Lucia and the Light

Author	Lieve Baeten
ISBN	0735823057

What happens when a little witch gets curious?
An international bestseller comes to the US!  Lizzy is a curious little witch. Late one night she spots an old house all lit up when everyone else is asleep, and she can’t help herself. She just has to investigate. The Little Witch books have been...

Author	Astrid Lindgren
ISBN	0698115910

It's official. . . I'm obsessed with Astrid Lindgren. I just ordered every possible title that I do not possess from the library, then ordered the remaining books from Amazon. (In case my husband reads this review, I would like to add that I was able to find MOST of her work at the library).

I want...

Author	Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
ISBN	0763616990

Fabulously illustrated by H. B. Lewis, Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's hilarious romp through the land of be-careful-what-you-wish-for offers a whole year's worth of holiday fun magic.

This year, I was very specific in my letter to Santa Claus.

Each year at Christmas, Joe writes a letter...

Author	Jerdine Nolen
ISBN	0152060065

Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen was a 2004 Corretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book. I gave this book four stars. This picture book is intended for readers from preschool through grade three. This imaginative book follows Thunder Rose, a strong and powerful yet sweet and caring little girl of the Old...

Author	Margaret Wise Brown
ISBN	0064434664

Experience all the mystery and beauty of Christmas through the eyes of a cat in this simple, rhythmic story by Margaret Wise Brown, beloved author of Goodnight Moon. With stunning illustrations by Anne Mortimer, this is a perfect gift for cat lovers and Christmas revelers of all ages.

“She...

Author	Uri Shulevitz
ISBN	0374319030

One December afternoon, boy with dog and grandfather with beard take a walk to watch the sun begin to set over the river. When the sun drops low in the sky, they start home. Buildings grow dimmer. People are rushing. As nature's lights go out, one by one, city's lights turn on, revealing brilliant Hanukkah, Kwanza,...

Author	Wendy Pfeffer
ISBN	0525469680

The beginning of winter is marked by the solstice, the shortest day of the year. Long ago, people grew afraid when each day had fewer hours of sunshine than the day before. Over time, they realized that one day each year the sun started moving toward them again. In lyrical prose and cozy illustrations,...

Author	Ellen Jackson
ISBN	1562944002

This review was posted on my book blog, The Towering Pile.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. What I was expecting was a nice book about celebrating the Winter Solstice. Something Pagan parents could read to their children around the holiday season.

Instead, this book describes...

Author	Carl R. Sams II
ISBN	0977010864

STORY = 3 STARS
PHOTOGRAPHY = 5 STARS

I really appreciate what the authors are trying to do here--make beautiful wildlife photography "accessible" to children by pairing the story of a fawn's first snow with beautiful photographs to match the text. The story itself would probably not...

Author	Nancy Van Laan
ISBN	0689817789

As bland as the snow.

Very repetitive. I certainly couldn't read this to my kid because it would drive me crazy.

Every other page is, “Where, oh where does the X go/When winter comes and the cold winds blow?” And then it says where it goes. It's in rhyme. It's all about the different...

Author	Jacqueline K. Ogburn
ISBN	0618862544

To catch a glimpse of one unicorn is lucky;
to see a grace of unicorns is to witness a marvel.
In this book, you will also find . . .

a riddle of sphinx,
a splash of mermaids,
a dignity of dragons,
and more.

With inventive groupings, luminous artwork, and a fact-filled...

Author	Jane Ray
ISBN	0763637475

With sumptuous artwork, Jane Ray tells an original fairy tale of a humble princess whose love for nature’s beauty restores a kingdom.

Once there was a kingdom full of laughter, happiness, trees, and birdsong. But when the queen dies, the land becomes quiet and barren, and everyone is filled...

Author	Brett Helquist
ISBN	0064438511

Text-To Teaching
“Roger, The Jolly Pirate” is a whimsical rendition of how pirates formed the noteworthy design of their Skull and Crossbones Flag, every Pirate Ship flew. The teaching connection can be at multiple primary grade levels. The whimsicalness and imaginary story- line are...

Author	Carolyn McVickar Edwards
ISBN	1569246173

CELEBRATE THE RETURN OF THE SUN, THE RETURN OF THE LIGHT

The winter solstice, the day the "sun stands still," marks the longest night and the shortest day of the year (it occurs either on December 20 or 21). Celebrations honoring the winter solstice as a moment of transition and renewal date back...

Author	Teresa Bateman
ISBN	1570916519

Great book. Fiona is so confident she thinks she can outwit the Leprechaun that took all the luck from Ireland. Now cows can't milk and chickens don't lay eggs and there are no potatoes. Not just anyone wants to square off against King of the Leprechauns. This is one of the spiritual laws of the universe....

Author	Paul Stewart
ISBN	0862648149

Hedgehog and Rabbit are great pals. But every winter, Hedgehog has to burrow info a cozy spot and sleep while Rabbit plays in the snow. Rabbit is sad because he knows he will miss Hedgehog. Hedgehog is more interested in what winter is like. So he asks Rabbit to save him a little bit of winter. He even writes...

Author	Jonathan Emmett
ISBN	1405091002

Bradley Bartleby is a very spoiled and self-centered little boy. He makes demands and expects those demands to be obeyed. He has even dared to make demands of Santa Claus. He demands Santa to bring him every item he has on his long list.

Santa sees all the bad things Bradley does all year round....

Author	Mal Peet
ISBN	1406300926

Carnegie Medalist Mal Peet and his wife, Elspeth Graham, team up for a captivating, lushly illustrated tale evoking a Chinese legend.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Tashi lives in a tiny village at the foot of the mountains, below the tea plantations where her mother works. When...

Author	Sibylle von Olfers
ISBN	0863154999

Poppy is gazing out of the window at the snow when, all of a sudden, she sees that the snowflakes are really little Snow Children dancing and whirling in the garden. Soon, they whisk her away to the Snow Queen's wintry kingdom.

From the author of The Story of the Root Children, here is another...

Author

Kate Klise

After Mother Rabbit makes a special hat for Little Rabbit, he convinces her to knit hats for all their friends - hats that fit each of their uniquely-shaped noggins.



That Mother Rabbit is one super-knitter!

The illustrations are by Klise's sister. At first glance, I didn't...

Author	Mary Calhoun
ISBN	0688065198

This is a book I haven't read in over 30 years so it was nice to read it all over again. The story itself is adorable and in a way it is like the Little Engine that Could in that Henry is determined to keep going no matter how tired he is and no matter how close the coyote gets to him.

But what I can truly appreciate...

Author	Trinka Hakes Noble
ISBN	1585362700

A frontier family loves their sweet apple tree. They live in the barn with their animals. That’s living close to nature. There is a huge blizzard before Christmas that takes down their wonderful apple tree and the girls are very sad. They spend much time playing in the tree. The girls end up having a good...

Author	Dav Pilkey
ISBN	0439548489

Award-winning author/illustrator of the Captain Underpants series, Dav Pilkey's gentle blue Dragon (from the hit TV series) will charm beginning readers with his delightful Christmas adventures!

Dragon tries to make Christmas special each year. He picks the perfect tree and buys the...

Author	Marianna Mayer
ISBN	1587172488

At the dawn of the Middle Ages, a gripping tale of chivalry and suspense emerges. Two distinguished knights -- one Saxon, one Norman -- have returned from the Crusades. Though they fought on the same side, they now have a score to settle. What begins as a joust between two rivals quickly escalates into...