Mitford at the Fashion Zoo -- 12 Days of Picture Books Review & Giveaway Link

Disclosure: Penguin Random House Books gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

Today is the fifth day of Penguin Kids 12 Days of Picture Books Giveaway!! And today they are giving away five copies of Mitford at the Fashion Zoo by Donald Robertson and we get to review it for you here. 

Little Tree -- Book Review -- Penguin Kids' 12 Days of Picture Books Giveaway

Disclosure: Penguin Random House Books gave me a copy of this book free of charge for this review. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.  As in all my reviews I am providing links for your ease, but receive no compensation.

 Today for Penguin Kids 12 Days of Picture Books prize is Little Tree by Loren Long. This book has so many lessons and discussion topics in it. I love it!!

This book is about growing up and learning to let go of what you know and what is safe. A little tree is happy as it is young and surrounded by other trees the same size. It is happy to have the animals playing in it and the turtledove singing in it. Then the seasons change. The leaves change and all the surrounding trees let their leaves go, but not Little Tree. Little Tree holds onto the safety of its leaves. In spring as the other trees are growing new leaves (and a bit in height) Little Tree has the same brown leaves. The animals keep telling it to drop its leaves, but it won't. Years go by and soon Little Tree cannot feel the sun since all the surrounding trees have grown tall. It is still holding onto its first leaves and is so afraid to let them go. But finally it does and Little Tree finally gets to grow up!

Source

Now I love reading this book to Hazel who is always so full of anxiety and nervousness. She is often afraid to be by herself. This book has opened the conversations about how sometimes we have to do the things we are afraid of and let it go. Sometimes we may have to go into a room by ourselves or try something new and it will be all right. The words to the story are simple and the illustrations are beautiful. This is a book we will be keeping on our bookshelves and reading often!!

Be sure to check out the 12 Days of Picture Books Giveaway!! Four copies of Little Tree are being given away!! Also be sure to check out the Penguin Young Readers Holiday Gift Guide for more great book suggestions!

Christmas Candles in Different Lands

Candle Photo By By Elmar Ersch (Own work)
 [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This year for Christmas in Different Lands each post is exploring some aspect of Christmas in at least three different continents. Today we are looking at candles. How do you use candles at Christmas time? With electricity there are not as many uses as there once was but some are still used for special events. In New England often there are single candles (and for some multiple candles) in the windows of a house or church. I shared a bit about Christmas in New England last year.

Picture of New England Church during Advent

 Candles are also used in many other ways. Often there is a candlelight service on Christmas Eve at church as well as the Advent wreath candles during Advent. I shared a bit about our Advent wreath a couple of years ago. Many countries especially in Europe use Advent wreaths and/or Advent candles. Countries like Germany, Austria, Croatia, and Belgium often have Advent wreaths as well as the United States.