Holiday books harvest laughter and warmth for young readers

'Twas the season of giving,
And all through the stores,
Await bright racks and shelves,
Filled with holiday books galore!

REVIEWS BY ALICE CARY

Indeed, this year's crop seems especially good, starting with Bonny Becker's hilarious The Christmas Crocodile. In an old Victorian home to a young girl named Alice Jayne and her eccentric relatives (including prudish Aunt Figgy and world adventurer Uncle Theodore) comes a mysterious, very hungry present -- a crocodile. While Uncle Theodore thinks the beast would make splendid shoes, and Figgy wants him sent to an orphanage, Alice Jayne would prefer to keep the croc, despite the havoc his chomping jowls wreak. Artist David Small, well known for his work in Imogene's Antlers, The Library, and The Gardener, makes this lively story all the better with his fanciful illustrations that'll have you laughing out loud (especially when Aunt Figgy's toes get nibbled).


Illustrator Jan Brett, creator of holiday cheer in books such as The Wild Christmas Reindeer and Christmas Trolls, now puts her distinctive touch on The Night Before Christmas. Her elaborate designs combine Norwegian coziness (as seen on the reindeer's blankets and the intricately carved sleigh) with Victorian visions of sugarplums and stockings. Brett adds her own twist to the classic by including two stowaway elves in Santa's sleigh.


Julia and Robert Van Nutt have created a possibility-filled world in A Cobtown Christmas, the first in a series of stories about folks in an 1845 American town. The story unfolds in diary entries written by a spirited ten-year-old named Lucky Hart. As the town prepares for Christmas and a special concert in which Lucky will sing, a blind man who doesn't speak English arrives in town. It's nice to hear this is a series, because Cobtown is a cheery, action-packed place readers will look forward to revisiting.


Young readers will enjoy Nancy Tafuri's Counting to Christmas, in which a young girl describes her favorite family activities: making cards, baking cookies, wrapping presents, and stringing popcorn and cranberries. The spare text and bold images make this a perfect choice for toddlers and young preschoolers. Also included are recipes and instructions for the activities described within the story.


Religious Christmas Tales

I have long been an Ashley Bryan fan, so I highly recommend his Carol of the Brown King, with a text of five poems by Langston Hughes and another that Hughes translated from Spanish. Here Bryan continues his tradition of exploring African-American spirituals and poetry, with his trademark fireworks-like splashes of color in tempera and gouache paintings. An invigorating feast for the eyes!


Joseph's Story is a lushly illustrated (by George Hinke) and clearly told (by Patricia A. Pingry) narrative. A nativity story focusing on Joseph's thoughts and concerns, each spread contains a note explaining historical details and context, such as the fact that Joseph would not have been present at Jesus' birth (men were hustled away during childbirth). Lovely and informative.


Remember the Christmas classic The Littlest Angel? Recently the great niece of the author, Charles Tazewell, discovered one of his previously unknown manuscripts, now published for the first time. The Littlest Uninvited One tells of a mischievous boy in heaven who longs for a dog. Michael finally gets his wish, but when the pup runs loose, all h -- - breaks loose behind those pearly gates. The Littlest Uninvited One is a touching story for dog lovers and older children (at least 4 or 5; the language is sophisticated) alike.


Another book with an imaginative twist is Saint Francis Celebrates Christmas, retold by Mary Caswell Walsh, illustrated by Helen Caswell. Based on Thomas of Celano's 13th-century biography, the simple text explains how St. Francis pulled together the world's first living nativity scene. The language is just right for preschoolers, although, as an adult, I would like to have seen a short historical note.


The most unusual nativity story I've seen of late is The Bear's Christmas, set in snow-covered lands. A hungry bear leaves his winter den in search of food, only to encounter shepherds, angels, and a mother and baby in a barn. The mother offers the bear a berry-covered branch, allowing the bear to return home for a long, deep sleep. This is a sweet, simple, and snowy fable.


Happy Hanukkah

There's a feast of Hanukkah books this year, starting with A Hanukkah Treasury, a collection of legends, history, recipes, crafts, and modern reminiscences. Don't miss Jane Yolen's touching poem, "Ever After," about how she felt while her father was away fighting during World War II, and the intriguing short essay, "A Menorah in the White House."


Treat yourself to a short history lesson with The Menorah Story, featuring the impressionistic images of Mark Podwal, a New York Times illustrator whose works are part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.


Pearl's Eight Days of Chanukah features a story and activity for each night of the festival. Pearl is a little lamb who has also been featured in Jane Breskin Zalben's Pearl Plants a Tree and Pearl's Marigolds for Grandpa. Stories are interspersed with recipes, songs, and explanations of the holidays. Zalben's illustrations will add to the coziness and comfort of any family celebration.


Both the illustrations and the story in When Mindy Saved Hanukkah are charming and exciting. Eric A. Kimmel has combined his memories of Manhattan's Eldridge Street Synagogue with a saga of a little family (in the tradition of the Borrowers) named Klein. After Papa returns from an unsuccessful trip to find a candle with which to celebrate Hanukkah, young Mindy decides to set out on her own. Armed with garlic, a lucky stone, and a climbing hook (a paper clip with string), Mindy braves a pouncing cat and sheer terror. Barbara McClintock's illustrations are superb.


Here's hoping many super books find their way to your house this holiday season. Enjoy!

Alice Cary is a reviewer in Groton, Massachusetts.

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