| The Best Christmas Books For Kids |
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| "The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! / Now,
please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason." Dr. Seuss's small-hearted
Grinch ranks right up there with Scrooge when it comes to the crankiest, scowling holiday
grumps of all time. For 53 years, the Grinch has lived in a cave on the side of a
mountain, looming above the Whos in Whoville. The noisy holiday preparations and infernal
singing of the happy little citizens below annoy him to no end. The Grinch decides this
frivolous merriment must stop. His "wonderful, awful" idea is to don a Santa
outfit, strap heavy antlers on his poor, quivering dog Max, construct a makeshift sleigh,
head down to Whoville, and strip the chafingly cheerful Whos of their Yuletide glee once
and for all. Looking quite out of place and very disturbing in his makeshift Santa
get-up, the Grinch slithers down chimneys with empty bags and stealing the Whos' presents,
their food, even the logs from their humble Who-fires. He takes the ramshackle sleigh to
Mt. Crumpit to dump it and waits to hear the sobs of the Whos when they wake up and
discover the trappings of Christmas have disappeared. Imagine the Whos' dismay when they
discover the evil-doings of Grinch in his anti-Santa guise. But what is that sound? It's
not sobbing, but singing! Children simultaneously adore and fear this triumphant, twisted
Seussian testimonial to the undaunted cheerfulness of the Whos, the transcendent nature of
joy, and of course, the growth potential of a heart that's two sizes too small. This
holiday classic is perfect for reading aloud to your favorite little Whos. |
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| Olive, the
Other Reindeer Book and Doll |
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| by J. otto
Seibold, Vivian Walsh |
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| Olive is a dog. But when she hears people singing "All of the other
reindeer" in the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," she begins to
wonder. "Olive, the other reindeer?" She must be a reindeer, after all. She
carefully puts down her scissors and holiday wrapping paper and marches out the door.
Arriving at the North Pole, Olive is put right to work alongside the slightly bewildered
but agreeable Dasher and Comet and the others, where she soon proves herself a surprising
asset to the reindeer team. The delightfully silly antics of the earnest but confused
canine make a perfect Christmas story for all ages. Now, with this gift set of J.
otto Seibold and Vivian Walsh's hardcover book and the adorable plush pup herself,
children will be able to act out the story, including the very best scene of all: Olive
dangling happily beneath Santa's sleigh. The 8-inch white-and-brown Olive toy looks just
like the doggy heroine in the book. She even has a loop on her back for the
"flying" scene. Velcro-secured red antlers look as silly as can be, just as they
should. Watch out, Rudolph. There may soon be competition for "the most famous
reindeer of all." |
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| Zelda and
Ivy One Christmas |
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| by Laura
McGee Kvasnosky (Illustrator) |
| A new book about the Fox sisters, otherwise known as Zelda and Ivy, is
bound to bring them new fans. In this three-chapter follow-up to Zelda and Ivy and Zelda
and Ivy and the Boy Next Door, the dynamic duo talks to their neighbor Mrs. Brownlie about
what they want for Christmas in "Christmas Wishes." Zelda becomes the Amazing
Zeldarina to foretell what they will get in "Christmas Fortunes," and finally,
in "Christmas Gifts," both they and Mrs. Brownlie get exactly what they had
hoped for. Laura Kvasnovsky's inimitable illustrations and deft touch with the story line
capture perfectly the lives and hopes of two sisters who get along really well--on the
whole. Zelda tends to order Ivy about, or not give her what she wants, but Ivy knows how
to look after herself. Siblings on both sides of the age divide will appreciate both their
innocent good humor and the author's way of exhibiting but not dwelling on the tensions
between them. |
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| Dream Snow |
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| by Eric
Carle (Illustrator), Patricia L. Gauch (Editor) |
| It's almost Christmas and it hasn't snowed yet. As the farmer naps on his
small farm, he dreams of being covered in a gentle blanket of new snow. Then, one by one,
he dreams of each of his five animals (aptly named One, Two, Three, Four, and Five) being
covered as well. When he awakens, he discovers that real snow--not dream snow--has fallen.
And "Oh my! Oh my! I almost forgot," the farmer shouts, and, bundling up,
hurries out to his tree (named Tree) with a box and a sack, looking remarkably familiar in
his white beard and red suit. After decorating Tree, the farmer shouts "Merry
Christmas to all!" and pushes a button for a surprise Yuletide jingle. Young
fans of Eric Carle's The Very Quiet Cricket, The Very Clumsy Click Beetle, and other
multisensory books, will delight in pushing the same microchip button the farmer pushes to
hear the tinkling, oddly eerie holiday tune. In an even more unusual departure from
standard picture books, Carle inserts a clear plastic sheet, covered with snowflakes and a
white blanket, before each illustration of the dreaming farmer and his animals. Turn the
plastic page to discover what kind of critter lies beneath the snow. Carle's magnificent
collages, as always, are the heart and soul of his books. |
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| Christmas
Keepsake - A Treasury of Best-Loved Stories and More |
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| by Various
Classic and Contemporary Writers, Annette Cable (Illustrator) |
| Various
Classic, Contemporary writers |
| For a special Christmas treat, open the three folding panels of the
Christmas Keepsake to reveal 25 miniature books that double as ornaments. Each 24-page
book is festively painted to hint at the story, carol, Bible excerpt, or poem within.
Classic writers such as Robert Frost, the Brothers Grimm, Louisa May Alcott, Charles
Dickens, and Edgar Allan Poe contribute to the warm, traditional mood of this giant
compilation of tiny books. Much like an advent calendar, one snugly nestled volume per
night should be read, and then hung from the Christmas tree with the gold ribbon loop. On
Christmas day, read "The Greatest Gift of All," a book more than twice the size
of the others, about baby Jesus born in Bethlehem. When the holiday is over, tuck each
book back in its niche and pack it away for next year. Children will clamor for each day's
new story, never realizing they're being introduced to some of the world's greatest
classic authors. (Ages 3 to 6) --Emilie Coulter Book Description This
beautifully illustrated treasury of 25 mini books will become a cherished family reading
tradition that can be passed down for generations. The ribboned books can be hung as
ornaments or returned to the book after reading for display on a table or shelf.
Best-loved stories, poems, and songs, including holiday favorites and some rarely heard
stories, combine for a wonderful collection and Christmas experience. |
