Jan Waldron is also the author of John Pig's Halloween and two books for adults. She says she was inspired by a drawing on a Christmas card of David McPhail's and by fond memories of "holidays my mother gave us. Our kitchen turned into a vivid explosion of colors, smells, and tastes - a tradition I hope I have passed to my children."
David McPhail is an author-illustrator beloved for his many books about wonderful characters, some of whom have been pigs. He says that for a Christmas card one year he drew "a little pig with wings and and oversize gown. Someone told me to write about her. I tried but I couldn't. I lamented that fact to Jan. A few days later she said, 'How's this sound?' And that was the beginning of Angel Pig and the Hidden Christmas. In my pictures for this book, I've worked very hard to give Angel Pig the life she deserves."
In this companion to the much loved Auntie Claus, come along on a magical journey with Sophie Kringle's little brother, Chris, to a place you may have seen only in your dreams. And discover that anything is possible, when you have the key to Christmas!
Join beloved babysitting Rottweiler Carl in author/artist Alexandra Day's perfectly joyous holiday children's picture book, Carl's Christmas.
After helping baby decorate the family tree, Carl and his charge share an adventure-filled Christmas Eve complete with window shopping, giving to the needy, and a visit with Santa Claus.
A reminiscence of Christmas, from the viewpoint of a young boy, that has been a holiday favorite for decades.
In rich, humorous, magical prose, poet Dylan Thomas recalls the church-going, the tree-trimming, the food, the carols and games of his childhood Christmases. And, of course, Mrs. Prothero and the firemen. It is one of Thomas' most popular works. Always on Christmas night there was music, he writes. An uncle played the fiddle, a cousin sang "Cherry Ripe," and another uncle sang "Drake's Drum." It was very warm in the little house. Auntie Hannah, who had got on to the parsnip wine, sang a song about Bleeding Hearts and Death, and then another in which she said her heart was like a Bird's Nest; and then everybody laughed again; and then I went to bed. Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-colored snow, I could see the lights in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steady falling night. For this edition, Edward Ardizzone created the perfect accompaniment in 30 delightful watercolors and drawings. This is a timeless classic--a wonderful evocation of a gentle and seemingly endless Christmas made charming and endearing through language. Published in a format for reading aloud to young people, this is truly a book for all ages.
A beautiful New England Christmas story in the tradition of Dylan Thomas' remembrance, A Child's Christmas in Wales.
In December of 1940, twelve-year-old Donnie Hall gets on a train from his comfortable Connecticut home to fulfill a dream: to spend Christmas with his grandparents on their farm on Eagle Pond in south central New Hampshire. Once there, he settles into the routines he knows well from his summer visits: helping Gramps milk the cows, gathering eggs from the henhouse, chopping wood for the Glenwood in the kitchen. But some things had changed. Winter milk was now picked up not by sleighs drawn by work horses on snow-packed roads, but by gasoline powered trucks. The fancy old red sleigh that had served the family so well was languishing, abandoned in a stall in the barn, and, not far from it, Old Riley, the loyal horse that had pulled that sleigh, and much else, for a quarter century. Donnie arrives on a Sunday and is due to leave on Thursday. But Wednesday night, the nor'easter blows in and the farm is buried in two feet of snow. The road is unplowed; the car is useless. Will Donnie make it to the station in time to catch the train back to Boston? All this never happened. Donald Hall never did spend a childhood Christmas at Eagle Pond. But he knew all the stories from his mother and his grandparents and, now in his eighties, and having lived in that same house of his grandparents since 1975, he is in the perfect position to give himself "the thing I most wanted, a childhood Christmas at Eagle Pond."
Take a walk with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come in Little Master Dickens' A Christmas Carol: A BabyLit(R) Colors Primer. See old Jacob Marley shaking silver chains, gold stars shining around the Ghost of Christmas Past, and a red scarf keeping Tiny Tim warm. This bright retelling of a Christmas classic will scare any "bah, humbug" feelings away.
JENNIFER ADAMS is the author of more than 30 books, including board books in the best-selling BabyLit series which introduce young children to the world of classic literature. Jennifer works as a writer and editor in Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit her website at jennifer-adams.com.
Alison Oliver runs Sugar design studio. Alison's design portfolio includes everything from logos to packaging and product design for clients such as Chronicle Books, Citibabes, and Aerie, as well as Gibbs Smith. She lives in New York.
Why is the Christmas color red? The answer takes us right to the heart of the matter.
From Santa's red clothes to Rudolph's shiny red nose, from the berries we pick to sweet peppermint sticks, the color of Christmas is red!
But why do so many of our favorite traditions come together in this particular hue? Debut author-illustrator Tori Higa has an insightful answer that will warm your heart and remind readers young and old of the true reason for the season.
From Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama.
How lucky am I? Holiday time at Sadie's house means golden gelt sparkling under the Christmas tree, candy canes hanging on eight menorah branches, voices uniting to sing carols about Macabees and the manger, and latkes on the mantel awaiting Santa's arrival. Selina Alko's joyous celebration of blended families will make the perfect holiday gift for the many Americans who celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah.
ALA Notable Children's Book
NCTE Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
A Sydney Taylor Award Honor Book
Colorado Children's Book Award
Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award
This Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia came to be, through a little girl's unselfish gift to the Christ Child. Beloved Newbery honor-winning author and Caldecott honor-winning illustrator Tomie dePaola has embraced the legend using his own special feeling for Christmas. His glorious paintings capture not only the brilliant colors of Mexico and its art, but also the excitement of the children preparing for Christmas and the hope of Lucida, who comes to see what makes a gift truly beautiful.
Share this Kwanzaa story with your family or in the classroom. Very bright, playful, textured pictures capture the spirit of community that is the essence of the holiday. The two final pages about 'The Nguzo Saba--The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa' will take kids back to the story to find the holiday message in action.*
The story of Li'l Rabbit captures the true meaning of Kwanzaa--coming together to help others. Donna L. Washington's story, with art from Shane W. Evans (Chocolate Me!), provides a fun introduction to the holiday.
Li'l Rabbit is not having a very good Kwanzaa. Granna Rabbit is sick, and so his family won't celebrate his favorite part of Kwanzaa this year: a big feast called Karamu.
Li'l Rabbit knows what to do! He'll find Granna Rabbit a special treat for Karamu so she can celebrate anyway.
He looks under a pile of logs, in the field, and in the pond and along the way meets Groundhog, Momma Field Mouse, and the frogs--but he doesn't find anything for Granna Rabbit.
Maybe I'm just too little to help Granna Rabbit celebrate Kwanzaa, Li'l Rabbit thinks. Or maybe he just needs a little help from his family and friends.
*Booklist
Kwanzaa traces its origins to the American Civil Rights era. Critical thinking questions and fast facts prompt young readers to engage with this fun narrative and learn all about Kwanzaa.
-- New York Times Book Review The tale of Nutcracker, written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816, has fascinated and inspired artists, composers, and audiences for almost two hundred years. It has retained its freshness because it appeals to the sense of wonder we all share. Maurice Sendak designed brilliant sets and costumes for the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Christmas production of Nutcracker and created even more magnificent pictures especially for this book. He joined with the eminent translator Ralph Manheim to produce this illustrated edition of Hoffmann's wonderful tale, destined to become a classic for all ages. The world of Nutcracker is a world of pleasures. Maurice Sendak's art illuminates the delights of Hoffmann's story in this rich and tantalizing treasure.
BabyLit(R) is a fashionable way to introduce your baby to the world of classic literature
With this colorfully illustrated board book version of the classic Christmas-time ballet, Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver present a new holiday favorite, The Nutcracker: A BabyLit(R) Dancing Primer. This board book features soldiers marching, mice prancing, snowflakes swirling, dolls bending, and buffoons skipping as a way to introduce basic movement terms to babies and toddlers.
Jennifer Adams is the author of many books including Remarkably Jane: Notable Quotations on Jane Austen and the popular Edgar the Raven series. Jennifer works as a writer and editor in Salt Lake City, Utah.Alison Oliver runs Sugar design studio. Her design portfolio includes everything from logos to packaging and product design for clients such as Chronicle Books, Citibabes, and Aerie. She lives in New York.
Winner of the 2015 National Jewish Book Award for Children's Literature
A refugee seeking sanctuary from the horrors of Kristallnacht, Oskar arrives by ship in New York City with only a photograph and an address for an aunt he has never met. It is both the seventh day of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve, 1938. As Oskar walks the length of Manhattan, from the Battery to his new home in the north of the city, he passes experiences the city's many holiday sights, and encounters it various residents. Each offers Oskar a small act of kindness, welcoming him to the city and helping him on his way to a new life in the new world. This is a heartwarming, timeless picture book.
Geisel Honor-winning author/illustrator Salina Yoon's beloved character Penguin celebrates the season in Penguin's Christmas Wish--a charming picture book that's perfect for the holidays.
Penguin can't wait to celebrate Christmas with his family and friends. But when things don't go exactly as planned, Penguin learns to find holiday magic in the most unexpected places. Countless readers have already come to love the adorable Penguin, and Salina Yoon continues this series with a timeless story of holiday magic and the importance of family and friends.
In this sweet and humorous picture book, Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas, a multi-cultural family (Mom's Indian; Dad's Jewish) celebrate Hanukkah while incorporating traditional Indian food.
Instead of latkes, this family celebrates Hanukkah with tasty Indian dosas. To her brother's chagrin, little Sadie won't stop climbing on everything both at home and at the Indian grocery store, even while preparing the dosas. As the family puts the finishing touches on their holiday preparations, they accidentally get locked out of the house. Sadie and her climbing skills just may be exactly what is needed to save the day.
In an African village live seven brothers who make family life miserable with their constant fighting. When their father dies, he leaves an unusual will: by sundown, the brothers must make gold out of seven spools of thread. If they fail, they will be turned out as beggars. Using the Nguzo Saba, or "seven principles" of Kwanzaa, the author has created an unforgettable story that shows how family members can pull together, for their own good and the good of the entire community. Magnificent and inspiring linoleum block prints by Daniel Minter bring joy to this Kwanzaa celebration.
