Book Review: Christmas Kitten, Home at Last by Robin Pulver

✰✰✰✰✰ All the presents have been delivered and Santa has returned to the North Pole with a surprise for Mrs. Claus, an adorable homeless kitten named Cookie. But, alas, Santa is allergic to cats, so Mrs. Claus searches through letters from children who want kittens. She finds the perfect match, but there's a glitch. Santa needs permission from parents to give pets as Christmas presents. What is he to do? When Cookie discovers an unopened letter, Santa may have found the answer to his problem.

The Bottom Line: Kids will love this Christmas tale of how Cookie the kitten finds a home. Christmas Kitten, Home at Last is the sequel to Christmas for a Kitten, but can be read as a stand alone book. The artwork in this picture book is beautifully painted in oils. Highly recommended for kids ages 5 - 9 and for anyone who loves a great Christmas animal story.

Details: Christmas Kitten, Home at Last written by Robin Pulver & illustrated by Layne Johnson. Hardcover published by Albert Whitman & Company in 2010. 32 p. ISBN: 978-0-8075-1157-2

Book Review: Christmas Trees by Kathryn Stevens

✰✰✰ Christmas trees have been a part of our holiday celebrations for a long time, but what do we really know about the tradition? This slim book introduces kids to basic information about Christmas trees. Kids get a brief introduction on everything from choosing a Christmas tree to decorating one. The book is illustrated with full color photographs and even includes a glossary and resources for further reading. Call-out boxes in the shape of Christmas gift tags draw attention to related information.

The Bottom Line: Christmas Trees is part of the "Our Holiday Symbols" series which includes Thanksgiving Turkeys, Fourth of July Fireworks, Easter Bunnies, and more. It is a fun introduction to information about a favorite holiday tradition. Recommended for kids in grades K - 2. Also, recommended for school or public libraries with holiday collections.

Details: Christmas Trees by Kathryn Stevens. Hardcover published in 2010 by The Child's World. 24 p. ISBN: 978-1602533325

Book Review: When Santa Lost His Ho! Ho! Ho! by Laura Rader

✰✰✰ Now and then everyone gets a mild case of the holiday blues, but when Santa Claus looses his Ho! Ho! Ho!, the whole world is concerned. With Christmas just a few days away, people everywhere, including the elves and Mrs. Claus, try to help Santa, but to no avail. Nothing makes Santa laugh. Then while helping Santa catch up with his mail, Mrs. Claus has an idea, but is it too late before Christmas?

The Bottom Line: Filled with cute and colorful pen and ink cartoons, this picture book is fun holiday reading any time of the year for kids in grades 1 - 3.

Details: When Santa Lost His Ho! Ho! Ho! written and illustrated by Laura Rader. Hardcover published by HarperCollins Publishers in 2008. 40 p. ISBN: 978-0-06-114139-3

Book Review: Small, Medium and Large by Jane Monroe Donovan

✰✰✰½ In this wordless picture book, a Christmas wish unfolds through beautiful illustrations when a little girl writes a letter to Santa. As we follow along, we discover whether her Christmas wish is granted. When three special presents are left under the tree, the snowy adventure begins.

The Bottom Line: This picture book tells a story by using only illustrations, which encourages the viewer to follow along and discuss the actions in the pictures. The book is full of beautiful artwork. Also, there is an interesting note "From the Author" about the animals featured in the story. Recommended for kids ages 5 - 7 who enjoy animal stories.

Details: Small, Medium and Large written and illustrated by Jane Monroe Donovan. Hardcover published by Sleeping Bear Press in 2010. 32 p. ISBN: 978-1-58536-447-3

Book Review: Jeannette Claus Saves Christmas by Douglas Rees

✰✰✰½ When Santa gets sick on Christmas Eve, his spunky daughter, Jeannette, decides to deliver the presents. Despite Santa's misgivings and warnings about rebellious reindeer, Jeannette loads up the sleigh and takes off anyway. The presents get delivered lickety-split; just when it looks like they may be finished early, the reindeer fly away led by that troublemaker Dasher. Clever Jeannette doesn't let that get her down; with the help of an alley full of cats and dogs, she comes up with a clever plan to save Christmas.

The Bottom Line: Jeannette Claus Saves Christmas features bold print and colorful eye-catching pencil illustrations that were rendered in Photoshop. The glitter on the cover caught my eye immediately. This is a Santa story with a modern twist that kids in grades K - 2 will adore. A delightful story that is enthusiastically recommended for holiday fun any time of the year.

Details: Jeannette Claus Saves Christmas written by Douglas Rees and illustrated by Olivier Latyk. Hardcover published by Margaret K. McElderry Books in 2010. 32 p. ISBN: 978-1-4169-2686-3

"Christmas in July" Book Reviews for 2011

Believe it or not, but it's that time of year again when we at Mini Book Bytes Book Reviews spend a month reading Christmas books. For me Summer is the best time to read winter holiday books because I'm not running around trying to buy and wrap presents. For the month of July we'll be looking at books with winter themes and especially Christmas picture books for the little ones. So settle in with a candy cane and your favorite hot chocolate and enjoy some holiday fun.

Book Review: A Century of Detection by John Cullen Gruesser

✰✰✰✰ This collection of mystery short stories spans a century that defined the genre of detective fiction. A Century of Detection: Twenty Great Mystery Stories, 1841 - 1940 provides a thematic survey of detective fiction and the stories are presented chronologically. John Cullen Gruesser has included an introduction that explains each of the themes and a brief introduction is included for each author featured.

Gruesser's study of detective fiction begins appropriately with Edgar Allan Poe and continues with stories by well-known authors like Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Dashiell Hammett. However, what makes this collection unique is the inclusion of some lesser known authors that illustrate the development of the genre. Through the study of themes including "Gender, Sexuality, and Detection" as well as "Race and Detection," the reader is exposed to memorable stories by authors like Anna Katharine Green, Susan Glaspell, Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins, and Chester Himes.

The Bottom Line: This collection of twenty mystery short stories is a fascinating study of how detective fiction developed over the course of one hundred years. It serves as an insightful study to both the academic scholar and the armchair detective. Additionally, this tome is simply enjoyable to read; there's something for everyone from well-known classic short stories to little known stories that are hard to find. Also, it's a must read for those interested in learning the craft of mystery writing. Highly recommended for both students and fans of detective fiction.

Details: A Century of Detection: Twenty Great Mystery Stories: 1841 - 1940 by John Cullen Gruesser. Paperback published by McFarland in 2010. 378 p. ISBN: 9780786446506 Note: I received a complimentary copy from McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers in exchange for a review. This was made possible by the Early Reviewer program at LibraryThing.