Advent Books

When Santa needs a vacation, all the other holiday characters pitch in to help with Christmas. Reiss and Catrow make a great pair. A silly story with many tongue-in-cheek jokes makes this funny for both adults and kids. Be sure to look at the illustrations for further humor. Great detail in the artwork.

We bought "Santa Claustrophobia" for our annual Christmas book (year 12). The author has created another fun story with witty writing and wonderful illustrations. Kids and adults will find this book is filled with Christmas fun!
I also recommend Mike Reiss' "How Murray Saved Christmas" ; you will not be disappointed!

What a great writer with an amazingly creative mind! How Murray Saved Christmas & Santa Claustrophobia are my 2 favorite Christmas books to read to our kids. I cannot recommend them enough. I have purchased them for my nieces and nephews too!

My family and I have already enjoyed a couple of other books by Mike Reiss, and this one shares his lively wit and terrific way with language. The illustrations are gorgeous, and almost as funny as the text. If you read to your kids, and you've got "Santa Claustrophobia" on hand, you'll look forward to the story hour as much as they do.

Poor Santa is burned out. He asks for advice from Doc Holiday. Doc suggests a sunny vacation in Aruba. What about Christmas? No problem! The residents of Stinky Cigar agree to fill in for Santa. Stinky Cigar is the town where holiday icons like the Easter Bunny and April Fool rest in between their holiday duties. With good intentions but no organization, chaos insues. The Easter Bunny is painting little fire trucks easter egg pastels. Cupid is making romantic cards for xmas gifts? Of course, Santa comes back just in time to save xmas. He has a lovely tan and is 19 lbs. lighter. All of this is told in rhyme!! I bought 2 copies today. Both the adults and kids will laugh out loud.

This beautifully illustrated and emotionally charged childrens book left me teary eyed and filled with the spirit of Gods love for all creatures. The ever familiar nativity story of the birth of Jesus is refreshingly told through the eyes of a pack rat named Sarah. As a gift to the Crist Child she yields her most treasured possession, a shiny bead tied about the new born king's wrist with a special thread from King Davids robe, a gift from a pack rat travelling with the Three Wise Men. In so doing she experiences Gods love and understands the miracle taking place. The book makes an ideal holiday gift and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. As a childrens book for reading it is ideally suited for ages 5 to 9.

This unusual story for children, which is lyrically and beautifully ilustrated and written by Caroline Garrett combines a wonderful imagination with a spiritual vision and a love for children and animals. The book exudes gentleness and calm as well communicating its profound message in a clear way.

This beautifully illustrated and emotionally charged childrens book left me teary eyed and filled with the spirit of Gods love for all creatures. The ever familiar nativity story of the birth of Jesus is refreshingly told through the eyes of a pack rat named Sarah. As a gift to the Crist Child she yields her most treasured possession, a shiny bead tied about the new born king's wrist with a special thread from King Davids robe, a gift from a pack rat travelling with the Three Wise Men. In so doing she experiences Gods love and understands the miracle taking place. The book makes an ideal holiday gift and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. As a childrens book for reading it is ideally suited for ages 5 to 9.

The nativity story, one that is familiar to many, is retold from the perspective of a pack-rat named Sarah. In this children's book, Sarah learns about hope and love by giving the Baby King her most prized possession--a lovely green bead! The full-page color illustrations bring the story to life as they capture the magic and wonder of the miracle of the birth of Christ. Sarah's Bead is a delightful story that is appropriate for both young and old and would be a wonderful treasure in any family's storybook collection!

Sarah's Bead is a refreshing, warm retelling of an ageless story. I was deeply touched by this book. As a creative writing teacher, I often look for books to share with my students as a read aloud. This books explores with students and adults the joys of sacrifice, of giving, and of love. The book not only touches on a Christian theme, but a universal one that can be shared by all people of different faiths. The words of the story are beautifully enhanced by the illustrations.

During the last few years our family has been grieving a tremendous loss. This year we are determined to get on with life and to make new traditions and memories. In anticipation of the up and coming holiday I pulled this title off my book shelf and reread it.

It is just a wonderful book of short stories sure to inspire love, hope, family, trust and faith. Each story begins with a beautiful color drawing which has a classic charm and feel. Clearly hits a personal note for Catholics and Italians and most stories will ring a personal chord of truth and others may bring a laugh or two.

As a reader it made me feel for the past and wonder about how our society continues to evolve in a cooler less personal social strata. It is hard not to think of simplier times that are grounded in basic life lessons of love and family. This is a book to read at the beginning of the holiday season and probably at intervals throughout.

There is hope, love and warmth in all of the "Seven Stories of Christmas Love."

This tape came to me as a gift. I enjoyed it the first listening several years ago. Each year before Christmas I listen to it again. I nearly know the script by heart, and it means just as much, if not more. Each year of those 10-15 years that the tape has been part of my Christmas, has brought changes in my life. However, the lessons of the seven stories of Christmas love are imprinted on me. I am grateful for the tape, and find the familiarity of the stories an anchor in a sometimes difficult and busy season.

Christmas just isn't Christmas without any Leo. In book form or his excellent video of the same name, Seven Stories of Christmas Love is Leo doing what he did best: sharing stories of holiday's past and using them to illustrate why love and memories matter throughout the year. We watch the video every Christmas and I've yet to escape dry-eyed through the section where he expresses how important it is to remember the wonder and awe of childhood because our memories and the love we give to others are all that make us immortal.

If you need inspiration in an increasingly confusing world, or just want to laugh, hope and consider the true meanings of Christmas, this book (and the great video) are must-haves.

This is such a beautiful little book! The illustrations, by Tom Newsom, have a Norman Rockwell quality, and the borders around the pages match the first page illustration, which is different for each story.

The stories, by Leo Buscaglia, who a lot of people know from PBS in the 80s, take Christmas out of the Norman Rockwell cliche and brings it into the world! One touching story is about the reaction people in Bali had to Mary and Joseph being turned away at the inn. Another, "Two Festivals of Light," blends the Jewish and Christian "festivals of light" through at-first distrusting neighbors.

You should be happy to pull this book out of your Christmas treasure box year after year!

Reading from this book is one of my family's all time favorite Christmas traditions. The stories are short enough that we can read one together as a family each night before bedtime. I have loaned this book to several friends and they have all loved it.

My children all know what it means if we tell them that they are going to get a peach branch in their Christmas stocking.

I love the messages of these stories. They always get me in the Christmas spirit!

We bought this for our 3yo on a whim. I think we read it 2 times a day for the months of December and January. It is now April and we still read it at least once a week. We bought several more copies to pass out as gifts.

LOVE IT!!! I actually had tears in my eyes while reading this! I can't wait until next year when I can start reading it on Christmas Eve to my little Army Brat! Great story, great pictures, very very nice.

AWESOME book. My husband is currently serving in Iraq and it was a very difficult Christmas for all of us. I bought multiple copies of the book. I kept one for myself, each of my children have one and I sent 2 copies to Iraq for my husband to share with his fellow soldiers. We all loved the book. I read it to my 12 and 13 year old children on Cristmas Eve before they went to bed and it helped bring us together. My husband was a little like SGT McClaus for his section. thank you for once again putting out another wonderful book.

One Christmas eve in the desert a group of homesick soldiers are visited by the Santa of Soldiers, and in a fine realistic rhyme inspired by the classic 'Night Before Christmas' comes a soldier's observation of this wonder, which will intrigue and comfort military families separated by war. There's a decidedly different holiday atmosphere here: "When what to my thrill and relief should appear, but one of our Blackhawks to give the all clear: more rattles and rumbles! I heard a deep while, then up drove eight Humvees, a jeep close behind...each vehicle painted a bright Christmas green with more lights and gold tinsel than I'd ever seen."

I was given this book as a gift for my daughter and we just LOVE it!! She calls it her "Papi" book. My husband is currently deployed for the second time to Iraq, and this time our 3 year old realizes he is gone, so with this book it gives her a different insite about what Christmas is for him and that Santa wont forget him while he is there!! I have reccomended this to all of my friends that are in the military with kids and I even have it up on our Family Readiness Group website so everyone can find out about it!!!

My daughter and I love this book. She received it as a present last year and we read it often. With the holiday season fast approaching, this would make an excellent gift for a child.

This is a wonderful book. It has a message and a warmth that readers of any age will enjoy. We loved it so much we bought copies as gifts! I am honored to say that Rick is our Pastor, and not surprised that he could have written such a great childrens book.

Book was read to me the first time as part of Rick's sermon. Had no idea how it was going to conclude.

Rick's story about Spinner is light-hearted, entertaining and meaningful. I know Rick personally so I got the book initially out of support for my friend. (Sorry Rick, I missed the sermon that day!) But when I brought it home, and read it, I couldn't wait to share it with my kids. And now my daughter wants to reads it every night! It's a wonderful story that brings your mind and hearts back to the true meaning of Christmas. Great Job!! Everyone should get one!

In the spirit of full disclosure, Rick (author) is my brother in law. But I have heard this book read aloud every year at the Christmas service for years, and was absolutely thrilled by it - it is a rhymed book, with Dr. Seuss style verses, that tell the story of a young boy who gets so excited by a promise of a visit from Jesus that he ignores a cold and hungry young girl who knocks on his door. It's not just a great children's book - it also reminds all of the jaded adults who have the pleasure of reading it aloud to young ones, of the true meaning of Christmas. The illustrations are fantastic as well, fun and full of details and color.

This is a great version of the story of The Steadfast Tin Soldier -- always one of my favorite stories as a kid. My son, age 7, loves this book and we read it over and over. The illustrations are excellent and I recommend it. My son found it in his school library but when we went to buy our own copy, it was out of print. So we had to buy it used but it was well worth the effort to have our own copy.

This book tells the classic tale of the one-legged tin soldier who falls in love with a paper ballerina. The soldier suffers a series of misadventures, including being placed at the helm of a doomed paper boat, being chased by a rat, and swallowed by a fish. It's a wonderful tale that will hold older children spellbound. The illustrations are delightful. All told, the book has about 2000 words.

I taught 1st grade for 4 years and all of the teachers in my grade passed this book around at Christmas to read to our class. I cried everytime I read it. It has a wonderful message and my kids in my classroom always loved it! I have now (finally) purchased my own copy of this book to read to my little girl. It is a classic and I know she will love it as much as I do. Every home should have this book to read at Christmastime.

This is a really good book. It has all the characteristic's that made the original a cherished and remembered fairy tale. It is a great gift for any young child, and can be enjoyed by adults too. It maintains the feel of the original tale, but is more like a poem. The art work on each page is beautiful, and the pictures are totally devine. I would recomend buying this for a different and fully enjoyable version of the original.

A little boy had a set of tin soldiers that were made from a melted spoon. One soldier was missing a leg because there was not enough metal left over from the melted spoon.

Tossed aside by the boy, the one-legged soldier sees a paper cut out figure of a ballerina. She is poised on one leg and he feels an instant bond. He has found another one-legged toy and believes this to be love.

The steadfast tin soldier has a series of mishaps. He falls off the window sill into a stream. From there, he is transported to a rat infested sewer. He is swallowed by a fish and through an unlikely stroke of luck, winds up back in the boy's playroom with the other toys and the ballerina.

The ending is what gets to me every single time. A gust of wind lifts the paper ballerina up and she flutters into the fire place, winding up a charred heap of ashes. Devastated, the tin soldier joins her. The remaining metal that was once the tin soldier is a charred piece of heart shaped metal.

I still think this is a very sad story. The photographs really emphasize the feeling this story evokes.

This is a nice little book young children can enjoy during the holidays. The illustrations did not have quite the variety, color and detail I expected but the printing of the poem along with the
pictures makes for an interesting visual experience and is a good
way to contain grandchildren and keep them quiet for awhile!
Thank you, Martha Morrise

The whole family spends time together looking at them. It's amazing to see the pictures pop out at you and to figure out what they are.

These 3-D things really irked me until I finally got it. I don't have a clue as to how it works but all of a sudden I saw a snowman on the bookcover! Nice stocking stuffer kind of book.

My daughter loves the, "...'Twas the night before Christmas..." poem. We pass the book around so everyone can see the 3-D pictures (which drives my husband crazy!...he can't see 'em!) Very clever.

In addition to writing his doctoral thesis on Santa, the author is a licensed psychologist, a professional storyteller and has worked as a Santa Claus for sixteen years. Also, some letters were gathered from US Post Offices. The collection is divided into five sections: What I Want for Christmas and Some Special Instructions; Wishes and Requests from the Heart; On Being Good, Appreciation and Affection; Odds and Ends; and, P.S. -- Just One More Thing. Some letters are reproduced and a few drawings are included. the letters are charming and a few are heartbreaking -- this is definitely a wonderful book about children's faith and hope. Part of the proceeds from the book are donated to Feed the Children. Buy this book! ho ho ho

This is the greatest book I have ever read. I wish there was other books like this. It help you to realize how fortuned we are with the little things we have. It is fun at the same time because you can see by this letters the great imagination the childrens have. IS A GREAT BOOK FOR ANY GIFT FOR ALL AGES. ...

A funny and caring book from childrens hearts. It reminds us all of the little child within. Great for all ages. See what kids really have to tell Santa!

this book is full of funny one page letters to santa, ranging of requests for everything from world peace to a red dragon. The letters are sweet and silly, that make you laugh out loud. So if you're in the mood for something to warm the heart and tickle the soul then this book is definitly for you!

This wonderful little book makes available to English-language readers the stories told by Huguenot pastor Andre Trocme in the village of Le Chambon in southern France during the dark days of rule, first by the collaborationist regime of French fascists Henri-Phillipe Petain and Pierre Laval and later directly by the German occupation regime. Trocme and his wife, Magda, both pacifists, had come to Le Chambon in 1934 from northern France where they had been ministering among industrial workers. The front page of his church paper bore this passage (from 1 John 4:20): "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen , cannot love God whom he has not seen." In his memoirs, Trocme wrote that his faith was in the possibility of goodness on earth "without which the theoretical existence of God doesn't interest me." Trocme's role as their shepherd during Vichy and the occupation surely played a role in the rescue by the 5,000 people of that plateau of 5,000 refugees, 3,500 of them Jews. These were Christians who - like their pastor and unlike most of Europe's Christians under the Nazis - practiced what they preached. The living faith of this true disciple of Jesus shines through these Christmas stories. See Pierre Sauvage's documentary about Trocme and the people of Le Chambon. Weapons of the Spirit

What a rare and precious thing - a book to inspire compassion in children and adults, without heavyhanded moralizing. Nelly Trocme Hewett and Good Books have done the world of children's literature a great service in translating Pastor Andre Trocme's one-of-a-kind stories. Words do instill courage - in the people of a French mountain village 50 years ago, and now, thanks to this lovely little book, in the hearts of people everywhere.

Mary Stucky Minnesota Public Radio Producer

Perfectly marvelous. The triumph of light over darkness. Christmas, the winter solstice, Chanaka, Kwanza, New Years are all celebrations of the triumph and return of light over darkness. True darkness however is not from the solar system but from the heart of darkness, from man, and in this case, from hitler. We live in a cruel world where history is the history of humans acting rather borish to one another. Light triumphs over hearts of darkness. These stories communicate the story and the triumph of Christmas in a new and fresh way to children - to adults - that will touch the soul. The story of the Birth of Jesus seen in a contrast from the rich neighbor and a poor neighbor. What would the three wise men think about looking for the King of the Jews in a donkey stall? How an old lady can give everything to god. Hear the story of Christmas as you have never heard it before, from those who lived in the valley of darkness.

A wonderful little collection of stories for anyone from eight to ninety-nine who wants to know the real truth of Christmas. Told out of the experience of the bravery of several of the folk of the Plateau Vivrai-Lignon in France during World War II, crafted by their most famous spokesman,Pastor Andre Trocme, these stories, mostly told at Christmas, combine poetry with unflinching truth. I especially appreciated the story of the elderly, misanthropic woman who, when she finally hears of the plight of the Holy Family, dismantles her own furnace and sends it, at considerable cost to her welfare, to Bethlehem.... Charm never hides the truth that prompted the stories--saving over 5000 refugees from Hitler. Still, the hope that is the point of the coming of Christ is portrayed in contemporary situations that certainly charmed me. I'm sending it to several friends, from eight to ninety-nine (pace Amazon.com)for Christmas presents.

This is a beautiful story with a good moral. The illustrations are captivating. The are reminiscent of those of Jan Brett. This is a heart-warming tale of choosing between pleasing yourself or bringing happiness to someone else.

Even if the story were not so poignant a study in the selflessness of a young girl with her own special wish, the illustrations, worthy of consideration for the Caldecott Medal, would be reason enough to purchase this beautifully done book.

Every child has their own secret wish and Annika's is to have a beautiful black pony. According to Swedish tradition, the person who gets the almond in their Christmas pudding has a better chance of getting their wish. At ten years old, Annika has yet to find that almond. But even when she does find it, the spirit of Christmas supercedes her own desires.

The story is a lovely testimony to the greater joy found when practicing the principle "it's better to give than to receive."

This book will definitely be a lovely gift to give and receive!

Our daughter, Annika, was thrilled to find this book under the tree last year. The story is light, and a bit sentimental, but well told, and the illustrations are so very Swedish...this is a fine tale of giving for Christmas. Of course, now Annika suggests we need to have a traditional Swedish Christmas pudding, with almond, and a wish for a pony...

As a book loving family, we have many books, but few capture the warmth & beauty in the illustrations as here! Each page brings bright sunrays and . . . just BEAUTY!

My husband is Scandenavian, and we enjoy the rice pudding each year, complete with the almond hunt. What a delightful way for my girls to look forward to this tradition!

The moral of the story is so pure and honest, as Annika struggles with her own desire to do right and yet to please herself. A virtue seldom seen in our time! (Sad but true!)

An incredible book!