Advent Books

THIS IS A LOVELY BOOK WHICH WILL GIVE HOURS OF PLEASURE. WELL WORTH BUYING.

Our daughter's name is Laura, so it is extra-special at our house. It is a great addition to our Christmas collection. Always a favorite bedtime story at holiday time!!

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL STORY ABOUT THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRISTMAS AND BELIEVING IN MAGIC.

THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE COLORFUL AND THE SPARKLE OF STARLIGHT GIVE CHILDREN SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO PAGE AFTER PAGE

"The Light at Tern Rock" is an excellent book to read to your class or have your class read as a trade book during the holiday season. It teaches students to think of others at this time of year and not to always concentrate on themselves. It is suitable for third through fifth graders. It also gives the reader the feeling for living in a lighthouse and what life was like for these people living in desolation. It is an excellent history lesson along with a strong moral lesson. You never tire of the words year after year.

This is such a great book for young readers because the detail on every page is exalent.Though in parts of the book it can get confusing but if you try to stick with it you will get it a whole lot better.Believe me this comes from my own experience!!!!!!I would definately recomend this book because dont let its looks diceve you, it may be short but its filled with lots of information!

This book tells the story of Ronnie and his aunt Martha Morse. The two are tending the lighthouse as volunteers so the official lighthouse tender can spend time with his daughter. They must take care of the Tern Rock Light until December 15. They must dust, clean, and take care of it. But the fifteenth of December comes, and no one is there to pick the two up. Will they have to spend Christmas in an isolated and remote lighthouse?
In this wonderful book, Ronnie and his aunt learn that Christmas is beautiful anywhere, and the importance of a promise.
This 1952 Newbery Honor Book is for ages 6-13.

Thomas A. Pilgrim, personal friend for forty years, has published his seventh book. I have found all seven of them most creative and helpful.
In "The Light of Bethlehem Shines On," the incarnation comes alive again. How we need its guiding light in this day of terrorism and uncertainty. Having visited Bethlehem twice myself, I believe that the hopes and fears of all the years are met in him who was born 2000 years ago in that humble stable.
As usual Tom's stories and humor are gripping. With Advent only a short time away, this is a book that will prepare the thoughtful and sensitive preacher for one of the most hopeful seasons of the year.
Therefore, let us all pray, "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem Shine On."

Dr. Pilgrim has skillfully given us what the publisher describes as "a steady lighthouse while we navigate the shoals of life." He takes us week by week through the seven Sundays of Advent and Christmas and Epiphany Sunday, presenting a sermon, a children's message, a prayer, and liturgy for each Sunday. He's a fine preacher and writer, and his themes are universal: finding light in the darkness of despair, suffering, oppression, fear, anxiety, uncertainly, and suspicion. Busy pastors will find this both inspirational and helpful at a hectic time of year. Christian readers will find here powerful words to see them through life's tough times. His book is a treasure!

"The Light of Bethlehem Shines On" is about the birth of Jesus in Bethlenhem and although this birth took place two thousand years ago, Jesus' birth is still a light of hope that appears in the darkness of our despair, in the darkness of our suffering, in the darkness of our oppression, in the darkness of our fear, in the darkness of our anxiety, in the darkness of our uncertainty, and in the darkness of our suspicion.

Since Tom Pilgrim has actually traveled to the Holy Land at least eight times, he writes in such a delightful and entertaining way that you can see what he is saying. Indeed, there are some great illustrations painted by Tom Pilgrim, and in great detail, too. The illustrations are deliriously hilarious, and they make simple healing spiritual points.

What I like best about this book of sermons is that you find within its pages there is something for everyone. There is a message for adults, youth and children.

In this book, Tom Pilgrim says in one of his sermons entitled "In Darkness of Fear, There is the Light of Joy", that when his children were small, they would have a long list of things they wanted for Christmas. Down at the bottom of the list, they would write, "Lots of surprises."

That's what you will find in this book--"The Light of Bethlehem Shines On"--lots of surprises."

You will also find healing. With heartfelt conviction, Tom Pilgrim enters your pain with soul-shaking stories and anecdotes, shoots adrenaline into your soul, and converts your weeping into laughter and your grief into joy. So, if you need a light for the dark places in your life, if you need encouragement, if you need peace, if you need your heart filled with joy, if you need new direction, this book is a must read!

This little coloring book is great. You don't have to be an artist to get good results. Really cute, and a bargain. Bought several more, different kinds. Holiday ones are best.

This was our first stained glass coloring book and the whole family enjoyed it. The paper is thick and smooth and lovely to color with markers or crayons. The designs are simple enough for young children to color but adults can embellish them with shading, etc. Often the kids would lose interest after about 30-40 minutes but the adults would keep on coloring. We have since much enjoyed the Tiffany book as well.

Used during a school club (6th-8th). Kids loved it. Used markers, both permanent and washable. Takes about 20-25 minutes to completely color a page.

We received this as a gift for my 9 month old daughter and she loved it so much I decided to get it for a friend's baby as well. This well-known song has a wonderful rhythm that babies can enjoy and the illustrations are beautiful!

We have quite a large collection of christmas picture books and this one remains one of our very favorites. The pictures are absolutely breathtaking; the artist completely caught the spirit of that which he was painting. We also love the sillhoutes. Can't say enough. Get it!

We selected this book and several others because we want our grandchildren to have classics.

Helen Steiner Rice
Barbour Publishing, 2008
ISBN: 9781597898089
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com
5 Stars
Great Gift idea...
Living Christmas Every Day will make a great Christmas gift for a teacher, friend, or pastor. Helen Steiner Rice lives on through the inspiration of her poetry. This tiny book is one that readers will cherish. The padded cover, shiny red trim, and snow scene speaks of the Christmas season. The paper is a high quality. Along with the poetry, the reader will find scripture and devotions. This book includes a red ribbon bookmark. The message of Living Christmas Every Day is the basic elements of Christmas that so many of us have forgotten: the joy of giving to others, celebrating the birth of our Savior, prayer, and contemplation. Living Christmas Every Day offers the encouragement and hope of the true meaning of Christmas.

I LOVE Helen Steiner Rice. I have some of her books. But I didn't know this particular book existed until I saw it on Amazon. She truly writes from the heart.

This is a great concept for a book--taking the values of Christmas and applying them to everyday living.


Also recommended:

Helen Steiner Rice: Ambassador of Sunshine--Helen Steiner Rice's life wasn't without trials and heartaches. But she chose to have a positive outlook--and passed it on to countless others through her writing.

Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--a touching holiday story. Some parts are heartbreaking, but the ending leaves you with a peaceful feeling.

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (9/07)

This is a perfect gift book, or a book to own and keep on the bedside table year round. Although the title includes Christmas, the words of devotion are intended to keep the spirit of Christmas throughout the year.

The author, Helen Steiner Rice, died in 1981; however, her devotional effort lives on. Her works are categorized into sections: Celebration, Joy, Giving, Prayer, and The Greatest Gift. I was inspired by the first narrative in the book titled "Let Us Live Christmas Every Day." The author questions: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in the world of Christmas all year long?

Too often we succumb to the commercialism of the season, rather than "allow the principle attributes of Christmas - selflessness, humility, hope, love, generosity, and kindness - remain. The joyful, peaceful, and abundant heart is the one that celebrates Christmas every day." And, that's exactly what this little book helps us do. The poetry and readings are filled with incentive to truly keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the year.

Give "Living Christmas Every Day" as a gift to yourself or someone special. It is a keeper!

For years to come devotees and admirers of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Prasanthi Nilyam, the world over, will be immensely grateful to Dr. Ranganathan Padmanabhan for compiling and preparing Volume I of a Biographical Series on Sri Sathya Sai Baba, titled "Love is my Form. Volume I: The Advent (1926-1950)" which chronicles the first 25 years of the life of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. The text of "Love is my Form" knits a rich tapestry of recorded history, interviews of contemporaries and devotees, narration of landmarks events, personal experiences and an incredible album of photographs, letters and other authenticated documents to give us a panoramic view of the unbelievable life of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. In the words of the compiler "The experience of working on the present volume has been nothing short of living out a divine miracle. It has been a miracle of love." Six more volumes, each dealing with ten to fifteen-year spans are in the production pipeline. When completed it will be one of the most comprehensive biography of an "Avatar" ever compiled.
Who then is this popularly called "Sathya Sai Baba" (or just Baba for short)? "Descending" on this earth on the twenty-third day of November 1926, as an "Avatar" in human form, He was born to a humble family in South India, in the then town of Puttaparthi, as "Sathyanaran Raju", He is known for His miraculous powers and His ability to transform and heal the hearts of people. Baba's central message is based on the "Unity of Faiths", a revival of "Vedic" life and the importance of "Love" as the principle human value for all mankind to live by. He has described Himself in His own words as: ""Sathya" is my "prachaar", "Dharma" is my "achaar", "Santhi" is my "swabhava" and "Prema" is my "swaroopa"". Simply translated it means "Truth is what I say, Righteousness is what I do, Peace is my nature and Love is my form". He also says "Start the day with love, fill the day with love, end the day with love, that is the way to God." About religion He says "There is only one religion - the religion of Love. There is only one language - the language of the heart. There is only one caste - the caste of Humanity. There is only one God and "He" is Omnipresent."
Words fail to describe the wonderful photographs that adorn almost every page of this 620 page tome. The detail chronology of events, exhaustive footnotes and commentaries speak volumes of the scholarly capacity of the compiling team assembling this book. The book ends with an impressive glossary of religious and technical terms. Sai Towers Publishing has performed a yeoman service to mankind in creating, designing and publishing this most wonderful and unique biography of a remarkable "Avatar". Devotees the world over are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the other planned volumes.

My husband and I, along with my family, spent years in India and have fallen in love with the culture. My husband is a professor of philosophy and religion, and he went to the Puttaparthi ashram, there meeting Sri Sathya Sai Baba. My father, a Quaker, is also very much open to the cultures and religions of India and has performed a Quaker/Sikh wedding.. All of us loved the book -- its detail and photos and offering of new information, and its clear showing of the beauty of India Thank you!!

I got this book after some trepidation as it cost INR 2,250 (~USD 50). But what a joy it has been to go through.

I've experienced the grace of Sri Sathya Sai Baba; the most significant being the villa where I stay, which is in a unique housing project called Palm Meadows in Bangalore. All the money for it has come from the Infosys stock options that I received on Baba's birthday (23.NOV) in 1994.

I like the manner in which this book takes the reader through a descriptive journey of Baba's first 25 years (1926-1950). Some of the photos are simply amazing.

It's evidently a labor of love by R Padmanaban and his team and the end result is a thing of beauty.

Like the wise woman she is, Jan Richardson brings to the Christmas story her own luminous words and images, inviting the reader to journey with her into the central mystery of the story - the Word becoming flesh - and to discover what meaning this can have for one's own life. This beautifully crafted book will be a treasured companion to take with me as I travel through this holy season each year.

Jan L. Richardson's The Luminous Word: Entering the Mysteries of Advent & Christmas has given me a long, long awaited for Sacred and all-inclusive experience of the peculiar Advent Season. When I read in The Luminous Word that Mary chose, "to bear the Word, before agreeing to become the mother of God," as Rev. Richardson invites readers to ponder, that, "Mary had been [immersed]"in the ancient texts, letting the prayers and stories that had spiraled through the generations unwind in her. . . .", I felt, for the first time, that I actually can participate in what, for so many years, had been simply an inaccessible experience told in inaccessible words on the pages of an exclusive book, the Bible. Oh, I thought, Mary chose to open her life in this way; she was not required. Richardson also calls readers to consider the choice that Joseph made, Joseph, whom I had so marginalized in this strange story, Joseph, who chose to not only believe but to also act on his sacred dream. By weaving in her own present-day personal experiences, as well as making reference to texts such as the Book of Kells and the Lindisfarne Gospels, Richardson takes this ancient mystical story into the 21st century world and suggests that readers of The Luminous Word open their minds and lives to an ancient mysterious story. This story does invite mental struggle and spiritual wrestling, but ultimately serves hope that as Rev. Richardson says about her life, "As with Jacob who struggled with the nighttime angel in the wilderness, the wrestling helps me know my true name." The Luminous Word allows me, now, to choose my "true name."

Jan's work is amazing. Her style easily invites the reader to an intimate encounter with both her words and her illustrations. Particularly welcome with this book is the experience of holding the hand-bound pages, blessed and signed by Jan. This unusually creative expression has found a place on my "read it every year" shelf.

I checked this book out from the library and loved it so much that I'm going to purchase a copy to own. Other reviewers have covered the fiction/fact aspect of the book, so I'll limit my comments to the beauty of the story and the illustrations. Adult readers familiar with Joseph Campbell will recognize elements of the hero-tale framework in the narrative. The story itself is compelling and captivating to children and adults alike. My 5 1/2 year old son eagerly chose it as his bed-time story every night until we finished it. (It's a long read-aloud for one sitting -- too long for a 5 year old at bedtime.) My 7 year old daughter and I were equally enthralled.

The illustrations are incredibly rich and detailed, with African-influenced stylization. They are fully up to the task of supporting the beautiful narrative. The paintings, along with some illustrative detail inserted into the text areas of the story give the book a regal, special feel, almost as if it should be handled reverently.

This book would be a wonderful addition to anyone's book collection and would make a beautiful gift. I also recommend the book "Sundiata: Lion King of Mali" by David Wisniewski as a prequel. Sundiata is portrayed as Mansa Musa's grandfather in the Burns book -- a detail which may or may not be factual. Regardless, it's another well told and nicely illustrated Mali legend.

If you are looking for a strictly historical book, go elsewhere. The main story is entirely fictional. However, it is beautifully told and gorgeously illustrated, and it is well researched historical fiction. No, we know nothing of the childhood of the famous Mansa Musa--however, the portrayal of the cultures and ways of life of the people is vivid and accurate, and this legend-like tale will surely gain a deserving place in the canon of children's literature.

For educational use, this is of fairly limited *factual* use because of the dearth of written accounts about Mansa Musa and his reign and, as a result, the fictional nature of the main narrative. However, the epilogue is factual (if not completely impervious to debate), and the entire book would be great as a fictional supplement to the study of the Middle Ages, especially as it takes the point of view of a non-Western culture and focuses upon an important historical figure who is often glossed over (because of lack of information and his lack of impact upon the West) in typical courses of study.

This book would be excellent for people of any background who enjoy history, good story-telling, and breathtaking illustrations.

For other great, beautifully illustrated, African-oriented picture books, try these:

Why do Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears? - an animal myth

The Marriage of the Rain-Goddess - based on a South African myth, it contains many elements common to African folklore and fairytales (such as the substitute bride)

African Princess - nonfiction about 6 royal women of Africa, from ancient Egypt to the 20th (and 21st) century. Painted illustrations are limited to one portrait per woman, but the book is fascinating and unusual, and photographs are skillfully chosen to complement the text.

African Princes - Complement to African Princesses.

There is a great deal of historical evidence in support of the mighty empire of Mali and the trek of the great king Mansa Musa across the Sahara Desert to Mecca. Some European historical accounts have him listed as the king of all of Africa. There is solid historical evidence that he lived in the early 1300's and further evidence that a mighty fleet of ships departed from the kingdom and made landfall in the Western Hemisphere during his reign. This would mean that their arrival predated the voyage of Christopher Columbus by almost two centuries.
This story is an account of the life of Mansa Musa before he became king, and while the background is historically accurate, most of the account of his life before he became king is fictional. Some of it is based on cultural myths that are still part of the Mali culture, but it is clear that there were once mighty empires in Africa. I found this book very interesting because it tells of an aspect of African history that we in the west rarely if ever hear about. The empires of Egypt and Nubia are part of the historical education of every western child, but the mighty nations that once existed in other parts of Africa are largely ignored. Most of the Africans captured and sold into slavery were from the northwest section of Africa and it is a western cultural myth that they were savages. From the historical events on which this book is based, a strong and civilized nation existed in that area several centuries before the slave trade began.
The authors do a good job in writing about the early life of Mansa Musa. It is an appropriate blend of a story for children with just enough adult features to make it appeal to all ages. Once I completed the book, my interest was so aroused that I did an online search for books on Mansa Musa and the empire of Mali.

This wonderful little book uses a repetitious pattern (ala "A Hole in the Ground" or "The House that Jack Built") to explain the events of a family Passover Seder. The text is full of rhythm and the illustrations are beautiful, warm, and soft bringing to life the closeness of community and illustrating the importance of family during such an important celebration. Those familiar with the traditions described herein will enjoy the book for the memories it can help evoke and those unfamiliar with such things as "matzah", "Dayenu", and "afikoman" will delight in learning about them.

Although this is a child's book, like Tevye, it drinks to life. It's a real seder! No one sits down! Someone spills something. A kid falls alseep! The tateh can read and see naughtiness out of the same eye! Here is genuine glee and warmth. A well-meaning Protestant reviewer called its form "The House that Jack Built," but it is, of course, "Chad Gadyoh" Everything in the contextual information at the back is clear and accurate - I used it at a seder for a mixed crowd who, after they understood the references, fell in love with the rhymes. And with the girl who Reads the Four Questions Nice and Loud.

This book, especially the illustrations, captures all the warmth and poignancy of family sedars. The subtleties in the pictures (Papa's hand clutching the son's arm, who is reaching for the matzah; the child asleep on the table; the many conversations being held at once) bring back so many childhood memories. A beautifully written and magnificently illustrated book for all ages!