Advent Books

After "discovering" this book quite accidentally (while searching for an advent calendar pattern), I feel as though I've found a diamond in the rough! This book is so unique, and so intelligently designed. The patterns are simple to sew, with clear and concise instructions. If you've ever matched notches and stitched curved seams, you can make this nativity! Wonderful and relatively easy! As an experienced quiltmaker and novice cloth doll maker, I'm so glad this book even exists. It's exactly what I didn't know I was looking for!

It is helpful to know the scale of the patterns: the manger (made with basketweave print fabric and interfacing) is approximately 4.5 x 7 x 2 inches tall. Not pictured on the cover is a great camel pattern. The donkey, who kneels, is designed without legs -- an example of how intelligently the patterns are designed. Most nativities I've seen are either rustically wooden or regally porcelain. This book is both humbling and inspirational, so in keeping with both the Amish and the nativity scene. I look forward to any future books by either co-authors.

I have started making the figures in the book, and I find the instructions easy to follow. The illustrations are very good.

Amrita Sher-Gil's greatest achievement was that she liberated Indian art from a state of utter stagnation. Born in Budapest of a Hungarian mother and an Indian father, she spent the first eight years of her life in that city. This vividly written biography traces her childhood years in Hungary and then in India: a brief sojourn in Florence and her years in Paris where she gained her notoriety. As an artist she divined her destiny to be in India. She returned to celebrate her creativity as much as to face the frustrations of a pioneer who eventually did find recognition in India.

At the time this book was published, 1984, there was very little recorded material about the life and art of Amrita Sher-Gil. This book is unique in that it was written by someone who actually knew Amrita and spent personal time with her as a close friend. The book is based on his own personal accounts and interviews with family members and other close friends.

The book is written in 18 chapters beginning with "Lineage and Childhood" and ending with "The Tragic End" (I have to admit that I read the last chapter first because I wanted to really know what happened to her). In the center of the book are 24 pages of black/white images: photographs, letters, and a few of her drawings and paintings. Near the end of the book are 29 full color, but small, plates of her paintings. The book is full of details about her life and is easy reading...no dictionary or thesaurus needed for this one...great reading for reader's whose primary language is not English. The flow of the timeline was a bit confusing for me....it's not written in a clear chronological order...it's more event driven. Scattered throughout the book is also some interesting historical facts about India and its political turmoil and how it affected the Sher-Gil family.

This is probably the best book in terms of biographical information....not the greatest if you are looking for photos or images of her works. It's interesting that there is another book, "Amrita Sher-Gil - A Life" that was just recently published in 2006. This new book is VERY similar in format and content...right down to identically lines of text. Apparently the copyright expired on the 1984 edition and text from that book appears in the 2006 edition. The 1984 version is VERY difficult to find but the 2006 edition is readily available through Amazon.com. If you're more interested in seeing her works and photos then I recommend "Amrita Sher-Gil An Indian Artist Family of the Twentieth Century"...however I didn't think much of the biographical material in that book...but it is the best book for the plates.

I couldn't read this book, but I felt very impressive about her painting during my last visit to Delhi, so I felt very excited about knowing about her life. Unfortunately I can't find available a book from her painting and her life. Does anybody know how can I get this book?

"Excellent...A synthesis of great density. On 150 pages, Klaus Schippman has assured pre-Islamic South Arabia an honorable position among the civilizations of the Near East."
--Bibliotheca Orientalis

Ancient South Arabia: From The Queen Of Sheba To The Advent Of Islam by Klaus Schippmann (University of Gottingen) is an impressive and scholarly history of the South Arabian kingdoms that draws from archaeology and primary sources to informatively depict an evolving picture of life in the crossroads between Africa, Asia, and Europe. Smoothly written, nicely illustrated with black-and-white photographs, and also available in a trade paperback edition, Klaus Schippmann's Ancient South Arabia is a uniquely insightful work and a very highly recommended addition to World History reference shelves.

This is fantastic Christmas tale (although I would read it anytime of the year) about a mysterious and elusive Newfoundland dog who saves a disabled man in a snowstorm and then disappears on his way. I agree with the other reviewer that it is certainly a real "tearjerker" but in a wonderful "power of miracles" way. The most compelling thing about the book is that the text depicts the story of the man's family awaiting his arrival on Christmas Eve, while the pictures show what is actually happening to him on this dangerous, stormy night. The art is fantastic and I find new details during every reading. My thanks to author, Frances Ward Weller, and illustrator, Robert J. Blake, for such a fabulous work.

My five year-old daughter likes to pick out books that make mommy cry "happy tears"-- and this is one of them. Beautiful illustrations tell the story of Uncle Ambrose struggling home through a harsh storm on Christmas Eve, while the text tells the story of the concerned young neice waiting at home for his return. Uncle Ambrose's miraculous rescue inspires hope and belief in the miracle of Christmas. After drying our tears we read it again and again, watching the illustrations to find that someone watching over Uncle Ambrose.

This is a beautiful advent calendar - buy it!

I saw this calendar last year at a friends house and this year am buying two! Everyday you open a window makes you re-analyze and re-appreciate the painting and understand a little more about the thinking of the times. I highly recommend it!

Who wouldn't want to be the kid to help Santa and save Christmas? When Robert, listening on his radio in the Midwest, learns from an Airship Captain that the Polar Ice Pack has cracked in several places, he knew that could spell trouble for Santa, and Christmas. This is a holiday story with lessons for all year 'round. The story goes well beyond Christmas, and mixes ecology, geography, airships, and hobbies in an engaging way. Both budding hobbyists/scientists and experienced ones will enjoy this story.

Arctic Airlift is impressively illustrated and entertainingly written by the nationally recognized artist Richard Ross (an Associate Professor of Design, Buffalo State University) whose work has been exhibited at the Society of Illustrators and feature in a number of professional and popular publications. This is a 40-page picturebook Christmas adventure story for children grades 2 through 5 about a young boy with a two-way radio in the Midwest and an airship captain in the arctic north who must team up to rescue Santa and his workshop. Unusually warm sea currents have caused the Polar Ice Pack to crack and flood! An exciting parable that reminds young readers that it's important to never give up, and sometimes one needs a little help from friends. The uniquely styled, heavily shaded color illustrations give this charming Christmas rescue story a distinctly unique feel.

I found this book very charming and now a Christmas favorite at our house. In fact this book inspired me to begin collecting vintage Christmas postcards and now during the holidays we pull out the postcards and write poems about them with our children. Great for children over 7 because of the many words per page. Beautiful vintage postcards on every page.

The vintage postcards shown on each page are wonderful to see. The artwork by Bruce Roberts is distinctly different from the postcard art and is appealing in a different way. The text by Kevin Major is light but conveys deep meaning and emotion without being cloyingly sentimental. Anyone who loves old Christmas postcards and rich children's book illustration will find this book to be exceptional. The postcards are not identified but that did not detract from the overall pleasure.

This book was originally published in 1940 and the end notes tell us that it was the last one written by Jean de Brunhoff before his untimely death at age 37. The story and line drawings were finished but the illustrations still needed to be colored. Jean's brother took care of that with the help of Jean's son who was only 12 years old when his father died. I like the fact that Jean's son had a hand in the coloring of this wonderful story of a father's love and special efforts on behalf of his children at Christmastime.
This book has all the lively and humorous characteristics of the other Babar the Elephant stories, the brightly colored, warm and friendly drawings of our beloved elephant royalty, the antics and adventures of the elephants themselves and of course, our hero, King Babar once again, saving the day, in this book, a most important day, Christmas!
Arthur, Pom, Flora and Alexander, the royal elephant children , together with their monkey pal, Zephir, write Father Christmas a wish list letter and are disappointed when they don't get a reply. This ultimately leads to Babar's realization that the Elephants' Country needs to be included in Santa's regular route, so he goes to heroic lengths to make his childrens' wishes come true. Babar and Father Christmas become fast friends and Father Christmas even gets to take a much needed rest in the tropical climate of Babar's country. The way de Brunhoff has drawn Father Christmas is quirky and jolly and rather different from the image we have of him today but entirely captures the essence of this wonderful holiday icon. If you have loved other Babar stories or if this is your first, you are sure to love it and make it a part of your Christmas tradition.

Babar and Father Christmas is such a wondeerful Christmas Story. Santa Claus Gave us a copy for christmas a long time ago. In this book, Babar's Children heard about father christmas from somebody. They write him a letter and ask him to come to Celestesville. Father Christmas forgot to write back, so King Babar goes to man's country and looks for him, finally finds him at the north pole. We want to buy a copy as a gift. Please ask the publisher to reprint it.

This book depicts the story of the birth of Jesus as it does in the Bible, but tells it in a way that children will understand. I found it to be the most accurate of other books I've read on the same topic. Some books add elements to the story that did not happen, but not this book! The pictures were beautiful. I read it to my 4 and 2 year old and both were fascinated with it. I highly recommend this book.

Martha Whitmore Hickman stays very close to the bible story in every detail without making things too complicated for the little ones. The illustrations are light and glorious. This is just a perfect and very sweet re-telling of the Christmas Story. (If you have a child younger than three- I would also recommend "Christmas in the Manger" illustration by Felicia Bond.)

This has always been a bedtime favorite since my son was born. The story has a nice variety to it, and the illustrations are wonderful. He especially enjoys this story still at 3 years old. It's one of our top 5 stories we read every night at bedtime. We do not use the CD portion, but do enjoy the book.

This is a great book to just read to your little one. My son really likes listening to the rhyming poems and the wonderful colorful pictures. The scenes are colorful and we always find something different each time.