christmas Morn

Born on Christmas Morn (Arch Books (Paperback)) (Paperback)
by Melinda Kay Busch, Melanie W. Hall (Illustrator)

Reason why I recommend this book...

This story doesn't just tell the Christmas story, but explains why Jesus was born. Born to die on the cross for our sins. It's not just a story of the beginning but has the ending too! Another great arch book.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

xmas book 09|The Little Book of Christmas

The Little Book of Christmas (Hardcover)
by Caroline Walsh (Editor), Sophie Allsopp (Illustrator)

Book Description
A collection of thirty-four poems, carols, and prose pieces about Christmas, by such authors as Walter de la Mare, Eleanor Farjeon, and Dylan Thomas.

Reason why I recommend this book...

I love the variety of stories and poetry that is in this book. You can pick it up and immediately feel in the Christmas spirit. :)

Friday, December 08, 2006

xmas book 08|On a Silent Night

On a Silent Night (Arch Books) (Paperback)
by Joy Morgan Davis, Paige Billin-Frye (Illustrator)

Luke 2:1-20 for children

Reason why I recommend this book...

The Christmas story can never be told too many times, and it's nice to know that there are ways of keeping it interesting by telling it slightly differently in rhyme. I grew up with arch books (my grandmother gave them to us each year!), and have fond memories of reading them.

Thursday, December 07, 2006

xmas book 07|The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale (Hardcover)
by Angela Elwell Hunt, Tim Jonke (Illustrator)

Book Description
The Lion's best-selling picture storybook--with over one million copies in print--three little trees see their dreams for greatness come true in surprising ways. Ages 4 and up.

Reason why I recommend this book...
This book could be read at any time of the year. I think it is most suited to Christmas and Easter though. Every time I read this story it manages brings tears to my eyes. It is a very moving story about how we may not be used in the way we might imagine for ourselves, but God will use us in a better way than we could ever imagine.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

xmas book 06|Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend

Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend (Hardcover)
by Julie Stiegemeyer, Chris Ellison (Illustrator)

Reason why I recommend this book...
When my children were born, I decided that I didn't want them believing that the Santa Claus we see everywhere at Christmastime was real. I also didn't want him to get all the credit for presents that we worked hard to pay for.

A few years ago I discovered that December 6th was Saint Nicholas day, and since then we have celebrated Santa through this day. Every Saint Nicholas day we read this book and throw little bags of chocolate coins through the window to remember the true legend of the man we call Santa! :)