Search Results for: blog stranger in the woods carl r sams ii amp jean stoick

Night Tree – Eve Bunting

In Night Tree a mom, dad, brother and sister bundle into the front seat of a truck. They drive to where “the dark and quiet begin”. This book, by award winning author Eve Bunting, captures a wonderful middle of the night feel. Her quiet soothing story is complimented by the beautiful watercolor illustrations from Ted Rand. The family scrambles out into the moonlight, bringing a box, a lantern, and a blanket. At first I thought they were going to find a tree to chop down, but that isn’t their plan. Along their path they see a deer in the woods, … Continue reading →

A Tree For The Birds

We’ve read stories about families who decorate trees, and even snowmen, for the birds and animals. Some people go all out with lemon and orange slices, several different types of bird food, and animal themed shaped feeders. This year we finally got around to trying the tree, but we did a very small version. The main thing we did was to string cranberries and popcorn. I explained to the kids that people used to use cranberry and popcorn strings to decorate their trees and homes. There is something very homey and pretty about a cranberry and popcorn string. This was … Continue reading →

Week in Review: December 3rd-9th

We had a great week in Media Reviews. In case you missed out on this week’s blogs, here’s a rundown of everything we did. In “By Man Least Understood,” Tristi reviewed an LDS doctrinal book about forgiveness, repentance, and the need we all have for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. She then took a closer look at Barbara Kingsolver’s blockbuster hit, “The Poisonwood Bible,” the story of a preacher who took his wife and daughters to the Belgian Congo and the experiences they had when the Congolese decided to proclaim their independence from Belgium in the 1960s. We reviewed some … Continue reading →

Arthur’s Christmas Cookies – Lillian Hoban

Arthur’s Christmas Cookies by Lillian Hoban is a fun Christmas story for beginning readers. Our family has enjoyed this story for years. There’s a lot of humor and the characters in the story are very much like children at Christmastime. Arthur is a monkey who is discouraged. He wanted to make Christmas presents for his family. He made a wooden lamp for his father but it wouldn’t stand right. He sawed off one side to get it even but he sawed off too much and then it wouldn’t stand up at all. His sister suggests that he buy presents. He’s … Continue reading →

Stranger in the Woods – Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick

Stranger in the Woods may sound like a spooky story, but it isn’t at all. It’s a charming winter picture book told with a few words and beautiful color photos. The animals who live in the woods react in alarm to the appearance of a “stranger”. The stranger is actually a snowman, but not just any snowman, it’s a snowman built to be a special treat for the animals. The photographs are beautiful, several show a family of dear through wintry snow covered trees. There are close-ups of a blue jay, an owl, a red cardinal, and mourning doves. The … Continue reading →