As I explained last year, my friend Corinne first exposed me to this super cool idea, and we've made the adjustments that make sense for our crew. Once again this year, I've got a mix of shorter picture books more geared at Pudge's level along with longer ones that will keep Red entertained and even allow JAM to join in. (I must say that I'm super proud of how my ten year old reader still can appreciate a high-quality picture book. My enthusiasm for this has certainly rubbed off on him. Yay!)
Last December, I forgot to record the titles before the rushed wrapping session began, leading to a post late in the month that shared the books that we enjoyed. Ha- I've actually learned something this year! We're currently on the second night, and our last night of unwrapping a holiday book will be on Christmas Eve. It would be great serendipity if the kids left one particular wrapped book until the last evening, but I'm not trying to control that for now. Each night for four rounds, we'll pull a name from a tin and that child will get to select and unwrap the evening's book. (This also provides a great opportunity for delayed gratification... yeah, as you can imagine, there are some tears... but maybe, just maybe, it will lessen as the days go by. Did you hear me, Pudge, I'm talking to you!)
Anyhoo. This year, we've got a nice combination of newly released holiday/winter titles that I've received for review this year, along with some that we've borrowed from the VERY FULL holiday shelves at the library. Some are classics, and some just seemed to call to me with their cute illustrations. I hope this collection appeals to the kids' senses of humor, as well as the wonder that seems to permeate this time of year. Without further ado, here's our Twelve Books of Christmas 2010:
- The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C. by Candice Ransom and illustrated by Sarah Hollander -- For our first reading, I condensed much of the text for Red and Pudge, but JAM loved reading over my shoulder to get the full experience. From the monuments to the museums to the National Zoo, everything that I and my kids love about Washington, DC, is here, and I like the format that these 12 Days books provide. I'd love to see more of the series, but we've only read the two that we have the most personal experience with- DC and Williamsburg, VA. Fun!
- Richard Scarry's Best Christmas Book Ever by Richard Scarry -- Oh, the joy that my children find in having a Richard Scarry book read to them by their funny daddy. Whichever night this one gets chosen, Dad will be pressed into reading service. (Alright, RS isn't exactly my favorite, and Dad does such a superb job so it all works out in the end.)
- Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman and illustrated by Liza Woodruff -- We did read this a couple months back when it first was sent, but I've kept it out of sight for a little while so it will be fresh again when it gets chosen. Like the classic Ten on the Bed song, this book features a fun rhyme, but the characters are kooky animals all piled high on a sled... until they fall off one by one in silly ways. We may not have any snow on the ground right now, but maybe if we read enough of these snowy adventures we'll soon be rewarded with the real thing!
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss -- I'm going to assume that everyone who would stumble across this post is very familiar with this classic title. How terrible is it that I don't believe I've ever read it with any of my children?! This year will be the fix for that!
- First Dog's White House Christmas by J. Patrick Lewis and Beth Zappitello, and illustrated by Tim Bowers -- A certain Portuguese water dog, a fortunate resident of the White House, has invited his friends from all over the world to attend a party. When they come, they each share some holiday traditions from their homelands, making this book a little more didactic than a simple narrative, but I think the kids will all enjoy this one, each on his/her own level.
- Santa's New Suit by Laura Rader -- Here's another one that was new to me but the adorable factor caught my eye. Santa wearing anything but the iconic red suit lined with white fur? Craziness! I just know that my two younger kids will find this one hilarious.
- Deck the Halls illustrated by Norman Rockwell-- How could I resist? One of the most fun carols of all time accompanied by the iconic paintings of Rockwell? I imagine we will sing this one enthusiastically when it gets chosen, and it will undoubtedly be pulled out of the basket again and again by my music-loving little ones.
- Small, Medium & Large by Jane Monroe Donovan -- I thought this story of Christmas wishes come true was adorable, but I haven't yet read it with the children. I'm looking forward to this one being a surprise, and I predict it will especially be a big hit with my animal loving Red!
- Shhh! by Julie Sykes and illustrated by Tim Warnes -- An overly excited Santa who just can't seem to be quiet? Now that is a Santa that my children can relate to! I'm a sucker for these colorful and playful illustrations.
- Little Critter's The Night Before Christmas by Mercer Mayer -- Okay, in all honestly, I don't care that much for the Little Critter books, but this one is cute and helps to give another face to this traditional story. I purposefully wanted to include a couple different versions of this tale, making it the big focus this year.
- Can You See What I See? The Night Before Christmas by Walter Wick -- We are all huge fans of Wick's books in this format- the illustration spreads are gorgeous and truly fun. I love that these books encourage a visual adventure beyond simply enjoying the text. I didn't get much time to look through this one at the library before checking it out, so I really can't wait for this to be chosen.
- The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Robert Ingpen -- The penultimate itself. Here is the original text of Clement C. Moore's story, and Ingpen's illustrations make me feel totally warm and fuzzy. (Even if the cover's Santa's nose is suspiciously bulbous and red... can't help but be reminded of a distant relative when I look at this one...) It would be perfectly lovely if this were the last book standing to be unwrapped on Christmas Eve, but I'm letting fate take its course.
Our 2010 list makes me smile, happy as always to spend a little time each evening sharing lovely holiday books with my crew of book-loving kids.
Merry Christmas and happy reading,
Ooh. Glad you mentioned that Richard Scarry book again. Definitely want to get my hands on a copy of it!
ReplyDelete