When the biggest snowstorm of the year hits, one little girl is glad that there is no electricity, because it means that everyone will slow down and enjoy the snow. Her family eats dinner by candlelight, and snuggles together in front of the fire. They make a blanket fort, and sleep all together in one big mattress. The little girl makes a wish on a snowglobe, wishing for peace on earth. In the morning, all their neighbors come out to play in the snow and they join hands around a Christmas tree.

The focus in this book is about all kinds of people coming together in peace to enjoy the simple pleasures of life like playing in the snow. The mother and father in the story are a bi-racial couple. Their neighbors are all ages from babies to grandparents, and from many different races and cultural backgrounds. Even the cat and dog get along together and promote peace!

I loved the sweet illustrations with clean lines and soft pastel colors. Each character is so cute! The little girl who makes the snow globe wish is completely adorable from start to finish. I love how cozy the family looks in their blanket fort.

There are a lot of side characters who appear in the background, making a snowman, driving home from work in the snow, walking their dog, shoveling snow, having a snowball fight, building a snowfort, making snow angels, or pulling a little sled for the toddlers.

Just ordinary people taking time to enjoy a little respite from their everyday lives and have fun in the snow! Reminding us that it's important to slow down sometimes and enjoy life.

The story is told in poetry, with good rhymes and a flowing meter. It's a simple story with a powerful message.

The cover is lovely, with glitter covering the snow on the dustjacket. The end papers are a beautiful soft green color with little drawings of snowflakes, sleds, and ice skates on them.

I can't wait to read this book with my nieces!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

The child of an innkeeper in Bethlehem shows Mary and Joseph to the stable, bringing them some blankets and cleaning out the animals' trough to be used as the manger for the baby. In the middle of the night, the child hears a baby crying and sneaks out to the stable to visit the Christ-child. Angels are singing in the heavens, a bright star shines over the stable, and local shepherds come to worship. The child is proud to be a part of the miracle of Jesus' birth, and keeps the King close in their heart.

This book was so sweet and lovely that it actually made me cry while I was reading it! So adorable, it really touched my heart. Despite the simplicity of the story, it has deep spiritual undertones that are sure to speak to the reader in a profound way.

The story is told in poetry, and the phrases flow smoothly with good rhymes. The meter is consistent and the wording is expressive. The story line is simple and sweet, as the innkeeper's child helps Mary and Joseph to get settled in the stable and then visits the baby Messiah.

The illustrations are very soft and blurry with a watercolor style and muted colors. It almost looks impressionistic, and is very appropriate for the story. The characters faces are blurred in the illustrations, leaving room for the imagination, and giving the impression of years of history, since the people seem far away in time. I don't quite know how to describe the style, but I really like it!
Each page has a beautiful green and gold border that makes the text and artwork stand out.

I just loved this sweet Christmas story! And I appreciated the unique idea to retell the Christmas history from the perspective of the innkeeper's child. I don't think I've ever seen a Christmas story quite like this one! It really is a special book.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

The children are climbing aboard the GoodNight Train on their way to find Santa on Christmas Eve! The engine runs on cookies and makes a jingle jingle sound as it chugs along. The conductor makes sure everyone has their ticket, their PJs, and a snug blanket. The train whooshes past gingerbread houses, candy canes, squirrels celebrating Christmas with acorn gifts, and finally finds Santa counting sheep as the reindeer take a nap. "Wake up! Wake up!... Next stop: North Pole!"

The story is told is delightful rhyme. I really liked the writing, and the poetry has good rhymes and a lovely rhythm in the meter. It's very easy to read out loud, and flows off the tongue smoothly. There are also places where onomatopoeia is used to mimic the train whistles, "Whoooo! Whoooo!" Those things would be fun to read aloud with a child!

The illustrations are adorable with festive colors! There is snow on the ground, and the whole train is decorated with wreaths and twinkle lights. The elves at the North Pole are colorful and cute. Each child in the train has their own little bed with comfy pillows.

There are lots of little details in the illustrations that add to the story, like drawers full of maps in Santa's workshop labeled "Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, and Outer Space". There is a lamb in the background who dreams about stealing the engine cookies and eating them all.

Santa's face is never shown as he is always one step ahead of the train. We see only his boot running off the edge of the page, or the back of his sleigh as he speeds out of sight, until the end where he gives toys to the children on the train. Even then, we only see the back of his head. It's a fun detail that adds to the mystery and magic of Santa!

One of the things that makes this book special is the hidden story line of the lost bear. At the beginning of the book, a little boy drops his teddy bear as he gets on the train, and the bear spends the rest of the book trying to catch up with his boy. He hops onto a passing reindeer, and on the next page he climbs into Santa's sled, then the bear is seen inside Santa's sack. Finally at the end of the book, Santa returns the teddy bear to the little boy in the train, and the last page is a sweet illustration of the boy hugging his teddy as he sleeps peacefully aboard the train heading home at the end of their adventures. None of this is mentioned in the actual text, but it's a lovely detail that shows just how much careful thought and imagination went into this book.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

A little rabbit named Bun-Bun can't sleep. She looks up to see a bright star moving through the sky and decides to follow it. She is joined by Happy the red bird, Baa-Baa the lamb, and a snowman with heart buttons. Together they follow the star through the forest and valleys until they arrive at a stable, where they worship the newborn King of Kings. But as they move into the stable, the snowman begins to melt in the warmer air! Can Bun-Bun save her snowman friend before he's completely gone?

The story is told in awkward rhyme for the first three pages, and then in plain prose without rhyming. I'm not sure why the writing style changes in the middle of the book. The poetry was strained anyway, so I was glad when it was gone.

Other than that, it's a very cute story with sweet characters. The illustrations are delightful and festive with holly berries, Christmas ribbons, fir trees, and winter snow. The colors are rich and warm, giving the book a cozy feeling despite all the snow.

Bun-Bun is adorable and fluffy, and she and her friends have some fun along the journey as they slide down snowy hillsides, or stop to rest and sing a few songs. Bun-Bun and her friends are in awe of the Baby they find in the stable, and their hearts are full of Christmas love!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Dasher and her reindeer family are prisoners at a traveling circus, and they tell stories about the cool snow and clear stars of the North Pole. Dasher daringly escapes and searches for the North Pole, using the North Star as her guide. She meets a man dressed in red, struggling to deliver toys to children with only one horse to pull his sleigh. Dasher agrees to help him deliver the toys, and wishes that her family could enjoy the beauty and freedom of the North Pole.

I loved this book! The story is sweet and touching, and the illustrations are beautiful!

Dasher is a lovely character, and I loved following the story from her perspective as she navigates the perils of escaping from the circus, and encounters a mysterious and magical Santa. She is full of spirit and family loyalty and kindness.

The illustrations are soft and old-fashioned with gentle colors. I especially like the details on the reindeer's fur, and the bright stars and delicate snow. It really captures the imagination, and brings the story to life!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

One little girl is on a mission to discover who Santa really is. Is it the Santa in the mall, the Santa from the Christmas Parade, or the Santa with a bell and a donation bucket? Or could it be a bearded old man in a coffee shop? With notebook and pencil, she asks penetrating questions as she sleuths around to find the answers. Can she crack the case and discover the REAL Santa?

The illustrations are colorful and festive, with a charming pencil style. The background of each page has interesting details that add to the story. For instance, the Santa in the mall has "Peppermint Beard Oil" stashed behind his Santa chair, along with a book about "How to be a Good Listener" and a toy catalog. So cute! Those details really make this story special.

There are also Christmas trees, snowmen, Christmas wreaths, gingerbread men, and snowflakes all over the book. Just reading it makes me feel festive!

I LOVED the rhyming style of the writing. So many children's picture books have terrible rhymes, but this one is wonderful! I enjoyed reading it, because the words flow naturally and the rhymes don't feel forced.

The little girl in the story asks really good questions like "Where do the reindeer sleep?" and "Do the elves live in the workshop or have their own separate houses?" "Do you take vacations?" It makes for an excellent story as her questions are answered and she discovers the magic surrounding Santa.

Such a sweet story and a beautiful book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Peppa and her school class are planning their Christmas play. Peppa wants to be a Christmas fairy in the play, and she invites Santa to attend at the school along with all the parents. But Santa is very busy. The schoolmates see him at malls, grocery stores, garden centers, and even at the tree shop. Peppa is sure he will be able to come to their school play, but Madame Gazelle, their teacher, warns Peppa that Santa might not come. The show must go on, even if Santa doesn't make an appearance.

This adorable picture book has a simple storyline perfect for little children. The writing is easy to read and excellent for beginning readers.

The first part of the story describes what each of the schoolmates will be for the school play, and all the animals prepare their costumes as snowflakes, reindeer, elves, a Christmas tree, and a Christmas star. Suzy Sheep wants to be a Christmas nurse, so she can doctor anyone who is sick at the play! It's so cute!

The illustrations are bright and colorful with smiling animal characters. Santa is extremely round and very jolly! Each scene has cute details in the background as the friends do arts and crafts, dress up in their costumes, and meet Santa. Each page is festive and full of life!

The best part about this hardcover edition is that the dust jacket folds out with a coloring poster on the back! Each of the animal characters are depicted wearing their Christmas costumes ready to be colored in. It might ruin the dust jacket to have little people coloring all over it, and set a dangerous precedent of coloring in books, but what a fun activity!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are no influenced by anyone.

This Christmas book goes from A to Z as snowmen characters demonstrate the joys and delights of Christmas. A is the "aroma of a warm cup of cocoa," while C is for the "cookies, candy, and snow cones shared with a friend", and I is for the "incredible snowflakes". Each page features snowmen and snow-women singing carols, toasting marshmallows, putting on mittens and scarves, and decorating their Christmas trees.

The artwork is adorable! Such cute little snowmen in sweet hats and coats with lots of Christmas decorations around them. The colors are very festive! But a couple of the illustrations are used twice, and XYZ are lumped together on one page with "Yuletide blessings" making do for all three letters.

The writing doesn't always make sense together with the illustrations or make sense at all. I just think it could have been better written.
For instance, P is for "All of life's surprises... no Peeking!" and there is a snowman holding a broom, cuddling a teddy bear, and covering his eyes. That's all it says. It doesn't say 'no peeking at the presents before Christmas' or anything. It doesn't even have a gift in the illustration to suggest that we shouldn't peek at the presents. Just "no Peeking" at "All of life's surprises". So I'm not supposed to peek at life's surprises? What does that even mean? How would I "peek" at the surprises life throws at me? Am I a fortune-teller? It doesn't make sense.



Another weird one is for N which says "the rosey cheeks and Noses of children and tissues!" And a child snowman has a red Christmas ornament for a nose. The weird part is the addition of "tissues!" Woohoo. Don't you just LOVE tissues at Christmas time? That's my favorite part of Christmas. The tissues. (Sarcasm alert.)



It's a cute book, and the illustrations are sweet and adorable, but I think I would enjoy reading this with a child just to look at the pictures, and not read the words.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are no influenced by anyone.

Everywhere in Bustletown people are getting things done, going to their piano lessons, doing their shopping, finding lost objects, buying a Christmas tree, skating on the pond, getting their car repaired, and tending to the animals. Everywhere you look there is something interesting happening and a story line to follow!

I love the colorful and detailed illustrations! Each page is beautifully drawn with fun little details to draw the reader in. I'm 37 years old, and I was fascinated with each beautiful scene!

It's so fun to search for people in the hustle and bustle of the scenery and follow them from page to page as their little story unfolds. Someone loses their wallet and keys, and through each page we see a good citizen trying to return the lost property. Anne misses her bus, and we follow her through the many streets as she runs after the bus on each page. Cara has an encounter with a baby, and through the pages begins to realize that she may need a new hat, so she goes shopping.

The simple stories of each person are full of humor and surprises as they find themselves in hilarious situations. Everything is so ordinary, but strangely fascinating at the same time. Everyday people doing everyday things, but they all have some little secret. They secretly hate their neighbor's music, or they secretly love wacky hats. A mysterious motorcyclist rides through each page until his true identity is revealed at the end. A girl chases her lost parrot, only to find him at the scene of a car accident.

This book is perfect for little readers to search for individual people and items in the pages!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Media Masters Publicity in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

Little Robin has seven beautiful vests to keep him warm in the winter, but he gives them away to animals who are freezing in the snow, until on Christmas Eve he only has one vest left. He meets a lonely mouse who is shivering in the cold, and gives away his last vest. Now Little Robin will be frozen, unless a certain jolly fellow in a red coat can find this generous bird and give him the most precious Christmas gift of all.

Little Robin is such a sweet and generous little guy! He meets a lot of different animals struggling to stay warm in the snow and ice of the winter, and thoughtfully offers them a knitted vest to keep them warm and cozy.

He meets a mole, a squirrel, a frog, a rabbit, a baby otter, and a hedgehog, and they are all adorable characters who are grateful to have some warm clothing. The rabbit is so big that he has to wear Robin's little bird-size vest as a hat, and his long rabbit ears stick out of the arm holes! haha! So cute! But the small vest is just the right size for the baby otter.

I am amazed at the beautiful illustrations. The snow really feels cold, and the details on the knitted vests make them look so cozy and soft. You can even see individual stitches in the knitting pattern of the vests! Each vest is a different color with a cute wintry embroidery pattern on it. I just love the color scheme, and sweet expressions on the animals' faces.

I loved all the little details in the background of each illustration, like footprints in the snow, trees covered in ice, and red berries ripening on a branch. These are things that draw the reader into the wintry world of the story.

The best part of this book is when Santa finds Little Robin freezing in the snow, and snuggles Little Robin into his Santa beard for warmth on the sleigh ride to his home in the North Pole. So adorable and Christmasy! What a Santa thing to do! haha!

An interesting feature in the story is the emphasis in the writing about how many vests are left after one have been given away and how that corresponds with how many days are left until Christmas. Robin has six vests left, and there are six days until Christmas. Then Robin has only five vests left, and there are five days until Christmas. This is a brilliant way to get children to do a little math along with the story, and it's so subtle that they won't even know they are learning!

The pages are thick and matte, with a sturdy hardcover. But the really special thing is the foil overlays on the dust jacket that make the snow sparkle on the cover. It looks so pretty!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.