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Christmas cheer: holiday read-alongs celebrate the season
REVIEWS BY ALICE CARY Whether you want to sit by the fire and read Christmas stories or check off gifts on your shopping list, here are some new holiday books for children that caught our eye.
Josie belongs to a churchgoing family for whom religion is a mainstay, but this touching story about generosity can be enjoyed by religious and non-religious families alike. Period details adorn every page and Frank Ordaz's detailed illustrations are luminous with the golden glow of Christmas warmth.
By Kathleen Long Bostrom Broadman & Holman, $16.99 40 pages ISBN 0805430202
A lovely pastel glow also fills each page of There Was No Snow on Christmas Eve from noted author Pam Muñoz Ryan, illustrated by Dennis Nolan. Framed by spare, hymn-like text, three children set out on a snowy walk, admiring the peace of the woods. Nolan's watercolors seamlessly switch from the soft blue snow-covered woods to the turquoise and sand tones of Bethlehem, while the text sets the scene: "instead of a storm, a night serene." Readers watch Mary and Joseph arrive at the inn and go to the stable, as the shepherds and Wise Men approach from afar. Not only are Nolan's landscapes stunning, so are his people. In the final spread, a young but devoted Mary tends to her newborn—so fresh, pink and alive that you can practically reach out and cradle him.
By Pam Muñoz Ryan Hyperion, $15.99 32 pages ISBN 0786854928
Spoiler alert: this is one Christmas story that does not have a happy ending! Seven-year-old Esmeralda has never had a doll, and that's all she wants, one like her cousin Jenny's. In fact, that's what both she and her younger sister, Delsa, hope to get from the Three Magi—this region's equivalent to Santa Claus. Sadly for Esmeralda, it is Delsa who ends up with the coveted doll, while Esmerelda gets a board game "for a big girl." Delsa kindly asks her sister to be godmother or madrina, to the doll, and Esmerelda makes peace with her disappointment. A Doll for Navidades offers many discussion points for readers, including Spanish customs, the spirit of giving and receiving, and, finally, disappointment.
By Esmeralda Santiago Scholastic, $16.99 32 pages ISBN 0439553989
While many know the music, not all know the story behind the stirring tune of Good King Wenceslas, which is based on the words penned by 19th-century Anglican priest John M. Neale and illustrated here by Tim Ladwig. Using slightly adapted lyrics, Ladwig presents the story of the Czech patron saint who lived in the 10th century and "ruled the land fairly, gave aid to the poor, and sought to spread Christianity throughout Bohemia." Ladwig's dramatic illustrations show the King and a young servant traipsing through the snow to deliver food and fuel to a peasant and his family. This book is a splendid way to bring a beloved carol to life.
By John M. Neale Eerdmans, $16 32 pages ISBN 0802852092
If the season begins to get you down, sit down and start smiling with Catrow's illustration of a girl about to go onstage for her ballet recital, looking like a wide-eyed Cindy Lou right out of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Then hum a few bars of Katz's "The Sugarplum Fairy," based on the tune of "The Little Drummer Boy": Dance, they told me
If the Christmas rush still feels overwhelming, try singing "At the Malls" instead of "Deck the Halls": At the malls
Happy holidays and don't forget what Christmas is really all about!
By Alan Katz McElderry, $15.95 32 pages ISBN 0689862148 Alice Cary has been spotted in several New England malls humming her own versions of Christmas carols.
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"Christmas isn't about what we want, it's about what we have." That is the simple but inspiring message at the heart of Kathleen Long Bostrom's Josie's Gift. Josie's mom reminds her of this wisdom, but Josie thinks only about what her family is missing this Christmas. Her father died in the spring, leaving her, her mother, and her younger brother alone during the hard times of the Depression. Josie spots a beautiful blue sweater with pearl buttons in a storefront window and decides this is the gift she wants. On Christmas Eve, Josie sneaks downstairs and finds the sweater waiting for her under the tree. She puts it on and enjoys how perfect it is, but notices she still has an empty, lonely feeling. She goes outside, asking God whether he can hear her and wondering whether her father can see her from heaven. Inside her barn she finds a father, mother and new baby who need shelter because they've lost their home. Josie gives her sweater to the baby for warmth, finally feeling the happiness of Christmas giving.
Scenes from a holy night
A good choice for older picture book readers is A Doll for Navidades, in which author Esmeralda Santiago portrays a memory from her childhood in Puerto Rico. The setting is lush, filled with hummingbirds, hibiscus and gardenias—a great place to "visit" on a cold winter's night. Santiago's writing is rich and evocative, bringing to life the details of the tropics. The story shows many of her family's customs, supplemented with a glossary at the end that explains the Spanish words and traditions. You can nearly smell the sweet kitchen aromas, for instance, when Santiago writes: "Mami made arroz con dulce, which tasted sweet and coconutty and had sticks of cinnamon that we sucked on for a long time."
Sounds like Christmas
Moving from sacred to silly, check out Where Did They Hide My Presents? Silly Dilly Christmas Songs featuring illustrations by the wacky, whimsical and wonderful David Catrow. Alan Katz has taken liberties with the holiday tunes you know, adding his own hilarious twists.