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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Picture Book Monday - A review of The Christmas Quiet Book


I really enjoy the holiday season but I must confess that sometimes the often frantic preparations one feels compelled to make are rather tiresome. When I read today's book I was reminded that the Christmas season can be a gentle, quiet, happy season if we just stop, notice and enjoy the good times, and let some things go. Ahhhh, much better.

Deborah Underwood
Illustrated by Renata Liwska
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, 978-0-547-55863-9
For many people the Christmas season is a busy, even frantic time. It is a time full of noise and bustle, to do lists and what-did-I-forget moments. Thankfully, Christmas does not have to be this way if you slow down, take a deep breath, and savor the moments. If you do this, you might even be able to have a Christmas that is quiet.
   Perhaps you don’t know what a quiet Christmas is. A quiet Christmas is a Christmas season that is full of quiet moments. There are those searching for presents quiet moments that are all too often followed by “Getting caught” quiet moments. There are those quiet moments when we look out of the window and dare to hope for a snow day. There are the soft quiet moments that come when you are making a snow angel or when you are gliding across the ice. Then there is that delicious quiet that comes when the lights on the Christmas tree are lit for the first time. Sometimes this happy quiet moment is followed by a “Blown fuse quiet.” And what about that Christmas Eve quiet when children listen for sleigh bells, and when they fall asleep trying to stay awake.
   In this delicious holiday book Deborah Underwood’s simple text is beautifully paired with Renata Liwska’s lovely soft illustrations to give readers of all ages a bookish experience that is sweet, funny, and as comforting as a warm hug and a cup of hot cocoa. 

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