Customer Rating: 
Summary: A Family Treasure
Comment: This pop-up book takes my breath away! It is not for children but rather is to be used as a family keepsake, to be passed down from generation to generation. This is a collector's gift, a work of art. Each two-page spread tells the history and traditions of Christmas from around the world. There are hidden surprises like pullouts and mini booklets that are filled with information.
The reader learns about Father Christmas, Boxing Day, and plum pudding in England, along with some authentic Victorian illustrations. The first nativity scene, presecio, or creche came from Italy, along with La Bafana, the Christmas Witch. From Germany came the Advent Calendar, the legend of Tannenbaum or Christmas tree, and Saint Nicholas. From France comes reveillon, a feast--late-night after midnight mass, Pere Noel, and pictures of the City of Lights, Paris, at Christmas. From Russia came the real Saint Nicholas and Baboushka. We learn that Scandinavia is where the Festival of Light continues. The decorations and the history of Santa are found in the pages about North America. Included in the back of the book is a box that pulls out and contains a Santa and sleigh that can pop together and be used as a stand-alone decoration!
A fantastic book to own or to give!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Christmas Customs
Comment: Colorful artwork, complex pop-ups, additional gatefolds that expand the pages, and full descriptions of Christmas customs around the world all combine to form an enjoyable experience. Chuck Fischer has created a beautiful addition to the shelf of Christmas books.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Christmas Around the World
Comment: This is a delightful book that entertains the young and young-at-heart with its educational information. The paintings are beautiful. Each page has it immediate surprises and more that are to be discovered whether by pulling, unfolding or finding flaps to open! It is the best pop-up book that refolds neatly each and every time! It's an heirloom to treasure and hand down to the next generation.
Chuck's NEWEST BOOK, IN THE BEGINNING, GENESIS IS AWESOME! I just got to view it today in its finished format. It is a feast for the eyes and soul! Another MUST_HAVE!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Pop-Up Christmas Book - multi featured
Comment: Although this book is not inexpensive, Amazon had the best price by far! I saw it in a brick and mortor store and really loved both the overall design and the many little extras. Besides a stand-up in each page spread, there are little "books" on one or both sides that give more detailed info on that country. There are a couple of "sliders" and a small tray that holds a pop-up sleigh (not attached to the book).
This is not really a child's book - except when fully supervised by an adult. Kids will enjoy the pictures but not fully understand all the details given about each country.
It would make a great family tradition to look and read during the Christmas season.
My only disappointment is that more countries(and pages)were not included.
It is high quality paper and worth the half-off the listing price that Amazon offers.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Beautiful book, but it contains a REALLY disturbing image of a hanging child.
Comment: "Christmas Around the World" is undoubtedly a gorgeous pop-up book which also provides detailed and interesting insight about Christmas customs around the world. Despite the (mostly) beautiful images and information, I can only give the book two or three stars because of a really disturbing image in the Germany section of the book. The author devotes a section to Krampus, Santa's evil helper, who, according to German legend, punishes children for their naughty ways. Although the essay about the legend is entertaining, underneath an image of a beatific Santa surrounded by children, the author included a truly frightening depiction of Krampus, complete with a silhouette of a child hanging by the neck from his pitchfork, dripping blood. My five year old (try keeping her hands off a pop-up book), isn't scared by Krampus himself and isn't really old enough to understand that the picture shows a dead child, but still, the inclusion of the image seems unnecessary to me, and is entirely inconsistent with the rest of the images in the book. I would suggest buyers take a look at the book first before purchasing to decide whether the picture might disturb the buyer or the recipient, if the book is a gift. Notwithstanding the lush design and beautiful artwork of the vast majority of the book, it probably will always be known in our house as the "scary Krampus book."
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