... written out there regarding the material aspect of Christmas nice to have a book that grounds children and adults ...
579778
So much trash written out there regarding the material aspect of Christmas nice to have a book that grounds children and adults in what it is we are celebrating.
4523475
Simply elegant and humble yet thought-provoking account of the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I enjoyed the wonderful illustrations by Michael Storrings. This is a wonderful book that would be great for families to share before, during and even after Christmas. It addresses issues that are often left out of the Christmas Story such as the fear of these two young people about to be parents to the One and Only Son of God. This book is a keeper and should be a permanent part of Christmas family traditions year after year.
4448139
This is a heart-warming story about the joys of Christmas as experienced by seven-year-old Christopher. Id say thats a good age to benchmark kids reading this book on their own. Its also a good book for parents reading aloud to their children, with a few subtle jokes that will appeal to those entrusted with reading duty. I liked that the moral message wasn't heavy-handed and felt it was a worthy reminder to me as an adult too. Im not a Bah, humbug! person, but sometimes we forget that Christmas should be much more than a day about food and presents.

Recommend readers buy the print version or read the kindle version on a device with a large screen. I read it on a small screen and I don't think that did the lovely illustrations justice.
4650130
This wonderfully illustrated picture book is a great addition to any Christmas library. The author uses sections of the bible to retell the story of the birth of Jesus. At the bottom of each page the reader is asked questions based on the text so the reader can understand the content better. I really like this because it makes the reader think. This book can be used in a matter of ways for children of all ages to understand the birth of Jesus. The text is simple to understand and the retelling section at the back of the book was a great idea to test the child's comprehension. My children and I enjoyed reading this Christmas story.
4278280
Gave to my grandchildren for Christmas. It was well received by them as it was written in a way that I could not have explained to them.
3862329
This looks like a really simple book, but out of about 25 books I've purchased for my countdown to Christmas collection, this is one of my top favorites. This has a great message about the meaning of Christmas and what it means to give a true "gift." There isn't direct mention of Jesus, but it would be hard for someone to not feel His love after reading this. There are scriptural references.  I think this book will appeal to my children even as they grow older and anticipate that it will be a favorite for years.
4787131
An early Christmas gift for everyone. Sally has the ability to bring out the child in all of us as we
wait for Santa, reliving positive memories or creating the ones you wish you had. With every
book I read of Sally's I get a chance to revisit my childhood and be a little girl again. I particularly enjoyed
this book because for me it was about surprises(I love them). Mr. Getaway surprised the kids with a fun adventure,
the kids were surprised to learn it's possible to be happy helping others and the value of having something you love to do.
There was Christmas Joy all around. This book makes me smile when I think of it. Sally's illustrations and the time she puts into each one to make the most perfect message is remarkable. Her rhyming style is wonderful too for the little ones to remember the important lessons. I look forward to more of Mr. Getaways adventures. That's pretty good for an adult to look forward to reading a children's book. I don't have children of my own and as they say "It's never too late to have a happy childhood." Thank You Sally.
1413837
This is a wonderful book about the gifts and treasures all around us during Christmas time and beyond.  All we have to do is stop long enough to become aware of them. And this book will help the reader do just that.

 This book is about the events of Marla Haines, a young woman who moves through some very difficult times by writing about her reflections. As the world crumbles all around her, writing became a powerful tool for working through these difficult emotions and putting them into perspective.

 Christmas time can be quite busy for everyone. It is a time when we anticipate all the wonderful things of the season. We shop, cook and anticipate the arrival of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

 However, Marla discovered that there is so much more during Christmas that is important in life. There are unwrapped gifts and treasures that people give as a sign of love and compassion for one another.

 These unwrapped gifts are friendship, kindness, generosity, gratitude, courage, compassion, and love. These are things cannot be bought by money and cannot be wrapped up and put under the tree but given freely to another person who may be having a difficult day.

 Another theme that runs through this marvelous book is the importance of sharing our special moments with loved ones, whether it is making a cup of tea and really connecting with them or simply talking. There are so many gifts in moments like these.

 This book will show the reader the true meaning of Christmas and how we should perhaps go beyond the consumerism of the time and dig deeper to discover the true meaning for the season. Buying gifts is nice. But connecting and loving as well as anticipating the birth of our Lord and Saviour are perhaps some of the best gifts of Christmas.

 This book is truly inspiring. The photographs make the book brings home the message of love and compassion. It is a book that must be read and re-read for more depth and understanding.
4208595
I have two boys, ages 8 and 6.  We are not a religious family at all.  My boys are free to ask any questions and explore any religion they would like, and as they grow up, they can decide what fits their lives.  However, at Christmas time, there are so many traditions and songs about Christ and Jesus, and the "Holy Night".  They see the nativities, and the candles and the gift giving, but they didn't understand WHY people have these special traditions at Christmas time.

Christmas is such a big holiday for us, in the loving sense.  Always most important, is family, and love and giving.  But i wanted them to understand where all of this comes from.  So I bought this book. They were in awe and so curious about the Christmas story. It felt good to know they now have a new view on the holiday, because they can understand where many of Christmas practices came from.  I've since passed it on to friends with children, who have the same open religion beliefs in their lives.  They rave about it too.

Oh, the reason for THIS book was because it's written for a VERY young child, and explains the story of Christmas in the most basic terms.  That's exactly what I needed.  It's well below our reading level, but I needed 'basic'.
3864226
I purchased this book through Amazon based on the lovely cover.  It is a welcome addition to my collection of Christmas books, and will rest on my piano during the holiday season.  The other reviewer is correct that it is not a music book, and the title can be misleading, but it is a great book in its own right.  While short on music, the book is full of beautiful illustrations, some of which I've seen before, though many are new treasures.  The art captures the magic of the season, both the sweet and sacred aspects.  The lyrics of carols are given prime space - like a kind of poetry book.  The size of the book is comfortable, and displays the art very well.  It's great to share the art with children (of all ages).  I am very happy with the book and recommend it to anyone who loves Christmas, art, and music.
1987037
I leave this book out for guests to read and enjoy.  It is so beautifully written and illustrated.
The story really makes you stop and remember the real meaning of Christmas.  I know I will enjoy sharing
this book with my granddaughters each and every Christmas.
4290041
I used this book to do an indepth study of Christmas and the traditions surrounding it. Very well done. Learned quite a bit. I enjoyed the author's approach that Christmas, no matter what it started out has, is now a commercially controlled holiday and that when people yearn for the goodness and wholesome old days, they never really existed, at least in America. The Origins of Christmas did a better job dealing with the ancient history of Christmas in the early church, but that was not why this book was written.
4822986
The story is lovely and  it stresses the real meaning of Christmas.  The illustrations are the best I have ever seen.  It should be read every year to children of all ages.  Beautiful concept.  Santa Claus with the huge bag of toys is not what Christmas is all about.  This lovely story  will even appeal to adults.
2274871
Very nice story to tell to young children for Christmas, especially from a Christian viewpoint.  Text is simple and the illustrations are nicely done.
4381327
Beautiful artwork reminiscent of a Dickens era Christmas grace the pages to tell a charming story about a young boy who only wants new skates for Christmas.

It seems almost impossible to believe there once was a time when children wanted something as simple as just a single pair of ice skates considering now its not Christmas without enough presents to practically hide the tree and there must be at least one $500 video game system in the bunch.

Taking into account the emphasis on gifts in modern culture this is the perfect book to be part of your holiday season. Poor Georgie who normally loves finding the perfect tree and decorating it doesnt want to participate in the magic around him because his father told him he may not get the much desired skates. That would be the huge negative in teaching our kids to believe if they are good enough then theyll be showered in presents and since not everyone can afford them what values are we really teaching year after year?

His mom has to point out that Christmas is not ruined as many kids have a habit of believing when that perfect gift they wanted looks out of reach. Maybe the focus needs to be more on helping others instead of what we can buy.

Its a lesson Georgie soon took to heart and did something truly glorious for his parents. Even better when Georgie received his skates his parents explained all the hard work they had to do in order to get them so he would understand that it was their love and not some mythic stranger who wanted to get him his present.

As a parent of kids who struggles every year to fulfill those Christmas present wishes I loved this book because the lesson it teaches truly exemplifies that the season is supposed to be about.
4886479
When I saw this book it reminded me of Christmastime when I was child. Things seemed so simple then and Christmas was not as commercialized as it is now. Also, we weren't reluctant to sing religious songs at Christmas because, back then, nobody would find it offensive. This book has the words to a lot of old favorites as well as black and white illustrations for each. The book I received had a different picture on it, I'm not sure I like it as well as this one, but the book is in excellent condition and I am very pleased with it.
234667
Our family has a tradition of celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas. One of the ways we stretch it out is by pulling out pop-up books, one per day. This little book will be a gift for the children on one of the days of Christmas this year, then it will join ranks with the others we have for the family to enjoy through Epiphany.

The book is small, like the size of the Beatrix Potter books, but thicker. All of the pop ups work well and are nice. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is that it seems to be in part a selection of the longer Christmas ABC's book from the same author/paper tech. I found the "Look Inside" feature a little misleading for that reason.