Christmas Book Recommendations
2011 Christmas Book Recommendations
Prepared for Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, December 15, 2011 by Patty Walhood, Librarian Oregon Episcopal School Middle School
2011 Publications
A Christmas Tree for Pyn by Olivier Dunrea, Philomel Books, 2011
"'Oother loved his daughter very much. But he was a bearlike mountain man who did not soften for anyone.' A cheerful girl in spiky pigtails and clogs gradually breaks down her gruff father's defenses with her persistent pursuit of their first 'real' Christmas tree. Dunrea's (Old Bear and His Cub) talent for capturing a mood of majestic stillness in snowy landscapes shines yet again, as does his skill at creating cozy, rustic details — bushy fur coats and boots, tree-stump beds, a stone hearth — that suggest a mythical time. Pyn and Papa's warming relationship is one to celebrate any time of year. Ages 3 - 8" Publishers Weekly
The Money We’ll Save by Brock Cole, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011
"In this charmingly loopy tale set in a cramped 19th-century tenement, Ma sends Pa to the market to buy eggs and flour ('Christmas is not far off, and we must save every penny'). He returns, however, with a scrawny turkey, vowing to fatten it up for Christmas, proclaiming, 'Think of the money we'll save!' The bird eats everything in sight, wreaks havoc in their apartment, and annoys the neighbors, but when it's time to bring him to the butcher, the children protest. Creating a strong sense of the historical setting, Cole's (Good Enough to Eat) wispy pictures play off the ample comedy in the prose, making for a holiday story as humorous as it is touching. Ages 4 — up." Publishers Weekly
One Starry Night by Lauren Thompson, Illustrations by David Christiana, McElderry Books, 2011
"Under a starry slate-blue sky, mother animals watch their children in this outing from the team that created The Apple Pie That Papa Baked. Italicized text forms a separate rhyming stream of loving maternal commentary ('I am here/ always near') as the main text describes scenes of loving mother-child companionship, culminating with Joseph, Mary, and their newborn, with animal pairs gathered round. Per an author's note, the featured animals could all be found in the Holy Land at the time of Jesus' birth. Thompson focuses on the Nativity theme of love; Bean also keeps it simple with a limited palette of earth tones. Ages 1 - 6” Publishers Weekly
The Story of Christmas Pamela Dalton, Chronicle Books, 2011
"Delicate paper-cut illustrations provide a lovely, solemn backdrop to the King James Bible's account of the Nativity story. Strongly influenced by Renaissance artwork, Dalton's illustrations are very much in keeping with her work in her first children's book (Katherine Paterson's Brother Sun, Sister Moon). As shepherds, wise men, and angels gather to honor the birth of Jesus, Dalton sets her tableaus against black backgrounds, which both focus attention on the story's major players and make logical sense given the nocturnal setting of much of the story's events. The iconic nature of Dalton's scenes is ideally suited to the traditional Biblical translation used. Ages 4 — 8. (Dec.)" Publishers Weekly
Strega Nona’s Gift by Tomie DePaola, Nancy Paulsen Books, 2011
"Strega Nona and her entire Calabrian village are busy preparing for holiday feasts, from the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6 to Il Capodanno (New Year's Day) and beyond. On January 5, the eve of the Epiphany, when everyone traditionally cooks for their animals, Big Anthony can't resist 'Signora Goat's' delicious food, and the resentful goat devours Big Anthony's blanket. Too cold to sleep, Anthony misses out on the dreams of delicious food that Strega Nona's magic grants the people of Calabria: 'The walls turned into ricotta and mozzarella. Bedposts became sausages.' DePaola delivers a hearty sampler of Italian holiday traditions and seasonal cuisine. Ages 5 — 8." Publishers Weekly
The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, Clarian Books, 2011
"Somewhere in Ibatoulline's ancient, almost-shimmering Arab desert landscape, a boy at his father's side learns the family business of gathering valuable sap, which seeps like tears from certain trees. Neither father nor son realize the greatness of their wares as it is sold to three finely dressed men who add it to gifts of gold and frankincense that they are taking to 'a baby.' Newbery Medalist Park's lean, well-paced story bridges the ordinary and the sacred to powerful effect. Park's author's note describes her inspiration and includes some background on myrrh. Ages 6 — 9." Publishers Weekly
2010 Publications
Christmas is Here Text from the King James Bible, illustrations by Louise Castillo, Simon and Schuster, 2010
"Snowflakes fall on a young family watching a live nativity scene in their city neighborhood. As the boy peers into the manger, the story shifts to an ancient field underneath gentle moon glow and a brilliant star's guiding light on the holy night observed by shepherds. By literally bookending the traditional account of Jesus' birth (with text from the King James Bible) with cheery modern imagery, sans commercial trappings, Castillo underscores the connection between past and present. Sketched in thick, black line, her kind-looking figures, human and animal, convey a wealth of emotion. Ages 3 — 7. (Oct.)" Publishers Weekly
The First Christmas Illustrated by Sophy Williams, Candlewick Press, 2010
The classic Christmas nativity story is stunningly illustrated by evocative pastel artwork depicting angels, shepherds, and wise men arriving in Bethlehem to share the magic of the birth of Jesus. Lift the gatefold flaps to change the pictures and watch the story unfold along the way.
First Christmas The National Gallery
The story of the very first Christmas is captured here in all its mystery by some of the world's greatest painters, including Botticelli, Giorgione, Geertgen, Gossaert, Foppa, Patel, and Guido Reni. The beauty of the familiar words of the King James Version of the Bible weaves the glorious images together to create a new work of art: a Christmas story that will be treasured by readers young and old. This is the perfect Christmas gift for art lovers and a fantastic and accessible introduction to both the nativity
story and these seminal works of art for young readers. The paintings are kept in the National Gallery in London, which houses the national collection of Western European painting from the 13th to the 19th centuries.
Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas by Julia Rawlinson, pictures by Tiphanie Beeke, Greenwillow Books, 2010
It's Christmas Eve, and the rabbits have moved to a new burrow. Fletcher is excited about celebrating the holiday with them, until he realizes . . . Santa Claus won't know where to deliver their presents!
But after a cozy night of caroling and blackberry pie, Fletcher wakes to a snowy Christmas morning full of wonderful surprises.
The Nutcracker, illustrations by Allison Jay, Dial Books for Young Readers, 2010
"Jay's delicate crackle-varnish oil paintings--equal parts elegant and whimsical--distinguish this edition of Hoffman's Nutcracker, based on Balanchine's staging of the ballet. On Christmas Eve, Clara, who looks like a doll herself, and her enchanted playthings cavort in dramatic fashion through a distant, sweets-filled dreamland. Jay's gleaming marzipan palace, pink spun-sugar trees, and peppermint-stick gates are the stuff of holiday visions, indeed. Ages 3 — 5. (Oct.)" Publishers Weekly
The Spider’s Gift: A Ukrainian Christmas Story retold by Eric Kimmel, illustrated by Katya Krenina, Holiday House, 2010
Katrusya finds the perfect Christmas tree in the deepest part of the forest and decorates it with homemade ornaments. But the next day the tree is crawling with spiders. When the family returns from church that evening, they discover that the spiders have left a dazzling Christmas miracle.
12 Days of Christmas by Rachel Isadora, Putnam, 2010
"… Isadora uses her trademark collages to reinterpret a holiday standby, setting it in a jubilant African village. Several of the book's flourishes, Isadora notes in an afterword, are inspired by her travels, from five gold rings (worn around a South African woman's neck) to 'lords a-leaping' and 'ladies dancing' who hail from Mali and Swaziland. Small, accumulative icons that reference the gifts from earlier pages keep the text light and the focus on Isadora's always-vibrant artwork. Ages 3 — 5. (Oct.)" Publishers Weekly
Some Old Favorites Worth Repeating
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, Harper Collins, 1972
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has been a favorite of young readers the world over since 1972. Funny, memorable, and outrageous, it is the story of a family of incorrigible children who discover the Christmas story for the first time and help everyone else rediscover its true meaning.
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski, Candlewick Press, Gift edition with CD, 2007
The spirit of Christmas heals a sorrowing woodcarvers heart in this splendid edition of a Christmas classic with CD narrated by James Earl Jones.
The Polar Express Written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. Houghton Mifflin Company: 1985
A Caldecott award winning story of a magical ride on Christmas Eve, which takes a boy to the North Pole to receive a special gift from Santa Claus. (Also a film I love to watch.)
Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree Written and illustrated by Robert Barry in 1963 and re-done in 2000.
“…full and fresh and glistening green, it was the biggest tree he had ever seen..” The trouble was, the tree was so tall, it couldn't stand up straight in his parlor. Mr. Willowby asked his butler to chop off the top of the tree. What happens to the treetop? Where will it be for Christmas? Snuggle up with this story and follow along through a forest full of friendly creatures who get to share in a bit of Christmas joy.
