Midwest Book Review on “Holidays With a Tail”

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“Holidays with a Tail: A Tale of Winter Celebrations” is multicultural holiday story that appeals to culturally diverse juvenile audiences.

Written experienced elementary school teacher, Kelly Bouldin Darmofal, Holidays with a Tail begins the story with Alex on Christmas Eve, after having just moved from the suburbs to the city. Alex had wished for a Christmas gift of a puppy to play with. The next day brings one new surprise after another. Being Episcopalian, Alex celebrated Christian traditions in December, and he was overjoyed to find a puppy-sized box with holes in the lid for his present. Out popped Zipper, his new adorable golden puppy, his special Christmas gift.

The next day, when grandparents came bringing more Christmas gifts, Zipper surprised Alex by running out the door and into the snowy night. This begins a wonderful tale of exploration of ways different folk with different religious traditions celebrate the midwinter time of Solstice.

Zipper leads Alex and his mom, Katy on an exploration and traveling tour of festivities and homes, including four different families celebrating the Jewish Hanukkah, the Hindu Dwali, the Latina las Posadas, and the African American Kwanzaa. Each resident kindly explains the symbols and reasons for their celebrations, along with special foods and candle lighting customs and their significance.

Alex and Katy reclaim Zipper and eventually return to their home to celebrate Christmas dinner with their family and their special foods and gifts.

“Holidays with a Tail: A Tale of Winter Celebrations” is the perfect vehicle to explain to young children the wonderful richness and significance of different holiday celebration traditions for different cultures, peoples, and religions.

Read the original review on MBR

Holidays With a Tail: A Tale of Winter Celebrations
Kelly Bouldin Darmofal, author
Brad A. Calhoun, illustrator
Loving Healing Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
www.LovingHealing.com
9781615996155, $17.95 PB, $29.95 HC, $4.95 Kindle, 34pp

The Perfect Gift
+2

The Perfect Gift

SKU 978-1-61599-757-2
$17.95
Color My World Perfect
1
Product Details
UPC: 978-1-61599-757-2
Brand: Loving Healing Press
Binding: Paperback
Audiobook: No
Edition: 1st
Author: Lauren Persons
Illustrator: Noah Hrbek
Pages: 38
Publication Date: 06/01/2023

What's Your Vision for a Perfect World?

Recently, while doing a recycling workshop with a group of three and four-year-olds, I asked what they thought would make a perfect world. Their answers made sense to me--ice cream, pizza and chocolate. Then they tackled harder problems by coming up with great ideas to re-purpose containers often tossed away with little thought. Their ideas were bold and creative. The Perfect Gift, an interactive story, was written to remind them how special they are and the important role they play in creating a beautiful world.

"This delightful, interactive story invites readers and their parents (and grandparents, teachers, friends) to consider what makes a 'perfect world' while acknowledging it isn't always so. It encourages exploring options for less than perfect days, developing resilience and encouraging the love of family. The Perfect Gift is a great book for all ages." --Margaret Hill-Daniels (experienced mother, grandmother and counselor)

"This is a good book because kids can draw from their imagination what a perfect world would look like. Their worlds will all be different, because all kids have different ideas in their heads. I wish I had this book." --Lucille Williard, age 5

"I love The Perfect Gift! The message is clear and simple enough for children yet also poignant and inspiring for adults. It explains the simple truth that, despite our best intentions, life doesn't always go as planned. The book offers space for readers to generate ideas. By following the drawing and writing prompts, readers will discover internal strengths. They will find that, when they tap the creative visions that are alive within them, they can positively change how they feel and how they react to what's going on around them. The Perfect Gift is given when this book is read and experienced together. --Jan Thrope, LSW, community activist

Learn more at LaurenPersons.com

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