Product Description
Kids will have tons of fun with BOZ and the Baxters as they prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth! 

From the Back Cover
BOZ and You and Christmas Too Provides children a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas. Children will love helping BOZ, Drew and Gracie get ready for Jesus’ birthday. The book comes with three erasable markers, allowing kids to interact with BOZ on the wipe off pages throughout the book. 

My Review:  

Another great book for preschoolers!  This is an interactive book including three markers (red, green and blue) so that your child can help BOZ decorate the house for Christmas.  There is also a maze, a shape match, a connect the dot by number, and a search for decorations.  This is a board book and could be used several times.  

If you are participating in “Buy Books for the Holidays,” this would be a perfect book for the preschooler in your life.  My granddaughters will be getting a copy from me!

“BOZ and You and Christmas Too” is published by ZoderKIDZ and available at your local Christian Bookstore and Amazon.com.

Product Description

Every year millions of letters to Santa reach the North Pole. Many are requests for presents. And many letters have questions about Santa, the elves and workshops, the reindeer, and, of course, the North Pole.

Now Mrs. Claus has her own gift for you - for the first time ever, she’s taking a break from her very busy schedule to answer real questions from children of all ages. Join her on a tour of the North Pole and learn some of the best kept secrets of Christmas from the person who knows it all – Mrs. Claus!

* How does Santa get into my house if we don’t have a chimney?
* What is Santa’s favorite kind of cookie?
* Where do elves come from? 
* Can all reindeer fly?

Beautifully illustrated by David Wenzel, bestselling illustrator of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, this picture book reveals the answers to the questions children always ask – and they’re all answered by the woman who knows the most: Mrs. Claus!

My Review:  What a fun book!  This book answered all of MY questions and then some.  When a child really starts asking questions about Santa Claus, this is a great resource.  Ms. Love has thought of EVERYTHING. This is a book you can read a little each day for several days.  It is also a reference book to help you answer those difficult questions your child will come up with.  I took three days and read a little each day to my second grade class.  The format is letter/answer; letter/answer etc., so it is very doable.  The illustrations are quite magical and support the text well.   This is a great book to read during cuddle time those weeks before Christmas and those are my favorite kinds of books.

Product Description
Jack helps his mother bake special Christmas cookies and learns about how people long ago used Christmas cookies to tell others the story of Jesus’ birth. This story inspires families to share this important tradition with others.

My Review: This is a great book for reminding your children of the real meaning of Christmas and being more “others-centered.”  The story takes place during the great depression.  With economic times the way they are today, I would say many children could relate to the story.  Children could also relate to the feelings Jack has during the story – he misses his dad and wants to keep the cookies for himself.  The story is simple and to the point.  The illustrator, Deborah Chabrian added beautiful illustrations.  The author even provided a cookie recipe at the end of the book, similar to the one used in the story.  The book ends on a positive note.  This book is a great children’s book for the holidays!

Product Description
Everyone remembers the friendly beasts of the stable at Christmas but what of the creatures of field and forest? From her perch in the rafters a small bird’s heart fills with love. Out over the countryside she flies carrying the glad tidings. Bunny and fox mole and mouse hummingbird and tortoise spider and ladybug all hurry to the stable to welcome the new baby. And what a noisy greeting they give! In lilting lyric verse and magical watercolor paintings Laura Krauss Melmed and Jane Dyer give us a Christmas treasure sure to be a family favorite year after year after year.

My Review: This is a very sweet, very beautifully illustrated Christmas story.  The story is not particularly Biblical, however.  The beautiful poetry never calls the baby by His name.  I never thought there would be snow in Bethlehem.  However, all this said, the book is gorgeous and fun.  It will appeal to the little ones who love all types of animals.  The poetry makes the book interactive when reading to little ones.  I think this book is particularly appropriate for preschoolers sitting on Mom or Dad’s lap during the holidays.  It lends itself to wondering and discussing what it was really like when Jesus was born.

From the Back Cover
“If we want the perfect star to shine upon our tree, 
Look and see that Brightest Star, and there will Christmas be.”

On Christmas we give and get presents, we sing songs, and we decorate our homes. But what is Christmas really about? Is our happy holiday a Holy Day?

Find out why we place the star on the Christmas tree. Imagine Christmas guests as travelers of long ago. And let the beautiful song “Silent Night” fill your mind with pictures of the night Jesus was born. Because Christmas is God’s gift to us—and if we look around and remember, we’ll learn to see the real Christmas.

This endearing story by bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury will capture the hearts of children and parents and grandparents will appreciate the applications they can share.

My Review:  This is a fun repetitive book for young children.  The book lends itself to children “chiming in” while being read to because most pages end with the phrase “and there will Christmas be.”  The illustrations are gorgeous!  The illustrator helps to capture the theme of the true meaning of Christmas.  Children will relate to this book and it can be used as a springboard for a family discussion on celebrating the birth of Christ.  Included are many of the symbols of Christmas such as the tree, the star, the Salvation Army, angels, Santa, Christmas programs, and carols.  This is a great book for young and elementary aged children.  This is a great addition to a child’s holiday library.

Product Description
All over America, kids are losing their teeth. And who is there to gather them up, leaving coins in their places? The Tooth Fairy, of course! A self-described “action kind of gal” with plenty of attitude, she reveals her secrets at last. Learn about her amazing Tooth-o-Finder. Marvel at her ingenious flying machine. Watch her in action, dodging dogs and cats and gerbils. You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? is the essential guide for every kid about to lose a tooth. And don’t forget, February is National Children’s Dental Health Month.

My Review:  This book is funny!  Bell-Rehwoldt begins by telling us what the tooth fairy is NOT, she goes into what she IS and then she gives us rules for leaving teeth!  Children who at the tooth-losing age and their parents will love this book!  The illustrations by David Slonim are colorful, imaginative, and do a great job supporting the text.  I look forward to more books written by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt.

Product Description

This is Thanksgiving, a time to remember the friendships and freedoms we all share together.

When the Pilgrims embarked on their legendary Mayflower voyage in 1620, they couldn’t predict what lay ahead of them. In search of religious freedom and a new life, the settlers faced hardships including harsh storms, illness, and unfamiliar terrain. Thanks to their natural perseverance and the help of their neighbor Indians, the Pilgrims survived their first year. And when the harvest the next fall was plentiful, the Pilgrims and the Indians joined together in a three-day celebration, the first Thanksgiving.

Diane Z. Shore’s lyrical, rhythmic verse and Megan Lloyd’s lively, joyful illustrations bring the Pilgrims’ harrowing experience to life and demonstrate the strong bonds for which we give thanks every year.

My Review:   This is a beautiful book which parents and teachers could easily use to teach children about the first Thanksgiving.  ”Feast” is great for building background information and vocabulary development.    I think this book would be great for upper elementary school students as well as primary.  The rhythm and rhyme provide an added bonus.  I would love to see families make the reading of this book a yearly family Thanksgiving tradition.  From reading, we get  great insight as to what the pilgrims suffered for religious freedom.  I appreciate that the author did not gloss over this part of history.  I recommend This is the Feast for great and informative holiday family reading.

Product Description
Mary is a modern pilgrim girl whose family came to this country for religious freedom. Her family faces hardships, but through the story of the first Thanksgiving, Mary recognizes her blessings. 

From the Back Cover
Most days, Mary loves her new home in America. But now it’s Thanksgiving time, and her family has little food. Mary begins to wish she could go back to Ireland. Life isn’t fair. Even the gift of a pumpkin pie from a kind neighbor doesn’t cheer her.
So, Father tells Mary a story of how the Pilgrims struggled when they first came to America. The seeds they brought with them wouldn’t grow. Native Americans showed the new settlers how to make the soil grow crops. That instruction helped, but the Pilgrims still faced hardships. There were times when they had barely enough food. But five kernels of corn helped the Pilgrims survive and made their faith stronger. 
Will the legend of the five kernels help grow a new faith in Mary too?

My Review:  This is a good book in keeping with the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday.  As Americans we can find ourselves feeling “entitled,” instead of thankful and this book touches on that in the life of a little girl who is a newcomer to the USA. She tends to look back instead of looking ahead.  I think this is a timely book for this year especially as many are facing financial hardships.  The book reminds us to be thankful for what we DO have and to have hope for the future.  Mary’s father gives her (and us) the message of hope by sharing the experiences of the pilgrims.  One of the greatest blessings we have in our country is religious freedom – many people still want to live here for that reason beginning with the pilgrims.  The pilgrims did not have it easy either.  I think children will relate to this book.  Children have tender hearts and will easily understand Mary.  I enthusiastically recommend this book for children ages 4-10.  ”Mary’s First Thanksgiving” is published by Zonderkidz and is available at Christian bookstores and Amazon.com.

Product Description
Ever since Barack Obama was young, Hope has lived inside him. From the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Chicago, from the jungles of Indonesia to the plains of Kenya, he has held on to Hope. Even as a boy, Barack knew he wasn’t quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to listen to Hope and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together.This is the moving story of an exceptional man, as told by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier, both winners of the Coretta Scott King Award. Barack Obama has motivated Americans to believe with him, to believe that every one of us has the power to change ourselves and change our world.

My Review:  This was an interesting book, although above the heads of my second graders.  The book traced Obama’s life from boyhood to adulthood.  The book spoke of Obama’s ideals and hopes for change.  I would recommend this book for upper elementary and even middle school students.  We learned about Obama’s father and Obama’s search to know more about his father; we learned about how and why Obama wants to make a difference with his life; and we learned a teeny more about Obama’s spiritual life.  Nikki Grimes based this book on Obama’s book, Dreams from My Father.  A good and interesting read.

Product Description
Born the son and grandson of military men, Senator John McCain from Arizona was destined for a life serving his country in the armed forces. Like many great men, he occasionally struggled with authority, but once he found his true calling — flying naval aircraft — his ideals and commitment to his country took him far.From the low point of five years as a prisoner of war to the high points of raising a large, happy family and being chosen as the Republican nominee in the 2008 presidential election, Senator McCain has lived an incredible life driven by a love of his country and a desire to serve it to the best of his ability.

This picture book biography, written with great love and insight by his oldest daughter, writer Meghan McCain, shows us the public John McCain and the personal John McCain in a way we’ve never seen before — making this American hero come to life before young eyes. 

My Review:  This book captured the interest of my second graders.  Meghan McCain began the book by saying, “There are a few things you need to know about my dad, and one of them is that he would make a great president.”  She then proceeds to tell his story.  She tells about all of his life – his rebellion in high school, his experience in the Naval Academy, his life in the navy including learning to fly, crashing, being involved in a exploding plane and surviving; his prisoner of war experience; his marriage to Cindy; his senatorial experience; and his two runs for the president.  Whew!  All this was written in a very simple, easy to understand way.  Dan Adreasen had great illustrations throughout.  I would recommend this book for all elementary school students.