Rambling reviews of our Christmas selections!  (And some of my reviews ramble considerably!)

A Child’s Christmas At St Nicholas Circle by Thomas Kinkade

A very important guest is coming to the town, and a family learns that God doesn’t rank importance as we do. I was touched by this story. Oh, and the artwork is lovely too.

The Christmas Doll by Elvira Woodruff

A "chapter book": Two little girls, orphaned in London after the fevers of 1848, fend for themselves. The older sister keeps the younger child’s heart and dreams alive by telling stories of "Morning Glory" a lost doll. Very poignant, and well written! My Kaira loves this book!

The Crippled Lamb By Max Lucado

The first Christmas, told from the perspective of a small lamb. It seems there are quite a few fictionalized stories of the first Christmas from the perspective of animals in the stable. This is one of the better ones!

The Friendly Beasts: An Old English Christmas Carol by Tomie dePaola

Somehow I missed getting this one in the picture. Perhaps a child was reading it at the time. DePaola’s folksy illustrations and hand lettering of the text give character to this old carol. Something about it feels a little less than "whole" to me. I think it is that the beginning of the chorus is, "Jesus, our brother, strong and good". Referring to Him merely as our brother without simultaneously acknowledging His divinity feels like a half truth, and to call him "strong" and "good", while entirely true, seems so insufficient as to be almost demeaning. I think my qualms are just that they stop short of the fullness and portray only half of his deity and humanity. Perhaps the discomfort is good for me, as if anything my view of Christ errs on the other side–forgetting that he was fully man, hungering and thirsting, hurting, and rejoicing as we all do.  Alas, I digress. Obviously my concerns aren’t very serious or it wouldn’t be included in our coffee table selection! Our copy is even autographed with a note, "To Dell". (It was purchased at one of Mr dePaola’s book-signings years ago!)

Frosty The Snow Man Retold by Annie North Bedford, Pictures by Corinne Malvern

A cute book with illustrations reminiscent of the 1940's or 50's.

The Glorious Impossible by Madeline L’Engle, illustrated with Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel frescoes

Giotto’s frescos, combined with L’Engle’s ability to ask "what if" make this a unique book. As usual, some of L’Engle’s assumptions don’t quite match our own family’s theology, but taken as a fiction work, this book is a treasure.

I Spy Christmas: A book of Picture Riddles Photographs by Walter Wick,Riddles by Jean Marzollo.

"I Spy" books are lots of fun. What hidden items can you find amid these Christmas scenes?

Jacob's Gift by Max Lucado

I like Lucado's children's books.  This is another good one!  (I think it is missing from the photo, it must have wandered off temporarily.)

Jotham’s Journey, Bartholomew’s Passage, Tabitha’s Travel: Story books for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide

Full of scriptural truth, with both Biblical and fictional characters, and packed with cliff-hanger scenes, these Advent readings are ones we come back to each year.

The Night Before Christmas Illustrated by Leonard Weisgard

A cute rendition on a classic

The Nutcracker: From the Story by E.T.A. Hoffman, Illustrated by Don Daily

The full story of the Nutcracker Prince in a palm sized book! Beautiful illustrations. I’m perplexed at one of the main character’s names. The leading female and recipient of the nutcracker doll is named Maria in this version. Isn’t her name supposed to be Clara? Anyway, it is a gorgeous little book.

The Real 12 Days of Christmas: The Story behind the Song by Helen Haidle

Illuminates the Christian significance behind partridges in pear trees, golden rings, and maids-a-milking. A beautiful book rich in both illustration and content!

Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegmeyer

We were given this book the same year we were given "The Night Before Christmas". My children weren’t at all familiar with "Santa Claus" at that point, and yet, it is good that they have a glimpse into our culture. This book tells about the REAL St Nick, and his kindness and generosity. Chocolate "coins" in gold foil wrappers are a great accompaniment to this book!

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, Illustrated by Susan Jeffers

My only objection to this book is that by putting each line of Frost’s beautiful poem on a separate page it breaks up the flow and cadence. The illustrations are beautiful, however, and the artist brings such a personal touch to the poetry. I think I’ll type up the full poem and paste it in the back to read it at the end without the page breaks.

Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins

Fascinating history and background on 30 of the most well known Christmas Hymns and Songs. Very interesting and informative!

Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy By Carl Sams II and Jean Stoick

Beautiful photographs of woodland animals as they discover a stranger in their forest after a snowstorm. Breathtaking photos, and sweet, innocent delight!