A Family's Tradition from NPR and Links to Children's New and Winter/Holiday Books

Christmas Card by Andy Warhol

In the dark days after Thanksgiving, before the holiday season is in full swing, Sally Kern drags out a big box filled not with holiday decorations, those will come later, but with books. 

Sally and Stephen Kern read to their kids pretty much every night, but the books in this box are special, reserved for this time of year only. They are filled with stories, mostly about Christmas, but also about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the winter solstice.

"I think it's wonderful to have books as a centering activity this time of year, because everything does get ratcheted up," says Sally Kern. "Even before Thanksgiving, the Christmas pummel starts. And so this is something that is very grounding for them and for us."

To Read or Hear NPR's Story......

This is just a little story to share I heard years ago while driving of a family's tradition of reading books in Winter. I think about it, not that I do the same thing, each year. Included are some links for the new good books out there for Children and Young Adult. The next two links are mostly for picture books.

Sometimes in busy lives, people need books but are not able to spend the time to think about which one. So, hopefully this helps. Most every book is available at FRL at one of our libraries! I am pretty sure I've seen most come through acquisitions and go back to the the libraries! I will not try to recommend any particular one but share by posting quick links of good lists for those who want to look and browse and have a bit of help of the reviewers.

--Michelle at FRL



Children and YA, Holiday Book Guide

30 Best Children's Picture Books for Winter and Christmas/Holiday

Flavorwire Books to Read Aloud for Children

The Easter Egg Farm, by Mary Jane Auch

The Easter Egg Farm by Mary Jane Auch sparks the imagination and gives plenty of opportunity to personalize the classic Easter Egg Hunt.

Five hens and only 4 eggs – someone is not doing their job – laments Miss Pennywort. The culprit is a sensitive chicken who cannot concentrate on her job with so much barnyard banter and distraction. She retreats to a quiet spot and lays eggs that look exactly like what she is looking at.

Creativity abounds with ballerina eggs, Mona Lisa eggs, tractor eggs, pizza eggs, macaroni and cheese eggs?? The eggs capture the attention of the local librarian (fill in the blank with the name of your favorite librarian!) who is planning for a citywide children’s Easter Egg Hunt. What follows is a hilarious and touching story of Easter magic and dreams come true.

Reviewed by Carson, First Regional Library

View or Place on Hold in Library Catalog

***

Princess tales: once upon a time in rhyme with seek-and-find pictures, by Grace Maccarone

Enjoy looking at beautifully detailed pictures to your favorite princess tales. Seek-and-find certain items in every picture and specified items for each picture.

Reviewed by Emily, First Regional Library

View or Place on Hold in Library Catalog

***

A big cheese for the White House : the true tale of a tremendous cheddar, by Candace Fleming

Ever wonder where some of our best known sayings come from? A Big Cheese for the White House, the True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar by Candace Fleming relates the true story behind the favorite saying.

History blended with humor and terrific illustrations makes learning fun for all ages. Parents will not mind reading this story repeatedly – with the opportunity for dramatics and comic “voiceovers”.

Don’t miss the “big stinky cheese” facts at the end of the story.

Reviewed by Carson, First Regional Library

View or Place on Hold in Library Catalog

***

Book Trailer: Bailey, by Harry Bliss

Follow Bailey the dog as he gets ready and goes to school. Should he wear the red or blue collar? Both are so fashionable! Will he be late? That squirrel is a distraction! And what about Bailey's homework? Would you believe he ate it? That is what dogs do, after all.

View or Place on Hold in Library Catalog

***

Gator Gumbo, by Candace Fleming

Poor Monsieur Gator is getting old and is moving so slow he can't catch himself a taste of possum or otter, or even a whiff of skunk. Day after day these animals tease him until, finally, he decides to cook up some gumbo just like Mama used to make.

Just like the Little Red Hen, no one wants to help him boil, catch, sprinkle, and chop for the gumbo. When the gumbo is ready, they're more than eager to enjoy the result of Gator's hard work and as they run to get a taste.

"I filled the pot, caught the crawdads, picked the okra and ground the spices and I even added the rice. So now am gonna eat this all by myself?"

He lets each take a slurp and then with a slip and a plop all the animals go into the pot "Mmm-mmm," says Monsieur Gator. "Now, this is gumbo just like Mama used to make."

Reviewed by Doris, First Regional Library

View or Place on Hold in Library Catalog

***

Fortune Cookie Fortunes, by Grace Lin

Jie-Jie, sister of the storyteller, doesn’t believe that the fortunes in fortune cookies come true. Mei-Mei investigates each family member’s fortune in the light of the next few days to see if there is any truth.

Her father’s moods ARE contagious, her mother DOES make great things happen with care while growing plants, her sisters do create friends & attract others (birds). The question is will her fortune cookie come true, does she really see the world in a different way?

Grace Lin’s colorful art depicts Asian families in a colorful way and weaves traditional origami and clothing styles with American scenery.

Grace Lin explains the conflicting views on the origin of the fortune cookie and its refection of the Chinese moon cake of the autumn festival.

Reviewed by Kay, First Regional Library

View or Place on Hold in Library Catalog

***

Muncha, Muncha , Muncha, by Candace Fleming

Tippy, tippy, tippy, Pat!

That's the sound three hungry bunnies make when the sun goes down and the moon comes up and Mr. McGreely's garden smells yum, yum, yummy. While he's dreaming of his mouth-watering carrots, the bunnies are diving over fences and swimming trenches to get the veggies first! 

Hammer, hammer, hammer, And Saw! 

That's the sound Mr. McGreely makes when the sun comes up and the moon goes down and he sees what those twitch-whiskers have done....Nibbled leaves! Empty stalks! Mr. McGreely will build something bigger and better, sure to keep even pesky puff-tails away. 

Children will cheer for the bunnies -- or for Mr. McGreely After years of dreaming of planting a garden, Mr. McGreely finally takes hoe and watering can in hand and makes his dream come true. Unfortunately for him this is not the happily-ever-after part of the story.

Reviewed by Doris, First Regional Library

View or Place on Hold in Library Catalog

***

Book Trailer: Mr. Wuffles! by David Weisner

In a near wordless masterpiece that could only have been devised by David Wiesner, a cat named Mr. Wuffles doesn't care about toy mice or toy goldfish. He's much more interested in playing with a little spaceship full of actual aliens--but the ship wasn't designed for this kind of rough treatment. Between motion sickness and damaged equipment, the aliens are in deep trouble.

View or Place on Hold in Library Catalog

Clever Jack Takes the Cake, by Candace Fleming, illustrated by G.Brian Karas

Jack accidentally receives an invitation to the princess’s birthday party. Too poor to buy a birthday gift for the princess. Jack decides to bake her a cake. He trades for ingredients, giving a hen seed for two eggs and kissing a cow for a pail of milk, and tops his cake with the most succulent strawberry in the land. Jack proudly sets off for the castle, but blackbirds, a troll, and a dancing bear devour parts of the cake. He remains upbeat, until the Princess’s guard eats the strawberry. The Princess is allergic to them. Only thing Jack had left to offer the birthday girl is an account of his adventures. She is delighted “A Story “And an adventure story at that! What a fine gift. Proving once again the gift of story is better than rubies.

I love that it is ideal for story time and a perfect read for young boys. Candace Fleming and G, Brian Karas, creators of this wonderful picture book bring us a modern fairy tale  Fleming writes with rhythmic repetition and delicious word choices that lend themselves perfectly, while Karas' pencil art amplifies each scene’s action and mood. This picture book emphasizes the power and pleasure of a well- told tale.

Reviewed by Verlean, First Regional Library

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

***

Puzzled By Pink, by Sarah Frances Hardy

Izzy’s sister Rose loves pink. She has planned an all-pink birthday party.  Her guests will wear fairy wings and tutus. Izzy thinks this is a terrible idea as she is puzzled by pink. She decides to have her own party in the attic with her friends, the ghost V, spiders and her monster doll.  Rose crashes the party and proves that her magic wand really works.

Reviewed by Brenda, First Regional Library

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

***

Bone Dog, by Eric Rohmann

This book is for everyone who has ever lost someone – only to discover that they will always live on in your heart.  Set against a Halloween/All Hallows Eve cemetery backdrop, a young boy grieves for his deceased pet – remembering all their times together.  The cemetery comes to life and the boy is in peril until his “bone dog” rescues him and gives him another gift of love.

Reviewed by Carson, First Regional Library

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

***

Flotsam, by David Wiesner

A Melville underwater camera with barnacles is deposited on the beach while a young man studying a crab is knocked over by a large wave.

He quickly takes the film from the camera to a one-hour photo shop. The developed photos tell an amazing story. A story that indicates continuation when the boy tosses the camera back into the ocean after taking his own picture while holding a photo developed from the camera.

David Wiesner used vivid watercolors in photo format to tell this story of imagination and fantasy. It is no wonder David Wiesner received the Caldecott medal for this one.

Reviewed by Fran, First Regional Library

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

Book Trailer: Chloe, by Peter McCarty

***
 A charming book about family, imagination, and love. 

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

***

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey

This book was originally written in 1948 when I was 2 years old. It was a Caldecott Honor winner. It is a cute book for early age children. This classic tale of Sal and her mother, picking blueberries to can for the winner. It is said that the mother and daughter were modeled after the author’s wife and daughter. It was originally in blue ink and now black.

In this book Blueberries for Sal, Sal drops her blueberries in her tin pail. She pulls them out and eats them, then begins collecting again. High on Blueberry Hill, deep in Maine, Sal and her mother head in opposite directions around a large bush.

Sal and her mother are not alone; a mother bear and her cub are also visiting Blueberry Hill, to prepare for winter by filling up with berries. They too head in opposite directions around a large bush.

Mother spots the cub, the mother bear spots Sal, but it has a happy ending. The encounter isn’t frightening to the characters, simply startling. The children are reunited with their own mothers, and they all go their own way.

Reviewed by a staff member, First Regional Library
View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

Hokey Pokey: Another Prickly Love Story, by Lisa Wheeler

Can’t dance?

Cushion is a porcupine with a problem.

Cushion loves Barb.

Barb loves to dance and Cushion is a disastrous dancer.

He heads to the petting zoo to find a dance teacher. The fox tries to teach him to foxtrot and gets an injured tail. The bunny teaches him the bunny hop and gets his feet trampled. The hen attempts to teach Cushion the funky chicken and her backside becomes a pin cushion.

What’s a porcupine to do? Will Cushion find a dance instructor? Will he ever be able to dance with his favorite hedgehog Barb?

Reviewed by Sara, First Regional Library

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

Flotsam, by David Wiesner

Story of imagination and fantasy

A Melville underwater camera encrusted with barnacles is deposited on the beach while a young man studying a crab is knocked over by a large wave. He finds the camera and takes the film from the camera to a one-hour photo shop.

The developed photos tell an amazing story. A story that is continued when the boy tosses the camera back into the ocean after taking his own picture while holding a photo developed from the camera.

David Wiesner used vivid watercolors in photo format to tell this story of imagination and fantasy. It is no wonder David Wiesner received the Caldecott medal for this one.

Reviewed by a staff member, First Regional Library

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, by Paul Goble

Native American tale

This charming picture book was a Caldecott Medal winner in 1979.
The story reads as though it were a re-telling of a classic Native American tale. The artwork is simple and elegant, and compliments the text well.

Horses and humans have had a bond long before recorded history. In this story, that bond is most pronounced in one young girl, who chooses to spend her time with horses more than people. She is not their master, however, but more like one of them.

Even so, the author subtly maintains the ways of the People (native Americans) with respect to a daughter's responsibility and obedience to her parents.

It is a beautiful book, and a gentle way to introduce respect for cross-cultural values to young children in our own culture.

Reviewed by a staff member, First Regional Library

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

Kitten's First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes

Can I Drink the Moon?

This book is a story from a kitten’s perspective. The kitten mistakes the full moon to be a bowl of milk and tries to get to it to drink it.

The author/illustrator uses black and white pictures and large bold type in a most elegant way to capture the imagination of readers. This Caldecott Medal book is simply a treasure. More than just fun to read, it’s sure to become a child’s favorite book for many generations to come.

Reviewed by a staff member, First Regional Library

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog

Amanda Pig and Her Best Friend Lollipop, by Jean Van Leeuwen

Beginning Reader

This story begins with Amanda saying “This is the very best day, Lollipop is coming to play.”

The two have a fun time at Amanda’s house. They pay make believe, dance in circles until they are both dizzy, snack on cookies and milk and swing high into the sky. The next day Amanda goes to Lollipop’s house to play. Amanda and Lollipop play babies, dress up and cook. Best of all, Lollipop has a baby sister Amanda can play with.

This story tells about the happiness of friendship and the closeness of family.

Reviewed by a staff member, First Regional Library

View or Place Hold in Library Catalog