Tag Archives: Christmas books

Christmas Unplugged

Forget about dreaming of a white Christmas this year, most parents I know are hoping for an unplugged version of the holiday; a Christmas void of blaring televisions, raucous radios and vociferous video games. How likely are you to enjoy a genuine silent night this Christmas? If you want to know how to make your dream a reality, take some advice from the Bear family. In The Berenstain Bears’ Old-Fashioned Christmas, Brother, Sister and Baby Honey Bear get a taste of what the holiday was like pre-TV, when they travel to Grizzly Gramps and Gran’s house. After rolling up in … Continue reading →

It’s Christmas!

The countdown to Christmas is on and parents the world over are feeling the heat. With Santa coming to town in just a few days, St. Nick’s mom and dad helpers are scurrying to prepare for his arrival.  Around here that means stocking up on stocking stuffers. One seasonal surprise my 8-year-old will be waking up to on December 25th is a delightful book filled with festive poems. It’s Christmas is a collection of whimsical prose that are silly, sweet and perfect for the season. Author Jack Prelutsky does a phenomenal job of making merry with his hilarious takes on … Continue reading →

The Christmas Alphabet – Robert Sabuda

Today I want to share a special Christmas book. I love pop-up books, this book though is more like a work of art. The Christmas Alphabet by Robert Sabuda has twenty-six miniature pop-ups, one for each letter of the alphabet. Each double page spread has four different color flaps to open. Inside the flaps are elaborate three dimensional white cut-outs. The white-only paper against colored backdrops is elegant and timeless. The only cutouts that have color are “W” which shows a Madonna and Child stained glass window, and “X” which is for “Xmas” that shows two red and white stripped … Continue reading →

Arthur’s Christmas Cookies – Lillian Hoban

Arthur’s Christmas Cookies by Lillian Hoban is a fun Christmas story for beginning readers. Our family has enjoyed this story for years. There’s a lot of humor and the characters in the story are very much like children at Christmastime. Arthur is a monkey who is discouraged. He wanted to make Christmas presents for his family. He made a wooden lamp for his father but it wouldn’t stand right. He sawed off one side to get it even but he sawed off too much and then it wouldn’t stand up at all. His sister suggests that he buy presents. He’s … Continue reading →

Christmas in the Big Woods – Laura Ignalls Wilder

Many of us grew up following the adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder. We read the series, or watched the TV show, or both. Christmas in the Big Woods is a picture book based on one of the chapters in The Little House in the Big Woods. I love being able to share this story, and others in the My First Little House Books series, with children who are too young for the chapter books. The illustrations are inspired by the Garth Williams illustrations in the original books. And while the characters look exactly like how I’d pictured them, they are … Continue reading →

Christmas Tree Memories – Aliki

I’m sure I love this book because it reminds me so much of my own family. In the story of the Christmas Tree Memories a family sits around their Christmas tree and shares stories of memories. Each ornament brings back a memory. A heart of dough reminds the family of a blizzard and how they coped without electricity. A pine cone angel and a walnut cradle are reminders of a trip to Granny’s house where they gathered things in the woods. Other ornaments are from a special aunt who brought the children ornaments when they were babies. She has passed … Continue reading →

A Doll’s Christmas – Tasha Tudor

Tasha Tudor is the illustrator of over a hundred children’s books, and the author of many. The Doll’s Christmas is one of my favorites. It was originally published in 1950, but was reissued in 1999. In the introduction, Tudor explains how the tradition of having the household dolls celebrate Christmas grew from the time she was a young mother needing something to keep the children busy. Tudor says her children learned “the very essence of giving as they made gifts for the dolls to give each other”. In the story, two special dolls invite other dolls to celebrate Christmas and … Continue reading →

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – Barbara Robinson

What can I say about a book that begins with “The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker’s old broken-down toolhouse.” Would you believe that those two lines are from one of my favorite Christmas stories, or that it’s a story I read aloud to my children every year? The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson is a … Continue reading →

A Few Good Christmas Books For Kids

If you are still looking for holiday gifts for the kids on your list, may I suggest a few good books? I’m a writer and an avid reader so books are my life and every time I give one I feel like I’m somehow making the world a better place. I love the classic Christmas tales but why not introduce young readers to new writers and new tales. Here are few good books you should check out: (1) Christmas Tails, by Robert Leeds A lovely parable about Santa and a mongrel dog. (2) Merry Un-Christmas, by Mike Weiss and David … Continue reading →

Holiday Decorating: Use What You Have

Would you like to find some ways to add charming touches to your holiday decorating using items that you already have around the house? Read on… Use Holiday Books for Decorating If you have Christmas books, stack them up on the coffee table and tie a pretty ribbon around them. If you have only one, make covers for other books and place the Christmas book on top. If you don’t have any, make a book cover so the top one looks like a Christmas story. Tie the ribbon a little loosely, and turn each book to one side just a … Continue reading →