Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Saturday, December 9, 2017

3 New Holiday Books from Sterling

The Bear Who Didn't Want to Miss Christmas
by Marie Tibi
Illustrated by Fabien Öckto Lambert

Published October, 2017
by Sterling Children's Books
Hardcover
40 pages

Goodreads Summary
Poor little bear! He’s supposed to hibernate—but if he does, he’ll sleep right through Christmas! What can he do?
Winter is coming, and it’s time for little bear to settle in for his long cold-weather nap. But that means he won’t get to celebrate Christmas with his woodland friends, and he’s very sad. Can his pals find a clever way to help him join in the fun? This heartwarming, holiday picture book captures the festive spirit of the holiday and the beauty of friendship.


My Thoughts
What a sweet story of friendship. Little Bear is so sad that he misses Christmas every year because he has to hibernate.  When his friends are decorating and writing letters to Santa he feels very left out. I won't spoil the ending, but let's just say that Little Bear has some very good friends. 
Young children LOVE Christmas and will absolutely relate to Little Bear's feelings of sadness at the prospect of missing the holiday every year. They will enjoy how this touching story ends. 
The book's illustrations are beautiful and the characters are adorable. Each page has the frosty feel of winter.  

  Image from book taken by G. McAllister

I would highly recommend The Bear Who Didn't Want to Miss Christmas for children ages 3-8.  

See what others have to say about this book.



by Annie Silvestro
Illustrated by Teagan White
Published October, 2017
by Sterling Children's Books
Hardcover
32 pages

Goodreads Summary
This mouse doesn’t want to stay in the house . . . even if it’s cold outside!
For most field mice, winter means burrowing down and snuggling in. But not for Lucy! She loves snow crunching under her paws and wearing a fluffy wool hat. And most of all, Lucy loves to skate, and she’s just ACHING to show off her new skill with her friends. After all, a winter wonderland is twice as nice when you have friends to enjoy it with. But the other mice just don’t understand—and after a disastrous indoor snowball fight, it looks as if they never will. Can Lucy find a way to make the other mice come out and “mice skate” too?
With intricately detailed illustrations as cozy as a fireplace in December (and a cup of cocoa, too), this funny punny warmhearted love song to winter—and to one brave, bold, and generous mouse—will have kids bundling up for some cold-weather fun of their own.


My Thoughts
While this title is not technically a holiday title, it is gorgeous and has a Christmasy feel to it. Lucy loves winter and wants to share it with her, but they all just want to stay inside where it is warm until spring. Can clever Lucy think of a way to help them all come outside and go "mice skating"? 
The illustrations are gorgeous! They are done in muted earth tones using water color, gouache and colored pencil on a mostly cream colored paper. 
       Image from book taken by G. McAllister

While the puns are a bit cheesy (sorry, couldn't resist), this book will appeal to young children. I would recommend it mostly for ages 3-8. 

See what others have to say about this book.


by Sue Fliess
Illustrated by Claudia Lambert
Published October, 2017
by Sterling Children's Books
Hardcover
32 pages

Goodreads Summary
We wish for a furry monster,
A big, hairy, scary monster,
Our own stomping, chomping monster, for Christmas this year!

Dear Santa: please bring us a MONSTER for Christmas! This hilarious parody of the traditional carol stars two siblings who want something just a little more special than the usual toys for their Christmas gift. Mom and Dad refuse—so they appeal to a higher power: Santa. And since they’ve been good all year, he delivers. But having a monster in the house may not be all it's cracked up to be . . . as the kids discover when he turns their playroom to rubble and causes tons of trouble. Now, what will they do? Delighted readers will sing along with the merry song.


My Thoughts
So fun! It took me a while to catch on that the book can be read (or sung) to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", but when I did, I couldn't read it any other way. Kids will love this silly Christmas story and just might change their minds about what they would like for Christmas. 
The digital illustrations are bright and colorful and the characters, even the monsters, are super-cute. 
  Image from book taken by G. McAllister


Check out this book trailer!

There is also a karaoke song for the book here. 
I would recommend it for ages 4-8. 

See what others have to say about this book.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The Biggest Smallest Christmas Present by Harriet Muncaster

The Biggest Smallest Christmas Present 
by Harriet Muncaster
Published Oct., 2016
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
32 Pages
Review copy provided by publisher

Goodreads Summary
The Night Before Christmas meets Thumbelina in a toy-filled tale that celebrates the excitement and magic of the holiday season.
Clementine is a teeny-tiny girl who lives with her average-sized family. It’s mostly fun being the smallest, but Christmas can be tricky. Santa brings beautiful toys, but they are too big for this little girl.
Every year, Clementine tries to tell Santa she’s small. But the cookies she ices with a message to Santa are eaten, and the words she stamps out on the roof are covered by fresh snow. It’ll take a whole lot of Christmas spirit for Clementine to find the right way to reach Santa—and when she does, she just might get the toy of her dreams!

Harriet Muncaster’s whimsical illustrations shine in this celebration of creativity, gratitude, and the magic of Christmas.

My Thoughts
Many children love tiny things. They love to examine them and imagine what it would be like to be small. Clementine is adorable. She is so tiny that she sleeps in a matchbox and takes baths in a teacup. 
While she appreciates the gifts she gets each Christmas, none of them seem to quite fit her. Then one Christmas, she gets the biggest box ever and inside is a gift that is perfect for her. 

Harriet Muncaster's illustrations have a whimsical quality that will draw readers in. She builds anticipation as each Christmas approaches. Kids will be rooting for Clementine to get the perfect present.

This book would make a great addition to any holiday collection. 

See what others have to say about this book:

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

A review of The Christmas Village by Melissa Ann Goodwin

It's Christmas in July! 
by Melissa Ann Goodwin

Don't be fooled, this is not a Christmas book. Sure, it takes place at Christmas time, but Christmas is not the overall theme of the story. Jamie Reynolds and his mother are facing difficulties in their hometown. They are being snubbed and have lost friends because of something terrible Jamie's father has done. The reader must be patient with this as the author does not reveal what he actually did until late in the book. 
Jamie's mother decides that the two of them need a break from all the talk and stares so they go to visit Jamie's grandparents in another town. Jamie is understandably upset about his father and how he and his mother are being treated. His grandmother has an adorable model of Canterbury, a little Christmas village. Jamie imagines that the little people live perfect lives and he makes a quiet wish to live in Canterbury.

At midnight on Christmas Eve, Jamie hears voices coming from the village. Upon closer inspection he sees that the village has come alive. Two little children are skating on an ice pond when the ice breaks and the girl falls through. Jamie reaches out his hand to save the girl and is instantly transported into the village of Canterbury. 

Although he literally seems to have come from nowhere, the good people of Canterbury take Jamie in and care for him. He discovers while Canterbury is indeed a wonderful place, it is far from perfect. The year is 1932 and Canterbury is struggling during The Great Depression. Many are having a hard time making a living and supporting their families. 

This book is filled with interesting and exciting events that young readers will enjoy. What child has not fantasized about shrinking down and visiting a model city? Jamie makes new friends, but also makes an enemy in the dangerous and troublesome, James Gordon. In the end, a shocking event happens and Jamie is up against the clock. If he wants to return home before Christmas he must choose between going back or helping his friends. Children will like how this book turns out and will be shocked at the surprise twist at the end. 

The Christmas Village reminded me of The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone. 
I would recommend it for an independent read for grades 4-6 and for a read aloud for grades 3-5. 

Melissa Ann Goodwin's second book, Return to Canterbury is also available. Please visit Melissa Ann Goodwin's website to learn more about her books.