Parenting Advice Articles
Kid’s Book Review: Books for Christmas and Hanukkah
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- Category: kids books
- Published on Wednesday, 07 December 2011 20:04
- Written by Carrie Anne
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The lead-up to the holidays is always so magically. Spending time with your kids enjoying a holiday book can be a wonderful way to end the day or take a break from the frenzy activities that often fill you days.
Below are a few Christmas and Hanukkah books we have enjoyed and you may want to add to your own personal holiday library.
A Bad Kitty Christmas (age 3-8), from Roaring Book Press/Raincoast Books
A greedy Bad Kitty didn't get all the presents she wanted for Christmas, but after she goes on a Christmas caper across town and through three alphabets, she makes a new friend, finds an old friend, and learns the true meaning of Christmas. Or not. Just in time for the holidays, fan-favorite author and illustrator Nick Bruel is back with a new--highly anticipated--Bad Kitty picture book. Read our review here.
Snowed Under (age 5-8), from Sterling Children's Books
Serge Bloch, the witty author and illustrator of Butterflies in My Stomach, Reach for the Stars, and You Are What You Eat brings his readers a touch of happy holiday spirit. Everyone's a little snowed under preparing for Christmas: a storm is brewing, and there's fear Santa might get stuck at the North Pole. But all it takes is a little decking the halls and trimming the tree to have everyone lighting up with joy. Bloch's humor and unique art--which combines photographs and charming line drawings--helps make Christmas very merry, indeed. Read our review here.
Christmas in the Mouse House (age 3-8), from Random House Children's Books
Explore the Mouse house as they get ready for Christmas! It's Christmas Eve, and the Mouse house is full of activity. So when Papa tells the children that they can't find the decorations for a tree this year, the brothers and sisters band together to search for Christmas decorations around the house. Each spread shows a different room in the Mouse house. Open doors, windows, and cupboards to help the Mouse family make this Christmas the best--and most beautiful--one yet! Read our review here.
The Night Before Christmas (age 5-8), from Charlesbridge Publishing
Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without a reading of Clement C. Moore's classic verse, which has brightened the season ever since it was first published in 1823. Along with the beautiful book comes a specially created three-track musical and narrative CD, including Moore's tale stunningly set to music by Noel Paul Stookey, an enchanting reading by Mary Travers over a special score composed by Peter Yarrow with Peter and Noel joining Mary one last time in her final performance, plus the classic Peter, Paul and Mary holiday favorite, "A' Soalin." Families will gather together to read and listen and experience Moore's wondrous world as never before.Read our review here.
Follow a Star (age 5-8), from Chronicle Books/Raincoast Books
Open this elegant pop-up book and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas! Lyrical words describe how the Star of Bethlehem lit the sky over the first Christmas, and how it shines still today: as families gather, as gifts are given, as we celebrate our love for one another, and as we wish for peace and joy for the world. The beautiful diorama-style format invites the reader to follow the star that shines every year during this special season, all over the world, in our homes and hearts. Read our review here.
One Christmas Eve: A Merry Seek-and-Hide Count Book (board book), from Sterling Children’s Publishing
Count down to Christmas with this beautiful novelty book by bestselling author/illustrator Salina Yoon--complete with flaps to lift, sticky boot buckles to open, and gold foil on the grand finale. From one merry Santa to ten wrapped presents, this joyful rhyming tale follows Saint Nick and his elves as they prepare for the big day--making the toys, checking Santa's list, and readying the reindeer. Set to the rhythm of “One Two, Buckle My Shoe,” One Christmas Eve is fun to read aloud, play with, and look at! Read our review here
A Very Babymouse Christmas (graphic novel), from Random House Kids
'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for . . . Babymouse. The holidays are here and everyone's enjoying their favorite traditions—eating latkes, decorating for Kwanza, singing holiday songs, and most of all, being with family. Well, everyone except Babymouse. Babymouse only has one thing on her mind—PRESENTS!!! And whether she has to face down the ghosts of mean girls past or outsmart Santa himself, she'll do whatever it takes to make sure she gets the present she wants. Will Babymouse find a whiz-bang under the tree? Will she learn the true meaning of the holidays? And what do you get for a narrator, anyway? Find out in A Very Babymouse Christmas, the 15th graphic novel in the hilarious, award-winning Babymouse series! Read our review here.
Counting on Snow (age 3-5), from Tundra Books
Maxwell Newhouse, folk artist extraordinaire, has created a unique counting book. The premise is simple. He invites children to count with him from ten crunching caribou down to one lonely moose, by finding other northern animals - from seals to wolves to snowy owls - as they turn the pages. But as the animals appear, so does the snow, until it's a character too, obliterating light and dark, sky and earth. Read our full review here.
Ten on the Sled (age 3-5), from Sterling Kids Publishing
Author Kim Norman (Crocodaddy) and illustrator Liza Woodruff have whipped up a rollicking, jolly, snow-filled adventure! In the land of the midnight sun, all the animals are having fun speeding down the hill on Caribou's sled. But as they go faster and faster, Seal, Hare, Walrus, and the others all fall off…until just Caribou's left, only and lonely. Now, a reindeer likes flying-but never alone, so…one through ten, all leap on again! An ideal picture book for reading-and singing along with-over and over. Read our review here.
A Porcupine in a Pine Tree (age 3-8), from Scholastic Canada
Celebrate Christmas Canadian-style with this hilarious adaptation of The Twelve Days of Christmas. You'll find squirrels curling, puffins piping, hockey players a-leaping and more. Helaine Becker and Werner Zimmermann turn the Christmas carol on its head, with a totally Canadian cast of characters wildly romping through the pages. A new holiday classic is born! Read our review here.
10 Trim-the-Tree'ers (age 0-5), from Random House Children's Books
1 shiny golden star at the very tip top. 2 strings of flashing lights that just won't stop. Count your way to the holidays with ten little neighbors trimming the tree in their building's lobby. Janet Schulman and Linda Davick, the creators of 10 Trick-or-Treaters and 10 Easter Egg Hunters, return with this brightly colored Christmas board book that begs to be read aloud again and again. Read our review here.
Santa's On His Way (age 3-5), from Random House Kids
In the week before Christmas, Santa has so much to do! Watch Santa and his elves as they make all the presents, groom the reindeer, and prepare for their most important night of the year -- Christmas Eve. With tabs to pull to change the pictures, readers can watch them get everything ready day-by-day, until finally Santa's sleigh takes off into the sky on Christmas Eve. Read our review here.
Hanukkah Lights (board book), from Random House Kids
Candles on the menorah, ready to light! At Hanukkah, there are many much-anticipated rituals — latkes to eat, dreidels to spin, presents to give and receive, and shiny gold treats. Add some free-form fun, from shadow puppetry to singing and dancing, and you have a warm, truly child-friendly celebration. Read our review here.
Happy Sparkling Hanukkah (board book), from Sterling Children's Books
Celebrate Hanukkah with this dazzling addition to the Sparkling Stories series. At Hanukkah time, everything glitters: the gleaming menorah, alight with candles; the mountain of gifts; the table set for a family feast; and the shiny gold-wrapped chocolate coins for playing dreidel. Simple rhyming text, fantastic illustrations, and luminous holographic foil on every page makes this extra-sparkly novelty board book a holiday must-have.Read our review here.
