Submitted by Ms. Jill!
Celebrate International Talk Like a Pirate Day with How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon!
See this book listed in our catalog
Holidays
Piggy Bunny
Submitted by Ms. Carol!
Piggy Bunny by Rachel Vail is a story about a piglet named Liam who wants to be the Easter Bunny when he grows up. Liam wants to be the Easter Bunny so bad he practices hopping, he tries to enjoy salad, and he tries to deliver eggs. Liam’s mom and dad try to tell Liam that he is perfect just the way he is, but Liam insists that he is going to be the Easter Bunny. Nobody thinks Liam looks like a bunny. Everybody is sure that Liam could never be the Easter Bunny, except Liam and his grandparents. Liam’s grandma and grandpa believe in Liam, and they help him order a bunny suit so Liam can be the Easter Bunny. When his suit finally arrives Liam is ready, and he can now finally be the Easter Bunny! See this book listed in our catalog
Jingle Bells: How the Holiday Classic Came to Be
Submitted by Ms. Sue!
Jingle Bells: How the Holiday Classic Came to Be by John Harris and illustrated by Adam Gustavson. In 1857, John Lord Pierpont was inspired to write a new Christmas song during an unusually hot Savannah, Georgia day for the Thanksgiving concert at his church. He was telling is daughter Lillie about the cold and snowy winters in Boston when he was younger, and realized she had never seen or felt snow. “What’s snow like exactly?” asked Lillie. He started describing the crisp, cold air, and a sleigh with sleigh bells. Later, while at the keyboard of the church’s pipe organ, he tapped the keys three times plink-plink-plink, then did it again. Jingling bells, that’s what they sound like. He sang along, and before you know it he wrote a song originally called “One Horse Open Sleigh” for the children of the congregation to sing. As they finished the song, complete with strands of bells, and feathers thrown like snow, the audience burst into applause. See this book listed in our catalog
The Twelve Days of Christmas and One Christmas Night
Submitted by Ms. Allana!
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Laurel Long is the traditional Christmas song with nothing added or adapted, however it is set in the most beautiful full page illustrations. From cover to cover it looks like one spectacular holiday or post card after another, with blended tones of gold, silver, red, blue, and green. It is a delightful book for the season. See this book listed in our catalog
One Christmas Night by M. Christina Butler and Tina Mcnaughton is a very simple and heartwarming tale of how a hedgehog begins to appreciate the importance of having friends around his house at Christmas time, and how special they are. His tree has no sparkle, and his house does not look very “Christmasy,” but with the help of his rabbit and mice friends, and even the fox, it all comes together for a glittery, sparkly, happy ending. See this book listed in our catalog
Elliot’s Christmas Surprise
Submitted by Ms. Jill!
Elliot’s Christmas Surprise by Andrea Beck. Elliot (a stuffed moose) wakes up on Christmas Eve morning to discover a giant red box waiting at the foot of his bed. What could it be?! Elliot, who has been extra-good this year, guesses that it must be a Special Delivery from Santa – an early present just for him! Elliot is so excited! But wait… none of the other stuffed animals in the nursery have Special Deliveries. What if Elliot’s friends feel left out and sad? Elliot gets out his craft supplies and makes an extra gift for each of his friends, so that everyone will have a Special Delivery to open. But when the little moose finally opens his own Special Delivery, he finds the box is empty! Poor Elliot! Now he’s the only one without an extra gift. At first Elliot is terribly disappointed, but then something magical happens: each of Elliot’s delighted friends comes running to say “thank you” for their thoughtful gifts, and with each friend’s arrival Elliot feels better and better. Together the animals discover that the empty big red box is a present after all – Lionel gave it to Elliot to use for crafts. Now completely recovered from his disappointment, Elliot shows everyone how to make the box into a pretend sleigh, and they all spend the day happily playing Santa and Reindeer. This delightful holiday story is just right for preschoolers – Elliot’s feelings of excitement, concern for his friends, and disappointment are very realistic for a young child, and the gentle message about the joy of giving and the importance of gratitude makes a great antidote to the holiday “gimmes.” You can read more about Elliot in the other “Elliot Moose Stories.” See these books listed in our catalog
Can We Save the Tiger?
Submitted by Ms. Tess!
Some kids don’t like to get books for a holiday gift. Like, this kid, for instance. But if the elementary school aged child in your life loves books, and loves animals, might I suggest checking out Can We Save the Tiger by Martin Jenkins, with illustrations by Vicky White. This is a beautiful book about endangered animals, featuring words that are accessible and kid-friendly, with sketches that are life-like, and gorgeous. Can We Save the Tiger is informative for folks of all ages, explaining simply how some species become threatened, and what we can do to help. It is somewhat ludicrous to me that the tiger could become extinct, but it is sadly a very real possibility. There may be a generation in the not-so-distant future that will never see one alive. Or a polar bear. Or even vultures and iguanas. You can see this book listed in our catalog, or you could consider giving it at a gift during this year’s festive season. You might pair it with a symbolic species adoption through the World Wildlife Fund. When you make a donation, you can receive a plush toy of your chosen animal, as well as a certificate. What a terrific way to make the little one (or grown ups) in your life more aware of conservation efforts! And for more ideas of fun ways to give good books for the holidays, check out my friend Pam Coughlan’s blog!