Review of Cindy Lou's very Special Christmas Tree

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Cindy Lou's very Special Christmas Tree" by billie atamer.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Cindy Lou is feeling blue, but her parents know what to do! While the hurtful words of a friend made her feel embarrassed by her family's unique Christmas tradition, her mother and father are prepared to comfort her and explain the importance behind it. When Cindy learns the truth, what will she do? Join the mouse family as they share the secret behind their favorite decorating tradition, and celebrate the season's most precious gift!

Cindy Lou's Very Special Christmas Tree by Billie Atamar is a great place to start for readers looking for the first peek at the holiday season. I loved how the author shared a unique Christmas tradition in this 22-page children's picture book. Since the book contains a Christian focus, the author includes Biblical scriptures with young readers as Cindy Lou learns the importance of the meaning of Christmas. I particularly appreciated how Cindy Lou takes the lesson she learns and applies it in a heartwarming way. I also enjoyed the illustrations of the little mice children and the endearing moments when the mother and father mouse comforted their daughter.

I also appreciated the resources that the author included after the story. Miss Billie shared many Bible promises written in simple language that would be easy for 3-8 year-olds to understand. The paraphrased verses are perfect for young children to memorize and take with them as they face challenges in their own lives. She also provided the lyrics of several simple songs for children to sing and a few prayers for little ones.

There was nothing that I disliked about the story and the positive message it contained. Unfortunately, numerous editing issues made it harder to read. The book needs additional formatting and editing to fix the dialogue throughout the book. Often, an entire conversation with multiple characters was written in one giant paragraph, making it difficult to know who was speaking. There were also several points where the punctuation was missing or in the wrong place. Because of the formatting and editing issues, I had to reduce the book's rating to three out of four stars.

I'd recommend this book to parents and children looking for read-aloud Christian Christmas stories. Cindy Lou is a relatable character for young children, and the lesson she learns can be passed on and understood by a young audience. This book would be a great story to get readers excited about Christmas and the priceless traditions they share with their families.

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Cindy Lou's very Special Christmas Tree
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[Jennifer Coxon]

Thanks for the great review. I think it’s good for children to learn that not everyone shares the same traditions but to want to learn why their families traditions are what they are.