I had so much fun researching our Chrismas stack this year. Because we are not a religious family, we look for books that celebrate family and kindness during this holiday season. This year we found some really fun titles that my kids and I are reading over and over these days!
Delia Huddy and Emily Sutton’s The Christmas Eve Tree is about a small, scraggly tree that finds a home with a homeless kid. The kid uses his dinner money to decorate the tree, and when a friend sits down to play a song for the kid and the tree, a large crowd gathers to sing joyfully together. When the tree is nearly dead the kid gets rid of it, and a sly street sweeper plants it in the park where it grows tall and strong, bringing joy and shade to people for years to come. I love the feeling of hope and joy that is so clear in this story. The illustrations make us feel cozy and warm, which we all need this year.
Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Nuehner and illustrations by Mark Buehner is a silly, fun read that we are giggling over. In it, a kid imagines what their snowman does on Christmas Eve- walking to see friends, caroling, decorating their trees, and even catching a glimpse of snowman Santa Claus! My kids are now imagining all sorts of silly adventures that snowmen can have- though the snow can hold off as long as it wants!
T’was Nochebuena is by Roseanne Greenfield Thong and Sandra Palacios is a bilingual rhyming story about Christmas Eve for a family who celebrates with tamales, evening mass, and lots of fun with their extended family. I like to try to incorporate Spanish language into my kids’ stories and experiences when I can (though I’m not a native or fluent speaker, I minored in Spanish and love the language), so this is a welcome addition to our shelves. We really love the images of the kids participating int heir traditional celebrations, and the connections we can make to their celebrations.
Jane Yolen and Mark Teague’s How do Dinosaurs… books are some of our favorites, and How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas one was a hit here, especially with my 3 year old. The images of the many dinosaurs doing all kinds of naughty things delights her. Even when the dinos are making better choices, she loves to look at how silly they are. This is a great simple read that’ll get readers laughing every time.
Confession time: I lol’d at the last page of this book. I won’t ruin it, but please do yourself the favor of reading it. In Santa’s Husband, Daniel Kibbelsmith and Ap Quach show Santa as a Black man married to a white man who helps him to prepare for Christmas- even filling in for Santa in malls (hence the misconception that Santa is white). It is funny and kind and speaks to my love of inclusive and diverse stories. And seriously, that last page…
If you choose to purchase a book from any of the links in this post I’ll make a small commission. Thanks in advance!