A few weeks ago, I was feeling very nostalgic for my childhood Christmases in the frozen north (I'm now living in Australia where Christmas arrives when it's thirty degrees in the shade) and I must have read reviews of half the Christmas books on Amazon. On the strength of the enthusiasm of its reviewers I chose 'Believe: A Christmas Treasury'.

It arrived this afternoon and to my delight it's the kind of book that every book-lover dreams of: every page (and I do mean every page, from the titles to the final words of thanks) is filled with the most exquisite illustrations, quotations, stories, poems and reminders of the true spirit of Christmas. I found myself turning each page and thinking again and again, "I can't believe it's so lovely!"

A fair portion of the book was familiar material but this didn't detract from the experience at all. On the contrary, it was wonderful to have a lot of my favourite Christmas stories and songs gathered together along with lots of things that I hadn't come across before.

I remember one or two very special books that I adored as a child because they seemed somehow more real than other books, touched by a certain magic. This belongs firmly in that category and for anyone who wants to be inspired with the joy and love of the holiday season, I urge you to get this glorious book now!

I'm a grandmother and I would recommend this book to anybody who loves Christmas and what it stands for. A treasured keepsake. Wonderful stories to read your children, Poems, food for thought, a few stories could be used for programs in church etc. It's an enjoyable read and I wouldn't part with it.The pictures are beautiful and I can't say enough. It was even nicer than I had expected. Love it!

This book's gilt-edged pages, charming colorful illustrations and classic Christmas treats including among many, O. Henry's "Gift of the Magi" and the nostalgic holiday song, "Over the River and Through the Woods" make for merry family holiday pleasure. Splendid! This book is called a treasury for good reason.

What a beautiful book - and a great gift idea! I saw this at the bookstore a few weeks ago and loved it. I ordered it as a gift for a friend out of state off of amazon.com and was pleasantly surprised when 2nd day air and the book came to less than the cost of the book at the bookstore. Add this book to your Christmas collection!

This is a book to be passed on from generation to generation. The illustrations are exquisite, and the poetry and stories and vignettes are extremely well chosen.