Diane Muldrow

This book (I'm pretty sure) is marketed towards adults. This book is an insult to adults everywhere.

EVERY SINGLE PAGE of this book contains the most trite, cliched inspirational nonsense you've ever heard. I was actually alright with it, but halfway through the book, the cliche came to a cresendo AND IT SHOULD HAVE STOPPED THERE. But there was a whole 'nother half to the book. UGH. Reading it was one of the most painful experiences of my life.

But the artwork... the artwork. It was so lovely. show more If you are a disney fan at all, if you've ever watched a disney animated movie in your life or your childhood, the artwork is positively stunning and evocative and wonderful.

I would recommend you at least flip through this book. Just don't look at the words, though. The artwork is the only thing you really need to look at for this book to achieve it
s purported goal. show less

In this delightful picture book, families plant trees and watch the trees grow along with themselves. As time passes, the families see all the benefits of planting a tree, including shade, cleaner air, soil restoration, etc. While it obviously serves to send a message, the text itself is not heavy-handed but allows for parents and educators to open up a conversation about sustainability and environmental impacts. The colorful, cartoon-like illustrations are a charming addition, and no doubt show more children will enjoy the exotic scenery such as a busy Parisian landscape as well as the fun little details like the family pets (a cat and a dog in the U.S.; a goat in Africa). Overall, this is a fine addition to any school, public, or family library. show less

This was so fun!!! I half expected it to be snarky or sarcastic, but it was actually quite nice and sweet--just aimed more towards adults and the things adults deal with as Christmas nears.
The cool thing is that the pictures are all from various other Little Golden Books throughout the years, and, in tiny print on each page, those originals are referenced. (I've never read the previous "Everything I need to know...." book like this, so I didn't know that's how it was done.)
This is a great show more trip down memory lane while addressing some of the wonders and challenges of Christmas as a grown-up. I loved it!!! I'm going to get my hands on others by Muldrow!!! show less

Diane Muldrow's rhyming text describing all the wonderful things that Christmas is, written this year (2019), is paired with artwork from various Little Golden Books published from 1946 through 2011 in this sweet new holiday picture-book. Illustrations are taken from such titles as Kathleen N. Daly and J.P. Miller's 1964 Jingle Bells, Patricia Scarry and J.P. Miller's 1970 The Sweet Smells of Christmas and Barbara Collyer and John R. Foley's Christmas in the Country, and the text describes show more secular observances of the holiday, as well as more spiritual ones...

Although not the greatest fan of the Little Golden Books picture-book range - somehow I missed most of them, when a girl myself - I have recently picked up a few of their holiday titles, and found them sweet and enjoyable. I have, in fact, enjoyed two of the books whose artwork is used here - Marjorie Wyckoff and Corinne Malvern's 1946 Christmas Carols and Clement C. Moore and Corinne Malvern's 1949 The Night Before Christmas - and appreciated their inclusion. The rhyming text reads well, and celebrates many wonderful, golden things about Christmas, and the artwork is sweetly appealing. Recommended to fans of Little Golden Books, or to anyone seeking fun, rhyming tales for Christmas. show less