Christmas Books

Advent Calendar with Emmy's
elf Graham Cracker

Opening book #1

As the seasons change, so do the books in the basket we keep in the living room.  We have collected books about autumn, winter, spring and summer.  As a holiday approaches, one of our favorite things to do is to display our collection of holiday books in a separate basket.  Last Christmas we decided to made an advent calendar using our books.  Emmy chose 24 books from our collection of Christmas books and then wrapped each one.  We numbered each book as we wrapped and put them into a basket in numerical order.  Each night we opened a book at bedtime and read it together as a family.  We enjoyed this advent calendar better than any other that we have tried and plan on doing the same thing this Christmas.

We recently added two new books to our Christmas collection and Emmy asked that I share them with you.  So here it goes...
Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas by Julia Rawlinson illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke (2010)
Emmy and I first fell in love with Fletcher, or Ferdie as he is known in the United Kingdom, when we read Fletcher and the Falling Leaves. Rawlinson has created four Fletcher stories - one for each season.  Each of these stories about Fletcher and his forest friends has an underlying theme of true friendship and how giving brings just as much joy as receiving.


In the story Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas, Fletcher is worried that Santa Claus will not be able to find the rabbit family's new home and so he works with his friends on creating a stick path leading from their old burrow to their new burrow. They are invited into the Rabbit's home to share blackberry pie and sing Christmas Carols.  While they are enjoying the Christmas Eve festivities, snowflakes begin to fall and the sticks are buried under the snow.  Fletcher worries all the way home and decides that there is only one thing a true friend would do - stay awake all night to tell Santa the news.  Fletcher settles down to wait but can't help falling fast asleep.

When Fletcher wakes up on Christmas morning and sees the gifts left for him under his tree, he rushes to the Rabbit's burrow to apologize only to find them opening their Christmas gifts.  Santa found his way!

A Christmas Tree for Pyn by Olivier Dunrea (2011)
It's no secret that Emmy and I LOVE Olivier Dunrea whose series of books about some adorable goslings are still read around our house (read our post about Ollie the Stomper).  We admire his illustrations that are simple yet full of emotion.  When we came across A Christmas Tree for Pyn, we knew that we had to add it to our Christmas book collection.  This book isn't about Santa Claus or presents, it's about the true emotion of the season ~ that Christmasy feeling that we all look for. With each rereading, this book endears itself to me and Emmy more and more.

Oother, and his small daughter Pyn, live in a cottage "on top of a steep, craggy mountain." Oother is a "big, gruff man" who doesn't say much and when he does, it usually sounds like this,"Umphf." Oother loves his daughter very much, but he is a "bearlike mountain man who did not soften for anyone.  Not even Pyn."  Pyn's "Good morning, Papa" is always followed by "My name is Oother."  And so she would correct herself and say "Good morning, Oother."  Pyn is cared for and is happy as is evident in the work she does around the cottage as Oother goes into the woods to work, but you can sense a loneliness admist the text and illustrations.  Dunrea enlightens us to this feeling when Oother thinks to himself, "How very much like her mother she is."  There is no mother around and it is now evident that Oother is still adjusting to her absence.  When Pyn suggests getting a Christmas tree, Oother gruffly responds, "No Christmas tree."  

With gentle determination, Pyn keeps asking until she gets a "We'll see." response.  Pyn finally sets out on her own to chop down a tree, but finds herself stuck in the snow.  Oother is there to rescue her and they then set off together to find the perfect tree. Emmy and I both love how Oother and Pyn bow their heads to give thanks to the tree before they cut it down.  Once the tree is home, Pyn dashes around the cottage finding all of the special things that she has been collecting from the forest (acorns, berries, abandoned birds' nests and birds' feathers) and adorns the tree with her treasures.  Reluctantly, Oother begins to help Pyn place the items amongst the tree branches and when they are finished they stare in amazement at their beautiful tree.  

The finishing touch...Oother goes into the cellar and brings up a small package and says "For your Christmas tree.  It belonged to your mother."  Inside the package is a beautiful handmade bird for the top of the tree.  Now that space has been made in their lives for Pyn's mother, Oother's heart softens and when Pyn thanks him "Thank you, Oother." He corrects her and says "My name's Papa."
Emmy admires Pyn's determination to bring a Christmas tree into her home and calls Oother "A big softy."

This very gentle reminder of the spirit of Christmas is just what Emmy and I need.  With all of the hustle and bustle, the meaning of Christmas is often forgotten.  We will pause and appreciate the beauty of the season from the twinkling lights to the smell of pine to the festive music.  And we will be mindful to bring peace and happiness to those that we meet.  With that thought, we will end this post with these words from Longfellow's poem Christmas Bells.

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Santa's Stuck

Rhonda Gowler Greene and Henry Cole team up to bring us a humorous tale of Christmas.

Santa's Stuck tells the story of Santa and all of those delicious snacks left out for him on Christmas Eve. A nibble here and a nibble there shouldn't hurt...right? Well on Santa's last delivery he decides to put his feet up and eat a feast of sweets. When it's time to go back up the chimney, Santa discovers a problem. Santa's stuck! With one word from Santa - Help! - the reindeer, assisted by the family dog, push and pull Santa...

"No-o-o-o-o luck --- Santa's stuck!"

Next to help is the family cat and her six kittens...

"No-o-o-o-o luck --- Santa's stuck!"

And finally a mouse, who is awakened by all of the commotion, comes to their aid. Santa is again pushed and pulled, pushed and pulled until the mouse comes up with a clever idea...

"Wh-oo-oo-oo-oo-oosh!

Santa's out! A silent cheer!

Reindeer harness up their gear.

Back inside his Christmas sleigh,

Santa shouts, 'Now dash away!"

Emmy and I just crack up at the idea of Santa eating so many sweets that he gets stuck in the chimney. After a fulfilling meal in our house, Emmy will rub her tummy and then when trying to get down from her chair will say, "Oh no. I'm stuck." This is followed by lots of giggles.

Henry Cole's illustrations add so much to the text. Each two-page spread is visually exciting and most include a smaller illustration set inside a filigreed circle which provides views of

other events occurring at the same time. Emmy's favorite illustration inside a cricle is the one showing Santa's bottom as he attempts to go up the chimney.

Here is Emmy's interpretation of the story using her baby doll's high chair as the chimney, her Polar Express Santa, her mouse named Oatmeal and a toy bulldozer (Mouse's clever idea!).

Emmy loves her stuffed mouse Oatmeal. She goes everywhere with us even on a visit to Santa Claus!

Merry Christmas!

Click here to read about our favorite Christmas books from last year!

Our Favorite Christmas Books

I began this post about our favorite Christmas books on December 4th. It is now December 15th - 10 days before Christmas! This time of year always goes by so very fast even with efforts to SLOW THINGS DOWN!

What's wonderful about this year's holiday season is that Emmy really gets it. She is full of anticipation and talks non stop about Santa Claus and his upcoming arrival. With our move to Massachusetts, we are both hoping for a white Christmas this year.

Part of our holiday decorating this year has been putting our Christmas books into beautiful baskets. We have a rather large selection and Emmy and I wanted to be sure to share with you our favorite Christmas books before the season is over!

First on our list is Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry.

This book was written in 1963 and is one of my all time favorite

Christmas stories. It begins with wealthy, old Mr. Willowby's too tall Christmas tree and trickles down to the smallest mouse in the house.

Then Mistletoe Mouse just happened to see that tiny tip of a Christmas tree. He pulled it through the snow and

ice...up some stairs...he fell down twice! At last he reached his cozy house. "It's just the right size!" said Mrs. Mouse. Then at the top, if you please, they put a star made out of cheese.

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree was also produced as a television Christmas special in 1995 starring Robert Downey, Jr. and The Muppets. Here's a clip of the opening song which was nominated for an Emmy.

I would love to show this to Emmy in its entirety, but can't find it! Come on TV stations, bring back Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree to the holiday lineup!

Second on our list of favorites is Harvey Slumfenburger's Christmas Present by John

Burningham. As Santa is retiring for the evening, he notices one present left in his sack. With the reindeer exhausted, Santa enlists the help of several people, from an airplane pilot to a mountain climber, in order to deliver the present to Harvey Slumfenburger before Christmas morning. Emmy loves to say the following words along with me:

My name is Santa Claus. I still have one present left in my sack, which is for Harvery Slumfenburger, the little boy who lives in a hut at the top of the Roly Poly Mountain, which is far, far away.

And it will soon be Christmas Day.

John Burningham's illustrations are exquisite. Emmy's favorite picture is the one of Santa Claus finally arriving at Harvey's hut.

"Mommy look how beautiful the sky looks. I think the sun is coming up. Santa just made it!"

Third on our list is Redbird at Rockefeller Center by Peter Mahoney and Felicia Zekauskas.

Told in a rhyme reminiscent of Dr. Seuss this book tells the story of a giant spruce found in the yard of Kate and her mom.

There once was a tree of a height to astound that people could see for

miles around. It towered above the house of a lady who found it too tall and overly shady.

With a phone call from the mother, the tree becomes the famous Christmas tree towering above the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center. Only Kate knows that hidden among the branches is a redbird and is heartbroken that the tree has been cut down. Luckily the holiday season is a time of magic and miracles, and with the help of the tree's ornaments (redbirds - of course), the lonely redbird and the tall spruce make their way back home again. The illustrations humorously show the hustle and bustle of New York City during the holiday season. Emmy's favorite drawing is of the mother. She just cracks up at her hairdo - a rather tall beehive!

Last on our list is Who'll Pull Santa's Sleigh Tonight? by Laura Rader. This is a sequel to

Santa's New Suit, which is also a great holiday read. When the reindeer all come down with colds, Santa needs a back up plan and quick. He decides to hold auditions in order to find stand ins. A large crowd gathers to try out including ducks, rabbits, monkeys and an elephant, but none was right for the job. Next, Santa tries his own invention, but that doesn't work out either. When Mrs. Claus suggests bringing him a cup of hot cocoa to make him feel better, they both know just what to do. HOT COCOA! After the reindeer drink Mrs. Claus' hot cocoa, they stop sniffling and sneezing and are ready to fly!

Hot cocoa for all and to all a good night!

Emmy just laughs and laughs at the antics of the characters in this story and wants me to read the "talking bubbles" over and over again. Included is the recipe for Mrs. Claus' hot cocoa! We are looking forward to reading the next book in the series...When Santa Lost His Ho! Ho! Ho!

Emmy and I hope that this holiday season brings you joy, love and laughter.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Bear Snores On

It was over a year ago when Emmy and I checked the book Bear Snores On out of the public library. I remembered how enjoyable it was to read this book to a group of second graders, but wasn't sure about an almost two year old. Well, the book was such a hit that we checked it out again several times and then finally purchased it along with the second book in the series Bear Wants More. Both of these books are currently back in the read aloud rotation at our house and, I must say, are even more fun since Emmy is really connecting to the stories.

The author, Karma Wilson, brilliantly writes this series of books completely in rhyme only stopping to repeat a key phrase such as "But the bear snores on." and "But the bear wants more!" Each book gives lots of opportunities to expand the read aloud experience by creating funny voices and exaggerating words like growl, squeak, blubber and Emmy's favorite "RAAAAA - CHOO OOOO!!!!" which follows the text "Hare stokes the fire. Mouse seasons stew. Then a small pepper flake makes the bear..."









And just as important to the book reading experience are the magnificent illustrations drawn by Jane Chapman - WOW! Each character is alive with personality and charm. You really feel like you could just walk right into the pictures and join in all of the fun.

For Christmas, Emmy received Bear Stays Up For Christmas and once again we found ourselves joyfully immersed in Bear's world. We will slowly add the other three books in the series to our home library and look forward to the next Bear book!

Karma Wilson has a great website so if you'd like to find out more about her and the other books she's written for children, check it out here!