A Pirate's Night Before Christmas by Philip Yates Illustrated by Sebastia Serra

from goodreads

5 stars

I don't know what it is about pirates, but man they sure are fun. As soon as my kids' eye catch a pirate book they have to get it. Miss G even wants to make pirate gingerbread men for Santa because of the book The Gingerbread Pirates.

When you think about the history of pirates and what they were like in real life, they really weren't so fun. In fact, I would not want to encounter them or encourage my kids to learn of them and their ways.

I guess that what happens with the distance of time. Things, that in reality were quite horrible, become fun through nostalgia. We have the luxury of picking out the good things so we can have fun and casually ignore the horror.

So, thanks time. Modern pirate kid books will have a place on our shelves because of you.

Synopsis

It is the night before Christmas on the Sarrk and the pirates are waiting for Sir Peggedy. A great piratey take on the Clement C. Moore Poem, The Night Before Christmas.

My Thoughts

This was such a fun book. Like his other book, A Pirate's Twelve Days of Christmas, Yates does a great job of planting you into pirate's life and becoming one of the crew.

I love the pirate jargon, and Sir Peggedy. I love how Yates is able to keep true to the original yet make it completely his own. Serra's unique fun style of illustrations add life and vibrancy to the tale.

This is a great, fun, Christmas book that is definitely going to be a classic in our house.

The Santa Trap by Jonathan Emmett Illustrated by Poly Bernatene

from goodreads

3 stars

Well... I am slowly starting to feel a bit more Christmassy. On the weekend we went to a nearby tree farm and got our Christmas tree. It looked way smaller in the field. In reality it takes up like half our living room. But, it makes me smile every time I see it. It is definitely worth the slight inconvenience if it does that.

It was the kids Christmas party at my husbands work on Saturday as well.  They always do such a great job. Miss P's dreams were fulfilled because she finally got to sit on Santa's knee. She has been talking about doing that for weeks. And, for the first year in a long time our family didn't make the cry wall! Now if that isn't an accomplishment I don't know what is.

Synopsis

Bradley Bartelby is bad and never likes the presents Santa leaves him, so he has come up with a plan.

My Thoughts

If I was rating this just on my own without thinking of how my children enjoyed it, it would only be a 2. My husband and children enjoyed it and chuckled, but I really did not enjoy this book.

I didn't like how the parents were spineless. I didn't like how Bradley really didn't seem to learn anything. I understood why Bradley built the Santa's Trap, but I felt he didn't learn from this experience and thus would not change his ways. That seems like a waste. To me it was a "what was the point" type book. I know that not all children's books have to have a logical point but it should still be fun, and for me it just wasn't.

I did like the drawings. I did like the elephant element. And I did like what happens at the end with the tigers. I could see the beginnings of Bradley humbling himself. But because the end didn't show real character change I just felt it was a let down.

Your kids will probably have fun with this book so it is worth stomaching it, but for the adult, unless you are like my husband, it will leave something lacking.

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Canada by Ellen Warwick Illustrated by Kim Smith

from goodreads

3 stars

December 1st! I guess it is really time to get serious about Christmas. Usually by this time if I haven't bought things I have at least a list made up and some sort of plan. This year... not happening. It's not that I'm anti-Christmas or feeling particularly grinchy. I just haven't got my brain to the place of sugar plum fairies yet. I'm sure I'll get there, hopefully before December 24th.

What do you to help you get into the Christmas spirit?

Synopsis

Two children and their grandmother travel across Canada over twelve days.

My Thoughts

This book confused me. It's a picture book, but then it is also a travel guide to Canada. Though the pictures look like it should be a book for kids 4-8, it is more appropriate for 10-12.

For every day there is a lengthy letter telling all about what they did on that particular day. And then on the other page there is an added line to the song of The Twelve Days of Christmas. The letter is too long to hold little kids attention so we just looked at the pictures and sang the song. When I read it myself later the letters were full of fun and cool facts and made me excited to take a cross Canada tour. You can learn a lot. So, if you are reading it then I would totally change how you read it according to what kids you are reading it to.

This book celebrates all fun things Canada, but in a rather long winded way. While I think it is great I think it is missing its target audience, or at least is unsure of who the target audience is. Because of this confusion I don't think this book will be as loved as it should.

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

from goodreads

3.5 stars

Today is a sad day. Target is closing their stores in Canada. Now, I try not to buy too much. I am trying to get out of the consumeristic mindset that we seem to be in, but I loved Target. They had some of the neatest things. While the business model and research they did before branching out into Canada was quite flawed and all this could have been avoided, I sure wished they would have tried to change things up and stick it out instead of just cutting and running. I just don't want Wal-marts to paint the scene. Nothing against Wal-mart but I think we have enough of them. Hopefully this means an opportunity for some other company to come in and wow us.

Anyway, sorry for no thought provoking cute anecdotes today. My mind is just consumed with grief over this news... I should be better by tomorrow... hopefully.

Synopsis

Milo is looking forward to a nice quiet Christmas holiday with his family. He gets his homework done and everything. Then one by one, guests come to the hotel, where he and his family live. While this means no quiet vacation it does mean a mystery as there is more going on than what it seems.

My Thoughts

This is a hard one to rate. In some regards this book is a big 5 stars, in others it kind of tanked.

So let's start with things I loved. I loved the setting of this book. The house sounds beautiful. I want to live there, or at least visit for a while. I love the idea of needing a cable car to reach it. That sounds really cool.

I loved some of the folk lore that was created and how every small detail was important. It is nice when there are stories within stories. Especially when they are important to the main story arc and not just added pages.

I liked the mystery. It was neat and fun to try and figure out. Right when you had one thing resolved another thing happened that you had to piece together. That was cool, as it kept you on your toes.

I also liked the surprise twist at the end. It made me rethink everything I had read and look again for the clues that would have showed me that conclusion. I wasn't really expecting it, yet, it worked!

I didn't like the whole role playing game. While I get that Milo's character had more courage or could do different things when he was his role playing character it sometimes made it confusing. I think because I personally am just not into those kinds of games I just didn't get it. Others who are into those kind of games might love this kind of storytelling device. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

It was hard to keep a timeframe in mind for this place as it seemed pretty timeless. You know it is modern day because of modern conveniences etc. Yet other times it seems like it should be more early 20th century. I wished it felt more settled in the time. It was hard to picture people's clothing, or vehicles or other stuff, when the time seemed to flip flop around in it's sense. (Not sure if I am making any sense, but trust me, it was hard to picture.)

Some of the characters where a bit flat to me. They were still interesting, but not as much as I wished.

I also wished we knew more about the community. Why were smugglers so important there, was the town a hidden cove or an important stop on a trade route? Was it a small town, as it seemed to feel, or part of a larger region, which the story also had the feel of. There were sometimes hints and allusions to these answers but nothing concrete, and I found not knowing distracting to the rest of the story. Also, why wouldn't have Milo and Meddy have met before? Was it a big enough area that there were more than one school? It seemed like a town where everyone knew everyone else, but clearly that wasn't the case.

I think I would have enjoyed this book a whole lot more when I was 12. Since I am not 12, I think I wanted more. So, if you have a 12 year old in your life, I highly recommend it . I think they will love it. As an adult reading it, I think you will like it too, but you probably won't have your socks knocked off.

Winter's gift by Jane Monroe Donovan

from goodreads

4 stars

This as been a long and cold winter. And, just as you think it is warming up, another cold snap happens. Winter just won't let up. Oh well! At least the sun is out today and the sky is blue. I can laze on my couch in the sun this afternoon drinking a warm herbal tea and reading. I definitely don't mind that part of winter.

Synopsis

The events in this book take place on Christmas eve. There are two story lines. The first is of a recently widowed old man going about his life and reminiscing of his wife. The second is of a wild mare who has lost her way from her herd and is stuck in the snow. When the two story lines meet the horse is saved and is and the man has a new found hope for his future and perhaps in a small way, misses his wife a little bit less keenly.

My Thoughts

I loved the illustrations in this book. They were very realistic. I sort of want them in a calendar they are  so beautiful. When you look at them you feel the cold air of winter, but you also feel the warmth of inside. They were simply wonderful.

As for the story, it wasn't too bad either. Once again the story was real. There were now flowery words or dumbing down of events. You got to understand how much this man pined for the love of his life. How much she meant to him and how sad he was that she was gone. It is kind of nice for kids to see. That those kind of deep connections still exist in this world where a lot of times marital relationships are taken for granted and dissolved so often. It was nice to see that once the man helped the horse and saw the foal that he felt hope again for his life of tomorrows. It is nice to show kids that even when we are sad, or things aren't exactly how we would like them, there is always a hope for a brighter tomorrow. That things will look up and there is always something to keep us going.

I found the ending kind of abrupt. One minute it is winter time in a barn, you turn the page and suddenly it is spring, with no other explanation. Perhaps none is needed but I just found the change a bit sudden and felt a bit hanging. The book did feel as complete as it could of been. But that could just be me.

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson illustrated by Axel Scheffler

from goodreads

4.5 stars

I don't know about your kids, but mine love picking up sticks. My middle one especially. We could be in the middle of a parking lot, no trees around, and yet, she can find a stick to pick up. Unbelievable. The basket under the stroller gets full of these treasures and our doorway is like a tree graveyard it is so full of sticks. (I make them leave the sticks and leaves and rocks outside. I have too much junk inside as it is!) This book made me wonder if we have unknowingly picked up any stick men and carried them far from their home.

Synopsis

Stick Man has a great life living with his lady love and his three children. One day while out for a run (kudos to Stick Man for having a healthy lifestyle) a dog gets him and wants to play fetch. From that point on Stick Man moves from one person to another getting farther and farther from his home.

My Thoughts

I loved the Gruffalo, also from this duo, and I love this book. Even though it is technically a Christmas book you could read this all year long. It really doesn't have much to do with Christmas at all.

The way the book rhymed and the rhythm in which it was read was very enjoyable. The pictures were so cool. You felt you were really with Stick Man as he was being made into a nest, or being tossed in a game of fetch.

I really liked how creative the author was with what she had Stick Man become. They were all believable and it exactly what kids might use it for. To children sticks can become anything. Donaldson captured that so well.

The think that bothered me about the book was not knowing what his lady love was doing and thinking the whole time he was gone. Was she worried or sad? What she having a party because she was glad he was gone? You get a little glimpse at the very end, but it would have been nice to have an inkling of what was going on with her. Like he was gone for months and months. Was she looking for him? Did she file a missing stick report? But, that is an adult perspective on a children's book. For the actually kids, they just loved the story and didn't worry about the other stuff.

I think you will love this book and your children will love this book. At my library it was filed under their Christmas section, so you may have to wait until the next Christmas season for it to be accessible. It is definitely worth the wait.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss

from goodreads

5 stars

It is Christmas Eve, Santa comes tonight! It is very exciting!!! This book is a Christmas classic. I love it. And I am not afraid of the Grinch trying to steal our presents tonight. We have our Christmas goat standing guard, protecting our gifts. Thanks Ikea!

Synopsis

The Grinch lives in the mountains above Whoville. The Grinch hates Christmas more than anything in the world. The Whos in Whoville love Christmas a lot! Well The Grinch decides he is going to stop Christmas from coming by stealing all the Christmas paraphernalia. Will he succeed?

My Thoughts

I loved this story. I loved it ever since I was a little girl. Every year I waited with anticipation to watch the cartoon version on T.V. It is my favourite Christmas special.

I love the descriptions Dr. Seuss uses. They are easy for children to understand. The whole heart being two sizes too small thing. I love his dog Max, and how well the Grinch can get down and up the Chimney. Santa has magic on his side, I don't know how the Grinch manages to do it.

I also love that this book teaches the moral that Christmas isn't about the receiving of presents without being preachy about it. The Whos simply carry on with their Christmas festivities without any fuss or muss. We see the Grinch's change of heart and it is more powerful because he came up with it himself. With our observance of his change, we get to reflect on what Christmas means to each of us. Dr. Seuss doesn't tell us what it means, just that it means a little bit more. We can leave the interpretation up to ourselves. I like that.

I know that this book can be over done, but it is such a classic. And this is one classic that to me, never gets old!

Have a wonderful Christmas. I hope that Santa leaves a great book under your tree or onto your e-reader. (I am hoping that Santa is going to leave me lots of time to get some of my reading done ;) )

The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas by Stan & Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain

from goodreads

3 stars

Growing up I loved Berenstain Bear books. I loved it when my teacher at school read them to us. Sister Bear was my favourite. Now as an adult, I read them to my kids, and find some of them are a bit more preachy then I remember. But, the morals are good, and maybe the things that I find preachy are the things that I need to work on. So thanks for the reminder Berenstains!

Synopsis

It is Christmas in Bear Country and the bears are all fighting over toys at the Bear Country mall and trying to out do neighbours in the decorating department. Santa Bear sees this and gets annoyed and says if things don't change he is going to cancel Christmas! Mama Bear, always the wise voice of reason, discovers that she doesn't like how commercial and over the top Christmas is getting and does her best to change how her family is acting in hopes that it will save Christmas and make Santa Bear happy.

My Thoughts

While this book does a good job of letting children know that Christmas is more about kindness and love then getting gifts, it seems a bit odd to me. Why didn't Mama Bear express her desire for more simple decorations before Papa and the Cubs put up all the decorations on the tree house? Like she was there, and that seems like a lot of wasted time and effort if it just going to be pulled down again.

Also, as if all their neighbours took down all their stuff, just because the Bear family simplified. Maybe it makes sense to kids, but as an adult, who does that?

So on the whole, it is a good book to get kids thinking about Christmas, and what it truly means and that it is a time of thanks and giving, more than huge wishlists and crazy behaviour. So the kids will like it. As the adult reading it, it is not quite as enjoyable, but then anytime you are sharing a story with children it is great. So read it in that spirit, not for your own edification.

A Piratey Christmas

From goodreads

The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup illustrated by Matt Tavares

4 stars

The pirates are back! When I saw this I knew I had to check it out. The gingerbread pirates on the cover were so cute!

Synopsis

On Christmas Eve, Jim and his mother are decorating gingerbread men. Jim decides to make pirates. Jim's favourite is a captain with a toothpick peg leg. That night when everyone is asleep Captain Cookie comes alive and is determined to find his crew and save them from the cannibal Santa Claus.

My Thoughts

This was a great book. I am so glad I picked it up. the illustrations were great. The expressions that the different gingerbread pirates had were priceless.

I love the idea of Santa being a cannibal. Sometimes during Christmas I wonder about the decorating of human looking cookies. Though cute, it is rather twisted, so it is nice that this book dealt with it.

This is a great book that helps us remember the magic of Christmas. Your kids will love this book, and you will too.

from goodreads

A Pirate's Twelve Days of Christmas by Philip Yates illustrated by Sebastia Serra

4 stars

We got this book out last year, and as soon as the Christmas books came out at the library this year the kids grabbed it again. I don't think they know what the real words to the Twelve Days of Christmas are.  It is kind of funny hearing them sing Christmas songs about cutlasses and a parrot in a palm tree.

Synopsis

On the eve of Christmastide the Captain tells his mates that they are going to go off plundering and that the cabin boy has to stay and swab the decks. When the cabin boy tells them it's Christmas the Captain said that the holiday is only for landlubbers and that he has to stay by himself on the boat. Then presents keep appearing and the cabin boy and the pirates know that Christmastide is the best time of year.

My Thoughts

Once again, a piratey Christmas, you got to love it. I love that the book can be sung to the Twelve Days of Christmas song. Any book you can sing along with is great. 

I love all the pirate speak. You really get a pirate feeling reading all the pirate jargon. I love that they refer to Santa as "jolly ol' Sir Peggedy". At the end of the book there is a Pirate Glossary, so the kids can know what the different pirate terms mean. What a smart idea.

Every book I read I like to read the acknowledgments and book dedications. The one by the author is definitely worth the read. It is lovely.

This is just such a fun book. I think it will be a Christmas favourite for years to come 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

from goodreads

5 stars

It is nearing the end of the first week of December. Christmas preparations are in full swing. My family and I cut down our Christmas tree last weekend. The smell is heavenly. With all this thought of Christmas I decided to read A Christmas Carol. It is the first time I have actually read it. I have seen many movie renditions, even with Scrooge McDuck, but I had never taken the time to read it. I'm so glad I took the time this year.

Synopsis

Ebeneezer Scrooge is a misery old man who is a penny pincher and uber tightwad. The accumulation of wealth is his soul focus in life, and his social conscience is rather lacking. On Christmas eve he is visited by four ghosts

: the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley, the ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present and the ghost of Christmas future. Through his experiences with these ghosts Scrooge learns what is truly important in life and decides how he wants to live his life from now on.

My Thoughts

This was a truly delightful tale. I don't know why it took me so long to read it. Perhaps it is because it is written by Dickens. Dickens can be wordy and thus, at times, be hard to follow. A Christmas Carol is not horribly wordy and was a very fast read. So don't be turned off by the fact it is Dickens, it is very readable and does not make your head hurt.

The edition I read was illustrated by P.J. Lynch. The illustrations were so beautiful and enhanced the story. Some illustrated additions have rather grotesque images. The pictures in this edition made you feel the warmth of Christmas and chronicled the change in Scrooge very well. They were perfect.

I love how positive this book is. It shows that no matter what are faults are we can change, it is never too late to change, and it is worth the effort to make those positive changes.

I also like how the spirits did not lecture Scrooge on his faults. They simply showed him how things were and left it up to Scrooge to feel guilt and sadness and come up with the idea to change. Quite often we are well aware of our own imperfections. We don't need people harping about them. Gentle reminders and kindness help us change more than lectures.

Although this story is over done in movie renditions, even the Muppets have a version, it is so worth the read. And this time of year is the perfect time. It will definitely help put you in the holiday spirit.