Amahl and the Night Visitors

Book Description

Since its first performance on Christmas Eve, 1951, Amahl and the Night Visitors has taken its place with A Christmas Carol as a holiday classic. Peformed on every continent and in many languages, it has been seen by more people than any other opera in history.

The story tells of the night the Three Kings, following the star to Bethlehem, stop for shelter at the home of Amahl, a poor, crippled shepard boy who lives with his widowed mother. Inspired by the Wise Men's tale of a kingdom "built on love alone," Amahl offers his own simple gift to the Christ Child. And then a miracle happens. . .

In this warm and compassionate story, Gian Carlo Menotti has captured the essential spirit of Christmas. At its premiere, The New York Times called Amahl "rare art. . . tender and exquisite." Now brought to life in glowing watercolors, Amahl and the Night Visitors is a feast for the eyes and heart, one readers of all ages will want to return to again and again.

Customer Reviews:

Amahl and the Night Visitors Vocal Score.......2007-01-12

The score was complete and arrived within a few days of ordering. It was written clearly and I was able to accomplish the task I wanted without any trouble. It included both vocal soloists and choral parts so that the choir would be able to manage it easily. I was very pleased with my purchase.

Beautiful story and images!.......2004-12-13

This gorgeously illustrated storybook has become the favorite part of my Christmas, since I found it 8 years ago. As an elementary music teacher I found this to be a fabulous way to introduce opera to my 4th grade classes. Each year I read the story to them inserting selected vocal works from the opera. This allows the children to hear the words spoken first, preparing them for the selections from the opera.
I would encourage anyone who wishes to teach their children about opera to purchase this book along with a quality audio recording. Enjoy!

THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.......2001-06-21

Look no more! At a wonderful price, this IS the complete score reduced for piano. Of course, performance rights and other instrumental orchestrations must be obtained through the publisher, but the info. that you need to do that is included in this book. If you're looking to get started into "Amahl", this and the video are the way to do it!

Lame boy meets Wise Men.......1998-09-21

This lovely Christmas book is based on Menotti's own cure of lameness as a child in 1911 Italy. In this book, Amahl, the lame boy, meets up with the Wise Men on the way to Bethlehem. His poor mother and he give the Wise Men a place to bed down for the night and Amahl is repaid for his faith by being cured and going with the Wise Men to meet the Christ Child. This delightful Christmas story is full of mystery and awe, reinforced well by the full color illustrations. This book belongs on every child's bookshelf and makes an excellent Christmas gift for six to eleven year olds. I am a church librarian and bought this book for our church library.

Miracle on 34th Street: [Facsimile Edition]

Average customer rating:

Great book if you liked the Edmund Gwen movie.
Possibly The Best Christmas Book Ever Written-
Miracle on 34th Street - LD NY
Miracle on 34th Street
When You Believe

Miracle on 34th Street: [Facsimile Edition]
Valentine Davies
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152163778

Amazon.com

Lovingly reproduced to match the original 1947 printing, this handsome hardback edition of Miracle on 34th Street comes in a gift box with a painted wooden tree ornament.

Screenwriter Valentine Davies's film classic has been so thoroughly enshrined in the Christmas canon that it's impossible to read this book without picturing Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood as the harried Macy's parade organizer and her precocious daughter. But what makes this gift-box edition interesting is a short note describing the book's production, which happened at a frantic pace--Davies fairly credits director David Seaton for much of the book's inspiration, and over 400,000 copies were rushed through to premiere simultaneously with the film.

Other print versions of Miracle on 34th Street might be more fun (including one illustrated by beloved kids book author Tomie de Paola), but for that '40s, old-timey appeal, this gift box can't be beat (not to mention it being a safe, easy go-to for stuffing stockings and bringing gifts to holiday parties). (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

Generations of believers in hope and goodwill have made Valentine Davies’ Miracle on 34th Street a treasured part of their holiday traditions. Millions of copies of this award-winning story have sold since its first publication in 1947, delighting readers of all ages. A facsimile edition of the book is now faithfully re-created, offering a new generation--and fans of the original--the beauty of the classic 1940s design. Details of how the book came to be written, and made into a beloved film, are included in a brief historical note.

Customer Reviews:

Great book if you liked the Edmund Gwen movie........2006-04-02

I bought this book because someone here reviewed it as "Better then the movie" Well it is exactly the same except for an extra line once every 20 pages or so.But is is a great book.

Possibly The Best Christmas Book Ever Written-.......2005-11-29

Wow! I love this book... and even now as 18 I still read this book to get me into that "Christmas spirit" I so desperately want to be in... I read this book every year it's one of my regulars on my holiday reading list.

Valentine Davies weaves such an impressive story that it will make the most skeptical child believe and it will make us that no longer can- wish we could. This is simply the perfect holiday story- one a parent could read to a child before they go to sleep or a story that a moderate second grade reader could read on their own without any difficulty...

I love reading this more than I do watching the classic version of the movie for Valentine Davies makes this book more magical than the movie could ever hope to be. All in all if you want to buy a book for the holidays- for someone on your shopping list this is definately one to buy! Or even own for yourself!

Miracle on 34th Street - LD NY.......2004-03-11

I read the book Miracle on 34th Street by, Valentine Daviesý. It was a fabulous Christmas fiction book. The main message or theme that I got from the book was anythingýs possible-you just have to believe.
Doris Walker is in charge of running the Macyýs Day Parade, which takes place on Thanksgiving Day. When her Santa Clause slacks off last minute she finds Kris Kringle and hires him to do the job. Kris does an amazing job. The only bothersome thing is he really and truly believes that he is Kris Kringle-Santa Clause. Doris doesnýt believe him, and thinks he might be insane. Along with Doris not believing in Santa Clause, nor does her 6 year old daughter Susan. Kris however wants to change that, he wants to make them believe..he believes Christmas is all about believing. Doris and her boss think Mr. Kringle is insane so they send him to a mental institution. Mr. Kringle then worries-what is going to happen with Christmas? How could he disappoint millions of kids all over the world? He some how has to find a way to save Christmas!
I loved the book. I read it around Christmas which seemed to make the book even better. It was a memorable book that I will remember constantly throughout the holiday season. It was so good I might read it every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would be nice to have a tradition like that.
This book didnýt really relate to my Christmas Holiday Season. As a child I always believed in Santa unlike Susan did. My parents encouraged the belief of Christmas and Santa Clause until my brother and I started questioning and figuring things out. Still till this day I believe Christmas was always better when I was young and believed. It made the Holiday Season seem so magical.
Read Miracle on 34th Street to see if Susanýs Christmas was magical!

Miracle on 34th Street.......2004-03-11

I read the book Miracle on 34th Street by, Valentine Davies'. It was a fabulous Christmas fiction book. The main message or theme that I got from the book was anything's possible-you just have to believe.
Doris Walker is in charge of running the Macy's Day Parade, which takes place on Thanksgiving Day. When her Santa Clause slacks off last minute she finds Kris Kringle and hires him to do the job. Kris does an amazing job. The only bothersome thing is he really and truly believes that he is Kris Kringle-Santa Clause. Doris doesn't believe him, and thinks he might be insane. Along with Doris not believing in Santa Clause, nor does her 6 year old daughter Susan. Kris however wants to change that, he wants to make them believe..he believes Christmas is all about believing. Doris and her boss think Mr. Kringle is insane so they send him to a mental institution. Mr. Kringle then worries-what is going to happen with Christmas? How could he disappoint millions of kids all over the world? He some how has to find a way to save Christmas!
I loved the book. I read it around Christmas which seemed to make the book even better. It was a memorable book that I will remember constantly throughout the holiday season. It was so good I might read it every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It would be nice to have a tradition like that.
This book didn't really relate to my Christmas Holiday Season. As a child I always believed in Santa unlike Susan did. My parents encouraged the belief of Christmas and Santa Clause until my brother and I started questioning and figuring things out. Still till this day I believe Christmas was always better when I was young and believed. It made the Holiday Season seem so magical.
Read Miracle on 34th Street to see if Susan's Christmas was magical!

When You Believe.......2002-01-02

Doris Walker works at Macy's. She's in charge of choosing people to be in the parade, but when her Santa Claus shows up drunk she fires him and hires Kris Kringle on the spot. Kris believes he's Santa Claus, and Doris not believing in anything ignores his insistent opinion.

Of course, Doris has her 6 year old daughter Susan thinking there's no Santa Claus either, and Kris makes sure he changes the little girls mind. But trouble begins when he is admitted to Bellevue, a mental institution, and now with the help of his friend Fred, he must try to get out or Christmas will be ruined for everyone. Especially little Susan.

Customer Reviews:

Great present.......2007-07-04

One of the most fun books I've seen in a long time. Macys on Parade popup was given to me as a present, I grew up watching the parade on TV and this book brought back great memories. The quality was very good.

Not Worth the $$$.......2007-01-09

If you are a huge fan of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade you will be disappointed. This book is ok and nice but in no way worth the money. The quality of the pop-up is not good. On some of the pages the pop-up function does not work that well and gets stuck in the book. Overall the quality and content of the book are not worth spending the money on.

Get to know more background about the parade.......2003-09-27

Fun book with lost of details about behind the scenes from an insider at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Find out about band selection, float planning, balloon construction, clown brigades, balloon handlers, etc. A good book if you are going to the parade or planning to watch it on TV. My favorite pop-ups are the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes (complete with hi-kicking legs!) and the Snoopy balloon suspended between 2 skyscrapers.

A Child's Christmas in Wales (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards))

Average customer rating:

A Christmas Tradition
from a little bit of Wales comes universally human warmth...
The voice
a treasure
It does not go gentle into that good night.

A Child's Christmas in Wales (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards))
Dylan Thomas
Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0763621617
Release Date: 2004-09-23

Book Description

Fifty years after its first publication in book form, Dylan Thomas's timeless prose poem is echoed by the rolling, evocative images of Caldecott Honor artist Chris Raschka — a beautiful gift for book lovers.

Bring out the tall tales now that we told by the fire as the gaslight bubbled like a diver. . . .

There are always Uncles at Christmas. And Aunts, of course, who might sing a little loudly after dinner. There are the neighborhood cats "sleek and long as jaguars and horrible-whiskered," the carols to sing at eerie houses, the Useful Presents and the Useless Presents, and the endless snow "shawling out of the ground." First published in HARPER'S BAZAAR some fifty years ago, A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES showcases Dylan Thomas's genius for language and remains the poet's most popular prose work in the United States. Chris Raschka's fluid torn-paper illustrations honor the poet's words, evoking their musical cadences and bringing us a fresh appreciation for this most lyric work.

Customer Reviews:

A Christmas Tradition.......2007-01-10

This reading of A Child's Christmas in Wales is tops! It wouldn't be Christmas for us without hearing Dylan Thomas tell his story. He recounts a holiday of simple, family and neighborhood doings, and paints a picture of snowy, seaside Wales of the 1920's.

from a little bit of Wales comes universally human warmth..........2007-01-05

I love this story, as do all my children, who, from their earliest years, have not much struggled with the density of the language nor the scatteredness of the story. 5 of my 8 great-grandparents are from Wales, and the remaining 3 have the blood in them as well, so maybe it is like drinking water for us.:-D Our minds are all scattered, and words, even English words ;-D, fall on us in clumps....which makes it doubly hard to keep a clean house. LOL

The sort of prose-poetry imaginative way of seeing and describing the world unique to Welshwomen and Welshmen and Welshchildren, which does not seek to keep up the pretense that history can be separated from myth, story and desire, and which requires loving with eyes wide open to [and eventually embracing] one's own and others' bumps, bruises and idiosyncracies included, is extraordinarily well represented here. So, by the way, is speaking and listening to the close and Holy darkness!

My favorite version isthe one illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. To me she has captured the complexity of the Welsh personality best, though i have nothing to say against the other illustrators praised in these reviews. I DO have a warning for you: there are some skinny versions flying about which do not have the poem-story complete and correct. This sort of work cannot suffer removal or modification, IMHO.

gbg

The voice.......2006-03-24

If you have read A Child's Christmas in Wales, you know that it has to be a classic. But you can't fully appreciate it until you have heard Dylan Thomas read it. What a deep, expressive, poetic voice. For years, I have listened to the recording on a Caedman record. It is wonderful to have it on a CD.

a treasure.......2005-12-28

For me, "A Child's Christmas in Wales" is the single most beautiful piece of Christmas literature in the English language.
And once you hear the author himself reading it, you will be forever enchanted. Dylan Thomas' deep humanity is expressed in every word, and in the spaces between them, in this masterpiece.

DB

It does not go gentle into that good night........2005-09-25

Like so many other children's books, Amazon.com takes a perverse pleasure in lumping together all version's of Dylan Thomas's, "A Child's Christmas In Wales". So if a reviewer, like myself, wants to review the book that was illustrated in 2004 by Chris Raschka, I'd better make it as clear as possible right from the start. So here it goes. Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it gives me the greatest of pleasure to announce that I will now be reviewing "A Child's Christmas In Wales", penned by the great Dylan Thomas and illustrated with grace, aplomb, and a hint of frenzy by accomplished children's book illustrator Chris Raschka. Thank you.

If you, like myself, have gone most of your natural life in ignorance of this story, I'll try to summarize it here. Problem is, summarizing "A Child's Christmas In Wales" is akin to herding cats. This isn't one of those books with a neat little beginning, middle, and end. There's not what you might call "a plot". If the book is ever summarized anywhere it's simply stated that this is Thomas's reminisces of Christmas when he was a child. In doing so, the poet fills this relatively short work with patches of memory, amazing descriptions, and evocative sentences like, "The wind through the trees made noises as of old and unpleasant and maybe webfooted men wheezing in caves". If you're looking for a straightforward Christmas tale with characters, a plot, and a point, go get yourself a copy of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and enjoy it. If, on the other hand, you would like to begin a tradition in your family of reading aloud this magnificent and truly beautiful collection of evocative images, this the only place to go.

There is no tradition in my family of listening or reading this story during the holiday time of year. In fact, prior to reading this book with Raschka's illustrations, I had never even heard so much as a phrase from it. Basically I came to this book as a clean slate. I was just a former college English major with some mild associations with Dylan but certainly no baggage of any kind. Not knowing the history behind the book, I was under the vague and misguided belief that Dylan had written this tale with the full intent that it be a children's book. Not so much. According to the helpful Foreward at the beginning of this tale, I learned that this book was actually a combination of two separate pieces produced during Thomas's lifetime and put together after. So this isn't like when Michael Chabon or Joyce Carol Oates writes a children's book. More like when Woody Guthrie songs are turned into picture books. A posthumous and lucrative printing.

For the child that has never heard this story read before, I found that Raschka was a perfect fit. Certainly I understand that the book has, in the past, been illustrated by the great Trina Schart Hyman. Hyman, however, is a very literal illustrator. She's excellent at realism and intricate characters, but how well does that work when she's paired with Mr. Thomas? This is a book that contains lines like, "All the Christmases roll down toward the two-tongued sea, like a cold and headlong moon bundling down the sky that was our street; and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged, fish-freezing waves, and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find". Hyman doesn't even bother to deal with sentences like that one. Raschka is another matter entirely. Using a gouache, ink, and torn paper technique, the man who brought the world the manic, "John Coltrane's Giant Steps" has finally met his authorial match. The sentence I just wrote above is accompanied by a snowblown seaside town, so filled with cresting waves and freezing snow that you shiver just looking at it. These are pictures that work on the reader's emotions. I have all the respect in the world for Hyman or even Edward Ardizzone, but as accomplished as they are, they're not the right fit. Raschka is.

I was a little baffled by the blurb on the cover of this version of the tale that read, "This beautifully illustrated edition should bring Dylan Thomas's work to a new generation of children" - President Jimmy Carter. I'm a Carter fan myself, but even I can't see what this perfectly nice former president has to do with poetry, children's literature, or even Christmas itself. It might have been better to put a blurb by the Number 1 poet in America. Problem is, who is that person? And would anyone buy a book if they recommended it? These problems aside, it's wonderful for me to hold this book in my hands and know that at long last a great problem has been corrected. Thomas's book has existed for years without proper packaging. Raschka single-handedly has corrected this problem and the world is a better place for it. So thank you, Mr. Raschka. Thank you.

Night Before Christmas In New York City (Night Before Christmas (Gibbs))

Average customer rating:

not worth the shipping

Night Before Christmas In New York City (Night Before Christmas (Gibbs))
Francis Morrone
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0879056150

Book Description

Their is a Santa imposter on the loose in New York City and the police are trying to nab him. They think they found the imposter, but it's the real Santa instead. Now he's in jail and there's no one to deliver the presents. Fortunately two children see it all happen and set out to save Christmas--and Santa, too.

Customer Reviews:

not worth the shipping.......2007-01-06

This tiny, 4 inch book is not at all what I was expecting. I teach New York State History and Geography, and was hoping I could use this book with my class. Instead, I found a Santa headed for Sing-Sing...not exactly the uplifting, positive role-model-type book I want to read to my class. Quality of book and writing VERY disappointing.

Milly And The Macy's Parade (Scholastic Bookshelf)

Average customer rating:

Exquisite!
How it all started...
Wonderful Start for the Holidays
I love this book!

Milly And The Macy's Parade (Scholastic Bookshelf)
Shana Corey
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0439297559

Book Description

It's 1924 and the holidays are approaching. Milly lives in NYC with her Polish family and frolics daily in holiday displays at the Macy's store under the watchful eye of Mr. Macy. But Milly's family misses their homeland and traditions. In an effort to cheer people up, Milly convinces Mr. Macy to combine old country traditions with new American heritage in a celebration for all to enjoy. Everyone agrees that the resulting parade will become a wonderful new tradition. This heartwarming story beautifully captures the creation of a uniquely American event.

Customer Reviews:

Exquisite!.......2003-08-05

Trust me! The pictures don't do this book justice!

Corey does an excellent job of capturing the magic of the holiday through a child's eyes. She also makes an effort to show how even a child can make a big difference in the world around her if she has the courage to act on what she believes.

I fell in love with Helquist's artwork while reading the Series of Unfortunate Events. There's something about the whimsical nature of his drawings....the sharp features, the minute details, the mystical feeling about them. I almost expect Milly to wink at me from the cover!

All in all this is an inspiring book, and a fitting opener to the holiday season. This one's sure to be a family favorite, so don't let it get away!

How it all started..........2002-11-12

Millie is a little Polish girl and gets the swing of things in New York. It's near Thanksgiving and the Macy's department store is wrapped up like a present. Millie visits the contents of the present everyday after school.
Millie's father works at Macy's and some of his friends from other countries besides Poland. They all miss their customs, holidays, food, and religion. That's when Millie has an idea that will suit everyone...
~Erin
Age 11

Wonderful Start for the Holidays.......2002-10-27

This book is a fantastic read for any Macy's Day Parade fan. The drawings by Helquist are fantastic and put you right into the moment of the 1924 holiday start. It will definitely put one and all in the family in the mood for Thanksgiving and the season it rings in. Personally, I have purchased a couple for friends and relatives with youngsters who live abroad so they to can view one of our wonderful traditions.

I love this book!.......2002-10-18

I use historical fiction a lot in my classroom, and was excited to see Milly and the Macys Parade. It's a great story-with lots of alliteration--and also a beautiful illustration of how as a country of immigrants, most of America's culture and traditions (in this case the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade) actually stem from various immigrant cultures and traditions. More important for my third graders though, it's a fun, engaging story (with a very spunky heroine determined to save the holidays) and not at all sappy. It's also a visual treat-the artwork is detailed and rich, but quirky enough so that the boys like it even though the main character is a girl . I've only had it in my classroom for 4 days, but so far students have taken it home every night. I whole-heartedly recommend this picturebook for the holidays or any time of year!

Average customer rating:

The Angel Tree: A Christmas Celebration
Linn Howard , and Mary Jane Pool
Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Average customer rating:

A wonderful holiday treat
A "Living" Book

Lion in the Box, The
Marguerite De Angeli
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0440407400
Release Date: 1992-10-01

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful holiday treat.......2001-07-19

When my sisters and I were small children, my mother began to read us this story just before Christmas. We heard it read aloud each year as we grew up, and it became an important and special part of our holiday celebration. Now as a middle school teacher, I read this book to my students each December. It's a charming (and true!) tale of a loving family who experience a very special holiday. Simple but sincere, heartwarming and gentle, Lion in the Box is a book to treasure. Sharing this story each year is a wonderful tradition to start in your own family.

A "Living" Book.......2000-09-07

This book is about a poor family in New York. It is what Charlotte Mason referred to as a "living" book. When I read this book to my children, they were 6 and 7 years of age. They were spellbound and I wound up reading it in one sitting because they "begged" me to keep going! There is also a neat craft idea for making a Christmas star.

Customer Reviews:

Pass on Your Lebanese/Syrian Heritage.......2001-05-31

This book is a must read for anyone familiar with Lebanese/Syrian immigrants to the US in the last 100 years.

The characters and customs in the book are so much like the people and things I remember as a child.

If you are of Lebanese/Syrian descent, you should read this book to your children/grandchildren. It's a great way to keep the values and customs alive of our parents and grandparents.

A touching tale about a young girl and an old legend.......1999-12-22

Although I read and reread all of the author's Betsy-Tacy books as a child, I had never heard of "The trees kneel at Christmas" until it was rescued and rereleased by Abdo and Daughters several years ago.

The story was inspired by a legend the author heard from a Lebanese immigrant woman while living in New York. She kept the legend -- that the cedar trees in Lebanon kneel down at midnight on Christmas Eve -- in her mind for quite some time, until a visit to a local school matched the face of a young girl with the story.

The story is told quite simply and timelessly. Young Afify hears the legend of the kneeling cedars from her grandmother and wonders if the trees kneel in Brooklyn, too. The remainder of the story follows her as she sets out in search of a miracle.

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