Has Anyone Seen Christmas?

It's Christmas Eve and Santa has chosen Emit the Elf to be his navigator this time out but poor Emit, no sooner do they get started than he falls from Santa's sleigh. He falls straight into New Years Eve and from there it's a race through the year and all of its holidays all the while Emit (time spelled backwards, don't ya know) tries to find Santa and his sleigh so that all the presents can be delivered. We move from New Years, through Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day, Over a Rainbow, to Easter, a visit to a Birthday girl, into the 4th of July via a leftover birthday balloon, down Trick-or-Treat Lane in a pumpkin sleigh, enjoy a Thanksgiving Day parade and finally back into Christmas where Emit learns that it's all about more than just presents! In the end, it's the combination of Emit's repetitive "Has anyone seen Christmas?/Has Anyone Seen Christmas Day?/I need to get back to Santa/For I fell out of his sleigh and the gorgeous image rich pictures that bring so very much to the story all on their own. Using a combination of water color, pen & ink, chalk and acrylic mediums, Popko really gives Has Anyone Seen Christmas that extra something that makes it extra special, taking it from regular story book to visual feast! Kids and adult alike will enjoy the text and simply gorgeous pictures and younger in particular readers will love Emit's repetitive refrain; it allows them an "in" to the story that they can count on! I think this would make an excellent addition to any families Christmas collection, truly a pleasure to read! I rate it five stars of Christmas goodness. For an extra treat, look for the hidden Santa's worked into the pictures.

Emit the Elf has been chosen by Santa to help deliver presents on Christmas Eve. All goes well until Emit falls out of Santa's sleigh! The result is a confusion that sends everyone out looking for Christmas! Wendy Popko's colorfully dynamic and energetic illustrations are an integral part of Anne Margaret Lewis' entertaining, lyrically told story that will have young readers totally engaged from first page to last. Highly recommended and thoroughly fun reading for the Christmas holidays!

As a Michigander myself, it always pleases me when an author, illustrator and/or an in-state publisher makes it big. This book is on its way to becoming a Christmas classic. As I understand it, the most books sold by this publisher to date (I believe that book was written by the same author) was 15,000. Has Anyone Seen Christmas has already exceeded that number and it looks like as many as 90,000 will be sold this Christmas season. It's a delightful tale of an Elf named Emit who falls off Santa's sleigh and then spends time (Emit spelled backwards. Clever.) going through our yearly holidays to find Christmas, Santa, and his sleigh once again. During his odyssey, Emit also learns the true meaning of Christmas. The story is well-written and will warm your heart. Wendy Popko, the illustrator, does an exquisite job on the book's pictures. (Wendy recently drew a picture "live" on Detroit's WJR radio's Frank Beckman Show and it sold for over $1500 on ebay just a few days ago.) You and your children/grandchildren will love looking for the hidden Santas, will delight in the excellent illustrations, and will become very involved in Emit's desperate search for Christmas. Each year we select a Christmas story for our eight grandchildren. Guess which one got the nod this year? Kudos to Anne Margaret Lewis, Wendy Popko, and Mackinac Island Press. Carolyn Rowe Hill

This book has the extra pieces that make a children's book special. It is a very cute story, very fresh and unique. The writing is very strong and the rhyme, repeated through the book is excellent for young children. The artwork is spectacular. The dust jacket says the illustrations are watercolor, acrylic, pen and ink and chalk--I see them, and they are magical. The hidden santa's on the pages are a very good touch. I wonder how many people notice the tribute to Thomas Nast on the New Year's Eve page--it is a great trivia question for adults. I would strongly recommend this book. Children will love the story, the characters (the elf falls from Santa's sleigh and goes from holiday to holiday looking for Christmas--very very cute!) and the warm playfullness the story has. Adult will really like the story, love the art, and the message at the end for children.

Anne Margaret Lewis' "Has Anyone Seen Christmas?" is sure to be Holiday Classic. Vibrant color schemes and a clever refrain make this a joy to read, and reread. Children will delight in trying to find Christmas with Emit, as well as enjoy seeing all the other holidays together. Popko's illustrations are timeless and children will enjoy spending time just devouring her pictures, studying each holiday, and trying to find each holiday on the pages as the story progresses. What makes this book a true treasure is, not only is it highly entertaining it delivers a nice message with out being too noticeable in doing so. This is a holiday keepsake.