Category: Children Publisher: Create Space
ISBN-10: 1439213046
Type: Fiction
Pages: 48
Copyright: June 2008
ISBN-13: 9781439213049
Woody Squirrel overhears two people-kids talking about Christmas and goes on search to find it.
After falling into a snow drift, Woody Squirrel overhears two “People-Kids” talking about Christmas. Excitedly, he scampers into an adventure to find the treasure of presents and food under a tree of colorful lights. He rounds up his forest friends for the treasure search. All is well until "Phew Skunk" sneaks up and sets off a firestorm of arguments among the once-happy gang. Their loud voices wake up Wise Old Owl who helps them discover that Christmas is not a WHERE but a "WHOOOOO." Ideal age is second to fourth grades but younger children have enjoyed the illustrations and learning about the WHO of Christmas too.
Excerpt
Chapter 1
One snowy day, not very long ago, Woody Squirrel was playing "limb-jump" high up in a big old oak tree. "Limb-jump" is a game played with at least two squirrels. The squirrel who falls first, loses. Woody lost the game but found a treasure instead.
Here's how it happened. Woody was playing the game with his cousins, Robby and Frenchie Squirrel. They scampered high up where the thinnest branches are. Woody did a back flip flying leap to the smallest branch on the whole tree. He landed, and for just a second, stood to cheer with his paws stretched over his head in victory. Just about the time Woody got his cheer out, the branch broke and he fell.
Usually, if a squirrel falls off a branch, he lands paws down on the next lower branch, sort of like a cat always seems to land on his paws. But since Woody was in the cheering position when the branch broke, he lost his balance and hit his head on the branch below. The branch crunched hard on his head and he fell all the way down to the bottom of the tree.
Luckily for Woody, he landed in a huge snow drift. He wasn't hurt, but he was so stunned that he couldn't move.
Soon after Woody fell into the snow drift, Chad and Grace People-Kids walked by. As a rule, Woody would never get close to People-Kids. However, this was different. He could not move. He thought, "At least the snow is hiding me."
Chad and Grace People-Kids came to play on the large swing hanging from the big oak tree. They were all excited and kept talking about "the wrapped presents, the lights on the tree, the wonderful food and how great and near Christmas was."
Chad and Grace were so excited and happy talking about Christmas that they never even saw Woody. But, Woody saw and heard them. He made up his mind that as soon as he could move, he was going to find Christmas for himself.
Professional Reviews
Good Books
Martha Sears, RN,Co-author, CHRISTIAN PARENTING AND CHILD CARE and THE BABY BOOK"
Good books have a way of increasing the joy and health in families. I hope that our books, in the Sears' Parenting Library, have done that; and I know that this delightful book by Paul Samuels will. As a mother of eight and grandmother of eight, I love seeing the faces of my grandchildren when I read WHERE IS CHRISTMAS? With them. The People-Kids and Woody Squirrel paint a fresh new way of seeing Christmas and its meaning. Paul's book will give you many precious moments this like this to enjoy with the children in your life" –
creative mind
Gayle D. Erwin, author-The Jesus Style
"Paul Samuel's creative mind spills over in a way that makes me wish I were a child again just to have someone read the story to me. This book awakens the mind of a child to see and understand things that other media might bury."
I love Animal Stories
Dr. Christine Sine M.D. author of Godspace
I am sitting at our dining room table looking out on a beautiful September morning. It is hard to believe that in a couple of days I will be in Australia - once more heading into spring rather than into autumn. I will miss the glory of the fall leaves around the lake but I must confess I am rather looking forward to the fact that my summer days are being a little extended for this year.
One thing that doesn't change no matter what part of the world we are in is that Christmas is on its way - December 25th is coming whether we living in the north or the south so I thought that reviewing this delightful Christmas story Where is Christmas? by my friend Paul Samuels seemed appropriate.
I love animal stories, as I think does every child or people kid (as Paul calls them) and in this little book Paul has brought together a whole array of wonderful animal characters who are sure to steal your heart. They are on a quest to find where Christmas is because they believe that it is a place where they will get lots of presents.... Hmm now that sounds familiar. In a beautiful and simple way Paul talks about the things that most kids in our society are looking for at Christmas - coloured lights, presents, lots of food. In the end however they discover what Christmas is really all about.
To be honest when I first read Paul's book I was not sure how well it would connect to young kids - maybe because it is so long since I was a young kid myself. However six year old Catie Rosario Kilmer loves it which is probably a much better recommendation than any I can give. The book captures the innocent delight of the search for Christmas as experienced by a child. Telling it through the forest creatures who embark on this quest makes it even more appealing.
The book is also filled with wonderful illustrations and colourful images that appeal to kids of even younger age. The timeless and ageless message means that it will appeal to those that read it as to those that hear the story
