There are lots of wonderful picture book series out there, and many of us know some small person who is a hardcore fan of one or two. What a nice Christmas treat when they give us a holiday version to share when the carols start playing and the house is smelling of pine trees and cookies. it's a great way to start getting in the spirit of things. I have already handed over a couple of new Christmas books to kickstart the season at our house!
Christmas Cookies, by Amy K Rosenthal, ill. Jane Dyer
I am a huge fan of the book Cookies: bite-size Life Lessons, and also of Jane Dyer’s illustrations of nearly anything, so I was really excited to see this followup. This book uses holiday cookie baking to illustrate complex holiday-themed concepts such as anticipation, charity, and tradition, as well as more everyday ideas like frustration, perseverance, and responsibility. The book closes on a beautiful note for the holiday, bringing to life gratitude, belief, peace, and hope. Who could ask for anything more magical than that for Christmas?
(Well, maybe a look inside could make this even better. Here you go!)
Emily’s Christmas Gifts, by Cindy Post Senning and Peggy Post, ill Steve Bjorkman
Did you think it was possible to write books about proper etiquette and how to behave without being earnest, boring, or preachy? Turns out, it is, and the directors of the Emily Post Institute have done a fabulous job of it. This particular book among them talks about how the most important gifts Emily gives over the holidays aren’t the ones she wraps up with bows and paper. The Christmas-loving young girl is seen helping out with various preparations, making people welcome, and writing a nice thank-you note to Santa. Along the way, the book also explains why these kindnesses are so appreciated. This could all be pretty cloying, if it weren’t for the light touch and the fun, lively drawings that bring the book to life.
Rather than feel chastised, I felt inspired. Perfect!
(Can't believe it could be true? Take a look for yourself, here.)
Bear Stays Up For Christmas, by Karma Wilson, ill. Jane Chapman
I adore the Bear books, with their cast of close friends, their jaunty rhyming scheme, and the illustrations that stay cute without crossing into overly sweet. This time, the hibernating bear’s friends wake him up in time for Christmas and drag him, exhausted, through the preparations until he gets into the spirit for long enough to take part in the celebration before he goes back to sleep for another few months. I love the friendships in these stories, and this one is no exception.
Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas, by Jane O’Connor, ill. Robin Preiss Glasser
In case you haven’t met her, Nancy is one of those precocious, uber-girly girls who seem to be populating a certain segment of children’s lit these days. A segment that many little girly girls love, while I must shamefacedly confess that I don’t even love the classic among these, the famous Eloise. Nancy, too, can be a bit too, well, fancy for me, but even I have to admit, her joy over Christmas is pretty contagious. After all, what more could be more perfect for a gew-gaw-loving girl than the season of tinsel and lights? And as she trips gaily through her holiday traditions, I was surprised to find myself really enjoying both the humour and the vocabulary lessons that she hands out in her commentary. I gotta say -- if I (Scrooge that I am) was this won over? It is pretty certain to make a Nancy fan’s heart sing (Christmas songs, of course).
(Take a peek into Nancy’s fancy world! Check it out, here.)
If You Take A Mouse to the Movies: Special Xmas Edition, by Laura Numeroff, ill. Felicia Bond
Following the same pattern as the other kid favourites in this series (notably If You Give a Mouse a Cookie), the mouse is distracted by one fun activity after another, this time bouncing through a series of delightful winter activities. As usual, his young friend follows behind him, cleaning up as he makes a snow fort and tree ornaments, and sings in the cutest little candy cane boxers you’ve ever seen on a rodent. This new edition contains some special extras, though, including activities, recipes, songs, and a CD of the stories and songs for youngsters to listen to. It’s a fun package for kids who enjoy the circular formula of these stories,
and it’s fairly bursting with Christmas cheer!
Take a snoop around the book to see what the mouse is up to this time!
Olivia Helps With Christmas, by Ian Falconer
My daughter loves Olivia. I find the art stunning, the piglet amusing, but the snippet-y nature of the books a little disjointed – usually. It works here, though, as snapshots of getting ready for Christmas, and all the ways her … Olivia-ness shines through. It’s fun and endearing, and ends, on a nice note (a of course, a grandiose dream!). No Olivia fan could help but love it.
Coming next week:
Christmas classics! These are books that have lasted for good reason, and should be found on the bookshelf of everyone who celebrates Christmas.