Muddy Spring

Flashback: Christmas Book Advent
I was so pleased with how this worked with our "Christmas/Santa Bag".  I wanted to share some new to us Christmas books that we used in our advent:



This is a cute story of friendship and turning accidents/possible failures into success using what you know. It's written in simple sentences. It's illustrated by fun woodcuts. It's a sweet story about two friends who successfully fufill an assignment given to them by Santa. There's stamping (with stamps) on paper, there's gardening (a tree) and friendship. I love this off the beaten path story. I got a request to "read it again" immediately from both kids.



This book is beautiful in message, illustration and story.  It's loosely based on a historic Christmas Train, thematically about paying debts of kindness and not getting what you want, but what you really need.  The illustrations are beautiful.  Tiny wasn't the least bit interested in this book.  Mowg was fascinated by an old police car.   It's a great story that I think will grow on them in time.
As part of the advent on Christmas Eve we had a book for each child wrapped in the Santa Bag.
Tiny opened The Christmas Cat

This is a sweet story about a cat that finds a home for Christmas. It's a simple story the illustrations are classic Tasha Tudor. Tiny loved looking for the cat on each page. Mowg said he liked the story and could still tell me the outline of the story a week later.

Mowg opened:


He didn't like it. This is the story of a boy's sacrifice for his Dad and his discovery of the love that they had for each other. This is a great Pearl S. Buck story--but a little too complex (in its simplicity) for him. I love the story and enjoy Mark Buehner's illustration style.

Have I overwhelmed you? One more. I've seen this and avoided it as the cover didn't really draw me in.  Don't judge a book by it's cover! This is a fantastic book! I'm so grateful to the friend who shared her extra copy with us.  It's so much fun.  It answers the question of what snowmen do at night and why often the next day they don't look as good as they did when you left them. Lots of comedy in the illustrations--but then you probably already know all about it.  If not check it out.