Advent Books

My kids just love the "Little Critter" series. So buying this book was a no brainer. I think my kids made me read this book to them just about every day untill christmas (and still after!). All in all you cant go wrong with any book by Mercer Mayer, or Little Critter series. My parents read them to me as a child and now I am reading them to mine. So simple and sweet, even adults enjoy the message.

"Merry Christmas, Little Critter!" is lift-the-flap fun from the popular, enduring "Little Critter" series.

In this book, Little Critter and his family go sledding, write letters to Santa, string up Christmas lights, sing Christmas carols and more. Every other page has a flap to lift, revealing a hidden surprise and/or continuing the story.

Little Critter is as cute, charming and amusing as ever. Little Critter and sister enjoy getting Christmas gifts, but also have fun spending time with family.

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!

I think that Little Red is a wonderful, well written story. Sarah Ferguson really knows how to reach small children with her writings.
I would recommend this and the other Little Red books in the series.

Christmas Eve has arrived at Buttercup Cottage, and Little Red and her wonderful friends have set off on their yearly trip to Christmas Tree Wood, where they plan on bringing their favorite fir tree home for the holidays. Along their way, they work together on delivering shortbread to the robins, and sugary cinnamon sticks to the mouse family. However, as they approach Christmas Tree Wood, Little Red is shocked to find her very good friend, Santa Claus, with a big problem: One of his reindeers is sick, and now he only has seven to pull the sleigh! But with Little Red's wonderful thinking cap, and a bit of help from Roany the Pony, Little Blue, and the rest of her friend's, all of the children in the world will be able to get exactly what they wanted for the holiday, and Little Red will make it back to Buttercup Cottage in order to spend the rest of the holiday with her fantastic friends!

Sarah Ferguson has done an amazing job of creating a character such as Little Red who is utterly adorable, while at the same time sweeter than pie. The wonderful prose featured within LITTLE RED'S CHRISTMAS STORY is lovely, while the illustrations by Sam Williams, couldn't be cuter. This is a wonderful Christmas story that will live on in the hearts of readers for years and years to come.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

This is a wonderful story, BEAUTIFULLY illustrated.

An adorable African-American boy who lives in a big city finds a baby reindeer. He cares for the little reindeer on the roof of his high-rise apartment until the following year, when it is grown up and ready to return to Santa.

This is an especially good book for all those kids without chimneys who live in apartments! :) The illustrations are sweet and gently humorous. You will love reading this beautiful book to your kids-- it is full of both the magic and the goodness of Christmas.

This sweet story is about a young reindeer who is accidentally left behind and the little boy who takes care of him for a year. The caring, unselfish friendship between the child and the animal is a wonderful expression of the spirit of Christmas. The snowy North Pole scenes, the colorful elves, and the magical citiscape viewed from the rooftop of the boy's high-rise are beautiful. My kids instantly loved this tale of friendship and adventure. We have read it dozens of times. It will surely be a favorite for years.

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!

Looking Forward to the Nativity is an excellent daily (25-day) advent devotional book, which I would highly recommend to families with children of any age. Each day's devotion includes a reading, a scripture passage, a prayer and an activity. As we don't have children yet, my husband and I just read the readings and scripture passage together. Farrar's writing and the New Living Translation (the translation used for all of the scripture passages) both have stylistic warmth and clarity, so we enjoyed reading it together without finding it "childish" even though children of almost any age would be able to understand it.

This book is right on in terms of building expectation and anticipation for Christmas. The readings build through the covenants, prophecies, and Jewish history pointing to Christ. I don't think I've ever read an advent book that paints this picture so clearly.

I look forward to reading this book to my children someday. It helps reinforce the unity and overall narrative of the Bible, rather than just fragmented pieces of Scripture (Bible stories) which is what many children take away from Sunday school. The activities look like they would be fun and reinforce the readings well.

I would recommend seeing the movie, The Nativity Story, after completing the readings--it is a very satisfying depiction of the "resolution" of advent and incorporates the Jewish culture and their expectation of the Messiah, as described in Looking Forward to the Nativity.

Looking Forward to the Nativity is an inspiring Christmas devotional book for families to use during the Advent season. Each day, Farrar offers a short story linked to the Bible passage, a Bible promise (verse or verses from the story), a prayer, and a family activity. Family activities include songs, a craft, or an object lesson--something concrete to help the lesson become more than just a daily reading. He also includes a description of Advent and the tradition of the Advent wreath, for those families who want to include this in their devotional times.

One thing that sets this seasonal devotional apart from others of similar theme is its scope. Farrar begins his Scripture readings on December 1 not in Matthew, as one might expect, but in Genesis. To begin at the beginning, and to show humanity's desperate need of a Savior from the opening chapters of the Bible, is a fabulous notion and sets the tone for a meaningful Advent season.

The Bible stories are told in simple, but not simplistic, language. I believe this makes this devotional more applicable to families with different-aged children. Farrar includes many familiar stories with our favorite Old Testament characters: Abraham, Moses, David, and Job, among other people of faith. He then builds up to the New Testament and familiar passages leading up to the birth of Jesus. Reading the Old Testament stories during Christmas adds a depth to the Nativity story that many readers may not have truly considered, making it fresh and new.

I look forward to using this devotional with my own children this Christmas season, and anticipate a season of heightened awareness of the cohesiveness of God's Word. - Pattie Reitz, Christian Book Previews.com

I love anything and everything written by this insightful and integrous Christian leader.
Ron moves my soul each time I read something he has written.
He is an excellent writer and even a greater man who loves God and is the real deal. I love Ron Mehl!

In my ongoing effort to read every book written by Ron Mehl, I discovered and read this book - "Love Found a Way."

This is a wonderful little book filled with Mehl's trademark anecdotes and stories that really bring a point home and he paints a word picture that inspires and makes a message unforgettable.

Mehl's writing style is much like William Barclay, author of the Daily Bible Studies on Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, etc.

It was said of Barclay that "he saved the Bible from the experts" and the same could be said of Mehl. He shows how the words and works of Jesus are applicable to every need of mankind in the here and now. And the tone in his books is so down-to-earth, yet inspiring. It's a wonderful balance and I loved this book.

However, I must confess - I preferred "Meeting God at a Dead End" also by Mehl. And my number two (mehl) choice would be "The Ten(der) Commandments".

"Love Found a Way" is a wonderful book, I just thought the other two were wonderfuller. :)

His writings have explained the Bible in a way that has really opened my understanding.

Who was the maiden with candles in her hair? This interesting book traces her history, the legends, and the present Lucia Day's tie to pagan folklore, finally taking you through to modern traditions. You'll also find tips, recipes, and songs for celebrating your own Lucia Day on December 13, a simple but charming opener to the Christmas season. This book is quite suitable to read-aloud to the whole family.

this book is absolutely amazing. it gives in detail and easy to follow instructions the how to's of the Saint Lucia celebration in Sweden. i especially like hearing about the origin of the Saint and why Sweden has honored her for so long. another bonus of this incredible book is the recipe's at the end. it is a sweet surprise indeed! the author gives step by step instructions on how to prepare your own Lucia celebration, and tips to help it be fun and beautiful. and for those of us with swedish heritage it is especially nice to find Lucia songs in english AND swedish. all in all a wonderful read.

This captivating alphabet book is the perfect choice to enhance your child's Christmas spirit. Entertaining and heart-warming verses highlight various symbols of the season. The author also includes information about Christmas celebrations in other parts of the world and the story of the origins of Santa. A delight for children and their families, and a useful resource for the classroom.

I really enjoyed sharing M is for Mistletoe with my kids. Not only does the book reinforce alphabet learning with the sweet rhymes for each letter, but it reminds me of all the fun, laughter and love that are part of a great holiday season. This is also a wonderful book for educators of young children to enjoy with their charges at holiday time

Definitely a must have for families!

This is a wonderful Christmas story. It teaches a lesson to all children. It helps them develop a vision of what they can become through love, trust and perseverance.

The theme of "Trust in Your Dreams " is beautifully told in a heartwarming way. It is a timeless theme supported with terrific full page illustrations.

We highly recommend this book for all kids young or old, including grandparents.

This charming Chistmas story should be a hit for the young and young at heart, especially those who have grown up on the northwest side of Chicago. I grew up in a house near Wilson Park in the mid 1960's through the 1980's and iceskating was something most children learned to do and enjoy during the winter months. Wilson Park was a place where lots of childhood dreams where begun. This book would be a great holiday gift.