"Mistletoe and An Alien Christmas Tale" invites readers on a whimsical journey to Snowville, a charming town where the festive spirit of Christmas is about to encounter the curiosity of visitors from Mars. As the Martians land on Earth with a mission to understand the peculiar and heartwarming traditions of Christmas, they find themselves wrapped up in a series of humorous and endearing adventures. From misunderstanding mistletoe to a comical attempt at caroling, their journey is as heartwarming as it is hilarious.
Experience the magic of Christmas through the eyes of these lovable Martian explorers as they learn about gift-giving, participate in a Christmas bake-off, and unintentionally create the most spectacular light show Snowville has ever seen. Each chapter is a delightful mix of festive cheer and interstellar misunderstandings, showcasing the joy and warmth of the holiday season. As the Martians and the townspeople of Snowville form an unexpected bond, they discover that the true essence of Christmas transcends worlds.
This heartwarming tale is a celebration of friendship, cultural exchange, and the universal spirit of giving. As the Martians prepare to return to their home planet, they leave behind memories that will linger long after the holiday season. "Mistletoe and An Alien Christmas Tale" is a festive story for all ages, reminding us that the magic of Christmas can bring together even the most unlikely of friends.
Samuel DenHartog is a versatile and imaginative author whose works span a wide array of genres, including mythology, fables, fairy tales, fantasy, romance, mystery, science fiction, and children's books. His stories captivate readers of all ages, blending wonder with rich, timeless narratives.
What sets Samuel apart is his ability to breathe new life into ancient tales while preserving their core essence. Whether it's mythology, folklore, or fairy tales from various cultures, by carefully balancing tradition with modern touches, he creates stories that resonate with contemporary audiences, making historical and mythical narratives feel fresh, relevant, and engaging.
Off the page, Samuel is a lifelong learner, constantly expanding his creative horizons and engaging with innovative ideas. His journey is a continual pursuit of knowledge and creativity, bridging the worlds of tradition and imagination.
Reminded me of essays from grade school, just longer and with bigger words. Glad it was free, but still the time... Wasn't even dull enough to lull me to sleep.
A holiday young adult book that is the first in the series, which definitely means I read these books out of order. With the exception of like the first part that mentions something about sweats in the Halloween book and the fact this book mentions the creation of the object that allows them to watch Earth from Mars, the books can really be considered to be standalones.
Like the other book in the series, though, Mistletoe and Martians is written with a young audience in mind so as a result it can be really repetitive such as the Martians figuring out how to sing Christmas carols appeared in three different episodes within the book while all to different results. Furthermore each chapter is preceded by a more than like AI-generated illustration and each chapter ends with a basic summary of the lessons our interplanetary friends find out in each one.
The format of the story is basically the same whether Halloween or Christmas with the Martians spending several days to unwrap the most famous customs around these holidays all to the amazement, shock and bemusement of those who live in a community that so heavily focuses on maintaining all of these traditions. At no point does anyone take a chance to hurt the aliens but instead they continue to promote harmony among the two planets, which ends in a dance.
At the same time the book is illustrated in such a manner that is questionable. Each book in the series shows a whole colony of Martians possibly coming from one spaceship although only a handful are given names and mentioned in interactions although at one point in this one a re-telling of their descent showed more than one ship. Furthermore the illustrations in this book showed some aliens with extra backwards legs and one frontal view alien had a tail attached to the front as it bears a gift.
Given to the repetitive nature of the story, some discrepancies and the idea that the author wants me to think an alien with a balance-provided technological steadier for ice skates can teach a human child to ice skate are all that just made this book rather blah for me. Although my husband did definitely enjoy it a bit more than I did.
Either way it would be a great book to share with children as you discuss holidays traditions and help them to explore the various ways people may celebrate these special days.
I tend to like martian/alien stories so I thought getting this book would be a fun read. I was not disappointed at all.
Martians land on Earth as they are on an investigation quest. It just so happens they land during the season of Christmas. Fortunately, they are welcomed by the humans and get immersed in their holiday customs. They even get parts in a nativity play!
Humor is intertwined as the martians try to navigate their way in understanding and peace. The humans learn some of the ways of "Mars" too. We all know martians come from Mars!
I liked this book enough to keep reading it. It was fun and an extremely light read. I do think if the author had flushed out some of the characters even more, it would have been an "A" book. I did enjoy the martian characters and their honest mistakes but truly trying to understand.
What I enjoyed most was the coming together in peace and harmony and the meshing of two very different cultures. This was a great statement on how things really should be.
I give this book 3 stars. Disclosure: I purchased a Kindle copy of this book for my own collections. The review here is 100% my own opinions and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I opened this in KU, but I was not disappointed.
This is a lovely little story of how some Martians came to Earth on a journey of discovery and found more than they'd imagined. Landing in the middle of a small town's Christmas festivities, they are welcomed and included--and add their own Martian touch to every event. The Christmas Story and Nativity were very touching.
If you are looking for a light read this time of year, you might give this a go. 🎄🛸❤️
Oh, this book! Just a wonderful Christmas tale. It's humorous and fun and whimsical but it is SO MUCH MORE! It's a beautiful reminder of the meaning of Christmas, the value of kindness and friendship and even our humanity. It's about loving our neighbor, opening our hearts and coming together no matter our cultures or backgrounds or differences. There is lots of laughter along the way. The illustrations at the beginning of each chapter are delightful. This was a wonderful surprise for me that I will likely reread each Christmas!
This story was a welcome break after reading a several "lost love & (re)found" on Christmas day/ season. It is well written & captures the essence of the Holiday Season in a fresh & unique way. I think both young & old(er) , & even the Christmas crudgmogens will enjoy this unique & fun way to capture the Holiday Season 🌟🌟🌟🌟
A sappy little story. Somewhat disjointed. Very little explanation about mistletoe. Ans skips many other holiday traditions and inserts other activities (In a bid for them to become traditions?) Totally misses a Christmas tree and the history behind it.