Glenn Perrett

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth to All.

More Books & DVDs for Christmas!

Happy Christmas Eve day! The following books and DVDs can make good presents (if you're still shopping) or good reading/viewing during the holidays.

The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book
original story by Glenn Beck with Kevin Balfe and Jason Wright
adapted by Chris Schoebinger, illustrated by Brandon Dorman
Aladdin
2009, 32 pages
ISBN: 9781416995432
ages 3+

I've read numerous children's Christmas stories in recent years and The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book is one of the best. Eddie, a young boy, is wishing for a bike for Christmas. When his Grandfather informs Eddie that he hasn't seen a bicycle in the house, but that Eddie would receive a "Christmas sweater", Eddie is disappointed. Until he learns that Christmas sweaters can bring "magic for years and years" as "...when a gift is made by hand, all of that person's love is captured in it. Once they give it to you, that love turns into Christmas magic..."

The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book is a beautiful book with a good message and excellent illustrations.

Star Wars The Clone Wars: The Complete Season One (Lucasfilm Ltd./warner Home Video)

Fans of Star Wars will enjoy Star WarsThe Clone Wars: The Complete Season One which features characters such as Yoda, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-wan Kenobi as well as newcomer Ahsoka Tano. The animation is very impressive as are the stories. Can these characters maintain peace in the galaxy?

The 4-disc collection features all 22 episodes from season one as well as an "Exclusive 68-page Production Journal with Original Sketches and Artist Notes". There are also 22 "behind-the-scenes" featurettes. This excellent Star Wars adventure takes you to new planets and deep into the universe providing you with more than 500 minutes of sci-fi fun for people of all ages!

Star Wars The Clone Wars: The Complete Season One is also available in Blu-ray Disc.

The Art of Star Wars The Clone Wars
Frank Parisi and Gary Scheppke, foreword by George Lucas
Chronicle Books
2009, 272 pages
ISBN: 9780811868891

Those who enjoy Star Wars, and particularly Star Wars The Clone Wars, will enjoy this impressive book of the art of this television series from Lucasfilm Animation. The book includes "more than 400 pieces of concept art and exclusive interviews."

Divided into sections on "Begun, the Clone War has", "The Movie", "The Series, Season I" and "The Series, Season II" the artwork illustrates the various characters, scenery, buildings and space ships of this good TV series. Early concept drawings show how to draw some of the characters.

The Art of Star Wars The Clone Wars will appeal to fans of the show and those interested in animation.

Louis L'Amour Collection
Louis L'Amour, performed by Willie Nelson
HighBridge Audio
2009, 4CDs
ISBN: 9781598875447

A good collection of western stories on CD is the Louis L'Amour Collection. Those interested in stories about the old west will enjoy the "7 classic tales of the American West" on 4 CDs contained in a nice wood box. Not only are the stories entertaining, but they are read by "four of country music's most beloved performers" - Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

The stories contained on the four discs are: "Riding for the Brand", "The Black Rock Coffin Makers", "Dutchman's Flat", "Mistakes Can Kill You", "The Nester and the Piute", "Trail to Pie Town" and "Big Medicine".

Audio books are fun to listen to and encourage the listener to use his/her imagination. Those who enjoy a good story about the American West will like this impressive collection of Louis L'Amour stories.

Dazzling Jewels: A Princess Book and Magnetic Play Set
Disney Press
2009
ISBN: 9781423121824

A fun book which allows children to "dress up Ariel and Aurora for any occasion" as the carrying case includes: two magnetic dolls, eight play scenes, a storybook as well as numerous magnets of dresses, tiaras and jewelry. You can place a princess on a background "and follow along with the enchanting stories."

Rocky: The Undisputed Collection (MGM Home Entertainment, 7 discs)

If you enjoyed the Rocky movies featuring Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, you may want to get the Rocky collection on Blu-ray Disc. Rocky: The Undisputed Collection contains six movies: Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990) and Rocky Balboa (2006), along with lots of bonus features including an interactive game, documentary, featurettes, interviews, commentary, theatrical trailers, "Sylvester Stallone on Dinah! and tributes to Burgess Meredith and James Crabe.

In all there is approximately 3.5 hours of special features. This 7-disc collection will appeal to fans of this popular movie series.

99 Drams of Whiskey
Kate Hopkins
St. Martin's Press
2009, 308 pages
ISBN: 9780312381080

You don't have to like Whiskey to enjoy 99 Drams of Whiskey: The Accidental Hedonist's Quest for the Perfect Shot and the History of the Drink, but it helps. I dislike whiskey. To me it tastes awful, but I enjoyed perusing Hopkins book which looks at whiskeys around the world as well as other things such as distilling, ways to drink whiskey and some of the different brands. She starts off in Ireland and Scotland and then travels to other countries to learn about this famous drink. Hopkins' personal experiences in her "Quest for the Perfect Shot" makes for good reading.

iCarly Official Scrapbook
Nicole Corse
Scholastic Inc.
2009, 44 pages
ISBN: 9780545159470

iCarly is a popular children's TV show about three kids (Carly, Sam and Freddie) who do their own Web show. iCarly Official Scrapbook looks at the show along with facts about Carly, Sam, Freddie and Carly's brother - Spencer. Lots of photos and interesting facts, quizzes and other information will appeal to fans of this show.

DVDs for the Holidays!

 Turner Classic Movies Greatest Classic Films Collection: Holiday (Warner Home Video)

I watch my favourite holiday movies and television shows every year. It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle On 34th Street and A Christmas Carol (1951 version with Alastair Sim) are three movies that our family usually watches. The Polar Express is another that we usually watch along with A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and other TV classics.

It is nice to watch new Christmas movies and shows - even if they aren't "new" at all. Turner Classic Movies Greatest Classic Films Collection: Holiday is a very good collection which contains the 1938 version of A Christmas Carol with Reginald Owen portraying Ebenezer Scrooge. While I prefer the 1951 version, this one is very good too. The other feature films in this set are Christmas In Connecticut (1945), It Happened On 5th Avenue (1947) and The Shop Around the Corner (1940).

Christmas In Connecticut is a very good Christmas movie that I hadn't seen before. It stars Barbara Stanwyk as a magazine columnist who writes about homemaking skills and living in the country on a farm with her husband and child. Unfortunately, she doesn't possess any of these. She has no homemaking skills and can't cook. She lives in an apartment in the city and she doesn't have a husband or a child. When her boss invites himself and a war hero to her home to celebrate Christmas with her family, she not only has to make arrangements as to who will cook, but where to get a house in the country, not to mention a husband and child!

This funny, romantic holiday movie is definitely worth watching - especially if you enjoy old movies (this one was released in 1945). On the same disc as this movie is the short (a little over 20 minutes), Oscar-winning short movie Star In the Night which sees a group of people in a crowded inn in the west help out a young couple who are about to have a baby on Christmas Eve.

The other feature movies in this nice holiday collection are It Happened On 5th Avenue (1947) and The Shop Around the Corner (1940). It Happened On 5th Avenue has several people in need of living quarters moving into a Fifth Avenue mansion while the owner is away while The Shop Around the Corner is a romance film featuring Margaret Sullivan and James Stewart.

Touched By An Angel: Inspirational Collection Holiday (Paramount Home Entertainment)

Touched By An Angel was a quality television show that ran for nine seasons (1994 to 2003 - 212 episodes). The show featured Roma Downey (Monica), Della Reese (Tess) and John Dye (Andrew) as three angels who were sent to Earth to assist those who needed help and to inform them that God exists and hasn't forgotten them.

Touched By An Angel Inspiration Collection: Holiday contains four holiday episodes from the show - "Fear Not", "An Angel On the Roof", "The Feather" and "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear." These inspirational holiday episodes are entertaining family viewing. Randy Travis guest stars in three of the episodes.

Shiva Rea  Daily Energy: Vinyas Flow Yoga  (Acacia)

So, what does this yoga DVD have to do with Christmas you say? Well, chances are you will eat and/or drink too much over the holidays. If you are going to make any New Year's resolutions, why not start with  healthy, compassionate eating and getting into better shape?

Yoga is a good way to get into shape - both physically and mentally. Shiva Rea's DVD Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow Yoga is good providing seven 20-minute practices that you can mix and match. By using the "Yoga Matrix" you can select from more than two hours of yoga to create your own custom session to suit your schedule and what you want to work on. Your choices are two 5 minute meditations (Solar and Lunar) as well as seven 20-minute practices and Core practice (7 minutes), Forward Bends (6 minutes) and Shavasana (5 minutes). 

Whether you have thought about trying yoga, or you have been doing yoga for some time, Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow Yoga is a good DVD for you to practice yoga at home.

Alex Kovalev: Off-Ice Training (E1 Entertainment, 2-disc set)

Another exercise video is Alex Kovalev: Off-Ice Training. Disc one features numerous exercises for developing strength and endurance including exercises for the lower body, upper body, total body, movement training, push training as well as speed and agility. Some exercise equipment is needed for the exercises. Disc two contains the "Kovalev and Friends Foundation for Kids" along with "Off-Ice Hockey Training".

And now back to actual Christmas DVDs...

Home For Christmas (VCI Entertainment)

I've enjoyed movies that feature Mickey Rooney, so I wasn't surprised that I liked the movie Home For Christmas. Mickey Rooney plays Elmer, an old man who lives in an abandoned factory with others who are down on their luck. To survive, Elmer steals - occasionally. He steals a car phone from Reg (Simon Richards), a man who isn't too concerned about Elmer's difficult life. When Elmer is caught by Reg he agrees to work off his debt by doing odd jobs around Reg's house where he is befriended by Reg's family. This heartwarming Christmas story was released in 1990 and was filmed in Toronto. Nice holiday flick with a good performance by Rooney and the rest of the cast.

The Christmas Clause (E1 Entertainment)

The Christmas Clause features Lea Thompson as Sophie Kelly - a mother of three and a lawyer whose schedule and life is incredibly busy and stressful. When she wishes for a different life as a successful lawyer without a family days before Christmas she gets her wish. Unfortunately, her new life doesn't compare to what she had and she finds herself in a race against time to find "the true meaning of family and love before Christmas Day!"

The Christmas Clause is a decent holiday movie - although it won't be compared to any of the classics.

Excellent Gift Sets from Warner Home Video

With only a few days left before Christmas time is running out for getting gifts. Little time doesn't have to mean settling for an "OK" present. There are some excellent DVD collections available - especially these from Warner Home Video.

Gone with the Wind: 70th-Anniversary Collector's Edition Giftset

Wow! This limited edition giftset of the movie Gone with the Wind is one of the nicest sets, if not the best, that I've come across. Fans of the movie Gone with the Wind will enjoy the 5-disc collection of this movie along with the numerous other goodies contained in the beautiful velvet box.

The 1939 movie is on two discs while three additional discs contain information about the movie, cast and extras. There is also a commemorative 52-page book with excellent photographs, ten 5" x 7" "Watercolour reproduction Art Prints", a bonus CD soundtrack sampler, a "Reproduction of 1939 Original Program" and "Archival Correspondence from Producer David O. Selznick" (which is very interesting).

The"Special Features" in this collection include more than eight hours of extras including more than "3 hours new to the collection", "Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Presents 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year" documentary, "Gone with the Wind: The Legend Continues" featurette and the "Emmy-Winning Telefilm" "Moviola: The Scarlett O'Hara War".

Join Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland in this great film and enjoy this very impressive "70th-Anniversary Collector's Edition Giftset".

The Wizard of Oz: 2-Disc Special Edition

Although not as spectacular as the Gone with the Wind: 70th-Anniversary Collector's Edition Giftset, this 70th Anniversary special edition 2-disc set of arguably the best movie of all time also makes a great gift. The remastered edition includes "refreshed picture clarity" and "revitalized audio fidelity".

Besides an incredible storyline, The Wizard of Oz included a remarkable cast starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton. Even 70 years after it was released I can't think of a more magical, wondrous film than The Wizard of Oz. Our family looked forward to watching this movie on television every year.

Disc one of the set includes the movie with commentary by historian John Fricke along with a restoration featurette, supporting cast profile, a sing-along feature and more.

Disc two contains outtakes and deleted scenes, "The wonderful Wizard of Oz: The Making of a Movie Classic" and "Memories of Oz" (TV Specials), featurettes and much more.

The Wizard of Oz: 2-Disc Special Edition will be appreciated by fans of this incredible movie.

Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection

British television is excellent and one of the most popular British sitcoms was Fawlty Towers. This remastered collection of all 12 Fawlty Towers episodes is very funny. The first series (6 episodes) was broadcast on the BBC between September 19th and October 24th 1975. The second series (next 5 episodes) was broadcast from February 19th to March 26th 1979 with the twelfth and final episode occurring on October 25th. Fawlty Towers was written by John Cleese (who plays Basil Fawlty) and his then wife Connie Booth who was also in the show. Fawlty Towers is based on an experience that Monty Python's Flying Circus team had while staying at a hotel whose owner "was a man of infinite rudeness".

Fans of Fawlty Towers or British comedy will be delighted to have this remastered collection of all 12 episodes which also includes "2009 extended interviews", artist profiles and outtakes. There is also commentary on the episodes with John Cleese, Howard Davies and Bob Spiers.

Harry Potter: Years 1 - 6 (Blu-ray)

Some of the most entertaining films to have been created in recent years have been the Harry Potter movies. Our family has enjoyed the last few at the drive-in, but we also watch them at home. Now you can enjoy all six movies on Blu-ray Disc in one collection from Warner Home Video. In this impressive set you get the following:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2 discs)

Lots of bonus material, such as additional scenes as well as featurettes and interviews. The first disc has "Lessons in Quidditch" and a "Tour of Hagrid's Hut" while the final movie in this set contains "J. K. Rowling: A Year in the Life".

Harry Potter: Years 1 - 6 is an entertaining collection for fans of this phenomenally popular series of stories by J. K. Rowling.

Habs Are 100 Years Old!

Arguably the best franchise in professional sports, certainly in the NHL, is the Montreal Canadiens. This very successful (not so much lately), classy organization is 100 years old and the following are some excellent books and DVDs to celebrate a century of the Montreal Canadiens. Note: Leafs fans can opt to not read this post. :)

Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey
Todd Deaneault, Foreword by Jean Beliveau
McClelland & Stewart
2009, 326 pages
ISBN: 9780771026331

I've read lots of hockey books over the years. Some have been very good, others not so good. Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey is one of the best hockey books that I've read. Todd Denault's well-researched book provides an interesting account of Plante's life, impressive statistics (I knew he was good, but I wasn't aware just how good) and how he changed hockey - and not just by being the first to make the mask a regular part of a goaltender's equipment.

Besides from being responsible for making the goalie mask a regular piece of a goalie's equipment, Plante, who was an excellent skater, also changed the game by regularly coming out of the net to handle the puck making things considerably easier for his defensemen. Others also helped Plante change the game. Doug Harvey "suggested that Plante start talking with his defensemen during plays. By communicating with them, Plante was able to act as a second set of eyes for his defenders, alerting them to their situation of how the play was unfolding. It didn't take long for the fans to notice Plante's voice during the play, always in constant communication."

Denault does a nice job of covering Plante's life outside of the arena along with his phenomenal accomplishments in net. Plante wasn't only very good with Montreal, but also with the other teams for whom he played: N.Y. Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and the Edmonton OIlers. In fact, as the Leafs goalie in the 1970-71 season, Plante, at the age of 42, led the league with a GAA of 1.88 and an incredible save percentage of .942! 

Besides the innovations that Plante brought to hockey and his stellar play, he also was an excellent TV analyst of the game and a very good goalie coach instructing goalies up until his death in Switzerland on February 26, 1986 at the age of 57.

While covering Plante's life and great career, Deneault also covers many other players who the great goalie played with and against including chapters on Maurice Richard and Doug Harvey.

Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey is a good read about a interesting man and a great innovator of the world's best sport.

The Canadiens Century
introduction by Michael Farber
Sports Illustrated
2009, 112 pages
ISBN: 9781603200707

A nice book about the Montreal Canadiens is The Canadiens Century. Filled with excellent photographs and written by various authors, the book is divided into various eras: the prewar years, the postwar years, the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s and 1990s and 2000s and beyond. While the text is informative, it is the numerous, quality photographs of the players through the first century of this great franchise that makes The Canadiens Century a good book for Habs fans.

The Rocket: A Cultural History of Maurice Richard
Benoit Melancon, translated by Fred A. Reed
GreyStone Books
2009, 304 pages
ISBN: 9781553653363

As Benoit Melancon says in the Introduction, "This is not a fan's book, not a hockey lover's book - and not a biography of Maurice Richard." The author points out that his goal is "...to construct a cultural history of Maurice Richard." In doing this, Melancon looks at various topics pertaining to the Quebec and Canadian icon including his nickname, commemorations, the riot and his death. The Rocket wasn't just an important figure for the people of Quebec or hockey fans, he was a hero for many people across Canada - even long after his playing days were over.

In his Afterword, Jean Beliveau describes Richard as "...a hero who defined a people emerging from an agrarian society in the postwar era and moving to the cities to seek their fortunes. For those people, he became a cultural icon."

Beliveau also points out just how important Richard was to the people of Quebec and Montreal.

"At his funeral in May 2000, when one million Montrealers lined the streets of his hometown to bid a final farewell, I understood how powerful was the emotional connection between a people and Maurice 'Rocket' Richard."

Photographs and other images complement the text.

100 Years of the Montreal Canadiens (Warner Home Video, 4 discs)

100 Years of the Montreal Canadiens is a well done, 4-DVD set celebrating the first century of the Montreal Canadiens. Excellent game footage from the different eras combined with interviews with Hab greats and those who covered the team is a joy to watch. The four-disc set has over six hours of great viewing about the bleu-blanc-rouge including "rarely-seen footage" as well as "never-before-seen interviews."

The first disc features the documentary "100 Years of Glory" which is an informative and interesting look at the history of the Montreal Canadiens. Many people were interviewed for this entertaining documentary including Henry Richard, Jean Beliveau, Dick Irvin Jr., Howie Morenz Jr. Elmer Lach, Guy Carbonneau, Patrick Roy, Serge Savard and Frank Selke Jr.

Disc 2 features short recaps of each of the Canadiens' 24 Stanley Cups including those who led the Habs during these cup wins. The cups began in 1916 with the latest Stanley Cup coming in 1993. Nice film footage and interviews complements Dick Irvin Jr.'s commentary.

Disc 3 "Dynasties and Rivalries: Good Guys and Bad Guys" takes a look at what Habs' teams were the best along with which opponents were the Canadiens' best rivals. was it the Maple Leafs of the 40s and 50s, the Quebec Nordiques of the 80s and 90s or the Boston Bruins?

The last disc of the impressive 4-disc collection looks at "The Immortals: The Greatest Players" who have worn the bleu-blanc-rouge. The vignettes look at those Habs players who have had their sweaters retired (15 in all) - from Howie Morenz in November 2, 1937 to Patrick Roy on November 22, 2008.

100 Years of the Montreal Canadiens makes a nice gift for fans of the best team in hockey history.

A Beatles Christmas

 

Still not sure what to get someone for Christmas? Well, if they're a Beatles fan you are in luck. Lots of neat Beatles stuff is available. While I haven't seen them yet, I've heard good things about the Mono and Stereo Box Sets that were released recently and which contain lots of albums along with other impressive material.

If the Box Sets are too expensive for you, you can get their various albums which are "newly remastered audio" and have "limited edition deluxe packaging" along with "new liner notes" and "rare photos". The CDs really do sound great. I got a couple of my favourites which I had as albums (Abbey Road and Magical Mystery Tour) along with a couple I didn't have (Yellow Submarine and Please Please Me).

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to such songs as "The Fool On the Hill", "Your Mother Should Know", "Here Comes the Sun", "You Never Give Me Your Money" and "Golden Slumbers". The albums I never had growing up have songs I still regularly hear on the radio (half a century after they first came out) along with ones that I've never heard. For example, on Please Please Me there are numerous hits such as "I Saw Her Standing There", "Please Please Me", "Love Me Do", "There's a Place" and "Twist and Shout" along with many others I hadn't heard before - but which are very good. The liner notes are also very good containing informative text with good photographs.

If a book is more to your liking there is The Beatles Paperback Writer: 40 Years of Classic Writing edited by Mike Evans. For fans of The Beatles this is a very cool book which consists of "...a collection of the best writing on the Beatles by rock journalists, cultural commentators, journalists, scholars and biographers, alongside personal contributions from the Beatles themselves, and their friends and acquaintances."

In all there are close to 80 "...interviews, articles, reviews and essays, spanning the whole of the Beatles' career, from accounts of the group's rise in 1962 to their acrimonious split in 1970..." Contributors to this very good collection include: Cynthia Lennon, Brian Epstein, Gloria Steinem, John Lennon and George Martin.

The Beatles Paperback Writer: 40 Years of Classic Writing, edited by Mike Evans, Plexus Publishing Limited, 2009, 352 pages, ISBN: 9780859654265

More Holiday Reading

Matchless: A Christmas Story
Gregory Maguire
William Morrow
2009
ISBN: 9780061913013

In his story Matchless: A Christmas Story author Gregory Maguire reworks Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Little Match Girl" adding "...a different dimension to the story, intertwining the match girl's tale with that of a young boy, Frederik, whose own yearnings are the catalyst for a better future for himself and his family."

Composed of four parts, the story follows two families the difficult, poor lives that they lead, a tragic death and how the two families come together as a result of the death.

Matchless: A Christmas Story is a good short story to read during the holidays.

A Christmas to Remember: Tales of Comfort and Joy
Scholastic Canada Ltd.
2009, 241 pages
ISBN: 9780545990035
ages 9+

A Christmas to Remember: Tales of Comfort and Joy is part of the "Dear Canada" series. Written by numerous people, this book contains 11 stories about Christmas around Canada in various times. The first story "Untangling Christmas" is from If I Die Before I Wake and takes place in 1920 in Toronto. Other stories about Christmas occur in Quebec in 1916, Manitoba in 1943, New France in 1760 and Saskatchewan in 1885 to name a few. The stories are written in diary form and provide the reader with some history along with the interesting read.

Letters From Father Christmas
J. R. R. Tolkien
HarperCollins
2009, 1999, 1976, 160 pages
ISBN: 9780007280490

Letters From Father Christmas is a delightful book containing letters from Father Christmas to J. R. R. Tolkien's children each Christmas. Each December Tolkien's children received a letter which had a stamp from the North Pole on the envelope. Interesting handwriting and colour drawings were included.

The first note to John, Tolkien's eldest son, was sent in 1920 with the last letter sent to his daughter in 1943. Some of the characters in the letters include Polar Bear, goblins, the Great Seal, Cave Bear and the Polar Cubs Paksu and Valkotukka. The letters are fun to read and the illustrations are excellent.

Letters From Father Christmas will appeal to Tolkien fans as well as anyone who enjoys Christmas.

More Kids' Christmas Books

Looking for more holiday reading for your children? Check these out.

The Christmas Baby
Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Richard Cowdrey
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2009, 34 pages
ISBN: 9781416978855
ages 2+

After being refused at several inns, a donkey leads a man and woman to a stable filled with animals and hay where the woman gives birth to a baby. Angels celebrate the baby's birth and Shepherds and Kings come to the stable to admire the baby. A simple story with colourful illustrations, this Christmas story will appeal to young children.

Drummer Boy
Loren Long
Philomel Books
2008, 36 pages
ISBN: 9780399251740
ages 4+

A child finds a package left on a doorstep. Inside is a little drummer boy playing his drum. The boy is delighted with his toy. Unfortunately, the little drummer boy is accidentally discarded and goes on a journey where he travels to the city dump, an owl's nest, on top of a bell tower, at the foot of a snowman and a cemetery where the little boy who lost him found him while visiting his Grandpa's grave. Everywhere the drummer boy goes he plays his drum giving those who heard him a gift. Nice story with very good illustrations.

A Christmas Manger
H. A. Rey
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
all ages

First done by H. A. Rey in 1942, A Christmas Manger is "A New Kind of Punch-Out-and-Play Book" featuring "vintage punch-out-and-fold paper dolls to re-create the Christmas miracle." Children of all ages will enjoy this book which includes pockets for storing the punched-out figures.

The Mitten
retold by Jim Aylesworth, illustrated by Barbara mcClintock
Scholastic Press
2009, 32 pages
ISBN: 9780439925440
ages 4+

The Mitten is a fun story of how a little boy out playing on a winter's day loses one of his mittens. Soon several animals have climbed into the mitten to stay warm together. First a squirrel climbs in and he is followed by a rabbit, a fox and a bear. When a small mouse climbs in next, the mitten bursts into tiny pieces. When the little boy sees the remains of his mitten he is upset, but his grandmother says that she'll knit him another.

The back cover of the book contains a recipe for "Grandma's Delicious Hot Cocoa."

Who Would Like a Christmas Tree? A Tree for All Seasons
Ellen Bryan Obed, illustrated by Anne Hunter
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
2009, 32 pages
ISBN: 9780547046259
ages 4+

Who Would Like a Christmas Tree? A Tree for All Seasons is an educational book for children that looks at how various animals use Christmas trees throughout the year - from black-capped chickadees who get their meals and shelter in Christmas trees in January to mice who feed on the trees' bark in February, to deer who eat the branches in March. Other animals who use Christmas trees include woodcocks, robins, aphids, wildflowers, monarch butterflies, spiders, fox, wild turkeys - and people.

The Wee Christmas Cabin
retold by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Kimberly Bulcken Root
Holiday House
2009, 32 pages
ISBN: 9780823415281
ages 4+

The Wee Christmas Cabin is an interesting story about Oona, a tinker's child who never has a cabin of her own as she moves from cabin to cabin helping others before moving on again. On a snowy Christmas Eve she leaves a village settling under a blackthorn bush. Hundreds of fairies, who have kept watch over Oona since she was born, build her a comfortable cabin. Whenever there is a white Christmas, people in need are brought to Oona's cabin.

Attractive, Easy Outdoor Decorations from Canadian Tire

I like outdoor Christmas lights and decorations. What I don't like are lights that use a lot of energy or decorations that take a lot of time to display. For several years we've had a couple of 3-D deer with numerous mini lights that grace our garden. These have been easy to display and store when not in use. Unfortunately, they have begun to look their age. This year we have added two more deer, more energy efficient ungulates to protect our garden.

The deer are NOMA and pre-strung with white LED lights. One of the deer is standing (item 51-0952-2) and is 36 inches. This energy efficient, 3-D decoration looks great and comes with "4 ground claws, 15 plastic tie-wraps and 2 plastic C-clips". She also has 100 white LED lights and was fairly easy to assemble.

To keep our standing LED deer company, we have also placed a 24 inch, 3-D feeding deer (item 51-0951-4) in our garden. This slightly smaller deer comes with 50 white LED lights. Both deer look great in the garden, cost very little to maintain and don't take long to assemble and take down. We usually put our deer ornaments up early in December and leave them up until later in the winter. While we put them up primarily for Christmas, they aren't just Christmas ornaments and they provide a nice scene on dark winter nights. After Christmas is over we don't plug them in every night, but when we do they they provide a little light on the walkway.

Another beautiful and impressive 3-D decoration is the Angel (item 51-2698-6). This durable, attractive, outdoor decoration is quite tall (48") and comes with 200 mini lights (not LEDs). She wasn't as easy to put together as the deer. Since we do associate this angel with Christmas we will bring her in a week or two after Christmas is over.

I'm old enough not only to remember those now old-fashioned Christmas lights, but to fondly remember the energy inefficient bulbs. I fondly remember these bulbs, which were prominently displayed outside of our homes in Sarnia and Thornhill, as well as on our Christmas trees. Unfortunately, the environmentalist in me, along with my frugal nature, don't allow me to use these lights even for nostalgic reasons. NOMA's True Glow indoor/outdoor LED lights look like the old-fashioned lights that I grew up with, but they're eco-friendly and don't use a lot of energy. With these lights (item 051-2951-2) I get lights that look like the ones I fondly remember while minimizing my carbon footprint. And these particular lights (which have 25 bulbs) have random colouring ("pre-programmed lights automatically change colour & modes at random") which our children like.

I don't like it when homes have Christmas lights hanging from practically every item in the yard. I'm also not fond of large Christmas ornaments that will need to be replaced every few years creating considerable garbage in the process. I do like homes that make some effort to celebrate the season with some lights for a couple of weeks around Christmas. For us, easily assembled, energy efficient items that can be easily stored provide a nice look without creating a hassle or large carbon footprint.

Great Ways to Celebrate Christmas

Visiting with friends and family, exchanging gifts, decorating the tree, singing carols and performing other traditional activities are all good ways to celebrate the season. But thinking of others should also extend to the less fortunate and those who are down on their luck. This is even more vital during the difficult economic times that we're experiencing. There are lots of ways that you can help others.

Buying gifts for toy drives is very important. You don't have to spend a lot of money on these. Wait for half price sales. I've seen several of these in recent weeks. You can also donate numerous gifts for children, without breaking your budget, by purchasing gifts on sale throughout the year. Not only can you wait to get a really good bargain, but you can space purchases over 12 months. Don't forget older children when you buy gifts to donate for toy drives. Along with gifts for young children, games and other toys for older children are important. Game sets where several games are featured in one collection (e.g. chess, checkers etc.) are good.

Sponsoring a family is another a nice way to celebrate Christmas by helping others. This is often done through organizations. Maybe you can suggest this important way of helping others in the community to colleagues or your family.

Supporting food drives is also vital. Some stores make it easy for you by allowing you to purchase bags of important food items the store has already gathered. When you do your shopping, consider buying some extra items for those who rely on food banks.

Animals also need help. If you've decided (and this is not a decision to take lightly) to add a feline friend, canine companion or other animal companion to your family, adopt one who needs a good home. Don't surprise someone with an animal as a present as they're not gifts - they're wonderful beings who will make your life much better if given the chance, but they are also a big commitment in terms of time, money and energy. If you know that you want an animal companion and can responsibly care for him then the holidays can be a good time to welcome an animal into the family - provided your schedule isn't busy and you can spend considerable time at home helping your new "best friend" get adjusted to her new family and surroundings.

If you aren't looking to adopt an animal, you can still help animals in need by making a donation to an animal protection organization or animal shelter. You can also donate your time by volunteering at your local animal shelter or pound. Grooming, walking and socializing animals who are up for adoption is important. You can also donate treats, blankets or toys to animal shelters and pounds.

The two wonderful dogs that you see above were both in need of a good home. What we have provided for these wonderful members of our family pales in comparison to what they have given us.