What makes a true classic? It's a story that has been shared by one generation who loved it, down to the next, meaning it is memorable and stands the test of time. It is one that has come to be part of the traditions of Christmas. It is often so much of part of the lore of the season that everyone is aware of it, even if they haven't read it for themselves.
These titles live up to all those standards, and are so well-known that there are often several interpretations of illustrations of them. (I have tried to offer a few good examples in those cases, to suit various tastes.) Which means they make great gifts, since even if they are a bit old for the child right now, they will never go out of style. Instead, they are the kind of thing that your giftee may just keep to share with their own child one day.
The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore
Every Christmas-loving child should have a copy of this poem in their house, beginning from a young age. It is, after all, the most iconic description of Santa’s visit going. There are myriad versions of it though, so where to start? Anita Lobel’s illustrations were the first to show a more urban neighbourhood, featuring brownstones lining snowy streets, but her version is old enough to be unavailable.
Jan Brett’s lovely, highly detailed illustrations have many a fan, and her edition is no exception. Her Scandinavian touches and snowy landscapes meld well with a Christmas story like this one, and her borders are, as always, dripping with tiny little additions to hunt for. Her colours are bolder here than in some of her stories, as well, and she brings her obvious loving touch for animals to Santa’s reindeer. If your kids are familiar with her work, they will love this very appealing edition as well.
Pop-up master
Robert Sabuda has created a magical version of Christmas' most famous poem, featuring the most awesome reindeer you could ever imagine springing out of the pages of a book. His trademark nearly-all-white construction is elegant and spare, as well as underscoring the impressive paper engineering involved, while the simple colour blocks underneath really help them stand out. Each spread also contains a side-fold that reveals a second pop-up, some of which are so tiny and complex as to inspire a little sense of awe. This is always fun to share so that you can see the amazement spreading on young faces.
My own personal favourite has been Bruce Whatley’s, with his gorgeous, lifelike paintings, interesting perspectives, and rich dark blue sky. He is nearly unmatched at creating a warm, cozy atmosphere and capturing the glow of dim, indirect lighting, making for terrific homey, hearthside scenes that feel ever so slightly retro and quite definitely Rockwell-inspired. Best of all is that his Santa looks like a real sweetie, and seems to have stepped out of the poem itself, complete with rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes.
For something new, funky, and looking beyond our North American borders,
Rachel Isadora has created a bold collage-art version set in an African village. (After all, Santa does travel the world, right?) She has brought together Carle-esque painted papers, patterned origami papers, and kente cloth scraps in her images to make a lovely night sky, a family waiting with baited breath, and the cutest be-deadlocked Santa you could imagine. This works both as a reminder that people all over are just alike and as a really fun twist on a classic, perhaps the first really different take on it I've seen in a long time!
The Nutcracker, by E.T.A. Hoffmann
The Nutcracker ballet is a Christmas tradition in every city with its own ballet company, and something nearly every child should see once. The story originally by E.T.A. Hoffmann, has been retold many a time, and even the editions I mention here are version shortened for a picture-book format and a slightly younger audience. (For the full version, try
this one illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger.) This puts more emphasis on the illustrations, though, and neither of these fail on that score.
Stephanie Spinner's retelling seems to set the fantasy as a dream, and contains in it's somewhat shadowy illustrations a fairly equal emphasis on the girl and boy cousins, which is a nice departure. The descriptions of the Nutcrackers injury and the downfall of the mouse kind, too, are slightly more graphic than some sweeter tellings, all of which makes this a bit more palatable to an audience that includes boys. This edition includes a CD of the music as well, so the story can be a whole-family affair, or possibly a nice way to prepare for seeing the ballet.
Susan Jeffers has told a version that is shorter, glosses over some of the messier scenes (the mouse king here is knocked over by her slipper, not stabbed, for example), and allows for the inclusion of fairy-tale magic including an ending that sees Marie marrying the Nutcracker prince and moving to the Land of Sweets. It's sweeter, to be sure, but I actually prefer it for a younger or more easily scared child, or a girlier girl, and I think the illustrations here are simply gorgeous. (Take a peek at them
here.) I would still, perhaps, pair it with a separately purchased CD for gift-giving, for the complete experience.
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
This old story of ghosts setting a miserable old man on the path back to a spirit of giving is one for an older child, no question. And while I am generally no fan of abridging works instead of waiting for the right age to share them whole, I am quite enjoying this year’s
new Brett Helquist-illustrated version. It
is abridged, but the spirit and much of the language of the original is well-kept, and I love the illustrations, which those older kids will recognize from Lemony Snicket’s books. On the whole, a nice and very kid-friendly rendition! (You can
take a look inside here.)
If you’re a purist like I typically am, though, this next set includes the full text of A Christmas Carol and two others all gorgeously illustrated by a master, P.J. Lynch.
Candlewick Press has brought together three wonderful Christmas stories in this boxed set, including
A Christmas Carol, The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey, and O. Henry's short story
The Gift of the Magi. The first is a full, unabridged version of Dicken's tale.
You may not have heard of
Jonathan Toomey before, but it is one of my very favourite stories about people coming together and the transformative power of new relationships. It’s a simply stunning picture book, both in story and in image. In it, a widow and child transform the outlook and closed-off world of a woodworker who turns out to have sorrows of his own that have made him bitter. It happens gradually, tiny kindness by small gift, and the tension there keeps it from feeling forced.
And finally,
The Gift of the Magi, another long-standing classic perfectly suited for the older child. It is a story I have always loved, a story of a couple's love for each other leading them to sacrifice for perfect Christmas gifts that ultimately expose one of Henry's rich ironies.
These books are all richly and beautifully illustrated by P.J.Lynch, and while they are for an older audience, they would make a wonderful gift for the bookshelf of a younger child, who can enjoy them in years to come. This set is giving me serious book envy. Quite frankly, I’m kind of coveting it.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss
This is one that I think has moved from the status of a favourite to being a true classic in its own right. It seems jarringly modern next to the others on this list, but the fact is, it was first published in 1957, over fifty years ago! Surprising, I know. This means not only has it stood the test of time well, but it has been beloved of and shared by more than one generation by now, and if that doesn't make it a classic, I don't know what else would convince a sceptic.
Aside from assuring you of the book's
bona fides as a classic, though, I should mention that it is everything you need in a good holiday story. It's funny, it's memorable, it has a message of goodwill and the spirit of giving that is brought home with a lecture, and it has wonderful illustrations. And best of all, kids adore it. Especially if you use funny voices.
And with that, I leave you with this classic Christmas line:
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!