I gave this book to a 6 year old daughter of a close friend four years ago, and it became her favorite book for months. It still comes out on Christmas four years later.

I recommend it to any parent - especially if they live in the Albany, NY area.

This is a gorgeously illustrated book that teaches a wonderful lesson about the spirit of generosity. Who can condemn the baker who is perfectly fair? St. Nicholas, cloaked as an old woman -- who shows him that by giving more of his own possessions, he will in turn receive greater rewards. This is a great way to teach young children about the the joy of giving, and about the life of St. Nicholas. The "truth" about Santa is that there WAS a saint who gave to the poor, filled stockings and dropped gold coins down chimneys at night -- this book could launch older kids on a study of the real saint's life and how Santa traditions arose. My six year old boys aren't ready for that part yet, but they love the story of the baker, and this year we're going to try to bake gingerbread cookies to resemble the baker's St. Nicholas cookies on St. Nicholas Day. (Some clever marketer ought to package this book with a cookie cutter and recipe, because the cookies are beautiful!)

Being a beautiful daughter of a wealthy mandarin, My Nuong had always been staying in her great house with the servants and surrounded herself with richness. But, she was very unhappy for she often felt lonely and had no friend to share her feeling with. One day, she heard a lovely piece of music which come from a bamboo flute of a fisherman name Truong Chi from the nearby sea. The music was so mesmerizing that it has capture her heart immidiately. She never felt anything like this and she has began thinking of it as "true love". Although she had never know of the fisherman's face, she has made a promise of giving him her hand in marriage. For some reason, the fisherman did not come to the sea to play the music anymore and this affect My Nuong deeply. She is very upseting and start to misses the music which make her now very ill. Her father try to find doctors who could cure her of this illness but none succeed. When My Nuong told him about the man and the music she had fall in love with, he sent for Truong Chi. But fate had been cruel to them for at the moment she look at him, she was disgust with his ugliness that she hated him. Truong Chi, with the first time saw My Nuong, had fall in love with her too. But My Nuong cast him away and being too heart-broken, Truong Chi died of a silent death. His heart had magically become crystal and unknowingly, My Nuong had carved it into a beautiful cup to use when drinking tea. But somehow, My Nuong heard the same music of Truong chi from the crystal cup and she had cry in regrets and sorrow for the unfortunate fisherman. Her tears roll down into the cup and had broking the seal which set Truong Chi's soul free. Such a loving story and a must-read one that no one could forget but thinking of it always. Love come from heart not appearances just as this story tells us.