Advent Books

The evolution of Santa Claus covered in Christmas in the South is fascinating. I had no idea there were different Santas in the South based on European customs and traditions. The book covers Papa Noel (the French Santa) and, of course, Belsnickle and a a variety of other regional Santas--before our popular Santa was cannonized by Thomas Nast, an illustrator for Harper's Weekly during the Civil War.

Mr. Bedwell's research is excellent although his sentences are a little long and overly complicated. Nonetheless, for $9.95, it has everything you ever wanted to know about the traditions of Southern Christmases that have been relegated to antiquity.

There is a presentation page in the front of the book which makes it an excellent gift item.

The illustrations are great and I highly recommend it as a compliment to his other book, General Lee and Santa Claus.

Thanks, Mr. Bedwell, for another great Christmas book.

Henry Reeves, Southern Reader Magazine, Paris, TN

Part of a series developed by World Book Inc. several decades ago for young people, these 80-page books have evolved into a rich storehouse of information for anyone of any age who enjoys learning the Christmas history, stories, regional Christmas songs, Christmas crafts, and holiday recipes of many nations.

One of the highlights of "Christmas in Ukraine" is the description of the special feast days leading up to Christmas. They include: The Feast of the Presentation on December 4, Saint Catherine's Day on December 7, The Day of the Apostle Andrew on December 13, Saint Barbara's Day on December 17, and Saint Nicholas Day on December 19.

The book is richly illustrated with full-color photos. Three Ukrainian carols have the original language, English translation, and treble notes - "Eternal God," "All the Universe Rejoices," and "Heaven and Earth."

Recipes in the book include Beet Soup with Mushroom Dumplings, Dried Fruit Compote, Honey Cake, and Christmas Honey Balls. Included with the book are six recipe cards for additional Christmas treats and an Advent calendar.

Collect the whole series for your home library, re-read them every December, and share them with friends and family.

"Christmas in Washington, D.C." is part of a series developed by World Book Inc. several decades ago for young people. These 80-page books have evolved into a rich storehouse of information for anyone of any age who enjoys learning the Christmas history, stories, regional Christmas songs, Christmas crafts, and holiday recipes where Christmas is celebrated around the world.

The opening pages of "Christmas in Washington, D.C." explain how the government does not officially celebrate religious holidays but, unofficially, it does. There is a national Christmas tree; there is a capitol Christmas tree; there is the White House decked out for the holidays; there is Christmas on the National Mall, a holiday celebration not quite like any other in the world.

The book features historic drawings and photographs of presidential Christmas celebrations -- President Grant greeting the King of Hawaii, the Franklin Roosevelt family in the East Room, the Hoover family lighting a Christmas tree, Nancy Reagan on a ladder while decorating a tree in the Blue Room, the Trumans having Christmas dinner in Blair House while the White was was being rebuilt, the Eisenhower family having dinner in the State Dining Room, and the Johnsons, with West German Chancellor Erhard, listening to carols on the South Portico of the White House.

Three Christmas carols in the book, words and music, are "We Three Kings of Orient Are" (Lincoln's favorite), "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" (Washington's favorite), and "O Come, All Ye Faithful" (Eisenhower's favorite). The recipes are from Lady Bird Johnson, Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Bess Truman, and Jacquelyn Kennedy, among others.

"Christmas in Washington, D.C." is richly illustrated with beautiful art work and full-color photos of winter scenes from all over the capital city.

Collect the whole series for your home library, re-read them every December, and share them with friends and family.

I took this book out of the library to begin introducing my 16 month-old son to the Christmas season. To my surprise, it was the book he brought over to me to read over & over again. As soon as we were done looking at the book, he'd turn to the beginning to do it all over again. The illustrations in this book are so beautiful to look at. They are big, bold and colourful. The Christmas verses can be sung or read. My son's favourite was "Here we go round the mulberry bush". The large size of this board book makes it more engaging, I think. We are buying this book.

CHRISTMAS IS FOR THE YOUNG...WHATEVER THEIR AGE
by William Powell Tuck

REVIEW BY - Bruce Gourley


A long-time pastor and seminary professor, Tuck has "always loved the Advent and Christmas season." A timely arrival, this volume from CSS Publishing is a compilation of "16 Christmas Sermon Stories" intended to be "a source of inspiration for personal meditation or small group studies." Whereas Christmas day has long been a special time for Christians at large, many Baptists in recent years have come to a greater appreciation of the larger Advent season. Tuck helps the reader personally engage in the Advent and Christmas season, pointing the way to the simplicity and mystery of the incarnation, drawing upon the scriptures and imagination to invoke the true meaning of the the holiday celebration. In the midst of the busyness that marks the holidays, it is worth taking the time to read Christmas is for the Young.
from the Baptist Bulletin -BAPTIST TODAY- Mercer University Baptist Center- by Bruce Gourley



ALSO A Review By: Dr. John Robert McFarland Iron Mountain, MI, November, 05 2007
CHRISTMAS IS FOR THE YOUNG... WHATEVER THEIR AGE. By William Powell Tuck, APC. Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, Inc. 2007. Paperback. 172 pp. $15.95.

Christmas preaching is a challenge. Everybody who wanders in is full of eggnog, fatigued by the constant stereophonic exploits of The Little Drummer Boy, and already knows the story, about how Rudolph red-nosed the three wise guys from Orientar to the stable where the shepherds washed their sox by night. And despite their extensive scriptural knowledge, or perhaps because of it, half the people in the pews you won't see again for six months, if that soon.

Bill Tuck says he has always loved that challenge [7]. That is a good thing for those of us who face the challenge but are not sure how to preach the same old message with new joy. Get Christmas is for the Young... Whatever Their Age and your Christmas preaching is set until retirement, or at least sixteen years, which is the number of sermons in this book.

It is clear that Bill Tuck loves not just preaching about Christmas, but Christmas itself. He is himself a good example of remaining young for Christmas, regardless of age. These sermons do not, however, see life through nostalgia-misted red and green bubble lights. They face head-on the difficult questions and problems Christmas calls forth, like "Can There Be Peace on Earth? [Chapter 13] and "the slaughter of the innocents" in "Christmas and the Beast" [Chapter 12], and Mary's revolutionary Gospel [Chapter 4].

Other sermons deal with the music, gifts, and sounds of Christmas, readiness for Christmas, Joseph's disturbing dream, the angels' song, and the mystery of Bethlehem. Since I have always had a problem with receiving gifts, I especially appreciated the insights of "Christmas Gifts" [Chapter 14].

There are "pointers" on every page. [Since people remember the so-called illustrations more than the so-called points of a sermon, I refer to the illustrations as pointers.] I thought I had heard, and used, every sermon pointer ever uttered in the English-speaking pulpit, but not so. Bill's pointers are new and fresh. I especially enjoyed the little girl in the impromptu family nativity play who played all three wise men and brought "gold, circumstances, and mud." [159]

Tuck is a scholar. He knows the Scriptures and their problems. He knows the theological issues of incarnation. However, you hear the scholarship that under girds these sermons, from Loren Eisley to Paul Tillich, only in the footnotes. These are sermons for any congregation. Anyone can read or hear these words with profit.

The author, as retired as he is ever likely to be, is a distinguished pastor, a renegade Baptist [Is that redundant?], past-president of APC, a sometime preaching professor, and the author of a dozen other books.

Be sure to ask Santa for this book. If you have been a good boy or girl, you will get it. [Oops. That's from a different book.] Then preach these sermons. It's not stealing, just accepting a Christmas gift from a master preacher who has been around the pulpit a time or two but still finds it exciting to look for what will show up on the next trip.

Rev. Dr. John Robert McFarland, FAPC, retired from The Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church and living in Iron Mountain, MI, where he is Theologian in Residence at the Moose & Bear Coffee and Deerskinning Emporium.

My daughter loves Corduroy and sticker books, so this is a great comibination. If you are looking for a sticker book that shows dotted lines to help your child place the sticker in the right picture, look for another one.

In Christmas Is..., author and illustrator Gail Gibbons showcases the many things that Christmas symbolizes for people including the birth of the Christ child, Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus, angels, Christmas trees, mistletoe, lights, cards, carols, presents, prayers, peace, love and joy. Christmas Is... would make a wonderfully appropriate and much appreciated addition to any family, school, or community library holiday books collection.

Ably written and colorfully illustrated, A Christmas Journey: From Creation To The Savior's Birth is a truly endearing retelling of familiar bible stories, ranging from Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden to the birth of Jesus Christ. Susie's kindly color illustrations fill the pages of this endearing picture book which is especially recommended for shared reading between parents and young children.

All I can say is this book is the star on top of the Christmas Tree!!!

As if the pictures aren't enough - she combines them with traditonal Christmas songs - and together they make the perfect Holiday gift for friends, family - or even yourself!!!

It's exactly what the title suggests - 'Christmas Joy'!!!

As the Christmas holidays roll around, so do many important jobs for the four members of The Petsitters Club. Matthew has to walk a dog named Bruno everyday for old Mrs. Wimpole, Jovan is asked to watch a difficult donkey named Donald, Katie is trying to figure out what is wrong with her pet cockroach, Archie, who is sick, and not acting quite right, and Sam has the biggest job of all. Sam is looking after a kitten named Nonny for her next-door neighbor Gary. Nonny is a Christmas present for his girlfriend Marina, and while the members of The Petsitters Club don't approve of giving animals away as presents, Sam can't refuse Gary, as Nonny is so adorable. But now Sam doesn't want to give the little tabby kitten up, and wishes that she could have the kitten for keeps, and not just for the holidays.

As a fan of the previous books in THE PETSITTERS CLUB book series, I was very pleased with the outcome of the Winter Special, THE CHRISTMAS KITTEN. As usual, Sam, Jovan, Katie, and Matthew have accomplished their mission in not only taking care of the animals that they were placed in charge of, but also in educating the young reader about taking care of pets, and the importance of not giving animals as gifts during the holidays. Young animal lovers will adore the hilarious misadventures that the members of The Petsitters Club get mixed up in during their petsitting jobs, and parents will enjoy the fact that their children are enjoying a fantastic read, whether it is read during the holidays or not.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper