Vlasta Van Kampen

Advent/Christmas (2) animals (20) Bethlehem (4) big book (4) birds (3) Box 1 (2) butterflies (2) camels (12) camels fiction (3) Catholic Mosaic (3) causation (2) children (9) Children Christmas (2) children's (12) children's books (2) children-ya (2) Christmas (58) Christmas Books (2) Christmas fiction (3) Epiphany (4) fiction (13) friendship (2) gold (3) Grade 4 (2) holiday (4) humility (2) instruments (8) Israel (2) Jesus Christ (3) kids (2) library (2) music (22) Nativity (7) Nightingales (3) non-fiction (2) orchestra (10) perseverance (2) picture book (26) religion (4) Wise Men (2)

Common Knowledge

Birthdate: 1943
Gender: female
Nationality: Canada
Places of residence: Belleville, Ontario, Canada (birth)
Education: Ontario College of Art

Members

Reviews

Orchestranimals

A great book for children, with or without the included cassette tape. Perfect for introducing kids to orchestral instruments the way one would animals, and also can pique the interest on the curiosity that is musical notation. I would recommend it highly, if you can somehow get a copy.

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chocodum | 1 other review | Oct 3, 2016 |

The Last Straw by Fredrick Thury

Hoshmakaka, an old prideful camel, was chosen to deliver the gifts of the three wise men to the baby Jesus. When the frankincense, myrrh, and gold were placed upon his back, Hoshmakaka foolishly boasted that he was as strong as ten horses. And so as the caravan traveled to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus, more and more gifts were added to Hoshmakaka's burden. Just when Hoshmakaka reached his limit, a child asked the old camel to take his little gift too. Will a single piece of straw bring down the great camel? Check out the book to learn how Hoshmakaka's burden is lifted.

The Bottom Line: The traditional Christmas story is told in an unusual way...through the point of view of a camel. This is a gentle story about humility and pride. Beautiful watercolors illustrate the camel's plight. Highly recommended reading for the holidays for kids in grade school.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog.… (more)

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aya.herron | 1 other review | Jul 25, 2015 |

The Last Straw by Fredrick Thury

This is a wonderful Christmas story that my children just loved when they were little. The story is wonderful and the artistry is fabulous! I still remember my two boys breaking into peals of laughter when I read them this story and introduced them to Hoshmakaka, the grump old camel!

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mrsrenee | 1 other review | Feb 12, 2011 |

It Couldn't Be Worse

The farmer’s wife is at her wit’s end. Her one-room house is far too small for her large, quarrelsome family. When a wise fishmonger suggests adding farm animals to the household, the family discovers that life in the tiny house could be much, much worse! Bold illustrations and predicable text make this adaptation of the familiar folktale a great choice for storytime.

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storytimestandouts | Nov 8, 2010 |

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