Jingle the Husky Pup Interactive Storybook & Story Buddy

*This is a cross-post between my two blogs. You will find the exact same post at Callista's Ramblings today. 


This is a Great Last Minute Gift Idea - if you still have more shopping to do like me!

When I saw this cute book-toy set in a Hallmark flyer, I thought it was the cutest idea and something every child would love. So I contacted them and they were nice enough to send one along for me to review.

This is the first Interactive Storybook from Hallmark but they have plans for future ones in 2011. The book is titled Jingle All the Way and as you read key phrases from the book, Jingle the Husky Pup responds with barks, whines and other doggy noises.

The stuffed dog is really cute, with a really big head that makes it top heavy and a cute little bell around it's neck. My kids love him. He looks just like he does in the book. When you are ready to read, you just press a button in his ear and he's ready to go. Turn him off when you are done to conserve batteries.

The story is a GREAT story. Although it mentions Christmas and you see some of Santa, it's more of a holiday book than a Christmas book. It teaches that everyone deserves a home, especially for Christmas.

An adult or older child should read this book as you have to speak clearly for Jingle to respond. If the words are stumbled over or there is too much background noise, Jingle may not respond properly.

KID TESTED!
I brought the story to our Spark/Brownie meeting and to playgroup to share. All 12 children total loved it. I was going to send it with my daughter to her JK class but didn't get around to it since she was sick one day but another teacher brought it in and her class of 45 loved it. At playgroup, the older kids listened attentively while the younger ones (under 2) zoned out of the story but perked up every time Jingle made a peep. If it wasn't for Jingle, the under 2s would have wandered off but they started to watch Jingle, anticipating that he would make a sound again. A few times Jingle barked when he wasn't supposed to or didn't bark when he was supposed to but that was because the classroom next door was unusually loud.

My only qualm... Jingle should have responded more. I think he should have had something to "say" on EACH page.

After you fall in love with Jingle, you may be interested to know Hallmark also has a Jingle the Husky Pup keepsake ornament, Jingle webcam greetings and an iphone/ipad app.

*Disclaimer: I was sent the product in exchange for a review. All reviews are honest and are not affected by how I acquired the item.

You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs

Stars: ****

St. Martin's Press (2009)
224 pages

Summary: You’ve eaten too much candy at Christmas…but have you ever eaten the face off a six-foot-stuffed Santa? You’ve seen gingerbread houses…but have you ever made your own gingerbread tenement? You’ve woken up with a hangover…but have you ever woken up next to Kris Kringle himself? Augusten Burroughs has, and in this caustically funny, nostalgic, poignant, and moving collection he recounts Christmases past and present—as only he could. With gimleteyed wit and illuminated prose, Augusten shows how the holidays bring out the worst in us and sometimes, just sometimes, the very, very best. - from GoodReads

Did you read the summary? I have no idea what gimleteyed is but the stories were pretty funny but more in a "I can't believe that happened" sort of way. I received this book almost a year ago for review but due to the crappy mail system, it came AFTER Christmas, like in February and I didn't feel like reading a Christmas book that much after Christmas.

Augusten Burroughs is the author of the popular Running With Scissors (along with other books.) This however is the first book by him I've read. Augusten had a very interesting life and certainly seems to be cursed during the holidays and I'm not even sure I believe in curses.

I'm not usually a lover of short stories but for some reason I don't seem to mind them at Christmastime. However I have to warn that not everyone will enjoy this book. The stories are dark, about alcoholism, AIDS and death. Also although it doesn't matter to me, the author is gay so his relationships are with other men. I know this bothers some people.

PS - I looked up gimlet-eyed... it means sharp sighted according to Merriam-Webster.

Links of Interest: NONE YET
Other Reviews: Reviews by Lola, The Girl from the Ghetto,

Buy You Better Not Cry at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

Christmas Picture Books I Recommend

Mr. Christmas by Roger Hargreaves (Mr. Men. Series)

Stars: ****


Summary: Meet Mr. Christmas! One day, Mr. Christmas receives a call from his uncle, Santa Claus. He needs help with the Christmas presents! Can. Mr. Christmas deliver the presents to all the Mr. Men.

I love the Mr. Men Series and was delighted to see a Christmas version. Although it's not very believable that Mr. Christmas is related to Santa Claus (since Santa isn't a strange shape) the story was really cute and it's not like most kids are as analytical as me. 


Links of Interest: Mr. Men and Little Miss Website,

 Other Reviews: NONE YET


Buy Mr. Christmas at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

Little Miss Christmas by Roger Hargreaves (Little Miss Series)

Stars: ****

Summary: One Christmas, Little Miss Christmas decides that she needs a break from wrapping presents, so she asks Santa Claus and Mr. Christmas to wrap the last few instead. But will they finish in time?'

I recommend reading Mr. Christmas before Little Miss Christmas only because it shows something from the Mr. Christmas book which will seem a little weird if you haven't read Mr. Christmas. This book is cute but also had a good lesson in it about being responsible.

Links of Interest: Mr. Men and Little Miss Website,

Other Reviews: NONE YET

Buy Little Miss Christmas at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

The Three Bears' Christmas by Kathy Duval

Stars: *****

Summary: This is a Christmas version of the tradition Three Bears story. Instead of Goldilocks, the visitor is Santa, but it doesn't quite end in the same way as with Goldilocks!

We just got this one from the library but I would love to own it. It's close to the traditional story but different enough that your child won't be bored with the story. Older children will love pointing out the similarities and differences between the two stories. Adorable illustrations by Paul Meisel. The author also has created The Three Bears' Halloween.

Links of Interest: Kathy Duval,
Other Reviews: NONE YET

Buy The Three Bears' Christmas at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

Stars: *****

Summary: Mark your calendar. It's the Christmas Cookie Club! Every year on the first Monday of December, Marnie and her twelve closest girlfriends gather in the evening with batches of beautifully wrapped homemade cookies. Everyone brings a dish, a bottle of wine and their stories. [Read More]

Although I've reviewed for Atria Books before I missed the offer for this book so I got a copy from the library to read this season. I'm glad I did, it was awesome!

The Christmas Cookie Club is exactly the kind of Christmas story I was looking for. One I could follow along with even if I read a little here and there, something light that I could read surrounded by children and a puppy and something other than a romance story (which most Christmas books seem to have.) Although there is talk about love in this book, it's not the focus.

Not only is this an awesome read, the storyline is based on a real story and will hopefully inspire others to start their own cookie club. I'm not a baker and I don't have many friends but for someone who does, it would be a great tradition to do every year. Especially since they donate a dozen cookies EACH (that's 144 cookies total) to hospice.

The story itself was compelling, even if most people's lives aren't that crazy, I'm sure some people's are. Before each chapter is the recipe for the cookies that each woman makes so you can make them at home too. In between chapters there is also sections with history and information on common baking ingredients such as sugar, salt, ginger, nuts, chocolate and more. These were fairly interesting, some more than others.  It was definitely a nice touch.

Links of Interest: The Christmas Cookie Club Website, Ann Pearlman on Twitter, Ann Pearlman's Webpage, Interview with Ann Pearlman on BermudaOnion's Blog, Guest Post by Ann Pearlman on Booking Mama,

Other Reviews: Books, Movies and Chinese Food, S. Krishna's Books, A Patchwork of Books, Booking Mama, BermudaOnion, Cafe of Dreams, My Cozy Book Nook, TexasRed Books,

Buy The Christmas Cookie Club at Amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

The Turkey's Treat by Marie Sanderlin Metroke

Stars: **

Summary: The Turkey's Treat introduces young Jeff Watson, who has his sight set on the perfect Christmas turkey. But that turns out to be a whole lot more difficult when he has to catch it himself!

Children's Fiction - Picture Book

ISBN: 978-1432733247

Outskirts Press (April 30, 2009)

I received this book from Bostick Communications and I must be honest and say it wasn't as good as I'd hoped. The idea is to show children that there is more to Christmas than just the fixings but I don't think it necessarily did that. Jeff learns that you can have Christmas without eating Turkey but he gets the tree he wants. I think a book where they have what they want but something happens and they lose it all but enjoy Christmas anyways would carry that message better.

Also since when do grocery stores carry live Turkeys? They certainly don't around here. I did like the illustrations by Victor Guiza, they were very funny, cartoonish even. I liked that the boy didn't listen to his parents and he saw the consequences.  However I think a lot more thought and editing should have gone into this book.

Links of Interest: Author Interview at Books and Needlepoint, 

Other Reviews: The Bookshelf Reviews,

Buy The Turkey's Treat at Amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

Gifts of the Heart by Karen Boes Oman

Stars: *****

Summary: When a terrible storm whisks Grandpa and Grandma off the road on the day before Christmas, it scatters their grandchildren's presents all across Mother Goose Land. Their search for the lost gifts leaves them empty-handed but with hearts overflowing with love. But what will Grandpa and Grandma tell their grandkids when they arrive without presents? A knock on the door leads grandparents and grandchildren on an exciting Christmas Eve adventure, a night filled with music, magic and the best gifts of all - gifts of the heart.

I love this book for these reasons:

1. It's a holiday story for my grandparents to read to grandchildren.
2. It promotes the idea of giving to those in need.
3. It shows that Christmas isn't all about presents.

I wish this book had found me a few years ago. It's beautiful. The illustrations by Marilyn Brown are soft and Christmasy. I'm not sure how to describe them but they are gorgeous. The story itself is magnificent. Here's a small quote:

"'Our coats!' I whispered into Grandma's ear. She whispered back 'Dear, they'll be warming kids here.' 'For I see a need, and so if I start giving coats to the coatless, I'm giving my heart.'"

This book is self-published at the moment but I can see a large publisher picking this book up for sure. I know I'd be honored to have my name or company name in the inside cover. I HIGHLY recommend this book to all grandparents who celebrate Christmas.

Links of Interest: Time to Breathe (Author's Website)


Other Reviews: Books, Books, Everywhere, Jen's Book Talk,

Buy Gifts of the Heart at Amazon.com

Mrs. Claus Explains It All by Elsbeth Claus

Stars: ****

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (November 2008)
Children's Fiction - Picture book

Summary: Millions of letters pour into the North Pole every year. Amid the requests for presents are questions from curious children who want to know more about Santa, the elves and the reindeer. For the first time ever, Mrs. Elsbeth Claus takes time out of her busy schedule to answer some of the popular questions in this book.



This is the perfect gift for kids who are visited by Santa Claus and who have many questions about how it all works. How does Santa get into my house if we don't have a chimney? What is Santa's favorite kind of cookie? Where do elves come from? Can all reindeer fly? These are just some of the questions answered my Mrs. Claus herself in a book written for children.

I like how the kid's questions look like little notes written on a piece of scrap paper. Also the illustrations by David Wenzel are amazing. Very lifelike and wonderful to look at with detail. This would make a great book to read every year with your children.

Other Reviews (NOTE: most of these reviews are from 2008, any giveaways are closed): A Book Blogger's Diary, Book Journey,

Buy Mrs. Claus Explains It All from amazon.com (or check your local store to get it in time for Christmas!)

Horrid Henry's Christmas by Francesca Simon

Stars: ****

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (Dec 2009)

Children's Fiction
Ages 7-12

Summary: Horrid Henry sabotages the Christmas play; tries to do all his Christmas shopping without spending any of his allowance; attempts to ambush Santa Claus (to get more presents, of course); and has to endure the worst Christmas dinner ever!

As I've mentioned before, I've reviewed other Horrid Henry books. They are the perfect book for children who are reluctant readers. The hilarious story line, the comic-like illustrations and short stories make it great for reluctant readers. Francesca Simon and Tony Ross (Illustrator) are genius!

I was afraid at first that only the first story would be about Christmas but I was happy to find out all four stories are Christmas related. The stories are also in a timeline of sorts. Each story getting closer to Christmas Day when the final story happens.

The author channels a small mischievous boy incredibly well!

Buy Horrid Henry's Christmas on Amazon.com