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| The Best Christmas Books For Kids |
| (Adults Too!) |
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| The
Night Before Christmas - The
Polar Express - Santa
Calls |
| Santa Mouse and the Rat Deer - Shhh! - Hurry,
Santa! |
| Father
Christmas - The
Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale |
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| Whose tiny
faces are peeking out from Santa's golden sleigh? Yikes! It's two of Santa's elves who are
Christmas Eve stowaways. Beloved illustrator Jan Brett's version of The Night Before
Christmas lets these two mischievous elves add their rambunctious spirit to this familiar
1823 rhyming story. Here, Santa and his reindeer land on the snowy roof of a Victorian
mansion in New England. While Santa delivers the toys inside, the elves and the reindeer
frolic around the lawn, as a pig (earmarked for a girl named Jan) and a few alphabet
blocks spill out of sacks into the snow. Santa swiftly reins in the mischief-makers
and "away they all flew like the down on a thistle." Brett's richly illustrated
borders are lavishly decorated with antique toys, ornaments, and sweet treats, all
surrounded with twisting golden ribbons. They also give us a window on the mansion's
inhabitants, including the children watching Santa's departure in awe. A sugarplum of a
Christmas story, just right for a reading before "a long winter's nap. |
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| Price and Ordering Info from Amazon.com
(hard cover) |
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| One
couldn't select a more delightful and exciting premise for a children's book than the tale
of a young boy lying awake on Christmas Eve only to have Santa Claus sweep by and take him
on a trip with other children to the North Pole. And one couldn't ask for a more talented
artist and writer to tell the story than Chris Van Allsburg. Allsburg, a sculptor who
entered the genre nonchalantly when he created a children's book as a diversion from his
sculpting, won the 1986 Caldecott Medal for this book, one of several award winners he's
produced. The Polar Express rings with vitality and wonder. |
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| Price and Ordering Info from Amazon.com
(hard cover) |
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Gather
round for an Extraordinary Adventure, circa Christmas 1908, Abilene, Texas. The players
are a boy named Art (devoted to "the making of inventions, the quest for adventure,
and the fighting and smashing of crime"); his best friend, a Comanche boy named
Spaulding; and Art's scorned little sister, Esther. One dusty December day, they find a
huge wooden crate accompanied by a note that says, "Open the box. Assemble the
contents. Come NORTH. Yours, S.C." The next thing you know, the intrepid trio sets
off for the North Pole in the freshly assembled Yuletide Flyer, at Santa's cryptic
request. Let the swashbuckling adventure begin! Santa's home is the glittering metropolis
of
Toyland, described as "the best of the old, the best of the new, and the best that is
yet to be." But what's this? Dark Elves and their evil Queen? No one bargained for
danger in the North Pole. After a dashing display of heroic and ingenious maneuvering,
however, the three children are delivered back home in time for Christmas. But why did
Santa call in the first place? He tells them, "Some secrets are best left
unsolved." The real secret of this rollicking Christmas tale lies in two facsimile
letters attached at the end of the book--Esther's touching note to Santa and his reply.
Beloved illustrator William Joyce, creator of George Shrinks and Dinosaur Bob, has managed
an unusual feat: an original Christmas story, breathtaking artwork, and adventure tale all
rolled into one. (Ages 5 to 9) |
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| Price
and Ordering Info from Amazon.com (hard cover) |
| Price and Ordering Info from Amazon.com
(boardbook) |
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"On
Blunder! On Basher! On Lousy and Loopy and Bugsy and Twizzlebum!"
It's a stormy night before Christmas at the Mouse North Pole, and Santa Mouse isn't having
an easy time--his socks are missing, his boots won't fit right, and Santa hasn't had a
chance to repair his sleigh. But worst of all, his ratdeer are in a grouchy mood.
When Santa's sleigh crashed into a snowbank in the middle o the woods--and his ratdeer
march of--everyone seems about ready to give up. Everyone, that is, except for a
little mouse named Rosie, who, with a few cookies, hot chocolate, and a lot of Christmas
cheer, gets Santa and his ratdeer back on course! Where are Santa Mouse's socks? And what
happened to his map? On the night before Christmas, all is "not" well at the
Mouse North Pole. Even Santa Mouse's reindeer are in a grumpy mood. What more can
possibly go wrong on this dreadful Christmas Eve?
Full color. |
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| Price and Ordering Info from Amazon.com
(hard cover) |
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| Shhh! |
| written by Julie Sykes |
| illustrated by Tim Warnes |
| original copyright 1996 |
| recommended age level - preschool,
4-8 |
| Hard
Cover |
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| It's
Christmas Eve and Santa's feeling jolly. But he is so excited about his favorite night of
the year that he is having trouble being quiet. "Shhh, Santa," whisper his
friends. 'Don't wake the children!" "Of course, I won't," Santa replies.
Will he be able to deliver his toys to the children without wakingthem up? |
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| Price and Ordering Info from Amazon.com
(hard cover) |
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| Hurry, Santa! |
| written by Julie Sykes |
| illustrated by Tim Warnes |
| original copyright 1998 |
| recommended age level - preschool,
4-8 |
| Hard
Cover |
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The alarm
doesn't go off, and Santa wakes up late for his very important date. The rest
of the day is nothing but rush, rush, rush: first it's jumping into his clothes and
rounding up the reindeer (not all of whom can be found), then it's getting stuck in a
snowdrift and trying to play catch-up the whole trip. Santa does manage to finish his
appointed rounds, and thinks he has delivered all the presents until he finds one left in
the bag. Happily, it's for him, and it's just what he needs--an alarm clock! Little kids
who themselves are often being rushed from place to place will appreciate Santa's hectic
evening. The just-bordering-on-cartoon artwork is delightful. Warnes mixes the right
amount of frenetic energy and laughs into watercolor-and-pen art that attracts attention
with its brights colors and cute characterizations. Great for holiday story hours. |
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| Price and
Ordering Info from Amazon.com (hard cover) |
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| Father Christmas |
| written and illustrated by Raymond
Briggs |
| original copyright 1973 |
| recommended age level - older kids
and adults |
| Hard
Cover |
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Raymond
Briggs, creator of The Snowman, tells a magical Christmas story that will appeal to
everyone who wants to believe in Santa Claus. Meet Father Christmas: a very human
gift-giver with a tough job to do. You'll find out that he sometimes gets a little grumpy
living at the icy North Pole and squeezing down chimneys, but he more than makes up for it
in heart and humor. Raymond Briggs brings this endearing character to life in over 100
wonderfully illustrated vignettes that follow the adventures of Father Christmas on his
big night of the year. Blooming Father Christmas is here again! In 1973, Raymond
Briggs surprised the world with a new, human Father Christmas. Now, this classic picture
book comes home to Random House to keep Briggs' other titles, including Jim & the
Beanstalk, The Man, and The Snowman, company. Young readers will be amazed (and
highly amused!) at how much Briggs' Father C. is like "regular" people.
From the Back Cover
"...one of the most irrestibile yuletide books to appear in many years."--The
Horn Book
About the Author
Raymond Briggs was born in London in 1934. At the age of 15, he went to Wimbeldon Art
School to learn how to draw, as he wanted to become a cartoonist. But there he was told
that cartooning was not a profession for gentlemen and that he ought to be a painter.
Raymond then went on to the Slade School in London to study painting as a full-time
student. During his spare time, he began work on a portfolio of illustrations of all
kinds, including jackets and a wide selection of drawings to take to publishers. After
illustrating for advertising, newspapers and books, Raymond discovered that book
illustration inspired him the most, since it offered far greater variety and freedom than
anything else. Raymond has always found it unfavorable to sustain a consistent
illustration style for a long period of time. He is always seeking to try something else
new and different with his work.
Some of Raymond's best known works are The Snowman , The Man , and The Bear . The
setting for The Snowman is based on Raymond's own house and garden, which is in Sussex,
England at the foot of South Downs, a few miles from Brighton. |
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| Price and Ordering Info from Amazon.com
(hard cover) |
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| A
particularly nice holiday story accented by paintings full of detail. Based on a folktale
from the colonial period, this tells of a baker named Van Amsterdam, who, though honest,
is not exactly generous. When an old woman comes to his shop for gingerbread cookies made
in the shape of Saint Nicholas, she asks for a baker's dozen of 13. Van Amsterdam insists
that a dozen consists of 12. After that, his cookies seem bewitched: they burn or taste
awful. Only after Saint Nicholas comes to him in a dream does he realize that being honest
doesn't preclude being open-handed. Well paced and a good length for groups or
individuals, this is right on target for audiences. Edelson's artwork is filled with
marvelously alive characters who almost step from the pages. Reminiscent of Jan Brett's
work, at least in their detail, the pictures are the sort kids will enjoy looking at for
many holidays to come. |
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| Price and Ordering Info from Amazon.com
(library) |
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More Christmas Books For Kids |
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