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pwbalto's review against another edition
4.0
A neighborhood full of people suffering through standard December crap - money's tight, the weather's cold, grown children can't make it home for the holidays - are brought together when Jose and his dad bring home an enormous Christmas Eve roast. I am a person who participates in roasting a whole pig on New Year's Day in a block party that draws something like 100 people (including, last year, a U.S. Senator!), so I can attest to the community-building power of protein. Set in the Bronx neighborhood where Manzano grew up, the book brings together holiday traditions from many cultures.
A word about Sonia Manzano: before writing books for kids, she had a 44-year career playing "Maria" on Sesame Street. Maria! Loved her! During that time she danced, she sang, she got fake married, and she nursed her daughter on TV. She even learned American Sign Language and became educated on many aspects of early childhood development. And she is doing spectacularly in her "second" career as a children's book author. Give it up for Ms. Manzano.
All my picks for best books to give this holiday are at http://www.unadulterated.us/pink-me/2015/12/give-it-all-the-goodies-for-this-holiday-season.html
A word about Sonia Manzano: before writing books for kids, she had a 44-year career playing "Maria" on Sesame Street. Maria! Loved her! During that time she danced, she sang, she got fake married, and she nursed her daughter on TV. She even learned American Sign Language and became educated on many aspects of early childhood development. And she is doing spectacularly in her "second" career as a children's book author. Give it up for Ms. Manzano.
All my picks for best books to give this holiday are at http://www.unadulterated.us/pink-me/2015/12/give-it-all-the-goodies-for-this-holiday-season.html
backonthealex's review against another edition
5.0
It's Christmas Eve, but living in an apartment in 133rd Street, everything is just too small for a proper celebration - or at least that's how Jose's mother feels - the tree is too small for all the decorations, the oven is too small to cook the roast in. Mami is definitely unhappy and homesick for Puerto Rico.
But as José suggests, a pizza oven would cook that roast. So, he and Papi, also named José, bundle themselves up to head over to Regular Ray's Pizzeria to see if they can use their over.
But before they even leave their building, they meet Mrs. Whitman, from apartment 4B who is tired of all the Christmas racket everywhere, especially in her own apartment and from her own kids.
Next, they meet Mr. and Mrs. Santiago from apartment 3Cwho want to know if something is wrong. It seems they won't be celebrating Christmas this year because their children won't be coming home.
On the second floor, Mr. Franklin was looking out his peephole to see if someone was being robbed. And finally from 2B, Mrs. Wozensky complained that Christmas cost too much money, and who that much, anyway?
You would think that having met all that crabbiness and unhappiness, father and son would be feeling pretty down by the time they reached Mr. Ray's Regular Ray's Pizzeria. But luckily, the pizza oven was free and they roast was successfully roasted, so successfully that it's delicious smell wafted into the noses of Mr. Ray, Mrs. Wozensky, Mr. Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Santiago and finally Mrs. Whitman. With a roast so big it wouldn't fit in the oven, there was plenty to eat and all the neighbors accepted the invitation of the father and son to join them for their Christmas Eve celebration, much to Mani's delight. What good cheer that night was filled with!
I'm a NYC girl and I just love a good story that takes place in my favorite city. The only thing better than that is a holiday story that really captures the true meaning of Christmas - peace on earth, goodwill towards all people. And that is just was the two Josés accomplish with one good-smelling roast and lots of Christmas spirit. And miracle of miracles, even their small apartment was large enough to accommodate such a large group of people - but isn't that what Christmas Eve is all about - miracles?
I love the neighborhood that Sonia Manzano created for her story, a little reminiscent of Sesame Street (where she resided for so many years on TV), reflecting NYC's diversity in the microcosm of one small apartment building.
Majorie Priceman's bright, colorful gouache painting, done in a palette of sparkling Christmasy colors, add so much to the warmth and feeling of community of the story. They are happy and hectic like the city and the apartment, but with room for everyone.
If you want a Christmas book that isn't about Santa Clause, or just need a break from shopping and mall madness, or maybe just looking for some down time, Miracle on 133rd Street is the book for you.
This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was borrowed from a friend
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
But as José suggests, a pizza oven would cook that roast. So, he and Papi, also named José, bundle themselves up to head over to Regular Ray's Pizzeria to see if they can use their over.
But before they even leave their building, they meet Mrs. Whitman, from apartment 4B who is tired of all the Christmas racket everywhere, especially in her own apartment and from her own kids.
Next, they meet Mr. and Mrs. Santiago from apartment 3Cwho want to know if something is wrong. It seems they won't be celebrating Christmas this year because their children won't be coming home.
On the second floor, Mr. Franklin was looking out his peephole to see if someone was being robbed. And finally from 2B, Mrs. Wozensky complained that Christmas cost too much money, and who that much, anyway?
You would think that having met all that crabbiness and unhappiness, father and son would be feeling pretty down by the time they reached Mr. Ray's Regular Ray's Pizzeria. But luckily, the pizza oven was free and they roast was successfully roasted, so successfully that it's delicious smell wafted into the noses of Mr. Ray, Mrs. Wozensky, Mr. Franklin, Mr. and Mrs. Santiago and finally Mrs. Whitman. With a roast so big it wouldn't fit in the oven, there was plenty to eat and all the neighbors accepted the invitation of the father and son to join them for their Christmas Eve celebration, much to Mani's delight. What good cheer that night was filled with!
I'm a NYC girl and I just love a good story that takes place in my favorite city. The only thing better than that is a holiday story that really captures the true meaning of Christmas - peace on earth, goodwill towards all people. And that is just was the two Josés accomplish with one good-smelling roast and lots of Christmas spirit. And miracle of miracles, even their small apartment was large enough to accommodate such a large group of people - but isn't that what Christmas Eve is all about - miracles?
I love the neighborhood that Sonia Manzano created for her story, a little reminiscent of Sesame Street (where she resided for so many years on TV), reflecting NYC's diversity in the microcosm of one small apartment building.
Majorie Priceman's bright, colorful gouache painting, done in a palette of sparkling Christmasy colors, add so much to the warmth and feeling of community of the story. They are happy and hectic like the city and the apartment, but with room for everyone.
If you want a Christmas book that isn't about Santa Clause, or just need a break from shopping and mall madness, or maybe just looking for some down time, Miracle on 133rd Street is the book for you.
This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was borrowed from a friend
This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading
tashrow's review
4.0
On their first Christmas Eve after moving to the Bronx from Puerto Rico, things are just not going well. Their tree is tiny and now the holiday roast is too big to fit in their tiny oven! So Jose and his father head off to find an oven large enough for their big roast. As they leave their apartment building, they bump into neighbor after neighbor, each having a bad holiday too. The children are too noisy, an older couple won’t be seeing their family this year, and others are having money troubles. They head to the local pizzeria where the Ray lets them put the roast in his huge pizza oven. On the way back home with the meal, the smell of the roast tantalizes everyone they pass, making their day better. And best of all is the sharing of the roast and the sharing of the holiday with everyone.
Manzano played Maria on Sesame Street and has been creating marvelous books for children for the last few years. In this picture book, she captures the diversity of a Bronx neighborhood and the way that you can be neighbors but not know one another well. Then she turns it all around and shows how community can suddenly be created by acts of caring and generosity and how those choices can impact everyone around you.
Caldecott-honor winning, Priceman has brought the urban Bronx neighborhood to vivid life here. The buildings sway, bright colored against the dark night sky that is alive with stars and the milky way. The snow shines on the ground. All is filled with spicy colors that fill the holiday with a unique feeling of a diverse community.
A great pick for holiday reading, this picture book has the rhythm of different languages on the page, the joy of diverse holiday traditions and the beauty of a community coming together. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Manzano played Maria on Sesame Street and has been creating marvelous books for children for the last few years. In this picture book, she captures the diversity of a Bronx neighborhood and the way that you can be neighbors but not know one another well. Then she turns it all around and shows how community can suddenly be created by acts of caring and generosity and how those choices can impact everyone around you.
Caldecott-honor winning, Priceman has brought the urban Bronx neighborhood to vivid life here. The buildings sway, bright colored against the dark night sky that is alive with stars and the milky way. The snow shines on the ground. All is filled with spicy colors that fill the holiday with a unique feeling of a diverse community.
A great pick for holiday reading, this picture book has the rhythm of different languages on the page, the joy of diverse holiday traditions and the beauty of a community coming together. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
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